Hello! friends in Denver & fellow AACE members!, It's me standing in front of what's to be the new Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA), located in an area in the middle of the jungle called Sepang. It's located about 50 miles south of Kualu Lumpur. - Steve Warhoe [email protected] (click to e-mail)
"Just where is Kuala Lumpur, Steve? And when will you return?" "Refer to the map to your right. I'll be back in Denver about December of 1997".

Lets see another picture of the Airport Control Tower. "OK"

Is there more you'd like to tell us, Steve?

"Yes, just a little bit . . .It's been a month since I left Colorado and the time has zoomed by. I have been keeping in contact with many people from the Section, and it sounds like the November meeting was an enormous success. Congratulations should go to Bill Seyfer and the rest of the Board. I hope all of the bugs have been worked out of our new location.

Living in a country like Malaysia is quite an experience for someone that hasn't done much traveling outside North. America. This is a tropical climate which can easily be compared to south Florida. We're roughly 3 to 4 degrees latitude above the equator, therefore, our daylight is always 12 hours long +/- a few minutes. You would be amazed by the bugs, plants and animals that live here; it's almost like living the National Geographic articles I remember reading many years ago. The countryside is lush and green, however, it is not advisable to wonder off in the jungle without a guide and some anti-snake venom. I've already heard some gruesome tales since I've been here.

The Malays (citizens of Malaysia) are all so friendly and mellow. Crime and other unruly behavior is virtually non-existent because the country is governed by Islamic law which means things get cut off depending on the crime; ouch! The Malays are made up of Malaysian natives, or aborigines, Chinese and Indians. Because of this diverse culture, the food is exceptional. The people that know me best know that I have never been an avid Chinese food lover, that was until I moved here.

As I noted previously, the Malays are pretty laid back people. There is one exception to my statement, and that is when they get behind the steering wheel of a car. They are absolutely nuts in a car! As I told my wife when she first arrived, as a driver, you have to be super defensive while at the same time you have to be super aggressive. The law of the jungle applies to driving here. As an example, there may be three lanes painted on the freeway, but during rush hour there are at least five or six lanes of traffic; that's a normal driving day here. When they say to share the road, it's taken here as sharing the lane, shoulder, or whatever part of the road is available.

I love it here, but as the saying goes ... there's no place like home. We still plan on being back in time for Christmas 1997. If you have anything you want to talk about, or have specific questions about Malaysia, feel free to contact me by E-mail at [email protected]. I am pretty good at checking my mail every day and I am always looking forward to communicating with my friends throughout the Rocky Mountain Section."

This is Steve's latest update (February '97):

I thought that I would send another message to my favorite AACE International Section. It's been three months since I have last written and I thought you might be interested in some of the recent on-goings here at the airport and in Kuala Lumpur.

I continue to hear only positive feedback about this year's meetings, including being one of the best attended meetings in a while. Bill Seyfer and the Board should be commended for the great job they are doing. I understand that Bill has finally broken down and gotten himself an e-mail address; congratulations Bill, and welcome to the '90's.

Things are going well in this land of sun, humidity, and a ton o' bugs. Since I last wrote, we've found a place to live, visited Singapore, found the places to shop for western food, and have almost figured out how to navigate through town. I still haven't found a store that carries clothes big enough for me. There is a Toy R Us located in a mall a few miles away, so Christmas was not as hard as I expected.

Working at the airport is one of the best experiences I could have ever dreamed of. Where else could you hope to interact with people from over 50 countries throughout the world, all with varying degrees of education, construction experience, and construction management understanding. I hope the new airport, which is supposed to open on 01 January, 1998, will be one of those projects that comes together at the very end; otherwise...?

On this site, there are some real textbook cases of projects that are being constructed quickly, with high quality, and cost management, demonstrating that the management team understands the value of project management and project controls. Maybe it's because of my claims background, but the jobs that interest me most are the ones on the other end of the spectrum, and, unfortunately, there are more than enough of those at the airport. Working as a construction management consultant, my job becomes challenging by helping many contractors and their consultants turn their jobs around and mitigate damages created by past problems, as well as any potential for claims.

Another advantage of being over here are the travel opportunities. I just finalized my mid-April vacation plans to visit Sydney, Australia, as well as New Zealand's south island. Other future plans include a visit to Bali, Bangkok, and possibly Katmandu, Nepal. I'll keep you posted on how all of these trips turn out.

Until next time, Steve Warhoe

Return to Home Page .......Top of Page" or ...December's ..What you missed!Wh e

i