The team here just successfully attended to a family clan get-together of a well known Malaysian VIP.
The group started check-in into our resort on 16th and on 22nd they left. 36 persons in total. We made arrangements for their rooming, in-house meals and activities as well as planned for their off-resort fun.
In all, it has been a challenging run for me and the team and I am thankful that my counterpart who will soon return to HQ was present to tag-team the tasks.
Select individuals from HQ was also flown to the resort to help out, of which I am also thankful for. Catering for a group of such discerning tastes is no easy task. Having them come from different parts of the world also puts an interesting requirement to the planning.
Indoor games & activities - karaoke, carrom, congkak, jenga, chess and more, were set up for their use. Ping Pong & Water Polo tournaments, Beach & Sea Adventures - island hop, jet ski, para-sailing & banana-boat rides, rest & relaxation spa treatments, as well as tourist trap go-sees were negotiated, plotted and replotted. Dinner bookings and menu planning were to me the most exciting, trying to feed and satisfy so many eager mouths.
It was a long and hard week for the lot of us, and many, who were not used to the punishing workload were visibly struggling, but we managed to soldier on despite our aching bodies. Many ended working upwards of 14 hours everyday (I myself worked 0700-0030 almost daily). Logistics alone was a puzzling workout!
At the end most importantly, our guests all had nice things to say and were appreciative of the level of attention and care we accorded them. The guests shook our hands warmly as we bid them adieu. It was almost sad to see them leave, mixed with a sense of accomplishment on a job well done.
We received a small tip at the end left by our gracious guest and I can wait to share with the team. I got a personal gift from the VIPs themselves, a humble gift of a Pelikat sarong. To many, this would be a tiny gift, but to some Johoreans, being gifted with Pelikat, or it's female variant, Batik Lepas, is an expression of honest gratitude and the solemn doa for well-being for the recipient.
I was dumbstruck as this was possibly the quiet meaning behind the gesture.
2 comments:
Im on my way drafting an article about the Pelikat. Your pelikat's picture gave me an idea to dig more and publish about the pelikat's background in my blog...check it out nanti...
Good, link me to it and I will surely read it.
Malays place much meaning into the gifting of Pelikat/Batik, but the real meaning behind the gesture is often lost on many of the younger generations.
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