Up to Ipoh

An early flight up to Ipoh got us there by 11, to be met by seven members of the club, including Patricia and a couple of the guys who had been over to us last year. What a great bunch! They took us to Patricia’s home with the luggage, then out for lunch when Raspal joined us, in a German restaurant. Afternoon we were taken by Chinaya on a tour of the city, and to his new venture, which is a factory which will make plates and cups etc of Sago. Extremely bio-degradable, they break down in just two weeks into compost, and is a fairly new idea,  perhaps who's time has come. We were so tired by then, that we decided that we would like to go back to Patricia’s for a rest, which we did.

We had been invited to the Rotary meeting in the evening, and at 8pm we made our way there with Patricia. Things are done rather differently in Malaysia- everyone helps themselves to a buffet meal on arrival, just one course, and the business takes place early on in the meeting, while many are still eating.

After dinner I was invited up to the top table with the president, when I gave him some US dollars I had I had been given for speaking about Cambodia to be sent on there for water purification, a Carlisle South banner, and a copy of the latest Norwest.

I spoke for around 45 minutes, firstly on our trip to Mali, at their request as they wish to visit there with us at some time, and then on Shelterbox. There were a few questions about the latter afterwards, some had seen a box in the UK, but others were interested in the deployments, particularly in Asia of course. The fellowship of the evening was superb, we had a lot of fun with them and they made us so welcome.