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| Raining in Pendas |
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Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno!!!
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| Arriving at Forest City |
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| Guards saluting and directing all riders |
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| Beautiful landscaping |
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| Poolside |
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| Beachside |
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| Costume Fail |
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| Dab Goofing!!! |
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| With Quili, Person in Charge at Forest City |
It was sheer Olympian spirits that bound us together and helped us finish today's ride. Faced with many hurdles and adversities, everyone took it in stride. Rain clouds started blowing in when we were all setting up for group photos. Then, as we rolled our first 10 km, the wind fought us head on and sideways. When the sky decided to leak tiny droplets just after Gelang Patah town, many could have turned back but none did! Everyone just pushed ahead without hesitation even though it began to pour heavily thereafter!
We arrived at The Heartstopping Prata stall in Pendas all soaking wet. While some took their breakfast, more than 10 others; notably Chiam, Sibyl, SK Wong, Thomas Moy, Chee Kiang and Kee Tiam laboured on to the jetty in the rain. They were the worst lot as the rain only got heavier!!!
It was a morning resigned to being wet! When the "jetty group" returned earlier than the stipulated time, all cold and shivering; the bigger half of the riders with warmed bellies joined them in the rain to Forest City. Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno!!!
Arriving at Forest City, we were given warm welcomes! The security guards along the final 1 km stretch, all saluted and directed us as we arrived one by one. It was still raining when we parked our bikes and since we were all wet, we did not hesitate to take lengthy group photos as it patters on.
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| Before.... |
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| Before..... |
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| After!!!! |
We were given a guard of honour welcome as we stepped indoors. Then, an English speaking host gave us an introductory tour to their project, slowly losing us as he went on and on. By the time he finished, half the group had disappeared, trying to get warm outside or helping themselves to hot drinks at the sales foyer.
Only one person was warm and dry today! It was Victor who had come all prepared with a change of clothes and a prayer that it will not rain for the first part of the morning!!! Everyone should give him a poke for not finishing his prayers properly!!!
A buffet lunch was served at their restaurant, courtesy of Forest City. However, a slight miscommunication between the person in charge and the restaurant resulted with the waiters scrambling to stop us from eating!!! Quili had walked us down explaining that lunch will be served at 11.30 am but the restaurant insisted that we can only eat at noon! They could only try to stop us but when they were faced with wet, cold and hungry cyclists, they failed miserably!!!
The rain did let up when we leave! As some took longer to eat, we left in staggered groups. The last group rolled out when the sky started to leak again. Thankfully, it was just a drop here and there and not one that got us dripping pools of water like earlier when we sat through the introductory speech!
When there's a big group of 47 riders, some technical problems are bound to happen. Hooi Leong had a tyre puncture just before the Prata stall! Chee Kiang's pedal came off just before the turning into Forest City. He continued pushing on a metal rod!! Chung Keat's ego was bruised when he fell off his mtb at the parking lot in Forest City!!!
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| Our Singaporean friends |
Everyone arrived safely home though some took a little longer as they had to cycle back through the Causeway where home is the tiny island that once was part of Malaysia. A modern cosmopolitan today, we still share the same comradeship, riding together through rain and shine .....and guilt for soiling the plush dining chairs at Forest City!!!!
A World Without Borders!!!
Photo Credits :
1. Ang Yee Ling
2. Andy Chan
3. Desmond Loh
4. Lionel
5. Y K Chiam
6. Paul Eddie
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Food for the day :
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