I am now a married man. 17th November 2007, arguably the biggest day of my life. I have been so busy the week before, with O levels invigilation and preparation for my big day. We had the Chinese Dinner at a restaurant on the 16th November - Friday night. We had our solemnization at the Registry of Muslim Marriages on the 17th Nov morning followed by the traditional chinese tea ceremony. The following day, 18th Nov, we had our malay wedding at Nee Soon South CC.
It was a good 3 days. Everything went smoothly. I have nothing to complain. Tiring but something that I would remember for the rest of my life.
The following week, in fact, last Thursday, I went to Indonesia. Jakarta and Bandung with 22 students plus 3 other teachers. It's a reward for the students for doing well in the sepak takraw and soccer CCA. We had a friendly game with the local school in Jakarta and with the Indonesia National Youth Team. Yes, we beat the local schools, but were given a lesson in sepak takraw by their National Youth team.
We went to Tangkuban Perahu (a volcano) in Bandung. Weather was nice...approximately 25 degree celsius in Bandung. The travel on the bus took hours. It took us 3 hours plus to get to Bandung on the first day that we landed in Jakarta. The second day, we headed to the volcano and headed back towards Jakarta.
On the 3rd day, we had the friendly sepak takraw game. Followed by a visit to the theme park. It was pretty fun I have to admit. I enjoyed the Viking ride. The following day (Sunday) we headed back to Singapore.
Sadness.............
TRIBUTE TO STEPHEN LOH
During my second day there (in Indonesia), I received a sad news (SMS) from Seok Kuan. She messaged saying that the national dragon boat team, competing in Cambodia met with an accident. 5 men were missing. One of them was Stephen Loh Soon Ann. I prayed for his safety.
The following day, the sad news came....his body was found. I was dumbfounded. Devastated....
We weren't the best of friends. Neither do we talk everyday when we were trainees in NIE. The late Stephen was arguably the fittest person I've ever met in my life. We once sat in the canteen having lunch when I asked him how often he trained to get a muscular body like his. He said twice a day. He'd go to the gym in the morning, eat, went back to the hall (dorm) to sleep the whole afternoon and train again in the evening. He's a very agile person. Soft spoken, smart and asks the smartest of questions during lectures. My impression of Stephen.
I first saw him way before we entered NIE. I was playing soccer with my camp mates and Andy Liew brought some of his NTU dragon boat friends with him to play soccer in NUS handball court. That was when I saw Stephen for the first time. A few years later, he was a colleague...classmates.
The last time I saw Stephen was during the September holidays this year. We played soccer at the Cage during the September holidays. I was just talking to Ryan today when we were in the gym about the last time we saw Stephen. He came late during our Cage session and started scoring the moment he came in. I can't believe that I'll never see him again.
I have to admit that I'm a bit disappointed that I can't attend his wake. But I'm a newly wed. I wouldn't want to make my wife and my in-laws unhappy. I guess there are things in life that I have to face.
Earlier this year, it was a PE guy (Zam) who met with a fatal accident at Mount Ophir. Now, it's my own friend. Someone who I know and play and talk to personally. I will always remember Stephen as a competitor, a gentleman, arguably the fittest person I've met and a friend. I am sure that Stephen would have a better life on the other side in spite of the fact that he had left his family and his loved ones behind. To you my friend, Stephen Loh Soon Ann, rest in peace. You will always be remembered.
Rest-in-peace my dear friend.
Treasure your loved ones. You'll never know when you might lose them.
RuDy...
