• The journey begins

August 30, 2004

Everyone was in a celebratory mood	Thumbs up, we're good to go!	A mosque overlooking the Nile River

DAY 1

In one of those rare occasions, I actually woke up early today. I am not sure whether it is due to the excitement of the flag off or the fear of being awarded the first recipient of the Ya Humar or donkey award.

After a quick breakfast, everyone assembled outside the hotel for the roll call and briefing session. I felt a sense of pride and patriotism towards the nation as we sang the national anthem, Negaraku, in a land thousands of kilometres away from Malaysia. I sighed in great relief when Sandro was selected as the first recipient of the Ya Humar Award.

Then we were off to the PETRONAS petrol station located along Amarat Street for the flag off ceremony. The look of wonder and bewilderment in the eyes of the people as the brightly painted green and yellow vehicles passes by, never fails to impress me. Sometimes I wonder whether they are more fascinated with us or vice versa.

The flag off ceremony was very grand and memorable. There were many Sudanese ministers, as well as Malaysian and PETRONAS officials present. It felt nice to see many familiar faces in the crowd. The sight of the vehicles parked in front of the petrol station drew many curious onlookers. The cameras were seen clicking away for each one wanted to preserve this moment and cherish it forever.

The speeches by the Sudanese Minister as well as the Chairman of PETRONAS Sudan were truly inspiring with both stressing the benefits of PETRONAS and Sudan working together. The flag off ceremony marked the culmination of months of preparation and anticipation for this journey of a lifetime into unknown terrains with the aim of bringing the message of hope to the people around.

I felt a mixture of excitement and fear sweep through me as we were flagged off. It dawned on me that the next 39 days would probably change the course of my life and the way I look at things. I felt extremely privileged to be part of the team. The whole event seemed too good to be true. As I begin this journey of a lifetime, it is my desire that I give more than I receive.

And in the words of a wise person, I hope that I will “have the serenity to accept the things that I cannot change, the courage to change the things that I can change and the wisdom to know the difference.”