Zainal was my very fist contact and the first contact to eyeball.. what a nice thing in ham radio to be recalled. . T-rak Jaa and the Sayang
Hans, Ken, Rashid, setting up the antenna |
Hello DarlingIf you were a regular SEAnet member you might have heard this story. It was in 1992, when Darwin, Australia was the lovely host of the SEAnet Convention. It was the first time the convention was away from the SEA countries. But Garry and Janice Woods were so nice and they applied for it with full intention. It was my second time attending the convention and the first time was in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I still did not know much about it and I had never got on HF frequency at all. The convention was fantastic and very impressive. The aboriginal dance was so good, the trip was educational, and the night market was wonderful. More than anything, the hams there were very lovely and friendly. I still missed them until now. Before the convention was over, Dr. K.N Singh, 9M2KN from Malaysia told me that he and some other friends were going to Barabase Island. Hans, DL5UG was going operate VK8QQ the IOTA station. As I was the editor of Thai magazine, I should join to learn and to get some more information. I discussed with my sister, we counted the money, and decided to go along. Air-BusThere were Ken and Natasha, his active and lovely daughter, Rashid 9M2RS, the famous former president of MARTS the ham association of Malaysia. [Please remember his name for he will be the main actor in the Italy story.] Hans, Jeet E21KXX my sister and me. All together 6 persons. Alan brought us to the airport to get into 2 of 4 seated airplane. I had never seen such a small airplane. You may imagine how big and round my eyes were when I saw they PUSH the plane to the middle of the runway. It was amusing to me. Ken, Jeet and Tasha were on one airplane, Hans Rashid and me were on the other. After awhile, the planes were landing on an Island. We all got off the plane.. but it was the wrong island. Ken went with the pilots to find the place and we were waiting at the local airport. There were 2 black skin ladies, Burtha and Samantha, stood beside us. Jeet and I started to talk with them to learn some aboriginal language.
Then, an air-bus arrived. All the aborigines put their basket on their head, went in line to get on their air-bus to the market on the other island. It was VERY, VERY, VERY impressive picture. The original islanders who still turned the basket on their head had the airplane as their bus to the market. So lovely the scene. :-D After we take off and landing on another wrong island, we finally reached the one that was called Barabase. There were 5 population on the island including a German chef. Big BarramundiWe had a good time, I helped Ken set up the antenna.. That was a boasting hi hi, because I only looked at how he did it. Ken taught me how to tired the rope, He said “You must tie it very tight and must remember that tomorrow you will have to release it.” This probably my first HF lesson. In the day time we went for fishing. I got a very big Barramundi fish. After we measured it we decided to let it go. It was for fun, but after I got the fish, I did not think that the fish had any fun. I never touch any fishing since then. Actually I had decided not to do any fishing long time back. I used to get a small fish and I tried to let it go. But it was small and had swallowed the hook too deep. It died in my hand. I held the fishing rod for fun, did not intended to get the fish but I happened to hook on one who had no fun.. :-D
It MeltedJeet and Tasha got a few blue salmons for our dinner, so did Rashid. Ken told them that our Barramundi was too beautiful so we let it go.. Tasha and Jeet looked at each other and Tasha screamed and laughed to his father.. “Do you mean our fish are ungly? Don't eat it ” We all laughed with her comment. Siegfried the chef took the fish to cook. In my mind what that was in my mouth was the fried fish, crispy outside and so soft inside. . Ken admired Siegfried by saying “How did you make the fish melt in my mouth?” Siegfried folded his arms across the chest, lean his left side to the door way and said proudly “Not my faul. It was the fish!!”
My First ContactI watched Hans calling CQ for awhile, the Rashid and then Ken. Ken handed the mic to me. I refused telling him that I had never do this.. Ken was surprised and tought me to be on the air, by calling CQ. The first one who answered my CQ was 9M2ZA, Zainal. We had some conversation. He told me to stop at Kuala Lumpur and he would take me to seafood dinner. I looked at Jeet, she nodded. We had to stop over for one night in KL anyway. I told him that we had changed the flight and would see him at KL airport. He was surprised about how fast we could change the flight.. hi hi and he happily asked how he could notice me. People around me gave many suggestions, like wearing SEAnet batch, telling color of my cloth etc. With naughtiness in my mind I told Zainal to look for the most beautiful Thai ladies in the flight. He laughed and said he would shout hello darling, who ever said yes would be me. When I signed off with him, there were quite a lot of other hams contacted asking Zainal to tell them the result of the meeting.. I did not know that there were so many listeners. Hello DarlingWe got off the plane and was sorry that we should hot have played with him. How did we know who would be Zainal, or he might not even come? Then 2 men come to us and asked. “Are you Thai and..” and we laughed.. Zainal laughed also and said ‘Hello Darling” He was very clever. He came with 9M2AM and we did have a nice seafood. I knew later that he had to drive almost 80 km. to see me.
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