TRICOR: YUM SENG!

Chubby: You free this Friday?

Me: I guess so. Wadsup?

Chubby: Book your time for me please.

Hhmmphhh…

It was my ex company’s annual dinner at Dynasty Hotel on 22 September 2006; for the first time in 7 years. (I thought Chubby is gonna intro some cute hunks to me. Cheh!).

I joined TCC (now Tricor) on 12 December 2000 and left the company on 31 July 2003. I guess this is the longest time that I’ve ever been in any company. A rolling stone gathers no moss? Why would a stone want moss on it, anyway?

The theme was red and black. I am lucky enough to have a red and black striped blouse or else, I would have to buy new clothes to blend into the crowd. Seriously, I hate to dress up with all the make up and shit like that. I don’t really enjoy going for dinners, especially weddings. *hint*

However, this dinner was different. The invitation came from people whom I first met when I stepped foot into the corporate world. The people who had been kind enough to show me the way around secretarial practice. The people that had taught me from scratch and we remained as friends till this very day. It was indeed very hard to find working colleagues this close-knitted. We worked like a family unit, despite having some differences among us. I hope they would continue to work together like the good old days, with the new international merger.

It was a last minute notice. Last minute invitation, last minute hotel booking, last minute printing of souvenirs, last minute selection of menu, last minute preparation for performances among departments, last minute…. but, the quality of the entire dinner was more than superb. It was fantastic!

It was silly of me to forget my camera as I was rushing to go out after work to the party. How much I've missed!! From the prep for performances, selection of food, mingling of the old and new staff alike, to the beautiful stretch of road going towards KLCC in glittering street and car lights. Lovely, lovely night.

The inter-department performances were fantastic. There were dances to music in suits made of cardboard boxes, (I jokingly told them, if I were to perform with them, I probably need the largest fridge packaging), Snow White and the Seven Dwarves with a twist - whereby the evil step mother loved banana, and instead of a prince kissing Snow White, he gave her a can of tongkat ali, the Payroll and Accounting department, which won the competition hands down; came up with an Indian dance (Kuch Kuch Hota Hai) complete with conversations in hokkien (by Indian and Malay colleagues!!), and the despatch boy dressed up as a very pretty Indian girl. And we all think accountants are square pegs? Heh! And oh boy! A fellow colleague could really shake his booty, putting Sharukh Khan to shame!

Another performance from the share registrar reminded me of my childhood’s stint as one of the hantu jembalang in the musical P. Ramlee’s Aci Aci Buka Pintu. Like this picture (God! This pic is taken 20 years ago!!). The movement and all the prep were exactly like the ones I did back in primary school.

Guess which one was me?

The performances sent us to fits of laughter; even the waiters and waitresses were not spared. You wouldn't believe that they took only a week to practise all these! Tricor, they are THAT efficient!

It was good to catch up with old friends. It was good to see the togetherness that the MD had strived hard to foster since the birth of this company. It was good to toast the night away with a few bottles of red wine with fellow alcoholics, along with the alcoholic song – which I don’t really remember, but it was really funny. Yeah. I did something unforgettable when we went for our company trip to Cherating, back in 2001 – and ever since, I had been nicknamed; the Fountain.

Above all, it was good to feel at “home”, even if I had left this company 3 years ago.

Here’s a toast, hoping that Tricor will continue to prosper in many, many years to come.