St Joe Form 5 (1976) and Friends

Link the the new "Josephians of the Seventies" blog

2010-10-05T20:22:00.004+08:00

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Make sure you link to the NEW blog that supercedes this one !!!!!

It is up and running now & can be accessed at the address below..

http://josephians-of-the-seventies.blogspot.com/

Welcome to all !!!!!

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Last Message from Website Jaga

2010-10-03T17:27:00.002+08:00

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Dear friends,

All good things must come to an end ..... Last evening, I found out that we have reached the system limit for number of pictures in a blog. Apparently Blogger sets 1000 as the maximum number of pictures or photos a blog can have, and we arrived at that mark yesterday.

I could continue to post just text entries, but I guess that won't be much fun. So I've decided to end this blog ... Thank you all and have a good life !

OK,OK, just kidding ....ha ha ha ! I won't end it just like that. What I'll do is create a new blog to continue from this one. I'd also like to use this point of transition to expand the audience for the blog. I'm told that the classes of 1976 have had a lot of good times on and through this blog, so I think it's time to extend the benefit to other fellow Josephians and friends. I intend to call the new blog "Josephians of the Seventies & Friends", which will obviously widen our potential visitors to anyone who was at St Joe between 1970 and 1979.

I will announce the new blog address in a day or two, and provide a link from this blog to the new one. I'm not quite sure what kind of response I will get, but with your support, let's give it a try.

You can continue to enter your comments to this and all past postings, so this blog will continue to live on. Also let me have your ideas and suggestions on creating an even better blog.

Have a nice day !

Remembering ODEON and CAPITOL cinemas

2010-10-01T11:38:00.000+08:00

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Continuing our theme of old cinemas of Kuching, here's a nice photo that Gerard found, which clearly shows the two grand old ladies of Padungan - ODEAN and CAPITOL cinemas. Sadly, both buildings no longer around ... victims to development and progress.

I distinctly remember watching "The Blind Swordsman" at the Odeon. This starred the Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune.

I reckon I spent far too many afternoons in Capitol (and Lido) watching all manner of Shaw swordfighting and kung fu flicks.

Share your memories ...

Remembering REX Cinema

2010-09-30T11:13:00.004+08:00

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How many of you still remember Rex cinema, formerly located on Wayang Street? It doesn't exist any more, having been replaced by that colourful cineplex and carpark building.

As a kid and teenager growing up in Kuching, I remember watching some great movies in Rex. One that comes to mind is the musical "My Fair Lady" starring Audrey Hepburn. There were also gun-slinging westerns like "For a Few Dollars More" with a very youthful Clint Eastwood. Then there were a number of James Bond 007 movies, like "Goldfinger" and "Thunderbolt", starring Sean Connery.

For some of the more high-profile movies, there used to be extra picture boards with lighting put up above the frontage of the cinema, depicting images from the movie. I distinctly remember the board for "Thunderbolt" as well as the first "Airport" movie some years later.

The old Rex had no escalators and those who bought tickets to Circle seats had to walk up the stairs. I recall it was a rather narrow and winding staircase.

I'm looking for more photographs of Rex cinema (and for that matter of all other cinemas of old Kuching). The one you see below was kindly sent to me by Nick Chin and Philip Chin. It shows Rex in very early days, 1952 according to the caption.

Look at the style of dressing and also the models of cars. And notice the little cart on the left, probably a hawker selling sweets, seng boi and sotong.

Such interesting scenes from old Kuching....
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Musical Interlude: Blockbusters from the Bee Gees

2010-09-29T09:27:00.000+08:00

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I've always loved the music of the Gibb brothers, Barry, Robin and Maurice. Ever since the sixties, they had been releasing hit after hit after hit..

One of their earliest hits is "To Love Somebody" ...

Another early hit was "I Started a Joke" ...

"Words" was another great number ...

In the disco era of the mid 70's, came "Night Fever" ...

And of course their masterpiece (according to me at least) "How Deep is Your Love" ...

Enjoy !

A Taste of the Singapore Grand Prix F1 (kinda)

2010-09-27T12:01:00.001+08:00

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I've mentioned before that I'm not really a big Formula-1 fan. I only know the names of a handful of F1 drivers, and I still get confused by who they drive for. I can't distinguish between piston, the gearbox and other technical paraphernalia associated with F1 cars, though I'm slowly learning. However for the past three years, the Night Races held in Singapore have fired up my interest in the sport a little, at least during the September period.

In the first year, I watched it all on TV from the comfort of my living room. In the second year, I watched on TV too but also drove near to the racing area where I could see the bright lights and hear the powerful roar of the engines. This year, I borrowed a pass from my daughter and went into the area for over an hour in the afternoon to watch part of the Porsche Carrera Cup Asia Race. Then I went home and watched the F1 finals on TV. Who knows - maybe next year I might actually go in and watch a Night Race :)

Here's a shot of the official F1 programme book and my pass.
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Once I cleared the security checkpoint and entered the enclosed F1 area, there were clear signs showing where everything was. There were also many helpful guides to point out the directions. My pass entitled me to a seat at the Bay Grandstand.

Well, if one can't watch the F1 races, one can always take a photo in front of the big poster depicting the programme schedule :)

It was still early when we got to the seats, and it was very warm too. Should have brought my shades :)

And here's the view from where I sat ...

It's kinda hard taking photos of speeding cars, especially when all one uses is a point-and-shoot digital camera (Canon Powershot SX210 IS). Anyway I tried, and here's a little montage of what I managed to capture ...

I believe the winner of this particular race was SC Global Racing's Craig Baird.

Finally, here's the front page of the local newspaper this morning. I think you can make out the headline on the F1 results ...

It was an interesting weekend. Of course, I must add what everyone already knows ... that the Singapore Night Races are always held on or around 26 September to commemorate the birthdays of me and Ah Loot ... LOL
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Mid-Autumn Festival

2010-09-22T16:46:00.001+08:00

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Do you remember the story behind the mooncakes? If not, here's a 30-second refresher so that you can relate it to your kids or impress foreign friends of your cultural knowledgibility.

During the Yuan dynasty (A.D.1280-1368) China was ruled by the Mongols. Leaders from the preceding Sung dynasty (A.D.960-1280) were unhappy at submitting to foreign rule, and set how to coordinate the rebellion without it being discovered.

The leaders of the rebellion, knowing that the Moon Festival was drawing near, ordered the making of special cakes. Baked into each moon cake was a message with the outline of the attack.

On the night of the Moon Festival, the rebels successfully attacked and overthrew the government. What followed was the establishment of the Ming dynasty (A.D. 1368-1644). Today, moon cakes are eaten to commemorate this legend.

Anyway during this time of the year, Chinese societies around the world will celebrate by stuffing themselves with mooncakes wth all sorts of fillings (red bean paste, durian, mixed nuts, lotus with multiple egg yolks ... recently I even saw one outlet selling peanut butter & jelly mooncakes !). Personally I prefer the more traditional fillings.

Invariably in all towns and cities, there will be lantern processions and public places will be decorated with multi-coloured lanterns. Often there will be shows and visits to temples to give thanks to various dieties.

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Pic 1: Beauty with lantern (painting)

Here are some photos of the lantern decor in Sibu. Thanks Leo, for the contributions. Now all we need are photos from Kuching, Miri and other locales around the world.

Pic 2

Pic 3

Pic 4

Pic 5

Pic 6

Finally I can't end this posting without showing some mooncake pictures, can I ?

Enjoy your Mid-Autumn Festival ...

Allure of the Singapore Grand Prix F1 2010

2010-09-21T20:03:00.000+08:00

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How time flies! It's September once again, and on the sunny island of Singapore, the main event that's coming up is the Grand Prix Formula-1 Night Races this coming weekend (i.e. 24-26 Sept 2010)

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Everyone is waiting for the roar of the engines ... the fumes from the exhausts ... the super bright lights around the circuit ... global performing stars (this year Mariah Carey, Adam Lambert, even the Chippendales :) ...

... and of course the SingTel Grid Girls ...

Anyone coming over to watch?
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Hari Raya at Dato' AM's House

2010-09-17T21:58:00.000+08:00

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On 10th September 2010, a few of the boys visited Dato' AM on his Open House on the first day of Hari Raya.

PC reports:

"As usual, AM and his family were so warm and welcoming. The home-made laksa and yummy rendangs + lemang made us feel very much at home. Being the perfect host, the harried AM was already sweating by the tim we got to his place at 11.30am. Dozens of well wishers were already milling around while others were busy eating at secluded nooks around the house."

Here are a couple of photos ...

Buddies all

Happy Malaysia Day!

2010-09-16T15:15:00.000+08:00

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Wishing one and all a Happy Malaysia Day !

And have a good holiday too ....

Giving Back to St Joe - The Handover

2010-09-15T15:03:00.016+08:00

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Here's some quick photos from the donation handover and walkabout at St Joe this morning ... This is just to satisfy the impatient who are asking for the blog to be updated 30 seconds after the event. LOL

Anyway I'll be posting more stuff later today or tomorrow ...

We donated student desks and chairs,and teacher tables for 3 classrooms, plus a projector. The picture above shows the projector being handed over, in the presence of eight representatives from the Class of 1976. We also had a reporter from the Borneo Post in attendance.

Principal Mr Thomas Lau then brought us to each of the classes with new furniture and we spoke to the teacher and students.

We shook the hands of each and every student ...

Here we are in another classroom with the Prinicipal and one of the teachers, Ms Sandy Wong.

Of course, we had to test out the desks and chairs for ourselves ....

A shot outside the classes ...

And a final shot with the Old Boys Block in the background ..

Here's a BEFORE and AFTER look at one of the classrooms ...

This was a small but meaningful project. In a way, this is a project reflecting our three HOPEs. We hope our contribution of desks, chairs, tables and projector will make a small but positive difference to the learning environment of St Joe. We hope that other former students will also band together to make similar (hopefully BIGGER) contributions to their alma mater. Finally we hope that the government may also take note and lend us further support in this effort to boost the quality of education for Sarawak.

Item in Borneo Post (16 Sep 2010)

Dinner with Buddies in Kuching

2010-09-15T02:25:00.000+08:00

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I flew back to Kuching today. Went for dinner with some of the guys, namely Bob, Edward, Ben, Jensen and Mark. Many thanks to Jensen for "belanja"ing the delicious dinner.

Our lawyer friend, George, joined us a little later.

Tomorrow we go over to St Joe to do the donation handover ...
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AW visiting Perth

2010-09-12T11:53:00.000+08:00

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I received a note from Alfred Wong on his recent visit to Perth ...

Dear James,
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I had the great opportunity to meet up with two of our Form 5 Science classmates in Perth last night, Kevin Chin and Philip Tang. I have not met them since I left SJS 33 years ago and it was pleasant to catch up with them again after all these years.
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Even though I have been coming to Perth regularly to visit my two children, I didn't manage to contact Kevin and Philip until this trip (thanks BC for the email contacts).
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It's great to see that the guys are looking fit and doing well professionally. Kevin works for the Australian Goverment and has three children. Like me, two of the children are doing undergraduate studies in UWA. Kevin has been in Perth for 22 years while Philip has never left after graduating from UWA. Philip is a research engineer with a local company.
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I have uploaded a few pictures of the mini reunion to share with you. Once again, thank you Kevin and Philip for the meet-up and hope to see you guys again next trip!
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Alfred Wong - Form 5 Science 1976

Here are the photos of the mini-reunion ...

Three buddies

With the wives (Bettie Wong, Christina Tang and Pearl Chin)

Another ladies' shot

Good to see another reconnection, many years in the making.

Best wishes to all of you.
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RLNH visiting KL

2010-09-12T00:19:00.000+08:00

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This week, Richard Lim Ngee Hong visited KL, and had teh tarik with some of the guys there ...

I'm sure by now, you'll have no trouble naming the guys in the photo.

BTW, nice T-shirt, Ric !
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Giving Back to St Joe (Part 4)

2010-09-08T23:07:00.008+08:00

Well guys, after several months we're finally getting to the last stage of our "Giving Back to St Joe" campaign ... The official handover will be very soon.

Before we show you the new furniture, here's a reminder of what the class looked like before.

Now here are the photos of the new desks and chairs our donation made possible. A million thanks to Bob for all the hard work in coordinating this.

A closer shot of the label ...

Now for the teacher's table ...

Bob decides to test drive the chair and desk ...

Another view of the desks and chairs ...

Another view of the classroom ...

Wow, what a difference !

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri !

2010-09-08T18:00:00.001+08:00

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To all our Muslim friends ...

Enjoy yourselves ...

Any open houses? :) Feel free to send me any photos of your celebrations and I'll post them up for all to enjoy.
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Lobo in Concert

2010-09-04T11:57:00.001+08:00

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If you regarded yourself as A Simple Man or even A Cowboy Afraid of Horses ... If you still Don't Know How to Tell Her About some another person (possibly Stoney) .... If you were perpetually on the lookout for a place called Lodi or a mutt named Boo ... then you probably grew up in the 70s and 80s with the music of American singer-songwriter Lobo (a.k.a. Roland Kent Lavoie).

And if you felt It Sure Took A Long, Long Time for him to come back in concert, well ... your wait is over ... Here's your chance to catch him in a live concert one more time on his "Lobo Asia Tour" ...

15 Oct 2010, 8:30pm, Arena of the Stars, Genting Highlands

Lobo was last at this same venue in 2006, where he played to an overwhelming audience.

For more details on this KL show, check out this website.

On the next day, he moves down south and is scheduled for

16 Oct 2010, 8pm, MAX Pavilion, Singapore Expo

I've already bought my tickets for this one !!!!

For details on the Singapore show, click on this other website.

Click on THIS for a complete list of Lobo songs.

And HERE is the official Lobo fan website.

So c'mon on guys.... relive your younger days .... treat yourself to the concert!

And remember to take lots of photos of yourself there in your bell-bottoms for this website :)

Finally one of my favourite songs ... to put you in the mood ...

Enjoy ...

Selamat Hari Kebangsaan

2010-09-01T10:18:00.001+08:00

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Wishing all my fellow Malaysians a Selamat Hari Kebangsaan on this 52nd national day.

For Sarawakians, not to worry I will have another wish on 16th September :)

Lipp Kee heads home

2010-08-30T09:52:00.001+08:00

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Alas all holidays must come to an end. Here's CLK and family at Changi Terminal 3, Sngapore, from where they would get onto their flight back to Canada ...

Until the next time, old buddy.
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Lipp Kee in Mulu and Brunei

2010-08-29T11:31:00.032+08:00

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Gunung Mulu National Park, located near Miri, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that encompasses incredible caves and rock formations in a mountainous equatorial rainforest setting. The park is famous for its caves and the expeditions that have been mounted to explore them and their surrounding forests, most notably by the Royal Geographical Society Expedition of 1977 - 1978, which saw over 100 scientists in the field for more than a year.

New Photos from Mulu

CLK has just sent me the photos taken during their Mulu visit, so here they are ...

All ready for a wet adventure ... the long boat ride upstream in Mulu park

The swimming was great!

At the Clear Water cave outlet

Who are these masked people?

No, inot masked bandits from Mulu jungles. Simply trying to reduce the glorious "aroma" of the bat droppings in the caves.

Candlelit dinner at the resort

The swimming pool at the resort

Parting shot of the Mulu Resort

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New Photos from Brunei

After Mulu, LK nd family headed to Brunei. Here are more photos ...

Post Durian feast ... YUM !

Kampung Ayer or the Water Village

CLK's other house in Brunei? No, that's the mosque and parliament house

The girls love the ice kacang ... YUM again!

Well, that's all folks!
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Another Reconnection in Sibu ...

2010-08-22T13:00:00.001+08:00

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Received this note from Ben today ...

"Hi James
First meeting with Simon first time after Form 5 '76 in Sugarbun Sibu on Friday afternoon. I made an effort to call and meet him.Had a good chat with him and talk about our good old days and how time flies.Without your website we will not be able to connect so many long lost class and schoolmates of class of form5 '76...tks to you again Tuan Website Jaga Mr. James Yong"

Well, I'm just happy to see more reconnectons among old friends ...
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Rojak Rendezvous on the Rejang

2010-08-20T00:52:00.000+08:00

Yesterday afternoon in Sibu, Ben Wong met up with Gerard Harry over some local ROJAK. Yummy !

The plate of rojak so small ... where got enough???

Will the two please fill us in on this micro-reunion ... thanks.!
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Lipp Kee in Miri

2010-08-20T00:35:00.000+08:00

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Our intrepid man in Miri, Leo Sia, sent in these two photos showing Lipp Kee and family in Oil Town.

Where was this taken?

Two slightly mature Red Crossers (Crescenters?) reunited ...

Can someone help name the individuals in the line-up ...

Next stop Mulu ?
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Lipp Kee in Kuching

2010-08-17T10:59:00.001+08:00

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I have just been sent this photo (thanks Ben!) and hope I can post it up properly as the line here in Hanoi is a bit flaky ...

Anyway, looks like LK is well looked after and having fun at Foody Goody ...
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Here's another photo ...

Lipp Kee in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur

2010-08-13T12:22:00.000+08:00

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Our friend Chieh Lipp Kee and his family are back on vacation in Asia, all the way from Vancouver where they reside.

His tour will take him, his wife and two daughters (another daughter will join them later) to Singapore, Malaysia (KL, Kuching, Miri) and Brunei.

So far he has met some former classmates in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Here are some photos ...

DAY 1: Crabs at Eng Seng (Singapore)

DAY 1: Trying some Singapore nonya kueh

DAY 2: Lunch in KL

DAY 2: Dinner catchup with some classmates in KL

(which of these handsome young chaps can you name?)

DAY 2: Late night supper in KL

(burp .... that was nice bak kut teh :)

DAY 3: LK trying to look cool at the Petronas Twin Tower, KL

DAY 3: Dinner with more classmates in Singapore

DAY 3: Dinner

DAY 3: Stroll on the Esplanade, Singapore

DAY 3: With Marina Bay Sands integrated resort in background

Well, that's it for now. There may be more photos as he continues his journey to Sarawak and Brunei.

So stay tuned ...

Condolences to Koon Teck

2010-08-12T09:25:00.010+08:00

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Deepest condolences to Jensen Ng Koon Teck and family on the loss of his beloved father on Tuesday this week.

May he rest in peace.

Giving Back to St Joe (Part 3)

2010-08-10T17:54:00.005+08:00

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Here's an update on our donations from Bob Chew ...

"Hi all

1. Mark and I went to St Joe last week to confirm and pay for 105 units student desks and 3 teacher's tables. Choice of material, colour scheme and carpentry was done by SJS. The total for desks ( RM 7140 ) + tables ( RM 1500) = RM 8640.These desks and tables will be imprinted with " donated by Form 5 class of 1976".

2. We are now ordering 105 + 3 pippee brand plastic chairs to be sent to SJS . These will also bear the imprint "donated by Form 5 class of 1976".

3. All items will be delivered into the class ready for the new term on 14th Sept. The school break is from Sep 4th - 13th.
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4. We will organise a handover ceremony, date to be advised, after putting all these in place. The plan is to have at least 3 reps each from Form 5 Sci, Arts1 and Arts2 to be there for handover. We will also invite all donors if they are in Kuching. I will liase with the school prinicpal.
Bye for now

Bob Chew"

Thanks Bob and Mark for all the efforts. Will all those who haven't yet sent in their pledges please arrange to do so directly with Bob (lkcbob@tm.net.my).

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LINKS

Here are links to previously posted information on our "Giving Back to St Joe" initiative.

27 May:   Revisiting the Library

12 June:   Giving Back to St Joe

3 July:     Giving Back to St Joe (continued)
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10 Sept:   Giving Back to St Joe (Part 4)

15 Sept The Handover

8 Ways to Keep Youthful

2010-08-08T14:58:00.008+08:00

Over the past few months, I have been receiving from some of you guys a number of interesting pictures and health tips for staying youthful. You asked that I share them on this blog, and I admit I've been sitting on them for a while. I thought I'd collect a few more before the right moment to post them. The moment is now.

Let's begin with this photo message from Dato' AM ...

I'm not very sure ... is our friend hinting that this is the secret to making it to the peak of Mount Kinabalu at 51? LOL.

Indeed many of you guys have found ways that seem to have worked (more or less) for yourselves.

Well, I've compiled some of those tips I've received into this list of "8 Ways to Keep Youthful". I must emphasise that these are NOT from me. Though I agree with many of them, I too find it a challenge to stick to many of these tips.

1) Meditate

Meditation reduces stress levels, keeps the mind positive and free from anxieties. It is as some say "Age is all in the mind" and through a regular practice of meditation one might attain a positive, fresh and youthful mind.

2) Exercise regularly and Eat well but in moderation

Moderate exercise on a regular basis promotes longevity, builds and maintains strength and flexibility and makes you feel alive.

Someone suggested: Eat a well balanced vegetarian diet. Studies show that a well balanced vegetarian diet with plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits, nuts and grains provides optimum nutrition for a fit and active body.

This is one advice I'm afraid I can't bring myself to follow. I love my steaks too much. But then again, I must say some vegetarians do look pretty good. Do you not agree?

3) Keep only cheerful friends

It is important to keep a positive outlook on life. Stay away from those who are chronically pessimistic. The grouches just pull you down.

Another advice I like: Laugh more often; laugh long and loud. Children laugh an average of 300 times a day, while adults laugh just 30 times per day. Laughter is an expression of inner happiness and is a tonic for the soul. When you are laughing, you are not brooding or despairing.

Back in school, some of us used to read the magazine "Reader's Digest", and in those early issues, there was always a column called "Laughter is the Best Medicine". I still believe in that dictum, and this website tells you more.

So laugh loud, laugh hard, laugh more, Kuchingites!

4) Keep Learning

Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, how to win 4D, whatever ... You can also learn lots by travelling. You're never too old to learn. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's.

5) Surround yourself with what you love

Whether it is family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, etc, surround yourself with them. Your home is your refuge. Invite your good buddies home for good conversations and good dinners (also don't forget your Website Jaga :)

Your home is also where you should feel safe to be at your creative best. Whether through music, photography, painting, dancing, writing, blogging, etc, getting in touch with your own unique inner creativity can make you feel ALIVE.

6) Accept the tragedies of life

The tears will happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive.

7) Cherish your health

I'm no doctor, so will let Dr Kuo comment more on this.

All I can suggest about your health is: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve yourself, get help.

Once in a while, spoil yourself. Maybe a spa, facial, massage ... check our previous post on ways to pamper your feet :-)

8) Give Joy to Others

You never lose what you give. In fact by sharing your own happiness, talent and resources with others you nurture your own treasure chest of grace, blessings and peace.

You can do this in any way you wish ... donations to charitable organisations, helping others, random acts of kindness, giving back to society ... it's totally up to you.

Well, those are the 8 tips for keeping youthful. Let me end this posting by inviting you to reflect on two sayings.

The first is "It's not about the years in your life, but the life in your years".

The other is "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away".

Go on my friends and live it up !!!
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Sarawak Regatta 2010

2010-08-03T11:15:00.001+08:00

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Dato' AM sent this over yesterday ... live action from the Sarawak River? It seems NST won a couple of trophies. Well done!

Looks like lots of excitement. Anyone else went to watch? Any more photos you can contribute ?

I was suggesting that maybe next year, the Boys of St Joe 1976 can enter a boat too. Provided the organisers will permit a special design that has added width and can take slightly more weight, in order to accomodate our current physique.
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Asian Songbirds of the 1970s (Part 2)

2010-08-02T11:07:00.003+08:00

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Let's continue with the Asian female singers from the 70s.

Teresa Teng (pinyin: Deng Li Jun) was a very popular and musically influential singer from Taiwan, who came into the limelight in the early 1970s. She is especially well known for folk songs and romantic ballads. Her voice and songs are instantly recognized throughout Asia and in areas with large Asian populations, to the extent that it has been said, "Wherever there are Chinese people, the songs of Teresa Teng can be heard."

This lady continued to have much success until her untimely death at 42 from an asthma attack in 1995. However her memory lives on, and her albums continue to be immensely popular. My wife has her complete collection of songs on CD, as I'm sure many other fans do.

So turn up the volume and enjoy her crystal clear voice in "Tian Mi Mi", meaning "Sweet Honey" (I think?) ...

Undoubtedly Teresa Teng's classic song is "Yue Liang Dai Piao Wo De Xin", which is literally translated as "The Moon Represents My Heart". Enjoy ...

Next let's turn to our very own Sarawakian songbird who was prominent during the swinging seventies. ELAS mentioned her in his previous comments, and I recall her music as well. She is Rose Iwanaga, and she, together with her band The Avengers, have the distinction of being the first English-language recording music group from East Malaysia. The Avengers comprised James Ong (rhythm), Jimmy Ho (lead), Peter Ho (bass) and Jalek Zula (drums). I believe the group made 3 albums.

L to R: James, Jimmy, Peter, Jalek, Rose

Here's the best-known of Rose Iwanaga's songs ...

I often wondered what happened to Rose and her band. There are a few websites on them, but no one seems to know. Do any of you?

That's it for today. More in Part 3 ...
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On Top of Malaysia

2010-07-30T12:26:00.001+08:00

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A few weeks ago you saw the "Top of Singapore". Well ... this one definitely beats that !!!

Here's a 51-year old who made it to the top (in more ways than one :)

Approaching the peak of Mount Kinabalu ...

Everest next?

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Any more photos of the view from up there, AM ?

From a Small Island to a Smaller Island

2010-07-29T14:36:00.000+08:00

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A few weeks ago, we drove over to the island of Sentosa (which is linked to Singapore by bridge, as well as monorail and cable car).

Sentosa has long been a kind of weekend getaway for Singaporeans and tourists, as there are various sites on the island that are worth visiting (eg. Underwater World, Musical Fountain, a huge Merlion statue, Fort Siloso, beachfronts, etc).

However over the past two years, its attraction has been considerably enhanced by the completion of the integrated resort, called Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), together with Universal Studio theme park. Several new hotels have also been opened, eg. Festive Hotel, Hotel Michael and the Hard Rock Hotel.

RWS is owned by the Genting Group of Malaysia.

This is what Resorts World Sentosa looks like ...

In there is a theatre ...

Here's the covered "main street" area, which has many shops and eateries ...

I can vouch for the food in this Irish pub ...

At one end of the street is the casino entrance. Anyone keen to try their luck?

We did not go into Universal but went near the entrance to take this photo. We plan to visit the theme park in September when my daughter comes back. More photos at that time.

With my sweet tooth, I naturally chose to patronise the candy store and bought some chocs and some popcorn ...

Well, there you have it. A nice visit to the Resorts World Sentosa.
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Lao PM receives ADB Country Director

2010-07-25T09:54:00.000+08:00

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Here's an excerpt from an interesting news report in laovoices.com, dated 9 July 2010 ...

‎(KPL) Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh, on Wednesday received at his office in Vientiane capital a courtesy visit of Mr Chong Chi Nai, new country director of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) in Laos.

The Prime Minister congratulated Mr Nai over his appointment as new country director of the ADB in Laos, and highly valued the assistance the ADB had provided to Laos in supporting the socio-economic development in the country.
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Mr Bouasone said that the Lao government was focusing on materialising the resolution of the 8th Party Congress and the government was drafting its seventh five-year socio-economic development plan for 2011-2015 period of which the objective was to reduce poverty in the country, achieve its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and take Laos off the UN’s list of least-developed countries by 2020.

ADB has provided Laos technical assistance for projects of basic infrastructure development in the country. Since 1996, the ADB has approved US$ 1.21 billion of loans and US$415 million of grant assistance for the socio-economic development in Laos. In 2009, ADB provided US$115.2 million worth of grant aid to Laos to support the development in the areas of agriculture-forestry, education, energy, finance, industry and commerce, health and transport and communication. In 2010, ADB has approved of US$ 108 million of loans for six government projects. The bank planned to finance 10 government projects with a US$140.18-million financial assistance for the 2011-2012 fiscal year.

Source: KPL Lao News Agency
July 09, 2010

For the full news report, click on
http://laovoices.com/2010/07/09/pm-receives-adb-country-director/

This is cool, man! St Joe Class of 1976 in service of the world!

And here's a more informally attired Dr Chong at his new office ...

Congratulations CCN !
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Message from WJ

2010-07-24T21:38:00.001+08:00

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I just thought it might be interesting to show you where the visitors to our blog have come from over the past month.

Can you find your own location?
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Asian Songbirds of the 1970s (Part 1)

2010-07-22T17:36:00.001+08:00

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We grew up in an age of music records (or LPs as they are sometimes called) and later of cassette tapes. Not so easy to find them nowadays, although some of us still swear that the sound quality from LPs cannot be matched by most CDs. In fact just a few months ago, Pip and I went hunting for turntables in KL, in a sudden nostalgic desire to want to listen to some of our old record collections.

In today's post, I want to recall some of the popular Asian songbirds, i.e. female singers, whom we may have grown up with. In the 70s, they were young and attracted an impressive fan base. Today some of them are still performing, though they are no longer that young and their fan base may have dwindled somewhat. Others have taken up new careers and challenges.

Let me begin with my personal favourite, Agnes Chan Mei Ling from Hong Kong. She came onto the scene in the early 70s with her rendition of songs like "Circle Game", "Nobody's Child" and "Devoted to You". She also had a role in some Shaw Brothers' movies like "The Generation Gap". Later she became very popular in Japan and had a string of Japanese numbers.

Well, I hope the sweet voice of this sixteen year old will rekindle your musical memories ...

This lady was obviously an over-achiever. Not only was she a singer and television personality, she also went on to earn a PhD (in Education), became a professor at some Japanese universities, an essayist, a novelist, a wife, a mother of two boys, and ... since 1988, Agnes Chan was the UNICEF goodwill ambassador for Japan. Impressive, huh?

Here's another classic one from her ...

The next singer I'd like to feature is Frances Yip. Remember her? I still have her "Discovery" album, the one where she sings a selection of songs from different Asian countries.

Another musical talent from Hong Kong, Frances Yip was especially well known for singing this Cantonese theme song "Shanghai Beach" from a popular TVB series "The Bund". This was also the series that catapulted Chow Yun Fatt to fame. In a recent interview, Yip reckons she has sung this signature song more than 10,000 times. But she still brings down the house whenever she belts it out.

Frances Yip came into the music scene through winning a Hong Kong television singing contest in 1969 with her rendition of Dusty Springfield's "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me". Her career has spanned 35 years and more than 80 albums.

Here's me and my albums ...

I think I'll stop here for this posting. However this is only the first part. In subsequent parts of this posting, we can have glimpses of your other favourite Asian songbirds. So do put in your comments and recommendations ...
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Satok Suspension Bridge Revisited

2010-07-17T21:52:00.000+08:00

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In July last year, I put up a little posting about the old Satok Suspension Bridge. The address for that, if you want to refresh your memory, is

http://stjoe-form5in1976.blogspot.com/2009/07/remember-satok-suspension-bridge.html

Well, I thought I'd briefly touch on this topic again today. No, the structure isn't going to be rebuilt by the state government, as far as I know. And no, they didn't find any skulls in the excavated foundations either :)

The reason for this new item is a photograph (sent to me by Leo, thanks man!) which clears up a little debate we had last year about what the bridge could actually support during its time.

See boys ... I knew what the elders told me about the bridge was true.

The moral of this story is: Don't under-estimate old erections. Until the very end, their performance is usually better than people think".
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Scenes of Hanoi, Vietnam

2010-07-16T11:28:00.005+08:00

This week I'm back in Hanoi for workshops and meetings. Thought I'd just post some random shots from this charming capital city of Vietnam, taken over the space of many trips.

Mind you, June and July aren't the best months to visit Hanoi. The temperature can go up to 45 degrees C. Fortunately I am going between one air-con building and another, so don't have to bear the full brunt of the heat. Can really get "chau tah", man!

On 10th Oct 2010, the city (Thang Long-Hanoi) will be celebrating its 1000th year as the key capital. It was founded in 1010 as a city called Thang Long (Flying Dragon). In fact, throughout its dramatic history, Hanoi has borne many names: Giao Chi (Remote Land), Tong Binh (Proper Home), An Nam (Peaceful South), Dai La (Great Belt, as in the dyke surrounding the city), Dong Do and Dong Quan (both meaning Capital), Dong Kinh (Eastern Capital) - which the French priests later interpreted as Tongkin. The name Hanoi, or more strictly Ha Noi, only appeared after the Nguyen Dynasty attained power in 1802, shifted the capital to Hue and renamed the city in 1831. Ha Noi literally translates to City in the River, City Surrounded by Rivers, City in the Bend of the River, or more romantically City in the Embrace of the Rivers. Despite the name change, even well into the 20th century, people still like to call the city Thang Long.

Sunset scene on Hoan Kiem lake in the centre of Hanoi

The Opera House, Hanoi

Want a "Mona Lisa" or "Sunflowers" painting in your living room? Want yourself standing next to the Mona Lisa? All can be done through the talents of these copy artists in the streets of Hanoi.

A candid shot into an alley way

Outside a souvenir shop near the Old Quarter of Hanoi.

A street in the Old Quarters

This photo by Jemima Yong (jemimayong@hotmail.com) captures the spirit of community living in the Old Quarters of Hanoi. If you look carefully at the individual characters, you can almost make up a story of what's happening.

A roadside fruit seller arranges her ware

The unique art form of Water Puppetry in Hanoi

Ok, more photos on Hanoi later. I now have a plane to catch ...

NEW ADDITIONS

For those who are asking for pictures of the Vietnamese lasses, this is for you ...

Sorry guys, I can't help it if they're shy lah!

World Cup Final (continued)

2010-07-14T01:19:00.000+08:00

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Here are a few more photos from our representative in Johannesburg ...

Not sure what our friend is doing with the Coke people. Hmmmm, I thought the Three Degrees disbanded a long time ago. Maybe they are going for a reunion ...

On the photo above, he speaks of a spectacular show at the WC Finals.

Who's that masked man? Nah, it's just AM again, apparently freezing from the cold. I never thought of South Africa as being cold.
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World Cup Final : Holland vs Spain

2010-07-11T20:58:00.002+08:00

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So far I have resisted posting anything on football on the blog, but I noticed there's already been some healthy football discussion happening on the Chat Box. Well, since we are about five hours to the Final match between HOLLAND and SPAIN, I've decided to succomb and mark the momentous event with a posting.

This was a large Match Schedule/Score poster I saw at the Resorts World Sentosa, the other IR which I visited this weekend. I'll tell you more about the visit in a future posting, but for now, let's just use this post to discuss anything related to the World Cup or soccer in general ...

You can share your views, your favoured team, why you think they will win, any comments on the World Cup competition so far .... anything except try to blow the vuvuzela !

LIVE UPDATE

Seems that one lucky chap from our gang made it to Johannesburg for the finals. Enjoy yourself, man! But I don't agree with your choice of shirt colour.

Viva Espana !!! Woooooo !!!!!!
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On Top of Singapore

2010-07-09T15:38:00.002+08:00

Recently we decided to explore the newly opened Marina Bay Sands integrated resort (IR) facilities in Singapore. This was the second IR to open on the island state, the first one being the Resorts World Sentosa, which opened its doors on the Lunar New Year.

The MBS buildings are certainly impressive structures, and for the past year we had been observing the three towers growing higher and higher, and finally the horizontal boat-shaped structure was put on top. I have no doubt it was quite an engineering challenge.

Well, here are some photos from that day ...

The above was on Level 1 of the mall & casino building, where a canal had been constructed to give short rides to the visitors.

Next we bought tickets to take the elevator to the Sky Park, as they call it. It cost S$20 per adult, with discounts for children and senior citizens.

The picture above shows the two orbs making up the Esplanade theatres, while on the right, you can see the seating and performing areas that will be used for the annual National Day celebrations.

I must admit the view from the Sky Park was much better than from the Singapore Flyer, the big wheel that we visited about 1.5 years ago. You can get a sense of the relative size of the Flyer as compared to the MBS tower in the photo above.

This view above is overlooking Clifford Pier and the Financial district.

And this one shows the Marina Barrage in the background.

The other section which was interesting was the swimming pool. As you can see, the pool goes almost to the edge of the building, and gives the impression that if one is not careful, it's a long drop down to earth. Looks scary but it doesn't seem to bother the swimmers and sunbathers.

Anyway, enjoy the scenery ...
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A Meeting in Vientiane

2010-07-05T00:36:00.010+08:00

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Yesterday I received an email from Alfred KK Wong sharing that he had just met with another of our old classmates Dr Chong Chi Nai in Vientiane, Laos. The last time they met was 34 years ago, probably back in the Form 5Sc class at St Joe. CCN works for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and has been based in Manila prior to his recent move to Vientiane.

Here's an excerpt from AW's note

"I was on a short break in town and managed to catch up with him at a nice restaurant fronting the Mekong River and overlooking Thailand on the other side of the mighty river. We caught up on the good old times and must really say that time has been good to him as he really looked well and fit. He even offered to give me a tour of the city by driving around personally even though he has only been posted to Vientiane for a month.

Thank you , Dr Chong and hope to catch up with you real soon.

Also thanks for your pledge for the school desks. I will pass your pledge to BC when I fly home next week.

Alfred Wong, Form 5 Science 76"

Many thanks to Alfred for sharing about this reunion. Best wishes to both gentlemen and their families.
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Musical Humorous Interlude

2010-07-04T15:11:00.001+08:00

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I just came back from a hectic, stressful one-week business trip, and to relax, I felt that music alone won't do it. I felt in the mood for somewhat frivolous entertainment ... a little bit of sillyness ...

Back in the 70s and 80s, I loved the music of the group Queen (especially when Freddy Mercury was the lead singer). Some of Queen's classics include "We are the champions", "Crazy little thing called love", "We will rock you" and of course "Bohemian Rhapsody" (which in my view is probably the best rock/pop song of all time).

Back then, I also enjoyed various humorous shows on TV, like the Muppets (created by the late Jim Henson). Ok, ok ... I did enjoy a bit of "Sesame Street" when no one was watching too.

So for this post, I decided to combine the two genres and let you enjoy the following two videoclips. Do remember to turn up the speaker volume ...

Now wasn't that just brilliant?

What about this other number, which i'm sure you've also heard before?

Don't knock it. This went to number #1 on the UK Pop charts in 1977.

Ahhhhhh .... I feel much better now ....

Enjoy.
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Giving Back to St Joe (continued)

2010-07-03T01:28:00.001+08:00

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On 1st July 2010, some of the guys had breakfast at Kwong Hup Cafe on Jalan Keretapi, Kuching.

A cheque of RM 1,500 was presented by Datuk JJ to Bob Chew, for the St Joe donation.

THANK YOU, Datuk JJ for your generosity!

Datuk JJ presents cheque to Bob, while Norbert, Mark and Sinos look on

Sorry guys, for general security reasons I think it's better not to show the other close-up picture of the cheque that you sent to me.

Thanks all for giving back to your alma mater.
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Did You Have One of These as a Lad?

2010-06-27T00:46:00.000+08:00

The proper English word for this may be slingshot or catapult .... but we used to call it a "lastick".

So did you own one as a boy? I suspect quite a number of us did at one time or another. It was just a "macho" thing to have (maybe because schools banned it). Not that many of us used it for any serious or injurious purpose. All I ever did with mine was practice shooting pebbles at a banana tree in an aunt's garden.

I'd like to say this was my old weapon from those youthful days, but alas my lastick disappeared a long, long time ago. In fact I saw this in a shop in Shanghai last week and just couldn't resist buying it for old memories' sake.
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Sizzling Shanghai (Part 2)

2010-06-24T13:52:00.001+08:00

We spent almost a whole day at the Shanghai Expo 2010. We got there just as it opened at 10am. Most of the expo is on the Pudong side, with a smaller section on the Puxi side (Pudong and Puxi represent respectively the areas to the east and west of the Huangpu river that cuts through Shanghai).

Overall a very impressive showcase, and as might be expected, with throngs of people visiting. I reckon this could become the most visited Expo ever! Here's a selection of photos from our day at the Expo ...

Photo (1) : At the China pavilion (didn't go in as the queue was about 4 hours long)

Photo (2) : I love the architectural designs !

Photo (3) : At the Malaysian pavilion. Negara ku .......

Photo (4) : Some shots with the Malaysian dancers performing outside

Photo (5) : We didn't go in but sampled some Malaysian fare outside. Alas, taste not so sedap.

Photo (6) : This is the Singapore pavilion, supposedly shaped like a music box

Photo (7a) : No Sinos, I haven't returned to Siem Reap. This is within the Cambodia pavilion.

Photo (7b) : The Kingdom of Cambodia pavilion

Photo (8) : G'day mate, here's the Aussie pavilion

Photo (9) : With Cisco colleagues in the Estonia pavilion

Photo (10) : In front of the Latvia pavilion

Photo (11a) : UK Pavilion

Photo (11b) : Standing outside the UK pavilion

Photo (12) : Finally, with a colleague outside the Cisco pavilion

Well, there are obviously many, many more pavilions and sights that I won't be able to show ... so if you do have a chance, go visit it yourself. The Shanghai Expo 2010 continues till October 2010.

Sizzling Shanghai (Part 1)

2010-06-22T01:01:00.001+08:00

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Just got back from Shanghai in the wee hours of Monday. Wife and I were there for five days. For me, it was a business trip - participating in an "Urban Innovation" conference organized by Cisco and hosting some government officials from ASEAN - but we also took a couple of days to explore this vibrant city as well as visit the Shanghai Expo 2010. It was also micro-reunion time as we met up with Jimmy Kho Khoon Haw (Form 5Sc, 1976), his wife Janet (also a Teresian) and youngest daughter. Jimmy has been based in Shanghai for work for a few years.

The first thing one notices about Shanghai is how many people there are! Shanghai has more than 20 million residents (and rising). But consider this: even though Shanghai only has 1 percent of China's population, it accounts for 5 percent of the country's output and 25 percent of total trade!

Here are some photos. It will probably take me a few postings to do a decent job in reflecting the exciting metropolis that is Shanghai. The next few are from an area known as Nanshi, the old Chinese City.

Photo (1) : In front of Hu Xin Ting teahouse, near Yu Yuan in Nanshi area

Photo (2) : Same area

Photo (3) : Look at the human traffic !

Photo (4) : More people :)

Photo (5) : The area is known for its tea houses

Photo (6) : We did have some snacks from Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant

Photo (7) : Added festive mood with many signs on the Shanghai Expo 2010

Photo (8) : My friend, the Shanghai Expo mascot, is based on the character "ren" (person)

Photo (9) : Out for dinner on the Bund (Puxi side) with Jimmy Kho on Friday evening

Photo (10) : Jimmy, Janet and youngest daughter

Thanks Jimmy & Janet !

More Shanghai explorations in the next posting.
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Norbert and family in Singapore

2010-06-17T13:17:00.000+08:00

Our buddy Norbert Liew and family were in Singapore last week. Unfortunately I was tied up with work much of the week but we finally managed to catch-up for lunch at Yum Cha dim sum restaurant in Chinatown on Saturday. It was good to catch up and meet him and his lovely family (including sis-in-law and niece).

Here are some photos we happened to take ...

Photo (1) : Food glorious food ...

Photo (2) : My father also joined us for dim sum

Photo (3) : Smile, ladies ...

Photo (4) : Norbert, his sis-in-law, 2 daughters and young niece

Hope you all had a nice time in Singapore, Norbert and family ...

Giving Back to St Joe

2010-06-12T21:40:00.012+08:00

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Bottomline: Pledges Needed
We've been discussing ways of giving back to St Joe for a while. Based on discussions that Bob Chew and I have had with the Principal and our review of various possible needs suggested, we propose a one-time sponsorship of new desks for students and teachers for 3 classrooms. This will impact 6 classes since these classes are used by morning and afternoon students.Total cost for this is around RM 8,500. I propose we aim for the auspicious figure of RM 8,888.

We currently have RM 5,000 left from our Grand Reunion funds. We need a further RM 3,888 and hope that you will agree that this is a meaningful way we can make a small contribution to our alma mater. We therefore hope you will be generous and pledge an amount (as small or as large as you like) towards making up this figure. Just make your pledge in the comments. We'll figure out the collection process later. We hope to be able to present our contribution to the Principal by July 2010.

Here's the latest status (updated daily):
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Details now follow ...
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Background
A few weeks ago, Bob and I called on St Joe's principal Mr Thomas Lau to explore some meaningful ways we could contribute to the continuing education of the new generation. We had an interesting chat and Mr Lau and assistant Raymond brought us on a little tour of the school grounds. You've already seen photos of the Library. Here are some shots from our old classrooms in the Old Boys Block.

Photo 1: One of the classes we studied in back in 1975 and 1976

Photo 2: Another view of the same class

Photo 3: Mr Lau shows the condition of the desks and chairs

Photo 4: The next classroom

Photo 5: Bob trying to show us he still remembers his Add Maths formulae

In deciding what form our donation takes, we are guided by the following principles:
(a) the donation will be for something that helps in the education of the students,
(b) it will be a once-off donation, rather than extended over a period which may be hard to manage,
(c) it should be something that a sizeable number of students will actually make use of

After listening to the Principal on possible areas that would benefit from sponsorship, we have decided on sponsoring new desks for three classrooms (our old ones in 1976), namely
old 5Sc - now 2H and 5H
old 5A1 - now 2G and 5I
old 5A2 - now 2F and 4E

Student desks (103 units @ RM 68 each) = RM 7,004

Teacher's table (3 units @ RM 500 each) = RM 1,500

Other expenses for future repairs (and rounding up to an auspicious number :) = RM 384
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Total needed = RM 8,888

We currently have RM 5,000 left from the Grand Reunion. So to top that up, I'd like to ask if any of the boys of 1976 would be willing to pledge some more (up to RM3,888) to bring this figure to an auspicious RM 8,888.

Just enter your pledge (your name and amount pledged) as a comment to this posting. We'll figure out how to collect the money from you later. I'll also put up a running count of how much we have collected, updated daily. I'm sure I can count on your generosity. Thanks in advance.
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Musical Interlude

2010-06-09T18:16:00.000+08:00

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Nice song from the Seventies. David Soul, the "Hutch" of "Starsky and Hutch", launched his singing career with this beautiful number. I agree that the images have little connection with the song lyics, but they do look nice. So turn up your PC volume, and click the play button ...

Enjoy ...
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Mark and family in Singapore

2010-06-05T23:09:00.003+08:00

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Mark Chin and family were in Singapore this week. On Friday, we went for dinner at Newton Food Centre.

Afterwards we went for a stroll by the waterfront at the Esplanade Theatres by the Bay (affectionately called "The Durians") to take in the Singapore night skyline.

Click click click! Opportunities for some nice photos ... The new Marina Bay Sands integrated resorts (including the casino) is in the background ... The well-known local joke is that the three distinctive buildings represent the "Father, Son and Holy Goh".

The Merlion and Fullerton Hotel (which was the former General Post Office), backed by the buildings of the financial district, make for quite a nice night view.

There were also some free performances around Esplanade area, which we stayed around to watch ...

... as well as take some shots with the outdoor displays ...

It was good to meet Mark & family. We all had an interesting evening.
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Selamat Hari Gawai (Part 2)

2010-06-04T18:27:00.000+08:00

Here are some photos sent to me by Ah Loot, from his visit to Sinos' place at Kg Seratau (15th Mile) on the Kuching/Serian Road.

Photo 1: A smiling Sinos, back from Cambodia

Photo 2: Ah Loot joins for a group photo

Photo 3: Mr and Mrs

Photo 4: One more time ...

Photo 5

Photo 6: What a lovely house !

Photo 7: Getting ready for the dance

Photo 8: This is how you do the traditional Bidayuh Gawai dance ...

Photo 9: C'mon, all join in ...

Photo 10: Isn't this fun?

Photo 11

Photo 12

Sure looked like a happy and enjoyable day !
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On the Riverfront

2010-06-02T16:34:00.002+08:00

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For those who live abroad and haven't been back to Kuching for a while and not seen what the riverfront (where the buildings accomodating the poultry and vegetable markets used to be) now look like, this posting is for you ...

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Photo 4

Photo 5

Photo 6

Photo 7

Photo 8

Photo 9

Photo 10

Photo 11

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Although I'm still saddened by the demolition of the historic wet market buildings along Gambier Road, and the hardship this caused many traders who had sold their ware there for generations, I must admit the Sarawak River scene from the new frontage is quite peaceful and beautiful.

Selamat Gawai Dayak

2010-05-31T16:08:00.000+08:00

Name the Town

2010-05-29T18:10:00.001+08:00

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Here's a little quiz to test how well you know your Sarawak. If you have been travelling around the towns and cities of our great state, some of these statues and monuments should be quite familiar to you. I must admit that when Leo Sia first sent these photos to me, I was completely stumped by some of them. It just goes to show that I've got to do a lot more sightseeing within Sarawak.

Out of the following, let's see how many you score (one is an obvious giveaway, of course) ...

Town 1

Town 2

Town 3

Town 4

Town 5

Town 6

Town 7

Town 8

Town 9

Town 10

An added incentive is that the first one who gets all ten absolutely correct will receive some automotive accessories. So what are you waiting for ? Send your attempts to me at jslyong@hotmail.com .
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Revisiting the Library

2010-05-27T16:47:00.001+08:00

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When was the last time you visited our St Joe Library? For me it was probably 1976 or 1977. Well, last week Bob Chew and I visited the school principal Mr Thomas Lau for a discussion on areas the Class of 1976 could give back to the school. During that visit, we were shown various parts of the school including the library. I thought some of you might be interested to see what the library looks like now, so I took some photos.

Well, here's the main entrance ...

After you enter, there's a large librarian desk area on the left ...

Then there are half a dozen or so rows of private study cubicles ...

A pair of common use computers sit in one corner ...

You then have to go through some glass doors to get to the second section ...

The book shelves looked very familiar. Looking more closely, I discovered that they were the very same shelves from the time of the 70s.

Towards the other end, there are some locked rooms, one of which contained several more computers for student use.

Walking through the library brought back many memories. This was a place that some of us spent many hours in, and got to know extremely well back in our day.

The place looks reasonably well maintained, but obviously more can be done to improve the collection of reference books, upgrade the computing tools and possibly enhance the physical furnishings.

Happy 80th Birthday to Bro Albinus

2010-05-23T03:28:00.000+08:00

I learnt that Bro Albinus O'Flaherty celebrated his 80th birthday this weekend. Bro Albinus was the former principal of St Joseph's Secondary School (1963-69) and Sacred Heart Sacondary School (1972-1986). He is also the author of the book "A new dawn : history of the Archdiocese of Kuching (1976-2001)".

Bro Albinus, like all the other brothers, has done a great deal for education in Sarawak. I believe he is the last remaining La Salle brother in Kuching (and mostly probably in Sarawak), and resides at St Joe. He still oversees a tuition program for underserved students especially in rural areas around Kuching

My dad (also a Josephian in the 1940s) and I visited him briefly last Thursday, and Bro Albinus looks well and in good cheer.

I'm sure Bro Albinus would greatly appreciate your well-wishes or a quick visit if you were around our alma mater.
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Meeting of Mustached Brothers

2010-05-19T21:59:00.000+08:00

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Place: Lobby of RH Hotel, Sibu
Date: 17th May 2010
Time: 10:19PM

After almost 40 years, I had the opportunity to meet my ol' primary school buddy Gerard Harry. What a momentous occasion !

I quickly found that Gerard is the same friendly, chatty and carefree boy that I knew from those early years.

I also found that we shared many similar physical characteristics (no prizes for any that you spot in the above photo :-)

Gerard and I went out for teh-si and snacks, and chatted till late.

We had dinner again the following evening.
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Well buddy, let's not wait another 40 years to catch up.

Adventures in South China (Part 3)

2010-05-18T18:36:00.000+08:00

I reckon many of you are waiting with bated breath for this concluding part of the guys' South China adventures.

Well, to start off, let me put in one photo of Ah Loot (again!) that should have gone into Part 2. I don't think any caption is needed ...

Anyway the boys spent almost a day in Hong Kong. The first photo is them on their way there.

They were at the HK waterfront, where there's a place dedicated to Asian movie stars. Here's Nobert at the Avenue of the Stars. Lights, camera, action !

Norbert, I guess you liked Ti Lung a lot back in those days ...

And who is Ah Loot matching his hand with? Andy Lau?

Waaaaooooooiooooo .... Lee Xiao Loong or Lee Xiao Loot ?

Touring Hong Kong on a topless bus ...

The grand tour master ...

Did the guys go to Hong Kong Disneyland ?

Yummmmmm .... roast goose?

Well, I must say that the guys are letting Ah Loot get all the photographic limelight. Hmmm, I wonder why?

Anyway, the grand finale follows in the next two photos. No comment from me, except that I was told these shots were of a touch screen at a spa. I'll let the guys explain how the system works. LOL.

Sure seemed like a very interesting adventure to South China.

Adventures in South China (Part 2)

2010-05-17T12:03:00.001+08:00

Hope you enjoyed Part 1. Here's the continuation of the South China adventure ...

The guys visited the famous city of Dongguan (which I'm told is the place where more than half of the world's branded sports shoes and related sports items are made !). They obviously enjoyed themselves drinking and singing. I think you pay the singer/musician RMB 10 per song or something like that ...

A happy Ah Loot on candid camera ... smile !!!

Another singer/musician comes on ...

... and Ah Loot shows his vocal prowess ...

Not sure whether this is before or after the singing session, but apparently this is a pirate van that the guys are getting into ...

More foot massages ...

Some were brave enough to try the food at the roadside stalls ... and some weren't.

Speaking of food, here's how McDonalds is delivered in China.

Yummmmmm .... enjoying Peking Duck ... first time for some?

Everyone agrees the food was good !

There's quite a number of photos still to share, so it seems like I'll have to extend to Part 3, where you'll see more on their time in Hong Kong ... and maybe more exciting spas and massages ?

Adventures in South China (Part 1)

2010-05-14T13:18:00.000+08:00

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From 17th-23rd April, a small group led by "old China hand", Ben Wong, visited a number of interesting locations in South China. The intrepid adventurers included Norbert Liew, Anthony Chung, Edward Chin, Robert Chin, Chris Chu (from a number of years after us) and Basil Wee (of Tabuan Jaya curry fame).

They had a whirlwind trip, going to Macau, Zhuhai, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Guangzhou and HK all in 7days.(note: some went seperate ways when they arrived at Zhuhai.)

It was a first trip to China/Macau/HK for Norbert, Edward and Basil.

Ben sent me quite a number of photos, so this posting will be spread over Part 1 and Part 2.

First we have a photo of the team in Macau. I believe this is at The Venetian casino ? Guys, help me out here.

Photo 1

They were also in Zhuhai ...

Photo 2

... and Shenzhen ...

Photo 3

where they had some pampering of their feet ...

Photo 4

Photo 5

after which they were ready for action again ...

Photo 6

They also spent half a day at the Guangzhou fair.

Photo 7

Photo 8

Later they went to the train station and took a bullet train ride to Shaoguan and back. It was an interesting ride, travelling at a top speed of 348 km/h.

Photo 9

Photo 10

Photo 11

Photo 12

Photo 13

Photo 14

Photo 15

Photo 16

Well, I'll let the adventurers provide you with the details behind these photos.

More exciting stuff on Dongguan and Hong Kong, and in spas and singalongs. Watch out for Part 2.

Motorcycle Mavericks (Part 3)

2010-05-13T12:18:00.001+08:00

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Our man in Cambodia sent me these pictures a few days ago. Tuan Sinos wants to share the joy of his new arrival with all ...

Soooooo ... presenting his recently acquired lean, mean Honda VTX1300C bike ( 1300 cc) !!!!

He went for a test ride to Battambang, the 2nd biggest city in Cambodia, about 280 KM from Siem Reap. Here are some of the scenes ...

Fierce looking, man!

Tengok pun takut sedikit lah!

And they're off ......

I'm sure our motorcycle fans and speed fiends will have lots of comments ...
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George and Gerard Get-together

2010-05-12T10:25:00.000+08:00

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This photo was sent to me a few days ago. (You need a new phone camera, Georgie Boy ... the resolution just ain't good enough. We have high standards on this blog! LOL).

Anyway, it looks like a great meeting of old chums in Kuching ... I reckon the two haven't met since way back in 1971 when Gerard left St Joe after Primary 6 and took up a scholarship to continue his education in Peninsula Malaysia. That's almost 40 years!!!

I'll leave GL & GH to comment further on the where and when and how ....

"St Joe in the 70s" Puzzle

2010-05-09T02:11:00.001+08:00

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I've been trying out a new crossword puzzle generation software, and here's a little crossword to test whether you have been paying attention during your time at St Joe or on this blog ...

Anyway, try your skill at this. And as usual, numerous "no prizes" await the ones who get it all right !
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Superheroes and Other Characters

2010-05-07T11:36:00.001+08:00

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Many of us grew up with comics featuring superheroes and other characters. In fact I was just thumbing through some old issues of Superman and Spiderman just the other day, and it dawned on me that many of these characters are as old as if not older than we are. For instance, Superman first appeared in 1938, Batman in 1939 and Spiderman in 1962. Yet in the comics and TV features even in present times, they are portrayed looking not a day older than when we first laid eyes on them.

This is so UNFAIR !!!! While all of us are still relatively young, I dare say we are feeling some effects of wear and tear over the years (except for a few notably youthful looking ones like RC and WKK ... what's the secret guys???)

Anyway, I reckon if those comic characters were real, this is probably what they would look like today ...

Even lovable creatures like Tweety Bird are not spared ... I reckon Sylvester might fare better as cats are supposed to have nine lives ...

And finally for the ladies who enjoyed playing with Barbie dolls, our blondie friend has also been ravaged by time ...

Just for laughs at the end of a long week ... TGIF !!!!

p/s Thanks to Leonardo for sharing these pictures. If I could find the artist(s), I would acknowledge them.

Classic Openings of Chinese Film Productions

2010-05-04T11:14:00.006+08:00

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The Chinese cinema was a big part of our teenage years.

I for one grew up on a diet of swordfighting and later kung fu movies out of Hong Kong and Taiwan. I know I'm not alone in having childhood action heroes and heroines like Ti Lung, David Chiang, Wang Yu, Cheng Pei Pei, Yueh Hua, Fu Sheng and of course the legendary Bruce Lee. My favourite director was Chang Chieh, who created an exciting, violent style with much displays of screen blood. Chang was also the inspiration for John Woo, who is so successful in Western action cinema today.

Some friends I know liked the more romance type movies starring the likes of Lin Chin Hsia (one of my good friends had a crush on her for years), Chen Chen, Chin Han (one was said to look like him) and others.

Of course, many of us also liked the more comedic actors and actresses, such as Li Kun, the Hui brothers, Lydia Sum and Hu Chin (yes, that sexy, funny lady with a mole on her chin!)

Anyway today I just wanted to let you relive the opening sequence of the two major Chinese film production companies we used to love.

Turn up the volume and play ...

And now this one ...

Doesn't that bring back good memories ?
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All about our Grand Reunion 2009

2010-05-03T09:41:00.026+08:00

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Dear friends,

I've been told that many visitors to this blog still enjoy looking at all the previous postings on our "The Big 50" Grand Reunion held at Merdeka Palace, Kuching on 23 Dec 2009. I've therefore decided to create this consolidated posting that allows you to more easily link to whichever Reunion post you may want to reminisce on. In addition, I'll also have a little banner stay on one side of the first screen so that you can conveniently click to get to this posting.

Pre-Reunion Post 1 - Announcement
Pre-Reunion Post 2 - Attendees

Pre-Reunion Updates #1
Pre-Reunion Updates #2
Pre-Reunion Updates #3
Pre-Reunion Updates #4
Pre-Reunion Updates #5
Pre-Reunion Updates #6
Pre-Reunion Updates #7

Posting 1 - School Visit

Posting 2 - Visiting St Mike Cafe

Posting 3 - Special Messages

Posting 4 - Dinner Extravaganza

Posting 5 - Videoclips from the Party

Posting 6 - Walking Down Memory Lane

Posting 7 - Favourite Photos

Post-Grand Reunion Message from Bro Columba

Posting 8 - Gift Bag

Posting 9 - Photos Galore

Here's a photo montage of the occasion.

So now you can enjoy "The Mother of All Reunions" over and over again! Have fun !

Best Wishes
--- JY
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Deep Purple in Concert

2010-05-01T11:35:00.001+08:00

Did you guys remember DEEP PURPLE ?

For those whose memories need to be jogged, Deep Purple was this hard rock band formed in Hertford, UK in 1968. They are regarded as one of the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock. They also incorporated classical music, blues-rock, pop and progressive rock elements into some of their musical numbers. Once listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world's loudest band, Deep Purple has sold over 100 million albums worldwide.

The band have gone through many line-up changes and an eight-year hiatus (1976–84). The 1968–76 line-ups are commonly labeled Mark I, II, III and IV. Their second and most commercially successful line-up featured Ian Gillan (vocals), Ritchie Blackmore (guitar), Jon Lord (keyboards), Roger Glover (bass) and Ian Paice (drums). This line-up was active from 1969 to 1973 and was revived from 1984 to 1989 and again in 1993, before the rift between Blackmore and other members became unbridgeable. The current line-up has left Paice as the only original member to have never left the band.

Well guys, turn up your speakers to the very MAX ... and play this music video to reactivate those burning hot rocker attitudes you may have once possessed ... (better you find a quiet room and lock the door, in case you start jumping around and doing the air guitar thing!)

Wasn't that nice?

Now for the scoop ... do you know that Deep Purple is back on tour? Better still they will be performing in Perth on Wed 5 May, Singapore on Wed 12 May, Bangkok on Fri 14 May and in Genting, KL on Sun 16 May !!!! Anyone planning to go and rock the night away ?

Check out their Official Tour website.

Perspectives of Sarawak History

2010-04-29T16:09:00.005+08:00

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I came across this familiar looking book in the library recently ...

It brought back memories of our history lessons in Form 2 or Form 3. I'm sure most of us went through this book during that time. I recall reading stories of exciting battles and uprisings and rebels and pirates.

Of course at that time, the White Rajahs and the British were portrayed as the good guys, and the baddies were Rentap (the Iban chief of Bukit Sadong fame), Sharif Masahor (the Melanau warrior) , Liu Shan Bang (leader of the 1857 Chinese Uprising) and Rosli Dhobi (who assasinated the second British governor Sir Duncan Stewart in 1949).

Nowadays the history books, written during a more confident Malaysian era, tell a slightly different story. The White Rajahs and British are exposed as imperialist exploiters of our innocent land and people, whilst Rentap, Masahor, Liu and Rosli Dhobi are local heroes, fighting for their people and way of life. I found some interesting website links on Rentap , Sharif Masahor, Liu and Rosli Dhobi that you might want to check out ...

It all goes to support two important lessons that I've heard from different people: "History is written by the eventual victors" and also "One man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter". Both good points to remember to give yourself greater perspective as you read about events of the past, and even as you observe current happenings around the globe.

On Sarawak history, I suppose the truth - if there's any such thing - lies somewhere in between these two extremes. Few people are really 100 percent good just as no one is ever totally evil. It's usually not a case of simply black or white, but many shades in-between.
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Mini-Tornado in Miri ?

2010-04-28T12:50:00.000+08:00

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I was sent a couple of these photos recently. Thanks Stephen!

Interesting weather phenomena. This apparently happened on 26 April 2010. Did anyone witness this? Any damage or injuries? It looks like it was way out at sea, so unless you're an unfortunate sailor or fisherman at the wrong spot and the wrong time, I reckon it should not have caused too much havoc.

Any meteorologists or scientists out there want to explain how these things happen?
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On MOUs, Marble and Music

2010-04-23T11:47:00.006+08:00

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The recent drought of postings was because I've been busy travelling. Back to Vietnam - two days in Hanoi, two days in Da Nang (where I am right now) and half a day stopover in HCMC.

Da Nang was the key focus of this trip. It's still one of my favourite cities in Vietnam and I've been engaging with various government agencies there for a number of years. The purpose of this trip was to oversee the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the People's Committee of Da Nang and Cisco. I had been working towards this for quite a while, and believed this to be a significant milestone in our partnership. More on this event can be read here and here and here and here.

After the official work was over, I had a chance to pay a visit to Marble Mountain, one of a cluster of five marble/limestone mountains located a few km south of Da Nang, that stretch from the coast inwards (in a westerly direction). The mountains are named after the five elements; Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth). There are many caves and tunnels in the mountains and I read that they were used quite a bit during the Vietnam (or American, depending on which side you are on) War. The area is now famous for stone sculpture making and stone-cutting crafts.

Here's a shot of the area where the Marble Mountains are located. You can see three out of the five mountains ...

And here are some shots taken at one of the many stone sculpture shops.

So remember guys, if you want to order some marble lions or dragons or deities or nude maidens or fountains for your grand mansions, you can place an order with me. Shipment to all corners of the world provided. I'll give you some good rates. LOL

Finally after dinner last night, we went to a music lounge to enjoy some traditional Vietnamese music and modern pop hits. I was impressed by the quality of the musicians (the white-haired violinist you see in the photo is particularly good!). And of course, there was a variety of singers doing everything from Vietnamese ballads to Lionel Richie's "Say You, Say Me". Alas, none attempted "Nobody".

All the lady singers I saw had extremely BIG ......... lungs (what were you thinking?). Powerful vocals indeed, as each lass belted out soulful numbers one after the other with ease.

After I post this, I'm heading straight to Da Nang Airport, bound for HCMC. Will post further if anything relevant catches my attention ... Ciao !
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Michael Goes to London

2010-04-16T11:40:00.000+08:00

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Firstly ....NO, this posting is not about a new music group like Michael Learns to Rock .... :-)

Instead this is a continuation from our Grand Reunion of 23 Dec 2009. On that marvellous evening, two lucky "boys" won the top prizes of Air Asia return air tickets to London - Michael Kong and Tan Yoke Hai.. This is the story of what happened next.

Michael and his family made the London trip in mid March 2010. This posting is excerpted from MK's recent email to me, describing their interesting trip ...

Photo (1): Aaron, Gabriel, Teresa and Mike at Buckingham Palace

Hi James,

How're you and your family in beautiful sunny S'pore? Wishing you all in the pink of health with the Lord's blessing as always.

Ben informed me to provide you some interesting news from our London stay - 15th-21st March.

Ah, where do i begin.......the british are predictable lot but the weather is not ...a normal yet memorable trip for us. Before the journey, gave Tan Yok Hai a token of appreciation for passing his share of air passage to us since the weather was too cold for his wife and the expiry date for the sponsored trip was 23/3/10.

The NST town house is very comfy to stay and is within walking distance to Oxford Street, Baker Street and Hyde/ Regent parks. Maryleborne Station is the closest tube station.

Reaching Liverpool street station around mid-nite on 15th March from Stansted airport, my family was shaken by the winter cold (previously, they never experienced any winter travel). The black London cab was the most inviting place to be on that cold nite. However, the driver was unsure of the place,Wyndham Mews, so we had to peel our sleepy eyes to help find the address, despite the jetlag. We were quite lost even on reaching the area.

Strangely when i suggested he took a u turn at the end of a block, there we saw the address sign. Feeling relieved and pleased, the driver asked for only 20 pounds even though the meter charged 26 pounds.Well, unlike in KL, where only one taxi driver(out of 6 guys we asked) knew where Jln Riong was (ie.NST office in Bangsar), we were charged rm20 for a short journey without a meter.

That London being part of the old world and able to sustain the brand of the premium tourist destination,is indeed itself a wonder.If only Malaysia could take a leaf to learn from its professionalism and commitment of the profitable tourism industry.

Londoners can be a caring lot as we crossed path with a young lady who gave my wife a pack of plasters at a tube station on seeing my wife's bleeding ankles due to walking without socks and just disappeared before we could say- thank you.

Londoners and foreign tourists like to stretch their pounds by shopping in Primark, a dept store retailing cheap ready- to-wear items from China,India,Thailand and other far-east suppliers (so-called sweat shops). The scenario was almost like a typical great sales of S'pore promotion,packed with shoppers and very stuffy inside.

About stretching the $, we ate fast food for lunch,yes,enough of Mac and Subway meals but enjoyed cooking breakfast and dinner at NST residence.

As you may have experienced, when staying abroad as a tourist, we appreciate simple meals and common sundries.Much like we are trying hard to travel as light as possible( i know, sometimes not to our liking),we could cope with a few necessities plus a lot more inconveniences like fast walking( with aching feet), hunger pangs and wearing winter clothings and looking like walking laundry bags!

So hopefully, after this trip, my two younger sons will be inspired to study harder (and smarter) after visiting London University even though i don't have a deep pocket for their full time UK education. Most of all, we as individuals,must learn to put up with any inconvenience and be brave to venture outside our comfort zone............

We are very grateful for NST's hospitality & company sponsorship of the excellent facilities, in particular, Dato' Anthony Bujang.

Many thanks to all our fellows making the Big Fifteers' memorable December evening possible...as well as to you, James, the one and only Website Jaga.

Cheers:)

Best Regards,

Michael Kong, Teresa Bong and the boys, Aaron and Gabriel

Thanks for your excellent report, Michael. We are very glad you all had an interesting trip. I now include a collection of photos you took on the trip. I won't be able to provide much commentary on them, so will leave MK and family to give their added inputs later.

Photo (2): Frontage of house they stayed at

Photo (3): Feathered friends at Hyde Park

(WJ: What an absolutely lovely shot!)

Photo (4): Baker Street - the home of Sherlock Holmes

Photo (5): MK in front of Big Ben (not Wong! :)

Photo (6): The London Eye

Photo (7): View of Westminster from the London Eye

Photo (8): In front of St Paul's Cathedral

Photo (9): Ayam Brand in the British Museum

Photo (10): Sarawak heritage at the British Museum

There are many other photos, but I thought I'd put these up first so you can enjoy them, and later this weekend I'll put up some more ...

Pete drops by Singapore

2010-04-14T13:06:00.001+08:00

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This week I had a chance to catch up briefly with Pete as he was in Singapore on a business visit.

We had drinks at the Ritz Carlton and chatted about business and life, Thai politics and class trips to Thailand, old times and new times ... We didn't have time to go out for crab or other local goodies as he had a tight schedule and was flying out to Oz the next day.

Anyway Pete looks good, and his architectural and design business seems to be doing very well. Watch out for the name Magnusprojects ... we'll definitely be seeing a lot more of their designs and products in luxury hotels, residences and offices around the world soon.

Remember you heard it first on this blog ! LOL.
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Old, Old Kuching - Part 5

2010-04-09T15:08:00.003+08:00

Here's a couple of old photographs I came across recently.

The first is a very recognisable place to most of you, I'm sure ... even though the surroundings are a bit strange, the main landmark hasn't changed. This was taken in the mid-1950s.

The next one is obviously some form of amusement park. I think this one was taken around the in late 1940s or early 1950s. Does anyone know where it was located?

The next building should also be quite familiar. I think it still looks much like it did back in the 1920s when this photo was taken. Do you know what's the name of this building though?

I may put in more later if I come across any ...

I would encourage any of you who may have interesting old photos of Kuching to send me scanned softcopies for sharing with the whole group.
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Crime in Malaysia

2010-04-07T10:15:00.001+08:00

Reports of crime in Malaysia have been in the headlines for quite a while. I'm sure you know people who have been subject to criminal acts, be it snatch thefts, robbery, break-in or vehicles stolen. Some of you might even have personal experiences of being victims of crime (though I hope these haven't been too traumatic). Many say that the problem worsened over the past ten years.

Here's a few facts about the street crime situation (taken from the government's own reports)

It is somewhat reassuring to note that one of Prime Minister Najib Razak's National Key Result Areas (NKRAs) is focused squarely on "Reducing Crime". There are specific targets like "reducing street crime by 20% by Dec 2010" and "reducing the overall reported index crime by 5% every year for the next three years". In many crime "hot spot" areas in KL, I have begun to notice a higher police presence, which is good. Recent reports seem to suggest improvements in the overall street crime situation, but I reckon the main challenge is sustaining a low crime rate.

Of course, crime is more than just street crime. The reported crime index is made up of the following categories: house break-in, motorcycle theft, car theft, lorry theft, general theft, violent crime and snatch theft.

If you are keen to read more about the Malaysian government's NKRAs, go to this website. By the way, in case you are not aware, the development of these GTP reports was spearheaded by the government agency PEMANDU (under the PM Office), the CEO of which is Senator/Minister and prominent Sarawakian, Datuk Seri Idris Jala (former CEO of Malaysian Airlines). I had a chance to meet him last month. Nice chap.

I'm particularly interested in this topic of Crime Reduction from both a personal and professional level. Personal because I still go back to Malaysia regularly (and aspire to balik kampung to retire one day), and professional because I'm leading an initiative for my company to propose technology-enabled solutions to the Malaysian leadership.

So I hope you guys won't find it too much of an intrusion if I ask you to share YOUR experiences and views on the crime situation in Malaysia (whichever cities or towns you are familiar with), where you think are the key problem areas and any interesting ideas you might have on what can be done to help reduce crime and give everyone a greater sense of security. I know some of our classmates are actively involved in neighbourhood watch programmes, and I think such activities are great as they allow private citizens to take more proactive measures against would-be criminals.
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Happy Easter !

2010-04-04T11:36:00.000+08:00

Gone Fishing (Part 3)

2010-04-03T17:58:00.000+08:00

Here's a series of photos from our buddy Lipp Kee, now living in Canada.

I don't know the details but I believe this was on a recent fishing trip that he made with his colleagues. Hey, Lipp Kee, I'll have to let you share with the rest exactly what you were up to & where you were ...

Whatever it is, it looks like fun.

Photo (1) : Your yacht, Mr Chieh?

Photo (2) : Nice picture, from this twin engine craft

Photo (3) : What a big plate of "curry fish head" this would make!

Photo (4) : Aye aye, captain!

Photo (5) : Stop being so crabby

Photo (6) : Look at this big one I caught

Photo (7) : Another one for dinner

Photo (8) : Look what my crab net brought in

Thanks for sharing the photos, CLK. Now tell us all what we missed ...

Simon Heng (Form 5A2) Reconnected

2010-04-02T17:17:00.003+08:00

Got a note from Alfred Wong today who bumped into Simon Heng in Sibu today ...

Simon moved to Sibu in 1977 to get married. He has 3 children, the eldest girl being 30 and just got married last year. The youngest child is in Form 4.

Simon is in the taxi services business, so if any of you have transportation requirements in or around Sibu, give our old formmate a call. He can be contacted at 016 866 3321.
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April Fool Jokes & Pranks

2010-04-02T11:11:00.002+08:00

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Yesterday was 1st April, which most people know as April Fool's Day or All Fools' Day. The day is marked by the creation of hoaxes and other practical jokes and pranks of varying sophistication on friends, family members, enemies, and neighbors, or sending them on a fool's errand, the aim of which is simply to have some fun and to embarrass the gullible or unsuspecting. Most of these jokes are small but some are pretty big scale. Some can be quite hilarious (except perhaps to the victims of the prank) and still memorable after many years.

I remember one April Fool's Day back in the late 70's when I was in London, the BBC's "That's Life" program announced that a new species of creature had been discovered. They showed footage of something called the Lirpa Loof which looked somewhat like a cross between a small monkey and a koala. They even showed the stool of this strange creature to be purple in colour and glowed in the dark (making good use of colour tv technology obviously). The announcer said the creature was now in captivity at the London Zoo. As a result hundreds of people called in and crowds flocked to London Zoo hoping to catch a glimpse of the creature.

Another joke I read about was when the BBC programme Panorama ran a famous hoax in 1957, showing Italians harvesting spaghetti from trees. They had claimed that the despised pest, the spaghetti weevil, had been eradicated. A large number of people contacted the BBC wanting to know how to cultivate their own spaghetti trees.

Another one is about Decimal Time. This has been repeated several times in various countries. This hoax involves claiming that the time system will be changed to one in which units of time are based on powers of 10. So in the "new" system, 100 seconds will make 1 minute and 100 minutes will make 1 hour. Hmmm ... this could have interesting implications for clock & watch makers, exam-taking students or runners trying to break sporting records.

Over to you ....

Are there any good April Fool jokes you remember from your life?

Did you play any jokes yesterday and were they successful?

Did anyone get you yesterday with their April Fool prank?
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Streets of Kuching (Mystery Shots)

2010-03-31T13:40:00.000+08:00

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Here are a couple more random shots that I took on my last visit to Kuching.

Let's see how many of you recognise where these places are ...

Photo (1)

Top of a distinctive building?

Photo (2)

Where is this dragon-protected palace?

Photo (3)

At least a couple of persons should recognise this place :-)

Photo (4)

Looks very familiar, doesn't it?

Photo (5)

Fancy some Bak Pau & Sio Bee?

Photo (6)

Where's this place for makanan & minuman?

Photo (7)

Game for some pot?

Photo (8)

Who and where is Mr D?

Anyone think they've got 8 correct out of 8 ?

Streets of Kuching

2010-03-27T11:29:00.001+08:00

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There's an old song by Ralph McTell that I like called "Streets of London". Part of the lyrics goes something like "Let me take you by the hand and lead you through the streets of London, I'll show you something to make you change your mind ...". Well, today's posting focuses not on London, but rather our beloved home, Puss Town in this case.

It's been a while since I put in a collection of random shots of Kuching. I've been told such postings are especially appreciated by those homesick chaps living far away from Sarawak, and also I'm sure the boys actually in Kuching would find some of the pictures of interest too. Some of the locations are quite obvious, others may require a bit closer examination.

Anyway let me know what if anything you see will "change your mind about anything", as the song goes ...

Photo (1)

Photo (2)

Photo (3)

Photo (4)

Photo (5)

Photo (6)

Anyone can tell where this lion is from?

The Allure of the Wonder Girls

2010-03-24T10:30:00.005+08:00

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Pardon this slight digression into my personal enchantment with this musical group and its catchy hit song "NOBODY". Even if you've never heard of the Wonder Girls, a girl group from South Korea, I would suspect that many of you would have heard strains of this tune being played on TV, radio, music stores or even someone's mobile ringtone.

This is not usually the kind of musical group that grabs my attention, but I must admit their hit is extremely catchy and their performance style quite entertaining (I also find it amusing to imagine someone surnamed Chew or Chiu or Choo in the audience who must feel very flattered by their vocal rendition!).

The five person Wonder Girls, are managed by singer-songwriter Park Jin-Young of JYP Entertainment (who formerly managed that other Korean sensation, Rain ... tho' I must say I'm not as impressed by him!). This is an artifically constructed group with each of the five original members selected through auditions (kinda like the UK's Spice Girls a generation before). The Wonder Girls debuted in early 2007 and became popular later that year with the song "Tell Me." They have scored three consecutive #1 hit singles: "Tell Me", "So Hot", and "Nobody". In 2008, they won two Daesangs ("Artist of the Year" Awards).
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Even more impresssive was the fact that the group entered into the American market in 2009, with the lead single "Nobody" - which also became the first song by a Korean artist to enter the Billboard Hot 100.

Enough from me ... Turn up your speaker volume to the max and enjoy the music video ...

Like it? Share your views on this and other music groups you like.

Your All Time Favourite Movies

2010-03-22T00:28:00.001+08:00

Someone recently asked me what my all time favourite movies were. I've watched a whole lot of movies in my fifty years so I had to think about this for a bit.

To qualify as an all-time favourite for me, the movie has to be special from several different perspectives - have a very good story and characters, excellent cinematography and effects, be highly entertaining and have an overall message that touches the heart. I also find myself drawn to storylines that are somewhat historic or have some historical leaning.

Based on these criteria. I reckon my top 3 English-language movies (not necessarily in order) are:

* Gandhi

* The Shawshank Redemption, and

* The Last Samurai

I must say that a close fourth for me is Bernardo Bertolucci's "The Last Emperor". And if I could squeeze in a fifth, it might be either "The Day of the Jackal" or "Spartacus" that might just make it.

Well, at least at this point in time, I think these are my favourites. If I think of some other great movie tomorrow, I might still revise my list ;-)

What about you? Share YOUR all-time favourite movies.

Ben's Adventures in China

2010-03-18T21:17:00.000+08:00

As some of you know, our buddy Ben Wong is proposing a trip to various parts of China. And Ben does know China pretty well as he has been there some 7 or 8 times. Here are some photos that reflect adventures that he and his family took in the Middle Kingdom.

Ben, I'll need you to give a commentary of what's where ....

Photo (1)

Photo (2)

Photo (3)

Photo (4)

Photo (5)

Photo (6)

Photo (7)

Photo (8)

Photo (9)

Photo (10)

Enjoy the scenes ... if you're nice to Ben, he may bring you to visit some of them !

PUZZLE TIME #1

2010-03-16T20:18:00.000+08:00

Alright, old chaps, I know you guys have been enjoying yourself eating and sleeping and travelling and whatnot .... it's time to get your brain cells working again.

See if you can get the right answer to this little puzzle, the solution to which may or may not need a tertiary qualification in Mathematics or at least an A-Level in Applied Maths.

And remember, you are NOT allowed to call Mr Clarence ! LOL

There are 6 volumes of an encyclopaedia on a book shelf arranged from volume 1 to 6. Each volume has 100 pages. A book worm eats his way through from page 1 of the first volume to page 100 of the last volume. It takes him 1 minute to eat through each page and 3 minutes to eat through each book cover. How long in minutes is he eating through the encyclopaedia for?

Have fun ! So that others can tear their hair out (i.e. if they still have hair) trying to get the right answer, send your answer to me by email (jslyong@hotmail.com) rather than revealing it in the comments. I will announce who gets the first right answer and send your "no-prize" by DHL.

Note from Bro Columba

2010-03-16T10:12:00.001+08:00

Here's a brief note from Bro Columba to HBC based in the UK ...

From: columba gleeson
Subject: Re: Address
To: B C Ho
Date: Monday, March 15, 2010, 2:33 AM

Hi Boon Chiang,

Just returned to Belfast and found the '76-er's souvenir pack waiting for me. Thank you very much for taking the trouble to forward the items. Please also convey my sincere gratitude to the Committee responsible for issuing the souvenirs. Their gifts are much appreciated and will continue to refresh memories of years gone by!
.
Regards and best wishes to all.
.
Bro. Columba.