Holiday Vacation Meditation Retreat 18 Mar – 23 Mar 2010

The past few weeks have been busy as we prepare for the Awakening Enlightenment Meditation Retreat, also known as “The Opening”. This is the first time this event is being held in Asia, specifically in Summerset Resort, Kuala Rompin, Malaysia. This is a great way to get away from the work stress and take a mini holiday vacation where you can experience self realization. In addition, we had dinner at a great fresh seafood restaurant.

Setting Hearts Free

Many people trade the adventure of life for safety and security and continue living life in a box. Is that what you desire in your life?

Imagine what your world will be like if you:-

• Are more successful in all areas of your life including your business and relationships
• Have a wonderful clarity on your life’s purpose
• Can live your life with more passion than ever before
• Experience joy as your natural state of being
• Discover the deep inner peace already within you
• Truly understand what’s important to others
• Know how to be fully received by others
• And much, much more…

That is what the Awakening Enlightenment Meditation Retreat is all about and much more.

As the 2 master facilitators who flew in all the way from Canada were putting up at our partner’s house in Bukit Batok, we were to meet there for breakfast. Leaving our house at 0615 hrs so that we would avoid the traffic build up and slow traffic, our first stop was the petrol station. We then made our way towards West Coast and dropped by Mother’s place for a short time, as we were still early.

Moving off at 0730 hrs, we arrived at our partner’s house ten minutes later and attended to some logistical issues before having some pork porridge for breakfast.

Our original plan was to leave at 0900 hrs so that we could reach Summerset Resort in Kuala Rompin by 1400 hrs as we had asked the hotel’s secretary to arrange for a meeting with the staff at that time. However when we checked Google map online, we saw that there was still a traffic jam at the Woodlands Checkpoint Causeway. Thus we decided to push back our departure.

Woodlands Checkpoint Causeway

We finally pushed off at 0930 hrs in 2 vehicles and headed for Woodlands Checkpoint. The coast was quite clear on the Singapore end but with heavy traffic on the Malaysian end, we only cleared customs and immigration for both Singapore and Malaysia just before 1100 hrs.

Looking forward to our holiday vacation

With slow traffic and most of the roads being one lane per direction, we reached Mersing only at 1300 hrs.

Time for a nap :)

Entering Mersing town

Stopping at Hai Soon Restaurant for lunch, we enjoyed our fishball noodle lunch. It was a good and simple lunch and cost RM27 (USD8.40) for the 6 of us, including a glass of herbal tea all round.

Hai Soon Restaurant

With our master facilitators

Yummy food

Carrying on with our journey to Summerset Resort in Rompin, we finally arrived at our destination just before 1500 hrs. Fortunately we had called to push the meeting for 1500 hrs.

Summerset Resort, Kuala Rompin

On arrival at the beach resort Summerset Rompin, refreshing and cold welcome drinks awaited us. We were then shown the function rooms, as there were some last minute changes before we proceeded for the meeting with the staff from the various departments.

It was a fruitful and productive meeting with the staff where most of the tiny and last minute details were clarified. We even managed to get all the room numbers that were assigned to our group, as well as the keys, although our participants were only arriving the next day.

We then proceeded to unload our luggage to our bedroom after which we went to walk around the Summerset Resort and checked out the beach and surrounding areas.

Sad to see the beach erosion

Breakwater to ease further beach erosion

Unloading our luggage

Our accommodation

Next, we proceeded to the function room that they had prepared for our secretariat room and started to unload our stuff and set up.

Controlling traffic?

After a short meeting with our master and the rest of our team members, we left for dinner at 1900 hrs. As usual, whilst in Rompin, we headed for Rompin Village Seafood Restaurant, a great place for inexpensive and most importantly, fresh seafood, especially the marmite crabs. However, we were disappointed that they had no crabs this evening as they were out of stock. So we ordered the steamed fish, steamed prawns, sambal kangkong (chilli water spinach), sambal petai (chilli stink beans) and squids.

Hurray for great & fresh seafood restaurant! At wonderful and friendly prices...

Now what the heck is this drink?

Sambal kang kong

Sambal petai

Deep fried Squids

Steamed fish

Steamed prawns

These were all great tasting and the seafood, especially the prawns and the fish, were wonderfully cooked to perfection.

Even our Canadian friends loved the food which cost us RM151 for the 6 of us including 12 glasses of drinks.

We enjoyed our dinner thoroughly. With the good food and great company, we headed back to our beach resort Summerset at Rompin and continued with a small group discussion and checking of equipment.

Testing out the equipment

We were all looking forward to the next day, the start of Day 1 of our Awakening Enlightenment Meditation Retreat; also know as The Opening Asia. A self realization workshop cum holiday vacation where you can release your work stress and emerge with more clarity in your life. The fresh seafood restaurant where we had dinner was an added bonus for all of us.




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Malaysia Vacation – Cherating and Rompin Beach Resort Day 5

Another Malaysia beach resort

Time just flies past during this Malaysia vacation in Cherating, Kuantan. With a feeling of sadness, we left The Legend Resort, our resort accommodation for the past 4 nights. Today, we headed to another Malaysia beach resort, Summerset Resort in Rompin, approximately 130 km away. However, before that, we had the good fortune to watch part of the

We were excited to learn about the Chinese lion dance in The Legend Resort from 1000 – 1200 hrs. The lion dance is popular during Chinese New Year to usher in good luck and prosperity especially in the coming new year. However, as we had a business meeting at Summerset Resort at 1400 hrs, it was with disappointment that we had to leave The Legend Resort without watching the main lion dance performance. Although the lion dance started at 1000 hrs, they were led to strategic locations throughout the resort to shower blessings and prosperity.

Mandarin oranges ready for the Chinese lion dance performance at The Legend Resort entrance - part of the Chinese New Year traditions

The lion entering the back office of The Legend Resort

Part of the Chinese Lion Dance troupe

Busy with the music whilst the lion is performing in the back office

One of the lions emerging from the back office

Spot the big head doll with the lion?

Clearer shot of the big head doll

Staff trying to get a good shot of the Chinese Lion Dance

Leaving The Legend Resort soon after 1030 hrs, we arrived at our next beach resort destination The Summerset Resort in Rompin approximately 2 hours later. Upon arrival, we met up with friends of ours who had just arrived at the resort for the 1400 hrs meeting as well.

The souvenir shop in the lobby of The Summerset Resort

Spring Festival decorations

The resort staff had specially prepared lunch for us comprising curry chicken, mixed vegetables, omelette and black pepper prawns. We enjoyed the delicious meal and had an enjoyable time finishing our lunch.

Black pepper prawns

Omelette

Mixed vegetables

Curry chicken

Rice served on banana leaf

Healthy fruits

Great place for lunch - view of the serene gardens

After lunch we headed to our rooms in the South wing. We were fortunate to be roomed in a junior suite. Comprising a bedroom and a living room that can be partitioned off, the room was nice and spacious. The bathroom looks modern with it double glass basins. You have a choice to use the fan or air-conditioner or both if you so desire.

The living room

The bedroom

Bathroom

Relax on the verandah

Our meeting was pushed to 1430 hrs and we met up with Chef Talak, Masitah (F&B), Rahman (Rooms), Rohan (Sales), Mohan (Director of Sales & Marketing) and Yati (secretary to the GM) for our event The Opening, an awakening enlightenment program, also known as a journey of self discovery, to be held in Summerset Resort next month. After the meeting, we did a walk through of the function rooms and activity areas that we were going to use. By the time we were through with our task, it was almost 1700 hrs.

Hurriedly, we changed into our swimwear and met by the pool. We were surprised and disappointed to see the beach almost gone. Serious beach erosion had taken place and the resort had to place sandbags as a breaker. The waves from the South China Sea were very strong and the water appeared brown due to the strong waves stirring up the sand. Ironically Summer Resort has turned into a beach resort with little or no beach left.

We had fun dipping into the pool and even whilst enjoying ourselves, we continued with our discussion of the awakening enlightenment event. As there was a lovely sea breeze, it was quite chilly in the water.

Having fun

Dinner saw us at our favourite fresh seafood restaurant here, Rompin River Seafood, 14 km from Summerset Resort. Next to the Rompin River Seafood is the Rompin River Chalet, also run by James Ooi who can be contacted at 013-7726961 or 019-7479933. Located at Kampung Kelebur, Depan Rumah Murah Sg Puteri, 26800 Kuala Rompin, Pahang Darul Makmur, we enjoyed the sea breeze throughout the 3 hours we were there.

Spring Festival banner

Our favorite fresh seafood restaurant in Rompin

Dinner consisting of marmite baked crab, salted egg crabs, sambal petai (stink bean in chilli), sambal kangkong (water convolvulus in chilli), bean sprout with salted fish and steamed prawns with 11 glasses of drinks between the 5 of us cost RM175 (USD53.25).

The marmite crabs is one of our must-have dishes. The steamed prawns were very fresh and juicy. The flesh of the salted eggs crab somehow tended to stick to the shell making it harder to eat.

Sambal petai

Sambal kang kong

Marmite crabs

Steamed prawns

Beansprouts with salted fish

Salted egg crabs

Some of the thirst quenchers we enjoyed

Complimentary jelly

Our new feline friend

After dinner, we discussed business with the owner, James. As James also runs the New Rompin Travel & Tour Sdn. Bhd., a travel agency, he also provides transport services. As we were assisting with organizing The Opening, the awakening enlightenment event for next month, we needed to make use of his transportation services.

Discussing business with James, centre

Enjoying ourselves

Returning to our beach resort accommodation for the night, we continued with our discussion and only retired for the night close to 0200 hrs.

The second last day of our Malaysia vacation, we were glad that we managed to settle quite a number of issues and concerns for the awakening enlightenment event next month. We had a great time connecting with the resort staff and during this holiday, we also managed to try various kinds of Malaysian food. As always, whenever we are up in Rompin beach resort, we would make our way to the fresh seafood restaurant, Rompin River Seafood and enjoy the seafood selection there.

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