Company Trip 2013

The teams from weddingsmalaysia and That Special Occasion were in  Krabi earlier this week for our annual company trip. Looking back through the years, we've been to Siem Reap, Hatyai, Penang, Bali, Phuket and Kuantan, and we have a great time year in year out. What's there not to enjoy while on holiday?

 

I typically decide on the destination based on a number of factors. How well we've done during the year, how often my colleagues have pissed me off in the past twelve months, good deals on flights and accommodation, some place we've never been to as a group, sufficient diversity to meet the group's varied interests, good food, some shopping, spas to visit.

 

Our accountant and I have also decided that next year's destination will largely depend on us meeting sales targets set. So teams, you know what to do!

 

 

Photo shot on arrival at Mercure Krabi Deevana in Krabi, Thailand.

Reconnected

How time flies and how we sometimes let friendships lie dormant for years. Paul and I were school-mates in boarding school at Immanuel College in Adelaide two decades ago. Over the years, we lost touch. Facebook got us back in touch a couple of years back. And today, we reconnected in person. Paul and Karen, with three kids in tow, were in Kuala Lumpur on a 9-hour transit on their way back to Adelaide from a holiday in Phuket. A few emails plus numerous text messages later, we made arrangements to meet to catch up over a couple of hours during their layover.

It's funny how having not met for twenty years or so, friends can just reconnect so easily. I can't put a finger on it but perhaps it was because of the bonds we formed all those years ago, living, studying, socialising in a closely-knit school community. I was initially apprehensive as to whether we would have much to talk about after having not met for so long. The apprehension was unnecessary. I had a great time. Five hours is not exactly sufficient time to really catch up on twenty years' worth of news but I came away from this encounter with a sense of renewal, a renewal of a friendship. The few short hours I hope, will be a catalyst towards this renewal. Karen, who I was meeting for the first time no doubt, believes that our years in high school are the times when the strongest bonds are formed. And even after having not met for some time, those bonds can be easily re-established with friends whom we shared that phase of our lives with. There must be some truth to that.

Two fond memories come to mind. Paul a.k.a 'Father Jericho' was the one who gave me the name Kris when at Immanuel. And of course the force feeding episode where Paul force fed me Vegemite while the others held me down. Suffice to say, I have till this day not acquired the taste for Vegemite, no matter how much our friend David, an accomplice of Paul's during the force feeding, sings its praises. I hope to visit Paul, Karen and the kids in Loveday, South Australia someday. The vistas of their vineyard already has me thinking of a return trip to Adelaide and its surroundings soon.

Photo of David, Paul and I, once dorm-mates at Immanuel College in Adelaide, South Australia.

Good Food In Hatyai

You know the food is good when every dish is wiped clean at every meal. That was the case during our company trip to Hatyai recently. Good food always makes a trip more enjoyable. Good food with good company I might add.

I have been going to Hatyai since I was about 7. My late father worked for Bangkok Bank all his life and we often visited Thailand, be it Hatyai, Bangkok or Chiangmai. I've in the past year or two added Phuket and Koh Samui to the list. Going back to Hatyai, since we are almost always creatures of habit, I like to go back to the same restaurants that I have so enjoyed dining at over the years. I rely on my mum who keeps a stack of business cards which come in handy when giving directions to tuk-tuk drivers. And we are never disappointed when we get to these restaurants.

This time round, we averaged 8 to 10 dishes during every lunch and dinner. Add that to breakfast, afternoon tea and supper, plus snacks from roadside vendors in between, well, you do the math in terms of calories! But that's what holidays are about ain't it? Makan!

Photo shot at Kaneng Restaurant in Hatyai, Thailand.

Company Trip

I've just returned from our company trip to Hatyai, a combined trip for my teams at weddingsmalaysia and That Special Occasion. We've been doing this for the past couple of years - Penang, Siem Reap, Bali, Phuket. It's an opportunity to bond, to have some fun after a year's worth of hard work.

I chose Hatyai this time round as I felt shopping and food would do us good. No worries about planning any sightseeing itinerary. Shop till we drop, eat to our hearts' content were top priority. Throw massage and reflexology into the equation and you have it, a truly enjoyable couple of days.

Come the end of the trip, we always look forward to the next one. The destination for 2012? Well, it will really depend on how well we do this year. I guess we are all motivated in a way to do the best we can. The better we do, the more attractive the destination I suppose. Here's to closing more deals in the months ahead.

Here I am shopping in the Old Market in Hatyai, Thailand.

Taking Time Out

I was just looking at some holiday photos in Phuket that Jason of Floralsense Creation put up on Facebook and it brought back not too distant memories of the trip that I took there with my colleagues in March earlier this year. We make it a point to go somewhere together every year; Bali last year, Siem Reap the year before, Penang before that and our very first company trip to Haadyai prior to that. Trips such as these are not easy to plan as there are various personalities and characters to cater to, not to mention the diverse interests that each one has. Nevertheless, they are always worthwhile as it offers an opportunity for us to bond and let our hair down after a year's worth of ranting, usually by me!

But getting back to my point about Jason's photos and Ke Wynn of Whizarts' comment about him needing a holiday, I am a firm believer of taking time out every once in a while ... heck we deserve it! Folks outside our industry tend to think that what we do for a living must be a blissful occupation to be in. That couldn't be further from the truth, as most of my friends in the wedding circle will attest to. We face the same pressures, challenges, frustrations, difficult clients, just like in any other service industry. But along with it also come the good things that make our work so enjoyable. I try not to take for granted the pleasant experiences and the decent people that I come into contact with, and this disposition is what keeps me motivated.

As for holidays, whether it is a 2-week sojourn or a weekend getaway, it pays to be appreciative of such jaunts. We often come back revitalised and reinvigorated, ready to tackle the next wedding. And when we do a good job, well, there's money for more trips to come then! I, on my part, am very much looking forward to 2 trips in August ... but more on that in my next post ........

Photo entitled 'Calm Waters' shot by my sister Suk Harn at Puget Sound, Seattle.