Bidding for the Big Big Ball

March 22, 2011 Leave a comment

Just me, on my little attempt to bid for the World’s Largest Rugby Ball and doing a little charity for the earthquake victims. If I win, any suggestion what I do with this big big big ball?

Filed under Cool Stuffs, Jo's Thoughts, Life in Hong Kong

Black Day in Japan

March 12, 2011 Leave a comment


(Photo Taken: Times Square, Hong Kong – A big crowd of people stood quietly and watched the telecast of the Japan Earthquake news on the big screen. Atmosphere was gloomy and quiet.)

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It’s a Great Great Movie

February 8, 2011 Leave a comment


I was never a fan of romance comedy or 40-60s oldies. It’s just not my genre of movies. I always think such movies are cliche with the same old boring story lines and cheesy jokes. I always prefers the big blockbusters – original storyline with powerful special effects (like Avatar or Inception). Well, I was damn wrong about these 2 great movies.

非誠勿擾 II (If You Are the One 2) and 大世界 (It’s a Great Great World) are two great movies not to be missed! One reveals a satire of love, life and death, the other traces back the “simple yet heart-warming lives” of those who lived in the 40s. Both movies reveal the most beautiful and vulnerable sides of Man and his complex relationship with his loved ones. Simple plot but compelling story telling. These movies moved me so much (to tears)… prompting me to re-look my own priorities in life. Must watch!

Filed under Cool Stuffs, Jo's Thoughts

My 3rd Bunny Year

February 4, 2011 3 Comments

I never like to celebrate my own Chinese Zodiac Year. Sorry to say this but the Rabbit Year is never the best year for me. I underwent many major changes in my life during those 2 bunny years. In 1987 when I was only 12, I managed to convince my mum and “rebelled” against the MOE PSLE secondary school postings. It was a messy process. In the final minute, my late Ambassador uncle managed to pull some strings and get me a spot at Dunman Secondary – Fatefully (and thankfully), it was where I met Felicia (my future wife). And 12 years later in 1999, I reconciled my love with Felicia in Australia. We (Meijie and Junjie) survived a near-death car accident in Perth. After I came back from my trip, my beloved grandma’s health took a deep dive. She lost her memory and passed away painfully later that year.

Of course, I am not superstitious. I am just being extra cautious. The Bunny Year hadn’t been all kind to me. Age is catching up and my health isn’t as good as before. Family and work is getting more and more challenging for me. This is going to be a really tough year for me without Felicia and Elkan (they have left for a better education and family environment back in Singapore). Already, I am seeing “not-so-good” signs coming my way. Mainly small petty things (in work & my house) that get on to my nerves. I wish to pass this year without any major turbulence or bad surprises. Maybe I should visit the famous Bunny Goddess at the new Playboy Mansion in Macao. I certainly need a lot of good _uck! (“Luck”, I mean).

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Day Number 1

January 5, 2011 Leave a comment

It is a very special day today. It is my son’s first day in school. I called him before school and after school. My boy took it pretty well, except some minor complaints about the incredibly heavy school bag (why can’t school fix this “heavy school back issue?”) and expensive school meals which he paid today. Elkan enjoyed his first day – I am impressed! It is good that the school allows the parents to tag along on the first day – so these kids will be more ease and confident (and more independent) the next day.

Instead, I was more worried for Elkan’s teachers cos’ my kid will certainly (and very soon) terrorize her with all his amazing stunts and pranks. Afterall, he is the son of an ex-school prime prankster. (My mum is my best witness – I was so popular back then in school that my mum was “summoned” numerous times back to school to play psychiatrist to those poor mentally-beaten teachers. Well, I am just differently talented – some of those teachers weren’t taught properly how to handle someone like me!)

I always remember my first day in school. I cried quietly after my mum waved goodbye to me by the louver-glass windows. And everything went blank for me after that. Of course, I remember my scary form teacher and all the strange punishments I used to get in school. I tried every forms of their tortures – from facing the blackboard (breathing in those dreadful chalk power), standing on the floor / chair / table / outside the classroom, ruler beating on the palm, private caning on the ass in the principal’s office, ear-pulling / twisting / ticking, pinching of the shoulders, writing 50 / 100 / 500 lines of the same boring sentence, hair-pulling, duck-walk around the classroom, slap on the face and masking-taping of mouth. My god, maybe I should start engaging my lawyer to start suing those retired teachers and get a lucrative cut from their big fat pensions. Of course, no teachers in school dare to exercise those “inhumane children tortures” today – thanks to more law-savvy parents, 3G Network, mobile phone cameras and facebook. These punishments were extinct.

Let’s hope Elkan be merciful on his poor teachers (and us) so that we need not suffer the same fate as my poor mum. Psychiatrist’s job is painful, especially when we need to go back to school to heal the teacher’s broken minds. And hope this doesn’t run in the family…Elkan’s 3 other cousins are also in school today!

Filed under Family, Jo's Thoughts, Life in Singapore

New Year Leap!

January 3, 2011 Leave a comment

(Photo Taken: 風吹沙, Kenting, Taiwan – Here comes the Year of the Hare!!!)

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Meeting an old friend on Christmas Eve

December 25, 2010 Leave a comment

Life is always full of delightful surprises and coincidences. Thanks to the new Fate (aka Facebook), Mindy (aka Mingyi) and I were able to reconnect with each other after almost 20 years – here in Hong Kong on Christmas Eve! The last time we met each other was back in 1991 – that was when we were 16 or 17. I can never ever imagine a meeting like this.

During our chat, I realised there are many similarities between us – Back in Poly days, Mindy studied in building and I was in architecture. She also worked in Hong Kong for 3 years before moving back to Singapore. We both have a son. And exactly like our situation, Mindy’s husband is currently working in Hong Kong while she and her only son are back in Singapore. Guess what? Mindy and her son are staying 1 street away from Felicia and Elkan!

During our 1-hour lunch, we are able to click with one another instantly. She also shared her experience about their distant-relationship and how they manage to cope as a family. God is certainly watching over me.

It is a pity Fate didn’t arrange this meeting 2 weeks earlier. Mindy was here since late November. Mindy, Yifu, Meijie and I would have meet up! She will be flying back to Singapore on 31st Dec. No matter what, it is good to meet a long-lost friend. Especially on a Christmas Eve overseas.

Filed under Jo's Thoughts, Life in Hong Kong, Wahbiang

48 Hours Later…

December 21, 2010 Leave a comment

Life is slowly getting back to norm. Living alone – I am much independent, tidier and hardworking. Thanks to FaceTime, Felicia taught me how to operate the washing machine step by step. Harshad even helped me to hang out the laundry at the balcony. I began to enjoy the fun of daily chores and the quietness. It reminded me of my early life in Shanghai.

The only uncomfortable thing is the strange sounds I have been hearing lately. The house is so quiet that I can hear the fan of the refrigerator, the ticking hands of the wall clock, the wind howling outside my balcony, the creaking sound of the wooden floor and even the elevator door outside my apartment. Sure miss the noise of my little prankster. At least, he drown all these ghostly sounds at night.

It was indeed a gloomy dreadful farewell last Wednesday. The temperature dropped to 7 that week. Thankfully and through God’s blessings, my good friends and family from Singapore, Shanghai, Malaysia and Hong Kong kept me going with their love and warmth. More than just coincidence, I also strongly believe my Wahbiang buddies’ presences in Hong Kong were divinely designed to help me through these lonely moments. Meijie (14-16th), Tracy, Harshad, Yifu & Family (14th-19th) and Uncle Bay (19th-20th) were here with me back to back – there wasn’t a lonely moment for me.

So many of you called (Echo, Doreen, Christin, Eric, Hovman) to cheer me up. I received tons of messages from my colleagues (Alice, Dorothy, Vince, Loretta), friends (Pei Ling, Agnes Lee, Josephine Hoon, Natalie, Randy, Hongfei, Felix, Diane, Yiyi, Aimei, Jas, Hong Ai, Amelia, Danielle Fong, Daniella Ong, Raghu), family (Amy, Chester, Asty, Yei) and my Wahbiang Clan (Joanne, Karen, Juliana, Kalinda).

A big THANK YOU to all of you who came up to us with tears, hugs, encouragement and “love letters/sms/emails/calls”. I am really deeply touched by all your attention and love. (Not forgetting Steve Jobs who made FaceTime so user-friendly and simple to use. See our happier FaceTime Moments above.)

Filed under Family, Jo's Thoughts, Life in Hong Kong

Goodbye on a Rainy Day

December 16, 2010 2 Comments

I have lost count how many times we have said goodbye to one another. (Perth, Shanghai, Singapore and now here in Hong Kong). And I thought I am so used to saying goodbye to both of them. I thought to myself that this was only a short 6-month separation and it won’t be as bad as the one in 2006. I was so wrong about my thoughts. Goodbyes are painful – no matter how many times we have been through.

Thankfully, my Singapore buddies (Yifu, Meijie and Lilian) were in town to lend their support. Harshad and Tracy (and dad) also came to send them off. It was a big happy (and noisy) farewell. I thought their company will help to ease (and distract) the sadness. It was pretty okay from our house to the airport. Elkan was very happy today, he was looking forward to go home to meet his granny and cousins. Normally, he was the one crying at the departure gate and Felicia and me had to comfort him. It was the adults who were in tears and he comforting both of us.



Elkan was acting pretty different (very sensible and mature) today. He knew he was leaving Hong Kong for good and he said many nice things to cheer me up. He is always a happy kid. When I asked him if he will missed me, he said I will miss him more. He said he will behave well so he fly back soon to play video games with me. He also left me with a lot of written “I love you, daddy” notes. Minutes before the departure, Elkan and me went to the loo. My mind was so occupied with my work and their departure that I left my pouch in the loo. I left the loo first. Elkan saw the cleaner picked up my pouch. He instinctively guessed it was my pouch and took it from the cleaner. He passed the pouch to me and said “Is that yours? I saw a uncle holding it and I told him it is yours. Daddy, please be careful, can?”

At the departure gate when we bid farewell to them, the smile on Elkan’s face slowly diminished. He dropped his backpack and started whining for me “I want daddy, I want daddy”. It was an unbearable moment. Holding back the tears, I gave him a tight hug and told him I will be back very soon. Do well, my son and take care, I said. I looked at Felicia, her eyes were wet. So were Tracy (and Harshad). It was an emotional moment for all of us. After all, we have been through so many good happy days in Hong Kong. For me, it was goodbye to my son and wife – Elkan is starting school in 2 weeks’ time – they had been on the road with me for 3 years. For Tracy and Harshad, it was goodbye to their favorite buddy. Some one who they doted so much during their stay in Hong Kong.

Meijie came to give me a hug while Felicia and Elkan went through the gate. They say big men don’t cry. I can’t help it. It breaks my heart to see my son and wife so sad. Harshad kept patting on my back, comforting me. Tracy’s dad tried to calm the situation with a good joke. “Hey, those weren’t tears of sadness. It’s tears of joys. You are a free man now!” Yes, today is my Independent Day!

I hate goodbyes. Especially on a rainy day when Christmas is just around the corner.

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(Thank you all who came for the farewell office lunch and wrote us all those encouraging notes on Facebook and sms. We are really touched and blessed to have you guys around. It is moment like this that teaches us to cherish and appreciate each other more. And thanks Harshad, Meijie, Tracy, Yifu, Lilian for popping by our house today. Our Pink Christmas Tree is completed now – with all the farewell Polaroids!)

Filed under Family, Jo's Thoughts, Life in Hong Kong, Wahbiang

Time to go Home

December 12, 2010 5 Comments

In less than 72 hours, Felicia and Elkan are leaving for Singapore. Over the last 2 days, we have been packing and shipping our stuffs back home. Reality starts biting into my heart. I tried telling myself that this won’t be a long separation and everything will be okay. It is really quite difficult for me to handle their absence. Especially Elkan, he is the life of the house. His voices, his laughter and all his pranks – I am going to miss all of these. At the same time, I am happy that he will in the arms of many loved ones back home. Family comes first for me.

4 years… that is how fast time flew by. Felicia and Elkan have been on the move with me – from Shanghai to Hong Kong. So fast, my little baby is already 6 and he will be attending Primary One in less than 2 weeks. While it is a short-term separation for us in Hong Kong, they will be reunite with the family and friends back this Christmas. Unlike my previous re-locations, Elkan is the main reason why we are moving back to Singapore. (For his education and the reunion with the old folks.) Hopefully, he will get used to his new life back home. Indeed, this will be a new chapter for everyone – not just for Elkan but more for Felicia and me. Life will be very different again. And honestly, I have no idea how things will turn out in the next 3-6 months. Many of my friends have moved back to Singapore and most of them regretted the move.

I am not the only one who will be missing their presence. Elkan’s teacher Jas, his Korean & Hong Kong school mates and his weekend buddy, Harshad will miss him a lot. Last week, Felicia organised a mini farewell party for the children. His teacher, Jas came by specially last Wednesday and spent the afternoon playing with Elkan at the amusement center. Nursing a fractured shoulder, Harshad came by this afternoon and played PS3 with his favorite “Rock-Star” buddy the entire evening. Before he left, he gave Elkan a farewell gift – a very nice “Wolverine” headphone.


Elkan knows that he is leaving Hong Kong and he is looking forward for his new life in Singapore. Over the past few weeks, he has been telling everyone about his new school in Singapore. Since last week, my boy has been tugging in our bed, spending his last Hong Kong nights, snoring beside me. (And he will be tickling me every morning to wake me up!) Yes, I am going to miss all his pranks. 2 months ago, they weren’t around for only 1 week and the house was so empty and different.

This is not our first separation but my heart tells me that it will be another painful one for me. Just like our first. It won’t be a long one, I am sure.

Filed under Family, Jo's Thoughts, Life in Hong Kong

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