Why?
Even before October 2010 is over, I can already say that October 2010 is one of the craziest moment of my life. I didn't go into office half of the working days in October. My partner may just contemplate to cut me off from the partnership and sell my share with the amount of days I was absent.
Let me count the ways how crazy it was :
1) I had chicken pox and had to rest at home for 2 weeks. More like 1 and half as I break my own quarantine by going to the office and made my staff and partner cringed away from me. There was another staff who was down with chicken pox, exactly at the same time as I. Hmmm...Must be something in the air. And this is the fun fact - chicken pox is actually an airborne or more specifically an oral transmittable disease (you don't need to kiss the person, you just need to talk him/her to get it).
2) I graduated from my long-time part time course of Chartered Islamic Finance Professional degree which is equivalent to a Masters degree from INCEIF, the university by Bank Negara Malaysia. It took me 3 years to finish it and I had to revise my exemption papers twice as my earlier supervisor quits the university. I only new I graduated 2 weeks before the convocation ceremony and I had to go to my alma maters a few times to pick up the robe, mortarboard and make sure all fees are paid.
3) I went to my graduation in KL Convention Center with still healing scars from the chicken pox. I checked my parents into the Impiana Hotel as it is just across the road from where I graduated. Here's how busy I was the 4 days between 22nd October to 25th October :
a) Morning of 22nd October I had to finalise all the details for my convocation and some work at the office before I checked-in into the hotel in the afternoon. Took pictures with my partner and associate and pictures around the office with the robe.
b) I had to attend a rehearsal with other graduands at 3pm on 22nd October while my wife had to ensure my parents arrived at the hotel in one piece. The problem with the hotel is their parking which is closed due to some upgrading work and it actually used the KL Convention Center as their parking. I would have chosen Traders Hotel had I known that fact much earlier.
c) I took my parents to dinner around 9pm at a nice Chinese Muslim's restaurant in Bukit Antarabangsa called
Haji Shahril Low Seafood Restaurant which they said was too far away from the hotel but then changed their mind when they have eaten as most of the dishes are delicious
d) I had to go for 2 meetings after that dinner with a few clients;
e) I had to wake up at 6am and get ready as I have to register for the convocation at 8.15am as we had to pose for a graduation picture and such before the event itself.
f) Between 9am and 12am, I was at the convocation and a reception where I most of those who had been taking the course with me after not seeing them for nearly a year. Took a picture with our Chancellor who is also the Governor of Bank Negara.
g) Sent my mother and my wife to the UMNO Assembly as it was the final day and they want to see whether the hoopla about getting cheap things from it is true or not. Their verdict? It was all just hoopla. While they were there, I took my dad to Taman Burung KL to have lunch with the birds.
h) Took the parents back to the hotel and off we went to #Oct23rdtwtup which is another story in another post. We managed to a lot of Twitter handles to their face that day at that event. We went off at 7pm.
i) Enjoyed the Kings and Queen of Comedy Show KL at KL Convention Center (yes, same place as my convocation ceremony, different hall) with a few of those twitterers we met earlier (coincidence). Kumar and Vir Das were the highlight of the show as we never attend any of their shows before but Douglas Lim's 'Babi' sang to the tune of 'Baby' by Justin Bieber was also entertaining.
j) Slept late and woke early as we sent my parents to Seremban and shot off back to KL so that I can attend the launching of the Association of Chartered Islamic Finance Professional at Lanai Kijang near Bank Negara. Catched-up with a few other friends who had graduated much earlier (we were the 2nd batch and last year there was 1 batch of full-time students from INCEIF).
k) Managed to rest a bit but went out to enjoy a jazz festival at Empire Shopping Gallery in Subang Jaya for a few hours. Catched-up with another old friend and a few bloggers. It was a great way to end a weekend.
l) Woke early on Monday to catch the launch of Global Islamic Finance Forum by the Prime Minister together with Tan Sri Zeti at KL Convention Center (again). You can read that report
here.
m) Finally, that day ended with a Gala dinner at the Ballroom of KL Convention Center (again) with me being seated among insurance industry top management. A fellow CIFP graduand who is 59 years of age and a CEO of a re-insurance company regaled me a tale of his travels to safaris (3 of them at different places in Africa), Victoria Falls and a few other places.
4) On the eve of 27th October (my birthday) had a great birthday celebration with my wife's family, had a great celebration with my partner and staff at a restaurant near our office, then a birthday tweetup with the #makangang and finally a birthday karaoke session with the partner and the staff again. It was the most birthday cakes I ever received in my life (2 cakes ;P)
5) On the 28th, had to deal with a lost car key situation with me misplacing it and we couldn't find it with me having to tow the car to Honda Malaysia and replaced it with a new set as we already lost our spare key. As I said in my tweet, "We lost the only car key to our only car". All these happened while my wife had to chase an appointment in KL and I had to be late for office. However managed to spend some quality time with my partner and catch up on the condition of our office. Later that night spent some quality time with a school-friend whom I met again at a reunion earlier that month (which I will need to do a post too) then join another tweetup with my cigar group (yes, I have a lot of Twitter groups which I join occasionally).
And as I write this, I am with my wife at our weekend getaway which its intention to celebrate my birthday properly with the 2 of us.
Pheww....and there is still 2 days left in October....
