Steamboat Party

October 31, 2005 Leave a comment


Finding a new Sat Night – Those weekend nannies of mine (friends that came over to visit Elkan and us) are finding ways to break the monotonous weekend sessions at Hotel 25. For the past 30 Saturdays, these nannies had been accompanying us without fail, popping Hotel 25 with snacks and stories to share.

Guess, we need to find another programme soon. The weekly routine was getting stale. The guys were struggling with their “Mission Impossible” Ghost Recon 2 games repeatedly every weekend. The ladies were either sleeping on the couch or on the papasan chair. 
 
So, we decided to inject new activities into our boring Saturdays. The gang proposed dining out and going movies. It is difficult to round everyone for a common activity. It works like a rotating trend – a “season” of activities – while novelty lasts. We used to have mahjong sessions week after week before we got bored of it. Then, we switched board games, mid-night suppers at Lao Pat Sa, roller-blade, night cycling, weekend shopping and movies, xbox games at home etc.
 
However, this Sat was different. Joanne is starting a brand new season of activities. She has this sudden urge for home-made dinner. She wanted to plan a “popiah” party at Hotel 25 but it was too last minute and we could not locate the supplier. The gang then came up with a steamboat party and started preparing for it. Within 2 short hours, the gang brought steamboat, food, dessert and red wine to my place.
 

Stephen even brought house-games (dice, Old Maid, Donkey, Snap!). I was feeling a little moody this weekend but the gang cheered me up with this mini-party. Coincidentally, 29th Oct is Stephen-Wendy 1st Anniversary and is also the eve of Juliana-Duuk Taipei trip. Everyone enjoyed the 4-hour party, ending at 2am.
 

So, what’s up next Sat? Guess what, it is “popiah-DIY” party.

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The Special Lot – Friends from Joo Chiat

October 27, 2005 Leave a comment

Many people often listened in disbelief whenever I told them I am going for a Primary School Gathering. These days, it is so rare to find some one around you who are still keeping close contact with their primary school friends. I guess my primary school buddies are the special lot.
 
It is natural that we are closer to friends whom we meet in secondary schools / office. There are many reasons to it. First, we dun discuss much "matters of the heart" with our primary school friends. We weren’t into BGR affairs or wild puberty parties. There is hardly any chance for us to share our minds – just helping one another to look out in between class periods for us to make noise and move around – before the next teacher comes in.
 
What’s more, we only have 4 hours/day for ourselves. Unlike the usual 8 hours/day for poly friends and 10 hours/day for office colleagues. The time gap between primary school days and poly days is wide enough to "dissolve" many contacts, memories and friendship. Moreover, we are city-dwellers, it is hard to find "kampong spirit"… Thus, the term "childhood friends" is often difficult to define in Singapore. Are we talking about friends before 10, 13 or 15? How do you really measure "childhood friends".
 
While we have never pick any of our primary school mates as our best-man or bridesmaid (a sign of close friendship) for our wedding, we aren’t the "hi-&-bye" friends either. My primary school friends have been with me for almost 30 years…a couple of them are even from my kindergarten days. Though there are big window of absence (when the there are lost contacts, overseas studies and working overseas), we are often taking up efforts to come together.
 
Yes, it may not be rosy memory for all primary childhood tales. I remember receiving my first "lady slap" at 12 – though a traumatised episode – I often recalled that incident as fond memory so childlike and pure. Yes, I didn’t dare to speak to the "lady" for almost 12 years- not until our first gathering – Guess her beauty has made me forgot about the slap. Now, we simply laughed over that episode whenever we met up.
 
Well yesterday, there is one such gathering again. ( I can’t attend due to some left-over work in office).
 

My brother "Joachim" has done well reuniting all the lost sheep. For years, without fail, he has been the pillar of my primary school friends and have faithfully + constantly rounding us up. From a small gathering of 7, we have grown to a sizable family now. (We have found Simon, Shujin, Caofa, Tony, Fiona, Lionnel, Huijuan, Lijing, Jinwei, Weijian, Weifen, Zhihow, Wancheng, John, Vincent and more to come).
 
There is nothing prideful / business agenda amongst us. There is no comparison of wealth, status etc. Simply some old friends who want to rekindle old ties once in a while.
 
Guess we came out from the right school. A school that taught us how to cherish old ties – despite all difficulties. That is what friends are for.
 

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For My Shanghai Knight & Kitty (Francis is the kitty!)

October 25, 2005 2 Comments


WHY I STARTED BLOGGING ONLY NOW
 
I know I may be a little bit late to get on the trend of blogging. Afterall, we are running a business in the internet industry. I never really give "blogging" a thought even though the fever started back in 2002. It is only when Joanne helped me to upload the "Wahbiang 1997" website , I decided to start blogging about the happenings around Wahbiang.
 
Cos’ when I re-read what I typed in 1997, there are a lot of fond details which I never put in my memories. Especially the old juicy tales about Stephen and Kalinda, Yifu and his flings in UK, Yixi and Shujuan, Felicia’s old letters from Perth etc. These are often the second-level of memories that our brain never recorded. I only remember Felicia went to Perth – I dun remember her first words about Perth. I remember Yixi met Lusia – I dun remember that he dumped Shujuan for Lusia. I remember Stephen broke off with Kalinda – I dun remember Kalinda’s final words to Stephen. I remember Yifu went UK – ah ha… I STILL remember his stories on his UK flings! (haaa…harmless flirt, so Lilian, dun worry.)
 
It was only when "Wahbiang 1997" went live, I started to recall all those details. Perhaps, this is what blogging is all about – capturing the second-level of memories that your brain won’t record.
 
Since blogging started on 22nd Oct 2005…I have been really excited and started broadcasting to my friend. But that is the problem, people in the clan are worried….that I spill their secrets online. Stephen gave me a nickname in the clan – "Search Engine".. if you need news, you can always come to Joe. Cos’ he got news faster and better. What’s more, he will show you more than a link.
 
This goes to Echo and Francis – who went thru every images I had on this blog and msn me "nai bei" – cos there isn’t any one photo of these 2 lovely ones here. (Heee… I am still updating lah. Dun worry, you have your photos tonight.)
 

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Yifu Wedding – The night Yifu shed tears

October 23, 2005 1 Comment


A Wedding Night that is so unprecedented and unforgettable. Never have I been so moved and touched by the sincere, raw, real, unpretentious emotional expression by our good friend, Yifu. Being friend with him for almost 18 years, I have never see him shed tears (besides the passing of his dad in 2000) and expressed gratitude for those he loves so much.

Yes, he mentioned about being prideful. And getting the best for his wedding.

I told many. This was the most stressful wedding day role I ever played. Cos’ from the beginning, Yifu has been “warning” me to do it right. He had made numerous sms, calls to me to check on my standing to make sure he has my best effort for his night. (more “siong” than Juliana and Joanne’s wedding) He has high expectation for his wedding day and he needed it to be executed perfectly. I realized that he placed such high importance for his marriage that he took care of all the details – from MC’s scripts to our movement charts – He did it well and organized. Honestly, he made my job really easy.

It was during his speech (the sober script) last night that made me realized my friend Yifu has grown up. He has crafted a beautiful wedding speech and delivered that speech with crystal, manly yet humorous voice. The speech was obviously pre-scripted but it was beautifully narrated. I always knew Yifu as someone who is uncomfortable in addressing the masses. But he just delivered that piece so well and refined.

I guess Yifu may wake up today not knowing what the hell happened last night. But I believe he took a step bigger than anyone of us to communicate his feelings. For once in my life, I never shed tears in a wedding dinner (come on, this is NOT my best girlfriend’s wedding). He stood there, bravely, discarding his pre-scripted posture and character, expressing his innermost gratitude to his father-in-law, uncle, sisters and friends. I didn’t felt his pain of tears… I shared his tears of joys.

It was chaotic near the stage. The people at HSBC wanna to drink more with him – a farewell gesture to a great colleague before he rejoined IDA. His sisters were worried about him falling off the stage. But that moment when he went on stage hugging his father-in-laws, thanking his sisters for raising him up, Yifu isn’t the only one who shed tears at that point. I looked around me – everyone who could empathise with his emotions cried too.

What took a prideful and face-of-steel-man to his knees to reveal his inner self? Just 10 glasses of wine plus many years of unexpressed feelings.

Hock, if you are sober now and reading this. I want to share with you that you have done us proud. You have really traveled a long way from your car-washing / pizza-delivering days. You wanted a taste of success and high-lifestyle so much – I want to tell you this – You have made it. Not on the day you got your degree. Not on the day you got your condo. Not on the day you had a job with high wages.

You made it on the day when you were drunk. On the day when you shared your deepest joys and gratitude with those who love you. Cos’ when you were so dead drunk, I saw many faces around you – people who really care and love you so much. People who shed tears and laughed with you. They saw your success. You made it, bro.

For those who are as drunk but cannot make a scene (cos’ it is not your day, haaa)…. It has been a beautiful night with so much to ponder about. Especially to Yixi, MingLiang, Stephen, Jimmy and Meijie.  You brothers have taken so much load of work and I can safely retreat to my seat without much worries.

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