Shah Alam, one of the most unreachable places of the state is the destination for today's assignment. That's the same place where I got lost and spent almost 20 bucks on cab, KTM and buses.
I received the assignments around 11.30pm. At that time gua sudah playing chest with Mr Chou Gong. I mean playing chess. And this bad news just came disrupted my silent night. I began to send out chain messages to CC, Granny Ivy, Jun Ru Mei Zi and Suat Hooi to help me to check where on earth is that place.
Jun Ru Mei Zi's member dropped a bomb during my previous assignment there, telling me don't expect public transport in Shah Alam. My heart bled, echoed to Leona Lewis' Keep Bleeding Love (love for money).
I asked for direction from Suat Hooi because she has been there once to cover an event. And she would be there for the dialogue at 9 am too (but I attended the 11.00 pm session's press conference). She gave me very precise directions. For every sentence she said, I became more worried since there are so many turnings and ramps to look out for.
Finally, I have decided to put my bet on Chocolate. And she rang me up immediately telling me she was assigned for that assignment too! My heart just..resurrected from the sudden stroke.
The next day, I took a bus to the Kelana Jaya LRT station to wait for her. She decided not to take highways as she did not want to waste on tolls. We reached there an hour earlier because she wasn't sure with the direction too. The place was not as impression as it might sound on the paper. A lot of artificial trees. They called it a potential techno-city but what I saw was a lot of light bulbs hung on the poor shrubs and trees.
Since it was a state government event, we business reporters were not sure what to report on. We got our press release at the very last minute. I just briefly read through the Malay version they provided. Suat Hooi was already upstairs attending the dialogue, complaing how sien the dialogue was through sms, while we waited for that session to end.
The chief minister gave his speech and asked us is there any question for him. We all said no. But once he left, all the reporters flocked towards the CEO of the company which owns the techno-city. The process of investment was complicated. So we asked him to clarify again and again. Basically I just put my recorder by his mouth and went in a daze since I don't understand a single word he said. Then I asked just another question that popped out from my mind.
Elween: "How much revenue do you wish to generate from this programme?"
CEO of techno-city: "You see, it shows that you don't understand! This is an incubation programme for tech-preneurs. We are only getting the people in..."
And bla bla bla.
You think I am in wrong right? I tell you, no! He was just trying to make it sound like I have asked the wrong question, or as if I don't understand the whole concept. But he was just trying to avoid my question. For every investment made, there would be a certain target a company wishes to achieve, financially. It's impossible that they are helping newborn companies out of goodwill. Come on, there's no talk of charity in the world of business, okey, everybody understands that.
Anyway, for a thick-skinned person like me, to make mistakes is equivalent to enjoy spill a tiny bit of vanilla latte on my palms - wipe off, and memory deleted.
After the announcement and press conference, I went up to clarify details again along with Chocolate. I think she was lagi blur than I was. She kept pestering the poor BERNAMA reporter and the CEO. I guess I have learned that from her too.
Ms Irene wanted to ask me about the investment process but I asked her to hang on a while as I, too was not sure what was going on. At the end, I found out that she had left.
I felt very remorseful for ignoring her after all she was my first cinta in uni. I didn't expect her to be in such a rush. When I rang her up, she said she has gone for another event. I got back to the office, I wrote a summary to what the process was like and emailed it to her.
I completed the article in 400 words and sent in to the editor's mailbox. I informed him about it and asked if I could leave.
Editor: "Where are you going? This article would be a make or break for you."
Serious? I didn't expect this was going to be a big thing for me! I could have bullshitted 10000 words out of imagination. Joking only.
Since tomorrow is an off day, that is, no publication, this piece of BIG news would be embargoed on Monday's print. So, he said the lead (that is the main essence of the article, the first paragraph of the news) must be different from other news agency. I kepala otak totally blanked.
My editor asked me, what was my emotion when attending the event. I stuttered. What emotion? I can't tell him that all the while I was in a daze! He said I must have an emotion or thoughts related to the event. I was silenced by his words. Actually when he was talking, I was kinda in a daze too...
So he totally omitted the lead I wrote, and wrote a simple one instead.
So we went through the article, as usual, he basically cut off every sentence I wrote (ok he does that to every writer, not only me alone, ok!). A lot of cut and paste. I have to say being an editor is not easy. Cutting, pasting, rearranging, rewriting, reaffirming, restructuring the points could lead to madness and abundance in grey hair.
Towards the end, he scrolled the article trying to hint how much rubbish have I written and how much unnecessary information has he thrown away. Because in past experiences, he would slashed my 400-word article to become 200+. He wanted to mock me this time but he discovered that the whole article was actually 350 words long. He then spewed out few words unwillingly: "Not to bad..."
I stuck my tongue out and twisted both hands by my cheeks, closed eyes and raised brows, doing the 'ne ne ne pu pu' tune. In my imagination, of course. Kidding la, buddy. haha...
My editor is really a very cool guy. He does not really condemn me by shouting at my ear when I make mistakes but his sarcasm would result in the same effect. He must find me a nuisance all the time but I think he's enjoying my presence too! :p
But I am really scared of going to Shah Alarm again, as God would sometimes want to put me up for greater trials that I am reluctant to accept. Aiyo kidding la. Why, so, serious!
And NO, I was not in a daze. That was just to spice up this boring story a little. It is also something you all want to read right? Then I make up stories lo. I am not reporting news here also. No need credibility ba. haha.
结束。
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