Blessing in disguise

Drove all the way to Hulu Langat again Saturday evening to discuss and finalize on the layout of the tables etc for my parent's ruby anniversary dinner. I was told to collect the floor plan from Iskandar who mans the information counter and cashier's booth. I sort of suspected that something was amiss when he said the Marketing people did not leave the floor plan for me....but I just dismissed my suspicion! He promised to contact the Marketing people immdiately and would meet me at the restaurant once he got some news.

And off I went excitedly to the restaurant showing my best friend and his assistant, Yeh, the venue of the bash. Whe he saw the restaurant, from his face, I could tell that he wasn't all too happy! I just ignored and explained to him what we really want and ran the event sequence with him!

Whilst discussing animatedly, this PR person from the resort interrupted us saying that there's a huge problem with our booking.....WHAT? With one more week to go and he said there's a mistake? I almost blew my top........! Luckily, my parents always taught me to be patient and not jump to conclusions.. Listened, I did, to his side of the story...

Apparently, there is a certain political party group of people who had booked the restaurant before us....and even paid before we paid ours! That's a load of bu**! I had cleared with the Marketing people before we paid and the Marketing people has the booking diary with them! Yes they told us that there was another booking by another group but not firmed. I was further told that if we paid first, we got the place...And paid we did! But now.......?????

He suggested I look at the other possible venues within the resort which I flatly rejected as I didn't quite like the rest of the places (e.g. the main hall which has low ceiling and no windows). The only place which I immediately liked when I first recce the place is the lawn which has a pavillion cum stage. But there's extra cost to it like tables and chairs, canopies etc.....if we had boked the lawn. He then suggested that we used the lawn!

He assured me that the resort will subsidize the cost......I said no. It's either full costs to be borne by them OR the restaurant it is!

I was then ushered to see the MD cum owner of the resort who diplomatically said that it'd be nice to have the bash at the lawn area and can have a garden dinner concept etc....I told him, yes of course it'd definitely be nice to have it in the garden rather than the restaurant BUT what about cost? He wanted 50/50 but I said no......Finally he gave in and offered to pay for the 2 canopies, throw in banquet tables nad chairs for free, PA system for free, a couple of staff to hold bunga manggar, a gong (whatever for?), an Imam to recite the du'a, call in journalist from a local wedding magazine to cover the event ( which I doubt.....) and the list goes on.....I have to see their floor plan and what they are throwing in for free tomorrow!

It's really a blessing in disguise, don't you think?

Did a trial run for the main table today, with my daughter, and the above picture is what it's going to be like roughly (without the flowers and tall candles)!