I'm travelling OVERSEAS!!!!!!

Mr B: Good news, you'll be travelling overseas!

Me: Really? *smile* *smile* *smile*.. where to? *dalam hati: Brazil ke for the Conference that Numero Uno is attending?*

Mr B: Jauh jugaklah..

Me: Mana tu? *smile* *smile* *smile* (excuse the excitement.. the fartherst that I've been to with B*N is Sri Lanka okay and that was 3 years ago! :p)

Mr B: You have to go to Song next 2 weeks for a site visit before we launch the new branch..

*Panggggggggggggggg!* Mr B kena lempang! Okay, I would definitely do this if I have the same remote control as Adam Sandler's but fortunately for Mr B, I don't!

Yup.. that's my life as a konon high-flying corporate lady lar.. when people like Ija goes to Europe or the very least Singapore every other month..or Sho-on who gets to shop for cool stuff in Dubai when she goes out-station..or Yeen who for an assignment gets to stay in Washington for a month and now resides in Singapore..

Me.. I've to go to places with the names like Kampung Tekek, Changkat Jering and Song! What the.....!!!

I'm sure most of you would know where Changkat Jering and Kg Tekek is right... so let me just educate you about Song.. firstly, just because these names are as weird as Kandooma and both would involve travelling by boat..please do not put a mental picture in your head that these places actually look like Kandooma where you could possibly find dolphins and mermaids in the clear ocean.. :p

Song is a remote town in Sarawak. It is just by the infamous Sg Rejang, the longest river which probably is haven for crocodiles. To get to Song, I have to take a flight to Sibu and then go on a 2-hour express boat ride crossing the Sg. Rejang. (2 hours, express???)

Sent an email to an officer to get more info about Song and this is the skema reply that I received:

Puan Emilia,
Jumlah penduduk yang tinggal dalam radius 7km dari pekan Song dianggarkan lebih kurang 20,000 orang. Ini termasuk perkampungan Iban dan rumah panjang di sepanjang Sg Rejang dan Sg Katibas. Daripada populasi 20,000 orang ini, hanya dalam linkungan 3,000 orang sahaja yang bertumpu di pekan Song. (oohh great.. I'll make it 3001).. Song hanya mempunyai jalanraya berturap sekitar 7 km dari kawasan pekan menghubungkan kampung dan rumah panjang. All the best, Puan!

Okay, this is what you should have as a mental picture:

Me braving through the longest river (crocodiles included in the package) clad in my B*N F1 shirt because it's an official visit..mingling with the locals whom I was told only speak Iban language.. sleeping in the Rumah Panjang when I can't even survive in a dodgy hotel in Perak..

Sheessshh.. sometimes I wonder.. aku ni in banking ke Discovery Channel? what I do and where I go could actually put Asha Gill the Travel & Adventure host to shame..mannn!

Yeah..this is true patriotism at work, eh.. tanggungjawab sosial for the nation..this is what the people of B*N do for the communities in the country.. when all other banks dare not even go there because for obvious reasons that it would not be profitable, we have to do it because in actuality we are the people's bank.. So, lepas ni before you even open your mouth to complaint about B*N, think about what we've done for your monyang, datuk, nenek, mak, bapak, pakcik & makcik kat kampung..

I guess I'm not a high-flying..jet-setting corporate lady.. for the time being I've to just settle with being an express-boat setting one lah!



The jetty where my boat will arrive..



Song town..