Awesome time in Ipoh, Perak

Hey everyone. I had recently been given an opportunity to attend the Girl Guides Association of Malaysia National Annual General Meeting. This year, it was held in Kinta Riverfront Hotel Ipoh, Perak. It a new hotel located right in front of the famous Kinta River.

I wasn't chosen to attend this meeting at the beginning. I was told about it a day before the meeting.
Well, it goes like this.
1) Receive a call at about 12-1pm. I woke up due to the call.
2) Realize that I have to start packing and make calls to arrange for attire and transport.

Everything was okay until the next morning when someone who is supposed to fetch me said that she had had an emergency so she can't make it. I got PANICKED!!! OMG! What should I do??? Its already 7 am and I must reach Juru rest area at 7. So I make a call to godma, told her about the situation and ask her if those from Penang has started their journey or not? GOOD news is that they had not start their journey. So I quickly think of a solution. So this is my solution.

1) Walk to the bus stop opposite my house to take a bus. While waiting, think and call whoever I think can help.
2) Take a taxi to Juru RnR regardless of the cost. No choice even if  they slash me teruk2.
3) Quickly jump off the taxi to look for the others.

Luckily enough, I reach there before those from the island reached. The day has a good start I thought. ^^

The journey took us about 3 hours to reach. Once reach, we realized that the Raja Puan Muda of Perak is already there. Yeah! It means that we're late. hahax.

The conference started and there it goes, the whole day of conference.
Oh! Did I mention that it was a 4 days event?
Yeah! It is a FOUR days event.

 So this is the view of the town of Ipoh from the hotel window. Ipoh is full of greenery. While I was looking at the view, my mouth taste the mouth watering salted chicken, a famous dish and can only be found in Ipoh.

The nex day, we had a day full of outing. We took a bus early in the morning to Taiping. We were taken to Kuala Sepetang for mangrove tree plantation and to cruise along the river. The Raja Puan Muda of Perak is very supportive. She was there with us all the time. I heard that she was there in the evening during the rehearsal too.

The third day is actually the main day. The most anticipated day for the award recipient and everyone.
   WHY???
Because it is the day when the AGM will be held. The opening ceremony will be officiated by Her Majesty the Queen of Malaysia, Tuanku Hajah Haminah. During this ceremony, award recipients will receive their awards from either Her Majesty the Queen or the wife of the Prime Minister of Malaysia.
YUP! This includes the Queens Guides. Penang is proud to have 8 Queens Guides, 1 camper's license recipient and 1 Mutiara Tiga recipient. Congratulation to everyone !!!

After lunch, the AGM officially started with the wife of the Prime Minister as the President of the Association  chair the meeting. The meeting ended at 6pm SHARP! Thank GOD!. hahax. The meeting hall is freeeezing cold and many took turn to take a time out outside the hall. There was once that the chairperson got annoyed with it and ask us to go into the hall. hahax.

OHYA! We had a dinner with the Queen hosted by the Raja Permaisuri of Perak at the SUK building. It is the most formal dinner I ever had! We were briefed by the protocol officer how to take food and so on during the dinner. LOLX. We were told to "sembah" and "sembah" and "sembah". Guess what? We ended up taking the food at one go and only move if necessary. This is because we have to sembah if we want to get up and move around, and sembah again before seating down. I see many forgotten to sembah during the dinner. Ended up just got up, take food, sit down and eat WITHOUT sembah.

 Ampun Tuanku. Patik sekalian masih perlu berlatih dahulu. Patik sekalian tidak biasa dengan protokol lagi. Maafkan patik sekalian Tuanku.

OHYA! Have anyone here read the new notice by Bank Negara?

YESH!

Bank Negara has introduce a special edition coin to commemorate the 100th Years of Guiding. The coins can be used to buy stuffs and so on. Its "SAH DIPERLAKUKAN DENGAN NILAI". hahax. But for heaven's sake, I will not use it la. It cost me more than RM200 for those 2 coins.
I am now a proud owner of one of the 500 owners of this set. YUP! Bank Negara only produce 500 sets of these coins. It is available at the Bank Negara in Penang too!!! If you are thinking of getting one of this special coins, better be quick as limited sets available. If you are a guide, you might want to buy at Wisma Pandu Puteri Pulau Pinang but stocks are very limited here.

OK! Finally, here is a picture of me and the Queens Guides of Penang 2012. This picture was taken during a dinner at the Menteri Besar of Perak residence. Had a really nice time in Perak. Good job Girl Guides of Perak. See everyone again next year in Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur. Again congratulations to all the award recipients.


*Ps

I got a hint from the YDP of Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur that the event will be rather different from the usual.