Tuesday, November 18, 2014

This Orkid Is Not An Orchid

Star Q


I am attending another three-day course yet again and today is the first day of the course and thankfully the night slot has just ended; exactly on time.  I always hate it when during courses like this, the speakers get carried away with what they are presenting (and sometimes out of topic!) and lose track of time, leaving the course participants fidgeting in their seats, eager to go back to their rooms for a well-deserved rest.

But this entry is not about the humdrum of presenters getting all over themselves but about this accommodation that the organiser of this course has provided for us.  My first impression when I got to the reception counter was some positive vibes via the smiles on the people checking me in.  And then as I adjourned to my single room, I was pleased with its size, cleanliness and the surprising absence of the smell of dampness and mildew that were always present in the previous hotels that I have been to.

However, first impression can be deceiving and I am afraid I have underestimated this 'orkid' located in the middle of the historical city of Melaka.  My displeasure started the moment I entered the dining area.  It was small and cramped and course participants were practically bumping into each other trying to manoeuvre themselves through the tables and chairs and what-nots.  

And then there was the food; white rice plus four main dishes, two of them vegetables.  One of the main dishes was meat scraps cooked in a curry-like gravy.  I know when you say it in English, meat scraps sounds like something you would not feed your guests at your hotel (the Malay word for it is 'daging tetel')  And the fish dish (ikan selar) a fish which is not usually served to hotel guests, was fried very crisp and was very difficult to eat.

And finally (I hope there isn't anymore skeletons hiding in the closet!) there is the hall.  Anyone can see that the hall was not big enough to accommodate more than one hundred and fifty course participants.  Just like the dining area, the hall did not provide enough room for the participants to move about comfortably either.

But to be fair, I am sure the organisers have done their level best with the budget handed to them.  It is not surprising though when they mentioned that it was not possible for them to find other venues to accommodate one hundred and fifty of us.  I don't expect them to; not when its the end of the year and when many other departments and companies are scampering to finish off the annual budget.  Having said that, this particular organiser is probably in the same boat too!

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