Duet

I was feeling a tad nostalgic this evening and spent some time looking for videos on YouTube of singers whom I followed in the 80s, in particular the stars of Cantopop such as Anita Mui, Leslie Cheung, Danny Chan, Roman Tam, all of whom passed on way too early.

Listening to their songs made me think of the frequent karaoke sessions that I would have with my friends Danny, Phoebe, Faizol and Patricia in the not too distant past. Danny and Phoebe are now in Dalian whereas Patricia is in Brisbane, and I do miss the hilarious antics we would get up to in the privacy of our karaoke room.

The photo here is of Broery Marantika and Dewi Yull, singers from Indonesia, whose song to which Patricia and Faizol would never fail to duet to, is entitled 'Jangan Ada Dusta Antara Kita'. Enjoy the song.

Photo of Broery Marantika and Dewi Yull.

Memories

I met my friends Faizol, Sonya and Patricia at the latter's brother's wedding dinner last night. During the course of the dinner, we reminisced about the time that we have shared in the past.

The memories that stood out shared a common trait - meaningful moments in our lives. It could be something as simple as driving all the way to KLIA and having a meal before sending a friend off. Our less than stellar but enthusiastic renditions at karaoke. Weddings in Ipoh and Bali.

These images are etched in our minds, a tapestry of paintings that remain with us forever. Pleaseant reminders of the wonderful moments that life offers.

Photo of paintings at the old town Kaleici in Antalya, Turkey.

Farewell For Now

The 2 years I spent in Switzerland in the early 1990s were some of the best times of my life. Having returned home, I maintained a close-knit group of friends who shared a common link to L'Institut Hotelier 'Cesar Ritz' where we studied - Danny, Phoebe, Patricia and Faizol.

Patricia has since moved to Brisbane with hubby Robert, and the latest ones to move will be Danny and Phoebe in a few days. Having done stints in Kuala Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu at Shangri-La properties, Danny will be assuming the role of Director Of Sales & Marketing at Shangri-La Hotel, Dalian in China.

To wish them well and send them on their way, I hosted a farewell dinner over the weekend. Faizol and wife Sonya joined us, with Patricia 'phoning in' all the way from Brisbane. A silver lining - I've got a new place to visit soon. Meanwhile, there'll be an alumni gathering of Cesar Ritz graduates this Friday, so time to catch up with the others as well.

Photo of Danny, me, Faizol, Chloe, Sonya, Phoebe and Wesley.

To Reciprocate

To reciprocate is a practice that I hold in high regard. If people treat you well, then treat them well in return. A simple notion, isn’t it? I try to do this, though I don’t always succeed, but by and large, I think I do pretty well, putting others first, albeit only for those who are deserving.

It is on this premise that I made the effort to round up a few friends to celebrate Danny’s birthday over dinner 2 nights ago. The ‘Cesar Ritz’ gang – originally consisting of Danny, Phoebe, Patricia, Faizol and I; now including Sonya, Faizol’s other half – tries to celebrate one another’s birthday every year. We keep it intimate, just the few of us, probably because conversation flows much more freely among friends who share a common bond. The only one missing? Patricia who is now living in Brisbane. Still, we have a good time and include her in our thoughts.

Now, if only every one of our friends, if only everyone that we deal with at work, subscribed to the ideal of reciprocating. It would certainly make our lives so much more rewarding, so much less stressful and our relationships so much more gratifying. So, have you done a good deed for someone deserving lately?

Photo of (L to R) Phoebe, Wesley, Chloe, Sonya, Danny, Faizol and Kris at Alexis in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur.