Thursday, November 29, 2007

A KVK dinner...

So what is this KVK. First let me explain what is this all about. KVK is a name of our club in the Malaysian national Language. It is an abbreviation of the Kelab Volvo Klasik or the Volvo Classic Club, whose members are those crazy folks who own old cars of the Amazon series, the Volvo 122, 121, that was produce in the sixties and sold millions of units all over the world. We are the owners of these classic and are very proud of it. There are now some hundred and fifty members as registered in the club manual but the active one are but a few. Anyway the club did well to gather those folks and from time to time held get together as a mean of meeting and exchanges notes. Like going on a trip to nowhere or to somewhere like the National Parks. At time we would have a breakfast do to just enjoy each other company. Most of the time our spouse would follow along making it a sort of a family get together. For those of us who has retired these events gave us chances to rejuvenated and enjoy a better quality of life. So in a way the activities of this club is actually a mean to an end and it served it purposes well. It keep us folks active, thus bring enjoyment that we would otherwise could not do it alone.

On the evening of November twenty seven, we all attend a dinner at the Lake Club, a club which is a reminiscence of the British colonial era. This dinner was organised as a sort of a farewell get together to the club president Mr. Simon Suresh who would be going on a new adventure in the white man land, to take up a new position and perhaps getting richer as well. A lawyer by profession he is the founder of the club and since he was rather young at the time the club was registered, other veteran took over the presidency until recently when the club decided that it is time that this now not so young lawyer take over leadership of the club. And as years passes by he decided to look for a new and greener pasture and eventually found one in the UK, the former colonial master of our motherland Malaysia. So soon he would depart for his new world and before he left we the club members decided to give him and his charming spouse a farewell party, thus this Dinner at the Lake Club. As usual with such event, it became a sort of a family reunion, part a happy occasion and partly a sad one. Parting is always like that. Anyway in life that is the nature of things. So for the enjoyment of everyone that evening we had dinner of Chinese food. As usual with such dinner some would not go without the wine and hard liquor. One such person that I believed enjoyed most is our friend the veteran owner of a classics is a Mr.Michael who were enjoying his drink to the fullest. I told him that if he drink too much he cannot drive. His reply was that he would just walk home. So that would solved his problem with the law and I believe by walking he must have arrived at his home in PJ early the next morning.

As usual over dinner we chat and yarns with jokes thrown in between making everyone laugh, especially so to those who had one too many. We chat on various subjects like the recent happening such as the Bersih, the Hindraf, the Proton and about the recent election in Australia where the ruling party lost and the opposition would be the next Australian government. Changes are always good and we always hopes for the best when things changes especially the government. I am not sure that would happen in Malaysia but in a democracy anything could be possible. Well let see when the next election come, maybe early next year and see what changes it would brought about. In the meantime we all could dream and dream of a better Malaysia tomorrow. Not that Malaysia is not better already but that has been the nature of our species, we always yearned for some changes, hoping for a better better. So while enjoying the sumptuous foods we yarns along and like any great time it has to end.

Before we parted one of the spouse on behalf of the club presented a mementos to Mr.Simon and he was asked to unwrap the present. To add some excitements to the evening and before the gift was given to the outgoing President of the club, Mr. David a veteran member and also the VP of the club gave a short colorful speech, which in a way trying to throw light as to what is in the package and at the same time trying to confused Mr.Simon as to the real content of the gift package. And because of this I believe it in some ways worried Mr.Simon in unwrapping the package in front of his spouse. What if it might contain some items that might embarrassed the ladies. Remember members often do such thing just for the fun of it all. So it actually took him some doing unwrapping it before it came to the real gift, which turn out to be a watch. I not sure why a watch was chosen as a gift, perhaps as a token to remind him of his friends in beautiful Malaysia if he ever got lost after a drink in a pub somewhere in the UK. Anyway it does not matter to me since a gift is a way of showing our appreciation of his tenure as the President of the club. Like a big Thank You with something solid like a ticking clock. And at the same time would made him to remember of the joke that I told of the man and his watch back in rural Africa in a era gone by. I believe he would laugh if he reflect on the hilarious moment at the party that night. Laugh on hearing the last part of the joke. I believe the next time he is in an English pub, this joke would makes others laugh as well. And of course it would remind him of the great time we all have had as members of the Kelab Volvo Kelasik Malaysia that evening.

Friends. the party went well indeed and we all really enjoyed the evening. To Michael, the angle I believe by now is quiet sober and would be able take his classic car for a spin around the town without flouting the law. That my friends was a great evening with the KVK members. Have a nice day.. [Please click on image to enlarge]

16 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Pak Idrus,

Please hop over my blog. There's a surprise for you there..ha ha.

sheela said...

My Hub & son attended the farewell & said that they had a good time & the food was good!

Pak Idrus said...

ruby, thanks for the visit, indeed a surprise!!!. I visited your blog just a few hours before that and now that latest posting in your blog really made my day. Thanks and Have a great day.

Pak Idrus said...

sheela, thanks for the visit. Yes the party was great and the food special.

Your other half came over and said that you often visit my blog and I was wondering why was you not around last night.

Do come over to the house for a visit. Just call and we would be glad to have coffee with you and the family. Have a nice day and take care.

Pak Zawi said...

Pak Idrus,
I told you I rebuilt a 66 Volvo 122 from scratch and sold it to a friend for a song. If you see the Signal red classic bearing the registration number of MB 7363 crawling around PJ, that was my beloved blood sweat and tears. I still have the option to buy it back but I can't seem to be making enough money to make an offer.
I will definitely join your club the minute I have the car registered back under my name.

Pak Idrus said...

zawi, thanks for the visit and sharing your sadness of the parting of your love one the Volvo 122. How could you have done that. It is a priceless item and the price always appreciate.

Hope that you could buy it back and join our crazy club. On the 16th of this month we would convoy to Kuala Kubu Bahru for a breakfast, crazy but an adventure.

A Chinaman from KB came all the way for the AGM last year, that shows how crazy folks who own this classic are. So get one quickly and join us. Take care.

Unknown said...

Hi Pak Idrus,

I am so glad you liked my entry. I could not let Pak Idrus' 888th entry go without some acknowledgment. Lagi2 you honoured me with the special mention which I will cherish as I doubt many would write 888 blog entries like you do!

Oh you belong to the KVK club eh. My late dad owned a Volvo 122. Alas it is not with me now, for otherwise I can join the club too kan? Sigh! I remember as a little girl enjoying rides in the Volvo 122. The rides were really smooth and wonderful. It was quite a good workhorse, giving very little trouble. It is now with my other sibling. Tens of years and yet still working. Amazing these Volvos.

Pak Zawi said...

Pak Idrus,
Called my friend who is keeping MB 7363. The car is being redone and refurbished again in Puchong. It has been in the workshop for the past 2 months and may take more time. I will be checking on it with him while I am here but I guess it will be beyond me to own it again since he is doing a very thorough job of it. I told him about you and your KVK and he is interested.
Since he is taking good care of it, I will let the grand lady be with him with all the loving care he is cherishing on her.
I will just concentrate on making the 4 star restroom in my house based on your recconmendation.
Thanks for the coffee yesterday.

Pak Idrus said...

ruby, thanks for the return visit. Yes indeed I am honored for that posting in your blog. It sure give my blog more exposure, as well it would help to cultivate the blogging culture among Malaysian. The more Malaysian of all age group blog the more matured and modern would the society be. It is reading that made us wiser and that's what blogging would do. Of course when you write you also think and with that it would develop thinkers among the society which are so lacking now.

As I had often said, Malaysian must Think rather then just believing. For us to survived in the new millennium we have to be great thinker. It is the thinking power that made the differences between the success of a nation with another. Look at Japan, Korea and now China, They progress fast because the have great thinker and not just believer.

Ruby blogging gave us the opportunity to use our mind to produce posting that are of use to all. So in whatever way I shall continue to encourage others to blog. Imagine that are one million of blogger contributing every aspect of knowledge to Malaysian everyday. The Malaysia mindset would change for the better. We are the pioneers and with that one small step we take now we are actually starting a sort of a revolution in improving the quality of mindset of future Malaysian.

As for the Volvo 122, indeed it is an amazing piece of engineering. Even the design is so up to date to today's standard. I simply love this car and been a member of KVK it became another mean for me to networking with others of the same interest. The good people that own these Volvo's are from all walk of life, as such it is indeed an interesting grouping of people. The gathering of such people who are full of zest makes my life and the life of my love one more colorful. The green Volvo in the blog is mine and it is forty one years old and it still works perfect. It is a beauty to be enjoyed. That's what my spouse and me are doing. Enjoy and having a great time in our golden years. Take care.

Unknown said...

Pak Idrus,

Your posting remionds me of my dad's car...well, it used to be. It is a volvo, which I cannot remember the model, and it is green. My dad sold it to my cousin, and brought a Proton Saga. The Volvo ended up rammed by someone somewhere I cannot remember. I was 9 or 10 at that time.
The car is very nostalgic to all of us the family members of Mohammad's.It was a good car. My dad told me he came home all the way from Negeri Sembilan to Rantau Panjang; no problem at all.
Well, thank you for sharing and at teh same time reminds me of my childhood memories(",).

Good day.

D said...

Yes, I am hopping from Ruby's. Must read the work this wise man has written - though I don't know whether I'll make it reading all 888 entries... My dad's 75 this year but he's techno-phobic! HaHa!! Kudos to you, Pak Idrus.

Pak Idrus said...

zawi, thanks for the visit and the history of your Volvo. Well zawi every things on our planet has its owner. I always believe that whether it is a car, a furniture or a house it would look for an owner or partner to share, so like 'your Volvo' perhaps it has found an owner. You were just a part of the whole process.

Sure you are nostalgic but then that is how our world works. In due course you would surely find your Volvo and fell in love with it all over again. Life is like that. If it is yours then it is going to be yours come what may. In the meantime go on with the projects that would made your life beautiful and enjoy doing it.

I hope your friend join the KVK, just leave him my number and I would take over from there when he made contact. In the meantime have a great day.

Pak Idrus said...

akmal, thanks for the visit and telling of the nostalgic story of the Volvo in your family. In those days not everyone could afford a Volvo 122. I was among the majority who could only look and admire at this beaut. Indeed a piece of great engineering beyond its time. As you can see it is still as attractive as ever and people love it.

I believe it would still be there when you are old enough to play around with a classic like the Volvo 122 and perhaps become a new member of the KVK in the future.

I am indeed glad that this posting trigger your thoughts of the sweet time you have had with your dad. That's what make blogging so wonderful.

Have a nice day and take care.

Pak Idrus said...

d, thanks for your visit. Well, how I wished that more people of my age group blog. My generation have plenty to tell the present generation so that you all would understand what nation building is all about. As well as makes living as joyful as ever. Every minutes should be lived with quality activities and enjoyed.

I blog because it give me the satisfactions of sharing my thoughts with the world. I got so much from the society and enjoying everything it gave, so it is only right that I give back as much as I could and blogging is one way of doing just that.

Have a nice day and take care.

Adib Noh said...

Pak Idrus,
The volvo remind sme of my late cousin,TS Zulkifli Mahmood.He came to visit me in 1965 when I was in SDAR,Tg Malim. I love the car and dreamt of having one.When I left JKR and joined the rat race in the corporate world, you guess what car I bought? it was a Volvo 240!
Fat forward to last weekend...now I am a new member of Myvi.com.my because a week ago I bought a Myvi SE :-)Now, I am working a way how to connect my iPod to the car audio system. The old engineer in me is trying to 'hack' his brand new toy;-)

Pak Idrus said...

adib, thanks for the visit and the story of the Volvo. Like you I was using Volvo 144,240 and the later model as well until I retired. I love car, it is a passion of mine so I am always with one new car every three of four years or so. And driving the new car has always been a pleasure.

I got myself the Volvo 122 some years ago since I just could not afford it in the sixties. Now with that car, the only Volvo that became classic, I join the KVK to enjoy life with the other owners of Volvo 122 and 121.

What about getting one Volvo 122 and join our club. Have a nice day.