Just got word that the eldest son of the Chee clan, Joe Chee, my uncle has passed on.
The first generation of the Chee to be born and bred in Malaysia, he was a reporter in the little town of Kulim, Kedah. Being a reporter in a little town accords you with a celebrity status of sorts as he would look to the Kulimnians for information on the latest scoop and they would look to him for the latest, not in print yet news.
With me being unable to speak Hakka/Hokkien/Cantonese, he was the one of the uncle's i could converse with whenever I balik kampung. Younger, I had rarely interacted with this big uncle as there was obviously nothing in common for us to chat about.
Having said that, I remember looking through some black and white pics of the roaring 50s and 60s (every Chinese family has stacks of these old photographs...some framed in grey photo frames, some tucked away in a polished wooden cupboard or antique drawers..its always the case.
FUIYO....you should see these old, overweight aunties and uncles 50 years ago!
There they were...looking svelte, young and HOT! My mother has 8 brothers and sisters in total and in "those" days...meaning in "their" days, they were happening! Mini skirts, drain pipe pants, sideburns and of course...the side way posing that was popular those days.hehe.
Uncle Joe has one photo that sticks out in my mind that defines the young man in his prime in the 60s....Black sunglasses, Elvis styles hairdo, cigarette in one hand and riding his Vespa..the "it" bike amongst the youth in small towns those days.
Epitome of a cool , confident and cocky Chinese cat on the prowl.
My English speaking cousin and I called him Legend to commemorate his drinking skills. Here was one Chinaman who would drink everyone and i mean everyone at any Chinese wedding dinner or functions.As we grew old enough to drink, this ole school warrior inducted us into the world of drinks and merry making whenever the chance arose. A quiet, gruff man usually, when the party and drinking started, the devillish and ultra cool cat would emerge and everyone fell under his charm.
But, as with every legendary figures througout time immemorial, Death is the ultimate victor and it is to this inevitable force that he succumbed to on the 28th May 2009. Would like to think that he is at this very moment challenging Death itself to a sobriety contest.
So here's to you Joseph Chee. Will miss your presence dearly. Next drink will be a toast to your life amongst us.RIP.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
LTTE
Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE for short is a guerilla rebel army led by Vellupilai Prabakharan with the sole purpose of gaining autonomy and independence for the Tamil people of Sri Lanka.
Summary: Sri Lanka has the Sinhalese and the Tamils living side by side for centuries with the Sinhalese having the upper hand politically over the Tamilians.
There are many other rebel groups but the LTTE were the most organised and disciplined of the lot (no smoking, drinking and fornication alowed within the group).
Today its reported that the LTTE's supreme leader has been killed.
Well I personally wasnt that much involved in the development of this war in the beautiful country of Sri Lanka. My grandfather paternal was a Sri Lankan Tamil who migrated to Malaysia as was my grandmother. Dad and his siblings were therefore the 1st generation Sri Lankans to be born and bred in Malaysia.
Naturally, the development of the conflict interested Dad greatly with him keeping clippings of any news reports that he could gather always yearning for news of a Liberated Tamil state. He probably would have volunteered his services to LTTE given the chance going so far as to wear a mock cyanide capsule around his neck ( as all LTTEs do). Even our home in Kulim has a sign R&R Eelam (Rose and Rajendra Palace). We have a palmyra tree planted just outside our gate, a symbol of Ceylon.
Well unfortunately the war of 26 years hasnt brought us any closer to independence of a Tamil state nor has it done any good for the economy and tourism of the country.
I hope against hope that common sense will prevail over this conflict for the sake of Sri Lanka and its people : Tamils and Sinhalese alike.
Indi Nadarajah and Allan Perrera are two Malaysians who are Sri Lankan in origin...one is a Sinhalese, one a Tamil. Together they form Comedy Court and they are hilarious. Can we live one day to see these two parties get along in Sri Lanka? Hope so...cos once they clean up their act there im gonna make a trip to the birth place of my ancestors.
So lets hope death of hatred, injustice inequality and bigotry will be celebrated instead of death of any one person, group or ideals.
Summary: Sri Lanka has the Sinhalese and the Tamils living side by side for centuries with the Sinhalese having the upper hand politically over the Tamilians.
There are many other rebel groups but the LTTE were the most organised and disciplined of the lot (no smoking, drinking and fornication alowed within the group).
Today its reported that the LTTE's supreme leader has been killed.
Well I personally wasnt that much involved in the development of this war in the beautiful country of Sri Lanka. My grandfather paternal was a Sri Lankan Tamil who migrated to Malaysia as was my grandmother. Dad and his siblings were therefore the 1st generation Sri Lankans to be born and bred in Malaysia.
Naturally, the development of the conflict interested Dad greatly with him keeping clippings of any news reports that he could gather always yearning for news of a Liberated Tamil state. He probably would have volunteered his services to LTTE given the chance going so far as to wear a mock cyanide capsule around his neck ( as all LTTEs do). Even our home in Kulim has a sign R&R Eelam (Rose and Rajendra Palace). We have a palmyra tree planted just outside our gate, a symbol of Ceylon.
Well unfortunately the war of 26 years hasnt brought us any closer to independence of a Tamil state nor has it done any good for the economy and tourism of the country.
I hope against hope that common sense will prevail over this conflict for the sake of Sri Lanka and its people : Tamils and Sinhalese alike.
Indi Nadarajah and Allan Perrera are two Malaysians who are Sri Lankan in origin...one is a Sinhalese, one a Tamil. Together they form Comedy Court and they are hilarious. Can we live one day to see these two parties get along in Sri Lanka? Hope so...cos once they clean up their act there im gonna make a trip to the birth place of my ancestors.
So lets hope death of hatred, injustice inequality and bigotry will be celebrated instead of death of any one person, group or ideals.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
The Biggest Loser
This programme resonates with me cos im also on a quest to lose unwanted pounds that have been piling up lately.
Currently this programme is taking up my Sunday nites as I watch the contestants compete against each other (often against themselves mostly). What a show.
Yes im aware of the great American marketing gimmick of exaggeration and drama but you have to hand it to them in executing it.
You see the frustrations of the obese as they transform their lives and even those who get kicked out are given a follow-up so that you can see how they are leading their lives AFTER being kicked out of the game.
I must confess i havent been as gung-ho in keeping my dates with the gym after Min's wedding but this show somehow keeps me motivated to hit the gym again come Monday thru Friday.
Of course we are no where as obese as the contestants but the fact of the matter is I believe the motivation to get into shape should be instilled in all of us no matter what shape we are in.
Malaysia with its availability of food 24/7 is in danger of degenerating into the land of the obese with many of my age group falling to overweight diseases frequently.
As I ponder this sitting on my fat ass on the couch, I have to remind myself that this is the Year Of Change and of Stepping Ma Game Up....funnily enough easily forgotten in the midst of work crisis and Flying Pigs.
Time to be the Biggest Loser...
Currently this programme is taking up my Sunday nites as I watch the contestants compete against each other (often against themselves mostly). What a show.
Yes im aware of the great American marketing gimmick of exaggeration and drama but you have to hand it to them in executing it.
You see the frustrations of the obese as they transform their lives and even those who get kicked out are given a follow-up so that you can see how they are leading their lives AFTER being kicked out of the game.
I must confess i havent been as gung-ho in keeping my dates with the gym after Min's wedding but this show somehow keeps me motivated to hit the gym again come Monday thru Friday.
Of course we are no where as obese as the contestants but the fact of the matter is I believe the motivation to get into shape should be instilled in all of us no matter what shape we are in.
Malaysia with its availability of food 24/7 is in danger of degenerating into the land of the obese with many of my age group falling to overweight diseases frequently.
As I ponder this sitting on my fat ass on the couch, I have to remind myself that this is the Year Of Change and of Stepping Ma Game Up....funnily enough easily forgotten in the midst of work crisis and Flying Pigs.
Time to be the Biggest Loser...
Mummy
Its that time of the year where we "officially" celebrate the most important woman in our lives...our mothers.
I suspect unless you yourself are a mother, one cannot fully understand the bond between a mother and her child. But being a child I can talk about the bond a child feels for their mother.
Am not talking about the obvious dramatic sacrifices some mothers make to raise their family. Im talking about the daily acts of love ALL mothers make which most of the time a child can take for granted.
CEO, Finance Director, Counsellor, Motivator, Judge/Executioner...all rolled into one, she executes these roles from the moment a tiny being she's been lugging around for 9 months is presented to her. And she does it with only one thought in her mind : That her baby has a better life then she had.
So after the pain of delivery now comes the pain of figuring out how her her life is going to revolve around this new addition into her schedule. Single handedly and without complaint she takes on her responsibilty of raising and nurturing this bawling/puking/shitting little life.
Some struggle through it, some do it naturally but ALL of them fiercely protect their little cub as a tigress protects its own. Try saying ANYTHING remotely negative about their bundle of joy and risk the wrath of an angry mother.
Then the child grows and the mother now has to deal with this baby ( and of course the OTHER baby aka hubby ) and growing pains. Through it all she remains her child's greattest supporter. Adolesence kicks in and now she's got to deal with hormones and peer pressure in meeting her child's needs.
Through it all she's doing her best to fill the house with love, put food on the table and keep everything in good order whilst juggling a career and being there for her hubby.
And yet, there they are..silently soldiering on for their kids often without any gratification, expecting none.
So my hats off the all the mothers in the world. If ever we do encounter another intelligent life form from another universe, a mother's love for her child should be the first thing we should show them...cos that is really what makes this world a beautiful place. Happy Mother's Day!
I suspect unless you yourself are a mother, one cannot fully understand the bond between a mother and her child. But being a child I can talk about the bond a child feels for their mother.
Am not talking about the obvious dramatic sacrifices some mothers make to raise their family. Im talking about the daily acts of love ALL mothers make which most of the time a child can take for granted.
CEO, Finance Director, Counsellor, Motivator, Judge/Executioner...all rolled into one, she executes these roles from the moment a tiny being she's been lugging around for 9 months is presented to her. And she does it with only one thought in her mind : That her baby has a better life then she had.
So after the pain of delivery now comes the pain of figuring out how her her life is going to revolve around this new addition into her schedule. Single handedly and without complaint she takes on her responsibilty of raising and nurturing this bawling/puking/shitting little life.
Some struggle through it, some do it naturally but ALL of them fiercely protect their little cub as a tigress protects its own. Try saying ANYTHING remotely negative about their bundle of joy and risk the wrath of an angry mother.
Then the child grows and the mother now has to deal with this baby ( and of course the OTHER baby aka hubby ) and growing pains. Through it all she remains her child's greattest supporter. Adolesence kicks in and now she's got to deal with hormones and peer pressure in meeting her child's needs.
Through it all she's doing her best to fill the house with love, put food on the table and keep everything in good order whilst juggling a career and being there for her hubby.
And yet, there they are..silently soldiering on for their kids often without any gratification, expecting none.
So my hats off the all the mothers in the world. If ever we do encounter another intelligent life form from another universe, a mother's love for her child should be the first thing we should show them...cos that is really what makes this world a beautiful place. Happy Mother's Day!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
A wedding,
Whew... finished a wedding of an ex colleague over the weekend and talk about stress!
From the church wedding to the dinner reception, definitely cannot say I envy what the couple had to go through leading up to the big day. Here I am on usher duty and MC for the church and already I was freaking stressed..dont wanna imagine what the couple themselves would have felt.
But in spite of all the stress things went smoothly. Great and meaningful church cermony, unique opening gambit, dinner was long but never boring. Guests were well behaved. Alcohol flowed non-stop and hardly a hitch.
Which brings me to thinking what I would do for MY wedding. Looks like all the great ideas and song choices are already taken so the only option would be to elope, send sms to all friends and change status on Facebook...heheh.
There's a great magic that happens in ALL weddings at certain points of the whole ceremony, either with the church one or the dinner the recep. It happens when bride and groom arent caught up in the whole happenings around them and they are only aware of each other and the meaning of the ocassion. Thats when u see the groom standing with his bride and they realise all the heartaches, the arguments, the disapointments and worries are worth going through because its with the one they have chosen to spend the rest of their lives with each other.Thats kinda a magical moment when u do see it.
So way to go. Am definitely lookin forward for more magical moments in the future...:)
From the church wedding to the dinner reception, definitely cannot say I envy what the couple had to go through leading up to the big day. Here I am on usher duty and MC for the church and already I was freaking stressed..dont wanna imagine what the couple themselves would have felt.
But in spite of all the stress things went smoothly. Great and meaningful church cermony, unique opening gambit, dinner was long but never boring. Guests were well behaved. Alcohol flowed non-stop and hardly a hitch.
Which brings me to thinking what I would do for MY wedding. Looks like all the great ideas and song choices are already taken so the only option would be to elope, send sms to all friends and change status on Facebook...heheh.
There's a great magic that happens in ALL weddings at certain points of the whole ceremony, either with the church one or the dinner the recep. It happens when bride and groom arent caught up in the whole happenings around them and they are only aware of each other and the meaning of the ocassion. Thats when u see the groom standing with his bride and they realise all the heartaches, the arguments, the disapointments and worries are worth going through because its with the one they have chosen to spend the rest of their lives with each other.Thats kinda a magical moment when u do see it.
So way to go. Am definitely lookin forward for more magical moments in the future...:)
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