If you ever come to Bintulu, Sarawak and need someplace to stay, choose Everly Parkcity.
It’s my favourite kind of business hotel - a little place which works hard and makes good choices. The lifts are efficient, porters are quick and use of space is smart.
The décor (newly refurbished) is not ostentatious and features are actually functional e.g. the pretty hanging things which you see from the lobby are lights for the sunken café. Unlike Marriot IOI Putrajaya, where the huge pillars and well, just…pillars…and have pineapple (?) motives on top of them for reasons only the designer him/herself knows.
The rooms are spick-and-span, water pressure is strong and the beds are GREAT; smooth crisp linen and pillows that are just-the-right height.
The food I would consider to be good, although there were some hits and misses at dinner, but that could be due to us ordering something out of the menu..haha. But the pizza, is really worth a mention. It stands on its own in competition with Itallianies or Pizza Uno, not just something you eat because you have to eat in the hotel, you know?
Above and beyond all, the people of Everly are its greatest charm. It’s not about the rehearsed welcome smile and niceties, plenty of that in KL where I come from, but it’s about just being in tune with what people really need when they need them and well, simply providing it. Maybe it’s because they’re genuinely good people at heart, or there's some x-factor in their training - probably abit of both, but Management, you should be proud that you’re doing something right and that your people really live your “Best 4-star Hotel in Malaysia for Service Award” status.
So if you do fly MAS, and do see the ad in the in-flight mag which says “Everly Awaits You..” believe it, and come. Let these people warm your weary, business-traveller heart and show you what a good hotel is really about.
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Have you loved before?
"And with a great voice he said,
When love beckons you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked
He sifts you to free you from your husks
He grinds you to whiteness
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.
All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.
But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God".
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
Love has no desire but to fulfil itself.
But if you love and must have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night
To know the pain of too much tenderness
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving
To rest at noon and meditate love's ecstasy
To return home at eventide with gratitude
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips."
The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran
It's long, it is easy to forget - I forget it too sometimes but I think every word is true.
Have you loved before?
When love beckons you, follow him,
Though his ways are hard and steep.
And when his wings enfold you yield to him,
Though the sword hidden among his pinions may wound you.
And when he speaks to you believe in him,
Though his voice may shatter your dreams as the north wind lays waste the garden.
For even as love crowns you so shall he crucify you. Even as he is for your growth so is he for your pruning.
Even as he ascends to your height and caresses your tenderest branches that quiver in the sun,
So shall he descend to your roots and shake them in clinging to the earth.
Like sheaves of corn he gathers you unto himself.
He threshes you to make you naked
He sifts you to free you from your husks
He grinds you to whiteness
He kneads you until you are pliant;
And then he assigns you to his sacred fire, that you may become sacred bread for God's sacred feast.
All these things shall love do unto you that you may know the secrets of your heart, and in that knowledge become a fragment of Life's heart.
But if in your fear you would seek only love's peace and love's pleasure,
Then it is better for you that you cover your nakedness and pass out of love's threshing-floor,
Into the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.
When you love you should not say, "God is in my heart," but rather, "I am in the heart of God".
And think not you can direct the course of love, for love if it finds you worthy, directs your course.
Love has no desire but to fulfil itself.
But if you love and must have desires, let these be your desires:
To melt and be like a running brook that sings its melody to the night
To know the pain of too much tenderness
To be wounded by your own understanding of love;
And to bleed willingly and joyfully.
To wake at dawn with a winged heart and give thanks for another day of loving
To rest at noon and meditate love's ecstasy
To return home at eventide with gratitude
And then to sleep with a prayer for the beloved in your heart and a song of praise upon your lips."
The Prophet, by Kahlil Gibran
It's long, it is easy to forget - I forget it too sometimes but I think every word is true.
Have you loved before?
Thursday, November 02, 2006
Flight of Fancy
I took a plane to Penang last over the weekend.
While at the waiting bay, I watched two goofy sisters fall over one another, a rambunctious family offer sweets to a very keen little boy and his not-so-keen mother and a lady who did not look like she'd wear colour wearing colours in Bang-on-the-Door shades.
On the plane, I sat next to a pair of twins - grown men wearing yellow shirts, one in checks and the other in plain. They had round faces and both carried little bags for their size - a little backpack and a little carry-all. They spoke in that way that only twins can and understand and went to sleep in the middle of the flight - I felt like custodian of twiddleDum and Dee.
A little girl on the next aisle thought she landed the plane - as we were descending she pressed out her palms, kung-fu style. Afterwhich she told her mother very decisively that this caused the plane to stop. She had bright bossy eyes - her elder sister was so much more timid, and you realise how every little girl is different from the next.
Sometimes, it's nice to be on your own - your eyes see so much more when you're a fly on the wall.
While at the waiting bay, I watched two goofy sisters fall over one another, a rambunctious family offer sweets to a very keen little boy and his not-so-keen mother and a lady who did not look like she'd wear colour wearing colours in Bang-on-the-Door shades.
On the plane, I sat next to a pair of twins - grown men wearing yellow shirts, one in checks and the other in plain. They had round faces and both carried little bags for their size - a little backpack and a little carry-all. They spoke in that way that only twins can and understand and went to sleep in the middle of the flight - I felt like custodian of twiddleDum and Dee.
A little girl on the next aisle thought she landed the plane - as we were descending she pressed out her palms, kung-fu style. Afterwhich she told her mother very decisively that this caused the plane to stop. She had bright bossy eyes - her elder sister was so much more timid, and you realise how every little girl is different from the next.
Sometimes, it's nice to be on your own - your eyes see so much more when you're a fly on the wall.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
My fascination with Pomegranates
Which as it turns out is a fairly enchanting fruit: 1. Symbol for righteousness in Jewish tradition because it is said to have 613 seeds which corresponds with the 613 commandments of the Torah (Hebrew teachings).
2. In Greek mythology, Hades tricks Persephone into living in the Underworld for six months of each year by getting her to eat six pomegranate seeds while she was his prisoner - these six months become autumn and winter where the land is no longer fertile, as Persephone's mother Demeter the Goddess of Harvest grieves her absence.
3. In Buddhist legend (pretty awful story, this one) the demoness Hariti, who devoured children, was cured of her evil habit by the Buddha, who gave her a pomegranate to eat.
4. The Prophet Mohammad advised, “Eat the pomegranate, for it purges the system of envy and hatred.”
5. In early Christian doctrine, some believe that Eve was tempted with a pomegranate in the Garden of Eden rather than an apple as the actual fruit is not identified in the Old Testament Book of Genesis.
That, plus being very a pretty fruit, as well as having properties which cure weary hearts (pomegranate juice makes grenadine syrup which can be used in a whopping 583 types of cocktails!) and ill tummies (medicinally, seriously) grants it a spot in my book of not-quite-sure-why-this-is-important fixations.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Seasons Greetings
How do yis like the new look? Big thank you to Denzil for helping out with the background :)
And yes, HAPPY HAPPY DEEPARAYA to all Hindu and Muslim folks out there! Have a safe and blessed holiday.
And yes, HAPPY HAPPY DEEPARAYA to all Hindu and Muslim folks out there! Have a safe and blessed holiday.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Actually I do have an analogy Re:My Work Situation
The Sausage Situation
You know how sausages are made - gunk they call meat is stuffed into tube-like casings then tied at the ends? As you may imagine, there are specifications for such things e.g. a 2-inch casing fits 10 grams of meat. Well, the boss says one day "Multiply the meat by 10 and stuff it into a 1-inch casing". Us the minion-machine operators grumble and complain, but the boss says, "The client wants the orders tomorrow - that's final". The machine makes awful grinding noises, it shudders and sputters then the shit/meat explodes and hits the fan. It all goes splattering and everyone runs for cover.
Post retail therapy - I have another insight. Slightly more hopeful, I'd like to think.
The Inferno Situation
Instead of a wiener-churning machine, there is a burning building before me. As Junior Firefighter, the Superintendent says to me "Get in there, pull out the survivors, find the source and put it out". "But the fire has gotten so huge! (I protest) Getting in will be suicide!". And the Superintendent says "The client wants the building intact and everyone in it saved - it can't be helped that they only called us after it is almost razed to the ground".
But unlike the sausage situation, I choose another option. I pick up my extinguisher (tiny as it may be to fit my petite frame), put out the flames from the outside, and assess the damage after. It won't be pretty and there may be casualties but at least we won't all get slapped in the face with leftovers scraped from the carcass of animals. (If you are doubting it - don't, I really did review a sausage plant).
You know how sausages are made - gunk they call meat is stuffed into tube-like casings then tied at the ends? As you may imagine, there are specifications for such things e.g. a 2-inch casing fits 10 grams of meat. Well, the boss says one day "Multiply the meat by 10 and stuff it into a 1-inch casing". Us the minion-machine operators grumble and complain, but the boss says, "The client wants the orders tomorrow - that's final". The machine makes awful grinding noises, it shudders and sputters then the shit/meat explodes and hits the fan. It all goes splattering and everyone runs for cover.
Post retail therapy - I have another insight. Slightly more hopeful, I'd like to think.
The Inferno Situation
Instead of a wiener-churning machine, there is a burning building before me. As Junior Firefighter, the Superintendent says to me "Get in there, pull out the survivors, find the source and put it out". "But the fire has gotten so huge! (I protest) Getting in will be suicide!". And the Superintendent says "The client wants the building intact and everyone in it saved - it can't be helped that they only called us after it is almost razed to the ground".
But unlike the sausage situation, I choose another option. I pick up my extinguisher (tiny as it may be to fit my petite frame), put out the flames from the outside, and assess the damage after. It won't be pretty and there may be casualties but at least we won't all get slapped in the face with leftovers scraped from the carcass of animals. (If you are doubting it - don't, I really did review a sausage plant).
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Move along move along when the hope is gone
I have a car suction-cup thingee which says "When the going gets tough, the tough goes shopping".
How do I begin to explain what the going is like for me right now? aftotz does a pretty good job of hers, but I just don't really want to start because if I do, like a boss of mine says it really makes "my blood go upstairs". And things will start getting blown out of proportion, or are they already?
Suffice to say I now know what statements like "sanity hanging by a thread" means and it's really scary but I think I commisserate with Sylvia Plath's whole belljar concept more than I would like to.
So. I once said something about making choices and biting bullets, not excuses.
The thing is, to me there was always a difference between doing what it takes, and doing what you can do. And I always thought, if everyone tried a little harder to do what it takes, then we'd be so much closer to what it should be, less people would have to just do what they can do, the world would be a better place etc.
But now, when it comes to choosing between my sanity and what it takes, I choose my sanity - there's no bouncing back if you're broken. Maybe that's what the truth is about - people do what they can because doing what it takes is not feasible for survival.
So. My laptop taskbar is hung - I am going shopping in about an hour. Hopefully when I am back it'll be the little man, instead of the Wizard of Oz waiting.
Perspective my dear, is everything.
How do I begin to explain what the going is like for me right now? aftotz does a pretty good job of hers, but I just don't really want to start because if I do, like a boss of mine says it really makes "my blood go upstairs". And things will start getting blown out of proportion, or are they already?
Suffice to say I now know what statements like "sanity hanging by a thread" means and it's really scary but I think I commisserate with Sylvia Plath's whole belljar concept more than I would like to.
So. I once said something about making choices and biting bullets, not excuses.
The thing is, to me there was always a difference between doing what it takes, and doing what you can do. And I always thought, if everyone tried a little harder to do what it takes, then we'd be so much closer to what it should be, less people would have to just do what they can do, the world would be a better place etc.
But now, when it comes to choosing between my sanity and what it takes, I choose my sanity - there's no bouncing back if you're broken. Maybe that's what the truth is about - people do what they can because doing what it takes is not feasible for survival.
So. My laptop taskbar is hung - I am going shopping in about an hour. Hopefully when I am back it'll be the little man, instead of the Wizard of Oz waiting.
Perspective my dear, is everything.
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