Happy New Year 2015

It's time to bid 2014 farewell and I'm sure we're not sorry to see it go, given the awful times we've encountered during the year.

There've been calamities and natural disasters the world over.  Severe flooding, snow storms, airplane crashes, fires etc.

Let's put them all behind us when 2014 fades out and let's cheer 2015 in with hopes of a much better year for everyone.

I wish everyone a Happy New Year and may you get all you wish for.

My Book “Poems for Children” Is Out!

There is no greater satisfaction than to see one’s writing in print. 

“Poems for Children” was written for children aged 5 to 8 and it is meant for parents to read to their young children.

 The easy rhythm and repetition make it fun for the children to listen to and it also makes it easy for them to recite as the poems are short.

The colorful illustrations were done by a good friend Chris Chong who is a gifted artist and this is our first collaboration.  The second book of poems will be out soon and Chris has agreed to illustrate these poems too.

It is available as a print book on amazon.com, published by Createspace, a company belonging to amazon.
I enjoyed writing the poems and Chris has equally enjoyed illustrating them.

Do please give your support as it means a lot to us and a review would be very much appreciated.
The book “Poems for Children” is available here.

Facebook

Who doesn't know Facebook?  From children to grandparents, all know Facebook.  This is the social media most used when one wants to look for long lost friends or to make new friends by either joining groups or simply by sending a friend request.

It is also very handy when you want to know what is happening with your extended family who are in different parts of the world.  They post pictures of happenings in their circles and you can get to see and share as well.   So it helps you to keep in touch.

One of my former students located me through Facebook.  Her classmates had gone off to different countries to further their studies and they were trying to locate their former classmates and teachers for a reunion which they had planned.  So she told me that it was a one off chance that she thought I might be on Facebook. Indeed she managed to find me and contacted me for their reunion which was the first for their class after forty years or thereabout.

However it has also been abused in that people commit identity theft and make postings purported to be from you, often with undesirable consequences.

Some people vent on FB without realizing that their comments could result in them losing their jobs!!

Correctly used, FB is a great tool, not only for business but also for socializing and making new friendships. I’ve seen members of groups sharing information, photos and videos.  These people are often located in different countries but similar interests bring them together.

In fact I could say that for some people, they have more friends on FB than in their real life.

Old Friends Are Gold

Getting together with dear old friends is always a great pleasure, no matter where they are, back home here or abroad. Below is a picture of three of us, Jennifer who is a former student and now a good friend. Our boys were classmates in school! She's now a good sounding board when I need another view. On my left is Yu Ling, a dear and close friend.

                                                                 Jennifer, myself and Yu Ling

 Companionship and trusty friends of long standing are a must in one’s life especially as one gets on in years. Sometimes it is only to bosom friends that you can share matters of the heart. Yu Ling and I go back a long way, ever since her daughter was a tiny baby in her arms and now that little baby is a mother herself to a cute and bouncy one year old boy.  Time has gone past, so swiftly, like the water under the bridge flowing out to the sea. Time gone can never be redeemed.

Our children, once small, are now adults with their own lives, away from us but the precious bond of our friendship remains, to paint new rainbows in our lives.

I remember when I was a young teacher, fresh out of college, posted to teach in a convent school that had high walls enclosing it. No cars were allowed to enter the grounds and the headmistress was a very intimidating Irish nun who wielded iron discipline and control over teachers and students. She didn’t believe in outdoor sports and I was given physical education (PE) classes to teach. She said I had to teach folk dancing and if I didn’t know how to dance, I jolly well had to go and learn!

Luckily there were folk dancing classes in those days at the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur during the weekends so faithfully I learned a few folk dances, largely Scottish and Irish and taught them to the girls in school. However these days, I cannot for the life of me remember the steps and sequences in line dancing, the current trend among men and women.

Cheng Fong is now a resident in Australia and we meet only when I visit. We were friends when we taught in the same school. Later when I took my daughter to Melbourne where she was to study, Cheng Fong opened her home to us, giving up her room and also letting me have the use of her car. I used to send her to the station to catch the train to work and then I had the car to go wherever I wished.

I recently went to visit and our friendship picked up as if there had not been so many intervening years apart.

It's so wonderful to have good friends and keeping in touch with them is ever so pleasurable.

Another MGS Reunion

We last met during the Hari Raya Aidil Fitri holidays when I flew into Kuala Lumpur to join my MGS classmates of class 1959 to welcome one of us from New Zealand.

This time we met to welcome back another classmate who comes home to escape the harsh winter of the UK. We met up in the Marco Polo for buffet lunch. Buffet was good as we could choose to eat whatever we fancied and there was a great selection.

As usual, there was great camaraderie and we talked nineteen to the dozen.

Three of us had birthdays recently and there was a cake to mark their birthdays.  The hotel played the birthday song and flashed our table onto the large screen so all the diners could see us singing and snapping photographs.

We lingered until closing time and said our farewells but not before deciding that the next meeting would be sometime before the Chinese New Year.

That is something we all look forward to as we will be tossing the “yee sang” together!!

Renewing Ties

After a long period of six years we made another trip to visit my sister who lives in Melbourne. This time it was spring.  Our previous visit was during Autumn.

The flowers in her garden had been damaged by the big hailstones but they  still retained their beauty.
This time round, she had two wild ducks who fly in for their meals. Then there are the crested dove, the magpie and the blackbirds as well as the sparrows who come along for their share too!!

As we grow older, I feel the need to meet up while we still can make the long journey.  Indeed this time, my niece organized a potluck lunch so that family members could gather together and have “ catchup time”.  Almost all my nieces and nephews and their young children were present as well as my sister’s friend and spouse.

                                                        John, Nathan, Caroline and Christine

                                                                     Trevor, Janet, Teresa and Walter

                                                              Allen, Kim Mooi, HS and myself

                                                                     Ah Wan, Christine and Marc
Caroline has a lovely big house which is perfect for large family gatherings and a big garden where the youngsters can play.

Then we made a short trip to Canberra to see the Floriade and Night Fest.  ( You can read more on this at http://swingby.blogspot.com) This was also our first time to Canberra and we visited Parliament House. We were most impressed that visitors could easily enter and even witness the sitting session debating a particular bill.  The view from Parliament House was commanding and we could glimpse the War Memorial right across from the top floor with the Old Parliament buildings in between.

 In between, we caught up with some old friends and renewed our friendships over meals, exchanging news about family and friends.

 

Myself and Cheng Fong

                                                        John, HS, Oi Lan, myself and Janet

This holiday was all too short but it was a most gratifying break from the hot tropical weather back home.

Bonding Once More

Nothing gives us more pleasure than to see our youngest grandchild again. Not having seen us for the last six months made him shy but he is slowly warming to us.

He wasn't able to walk when we last saw him and now he can toddle albeit a little unsteady at times and we have to be careful he doesn't knock his head against the table corners.

Here are some pictures of him.

Tomorrow he will meet up with his older cousins. Being a Saturday we hope that his daddy will take us to some nice places.

How Compatible Are You and Your Partner?

I just discovered a write up about one’s compatibility with reference to astrological signs.  It made interesting reading so I thought I’d share it with you. Have fun!

Aries ( Mar 21-Apr 19)
Most compatible:  Leo and Sagittarius
Somewhat compatible:  Taurus, Gemini, Pisces and Aquarius
Least compatible:  Cancer – too sensitive and too emotional
Libra – vacillating, lacks imagination, fun and daring
Capricorn – unimaginative and too conservative
Neutral:  Virgo and Scorpio

Taurus (Apr 20 – May 20)
Most compatible:  Virgo and Capricorn
Somewhat compatible:  Gemini, Cancer, Pisces and Aries
Least compatible: Aquarius – lacks stability
Leo - self-absorbed, authoritative
Scorpio -  manipulative, not open or direct
Neutral:  Libra and Sagittarius

Gemini(May 21-June 21)
Most compatible:  Libra and Aquarius
Somewhat compatible:  Cancer, Leo Aries and Taurus
Least compatible:  Virgo – strict, hard to satisfy
Sagittarius – unable to relax, like yourself
Pisces – negative outlooks, self-absorbed
Neutral: Scorpio and Capricorn

Cancer (June 22- July 22)
Most compatible:  Scorpio and Pisces
Somewhat compatible: Leo, Virgo, Taurus and Gemini
Least compatible:  Aries – insensitive, arrogant
Libra- not serious enough
Capricorn -  too simple, unrefined
Neutral:  Sagittarius and Aquarius

Leo (July 23 – Aug 22)
Most compatible:  Sagittarius and Aries
Somewhat compatible:  Virgo, Libra, Gemini and Cancer
Least compatible:  Scorpio -  too scheming
Aquarius -  unsubstantial, unengaged
Taurus – stubborn, placid
Neutral – Pisces and Capricorn

Virgo (Aug 23 – Sept  22)
Most compatible:  Capricorn and Taurus
Somewhat compatible:  Libra, Scorpio, Leo and Cancer
Least compatible:  Sagittarius – unreliable
Pisces – gloomy, sullen, moody
Gemini- impractical, inconstant
Neutral:  Aquarius and Aries

Libra (Sept 23 – Oct 22)
Most compatible:  Aquarius and Gemini
Somewhat compatible: Scorpio, Sagittarius, Leo and Virgo
Least compatible:  Aries – domineering, impatient
Capricorn – lacks imagination, ordinary, dull
Cancer – overly protective
Neutral: Pisces and Taurus

Scorpio (Oct 23 – Nov 21)
Most compatible:  Pisces and Cancer
Somewhat compatible:  Sagittarius, Capricorn, Virgo and Libra
Least compatible: Aquarius – detached and impersonal
Taurus – clash of wills
Leo – overly dramatic and arrogant
Neutral:  Aries and Gemini

Sagittarius (Nov 22- Dec 21)
Most compatible:  Aires and Leo
Somewhat compatible:  Capricorn, Aquarius, Libra and Scorpio
Least compatible:  Pisces – too introverted
Gemini – scattered, lacks depth
Virgo – narrow-minded, fussy
Neutral:  Taurus and Cancer

Capricorn ( Dec 22 – Jan 19)
Most compatible:  Taurus and Virgo
Somewhat compatible:  Aquarius, Pisces, Scorpio and Sagittarius
Least compatible: Aires – impulsive, erratic
Cancer – depressing
Libra – dramatic, lacks sincerity
Neutral:  Gemini and Leo

Aquarius (Jan 20 – Feb 18)
Most compatible:  Gemini and Libra
Somewhat compatible:  Sagittarius, Capricorn, Pisces and Aires
Least compatible: Taurus – very habit-oriented
Leo – too demanding
Scorpio – too possessive
Neutral  Cancer and Virgo

Pisces (Feb 19 – Mar 20)
Most compatible:  Cancer and Scorpio
Somewhat compatible:  Capricorn, Aquarius, Aries and Taurus
Least compatible: Gemini – too nervous and high strung
Virgo – too dull
Sagittarius - too impulsive
Neutral:  Leo and Libra

Class Reunions

Students rarely think of class reunions unless they have left their schools for at least ten years. Then they begin to organise 10th anniversary, 20th, 25th 30th anniversary reunions.

I was invited to 3 class reunions on consecutive nights.  Thursday night's reunion was organised by the class of 73/74 sixth formers, for the first time after 40 years. The old girls fetched me as my night vision is poor. It was an intimate group of 20+ attendees including teachers and former principal and we had dinner at a seaside resort.

                                                    Amy Jean Yee, myself and Bro Charles

                                                                                 Datuk Bro Charles O'Leary, former principal

Friday night's reunion was organised by the class of '84 celebrating their 30th anniversary and it was held in a well-known seafood restaurant. Teachers who had taught them were invited to this lovely dinner and they gave us a wooden souvenir plaque, a Tsbirt and photographs to commemorate this enjoyable evening.

                                          Old boys getting together. The banner has the class photos

                                         The teachers' catching up with one another

Saturday was the main 53rd Alumni reunion and there were 111 tables to commemorate the school's 111th anniversary. This grand dinner was hosted in one of the largest halls in town. The class of "82 invites their teachers every year without fail and this year they gave us a light blue Tshirt as a souvenir. The theme was "We are one" and the enthusiastic rendition of the school rally testified to that.  Many old boys flew in from different parts of the world for this occasion. The La Sallian spirit is very much alive and burning brightly.

Julia Jock, one of my old girls, who is now the excellent school principal of La Salle.

The blue Tshirt given by the amazing class of '82 who never fails to invite us every year.

Julia with Jennifer, a former teacher who is also one of my old girls from Sabah College.

 

Mary Gomez, also one of my younger old girls, now a practising lawyer with her own law firm.