BOON CHEE & WIFE

Boon Chee sent us more pictures today 24/11/09 and so I uploaded them for him in this posting. Thanks for his efforts in keeping us motivated in our communications!




OMG! WHAT A LONG TIME IT'S BEEN SINCE WE LAST BLOGGED.

The recent Melbourne weather has been...... HOT!!!!

Yesterday and today we have had 32 C days..... scorching hot.

The next two days are also 30+ C days.

The air is hot, not much humidity. It is stifling hot, almost like it is taking the oxygen out of your lungs. Making you feel like.... where is the cold water bath I want to jump in and stay in there forever!!!

So in this hot hot Melbourne Spring weather our friend Boon Chee and wife Dianne arrived this week Tuesday night from KL to visit this great city. They were lucky as they had 2 days of 20+ C days to start with and just when they said " Oh so cold" the sweltering days are now here.

Anyway Kin Fong and I plus our better halves caught up with them a couple of times during the week. Today is the occasion when we manage to meet all together and so we meet at KF's magnificent Mac Mansion in Glen Waverley and then make our way to Springvale.

We have Vietnamese beef noodle soup (pho) for lunch..... and then a cup of Vietnamese coffee + Chinese donuts is in order after lunch.

And then KF take all of us to see the house they used to stay 30 years ago when they were attending Monash High. I think BC and KF were high school mates and Uni mates. So a time for reminiscence for the both of them. They get out of their car, into the hot sun, and snap shots in front of the house they used to board in..... Well all those years have flown past them!

I am sure when BC is back in KL he would upload more pictures when he has connectivity. More news and stories to come from him next week, hopefully.

So.....who is next to come and visit the poor souls in Melbourne????

Lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant - we all had pho (beef soup) with rice noodles (like hor fan....you get the picture?)

Foong Peng, Sze Meei, Dianne, Boon Chee, Kevin Chen, Captain - having our cups of Vietnamese coffee + 油 JAR 鬼 at a Springvale cafe after lunch

Kevin Chen, Boon Chee, Dianne, Foong Peng, Kin Fong, Sze Meei and Captain at KF's big Mac Mansion


Captain Chen visited Boon Chee + Dianne at Kevin Chan's home

BABI at friend Kevin Chan's house in Doncaster East

Boon Chee, Lim Kim Key + friends having a BABI

This dam sitting on top of mount Dandenong supplies the main bulk of water to Melbourne. Unfortunately it was undersized, and designed without the thought of upgrading in the future.....so you guys have severe water rationing now..... damn!!!

KF and Boon Chee walked down memory lane

In 1980 KF and BC lived in this house while they attended Monash High... In 2009 they don't live in this house (obviously) .....

Digging gold at Sovereign Hill

Playing tourist, actually

Mt Dandenong - Sherbrook Forest is it?

Photos Of the 80's Era .....

1980 to 1990, the prime of our lives ..... We were in our twenties, full of ambitions, yet tentative, stepping out of the bosoms of our family homes into the unknown ..... uni's, work places, relationships, maybe even permanent relationships for some .....

It was the period when we were shaping up our ideals, a time we pondered and charged ahead with vigor and energy. Do you have photos of your time in the world at work or at play or in higher education in the 1980's? Have a look inside your bottom drawers and if you find them, like Yoong Ming did, send them in because I think it would be fascinating to see what we were like and what we were doing .....

YM sent in this photo of Wan Juin shot in London


1983 - At a glider training in Regional Victoria - SP


1982 - Outside my flat at Dryburgh St, North Melbourne, OZ - SP


"With friends outside the Singapore World Trade Centre. We went there for the '81 Audio and Visual Exhibition'. All the exhibitors turned their amplifiers full blast and we all came out with a headache." Ha ha ha.... " - Atari Wong

(Ed: Peng Chiew looked a bit like 华大利 kaki? 乌龟's stance is quite recognizable over the years, huh?)

Yuet Fai and me, taken in Nantah 南大. Does it bring back any memories? All of us boys stayed in Block 1 of the hostel, and there was where I got my new nickname. :), Atari Wong.... ATARI!!!!

(ED: SKINNY LEGS AND SEMI-HOT PANTS??)

THESE ARE PROPER LEGS IN PROPER HOT PANTS!

I joined Hewlett-Packard as a customer engineer in 85, and was sent to their training center in Rockville, Maryland that winter. This is a picture taken with some of my fellow trainees on graduation day. I really enjoyed my stay there, especially the weekend trips to the Washington DC Mall - Wong Sir


I also have some 'aeroplane' pictures. This one was taken in 85 on the flight deck of the USS Intrepid in New York - Wong Sir

(Ed: On the Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum, awesome ATARI!)

THE REAL MCCOY

曾经年轻过, 岁月不饶人

Boon Chee, Kwai Choon & Kin Fong – Middle of the road in front of the house where BC & KF stayed -GRIK BOY

(Bell-bottom Jeans were no doubt in vogue!)

1982 – Mei Foong visited Sydney : Mei Foong, Soon Tong & Kin Fong at University of NSW -GRIK BOY

ADIDAS "ROME"

1986 – Foong Peng visited Sydney : Foong Peng & Kin Fong (no idea now where is that place) - GRIK BOY

(Ed: Sydney Uni?)

1988 – Sunday BBQ : Foong Peng, Seng Kian & wife (Anne) – BBQ at Hawkesbury River, Lane Cove - GRIK BOY

(Ed: GRIK BOY: Fuzzy hair style or semi-Afro was in fashion in 1988?)

Keng Weng alone in Genting?

Keng Weng alone in Sydney?

And Another Reunion Meeting @ Crocodile Farm Restaurant Subang Jaya .....

This time in Subang Jaya on 6 Feb 2009.....

Boon Chee, Kong Ho, Fook Kheong and SP

In the evening of Friday Feb 6 I met up with Boon Chee, Kong Ho and Fook Kheong @ Crocodile Farm Restaurant in Subang Jaya for a "KL Sam Tet reunion dinner". I put this in inverted commas because it was hardly a well-attended dinner. Nonetheless it was a reunion dinner all right. It has been 30 years since I last met these former classmates and it was sure good to meet over cold beers and a sumptuous meal. These guys were great because they especially set up the reunion knowing I was in KL. Thanks Boon Chee, Kong Ho and Fook Kheong. We also made tentative arrangements to meet more fellow classmates on the 2oth Feb.

P/S: I did not say it at the time, but these guys can drink!

Reunion Dinner Ipoh Friday Night 20 Feb 2009

Venue of the dinner : Oversea Restaurant 海外天 Ipoh

Tonight we met as a group for our 2009 Ipoh Reunion and some R&R. Some had more R&R than others! I will leave it to you to make the interpretations! Suffice to say many of us had not met for the past 30 years and so the scenes at the Reunion were a bit emotionally charged at times.

Ng Tuck Weng, Au Chee Keong, Yok Seng, Jeffrey Ong, Kong Jai (Yee Hong)

" Hey Big Tauke Ong, what important point are you making and gesturing? "

Teoh Seng Kian, Seong Pin, Weng Wah, Hock Choong, Tuck Weng, Chee Keong

" Yeah, yeah. yeah; we get your point Tauke Ong "

Seong Pin, Kong Ho 江胡，Tong Leong, Seng Kian
" We meant Peace To Tong Leong "

Yok Seng was the organiser of the 2009 Reunion event, and he did a splendid job. We awarded him THE BEST ORGANISER OF THE YEAR award because we did not have any other yardstick to base our judgment on. Albeit, we were "generally" happy that he was competent and I would say no one would object if we re-nominated him for the organising committee chairman's job for 2010! I think in coming days YS would send some suggestions to the Group as to the 2010 venue and perhaps even associated activities.....

Sneak previews for the 2010 Reunion:

Date: Before 16 Feb 2010 （年初二）

Venue: Pangkor Island

Psst! I didn't tell you this secret!

Pre-dinner drinks (beer only) were available at the Excelsior Hotel's Karaoke Fun Pub (the live band only started strumming and singing at 8pm, by which time we were trooping out to the restaurant for our dinner) for early birds. Dinner started at 8pm at the Oversea Restaurant opposite the hotel. We were seated in 2 tables, and were offered sumptuous food. Many were more impressed with the array of whiskey available (12 years, 15 years, black, green blue etc)than the food and promptly dived for the booze than the food! The whiskey lubricated those present and it was not necessary at all for those present to have to break the ice. Such was the power of the liquid.

It was note worthy to state that all present were merry and unpretentious. There was no barrier, we did not have our guards up and enjoyed each others' company and were happy to renew friendships. We were transported back in spirit to when we were boys in school uniforms once more that night ....

Tuck Weng, Chee Keong, Yok Seng, Jeffrey Ong, Kong Jai, Kong Jai's you-know-who, Siew Fook Kheong, Seong Pin

" Hey Tauke Ong, how many times do we have to hear from you? "

Tuck Weng, Chee Keong, Yok Seng, Kong Jai, Kong Jai's you-know-who, Fook Kheong, Yee Wah, Tuck Ming, Boon Chee

" Yok Seng: What the @#$%^?

Fook Kheong: There we go again ... "

Tuck Ming: I am putting my foot down! Oops I can't see my feet! "

At some point the dinner party reached its crescendo and I felt my ear drums were doing their maximum workload trying to cope with the din and voices (read noise). It was truly difficult to want to make a conversation, let alone be heard in this boisterous crowd! Such was the dBA (Noise level) and gaiety that was present at this reunion. I cannot begin to imagine if we put these 17 people in a board room meeting and ask them to express themselves, can you?

I can say on behalf of those present that were were happy to be in each others' company that night. It was quite touching and out-of-this-world. Are all reunions dinners like The One we just had?

After dinner we adjourned for karaoke at a nearby joint. Tuck Ming left after the dinner (his wife rang, apparently; or was I mistaken?). The guys who came from KL for this occasion (Seng Kian, Boon Chee, Kong Ho, Fook Kheong, Au Chee Keong, Kong Jai & partner, Weng Wah) gladly submitted themselves to this activity and we marched to this KOK. I mean we did not want to be seen as anti social or "weak" did we?! (In retrospect, Tuck Ming's wife probably did him a great favour ..... )

Mummy 7 was promptly summoned by you-know-who to his presence and pretty young things from one neighbouring super power country (some 6 hours away) were paraded in front of eager customers. Not all were weak-kneed but some were happy that the girls were there to provide some help with their singing or just for their company. Singing and chatting continued until just past mid night. We parted company and bid farewell. Some of us went for tauge chicken, chicken feet and hor fun at Oon Kee. Kee Mun and I left at 1.00am and hoped that the rest of you got home safe and sound with some fond memories created and stirred, ready for the big one next year.

Best regards, SP

P/S This is my brief summary of our reunion dinner for 2009. E&EO. I cannot guarantee clarity and correctness of information presented here as I might still be trying to recover from the said activities the night before! I welcome you to add your comments and new posts to this brief. If you are busy like some of us believed you were (but you read this blog as you do other Google group mails) then I hope you can at least get your secretary to send in some comments or posts on your behalf; after dictating to her your view of course! Cheers and many thanks for your company and friendship!