And so, I spent 30 mins tucking in ISP for the first time in my compact MYVI and headed to the nearest LRT station (around 5 mins away from my house) where I parked my car and took another 5 mins untucking ISP. I am certain that this time will cut down as my housemates get more used to my TLC in my car. Hehe. ISP and I went to the counter and the girl who was handling the tickets looked at ISP and I with the look which may have spelt: Do you need 3 tickets or 1? Alright, I may have exaggerated but that look was definitely of surprise. I got a return ticket and got ISP over the ticketing gate before I went through myself. I am sure to build upperbody muscles and stamina faster than going to the gym these 3 weeks. See, ISP is helping me as well in a healthy way!
Standing at the waiting area next to the LRT track, there were a few who walked from my left to my right to have a look at ISP. (Now I realize how to shift ISP from one side to another can mean better results for me! I didn't realize then.) However, nobody approached me for my pic, name and IC no as the crowd built up around me to get the next approaching carriage.
When it arrived, I again put ISP ahead of me onto it and myself after. Hey, I'm getting the hang of bringing ISP around. I can manage in a rather smooth manner. Mind you, I was the first to get on the carriage as I guess the rest were interested to know how I'll react. I just continued my journey and decided on the way to get off one station before my office. More ground coverage, my mind chanted. Thank goodness I had put on good walking shoes earlier.
Since I do not ride the LRT much and was quite unfamiliar with the route from the LRT station to my office, I looked around for my office building and walked towards that direction. Luck struck not long after, the dress rehearsal was happening right where I was passing by! It was in the middle of the LRT station and my office. There were many school children there dressed in marching uniforms and teachers(I assume) standing in groups. Further down the road were tanks and soldiers fully dressed in army attire. So, of course I walked along the road where all the commotion was happening, waving ISP around. No one spotted me, no one walked up to me and asked what was expected. I'm guessing everyone's engrossed in the rehearsal. Too bad I hadn't spotted any press or media-like people there holding cameras or video cams.At the end, I just took out my own camera and asked a lady teacher(I'm assuming again) to take a shot of me against the busy commotion hoping that can be a sign to anyone there. She hadn't asked me about ISP on my arm, just complied by taking a few pic of ISP and me and then handed the camera back to me. Barely had I checked the pics on my camera's digital screen, she turned back towards the children there. She was busy then....I continued my way towards my office building. No one approached me on the way.
10 mins later passing by a non-vehicle road aka pedestrian-only road and there were loads of people, 2 shopping centres, many shops, a few eateries where people were still having breakfast- I reached my office . Still, nobody asked me. I consoled myself, it's still early- everyone has to rush to work or get through their breakfast. Ah well, I still have to work so I entered my office and got everyone's mixed input of surprise, disbelief and silence after I explained myself and ISP to them. What helped was adding the MixFM link to my online messengers which my office use to communicate with. One of my team members, Alice took a pic with me- I'm glad she was one of the few who was positive with this whole idea. Ok, my boss was one of them as well- which I was glad about too. He approved my request of a few days of leaves for me to get around this whole thing effectively. Another colleague suggested I put two Merdeka flags on top of ISP (not to worry- they're stuck to the back of ISP- not front- I've yet to know if we are actually allowed to stick anything to the front as folding/bending the ISP and writing on it will automatically grant disqualification-however, I have heard that some recruits have already stuck things on the front of it....please comment!!). Zen, thanks for allowing me to borrow your flags for 3 weeks! 
I finally got ISP settled in nicely in one corner and I got around doing my work as usual until lunch time. Since I lunchboxed from home (which is normally the case since my mom wants me to inculcate the habit of eating fruits and veges), I decided to maximize my available time by bringing ISP to a lunchtime tour/window shopping around that area during that 1-hour period. I drank up, did a body check on ISP (intact masking tape and stationary flags) and headed downstairs to the streets with my beloved ISP in tow.
Not having any concrete plans to walk to wherever, I saw a signboard pointing towards Merdeka (Independence) Square. Feeling slightly patriotic after this morning' s scenes, I followed that direction. Just next to my office is a shopping mall lined with cafes and eateries. As I was walking past Starbucks, my FIRST spotter came running up. Of course, being the first, I can vividly remember what he said: 'Are you part of the MixFM Rm50 000 contest? I listen to it every morning and I know what I have to do!' while waving his Sony Ericsson cameraphone in front of me. Kekeke. This first was quite nice! He keyed in my name and IC no into his mobile as I told him not to forget to upload to Mix.FM website as well. He nodded and we parted ways.
My delightness was shortlived around 300m later as I felt a few droplets land on my head. I turned around and walked back the direction I came from as I didn't want ISP to catch a cold. Their backs are quite soft! Haha. That sounds quite right despite being literally put. Somewhere midway, my eyes landed on a few tall buildings which houses a few prominent banks in the distance and my feet automatically changed direction. 
IMHO, it will be great to take pictures of ISP in front prominent buildings especially in context of this competition! Sides, local consumers can benefit from healthy competitions amongst the players in this industry! Ironic enough as well, the slight drizzle stopped so I trooped on with ISP. I walked past this small lane lined with peddlars and makeshift stalls selling clothes and trinklets, pausing occasionally to adjust ISP's position on my arm. Then I passed another shopping minimall and there were loads of people in the eateries and cafes lining along there not to mention people walking past infront and behind me. Yet, no one stopped by me.
I then arrived at the bank that I saw from the distance. Needless to say, the guards saw me approaching. However, I wasn't close enough for them to see ISP. I stood right next to a nice fountain/pond and landscaping which was on a raised platform in front of the bank and I just propped ISP there and did a self portrait! The staff from that bank were walking past me either heading out or back from lunch, I can't tell but all of them were staring. 
I took my pics and decided to make my way back to my office since an hour has almost passed. As I was getting off that raised fountain/pond platform which was next to the driveway, a lady drove past and asked for directions to the bank which was right in front of her! I kinda pointed towards it since I saw the signage on the building. She proceeded asking me about some documentation in a folder she had on the passenger seat. I think she thought I was representing that bank(ISP indicates clearly that I'm not!). Talk about not even reading or looking at ISP...I was kinda annoyed inside. So, is this how people treat bank representatives? Do local consumers not look at what's being presented infront of them generally and just proceed asking questions? I corrected her and redirected her to her destination.
I continued my way back to my office. Not long after, No 2 spotter approached me on the way back right in front of Globe Silk Store. He asked me for a picture but this time, he wasn't too sure how the procedure was. Perspiring heavier than normal (but I was used to it being a regular gymgoer), I went through with him on the procedures. I decided to take a picture at that point! They serve as great memories and milestone markers! Keke.
On the way back, as I was passing by this shopping centre, luck struck again! I spied a van with a few short distinct characters/colors on it indicating it was from a prominent tv station. It probably was there as the dress rehearsal was held nearby in the morning (which I passed) and there were some recording crew with AV equipments ie. those standup video cameras with big zoom lenses, a Malay guy manning the video camera, a Malay woman standing by him talking to another Malay girl holding a mic and a Chinese guy standing by the side with other equipments. I waited a while and when that session was over, I walked over and asked what was that scene about. The woman said they were recording some Merdeka greetings and they will be playing it during Merdeka Eve during their show from 10pm to 2 am and I asked if I could have a few minutes with the flags on ISP. The woman shrugged and the cameraman set the film rolling aka lenses and all (digitally, film don't roll nowadays..). I saw the lens focus and I did a short take on wishing Malaysia happy 50th Independence Day and I'm proud to see it growing into a progressive nation while gesturing with one hand with the Unity band on it and another hand on ISP. After the taping ended, I did ask them for contact numbers but they relented to give. However, they did say that it will be played as indicated earlier on. So, I'm keeping my fingers crossed and I'll be getting a few people to record it as I will be flying to Perth during Independence Day itself... alright, it is not me being unpatriotic, it's just a company trip planned earlier on and I had already agreed to participate. Having to withdraw from the trip will mean me having to pay some compensation for the arrangements already being done.
I decided to take a picture of where this happened as well as hang around hoping that the next interview they were shooting after mine would have caught me a bit in the angle of that video somewhere. Hehe.
A few more pictures were taken of the prominent places I passed by on the way back ( at the same time, trying to look cool under the hot sun and trying to relay indirectly that I was holding the cutout and placing it near a major cross junction for a very good reason..to be spotted! RM200 can buy you a few decent meals!). So, please ppl, if you see anyone holding similar ISPs just standing around under the sun/rain/wind/whatever weather condition, please do them and yourself a favor by asking for a pic (now I'm heralding what I hear on MixFM which is entirely true!).
Upon entering the lift, I met another spotter. Well, almost...he wasn't until he asked me what was I doing with the cutout. I explained the contest and he mentioned he is a MixFM listener- just had no idea what to do with the snippets that came on everytime about living with Ika, Serena C and Pietro. So, I told him to take a pic, take down my details..the whole works and I had to stop on 2 separate floors before I got back to office. My mom would have scolded me if she read this...to any female readers out there, do not attempt this unless under this 'desperate' situation..even then, don't. It's dangerous to get off floors with a stranger alone. Anyhow, I wasn't exactly alone..I had 3 others with me (I, S, P). Ok..haha..lame...
I continued my work for the rest of the day and it grew very dark towards the evening. I decided to use the Monorail to join my sister who was working down the street ( a very long street ). I would have walked all the way down that street next to that major road but I was afraid the sky will not hold the heavy weight (judging by how dark it was when I looked outside the window) and give ISP a too early shower! I hurried up the overhead bridge leading to the Monorail station, jolting poor ISP over the dirtpaths and bought a oneway ticket to a station which would bring me nearer to my sister's office. The ticketing guy did look like he had some sense of recognition as he said 'Oh, this is MixFM' but I hurried past and got ISP over the ticketing gate and myself (again, getting better at this) and went into the carriage just about when the door was closing.
As the Monorail went on to the more prominent parts of KL (my sis works near the heart itself), more people came in and needless to say, I got plenty of stares. However, I was too caught up and worried that it will rain that I did not launch into my now almost-scripted speech about the contest. The final stop where I was supposed to get out had A LOT OF PEOPLE. I think I heard some people mention MixFM on my way out...but too bad, I had to look towards the ground, concentrate on lifting ISP above waist height and avoiding hitting anyone of those people who were trying to push and get into the carriage (luckily there was a guard there to man the crowd which were to get into the carriage-talk about civic manners...I've been in the London tube and people do queue up right infront of it as well, just not as dense as what I've encountered.) I hurried past a few other banks, taking pics along the way and gathering a few more stares from those hanging around for after-work smoke but I was determined to keep up with my bank counts. 
Oh yes, everybody in their cars probably saw ISP as they stopped at the red light at that major junction where I was shamelessly snapping these self portraits. After 2 changes of green/red and more than a few pics on my cameraphone, I crossed the road and continued taking pics (some by my sis and some by some fellow gymgoers who were watching me behind the glass windows as I tried to take a self portrait ( I guess I make it look so difficult till some came out and offered help to take my pic!) till we entered my sis' car parked nearby and she drove us back. Again, there was the issue of tucking in ISP in an unfamiliar car and a car behind my sis' was held up in the carpark. But heck, if my MYVI can bring ISP around, her Wira should be able too! At the end, I had to hold it midway so that ISP can look out of the window throughout the entire journey back home. Sis, thanks for the ride despite you not wanting to have all those weird stares and taking the pics for me. Hehe.
It rained again this evening so we decided to stay at home and rest for tomorrow's busy day ahead of us
2 comments:
All the best in your quest for 50k! Are u bringing ISP to the land down under? :P
Hi Jason.Thanks for visiting! Yes, they're going there as well! :)
Post a Comment