Giving Back to St Joe (Part 3)

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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

Nick in town - Get together, Badger Bar, S'wak Club @ 9pm, 18th Sept 2009

Our Vietcong friend, Nick Lau, is back in Kuching.

We're having drinks and snacks at the Badger Bar, Sarawak Club tonight at 9pm.

Spread the word, and let's make a crowd. What else you wanna do on a Friday night anyway?

Organiser: Bob Chew

Photos from the Evening

LtoR (front): Nick, Norbert, Ben, (back): Bob, Robert, Edward

Jensen & Norbert face off in a game of snooker at Hornbill Karaoke

Look out, Malaysia Idol! Bob Chew takes to the stage singing his heart out the numbers

“Whiter Shade of Pale” and “Soldier of Fortune”

Also at Hornbill Karaoke. (L to R): John Lee & Edmund Lee (Form 5 1975) , Ben Wong and Jensen Ng K T

Group singing at Hornbill Karaoke

Late supper at the Old Open Air Market

Lunchtime Reunion at Ipoh Kopi Tiam (23 Aug 2009)

A lunchtime mini-reunion was organized by GL, BC and BW at the Ipoh Kopi Tiam, Kuching today. There were many attendees - in person and online.
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Here are the photos as the party began ...

Slowly the group forms ...

More friends arrive ...

GL and JK are here. JK is back for a holiday. He's normally based in Plymouth, UK


The place is equipped with wireless Internet access. Here come the Notebook PCs ..

Look, that's Khim (Mrs JK) sitting next to Pip ...

More friends meet up ...

Yum. That looks like curry chicken rice. Nice, Sim?


Bob Chew chatting with JY and CLK (m) ...

Nice cake. Happy Birthday Pip !
(Pip's normally based in KL, but is back in Kuching for the weekend)


Cake cutting online ...


Here's a group photo ... can someone name the individuals?




It was obviously a very fun session for all.

(More photo updates as I get them ...)

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Sunday Brunch Alert (Kuching, 23 Aug 2009)

Here's an alert for all our friends who are or will be in Kuching on 23 August.

Bob Chew, Ben Wong and George Lo are organising a brunch for James Kuo, who will be back in Kuching at that time.

Date/Time:
Sunday 23 August 2009, at 12 noon

Venue:
Ipoh Old Town Kopitiam,
located at Brighton Square
at Jalan Song
[in front of Titanium Building]
KUCHING
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All guys from SJS form 5 1976 [and partners], plus honorary members like Leo, are invited. And of course our sisters from STS and SMS are also welcome to drop by and have a cup of Ipoh Old Town coffee with the gang.

GL says "Do bring cameras to take pics for the blog too. There's free Wifi, so bring your notebooks and you can send the pics to WJ straightaway"
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FURTHER UPDATES
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Thur 20th Aug (evening)

Bob checking out the food. Hmmm, note the satisfied look ...
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GL brought along his notebook to test out the Messenger video connection. WJ is on the other end ...

Bob joins him in chatting with WJ.

Ben not seen in the photos but is the one taking the photos.

A Skrang Expedition ... 33 years ago

I received this great "photo essay" from our friend Robert Chin (Form 5 Arts2, 1976), describing an interesting expedition he and other buddies made during those boyhood days of the mid 70s ... here's the story as told by Robert (with WJ applying a wee bit of creative license :-)
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One fine evening, thirty-three years ago, Bob Chew, Philip Hii, Mark Chin and I sat down to think of something adventurous to do.

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Yeah… we decided to make a trip to Skrang to see and experience life in a longhouse. Our history lessons had taught us that the inner reaches of Sarawak were once the home of notorious pirates and headhunters …

We got hold of an Iban friend (as tour guide) , boarded a bus (STC) from Kuching and headed to a place called Entaban. From there, we continued by motorized longboat down the Skrang river, occasionally “shooting the rapids”.

We spent two nights at Murat or more precisely at Rumah Basing longhouse, Nanga Murat.

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From left: Tour Guide, Robert Chin, Philip Hii, Mark Chin

xx From Left: Tour Guide, Philip Hii, Bob Chew, Mark Chin
(Bob obviously attracted by something amazing)

Here we had our first-hand experience of the customs and traditions of the Dayak Ibans.

Brave warriors RC & BC, in ngajat headgear, ready to do battle ...

MC and PH getting also ready for ngajat dance

The highlight of the evenings was fun and entertainment by the longhouse residents (young and old) performing traditional dances and music.

We also saw many residents at work.

PH with his hunting dog and Granny busy with her weaving

Bob trying to concentrate on the weaving

BC helping mum with the padi pounding

We had chankok manis (“money cai”) & monkey for dinner, washed down with

“Chap Ah Pek” wine.