Day 50
Tuesday 19/8/08
Location: Kerteh, Terengganu Malaysia
By Azlan Mohaideen (a.k.a MILO)
It’s the last day of our expedition, and yet it seems like only yesterday I was at KLIA airport, waiting to board the plane with an excited bunch of people, known as the PETRONAS Adventure Team. The 2 months of traveling through 13 countries over various terrains from highways, deserts, windy mountains roads to offroad tracks has finally come to an end. Clocking just over 20000km, the team of 50 participants and 18 vehicles made it safely to Kerteh and were proud to reach the finish line after having gone through all kinds of challenges in this epic journey.
The flag in ceremony at Onshore Gas Terminal (OGT) park, Kerteh was a great end to the PETRONAS TransEuroAsia expedition. For me it was extra special since Kerteh was my first posting when I joined PETRONAS 6 years ago back in 2002. It was nice to come back to this small coastal town and meet long lost friends, some of whom I’ve not seen for years after I was transferred to PETRONAS’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
The moment we arrived, I was impressed by the creative display of welcoming banners hung on the gantries. Each banner displayed the name of the past expeditions in sequence, starting from the very first expedition, ‘Passage to Tibet’. As we passed each gantry leading to the final one, displaying TransEuroAsia, PETRONAS staff proudly welcomed us home and congratulated us for a job well done. Under the 10th arch, we were flagged in by CEO of Kertih Terminal Sdn Bhd, Mr Law Say Huat, symbolizing that we officially made it home. 150 kids from the Kanak kanak Bakti program, waved PETRONAS flags and welcomed the convoy as we drove towards the car park area. Families and friends were eagerly waiting together with crowds of PETRONAS staff under a specially erected tent and stage area for the historical event.
As soon as we got down from our vehicles, we assembled to sing the national anthem as the Malaysian flag was raised. The flag was then handed over to PETRONAS Motorsports GM, Pn Anita. After a series of speeches from PETRONAS bosses, Expedition Leader, En Halim gave an inspiring speech about the journey and thanked everyone involved, especially the participants for making it a success. A highlight of the flag in ceremony was the video presentation of the expedition which kept audiences in awe. The finale was the certificate presentation to all the participants.
A Community Relations program took place just before lunch, where Tiagra and I led PAT teammates in entertaining the kids with a science show. The response was overwhelming, with kids enthusiastically taking part in the show. Over lunch, the PAT members mingled with the crowd and shared some of their experience when asked questions about the trip. A short photo session followed, and then we were rolling out in our convoy after saying our goodbyes and thanking the organizers for a wonderful event.
So what’s next??? Back to reality. The holiday’s over. As all the convoy members head their separate ways, I go home with mixed feelings. I look forward to going home and seeing my family and loved ones, but at the same time, I really miss all my new found friends. Spending 2 months together away from home, really put us through all kinds of situations, and as a result I’ve developed a strong bond with these bunch of people. Initially starting out as strangers, they are like family to me now. We share a common bond.
From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank Expedition Leader, Encik Halim Abdul Rahman, also known as Stingray, a generous and kind man for making this happen. He has always put the welfare of the convoy members first, and has taken care of us from the start of the expedition, and made sure each and every one of us reached home safely. Together with the rest of the management team, he demonstrated that it takes a strong person to hold the reins of leadership. For that, I have so much respect for this man, and his courageous team.
To all my convoy mates and new found friends, it was a pleasure traveling with all of you. Thanks for all the sweet memories and I look forward to seeing you all again in the near future. There’s so much I’m going to miss about the expedition, but by far the company of friends is the biggest thing. The camaraderie which I developed within a short time with this bunch of people is something truly amazing.
Thank you also to my bosses at PETRONAS for giving me the priviledge and opportunity of a lifetime to represent PETRONAS in this event. I’ve given it my best and I hope I did all of you proud. A big thank you also to PETRONAS Motorsports for making it all possible.
Lastly, thanks to friends, families and colleagues for their encouragement and support. Couldn’t have done it without you guys. For those who have been following this epic journey from the start, I hope that you have enjoyed reading my entries as much as I have enjoyed writing them for the PETRONAS Adventure Team’s website. It’s been a pleasure and honour to be able to capture my experience, and I shall definitely miss writing the daily entries.
It’s been a journey of self-discovery, not just of foreign cultures, people and places. I have truly gained more than I bargained for on this trip, and at the end of the day learnt a lot about myself, about others and from things I’ve observed along the way. The end result is I think I’ve become a better person, at least much more tolerant, patient, and adaptable to different situations.
As a first timer, I must say I really enjoyed the trip. And given the chance, I wouldn’t hesitate to sign up again. The memories of TransEuroAsia2008 will always be a part of me. Someday, when I have kids and grandchildren of my own, I will have a fantastic tale to tell. This has been the greatest adventure of my life so far.
This is MILO, writing my final journal entry, signing out.
