MKI Ramblings Unlimited: Fortnightly Sojourn to Terengganu

I previously wrote of a facilitating stint I made at my last place of work (before I retired). Since then I have been requested to do the same thing once a fortnight, ie. every alternate week and for two days, Mondays and Thursdays, of the week. On Mondays it will be held in Kuala Terengganu and on Thursdays in Paka about 150 kilometers south of Kuala Terengganu. 30 kilometers south of Paka is Kerteh where Sita is located. Hence it has become routine for us to go to Kuala Terengganu on Sundays, to Kerteh on Tuesdays and then back to KL / PJ on Fridays, every other week.

These alternate weeks are periods that we look forward to, especially for Ram, as we get the chance to play with little Najla. She has become quite attached to Ram too and we can feel her excitement every time we arrive at the house. Not only that, she look forward to following us to the hotel in Paka, where the facilitation is held, specifically for the opportunity to play in the swimming pool. After office, Sita will come by the hotel and take Najla home. One time she told her parents in a sing song manner, “tomorrow Naya (that’s how she address herself) follow to mi and tok bah to the hotelllll and go swimminggggg….” and with a flick of her head told the parents, “daddy and mummy….. go to work” ha ha, sort of telling the parents that’s no place for you to go as you have to go to work!! Little kids, they always fascinate me.

As I am still walking around with the aid of a walking stick due to the problems in my right leg, driving long distances is a no-no for the moment. So we normally fly to Kuala Terengganu on Sundays and fly back to KL on Fridays, taking cabs in between. It is so much easier and restful for us to do so. It would take more than seven hours to drive from KL to Kuala Terengganu and it would be too taxing for me to drive that distance.

The walking stick has helped me ‘break the ice’ when I facilitate. As I walk into the room walking stick in hand and with all participants looking at me, eyes fixated on the walking stick, I will just give a smile, a wide grin rather, and then take my time to hook up the portable mike on my shirt collar, give it a tap to ensure that it works and then say, “its only from the knee downwards (while lifting the stick)……. the rest of my body parts are functioning properly……” That never fails to generate laughter from the participants. And it is always good to start facilitating with laughter. I will then just crack a few jokes and then start the introduction and so on……

These fortnightly sojourn has become a delightful routine for us all because Najla is ‘factored in into the equation’, that it has become something we look forward to. It has made us miss our other grandchildren in Bintulu and although we speak to them on the phone often it is not the same as being with them. So we plan to go to Bintulu sometime towards the end of July, on the free week, and that period of time is also something we look forward to just as much… The kids know about our impending visit and they are just as excited….. Ah well, we will just have to wait and see what new antics the three kids have in store for us……