Their Wedding Day.

It was on a Sunday, 20th November, 1966. Rev. Fr. William Smith, the Rector, of St. Michael's Church, Penampang, allowed it. A Sunday Service coinciding a Wedding Service. A Rector's decision. The wedding invitations were sent out a good fortnight earlier and the regular Sunday Church Service goers were well informed. Marriage Banns and Wedding Days were announced in Church on three consecutive Sunday Masses previously in those days. A good crowd were present for the Sunday cum Wedding Service and nearly all of them stayed on for the wedding group photograph which was taken outside the church after the Service. It could not be done...simply, it's impossible! But, suppose, if the whole episode could be redone, so to speak, the pre, while and post parts of the whole episode, which particular details would they want be done differently? Of all the numerous black and white photographs taken during the occasion, this last termite-partially-spared one is appended as a reminder of an event which happened in the past. It is coming to 44 years old.

The Long-Forgotten Beauty and Usefulness of the Family Dinner

When I grew up in a kampung life-style setting, the evening family meals were almost considered sacred family affairs. Each dinner time was a very important meeting time for all the family unit members. A dinner could not start if there was a missing member of the family. The family head, my mother, for all dinner times, would ask a complaining hungry member to wait for all to arrive. Sometimes someone would be sent out to call any slow comer to come faster for it was dinner time. A kampung call for a brother who happened to be at a neighbor's house or at a game in the field, would be issued aloud in their local tongue, "/ludi:, muhi:, maka:n/" That was in the early 1950s and then onwards in time. Years later, sometimes in and around the late 1980s, the practice of a corporate family meal was still continued and cherished. That was long after the members of that intact family unit that I came to know so well have then gone their separate ways and have then started their own family unit to lead and to guide. The picture appended gives a testimony to such a small family dinner beauty. The eldest sibling would lead the others to organize the setting of the table. The preparation of the food need not be done by the children. Their mother normally did that specialized work, so to speak. The TMTs in the picture are seen around the table ready to partake in a family meal, at dinner time. That was the now-lost happy scenario of a family dinner. Nowadays the sanctity of a harmonious family unit was gravely compromised, if not, grossly corrupted by that anti-Christ red herring, the G games.

Some better days of yesteryears!

Yes, the picture you are looking at says a thousand words! One Confucious of the Orient a long, long time ago once said so, so it was said.

The JETT's Dec 2009 KK Home Visit

While the JETT boys were home in KK numerous sight-seeing trips were actually planned by Tania for them to participate in. All except for just a few fell through. The trip to Tuaran to meet the Orang Utans did take place but the trip to Beaufort to see and be among the early night fireflies was canceled. A Moyog river swim, a short father-supervised one, was enjoyed, while a more prolonged, assured freer Aki-participated promised repeat did not materialize due to the weather constraints. This valid-for-one-year promise is claimable if by December 2010 it is not out-grown and naturally forgotten due to the busy buzz of Singapore City living.

Traditional Christmas Fellowship

Brother Ben, the CKN Chairman

Weeks earlier, the Chapel group leaders were arranging meetings to plan for a 2009 Christmas Get-together. The effects of their plannings climaxed that 25th December morning after the 'Katigis'-led Christmas Chapel Service.Speeches were the 1st order for the occasion. When one veteran Chapel goer was asked to speak, the only invited guest speaker for the occasion, the organizers might have been disappointed for this speaker did not take the opportunity to put forward any tangible message, the like of a plan for any social or material betterment relating to the immediate society. There were numerous aspects to mention, in fact. But, he only took the opportunity to extend his Christmas Greetings on behalf of himself and Household and extended his New Year Wishes to all residents, present or otherwise. He especially wished all that 2010 might provide for them prosperity and the true meaning, as they each could perceive, of the adapted John10:10 quote of Jesus' own words when He said in the year 33 or thereabout.....'I have come so that you might have life, and life in all its fullness'.

The CKN Chairman was full of seriousness and purpose when he gave his speech. He had to. After extending his Christmas and New Year Greetings, he took the opportunity to put across his message for a gathering of like that did not happen often.The pot-luck lunch part of the fellowship was fun to all the food adventurers. The typical kampung dishes appealed them.The lucky draw was fun too. The prizes were all donated and the proceeds from tickets sale, for a good Chapel facility purpose.The fellowship started with an Upholding the day to Baby Jesus and it ended with A Thank you to Him late in the evening.