Staroba Jakarta Open 2009 (III) : The Imperial Karawaci...

16th July 2009

Pakdokter left home early Thursday morning to catch the 7 am Airasia flight to Jakarta. Despite the economic downturn, this sector did not look like it was affected at all as the plane was almost full!

We arrived at the Sukarno-Hatta Airport at 8 am local time and pakRoslan, the Staroba Tour Director was already there waiting for us. Some of the golfers had gone to Jakarta the previous day and another smaller group arrived on a slightly later flight that morning on the Malaysian Airlines. The 30 golfers who were already there were shuttled to the Imperial Karawaci Golf Club for the first round of the Staroba Jakarta Open. The remaining 6 who came by MH joined us about 2 hours later.

Pakdokter had played at the Imperial Karawaci several times and was quite familiar with the course. Pakdokter was hoping that past knowledge and experience would help pakdokter play a good game. However the lack of sleep, and much as pakdokter would like to deny it, age, were against pakdokter...........

pakHyder, pakMihdzor, pakHjAmin and pakdokter...

Pakdokter played in a flight made up of pakHyder ( regular golf buddy at the RSGC), pakMihdzor ( classmate in school who retired as an air-force pilot and took on the MHS) and the ever steady junior in school pakHajiAmin.

Playing to a handicap of 23, pakdokter managed a modest game with 29 stableford points. PakHyder managed to return with only 27 points, pakMihdzor 37 points while the regular 'champion' pakHajiAmin came out overall first for the day with 40 points.

At least pakdokter can proudly say that pakdokter played with the champion of the day!....

the bevy of caddies at the Imperial..

pakHyder at the tee at hole No. 1....

pakHjAmin teeing off for the island fairway......

pakMihdzor in action.....

Pakdokter's regular golf kakis from the RSGC, the two Tengku Brothers played later as they came on MH and the elder Azman scored only 28 points while the younger sibling, Ja, scored a respectable 33 points.

a grand villa by a lake at the Imperial...

After dinner we were taken to Old Batavia where the Dutch warehouses are located. The warehouses used by the East India Company in the 1600's have now been rehabilitated and in it are now many different restaurants in 'great old world' ambience....

We were treated to a seafood dinner at the Restoran Raja Kuring...

gedung belanda tempoh dulu sejak 1602...

what about a 'rijstaffel' restaurant here...?

inside the Raja Kuring....

pakKahirulIzmy, pakHamid Ibrahim and pakHyder...

pakAzman, pakRahman,pakdokter...

kelapa muda in sirsak juice with 'Uncle Jul'......

pakHjAmin Jidon was champion for the day.....

Staroba Jakarta Open 2009 (II) : Gempar! di Kamar 401...

Pagi Sabtu, tanggal 18 Juli 2009, pakdokter dikejutkan deringan telpon kamar kurang lebih jam 3 pagi, dan suara pakRoslan secara apologis meminta pakdokter cepat turun ke kamar 401 bagi menangani satu 'insiden emergensi medikal' yang melibatkan pakRais Mansor, seorang pakgolof Staroba yang juga rakan lama pakdokter sejak sudah belajar-belajar main golof ini.

Kamar yang agak sedikit gelap itu terasa 'keras' bila pakdokter mampir masuk kedalamnya. Di ranjang 'king-size' terdampar pakRais dalam keadaan 'cemas', pernafasan yang pendek dan laju dan paras-rupa yang agak pucat! Oleh kerana pernafasan yang berbentuk 'hyperventilasi' itu, jari-jari pakRais sudah menjadi kebas dan mula kejang (cramps). Dalam bahasa medikal keadaan ini di panggil 'tetany' dan cara mengatasinya ialah dengan bernafas kedalam beg kertas supaya bisa dipulihkan keadaan tidak-seimbang O2/CO2 dari proses pernafasan yang tidak betul itu.

Di kanan ranjang, pakRoslan yang juga kelihatan sedikit 'panik' bernafas sedikit lega apabila pakdokter muncul di situ. Di kiri ranjang, seorang pria 'lokal' berpakaian kemeja berlogo Le Meridien juga kelihatan sedikit bingung tentang apa lagi yang mahu di bikin untuk membantu 'subjek' yang terdampar di atas ranjang 'king-size' dan di balut dengan 'blanket' yang tebal dan selesa.

PakRais beritahu pakdokter bahawa perutnya sakit teramat sangat dan memulas-mulas setelah pulang dari 'bankuasi' Raja Laut SeaFood Restaurant tadi malam dan telah muntah-muntah beberapa kali sehingga waktu itu. Dan yang paling di geruni pakRais, dia sudah mula rasa lemah, tidak bisa bernafas dengan senang dan ada kala bagai mahu 'black-out'.

Dari cerita itu pakdokter terus bikin 'diagnosa awal' bahawa ini cuma satu kes 'keracunan makan'.

Pria yang berkemeja berlogo hotel itu rupanya adalah 'paramedik' hotel yang bertugas malam itu. PakRais telah diberi oleh paramedik itu 2 biji obat "Omeprazole" yang biasanya di gunapakai dalam keadaan 'gastrik akut' tetapi pakRais telah terus muntah termasuk 2 biji ubat yang di telannya. Lalu di beri semula 2 biji lagi ubat yang sama yang sehingga waktu itu masih lagi bertahan didalam perut pakRais.

Paramedik muda ini sudah bersedia mahu memberi pakRais 'injeksi' Ranitidine bagi mengurangkan derita pakRais itu. Pakdokter memberi isyarat supaya 'tunggu dulu' dan terus bikin pemeriksaan fizikal terlebih dahulu. Paramedik hotel di arah turun mengambil 'stethoscope' supaya pakdokter bisa dengar apa bunyi-nya dalam perut, dada dan 'kepala' pakRais....

Pakdokter menasihati pakRais supaya bertenang dan memberi tahu paramedik itu bahawa 'injeksi' Ranitidine itu tidak perlu kerana kesannya sama saperti yang dibikin oleh tablet Omeprazole tadi. Malah sekiranya ini 'kes keracunan makanan' proses muntah-muntah itu sendiri akan mengurangkan 'keracunan' itu. Yang penting pakRais mesti diberi minum untuk ganti 'fluid' yang hilang dari tubuhnya akibat muntah-muntah itu. Lansung paramedik itu turun ke kantor beliau dan membawa datang 3 bungkus ORS ( Oral Rehydration Salt) kerana didalam peti-sejuk dikamar hotel itu tidak kedapatan sebarang jenis minuman isotonik.

Kehadiran pakdokter dan sedikit penerangan dan assuransi yang problem itu tidak serius telah bikin pakRais menjadi tenang. Setelah muntah sedikit-sedikit beberapa kali lagi, perutnya makin selesa lalu pakRoslan terus minta diri mahu coba tidor sedikit sebelum berjuang lagi di lapangan golof esok hari.

Bila bersendirian dengan pakRais, pakdokter berpeluang mengajukan soalan-soalan yang agak susah mahu ditanya semasa kehadiran pakRoslan dan paramedik tadi. Pakdokter mengesyaki ada sesuatu yang di bohongi pakRais dan tidak diberi tahu pakdokter secara benar.

Lansung pakdokter guna-pakai teknik interogasi psikiatri yang juga digunapakai oleh pasukan MI-5, CIA terutamanya di Guantanamo Bay dan akhir-akhir ini oleh MACC di Malaysia. pakRais yang biasa berwatak 'terror' di lapangan golof sebenarnya tidak sebegitu 'terror' saperti yang di aksikannya. Semuanya terbongkar dalam masa 10 minit sahaja!

Pakdokter terus beritahu pakRais bahawa pakdokter sebenarnya tidak percaya problem pakRais itu disebabkan oleh 'keracunan makanan' kerana bila pakdokter mengguna stethoscope untuk mendengar perut pakRais tadi, pakdokter terkejut kerana terdengar bunyi halus tangisan seorang bayi. Pakdokter mendesak pakRais supaya berterus terang jikalau mahu hidup....!

Dalam keadaan terketar-ketar, pakRais lansung memberi jawaban yang mula-mulanya tidak masuk akal. Kata pakRais dia sudah 90 hari tidak 'kedatangan bulan'?

'Tidak datang bulan? Kamu kan lelaki pakRais.....?'

Dalam tersipu-sipu pakRais memberi tahu bahawa sebenarnya semasa dilahirkan beliau adalah seorang bayi perempuan yang diberi nama Rosmah bte Mansor. Entah bagaimana dari kecil lagi Rosmah ini sangat berminat bermain golof. Bila dia sudah besar sedikit dan boleh berfikir lebih, dia sedar apalah masa depan beliau sebagai Rosmah yang amat berminat dengan golof ini. Lebih-lebih mungkin dia akan menjadi seorang 'caddy 'yang popular sahaja....

Lalu dengan ongkos yang di tabungnya dan dengan sedikit pinjaman dari 'Ah Long' beliau telah berbelanja untuk khidmat seorang pakdokter spesialitas bedah rekonstruktif dan plastik. Setelah di buang sedikit disana sedikit disini dan ditambah sedikit disana dan disini disamping dengan beberapa pil hormon untuk dimakan jangka-panjang, maka timbullah Rosmah dengan identitas baru yang bernama pakRais Mansor ini.

Barulah pakdokter boleh terima jawapan pakRais tentang ketidak-datangan haid selama 90 hari itu. Rekonstruksi identitas itu cuma luaran sahaja, struktur internal masih 'original'. Jadi muntah-muntah pakRais ini adalah kerana 'kehamilan'.....bukan nya keracunan.....

Hmmmm.....

pertamanya sekarang bisa pakdokter faham kenapa acap-kali Klub Golof Staroba menjelajah ke 'overseas golf tour', pakRais sentiasa saja bikin booking 'single room'! Syak wasangka pakdokter yang bukan-bukan sebelum ini memangnya tidak tepat....

tetapi keduanya.....sekiranya pakRais@Rosmah Mansor ini kini hamil.....siapa bapa bayi ini...???

Apakah harus dilakukan ujian DNA terhadap semua pakgolof yang 'travel' bersama pakRais 3 bulan dahulu.............

Cerita ini belum lagi habis......

Bapa kapada pakRais@Rosmah ini amat kecewa dengan tindakan itu. Orang tua pakRais memangnya amat kepingin seorang putri kerana lain-lain anak mereka lelaki belaka. Lansung bapa pakRais kahwin sekali lagi dan dengan izin Tuhan dikurniakan seorang putri yang lansung diberi nama Rosmah binti Mansor juga. Jadi pakRais ini sekarang mempunyai seorang adik-tiri yang bernama agak 'glamour' inilah.........

pakRais@Rosmah Mansor di kanan foto bersama pakAli Ariffin....

pakRais dua dari kiri.....

eh eh...pakAli (di-tengah) nampaknya selalu rapat dengan pakRais (kedua dari kanan).....

Staroba Jakarta Open 2009 (I)......Breaking News: Dua Pria 'Terror' Terlihat di Le Meridien Jakarta

'Staroba Jakarta Open 2009' telah mendapat sambutan yang amat 'hot' kali ini. 45 orang pakgolof telah berebut-rebut untuk menyertai petandingan golof yang unggul ini namun akhirnya cuma 36 peserta sahaja telah terpilih ke pertandingan akhir yang berlansung pada tanggal 16 Juli hingga ke tanggal 18 Juli 2009.

3 lapangan golof yang paling 'top' di Jakarta telah di pilih untuk 'event' ini, Imperial Karawaci pada 16 Juli, Rancamaya pada 17 juli dan Royale Jakarta pada hari 'final' 18 Juli 2009.

Sebelum pakdokter bikin 'repor' tentang pertandingan golof itu, pakdokter mahu lapur satu 'breaking news' tentang 'insiden' yang terjadi di masa kontijen STAROBA berada di Jakarta.

Pada tanggal 17 Juli 2009 kurang lebih jam 8 pagi telah berlaku insiden ledakan bom di dua buah hotel internasional di Jakarta. Berikut dari kejadian itu kontijen STAROBA berada dalam keadaan sedikit 'tension' dan berwaspada apa lagi hotel yang kami duduki juga adalah sebuah hotel bertaraf 'internasional' yang harus mungkin juga bisa menjadi 'target' makhluk penjahanam ini.

Kebetulan pada pagi Sabtu tanggal 18 Juli ketika pakdokter sedang duduk di lobi hotel menunggu 'pick-up' ke lapangan golof, muncul dua pria dengan aksi yang agak mencurigakan sambil mengheret beg mereka yang kelihatan terlalu berat. Pakdokter lalu terus mengambil 'snap foto' - mana tahu nanti harus mungkin 'foto' ini bisa di jual kapada CNN dan dapat cukup ongkos untuk biaya 'betting' di lapangan golof nanti.....

dua pria 'terror' yang mencurigakan....

Pakdokter kemudian terus sahaja beri tahu kapada pihak sekuritas di hotel tentang dua pria yang mencurigakan ini dan lansung terus mereka di 'approach' dengan cara dan tata-susila yang amat tertib saperti lazimnya di Indonesia.

Dengan izin kedua-dua pria ini mereka di periksa dan seluruh tubuh-badan mereka di-raba-raba supaya dipastikan tidak kedapatan sebarang apa bahan yang mencurigakan. Setelah 'body-check' itu lulus dan di beri 'all clear' maka di minta pula izin dari mereka untuk di periksa dua beg yang di heret dan kelihatan terlalu amat berat sekali.

Alang kah leganya hati pakdokter bila apa yang kedapatan di dalam beg mereka tidak lansung ada apa-apa bahan yang 'eksplosif'. Cuma yang di dapati hanyalah 12 kilogram buah epal merah dan kedua pria ini telah mengaku memang di ambil mereka dari 'breakfast buffet counter' di Braserrie Restaurant hotel tersebut sebagai bekalan untuk waktu bermain golof........

Nasihat pakdokter kapada Staroba Golf Club, di masa akan datang harus di nasihati kontijen kita bahawa tidak perlu di ambil 'epal dan orange' di breakfast buffet' untuk bekal ke lapangan golf. Kita berhenti saja di warung-warung buah-buahan di jalanan sewaktu ke lapangan golof dan kita beli satu 'kodi' pisang untuk semua peserta kita.

Cara begini kita bisa elak dari terjebak dengan insiden-insiden yang mencurigakan begini....

The Housekeeper and the Professor.....

This is a gem of a book which pakdokter read recently. Just like most things 'Japanese', be it food or design or architecture, this book is characterised by its 'simplicity' and 'minimalism'. There are only 3 main characters so one does not get 'lost' in the many personalities of stories written by many other authors. It revolves around the evolving relationship between the Cambridge-trained Mathematics professor who sufferred brain injury from an accident resulting in a memory span that lasts only 80 minutes a day and the housekeeper engaged by the professor's sister-in-law to look after him who introduced into the relationship her own school-going illegitimate son.

The English translation (from its original Japanese version) was simple to read ( perhaps reflective of its original Japanese form) and even some of the mathematical concepts were easy to understand. The chapters of the book were all short and could be read within a short time, but the beauty of each of them made pakdokter read it slowly and repeatedly, just like in childhood when pakdokter would eat and lick the ice-cream a little at a time to make it last longer...

Hopefully our 'National Translation Agency' will look at this book and translate it into our 'National Language' so that our kids will have quality books to read other than the usual 'trash'....

Khaled al Khamissi, Egyptian writer, journalist, film director and producer studied political science at Cairo University and at the Sorbonne in Paris. This book was a bestseller in the Arabic markets and Zaid Ibrahim Publications managed to get the rights to its English translation for markets in this region.

Although, the quality of the English translation is not that inspiring, pakdokter would recommend this book simply for the stories that came out of conversations with the cabbies of Cairo. One gets a good 'feel' of the 'politics' of Egypt and pakdokter can relate to the 'personality' of the 'Egyptian' from pakdokter's past contacts with them during pakdokter's visits to that country.

Reading the book, pakdokter became worried and prayed to God that our 'beloved country' will not degenerate to the situation as depicted in this book....

The Eat Sense Thai Restaurant at Chaweng Beach, Koh Samui..

It looked like the word 'Sense' is quite the 'in' word in Koh Samui at this moment. The boutique hotel pakdokter and partner dined at two days earlier was called 'the Six Senses Hideaway'. And this restaurant is called the 'Eat Sense Thai Restaurant'.

So, if pakdokter had to migrate to Koh Samui one day ( if the socio-political environment at home becomes too intolerable), pakdokter may consider starting a practice here and would call it the ' Non Sense Clinique'. How about that.....?

Anyway, pakTengku made good his promise at the Royal Samui and since pakdokter had won the 'Battle Finale' with a margin of 4 holes....after the 18-hole game, pakTengku treated pakdokter and partner to a delicious Thai dinner at this great and beautiful beach side restaurant....

Thank you pakTengku...

baby Arman is an amazingly cool 'traveller' for a 2-month old young man...

the heavy downpour forced us to dine indoor....


seriously studying the menu.....

' boy 'Ariff was kept distracted with colour pencils and pictures to colour...




white and brown rice made a delicious 'balance'....

deep fried snapper in thai sauce, pomelo and prawn salad, mixed vegetables, fried tiger prawns thai style and tom yang gung.......hmmmm delicious....

The 'Battle Finale' at the Royal Samui....

4th July 2009

the Lamai beach at the down-left corner with the Royal Samui Golf Club perched on the mountain-top overlooking the sea...




a closer view of the golf course...

The Royal Samui Golf and Country Club is located on a mountainous terrain overlooking the Lamai beach on the south-eastern corner of the Koh Samui island. As one flies in or out of the island's airport, one can get a glimpse of the 9-hole golf course perched on the mountain top.

the spot where the transfer to a 4-wheel drive took place....

From the Marriot Vacation Club's downtown office at Chaweng, we were driven in a van to a location along the main island road where the steep track up to the golf course began. We were transferred to a 4-wheel drive land-cruiser as ordinary vehicles can never make it to the top. Part of the track was metalled while the remaining half was still a dirt track. So, pakdokter guessed that during the rainy season of December to February, one can forget about playing this course.

We were picked up and driven by Mr Bong, the Manager of the club itself. What an honour it was for us! The drive up to the golf course was itself an experience . The track was steep, passing by villages brushed with palms of coconut trees. At many vantage points one get a view of the sea and the beaches of the island.

Mr Bong explained that the golf course is about 3 years old and only 9-holes have been completed. A British investor was supposed to have paid for the completion of the remaining 9 holes but due to the current economic crisis this development has been stalled.

the uncompleted club-house and apartments...

The course is a short 9-hole par-33, measuring 2081 yards from the blue tees. But almost every hole is either steeply uphill or downhill with narrow fairways flanked by deep bushes if not jungles to swallow your golf balls.

The 'truly-confident' pakTengku never forget to challenge pakdokter to a match-play with the same bets as in our previous 2 games. No problem......

Hole No.1, 215 yards uphill, the green is behind the rock in the centre of the fairway..

PakTengku confidently hit with the driver and sent his ball to the left, not knowing that there was a pond which took in his ball. Pakdokter sent the ball up with the wood-5 and pitched in from 100 yards upwards to the top of the green. With a drop, pakTengku sent the 3rd shot to the green and 3 putted for 6 while pakdokter holed in for 5. So 1-up.

the Hole-1 green is behind the huge central rock...





pakTengku pitching up to green No.1....

hole No.2 , 276 yards downhill....the green cannot be seen from the tee..

Pakdokter pulled the shot at the 2nd tee and sent the ball into the pond on the left. PakTengku hit with the driver and lost his ball into the bushes. Pakdokter managed to reach the green for 4 and 3 putted for 7. PakTengku equalled the hole. Still 1-up.

green of Hole No.2 with the sea in the distance..

par-3 hole No.3 ..only 92 yards...

Pakdokter used a gap-wedge for the next par-3 hole, sent it near the pin and missed a birdie! PakTengku used a pitching iron, sent it to the left, a few feet outside the green and had to settle for a bogey. 2-up....

Hole No.4, par-4 250 yards.....

Pakdokter again used the trusted wood-5 and sent the ball from the tee across valley onto the fairway at the hole No.4. PakTengku put aside his 'bravado', took our his iron-4 and topped his ball which went low but fortunately hit a rock at the top end of the valley which helped bounced the ball onto the fairway. Pakdokter hit a 9-iron and sent the next shot to the top of the green and scored another par. A 'starting-to-be-nervous' pakTengku sent his ball short of the green and had to settle for a double bogey. So......3-up.....

view from the tee at hole No.5... a par-4 measuring 329 yards but going steeply downhill with 2 valleys to play across...

The valley to go across looked too long for the 'aged' pakdokter, so out came the driver. Alas, the ball was sent O.B. to the hill on the right. Pakdokter took a drop but the 3rd shot went into the valley again. So, pakdokter gave up and took an 8. PakTengku used a wood-3, the ball looked threateningly heading into the valley but before he could hit the 3rd shot from the 'drop' he saw his ball just beyond the valley. So, gleefully, he took his 2nd from there, put it on for 2 and 3-putted for 5. But, still 2-up.... PakTengku's ball must have hit the track and bounced onto the fairway beyond the valley. Where can pakTengku drive as long as 300 yards......never!....

the ride from hole 5 to holes 6, 7, 8 and 9 passed through coconut plantation ...

hole No.6....par-4 measuring 316 yards...

Hole No.6 also required a long drive across a pond which pakdokter pulled to the left into the coconut tress. The 'almighty' pakTengku, with all his strength on the driver sent his ball which looked like it was heading into the ocean but was nicely on the fairway with a short 100 yards left to the uphill green to the dog-legged left. With a bogey against pakdokter's 7, pakTengku reduced the deficit to 2.

from the green of hole No. 6....the Lamai beach in view...

hole-7, par 3 measuring 185 yards...

Hole-7 par 3 was tricky as it was narrow with the wind threatening to blow one's ball across either way. PakTengku's ball went a little right of the apron enabling him to get a par. Pakdokter who was distracted by the fantastic scenery, sent the ball into the rough, lost the ball and accepted a 6 like a gentleman! Still...1-up.

a 'newly confident' pakTengku posing at the tee at hole No-8,

a par-4 measuring 312 yards..
the long stretch of Lamai beach in the background..

pakdokter with a new 'hat'....

PakTengku has found back his 'confidence' and struck the driver well to send his ball long onto the fairway. Pakdokter was honest to admit that he was not the better player and only managed a poor drive with the wood-5. PakTengku took the hole with a par as against pakdokter's 6.

So it was left to the last hole No 9 to determine our fate for the game in the 1st nine.

Hole No-9 was a par-3 which measured only 106 yards. PakTengku who had the 'honour' used his pitching wedge but pulled it to the right, luckily avoiding the bunker. From there he pitched over the sand but short of the pin to settle for a 5. Pakdokter used a shorter gap-wedge and sent it straight to the green about 15 yards to the pin. From there it was another easy 2 for a par.

Pakdokter waited for pakTengku to 'double-up' for the next Nine but he 'amazingly' quiet. So pakdokter settled down for another round on the same bet and to to cut the story short pakdokter came home winning the 2nd Nine again with a 1-hole advantage.

Being the good 'sport' that pakTengku is, he invited pakdokter and partner to a Thai dinner at downtown Chaweng that night.....

TQ pakTengku...

"Would you consider a 'Vacation Club'....Sir.."

4th July 2009

As reported in one of the earlier blogs, at the arrival cabana of the Koh Samui airport, pakdokter was beseiged by a group of sweet Thai girls promoting the Marriot Vacation Club packages to the arriving tourists. Nadia, the sweet and charming sales agent not only managed to distract pakdokter from pakdokter's partner but also convinced pakdokter to spend 90 minutes to listen to a presentation on Saturday morning at her downtown office and offerred in return free golf vouchers as well as free transfer to our hotel.

One of their qualifying requirements is that pakdokter must earn at least 50k USD a year. Pakdokter told Nadia that in a good season, pakdokter's bounty and harvests at best could only fetch about 45K USD, but she still signed up pakdokter for the presentation despite of this!

Deep inside pakdokter thought times must be quite bad......

Nadia called up the hotel on Friday afternoon and reminded pakdokter about the Saturday morning's appointment and detailed about the pick-up that she had arranged. Pakdokter was impressed.....

Pakdokter and partner with pakTengku and family waited at the lobby at 9.30 am. Until 15 minutes past 10 am nobody came to look for us. Pakdokter approached the reception to enquire and was told that someone had actually come at 9.30 and looked for us. Neither the pick-up man ( the poor soul was sitting there right in front of us!) nor the guys and girls at the reception had approached us to ask despite seeing us waiting there for 45 minutes......

That, in a nut-shell, described the level of alertness of the service, to be expected in Koh Samui.

We obviously arrived late for the 10 am presentation but despite of this, on arrival at the 'posh-looking' office, were taken to their lounge and offerred refreshments of our choice. Baby-sitting service was on hand with a play-room to keep the children distracted from their parents.

Hmmm...impressive..

Finally, a young Brit gentleman, by the name of Julian ( if pakdokter's memory has not failed) made his appearence and took us to the 'presentation suite'. He was somewhat 'flustered' and apologised for the fact that the computer system was actually 'down' and there was no way he could make the presentation to us without this 'technology' being available. And he tried to make 'small' of this hiccup by 'jokingly' telling us that from his 'astute' observation of us based on years of successful salesmanship ( he claims to be the most successful sales agent for the company), he knew that we were not likely to buy the 'vacation package' as our minds were more tuned to the golf that we were going to play for 'free' after the presentation.

Pakdokter took it as a joke, laughed it off, and complimented him for cleverly reading our minds.

Julian left us in the suite with some brochures to look at. He must have gone to see if the computer system was ever going to come alive or not for he obviously was not able to do any presentation to us without it. When he re-appeared some 10 to 15 minutes later he looked just as helpless as he was earlier and confirmed that no way was the computer system going to be revived, not even by their computer technician.

And he said that if we were not interested in the vacation package to begin with, he was not going to waste his time and our time to talk about it. We were free to go and enjoy our golf!

In pakdokter's mind this is 'amateur reverse psychology' with a little 'insult' thrown in, in 'high-class extortion' of potential customers.

Pakdokter did not bite the 'bait' but pakTengku came out and asked Julian to at least give a 'gist' of the plan.

Hah hah.....some possibility here .....' but are you sure you want a gist of it...No, no....no....it is going to take at least 4 hours ( without the computer - pakdokter guessed) for the presentation.....and you will not have time for your golf....!'

Julian said he was not going to spend 4 hours to give us a gist of the plan if at the end of it we were not really interested in it after all. He said he meant 'no offence' to us for we look to him to be the type that would unashamedly walk away and take home whatever 'free-bees' on offer. He was happy to let us go away easily....

Pakdokter again complimented him on how good it was of him in reading other people's minds....

'But...' he chipped in as pakdokter was trying to stand up..' as you (pakTengku) wanted a gist of it...let me at least tell you that the plan costs from 12k USD to 100k USD.' As all of us were silent and were waiting for him to tell us more, he added ' and again not meaning to offend you....judging from the hotel where you are staying, I do not think you can afford it.......so, please feel free to leave and enjoy your golf.....'

He must have sensed pakdokter's feelings despite pakdokter's laughter for he tried another lame joke saying that in his experience many people came to their office and staged a 'reverse take-away...'

In pakdokter's mind if this chap were to be retrenched soon in this economic hard-times, he could possibly try his luck as a stand-up comic...

And he pulled another punch thinking that it would make it light on us by saying that at least he found us 'Malaysians' easy to deal with. Malaysians would leave their premises willingly and happily unlike the Indians who would swipe clean their drinks counter and ask for more cookies to take home as well.......

To borrow pakTengku's often-used Manglish statement....pakdokter thought " eh....this is cannot..."

So pakdokter came out with the 'tomoi' kick' and said....

" by the way Julian, can I ask a stupid question.... is this plan the same as the one offerred by Bernie Madoff....."

Poor Julian probably did not expect this coming but was quick to retort ' yes....this is in fact exactly what it is......'

Pakdokter 'belum habis...' and so asked him ' would this plan last 125 years....?

Julian had to joke that he would offer pakdokter a 25% remission and with that pakdokter and company collected our free vouchers and hopped on to their free transfer to the Royal Samui Golf Course.

In the car pakTengku confessed to pakdokter that if pakdokter had not been there pakTengku would probably have bought one of the more expensive plans just to show Julian what stuff pakTengku is made off.

Well, to Julian, good luck. If only he knew that the intial M after pakdokter's name stand for Mohamad @ Mittal........for in pakdokter's past life, pakdokter had hailed from the Kingdom of Maharashtra.....

the 'would-have-been' owner of a Marriot Vacation Club package proudly sitting at the grand entrance of the sales office....