The Montana bikes waiting patiently for their owners to come back during the next school holidaysAfter searching high and low along the road from Bukit Pinang to Telaga Mas, we finally managed to locate the Montana Bicycle Factory outlet that my son, Shiwar was searching for the past three months. It was quite a big warehouse complex in the middle of nowhere. Once we were inside, I was surprised at the array of bicycles of different types that were displayed all over the warehouse . The bicycles were all imported CKD bicycles from Europe and China. The imported bicycles from China would then be re distributed to Europe. The remaining bicycles would be ditributed to the retailed outlets throughout the country. I was very amazed at the level of lingkages that a back door warehouse has acquired.
In the warehouse, I met a gentleman who introduced himself as the Assistant Director of Kedah Domestic Trade and Cosumer Affairs. He then introduced to us his wife which he referred as 'pacal pondok patik'. Straight away I knew that he must has attended my lecture on 'palace protocol'. Sure enough, he confirmed that my guess was correct.
As a bicycle enthusiast, he frequented the warehouse during his free times. That evening, he was looking for suitable bicycles for his two grand children i.e a boy aged six and a girl aged five. Both of the kids were very busy trying all kinds of bicycles. Looking admirably at the kids' behaviour, my wife whispered to me that she would like to give a treat if ever our grand children would come back to Alor Setar during the next school hoildays. She has already put aside a special fund for the purpose from her proceeds of the kutu scheme that she has participated with her cousins and auntie, Mak Chik Sayang.
Luckily enough for us, our daughter Nana and her entire family did came back to Alor Setar on Saturday, 14th. March 2009. It was indeed an honourable gesture on the part of Nana in bringing her family back home to Alor Setar during the school holidays since I was not be abled to travel the long distance journey to Kuala Lumpur due to my irritating back pain.
Nana arrived at Alor Setar approximately at 3.00 p.m.. Just immediately after the Asar prayer, her mother insisted her to bring her family along to the Montana Bicycle Outlet at Bukit Pinang. Her mother wanted to suprise her grand children. Since my son in law, Jim is a vivid bicycle enthusiast himself, then he would be able to guide us on the brand and prices of the bicycles that we should buy.
We were lucky because when we arrived at the warehouse at 5.30.p.m. the warehouse workers were busy closing the warehouse. After our persistent haggling, the owner agreed to our request to reopen the warehouse for business. Since Jim was also a bicycle expert, in no time he was successful in forging a closed rapport with warehouse owner. Our three grand children, Aisyah aged 8, Alia aged 6 and Afiq aged 5 looked very surprised indeed when we asked them to try any bicycle that they like from the array of bicycles displayed.
Initially, Alia was quite shy to ride the bicycle. However after much coxing, she enjoyed cycling on her chosen bicycle all over the warehouse. Aisyah was also enjoying her rides too. Both of them were fast to adapt to the braking system of the German Imported bicycles. Afiq was very choosy since he could not adapt to the new bicycle braking system whereby you have to back pedal to put the bicycle to a stop. He would prefer any bicycle that has the traditional version of the braking system. The warehouse owner has to open three CKD boxes before Afiq would agree to the cheaper Chinese imported bike.
When Jim reaffirmed that the bicycles would cost double in Kuala Lumpur, my wife readily agreed to buy the three bicycles that my 3 grandchildren seemed to enjoy namely:
1. Aisyah - German Imported Piranha 20' wheel which cost RM 180.00.
2. Alia - German Imported Piranha 16' wheel which cost RM 150.00.
3. Afiq - China Imported Agogo 16' wheel which cost only RM 120.00.
My wife and I were very satisfied with the purchase when we looked at the bewildered and astonished faces of our grand children when we told them that they could bring back home their chosen bicycles. With the proceeds from her kutu scheme, it was in fact a small sum to pay the happiness of our grand children.
On the way back, Alia was very agitated with her uncle and auntie when we have to detour off our original route to Pumpong. We have to detour to Kuala Kedah to fetch my youngest son who was coming back from Langkawi. With the detour route, surely there would not be ample time for my grand children to ride their bicycle in Pumpong that very evening.
Alia got more agitated when my youngest son when we could not locate him at the Kuala Kedah Jetty. It seemed that my wife has wrongly comprehended the message she has received from our. However, judging by the smiling satisfying looks of my wife, I am certain that my grand children would get more treats from their grand mother in the future, Insya Allah.
In the warehouse, I met a gentleman who introduced himself as the Assistant Director of Kedah Domestic Trade and Cosumer Affairs. He then introduced to us his wife which he referred as 'pacal pondok patik'. Straight away I knew that he must has attended my lecture on 'palace protocol'. Sure enough, he confirmed that my guess was correct.
As a bicycle enthusiast, he frequented the warehouse during his free times. That evening, he was looking for suitable bicycles for his two grand children i.e a boy aged six and a girl aged five. Both of the kids were very busy trying all kinds of bicycles. Looking admirably at the kids' behaviour, my wife whispered to me that she would like to give a treat if ever our grand children would come back to Alor Setar during the next school hoildays. She has already put aside a special fund for the purpose from her proceeds of the kutu scheme that she has participated with her cousins and auntie, Mak Chik Sayang.
Luckily enough for us, our daughter Nana and her entire family did came back to Alor Setar on Saturday, 14th. March 2009. It was indeed an honourable gesture on the part of Nana in bringing her family back home to Alor Setar during the school holidays since I was not be abled to travel the long distance journey to Kuala Lumpur due to my irritating back pain.
Nana arrived at Alor Setar approximately at 3.00 p.m.. Just immediately after the Asar prayer, her mother insisted her to bring her family along to the Montana Bicycle Outlet at Bukit Pinang. Her mother wanted to suprise her grand children. Since my son in law, Jim is a vivid bicycle enthusiast himself, then he would be able to guide us on the brand and prices of the bicycles that we should buy.
We were lucky because when we arrived at the warehouse at 5.30.p.m. the warehouse workers were busy closing the warehouse. After our persistent haggling, the owner agreed to our request to reopen the warehouse for business. Since Jim was also a bicycle expert, in no time he was successful in forging a closed rapport with warehouse owner. Our three grand children, Aisyah aged 8, Alia aged 6 and Afiq aged 5 looked very surprised indeed when we asked them to try any bicycle that they like from the array of bicycles displayed.
Initially, Alia was quite shy to ride the bicycle. However after much coxing, she enjoyed cycling on her chosen bicycle all over the warehouse. Aisyah was also enjoying her rides too. Both of them were fast to adapt to the braking system of the German Imported bicycles. Afiq was very choosy since he could not adapt to the new bicycle braking system whereby you have to back pedal to put the bicycle to a stop. He would prefer any bicycle that has the traditional version of the braking system. The warehouse owner has to open three CKD boxes before Afiq would agree to the cheaper Chinese imported bike.
When Jim reaffirmed that the bicycles would cost double in Kuala Lumpur, my wife readily agreed to buy the three bicycles that my 3 grandchildren seemed to enjoy namely:
1. Aisyah - German Imported Piranha 20' wheel which cost RM 180.00.
2. Alia - German Imported Piranha 16' wheel which cost RM 150.00.
3. Afiq - China Imported Agogo 16' wheel which cost only RM 120.00.
My wife and I were very satisfied with the purchase when we looked at the bewildered and astonished faces of our grand children when we told them that they could bring back home their chosen bicycles. With the proceeds from her kutu scheme, it was in fact a small sum to pay the happiness of our grand children.
On the way back, Alia was very agitated with her uncle and auntie when we have to detour off our original route to Pumpong. We have to detour to Kuala Kedah to fetch my youngest son who was coming back from Langkawi. With the detour route, surely there would not be ample time for my grand children to ride their bicycle in Pumpong that very evening.
Alia got more agitated when my youngest son when we could not locate him at the Kuala Kedah Jetty. It seemed that my wife has wrongly comprehended the message she has received from our. However, judging by the smiling satisfying looks of my wife, I am certain that my grand children would get more treats from their grand mother in the future, Insya Allah.
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