Due to my job nature involved with many car dealers and credit company, i usually deal with the federation of motor and credit company association very closely, until a couple of years ago when my previous company decided to cut the blood flow and stopped sponsoring.
Since then, i have no longer attending their event. What i did not expect was, our client actually took up one of the largest sponsorship and nominated few representative from my company to attend the 57th anniversary.
I'm not 100% proud of this because my company did not put up a sponsorship under their own expenses. I am very proud that our client did not forget us and still inviting us to attend the event.
Due to the event falls on the weekend, its important for us to arrange our transport properly. The latest development of the traffic offense has become very serious. Not a bad thing as it helps to deter people from drunk driving, but we cant afford to get caught and possibly had our driving license revoked and bringing home a huge fine.
Our local e-hailing has been dominant by Grab for many years, since UBER left the country. Their long time monopolized market had drove the fair to become unfair. Fortunately, me and my colleague able to car pool with me driving. Since i am driving, I'd better behave and not over do with my whisky intake.
Food at the event is expensive. I did not mention they taste fabulous, because they aren't. Not that I'm complaining, having caterer to serve hundreds of round table is a though job. I can't possibly be expecting fine dining quality. None the less, the cooking material seems to be very very expensive.
From the past experience, we all known these people can be very crazy on drinking, the organizer had instructed the alcohol being served on demand. That way it can limit the alcohol consumption and avoid wastage.
The well know and famous first dish of every Chinese sit down dinner is always the 5 prosperous dish. This cane with a bowl of lobster salad. I'm ok with the lobster, but i like the vege and fruit more than the prawn meat 🤣
By the time sharkfin soup is served, we are still only half a table turn up. I am against the slaughter of sharks, but hey its already paid. Either we waste it, or drink it. Might as well?
Roast duck can be one of the luxury item on dinner table. To me, which lost my number 1 teeth, eating duck is like a handicapped goal keeper. Taste pretty darn good, but I'm having trouble trying to separate the meat and the bone.
We also invited the transport minister to attend the event. Usually, he will show up and listen to some of the demand, but usually the demand doesn't make sense 🤣 so he sent his representative instead, that way easier for him to deny any ridiculous proposal from the association.
During the transport ministry speech, steam fish us served. The moment we put the fork in, immediately the flesh texture give away a clue, this is a boiled fish rather than steamed. Not that its not nice, but it will be way smoother if it's steamed. Once again, not complaining.
Abalone and mushroom dish is yet another luxury dish you can find in a Chinese sit down dinner. The mushrooms and mussels are nice, but the canned abalone is a little cold.
We decided to call it a day during the cake cutting session. Based on our previous experience, if we stayed until the lasts dish, we will be stuck at the carpark trying to go out.
Unfurtunately, despite we left the place early, we're still stuck as Saturday night going in town prove to be one of the craziest thing to do, especially older guy like myself.
Anyway, before going home, i decided to still take a small detour and grab a quick coffee. That sum up the wonderul weekend experience with the association.