Staff Retreat - Pulai Spring Resort

Another long due blog from May. I kept all these pictures nearly a year just to blog! Haha!

The idea of this retreat was to just escape work , especially during my high tide season where all stuff were basically shoved to me due to passing on of my HOD. It was conducted during a normal school days, a 2-days-1-night trip to Johor (Pulai Spring Resort, like woahh right?) on a Thursday and Friday. Apelagi, since it's fully paid by my company, I just go. Without realizing it was a retreat, rather than a vacation or time-off from work or what. Only when we were half way through the day, we search for the meaning of retreat *haiz*, and regretted it.

Retreat means: 

1. A place affording peace, quiet, privacy, or security. See Synonyms at shelter.
2. A period of seclusion, retirement, or solitude.
3. A period of group withdrawal for prayer, meditation, or study: a religious retreat.

Why did we regretted it? We were seated in a functional room (more to like a dungeon) for hours and hours on talking and doing reflections. I think, the whole day went on and on, the best part, we didnt even get to go to our rooms yet :( The talks mostly talk about the company and what they provide and then to our social skills and reflection of what type of person we are (I'm an owl, very cold person :p) and how we deal with things at work with people and situations. Like some motivational talks but more boring because we had an idea of escaping all this and relaxing. haha! My attention span is very bad, I'm like a ADHD student playing with phone (there's free wifi), going to the toilet, play with pens, do some doodling and the list goes on.

The function room. I was seating randomly and they become my group mates for 2 days

Makan time! Finally it's lunch time! We manage to get out and walked to the kampung-like structure to have our lunch. I cant remember what's the dining area called.

The have like open air country side seats which no one wants to seat there because it's freaking hot.

I tried my best to get as many dishes as I can.

Buffet spread

After lunch, we had more talks until like around 4.30pm, we were all then given the key card to go to our rooms just to change to sports attire to play ball games and asar. Imagine we were still full and we wanted to play that? Semput akak tau dah lah dah lama tak exercise (only now I'm more fit than before :p).

Heads up! I've never ever ever go to any holiday trips or camps and sleep with someone I don't know. This was the first and it creeps me out because I don't know how to react and how's the person like. I'm used to sleeping alone in my own room and don't like to share unless I go to trips with cousins and friends. But Alhamdulillah she wasn't nasty and marks her territories :p The only tiny winy part of annoyance was she a little kinda clingy to me when she got to know I'm her roommate and where ever I go, she wants to go.

After ball game, we washed up for special dinner, BBQ-ed for us. Still fresh and nice. I wished I didn't had a big lunch that I can't stuff myself all the BBQ food T_T. There was a live band of like strippers/prostitute and keep on calling us to watch/ listen to them. Cabut for maghrib and came back with a good laugh coz a manager and some colleagues were dared to sing some malay dangdut songs and it was very3 bad. I can't post the pictures and videos because to protect their identities (more to not to let the wives know what happen).

They continued with another talking session and we headed to our rooms like at 10.30 pm all sleepy and tired because of the ball game. We thought we wanted to sneak out to chill at nearest kedai kopi or what till late night but it seems everyone is very tired and the resort is very far from anywhere. I went to sleep like a baby (I was having very bad phlegm and runny nose). Can't wait for the second day! Water sports! 

Woke up for subuh and we were suppose to report at 9.00 am for breakfast. So I stayed up to watch sunrise. It was very beautiful MasyaAllah.

The crescent moon and star (or satellite)

Can see some birds flying

The rays!

Waking up to this was perfect. No need to think about work :p

It's 8 and I was still a lazy bump, catch a nap before showering.

The fun begins! Water sports was really fun and funny because it wasn't planned and the pool was really cold. It's kinda infinity pool but cannot make it one. hahha. Some of the girls don't want to get in because tak manis bercampur dgn lelaki mandi-manda. Just kills the mood aye.

After swimming, dipping (berendam.haha :p), playing water and water sports, we had our lunch at the chinese restaurant. FYI, this restaurant is the only one is not halal compared to all the others. We were served vegetarians like kailan and kangkong.

And we headed back to Singapore without stopping any shops for shopping. Sad! Change money for nothing! hahah!

It was fun, having to meet new people but after that retreat, we dont actually contact each other and talk to each other. funny right? 

I wished that it is held at the beach resort instead because it will be more fun there.

For those who did not go because they think it's waste of time, I find it that you waste you money because this is for you that the company provides you. How much you feel merepek or hate the place/food or people, at least you get to be away from school and do absolutely no work. hahah! Just my thoughts tho.

Toodles!