Hey Jude, don’t let me down
Those born in Malaya in 1950 were given a life expectancy of 52.8 years. Fortunately, I have made it past that.
I am a baby boomer. Attended standard one the year Malaya gained its independence in 1957. When I entered Form one in 1963, Malaysia was formed. In 1967, I was a Form Five science boy at La salle Klang.
This coming Chinese New Year, I’m hoping to meet my old friends for the first reunion dinner ever. We have not done this in 55 years.
Whilst having such a gathering may be simple for others, it isn’t such an easy thing for us. This may be our first and last. We’re now all over 72 years old.
When should the dinner be? how to pick a suitable date when my friends and I are spread all over the globe? how to get the maximum number to come to Malaysia at the same time?
If you’re Chinese, you’re already committed to the reunion dinner on the eve of the Lunar New Year. After that, the next family dinner is on saturday, Feb 21. In between, there are the other extended family dinners.
Chinese restaurants are packed since it’s peak season. You need to eat fast and leave fast to make way for others. on top of the crowds, there is the premium price you pay. It is a fait accompli if we could hold our dinner in a Chinese restaurant under such circumstances.
An extra-large private room that could be occupied for an extended time is the next challenge. since it is festival season, could we secure such a place?
The alternative is to forgo the 10-course banquet and go for nasi briyani and fish-head curry. such a dinner would be highly appetising but would the venue be conducive? Would we have the privacy we need?
If venue is of paramount importance and food secondary, perhaps a more suitable setting would be occupying a function room in a hotel, where there is a buffet dinner or lunch.
Perhaps a reunion lunch makes better sense. since we’re all over 72 and driving home after dinner over long distances in heavy rain is terribly risky.
All these concerns play on my mind as I greatly look forward to seeing my old friends. While some have moved on, many are still around.
There is head prefect Milton Mak and popular prefect Jerry Koh.
Jerry was part of a boyband known as the 4K. All their surnames started with the letter K – Felix Koo, Anthony Kok, James Koay. The Beatles were the rage. This intense mania not only swept the western world, it swept us.
Felix went to the United states, married a Caucasian girl, and became fully integrated into the fabric of American society, contributing immensely as a university professor. Anthony became a commercial pilot. Twenty-one years ago, the Boeing 747 he was piloting was nearly shot down. he heeded instructions then, but not from flight controllers. his plane was commandeered by fighter jet pilots. Approaching New York, he was escorted by two fighter jets to make sure his civilian aircraft landed at an airport and not straight into a large building. That fateful day was sept 11, 2001.
James has called Australia home. A few years after leaving school, I had a chance meeting with Martin ham, formerly Brother Alban. he spoke about James, holding him in high regard.
I also think of Daniel Ng, who is also in Australia; David Nair now planted in India; Tan Kit King who became a dentist in Klang; and “Goldfinger” Ragunathan, who used to make beautiful gold jewellery for ladies.
We have a chat group run by ong Chin seng, our class monitor, who now resides in singapore. Now this friend has had a rollercoaster life where facts are indeed stranger than fiction.
I can’t wait to meet them all and hear their stories. Now if only I can solve this reunion dinner dilemma. Ideas, anyone? YS CHAN Kuala Lumpur