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Wednesday, June 9 There’s a large contingent of company bigwigs in town at the moment… They are apparently concerned that the operation isn’t going as well as they would have liked. With their eye on the bottom line, they want the whole thing in (cheaper) Malaysian hands sooner rather than later – but there appears to be a problem with getting enough experienced people locally. So their solution is to throw more ex-pat resources into streamlining the handover process, with the result that there are more (expensive) Aussies in town than ever. Which doesn’t quite add up to me. Plus, global management people are coming to look for themselves, so the whole place is getting a bit cluttered. A few too many cooks, or too many chiefs, etc. DB is pretty stressed by the whole thing (and his heavy cold is no help). He’s reiterated that he wants out – the sooner the better. Last night, the crowd of ex-pats and others took over The Olive, and I found myself sitting next to and chatting with a charming, urbane gentleman from Singapore, who seemed to know a lot about Australia. It was also obvious he knew everyone’s name, and what their area of responsibility was. It’s just as well I didn’t say anything out of line, because it turns out he is a really big bigwig. DB should have warned me, but fortunately, I was circumspect for once and said all nice things about Singapore etc., and didn’t get into dangerous territory. Earlier, a welcome return visitor to our apartment was Chris Georgio, a Sydney bloke who comes over at odd times on various assignments – and he never fails to bring us a bottle of wine or two. The last time he left he said he wasn’t coming back; he’d had enough, but we laughed at that and told him we’d see him soon enough. And we were right. **** A quiet night here tonight – Dave is off at a business dinner with one of the globe-trotting poobahs. So, being lazy and finding it too much effort to cook for myself, I’ve ordered up room service. Thursday June 10 I am getting braver with local food – and about time too, Geoff would tell me (although he can’t talk – his food fussiness is legendary). Today I ventured again into a Malay café, just one step up from a hawker/street stall level. This one had the big enticement of air conditioning. The bill, for chicken, rice, large fresh orange juice and assorted accompaniments was about $4: by local standards, not a bargain, but hey, they have to pay the aircon bill! *** I’m trying to avoid watching TV - I know the news channels will be showing too much about Ronald Reagan. Although I feel sorry for anyone who died with the disease he did, some of what’s being said now verges on the plain silly. To read some of the press coverage, one would think he was the greatest statesman ever, and wholly responsible for the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War. I think the Soviet Union’s internal processes and the Soviet people themselves, plus the coming of Gorbachev etc, had much more to do with that. To quote brother-in-law Dave Hollands, next they’ll be crediting him with the sunrise. And as for replacing FDR with him on the American dime!!! Words fail me. *** Technology has let us down, for the moment. Our internet connection has crashed. The hotel says it’s not its fault: the wireless network is fine, they are blaming Telekom Malaysia. If it’s not fixed soon, the guys are going to be very unhappy. Or maybe not – it gives them the perfect excuse not to do any work from ‘home’ tonight. It won’t bother us, at least for this evening– it’s Michael’s last night here for a while, possibly two months, so he will probably come here for dinner, before packing up all his bits and pieces. He plans to take everything home to Brisbane on this trip, so he’s going to have a big excess baggage bill. Randall, our other social mainstay here, is also going tomorrow night, but he will be away for only two weeks. *** The main conservative English-language daily today had a big front page spread on Alexander Downer’s visit, focussing on his words of support for Malaysia’s policy of keeping the defence of the Malacca Straits “in house” (Singapore has reportedly suggested the US Navy might like to take over this job). Not that Alexander stepped too far out of line: he just acknowledged the right of what he pedantically called the “littoral states” to have primary responsibility for the defence of their own territory, as the intervention of a foreign power could be counter-productive among the general poplace. So he learnt something from Iraq after all Saturday, June 12 Oooh, a hard day under a killer sun, followed by a late night, is obviously too much for someone my age.. Yesterday, I was once again called on to be a tourist guide for a newly-arrived colleague's girlfrind – so it was time to don the walking shoes and take a hat. Trouble is, I forgot the hat, and the exposed pavements around the Merdeka Square are unforgiving to those who forget such essentials. The colonial area is devoid of trees and tall buildings, so there’s nothing to deflect the scorching rays of the midday sun.
And last night, a visiting exec hosted a dozen of us at dinner at Menara KL’s revolving restaurant across the road from our hotel. Three of the blokes committed the cardinal sin of turning up in shorts, not realising what a pukkah joint the tower restaurant is. The staff there must be used to newly-arriving Australians and their dress-down ways, and have a whole cupboard of sarongs for the men to wear (right). Much laughter and hilarity as even the host had to submit to the floor-length skirt. Bed never felt so good when I finally eased myself into it some hours later. |
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Taking refuge in the shade of a nearby mosque isn’t the solution
either – the compulsory full length gown and headscarf are their own
exquisite form of torture.