Hello Jade,

Today is the 15th Day of the eight lunar month and it's the moon cake festival again. Much as Ah Ma and I want very much to be with you, we are unable to make it this year. We know that this is the first year you will be celebrating the festival with your mama and dada. Nevertheless we are looking forward to the many years ahead that we will be watching you carry the beautifully lit lanterns as you play around while we sip tea and enjoy the delicious moon cakes at the same time reminicising fond memories as we re-enact those good old days when we played around happily with lanterns of various shapes and patterns. Ask your mama and your dada and they will be able to unfold to you those wonderful memories they had of days gone by.

Though we are not there with you, our hearts will be with you all – your dada, mama, cek cek and Aunty Amelia - you bet you all will be in our thoughts as we sit in our rendezvous in the moonlight sipping our tea and feasting ourselves to the lovely moon cakes that your mummy has bought for us. There's no doubt about it – we will have a wonderful time un-reeling the nostalgic moments we had with you - the elixir of our life. So don't forget each time you look up at the moon, you will have our love glowing onto you, your mama, dada and cek cek s – The moon represents our hearts!-I wonder if you can hear your Ah ma sings this special song by Teresa Teng- sort of her signature song.

The month of September is a very special month for us ! Your Ah Ma's birthday falls on this month,on the 28th of September, although her Chinese birthday is on 8th day of the 8th lunar month. Coincidentally, this auspicious day is also the birthdays of your two great grand aunties ( Tua Ee Poh Chor and Jee Ee Poh Chor ).

This is also the month when Kong Kong went for a coronary by-pass ( CIBG ) in medical term or in layman's term heart by-pass way back in the year 2003 at Institut Jantung Negara ( IJN ) , National Heart Institute. There's no denying that it's the most crucial year for the family. In the same year also your Tua Ee Poh Chor passed away and it was just a few months after her death that your Kong Kong was diagnosed with three arteries block after angiogram was done. I was advised by my cardiologist to have a bypass as I was still fit to undergo surgery. The date was fixed and I was warded for the surgery in September . Your dada wasn't in KL as he was still working in Australia. Uncle Chien was in Kedah for an ISEC function. Only Uncle Ti and Ah Ma were with me. Your mama wasn't married to dada yet but she was most of the time there to render help and support.

God is great, Jade ! I was lucky to have so many loved ones praying for me. There were our Buddhists relatives who had lit oil lamps and candles in temples for my successful surgery; there were the Christians relatives and friends who had included me in their silent prayer in their Sunday services and not to mention too the few close Muslims friends who had included me in their Friday prayers. Hence, as you can see, Jade, I was able to walk confidently to the operation theatre for the surgery with all confidence . I am surrounded by blessings from all religious sects ! I knew I had the blessings of Buddha, Jesus and Allah and that gave me the strength to face the consequences. I waved heartily to your Ah Ma and Uncle Ti as I was wheeled into the Operation theatre – it was not "goodbye," but "see you in six hours time" . That's it I was wheeled out to the ICU just around mid-afternoon . The worst was over and I was well on the way to recovery . By lunch time the following day I was wheeled out on a wheel chair to the Bunga Raya ward. After that it was a smooth road to recovery and within a week I was back home in Ipoh.

I remember very vividly that day when Ah Ma drove me single-handedly back to Ipoh ! It was raining cats and dogs with strong winds and thunder . Visibility was poor! It was aggravating and a real test of her driving skill. I was helpless, just lying in the reclining position. It was cold. I was hungry. We could not get down at one of the rest places to eat or to ease ourselves. We only pulled up at the car park and waited for visibility to improve. It was only after six months that I was pronounced fit to drive around and participate in active recreational activities like swimming .

Before closing this mail, I would like to record my deep appreciation to all my family members, including Jason Leong , my relatives and friends for the prayers, support and concern they had rendered to me. Special mention of course is my beloved wife who has given me that special dedicated nursing care that has enabled me to go on that smooth road to recovery and makes me what I am today. I would like to thank my cardiothoracic surgeon Mr Pau Kew Kong and his team who operated on me .