Spain and Serkam Part 1

When I started this blog, I knew that there'll be times that I would lapse. But I didn't know how bad until an old friend, Encik Zainal, my coursemate cum monitor from my Universiti Pertanian Malaysia days, pointed it out when he finally subscribed this morning. If you're wondering whether that is a rogue university, it's not..that was what Universiti Putra Malaysia in Serdang was called in my days..but I digress..

Anyway, I have no excuse for not clocking in here except for the fact that I was away a lot. As a tech journo, the events  and interviews you get to cover are often here in Kuala Lumpur. I think I've been to all hotels in this metropolitan city and in my retirement in later life, I could be a mean (in the good sense, of course) cab driver.

But in mid-June, a trip to Spain landed in my lap..my editor asked me whether I wanted to go to Melaka, and I ho-hummed asking whether it was an overnighter. Then he said Malaga, Spain and the assignment was a Security Summit by Kaspersky Lab.  Images of matadors and such came to mind but it was meeting Eugene Kaspersky, founder and CEO and interviewing him that intrigued me.

So, off  I went.

Attended the seminar..

Saw the bullfight..

Met Mr Kaspersky.. (By the way, he's seen here chatting with COO Eugene Buyakin.. err..what is it with the first name and top posts in the company? )

And, of course, interviewed him. You can read the interview here.

What struck me most about the trip was how close-knit the people I met were - Mr Eugene Kaspersky and his posse - open, easy-going and fun when having fun. But serious, passionate  and spot-on when discussing what they are serious about. It felt very real, which was actually refreshing.

So, when that trip ended, I came back and wrote the stories and was sent out of Kuala Lumpur in July to Melaka for real this time. It was a road trip with 6 other journalists in a Mayflower Bas Persiaran to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Seri Mahkota in Merlimau. The only area that I frequent in Melaka  like all tourist is Bandar Hilir.  The host was Intel and the event the company's Enter aje! campaign.

But that's a story for another post..