Strengthening Bonds Through Celebration Meals

On 17.03.2026, we hosted a Ramadan buffet dinner for our staff at the newest hotel in town, Sheraton. This took place just one and a half months after our pre-Chinese New Year celebration dinner (Read here). As far as I can recall, organising lunch or dinner gatherings during major festive occasions - such as Chinese New Year, Christmas, and Ramadan - has long been an annual practice (Read here).

In a culturally diverse setting like Sabah, celebrating different festivals together has proven to be both meaningful and impactful. Such occasions foster unity, boost morale, and help staff feel valued and appreciated. 

Staff who attended and group photo taken outside the hotel after the meal. My wife and I are not in photo because we left earlier.

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Two days later, on 19.03.2026, we attended another Ramadan buffet, this time at Le Méridien. This gathering was made possible through the generosity of a church friend, who invited some of her cell group members and other church friends to join in the celebration.

Surprisingly, the dish that drew the longest queue was the Gearbox Soup, a popular and hearty preparation made from large cow leg bones, particularly the knee or shank. The name “gearbox” comes from the resemblance of the bone to a car’s gear stick or mechanical component, giving the dish a distinctive identity.

The main attraction of this gearbox soup lies in its rich, deeply flavoured broth and thick, collagen-rich texture. The highlight, however, is the marrow itself, which diners like us enjoyed by using a straw to extract it directly from the bone, savouring its creamy and somewhat peculiar taste.