SSP76 50th Birthday Celebration (II) Part 1: Getting Ready

Just before six p.m., the first batch of members comprising mainly of the organizing committee arrived at our venue of rendezvous – Pontian Shangri-la Restaurant. Behind their smiles which reflected unison jovial mood, there was a keen sense of purpose as Lee Chaw Leng and Ng Chun Lan – the registration team, Chin Sik Foong the organizing chairperson and Seah Yong Kwong her assistant, Loh Bee Heng the secretary, Tan Kui Chen the treasurer, Tan Ban Hua the banquet organizer, Tan Soo Gek the door gift/lucky draw coordinator and grogram planners Lee Song Kia and Neo Say Yew set about getting the dinner hall ready to welcome the guests together with Ong Chee Peng and Lin Lian Yin who were part of the welcoming committee.

Appropriately attired in casually smart jeans and shirts with a general demeanor of youthful enthusiasm about the get-together not unlike any similar school events in SSP in their school days so long ago, they seemed young again though they were celebrating their 50th birthday!

Now there is reason to marvel at the ingenuity behind the idea of celebrating midlife birthday with former classmates; it imparts an indescribable meaning to the occasion.

Loh Bee Heng and Tan Ban Hua took specially care to run a final check on the set-up of the premises including banner display and the sound system while early guests Yap Kok Meng and Lim Hong Koon looked on and gave comments. The color combination of the banner, with its blue background which contrasted well with the yellow balloons rendered it striking in the simplicity of a small town restaurant and the wordings on it were appropriate and meaningful whilst the large-print class photos added to it a special touch. In addition, SSP school magazines available for circulating around during the dinner had received much appreciation too. All this was the result of attention to details by these two organizing committee members.

Ho Siew Foong, Yeoh Ah Yong, Goh Yong Khiaw and Koh Mui Cheng took delight in helping to pin the orchid corsage on organizing committee including Master of Ceremony Tan Meng Kwang and Tan Ban Hua. Early guests Yap Foon Peng, Tan Soi Moi and Mr. & Mrs Lee Chai Eng joined in the fun. They laughed, hugged and chirped merrily like a flock of delightful birds.
Such was the fun participation.

SSP76 50th Birthday Celebration (II) Part 2 Guest Arrival

Tan Siew Kiat and Tong Siew Bee were among the first to arrive to be followed by Loh Hong Tian and Oon Pek Choo . TMIS teacher Mr. Chew & wife and Mr. Chua and other students filled in by and by. En masse, an account of such nitty-gritty seemed trivial and unnecessary, but being thus welcome has a special personal meaning to each guest. Worth mentioning is one late comer to the group – Yeo Sak Aip (5SD)who took the trouble to drive all the way from Penang just to be part of the group. The reunion had meant so much to him.

The company and conversation must have been excellent judging from the sustained enthusiasm and the how deeply they had engrossed themselves in the lively exchanges. Good natured bantering and hearty laughs filled the whole place as people got into high spirit seeing more and more once familiar faces appearing before them. Identifying ‘who was who’ became an exciting game as guests tried to guess who each other was.

Think about it, when is the last time in a social setting in which you can turn around and come upon people with whom you have no reservation about striking up a conversation? There is some truth in what Tan Jin Wah and Tan Boon Chip had mentioned in the very beginning while we were deciding on the mode of rendezvous for SSP76’s first reunion : that a three-hour gathering would be too short a time for adequate intermingling for such a special occasion. There was just too much to catch up.

I arrived a little late with Lee Fei Fung at about 7 p.m. as my friend who drove had a busy schedule on that day. The first moment of contact was scintillating and walking past the ‘tunnel’ of former schoolmates to be greeted warmly by each was such a touching sensation. There was no time to register each person as extended hands were offered me but that I must do:
…‘Chan Kok keong ‘…. ‘Ng Bak Seng’…. ‘Tan Ban Hua’ …..‘Tan Ee Keng’…..‘Yeoh Ah Yong’…. ‘Chin Sik Fong’… ‘Tong Siew Bee’… ‘Tong Siew Peng’…….

The Pekan Nenas representatives comprised of Tan Jin Way, Chin Kek Ming, Koh Hoi Eng and Tan Mei Leng. They seemed well pleased with the crowd and joined the party earnestly though they had had their own close-knit reunion a few months ago this year.

The rest of the teachers including Mrs. Mattew & husband, Mr. Tan King Sik, Mr. Wong Kim Hong, Mr. Josepf Santiago etc arrived to be welcome warmly by all. Some of them greeted SBS actor Yap Say Ping, recognizing him from television drama series. I went forward to shake hands with him and his companion Sim Kian Chua and they commented that I was easily recognized. In turn, I had no trouble identifying my Bin Chong Primary School classmates Lee Beng Huat, Goh Yok Loong and Yeo Chan Huat. It was such a happy moment just to see their faces yet once more.

Once most students had arrived, they sought out their classmates in SSP for more in-depth catching up as relationships among them are especially intimate. It was interesting to note how they had intuitively gathered together and seated themselves at a chosen table.

SSP76 50th Birthday Celebration (II) Part 3: The Party Begins

For a long moment, there had been an interlude of disconcertion among the guests as Lee Song Kiah, the Invocator attempted to call them to attention in order to begin the program for the evening. But they seemed to be caught in the web of deepening conversation and were unable to free themselves from the tangle. The Master of Ceremony, Tan Meng Kwang came to his rescue to no avail. Perturbed, I looked around, wondering what could be done. It was too late for remedy at that point in time and all the two gallant gentlemen on stage could do was to laugh the disorder off and impute it to the strength of the first flush of reunion fever. In retrospect, I can envisage how a drinks reception prior to the dinner proper as proposed by Sam months before would have toned down the unrest.

-------Three Degrees: Ma ma mia …..

No real harm had been done though and Lee Song Kiah finally got the audience’s attention and introduced the Master of Ceremony. His excellent academic achievement was certainly enviable but his commitment to fostering a caring community through his involvement in Eldercare is even more worthy of praise. The crowd laughed at Song Kiah’s jokes while Meng Kwang performed his duty according to the planned program. He called upon the Organizing Chairperson, Chin Sik Foong to deliver her speech. All focused their attention on this slim ‘nyonya’ whom many were still trying to associate with the authoritative lean young girl who seemed to be a perpetual class monitor akin to disciplining. But before one could form any association she had already finished with her welcome speech. Surprise, surprise. But come to think of it, who needs a long speech that makes you snooze in a gala such as this?

-----John Denver: You fill up my senses, like a night in a forest……

The one-minute silence in remembrance of our deceased batch mates was solemn and respectful of those who we can but keep alive in our memory.

Kok Pu Long, Ng Ngiap Peng, Pang Hui Kim and Yip Miao Leng , may you rest in peace! Your generous offer of warm friendship will live in us for as long as we live.

-------Willie Nelson wails: you are always on my mind…you are always on my mind…..

‘To Sir with love’ was played to get us into the mood of expressing our gratitude to the teachers in attendance by arising to sing ‘You Raise Me Up’. Yap Fong Peng’s sparkling eyes gleamed with genuine feelings for the teachers, touched by the eloquence of the lyrics which said it all on the students’ behalf. Right before the screen at forefront, Lee Chow Leng and Ho Siew Fong stood posed in their feminine manner to serenade in earnest while Loh Bee Heng sang with gusto in his sonorous voice, raising his arms at some points to help his feelings flow. Ong Chee Peng was seated too far away to see the lyric on screen but dutifully finished the song by referring to a song sheet in hand with conviction. Go Wee Ser looked at him with admiration to cheer him on.
The teachers sat at their tables in a somber manner, obviously moved by this emotive interlude.

----All students & Gosh Groban:
You raise me up, so I can stand on mountains; You raise me up, to walk on stormy seas; I am strong, when I am on your shoulders; You raise me up: To more than I can be.

The first course was served. Some of those at the vegetarian table grumbled at the deep fried starter but I thought it tasted better than what is normally served at regular ones. However, it was understandably hardly an occasion for gastronomy; there was simply no time for masticating. Relatively settled for the first time since arrival, I had the opportunity to greet Tan Eng Bee who crossed over from the next table to our left where his clique comprising of Irene, Ivy, Elsie, Loh Chok Hian, Lam Lee Ring and Yap Kok Meng. He was as congenial as I have remembered him. Neither had he put on too much weight; I am sure he can still play good basketball if he still has the zeal for the sport. This was one of the two tables with more sophisticated taste where wisp of smoke mingled thickly with the scent of alcohol. On our left, 5AA students bombarded us with the same combination of aroma of equal strength. The Providence has a way of balancing things up in its amazing ways termed ‘coincidence’. The health conscious vegetarians inhaled enough second hand smoke to make up for not consuming the high oil and cholesterol content food served at other tables.

------Amazing grace, how sweet the sound…..

Neo Say Yew came to chat with us while we commented that Tan Mei Leng looked quite changed from her prefect’s photo in the SSP school magazine conveniently placed on the table. I apologized to Chin Kek Ming for requesting Chai Ten Chun to persuade him to come as he seemed quite alone, being unfamiliar with most except the 5SE students. We are quite a reserved bunch and this made boisterous non-5SE vegetarian Koh Mui Cheng a little out of place as she chatted volubly to everyone and made cat-calls during the roll-call. I was delighted to see normally low-keyed Koh Hoi Eng all dressed up formally in electric blue for the occasion, looking really smart.

------Teresa Teng : Xioa chen gu xi doa…

Then a very personal moment - the high point for each and every member participant had come : the Roll-Call. Tan Meng Kwang called out each name in alphabetical order in his animated manner:

Chew Hui Guan! (Oh…….clap, clap, clap…)

Chin Kek Ming! (Yeh, ......clap, clap, clap…)

Chin Sik Foong! (Wooooooo………………….)

The whole room sudden came alive, charged with the excitement of having the limelight shown on a particular individual though it lasted no more than a few seconds

-----(Song played completely drowned by the exaggerated uproar of cheering.)

Yap Say Peng and Sim Kian Chuan joined us then. We stood up for a first round of photo session for 5SE. It would be some mementos for us as it was a rare occasion for the eight of us to be together after all these years.

-----Three Degrees: When will I see you again….

Everywhere else in the dining hall, students took indefatigable delight in posing for group photos with different combinations of friends. They were so engrossed that they failed to realize they had neglected the teachers who seemed a bit left out. Fortunately, some sensitive students who took up the responsible to oversee that everything ran smoothly noticed this and made amend by asking students to approach the teachers for conversation. This soon restored harmony in the party and the joyous ambience resumed itself.

----- Lulu:but how do you thank someone who has taken you from crayons to perfume? It isn't easy, but I'll try…To Sir, with love….

SSP76 50th Birthday (II) Part 4: The Party Goes On

CATHING UP

During this period of time I was engrossed in two separate sessions of lengthy conversations with Yap Say Peng who told me about his life in Singapore after leaving SSP and Tong Siew Bee who talked about her teenage children. One of them aspires to be a writer and I shared with her my attempt.

Then my SMR buddies Yeo Sek Aip and Tee Kian Tee came over to catch with me. The moment I uttered ‘Ah Chiew’ (Yeo Sek Aip’s nickname), thirty-two years of separation seemed to have melted away instantaneously. After that, my Bin Chong primary school classmate Yeoh Chan Huat, the top boy in my class who thwarted all my attempts to challenge his position told me about his decision to quit auditing to run a sundry shop in Pontian– a tough decision to make, after getting an accounting degree in Singapore University. I am glad for him that it turned out to be a smart move which has strengthened his current financial standing. With him was Lee Beng Huat who trailed slightly behind me in Bin Chong. Graduated late at the age of 35, I was running scared all by myself in Singapore with little prospect of a stable job. This old friend of mine who took pity on me due to my plight showed up, drove to the out-of-the-way Anglican Church headquarter to get me an application form for the position of Admin Officer. As a result, my life began to stabilize.

Who but our trusted old friends would extend a helping hand to us in times of desperation?

Too much has happened in that one evening of reunion. My being oblivious to the programs on stage I deem understandable.

LUCKY DRAW

While engrossed in deep conversations with several people, I was vaguely aware of the commencement of the Lucky Draw on stage with the MC’s announcement. The Invocator thanked all contributors of the prices and door gifts including Tan Meng Kwang, Koh Mui Chen and Tong Siew Bee. Teachers were invited to perform the draws and the lucky winners included Lee Chai Eng, Tan Bay Wah, Irene Chuang, Koh Mui Cheng and Chin Sik Fong who won the grand price contributed by Tan Meng Kwang – a set of Ultrasonic Spa Equipment with 2 bottles of Essential Oils worth S$2400. The Invocator mentioned that she deserved to win as reward for starting the idea of our reunion. Many crowded around the stage to witness the draw which was a cheerful interlude from dining and chatting. Two persons from my table won too. Tan Bay Wah shrieked in delight when her name was called. She came back with a lovely bracelet but found it too small for her wrist to her dismay. I slipped it on and waved my arm to make the costume jewelry sparkle in the down-lights, jokingly announced that perhaps it was meant for me for it fitted perfectly. Incidentally, Koh Mui Cheng – also seated at my table, was the price contributor and she agreed to exchange it for another item which would be wearable for the winner. At that moment, Koh Mui Cheng herself also won a price.

I was glad to hear someone commented that the inclusion of this program was evidence that the reunion was well organized because there were members who cared enough to make gift/prize contributions and a member (Tan Soo Gek) who volunteered to coordinate the Lucky Draw.

BIRTHDAY CAKE CUTTING CEREMONY

Five SSP76 members born in the month of December – Chan Kok Keong, Tan Soo Gek, Lee Chaw Leng, Tey Siam Cheng and Tan Soi Moi represented the group to perform the ceremony. All members joined in to sing the birthday song after which five candles were lighted and then blown off jointly by the representatives as they beamed under the floral decorated arch on the left of the stage. The cake looked so luscious that I wish I was not seated so far back as to have missed having a slice (Sigh…). Moreover, to partake it would be symbolic of being one with the reunion group (Sigh again…actually, I have sweet tooth!).

GROUP PHOTO SESSION

There was a commotion when group photo taking was announced. All small groups broke up as all participants got ready for this moment of significance as it would capture the monumental event on film for future remembrance. The MC had no problem this time to draw the audience’s attention; all crowded around the stage voluntarily to prevent the regrettable event of accidental exclusion from a particular grouping to which they belong.

Firstly, photos were taken for each class from 5SA to 5AD with teachers who had taught it. These were followed by sessions for various primary and lower secondary schools including TMIS, SMTK, SMR, SMPN, SMPC and finally a session for the Organizing Committee. The excitement of the program or perhaps the event itself climaxed during the grand finale – the all-participants group photos which the hired photographer took seriously with a keen sense of urgency. He implored us not to break up while he moved tables and chairs for shoots from various angles. From the stage, Gay Bing Shyan – a professional photographer gave him directions on how to take the best pictures loudly before he appointed himself the official photographer free-of- charge for the group’s next reunion! – the final touch of goodwill and appreciation for the formation of our reunion group - SSP76!!

With that, the formal reunion dinner had concluded to everyone’s satisfaction.