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.

Rekindled Friendship

Some of my friends from South Australia were in town for a holiday recently. I was given notice of their impending trip months ago and I had blocked my calendar so that I could catch up with them. When one is given sufficient notice, all it takes is a little bit of effort to put aside some time.

 

I hadn't seen Paul Pearce since our time in boarding school at Immanuel College in Adelaide. Suffice to say it's been a while. He's now a father of two, so go figure. In any case, it was a wonderful experience meeting Paul, his family and their friends who were travelling in a group. Re-living memories and creating new ones have undoubtedly rekindled our friendship. Add to that, new friendships with the rest of the entourage, and the little effort has certainly been rewarding.

 

Our time together enjoying Malaysian cuisine, introducing them to our way of life here and having many laughs over the past and present, was certainly time well spent.

 

 

Having dim sum at The Ming Room, Bangsar Shopping Centre in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.