We spent much time in the last two weeks housekeeping, or more specifically tidying up the flat after Portia’s contractors had had our air conditioners replaced and their piping rectified to the requirements of Mei Foo management, ahead of a general refurbishment of the external walls, which was to begin anytime now, but which could…
It came to past that the SIM family – or Su and her siblings – had found themselves organizing the last rites today – well, almost – for their late father who passed away nearly four weeks ago. Apart from the siblings and their immediate family members, only three other relations turned up, including Su’s…
As Portia had promised earlier, her first team of contractors arrived at the scheduled time last Thursday to put up scaffolding outside some of our windows. The two or three young men operated with military speed and efficiency, finished their work in no time and left without fanfare, leaving no trace or debris indoor. The…
By now, we had been back for three weeks. My last blog was somewhat a catalogue of passages of friends and the funerals I couldn’t attend. Since back, Su and I had been going between hospitals where both her parents had been staying, her mother since Christmas Eve and her father since 1 February. It…
Today is the last day of the Year of the Snake and we are all anticipating the arrival of the fiery horse, which makes it the Lunar New Year Eve. We had returned from Whistler a week early for the funeral of a very good friend who had somehow regarded Su as his Goddaughter, possibly…
Our Very Dear Patricia, Brenda and Raymond; Friends, Fellow Christians, Rotarians and Freemasons; Ladies and Gentlemen, I deem it my distinct honour and privilege to have been asked by the KO family to say a few words on this very special occasion. It is special because we are here today not only to mark the…
Today is Winter Solstice, officially the shortest day of the year when the Northern Hemisphere is tilted farthest away from the sun and marks the shortest day of the year. It is indeed a fitting occasion to write a year ender. Let me begin by wishing all my friends and anyone who reads or will…
I had a rather busy fortnight since my last blog, with hardly an evening dining at home and skipping most of the gym sessions, which was not good for the body and mind to start with. The most trying time came unannounced last Saturday, when after a long day ending with what promised to be…
Earlier this month, I signed up for what SCMP billed as a Fireside Chat, featuring an informal exchange on economic transformation on a changing world, with insights from Jeffrey Sachs on growth, innovation, and global challenges. The event was moderated by Chow Chung-yan, Executive Editor of SCMP and took place on Monday 3 November in…
My young friend finally decided to replace my desktop entirely and update the main software; and I am still waiting for the final touches. Meanwhile, I am struggling to live with the transition, losing some files and data in between. I left off in my last blog saying that we had gone to two concerts….
