A community blog by James Yong for reconnecting the Form 5 (1976) classes of St Joseph's School, Kuching & their friends. Covering topics such as schoolday memories, sports, hobbies, food, history, travel, reunions, families, old flames & gossip. All are welcome to email James at jslyong@hotmail.com with feedback & suggestions.
I'm really not sure how many of you actually celebrate or even care about Halloween. Certainly when we were younger and growing up in Sarawak, Halloween was never a big a deal for us. But with globalisation, I guess some new festivals do gain more popularity - if not with you, then perhaps with your kids.
Halloween falls on October 31st each year. It originated in the Celtic festival of Samhain and is also on the eve of All Saints Day, celebrated by Christians. The ancient Celts believed that the border between ThisWorld and the OtherWorld became porous on Samhain, allowing spirits (both good and bad) to pass through. The family's ancestors were honoured and invited home whilst harmful spirits were warded off, by wearing of costumes and masks. Their purpose was to disguise oneself as a harmful spirit and thus avoid harm. Hmmm, I wonder what the costume worn by the lass on the right will do ....
Anyway these days, Halloween is largely a secular celebration, although some people still express concerns about its traditional religious overtones. As for me, I reckon Halloween is just another excuse to have a party. So heck, why not?
The colours black and orange have become associated with the celebrations, maybe because of the darkness of night and the colour of fire. We also see a lot of carved pumpkins, called Jack-o'-Lanterns. Traditional Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, wearing costumes and attending costume parties, ghost tours, bonfires, visiting haunted attractions, pranks, telling scary stories, and watching horror films. Certainly Hollywood has made a lot of money with Halloween-related films.
I'm on a business trip in Vietnam this week, facilitating workshops and meeting clients in Danang and Ho Chi Minh City. That's why there's been a little gap since the last posting, lah!
This afternoon after work, I happened to be walking near a park close to my hotel when I came across this scene, which you don't see so often in Singapore and Malaysia these days, two men sitting on the ground, out in the open, enjoying a board game of Chinese Chess.
It triggered me into thinking, a little nostalgically, about the board games we used to play back in the 60s and 70s. Those were the days before electronic games like Nintendo, Wii and Playstations had been invented. I'm sure you remember games like Snakes & Ladders, Ludo, Checkers and the like. As game design goes, they were pretty simple, but we derived hours of pleasure from them all the same.
In later years, a slew of fancier board games were launched, like Monopoly, Careers, Risk, Cluedo, Trivial Pursuit and so on. Some pretty creative ones, but (maybe I'm biased) I reckon they lacked the rustic nature of the earlier board games.
These days it's getting quite rare to see the younger kids play board games. Most of them are keener on the digital stuff. Which I feel is a pity, because the tactile feel of moving pieces around a board with your hands is something that an electronic game machine just can't replace. Not to mention facing another human opponent, rather than pixels on a screen. Well, that's my view anyway.
Anyway, do share your memories and views on games (board or otherwise) that you enjoyed as a kid ...
Today I thought I'd touch on a parenting subject that I reckon a number of you - especially those parents with offspring who are tweens or teens - might have had to deal with. For those of you whose children are younger than that, better listen up too as you’re gonna face it soon enough too. I’m referring, of course, to TATTOOS and PIERCINGS. And the young people sure can be fascinated by them.
Over the years, my wife and I had interesting conversations with our teenage daughter Jemima, who cycled through alternating phases of desiring to imprint parts of her anatomy with tattoos of various designs and contemplating sticking metal objects through the same. She never actually went through with any of it (aside from earrings), but she argued her case eloquently and pointed to the fashion of the day, showing us photos of friends as well as media celebrities (see Angelina Jolie on left, Beckham & unknown starlets below) who had tattoos and piercings of all conceivable shape and size.
Having grown up in a relatively tattoo-less and piercing-less (except for pierced ears for the girls) environment, I guess our generation is still kinda conservative in this area. So during Jem's early teenage years, we attempted to exert our parental control (through the usual means - reason, threat, reverse psychology or bribery :-) against these bodily offenses. It seems to have worked while Jem was still studying and living at home in Singapore. Now that she’s nineteen and away at university, who knows what she's up to ...
Sometimes I wonder about our (or at least my) basis for having developed this somewhat disapproving view on tattoos and body piercings. I guess during our time (and to some extent even now), tattoos were frequently associated with triads , gangsters and criminals. As for piercings, apart from ear piercings (and even for that, only one per ear!), I see no necessity to mutilate the body in this fashion.
Well guys, what are your views ? What similar discussions might you have had with your kids on this subject ? Do your offspring have tattoos or piercings ? Or could I have misjudged you guys ... maybe you don't disapprove of them. Maybe you even have tattoos and piercings yourself ? If that's the case, make sure you show them off at the Grand Reunion. LOL
I've been gently reminded that I haven't provided much coverage of our sisters from Across the Bridge in recent months. Let me assure you this isn't deliberate - only that in the past few months there've been several other topics and activities that have distracted my focus in this blog.
So to redeem myself, here's a Mini Album of photographs of our STS sisters from the 1970s. I'm afraid you guys will have to do the identification of the roses for yourselves. Nor can I provide any clues on when, where and why.
On Tuesday afternoon, after a discussion with Merdeka Palace Hotel's sales executive (hope you got us the best deal for Dec 23, guys :-), Ben, Robert, Mark, and Mr S were treated by Datuk JJ to Cuban cigars and drinks.
I believe this relaxing place is at the La Habana divan, which apparently specializes in a wide selection of Cuban cigars and also has one of the largest selection of Single Malt Whiskies in Malaysia. Of course, our friends were all very "kuai" and seem to be drinking coffee or tea only.
Jude joined them a little later, as the next photo shows ...
Now, am I the only one who can't recognise Mr S ? I'm sorry, he looks vaguely familiar, but .....
Here's a close up shot - trigger any memories for any of you reading this ?
Well, let me introduce you to none other than our old friend Subramaniam from Form 5 Arts 2 (1976) ! Now a high profile officer with the Polis DiRaja Malaysia (PDRM), he's based at Bukit Aman in KL.
Ahem Mr S .... errr ... I've this little problem with speeding tickets ... JUST KIDDING lah !
Also Subramaniam will be there at our Grand Reunion on 23 Dec. Really looking forward to meeting you there, Mr S !
I haven't met Ngee Hong (aka Richard Lim) for more than ten years, even though we both live in Singapore. In fact way back in the late 80s and early 90s, we were colleagues in Hewlett-Packard Singapore, albeit in different divisions. NH is a professional engineer working on various product lines while I was then with the IT and Finance departments. But after I left in 1991, we kinda lost touch with each other.
Anyway NH had stayed on and is now a true HP veteran, after spending more than two decades with the computer & electronics giant.
So it was very nice to finally meet up over pizzas and wine at Holland Village, Singapore. We caught up on old times, news on family and friends, corporate life and the technology industry that we're both familiar with.
And good news, NH will be also be joining us at the Grand Reunion on 23 Dec !!!
A couple of weeks ago, BC sent me this old photo from 1975 (I think).
Anyway it was the year David Ling was Editor of Ad Astra, and BC, JK and I (then in Form 4) were all on the editorial committee.
I was also able to get my hands on a few copies of past Ad Astra magazines from our time, thanks to Leo and some friendly staff of the St Joe office. Looking through them certainly brings back sweet memories.
It was also amazing what we could do before the age of personal computers, desktop publishing software and digital cameras. When we said "cut and paste", we REALLY meant cut (with scissors) and paste (with glue) :-)
Anyway, here are some covers from the 70s ...
Sorry, some of them are in black & white ... only got photocopied versions. But will replace them as and when I have the coloured versions.
I also remember the "Fourth Former's Magazine" that I was editor of, back in 1975 when we were in the supposed honeymoon year of Form 4. That was a fun experience. Another publication I worked on was the Interact Club magazine ... can't remember if it was 1975 or 76. Hey, what can I say ... I like writing, lah.
Anybody still have one of those somewhere in your storeroom ? I'd sure love to have a copy.
We live in a world of gadgets. Most of them are electronic in nature. Just look around you, or on you. Most gadgets are small and are commonly strapped on your belt, inside your pocket or in your handbag (if you're a lady). Some are slightly bigger and come with their own pouch or bag.
For instance, I can bet your mobile phone is closeby. Maybe you even carry two mobile phones. Perhaps there's a digital camera (if it isn't built into your mobile phone) around. As I write this, I can see a friend taking out one of those tiny PocketPCs. And what about those indispensible PDAs ? I even know some people who travel to foreign lands frequently who'd feel lost without their electronic language translator.
I'll be the first to admit that gadgets play a pretty significant part of my life. I like gadgets - some that buzz, some that beep, some that vibrate and some that go about their duties quietly but efficiently.
What about you ? What gadget has impacted your life most (for better or worse) ? What gadget, if accidentally left at home, makes you feel uncomfortable, that something's amiss ? Any interesting stories to share ?
Yesterday as I was tidying up my study *, I chanced across a small book called "the wish list" by Barbara Ann Kipfer. It must have been one of those I picked up at a book sale years ago, read a few pages and put it aside for another day.
Well, that just happened to be today. As I flipped the opening pages, I came to the Introduction which began:
How many times have you started a sentence with the words "In my lifetime, I want to ..." ?
You see, this is a book that contains close to 6,000 wishes, and which is meant to serve as a wellspring of ideas for things to do, have, see, taste, experience, achieve, give, be, learn, do for others, or try in this lifetime. Not all these wishes are necessarily world-changing, but some of them, humble though they may seem, may turn out to be something special to some of us individually.
I felt that for most of us who are 50 Years Young, this is a good time to reflect, recharge and revisit our lifetime wishes.
Don't worry, I'm not going to bury you by dropping all six thousand wishes on you at one sitting. I'll just share with you a sample - maybe 15 to 20 - each time. If you want to read them all, go buy the book and give Ms Kipfer some royalties.
Here goes.
In my lifetime, I want to ...
* try everything once
* have my "letter to the editor" published
* design, build and decorate my dream house
* milk a cow
* get an invention patented
* become a wine expert
* own a sensational sound system with speakers in every room
* ride a fire engine
* win the jackpot on a one-arm bandit at Las Vegas / Genting
* bunjee jump
* learn to tap dance
* study philosophy
* learn to repair my own car
* ride a helicopter to work
* help preserve a landmark
* drive a Maserati
* go around the world in 80 days
* take a course in sculpture
* learn to speak French (or other foreign language)
* swim with dolphins
Remember, these are just random samples from the book. I don't expect all of them to appeal to you. The idea is that this list (and a few more which I'll put up in the coming months) may trigger you to reconnect with YOUR lifetime wishes. And maybe you might consider doing something about it?
Do share what thoughts, reflections, wishes this posting brings up for you ...
* this is included to remind the wife (if she's reading this) that I do tidy up my study once in a while. LOL
I normally don't put two postings of the same theme so close to each other, but all this talk of food and eating over the past week has put me in the mood for another "Gourmet Tips". So I hope you're ready too ...
Today we focus on Pepper Crab, and I'm willing to wager that the one at this place will be the best such dish you've ever tasted in your half century. Alas first you have to come over to Singapore for it !
The place is called Eng Seng Seafood, and it's at 247-249 Joo Chiat Place (off Still Road), Singapore 427935.
Last month when JK and family were in town - on their way back to the UK - we brought them here. CLF and family also came, and we all stuffed ourselves silly.
L to R : Pepper Crab, Bread, Chilli Crab, Mee Goreng (partially hidden)
Most of the food here is good, but the outstanding dish is without doubt the Pepper Crab.
Focus and attention is required
The food at Eng Seng is so popular that it is recommended that patrons come before 5:30pm if they don't wish to wait in a queue for tables. On weekends, make that 4:30pm. I kid you not. .
We're not the only ones turning FIFTY. Here's another classic some of us may be familiar with ...
Any of you guys ever owned a Mini Minor? Well, do you know it was first launched in 1959 too? I always thought the car looked cool, and not just because I loved the movie "The Italian Job" and not because Mr Bean drove one.
And some of you at least might have discovered the power of this little vehicle in attracting interest from the opposite sex back in those days, as is reaffirmed by the article below.
Our friend RC recently brought this article to my attention.
LONGBRIDGE, England: The Mini might be 50 years old, but the love for the little British car showed no signs of waning as thousands of "Minimaniacs" gathered earlier this month to celebrate the anniversary.
"They come from everywhere: Australia, Japan, Germany, France ... We have 450 Miniclubs from all over the world," marvelled Glenys Price, one of the organisers of the meeting in Longbridge, central England, where it all began.
About 5,000 "Minimaniacs", driving Minis of every colour and model, set up camp opposite the old factory that produced the first Minis in an industrial suburb of Birmingham, swapping advice, stories and spare parts.
"Oh yes, the passion's stll alive. It was a young people's car but the fathers passed on to their son and now the grandchildren have one," Price said, ahead of the Aug 27 anniversary of the Mini going on the market in 1959.
Mathieu Faucon, 25, arrived with his father Michel at the event, and admits that it was "love at first sight" for him and the little cars.
Despite their tendency to break down - causing critics to describe them as less a car, more a tin can on wheels - he says he "caught the bug" from his father and now owns three of the little cars.
"It's true, you have to enjoy being a mechanic," Faucon said, admitting he spent hours under the bonnet.
His father Michel Faucon,60, bought his first Mini in his 20's and recalls fondly how "having a Mini was the coolest thing" - especially when it came to attracting women.
Despite also admitting its flaws, he says: "It weaves its way everywhere, you feel like you're going fast. Normal cars are so mundane."
"You are so close to the ground, it's like a go-kart. You can feel everything through the steering wheel. In the back, too," chipped in a family friend, 26-year old Mathieu Duval.
When production stopped in 2000, Minis only became more collectable. A new version was released in 2001 following BMW's takeover of Rover, but for many fans, "the big one", as they call it here, simply cannot compete.
"Since they stopped making it, the passion's gone to the roof," said John Griffin, the 46-year old secretary of the London and Surrey Mini Owners' Club.
Holger George, the 55-year old president of a German group which incorporates 40 clubs from around the country, dismissed the new car, saying: "It has nothing to do with the old Mini."
With its basic construction, the original car is a dream for a mechanic, says Holger, who is here with his 15-year-old step son. "You can do everything yourself, it's very adaptable. It's a real toy for adults," he said.
Some Mini fans are more flexible, however, including Barry Tilbury, a member of the London and Surrey club who owns 16 cars - including a new Mini.
"It's my investment, it's like putting your money in a bank," he said.
In a tent nearby, two little blonde boys sing the song from "The Italian Job", the cult movie starring Michael Caine which put Minis centre stage.
Aged just nine and six years old, they "already have the passion", said their father, Mattias Wahlstedt, 39.
He proudly introduces himself as president of theMini Seven Club Sweden, "the first Mini club in the world, created in 1961, six months before the English one".
How to describe the allure of the Mini?
"Kids don't recognise a Saab from a Volvo but they always recognise a Mini," Wahlstedt said.
[AFP]
Here's another view of the Mini model. Observe the colour, the curves, the classiness ...
Finally here's the car chase scene from "The Italian Job" that some of you may remember. After watching this, you will have new-found respect for the Mini ...
This is the first post of "Gourmet Tips", an occasional series on excellent eating places in different cities where our schoolmates and friends happen to be located. I'm fortunate to have the opportunity to travel around the region for work, and sometimes after the day's proceedings I drop by to visit some of our buddies. On some of these occasions, I get introduced to great eating places and special dishes.
In this series, you're going to notice a great deal of variation in the eating places - from food stalls to cafes, pubs to restaurants. The decor and pricing may differ widely, but in all cases there will be one or two exceptional dishes which I will highlight.
This first posting comes under the category of great evening fare to be enjoyed in KUALA LUMPUR.
Apologies to Muslim friends but this one's not halal.
The outlet is at No. 32, SS2/66, which is at the Damansara area. The exceptional dish is "Lor Tu Kar" (pork stewed in rich soya sauce), usually served with white rice. The aroma is great, the meat tender, the taste divine and the service friendly & prompt. This delicacy was introduced by our friend Pip, and after trying it, yummmmmmm ... I fully recommend it.
Opening hours of the stall are from 6:30pm - 1:30am everyday (except Mondays).
Pip with the stall owner
Beside the excellent Lor Tu Kar, this stall also serves up a good Bak Kut Teh dish.
Other customers showing their approval after a meal
Pip & me, just before tucking in ...
So if any of you happen to be out late in KL, and have a chance to check out this place, do post some comments.
Also if you know of other places that provide culinary delights, do send me an email to describe them. (Of course, to convince me it's really that good, you have to invite me to sample first ... hehehe :-)
A bunch of the guys (and one lady) met up for breakfast at Choon Hui Cafe, on Ban Hock Road, Kuching, this morning.
LtoR: George, Gina (Mrs GL), Bob, Ben, Robert, Norbert & Datuk Justin Jinggut.
Jensen Ng Koon Teck was also there, but had to leave earlier. And Edmund Lee Ah See was the photographer.
Datuk Justin not only belanja'ed the breakfast and paid his RM100 dues for the Grand 50 Reunion, but on top of that, he contributed another RM500 in sponsorship of the Reunion. Hurray! Terima kasih, Datuk JJ, for your generosity!!!
Looks like the Organising Committee for the event is well on its way to making happen "the Mother of all Reunions" , as some have called it ... Great job, guys. .
Last week, when I was on a brief visit to KL, Pip & I called on Dato' Anthony at the New Straits Times Press (NSTP) offices at Balai Berita, Jalan Riong in Bangsar.
I haven't met Anthony for more than three decades, but as we had exchanged emails recently and he had been featured in my previous "Then & Now" posting, I felt like we'd already met. Also his "now" photo was obviously a pretty recent one. Our friend is in good shape, and at 50 still retains his boyish looks (sans the curly hair), with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.
We chatted over a light breakfast of roti canai & kopi. We learnt a little about Anthony's experiences as CEO of NSTP, a role he took on only in November last year. As with everywhere else he's been, he seems to be making positive ripples here too.
After makan, Anthony brought us around the floor he was on. Along the cooridors and in meeting rooms, there were many interesting artworks - pictures and sculptures - notably some by the well-known Malaysian artist, the late Ibrahim Hussein.
PC holds a sculptured piece by the late artist Ibrahim Hussein
Anthony then started up his Notebook PC and showed us his new "Out of Borneo" blog. He has put together some great recollections of his childhood days, written in a light and amusing style. For those who haven't yet found it, I've included it under "Interesting Links".
Later, Anthony brought us to NSTP's Archive Department, which holds a very impressive collection of photos and information covering a broad spectrum of companies and personailities. Also there are years and years of old NST papers kept in bounded volumes or on micofilm. Anthony asked for the newspaper from October 1976 to be brought out, and it was from this volume that I took and featured a few page shots of the 1st Oct 1976 issue in my posting a couple of days ago.
We left with some souvenirs after an hour and half. It had been an extremely interesting morning, and also felt great to catch up with a fellow Josephian and Fifth Former from 1976.
Our very best wishes to you, Anthony, and thanks for the good ol' Sarawakian hospitality .
Yesterday (16/10), George wrote to Bro Columba in Ireland to invite him to come to our Grand Reunion. His email in reply is reproduced below.
Dear George,
Thanks for the email and to all concerned for the kind and generous invitation to your coming Grand Reunion of the '76 Form 5 Class. The invitation is greatly appreciated but unfortunately I will not be able to travel at that time, and am informing you immediately so that you can proceed with your arrangements for the Big Night.
As some of the class will know, I was in Kuching for 3 weeks in January of this year, and even if I were free to travel, a second trip in one year would probably be a bit much!
I have greatly enjoyed browsing through the contributions to James Yong's blog and am delighted that so many are registering for the reunion. The names bring back so many happy memories, even if I have difficulty associating 'faces' with some of the names; probably ones who were neither 'famous' nor 'infamous' in school!!
I am particularly happy to note that the Reunion incorporates the 3 classes and reflects the multi ethnic/religious composition of your society.
I find it difficult to believe that 33 years have slipped by since we campaigned together and that most of the class have passed 'Batu 50' on life's journey this year! Makes me feel ancient!
I hope you get a realy big turn out for the occasion. Thanks again for the invitation, for offers of sponsorship and to Anthony for his contacts with Air Asia, all deeply appreciated.
Please convey my very best wishes to all. My thoughts will be with you across the miles on 23rd. Have a lovely evening, enjoy it to the full, and God bless all.
This posting will be used to reflect the attendees of the Grand Reunion on 23rd Dec 2009.
Over the next nine or ten weeks, we will tabulate the names of individuals, and indicate whether their payments have been received or not. So go tell your old buddies about this Reunion & let's get the running count up, up and AWAY .....
Running Count : 71(let's get to 76 and beyond !!!) . HOW TO MAKE PAYMENT
The damage is RM100 each for the reunion dinner. Robert Chin is our Treasurer. To confirm your attendance, please do an online transfer of your fee to the following bank account:
Maybank A/C No. 111234121779 A/C Holder: ROBERT CHIN JOON FATT
For overseas transfers, the Maybank Swiftcode is MBBEMYKL. If from US, include Routing No.026001287. The Maybank Branch is Jalan Laksamana Branch, Kuching
Customer Service no. 1300 88 6688 (local) or +603 7844 3696 (overseas).
Check www.maybank2u.com for all other details
Once you've done that, text Robert Chin (+6016 8774018) or email him (robertjfc@gmail.com) to let him know you have paid.
Confirmed & Paid 1) Jude Jong 2) Bob Chew (lkcbob@tm.net.my) (special contribution: RM200. Thank you!!!) 3) Ng Koon Teck, Jensen (special contribution of RM500 + RM1000. Thank you Mr Ng !!!) 4) Robert Chin (robertjfc@gmail.com) (special contribution: RM500. thank you !!!) 5) Norbert Liew (norbertliew@hotmail.com) (special contribution RM300. thank you!!!) 6) Benjamin Wong (myben868@yahoo.com) 7) Lawrence Chin (chin59@gmail.com) (special contribution: RM500. thank you !!!) 8) Dato' Anthony Macpherson (macphersonanthony@yahoo.com) (special contribution RM500. thank you Dato' !!!) 9) Nicholas Lau (nicholas@cica.com.vn) 10) Datuk Justin Jinggut (+ personal contribution of RM500. terima kasih Datuk !!!) (justinejinggut@gmail.com) 11) James Yong (jslyong@hotmail.com) (special contribution RM500) 12) Philip Chin (pipchin23@hotmail.com) (special contribution RM500. thank you!!!) 13) Brendan Lee Sin Foh 14) Christopher Sim Kay Guan (kayguan@hotmail.com) 15) Mark Chin (special contribution RM80. thanks!) 16) Tan Yok Hai 17) Norman Tan 18) Raymond Thong Ee Yu (reythong@yahoo.com , tel: 0128881188) 19) Vincent Toh 20) Felix Lim Yew Hock 21) Leong Kueh Fook (special contribution RM500. thank you!!!) 22) M. Subramaniam 23) Anthony Chung 24) Ronald Kueh (ronald_kueh@yahoo.com ) 25) George Lo (george@glplex.com) (special contribution RM500. thank you!!!) 26) Stanley Chong (special contribution RM500. thank you!!!) 27) Loh Siow Boon 28) Nicholas Chin 29) Julai Sharif (+6019 8547459) 30) Law Cheng Seng 31) Lawrence Kuek Thiam Chai 32) Hillson Tami 33) George Sim Theng Hui 34) Harry Goh Eng Kiat 35) Kuan Chee Kok (chkuan11@yahoo.com) (special contribution: RM300. thank you !!!) 36) Peter Lam 37) Francis Lee (FrancisLee@sarawakenergy.com.my) 38) Peter Foo 39) Sinos Bartholomew (sinos0505@yahoo.com) 40) Edward "Ah Loot" Chin (chinngianhock@yahoo.com) 41) Chng Seng Chai (special contribution: RM1000. Thank you !!!) 42) Johnny Tan 43) Edmund Lee Ah See (sipadan2005@gmail.com) 44) Robert Ong 45) Albert Sim Kee How 46) Teo Soo Hock 47) H M No. 1
48) Anthong Ung
49) Wee Soon Hua (hp: +6019 8404989)
50) Michael Kong
51) Melvin Goh S C
52) Abg Zamhari (abgzamhari@gmail.com , +60128801112)
53) Ng Joon Phin
54) Sim Sian Kwong
55) Kueh Meng Hock (+60165775911)
56) Martin Ho
57) Suhiri Affendi
58) Tan Pheng (+6012 8892234)
59) Richard Lim Ngee Hong (special contribution RM200. thanks!)
60) Stephen Yeo
61) Bakri Zainal Sapawi
62) Curtis Teo
63) Chen Liang Fang
64) Herbert Ting Thong Kong (special contribution RM100. thanks!)
65) Robert Chang Kuo Cheng
66) Wilson Chao
Confirmed & Yet Unpaid 1) Roney Zaidel 2) Hendrich Mitop 3) James Lau (soufianlau@yahoo.com , +6019 8788831)
4) Phang Miaw Fah (+60168866551) Guests of Honour 1) Father Nicholas Ng
2) Mr Clarence
3) Mr Nicholas Jee
4) Mr Augustine Ong
5) Mr Lee Hock Kia
6) Mr Anthony Goh
7) Mr Kenneth Abbey
8) Cikgu Bujang Hadi
9) Mr Simon Lo
Apologies (Can't make it)
1. John Lee (saylu59@hotmail.com) (kindly sponsored RM500 even tho' not attending ! Thanks John !)
2. Jimmy Kho Khoon Haw (jkhokh@yahoo.com)
3. Bertram Chew (byf.chew@gmail.com)
4. Kevin Chin (takkuasa@iinet.net.au)
5. Lau Suan Chye
6. Ho Boon Chiang (kindly sponsored RM500 even tho' not attending ! Thanks Boon Chiang !)
7. Alfred Wong Kah Kung (kindly sponsored RM1000 even tho' not attending ! Thanks Alfred !)
8. Patrick Umpau
9. Ong Poi Jin
10. Chong Chi Nai
11. Tan Choe Jueh
12. Peter K T Tiong
13. Philip Hii (phykhii@gmail.com)
14. Alexius Reggie
15. Dennis Liew
16. Lo Song Wing
17. Musadad Sazali (tel: 019-8565646)
18. James Kuo (kindly sponsored RM500 even tho' not attending ! Thanks Ung !)
19. Chieh Lipp Kee (kindly sponsored RM500 tho' regretably he's unable to attend ! Thanks CLK!)
20. Peter Ngiam Tie Fen (pngiam@tm.net.my)
21. Wee Ek Hock
22. Sim Pheng Siew (dsim2509@gmail.com) . Last update: 26th Dec 2009, 10:35PM
CLASS LOOK-UP TOOL
If you need to check against who else in each class has or has not registered, click on one of the links below:
This is the BIG one, boys! More than 33 years in the making, as they say.
All of us are FIFTY years old, so it's the most appropriate time to have a Grand Reunion.
A few of our friends in Kuching have gotten together to have a first brainstorm on this. Thanks to Ben Wong, Robert Chin, Bob Chew, Jensen Ng Koon Teck, Jude Jong, Norbert Liew, and also Dato' Anthony, who had many creative suggestions.
This will be the first of a series of postings leading up to the momentous event.
Some key facts to note and book your individual calendars ...
Date - Wed, 23rd December 2009
Venue - Merdeka Palace, Kuching
Rooms - For those flying back from far corners of the world, and need accomodation, we'll try to get good rates at the hotel. x Theme - (to be determined ... Do send in suggestions)
Menu - (to be determined ... will check what the hotel has to offer)
RSVP - Indicate your attendance quickly by putting in a comment. We need the rsvp pronto so that we can finalise our bookings with Merdeka Palace (and get the best rates)
Itinerary for the nite - (to be determined. Send in your suggestions to organizing leads Ben Wong and Jensen Ng Koon Teck, or post comment on this blog entry)
Entertainment - (See more info below .... We will try to persuade Beyonce and the Pussycat Dolls, but if that doesn't work, we may have other local artistes or fall back to "music machines, DJs or dock an iPod" as Dato' A suggested. Music of our era will certainly be played) x Souvenir - (you can be sure we will have something very special and appropriate)
The Damage - We need to collect RM100 each for the reunion dinner.Robert Chin is appointed our Treasurer. To confirm your attendance, you must do an online transfer of your fee to the following bank account:
Maybank A/C No. 111234121779
A/C Holder: ROBERT CHIN JOON FATT
and once you have done that, can you text Robert Chin (+6016 8774018) or email him (robertjfc@gmail.com) to let him know you have paid.
Don't miss this reunion, boys! Wherever you are, try your best to be there. There may never be another chance again.
And if you need official letter to get visa from your Minister of Home Affairs to make the trip, ask Ben Wong or Koon Teck or Robert Chin ... LOL
Stay tuned to this blog. Much more news to come ...
New Information
We are now planning on a vareity of exciting activities for the Grand Reunion. Here's a sneak preview of things to come. And we're not going letting everything out of the bag yet. There will still be surprises!!!
There will be great music, of course ... including songs from the 70s and early 80s. to bring back the nostalgia. We have Felix & company kindly providing some of the live band experience.
There will also be singing (although which songs and which singers still to be determined) Other than everyone for "Sons of St Joseph" (start practicing ok), I'm sure we have many eager singing talents honed over the past three decades, especially some Karaoke veterans in our midst.
There will be memorabilia and creative journeys down the past 3 decades.
There will be great games and great prizes (sponsors still needed for prizes, this one real ok!).
There will be entertainers ... dancers from the traditional (someone will be doing the ngajat? chinese fan dance?) to the esoteric (not sure what - but I hear some vertical metal structures may be involved) to the classic (I'm sure there will be someone who will demonstrate the twist, limbo rock, birdie dance ...)
And of course there will be food and drink to enjoy the whole night through.
So get everyone in our cohort who hasn't yet signed yet to do so. It is a crime to miss the Mother of All Reunions. Anyone who cannot come must produce a letter from your parent or guardianand hand it in to a teacher or prefect !!!!!
(now let's see if the number of comments on this posting increases or not! LOL!)
I know what some of you would be thinking when you saw the title of this posting. Yawn yawn boring ... right? Not necessarily so, I hope.
Whether we realise or not, books (and magazines) had a huge impact on our knowledge in the pre-Internet world of the 70's. While some were fortunate to be exposed to the literary classics (Dickens, Hemingway, Conan Doyle, Twain, Bronte sisters, you know) from a young age, a lot more boys took pleasure in reading stories of war, adventure and drama. Think of the authors you read in those days, and the names of Alistair Maclean, Ian Fleming, Agatha Christie and Harold Robbins are likely to feature.
I might be generalising a bit, but I reckon I'm not far from the truth in saying that most of our female counterparts also enjoyed their romance novels (Mills and Boon?).
And mind you, I deliberately used the word "influenced" in the title of this post. This is because it's a neutral word as the impact of books could be positive or not so positive (depending on how you look at it :-) in developing the adolescent mind.
In those days, we had several main sources of books.
Many of us were members of the Sarawak State Library, and may have got started on reading there. Of course, those chaps who are really honest would probably admit that their real reasons for frequenting the National Library had as much to do with engaging the girls as enhancing their grammar. Our own St Joe Library also had a decent fiction section, although the focus was more on examination-related texts and references.
Some were fortunate enough to be able to afford to buy some books from the bookstores in Kuching - in those days Kwong Hwa, Sky, KK Abdul Majid, Rex and Wahid (?) were the popular ones carrying a wider selection of English language books, magazines and comics.
In those days we tended to borrow books from each other a lot more. Some teachers also used to encourage us to bring books we liked to school on certain days, so that we could talk about them and often swap with each other.
And of course, boys being boys, there would be some "highly popular" books being passed around, away from the teacher's eyes, usually covered in thick wrapping, to be read only in toilets or behind locked doors. Anyone remember some of those titles? Ah well, we were all Asian teenagers and I'd guess that much of what we learnt about the "birds and the bees" came not from the lips of our parents, but from such popular references, augmented by the bragging of some of our more advanced formmates. :-) . Well boys & girls, share your memories of books that influenced YOU in those carefree days of the 70s ... ..
Here's a photo of some of the gang paying a Hari Raya visit to the home of Roney, in Kuching ...
L to R: Ben, Robert, Roney & Bob
I'm informed this second photo showing another gathering (at Merdeka Palace) had something to do with Hari Raya too. Maybe after a Hari Raya event ... anyway will let the participants say more about it, if they wish to.
On 1st October 1976, we were all in Form 5. The Senior Cambridge exams were looming in a few weeks time for most of us. The St Joe library was likely packed most of the day. Different people react differently to exam pressure. Some of us pretended to be cool and nonchalant about the whole thing. Others were walking around like zombies, arms laden with books and lips mouthing key mathematical formulae or English literature passages.
Let's take a look at what else was happening around that time. This is the front page of the New Straits Times on 1st October 1976.
with a zoom-in on the date ...
I'll get to the story of how we got our hands on such an old publication in an upcoming posting. But for now, have a read of some snippets of the stories featured that day.
Like this news item from Sarawak ...
reminding us that Sarawak still faced sporadic communist activities in 1976, despite the fact that then Chief Minister Abdul Rahman Yakub had signed a Peace Accord (called PARAKU) with communist leader Bong Kee Chok in 1973, which enabled many of the communist terrorists living in the jungle to be reintegrated into society.
In the region, President Ferdinand Marcos was still very much in charge of the Republic of the Philippines, a country perceived to be one of the most progressive in South-East Asia.
On the sports section, we see read about Ken Norton protesting about his recent defeat by Mohammad Ali, and demanding a rematch.
All stuff of history. And guys and girls, be proud that we lived through all of it ...
Of course some of us were oblivious to all the above, because the only part of the newspaper we focused on were the cartoons ...
Consultant, author, blogger and general observer of life. Professional interests in Public Sector Innovation, Information & Communications Technology, eGovernment, socioeconomic development, smart cities, creativity & innovation and organisational learning. Personal interests: Travel, history, books, digital photography, movies, genealogy, tech gadgets and writing. Currently a regional executive with Cisco Systems, covering public sector programs in Asia. Published book "E-Government in Asia" (2nd Edn, Marshall Cavendish, 2005) and two genealogical monographs. Frequent speaker at regional public sector & eGov conferences. Contact: jslyong@hotmail.com
I'm really not sure how many of you actually celebrate or even care about Halloween. Certainly when we were younger and growing up in Sarawak, Halloween was never a big a deal for us. But with globalisation, I guess some new festivals do gain more popularity - if not with you, then perhaps with your kids.
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