Remembering Dad

My cousin Kiat Ken in London sent me this photo this morning. Every 23rd January, he has a drink to remember my father. They used to enjoy drinks together whenever he was in town visiting family. If I am not mistaken, this annual commemoration is with a drink from a bottle of either whiskey or brandy that my Mum gave him from my dad's collection 5 years ago. Another cousin of mine Lynette, does the same every year, with a shot of brandy. Apparently, it is the only time of year that she drinks.

I guess we all have our own ways of remembering our loved ones who have passed on. Most importantly, the fond memories that always remain in our hearts are what matter.

Remembering dad on the 5th anniversary of his passing.


Photo courtesy of my cousin Kiat Ken.

Elaine's 40th

It's been a whirlwind of celebrations for my family of late, the most recent being cousin Elaine's birthday. Apparently turning 40 is a big deal in Australia, and Elaine made the decision to return from Adelaide to Malaysia to celebrate with the extended family. To paraphrase her, the intention was to mark this milestone in her life with the people who have been instrumental in her journey of the past 4 decades.

 

So with Dave, Nate and Matthew, as well as Lynette, Auntie Mary and Mel by her side, Elaine welcomed family and close friends at The Ming Room at Bangsar Shopping Centre for a luncheon to celebrate the occasion. It was also an opportunity to catch up with the extended family, as it is never easy to see everyone on a personal basis during such short visits back to KL. Well, a couple of weeks is not exactly short, but when there is so much to do, see and eat, and considering that we come from a rather large family, meeting almost everyone at one location, what more during a celebration, is the perfect scenario.

 

The highlight of the event was certainly Elaine's speech. Touching and genuine, she made it a point to relate how each and everyone of us, in one way or another, have been part of her journey in life. There were some teary eyes in the room, and most importantly a sense of family. So, as you embark on a new decade Elaine, here's to more fulfilling encounters to come.

 

 

Dave, Elaine, Nate and Matthew at The Ming Room, Bangsar Shopping Centre, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

New Year's Eve

2011 has come and gone and I am in a reflective mood this New Year's Eve. Instead of braving the crowds downtown, I am spending the evening at home, after having just returned from a Japanese dinner with my Mum and sis. I suppose I can consider last night's dinner at Bunny and Nabil's as the party to end the year, with much merriment and good friends. Tonight is more about spending quality time with my family.

2011 has been good to me. I've been relatively successful on the workfront. There were some hits and misses, but I can't complain when I look at the bigger scheme of things. There is always room for improvement and that's what I shall be aspiring to do next year. This year has also been good to me travel-wise. Seven holidays in all - Chinese New Year trip with my family to Koh Samui, company trip to Hatyai, celebrating Mum's birthday in Seoul, participating in my first triathlon relay with good friends and cousins in Bali, surprised my cousin Siew Yoong on her 40th birthday in Bangkok, returning to the family village in China, trekking in Nepal with my cousin Lynette to mark her milestone birthday. I hope to top that in 2012, or at the very least equal it.

Most of my resolutions and aspirations for the year have been met. A few, I did not attain. These are the ones to work harder towards from tomorrow onwards. Yes, there are still goals to achieve, dreams to realise. As the curtain comes down on 2011, I am grateful for the good times spent with family, friends and industry colleagues. I am thankful for good health. I appreciate the experiences life has accorded me. Here's to an even better year in 2012.

Turning prayer wheels to cast away sufferings, at Boudhanath in Nepal.

Effort

Nothing good comes easy. To see the view, a better view that is, one must climb when in Nepal. And despite the fact that I am not much of a trekker, ascend I did, 4 hours on the first day, 6 hours on the second, before 5 hours of descent on the third. My cousin Lynette is much more well trained and she had little trouble with most of the trek. I struggled at times, well most of the time, but still managed to complete the 44km, 3-day trek.

Although we only reached an altitude of 2800m, the views were already stunning. Every time I stopped to admire the landscape, I was awed, and slightly inspired to continue on. Thin air, legs giving way, a heavy backpack as we had no porter, only a guide, it was physically, probably the hardest thing I've ever done. I am happy to have met the challenge.

Will I do it again? Or perhaps take on a longer, more arduos trek, with the promise of even more breathtaking scenery? Ask me again in a year. Never say never is what I've learnt. A friend of mine can certainly attest to that.

Photo of Lynette and I on the second day of our trek, from Choukibhanjyang to Chisapani in Nepal.

Breakfast With A View

Breakfast always tastes better when there is fresh air and a beautiful view. Cool, crisp morning air, lush greenery, a hint of mist over Lake Phewa, the mountain range partly hidden by clouds, the sun peeking through.

Here we are enjoying breakfast in Pokhara, Lynette and I with our guide Ram and driver Raju. We had risen early, 4am to be exact, and had experienced sunrise over the Annapurna range and valley below, from our viewing point at Sarangkort, not far from Pokhara. A leisurely breakfast to satisfy our hunger pangs and an opportunity to reflect on the spectacular views Mother Nature had to offer earlier in the morning.

What a wonderful way to start a day.

Photo shot at Fewa Paradise Restaurant & Bar in Pokhara, Nepal.

Nepal

Today is my cousin Lynette's birthday. It is a milestone in her life and to celebrate, she invited me along on a trip to Nepal from 24 September to 3 October, that's 10 days in a country that was not high on my travel list.

The planning started last year. Actually, all the planning was done by Lynette. I told her I'd just tag along. I came away from the trip with a sense of wonder - wonder because of the breathtaking landscapes and beautiful architecture, wonder because of the artistic creations that satisfied my retail cravings, wonder because of the inner resolve I displayed to complete a 3-day, 44km trek up to an altitude of 2800m.

Nepal brought out the best in me - having a go at completing the trek, physically the most difficult thing I've ever done. It also brought out the worst in me - swearing almost all the way, particularly during steep ascents. Most importantly, it made me appreciate what I have in my life, what we have in our country. The Nepalese are a resilient people, yet they have so far to go in terms of opportunities in life, infrastructure, social development, you get what I mean. I have so much to be thankful for. So, I hope to complain less, appreciate more. I come back stronger in spirit, more resilient in faith.

Photo of the Annapurna range and valley, shot from Sarangkort in Pokhara, Nepal.

Birthday 2011

A friend, Celia from Spain, reminded me on Facebook that I was in Turkey last year for my birthday. We met on a tour to Aspendos, near Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. I was supposed to be in Shanghai this time round but plans fell through. I suppose it is a blessing in disguise as I have another plan up my sleeve for next month. It's meant to be a surprise. So we shall wait and see.

I started today doing the morning news at RTM and then headed straight for a swim. Other than training for the swimming leg of the Bali Triathlon relay end of June, I am also working to be fit enough for a project involving my photographer friends Peter and Evelyn. The latter is another one of my self-motivation endeavours which for now shall remain private too. Next up was shopping for our Nepal trip in September with my cousin Lynette. Who would believe we could spend almost two hours just getting the basics. It is good that we are starting early. I gather I will need much preparation for this particular trip. I am not one who usually roughs it out on holiday, so it will certainly be an adventure. A nice dim sum lunch resolved our hunger pangs after the shopping.

A much needed nap later, Mum, Suk Harn and I headed out to Siang Lin's advanced birthday and thanksgiving party. It was great catching up with a number of friends whom I have not seen in quite a while, particularly those from the advertising industry. My birthday and Siang Lin's are only two days apart, and since today is actually my birthday, I got a cake and a song too, despite my telling her earlier that it was not necessary in view of the fact that the event was much more of a thanksgiving party on her behalf. All in all a pretty fab day I would say.

Photo of me enjoying a birthday lunch on a beautiful spring day in Istanbul last year.

Travel

Travel is such a luxury. I don't mean staying at high end hotels and eating at posh restaurants. The ability to take time off work and go on a trip is luxury enough in itself. As cliched as it may sound, travel really broadens one's horizon.

I am fortunate to have travelled a fair bit since a young age and the travel bug has not abated. There are still many corners of the world to visit, and still much, much more to experience.

My mum is a great ally when it comes to holidays. She is the perfect person to leave all the research to when we plan family trips. She's already working on one for the end of the year. My cousin Lynette has also invited me on a trip to mark a milestone next year. A milestone for her, an enlightening sojourn for me. Time to save up!

Photo of mum with our trusted Lonely Planet guide at the Silver Pagoda in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

More CNY Makan

Auntie Mary, Uncle KC and Lynette hosted a dinner party on the 7th day of Chinese New Year last Saturday. Auntie Mary is a great cook and my cousin Lynette is a Martha in the making with her decor and food presentation attempts! See what I mean in the photo.

Most of the Wong extended family get-togethers revolve around food. We are blessed to have so many good chefs in the family. I suppose some of their skills are inherited from my grandparents who were both wonderful cooks.

Suffice to say, we bond over food!

Photo of a watermelon peacock by Lynette.

Eulogy To Dad

A tribute to my dad at his funeral ...

On behalf of my mum, Suk Harn and I, many thanks for being here to pay your respects and say farewell to my dad. In life, my father was a simple man. I believe though sad at leaving us, he would want to say to all of us, be sad for a little while, think of me every now and then, continue living the good life and most importantly maintain and cherish family ties.

Human nature would sometimes have us search for answers. Could the treatments have been better, could he have fought harder, could we have encouraged him more? But at the end of the day, my father was a believer in karma. He had spoken on a number of occasions with my Uncle Chee Peng and I about the likelihood of his impending passing. He was accepting of what fate had in store.

So once again, thanks for the love, support, encouragement and thoughtfulness all this while and coming to send dad on his final journey - a loving and devoted husband, a father who loved unconditionally, someone who would say, it is your life to live, so live it as you deem fit, a loyal friend and a compassionate man.

We will miss you dad.

Here's an account of our sad yet joyful farewell to my dad from the perspective of my cousin Lynette.

Inspiration

I have been thinking about starting a blog for quite some time but have just never gotten round to doing it. I lay the blame on the numerous tasks that I have to contend with on a daily basis, most of which revolve around my work for weddingsmalaysia, That Special Occasion and radio news on Traxxfm, plus the incessant need to live a balanced life, which means having to find time for exercise, family, friends, reading, facebook, youtube and the occasional travel as well.

When I do something, I want to do it well, which probably explains why I've taken this long to start blogging. Being continually inspired to write and keep the blog current is a challenge that I am finally tackling! Fingers crossed!

Some people, recent events and blogs that I have been following for a while that have been catalysts in getting me to this point ... workshop for weddingsmalaysia by Integricity, Louis, workshop I conducted at ShootFest, a relatively new easy-to-use digital camera, The Martha Blog, Lynette, Suk Harn and 2 books, 'Inside Rupert's Brain' which I've just recently concluded and 'Four Seasons : The Story Of A Business Philosophy' which I am currently reading. I suppose I am also slightly rejuvenated after a short holiday in Phnom Penh.

So here goes. Not exactly 'taking the plunge' as many of the couples I meet in my line of work do, but still, somewhat of a new beginning.