BBQ and durian feast 2.8.08

This was our 3rd time treating our clients and friends to the durians and various other Malaysian fruits such as rambuatan and manggis at my mom's orchard, which is adjacent to her landscaping business, Azimah Nursery. This time, like the last time we did it at the end of 2006, we also treated them to a barbeque. I and wife with Nily, my senior associate, her husband, Hatta started the ball rolling at 11.20am. We grilled some tilipia fish, served 15 chicken served as ayam golek and nasi lemak, all sponsored by my mom. The event started at 12pm, with a few friends starting to show up around 12.45pm. Zamri and family from Worldwide Landfill, Helda and partner from Mida, my neighbour from Shah Alam, Afwan and family, and two barely known @enstek staffs were a few who started the party going. At 2pm, Suhaila with Yan and Sonia, turned up and there were a few managers from CIMB Bank already digging in to the feast. The first batch of clients were well on the orchard by the hillside facing the nursery and we suddenly found out that there were no more durian! My mom had forgotten to save more than what was needed because she treated my dad's siblings the night before. So, I and Nily with my mom's Indonesian helper went looking for more durians while telling the guest we forage it at another of my mom's orchard. At 4pm, our newest client, Puan Maria and Puan Sharifah turned up with another their broods. Nily's current most valuable client, Saiful turned up in a big Nissan van and my friend from university, Kinchan (Idris) turned up with his wife and family. At that stage, there were nearly 40 people at the reastaurant which my mom built but still hasn't let out beside the nursery. The food was great, the cold water was cooling and the fruits were enough. At 5pm, Puan Salmah, the ex-Bank Rakyat officer and her husband, Abg Bahi had the few remaining buah before Yamin and family, who was lost due to my map, arrived at 6pm to take the last durian fruits off our hand. That was when my mom let the cat out of the bag about the last durians were not ours but no one cared as everyone was satisfied with the feast. I lost nearly 1000 litres of fluid due to the humidity and my wife even take a respite for a while from the heat. Although I would love my partner, Suhaila, to spend more time there (she left early at 4.15pm), I do understand the heat that was bothering everyone. Still, rarely anybody in Malaysia say no to a free durian feast and as feast goes, ours was just as good as any. Looking back, I would do it again and again, as long as my mom permits me...