Dear Jade, Justin, Joel and Alynna,

In just a week’s time the year 2010 will come to a close and 2011 will be herald in. This is going to be the first Christmas for our two lion cubs who came rushing in before they are due. Joel Ooi Chong Wei came a week before Chinese New Year and about a month before due. In a way he upset our plans for the New Year celebration in Penang. We were supposed to go to Penang to have our reunion with your Poh Chor and the Penang folks but had to cancel the schedule when Joel came by “express mail’ on the 10^th of January 2010. Your Ah Ma and I were in Ipoh to clean the house before you all went there for the New Year. Hardly had we unpacked upon our arrival in Ipoh when we received a call that Joel was on his way. We quickly rushed back after an early morning call and arrived at the hospital just in time to receive our new bundle of joy. Plans changed and we had a combined reunion gathering with the Ongs here in Lakefields.

Like Joel, Alynna Ooi Shen Lynn came a few weeks before due ( on 1^st Sept ). She came in such a hurry that she forgot to have a health clearance from above. She fell sick just about two weeks after birth and was warded in Sunway Medical Centre for nearly three weeks. Poor girl she went through a pathetic period of her life; from ordinary nursery to NICU and HDU before she recovered to a clean health record. She had to spend her full moon in HDU with all her love ones giving her their support through the glass screen of HDU. What was planned to be a big celebration with a garden party at her maternal grandparents house compound in PJ turned out to be just a two-table sit-down dinner at a restaurant in PJ among close relatives of the Oois and the Ngs.and Lokes to thank them for their support in prayers for Alynna’s recovery.

Praise be to GOD Alynna was discharged a week later after her full moon.

The year 2010 was also dotted with some ill-fate in my life. I had my cataract surgery on my right eye in August but till today vision is still blurry. The opthamologist who operated on me didn’t do a good job, causing the retina to be oval in shape. Just before the year ends ( on 29^th Dec 2010 ) I will be going for surgery on my left eye. Hopefully I won’t meet the same fate this time !

The year 2010 also has its share of good times of traveling. We joined a tour group and toured the United Sates in June. We toured U.S.A during the whole month of June. We toured the south - western coast of U.S covering Sand Francisco, Las Vegas and Los Angeles before stopping over for two weeks at Granduncle Don’s place at Idaho. We were given VIP treatment by your Kor Po Suan and Granduncle Don when we were in Boise, Idaho. We had a wonderful time at Cascade visiting the surrounding areas; traveling over highlands and lowlands cruising on Uncle Don’s speed boat. We had a thrilling time fishing by the various lakes and exploring the mountains identifying animal tracks. We were back in time for Jade’s 4th birthday on 30^th June.

The year 2010 also marked the end of our 26-year-old stay at 44 Hala Wah Keong. We bade a sad adieu not only to the house but also to Ipoh; a place we called home for nearly 40 years . It was our second house in Ipoh; the first one being 126 Jalan Raja Kam, Canning Gardens. We shifted out of there around 1984 after staying there for nearly 15 years .It was indeed with a heavy heart that we signed the papers on 26th November to surrender the house, which had been our nest of love, leaving behind our legacy of fond memories to the new owner to be with our loved ones in Kuala Lumpur.

Bidding a Sad Adieu to 44 Hala Wah Keong, IPOH

At 50^th Anniversary of SM Raja Shariman Bruas 5^th July 2010

Among the highlights of the year 2010 were some reunion gatherings with my former students. We talked the walk down memory lane – firstly with some former 72nd troop scouts of Yuk Choy at two wedding functions of former students ; secondly with some ex-Raja Shariman students in Bruas when I attended their 50^th anniversary dinner held at the school hall in Bruas.

The year 2010 has been quite a fruitful for the Ooi Legacy in spite of some hiccups. Let’s hope that the coming year 2011 will be a better year for all of us. We all know that life has its ups and downs, it's obstacles,its glory and its shortcomings but remember my dears, that careful meticulous planning is required to weather them all to come out victorious. We should look back at our footprints of the past year to identify the difficulties and failures made and consider them as stepping stones to rise up and walk on tall in the coming year.

You can't turn back the clock but you can wind it up

Alynna Ooi Shen Lynn

Alynna Ooi Shen Lynn

Hi Jade , Justin and Joel - On the 1st September a new, small-sized and cute little tiger cub was despatched to Uncle Tong Chien and Aunty Amelia. Just like you, Joel, she came in two weeks earlier than due date. She is Alynna Ooi Shen Lynn.

Kong Kong and Ah Ma were there at Sunway Medical Centre to receive her when she was wheeled out of the labour room into the nursery. Everyone was eager to see her. She is Uncle Stanley and Aunty Janet 's first grandchild. She greeted everyone of us with a nice smile as we viewed her through the glass window of the nursery. Two days laster she was discharged and went back to Uncle Stanley's house in P.J. Ah Ma went there everyday to bathe baby Alynna.

Fate took a bad twist after two weeks when baby Aly fell sick - very sick until she had to be warded in hospital. Poor Aly had to be put in HDU and had to undergo such pain when her condition turned worse but Aly was brave and fought hard to get well. She was a real fighter and by the time she was full moon the worst had past.

Originally there was plan to celebrate her full moon with a garden dinner-party at Uncle Stanley's house but had to cancel it as baby Aly was still too weak to greet guests. She was still in HDU then and we all went over to celebrate with her outside the ward. Your Mama baked her a cake ( see pix) and we took lots of snapshots to commemorate the occasion. It was indeed Aly's day - a celebration of her victory over her illness and to thank GOD for her recovery. Uncle Tong Chien and Aunty Amelia wrote out a thanksgiving memo to all friends and relatives who had prayed for baby Aly. The families ( the OOI's and the NGs ) sat down for a thanksgiving dinner to commemorate the occasion.

Thanks GOD with his blessings Alynna Ooi Shen Lynn is now a cubby cute healthy baby. Very soon she'll be able top join you all for Christmas and then the New Year. She'll be all set to collect angpows and gifts .

Justin is TWO

Justin is TWO on 16th October 2010.! You have grown into a smart young boy and we are proud of you. Happy Birthday Justin and may you be blessed with good health, success and warm love as you pass every milestone of your life. May each candle of the birthday cake of each succeeding year be the guiding light of your journey through life.

My American Dream Comes True

Hi Jade , Justin and Joel .

For almost a decade we have planned to visit America. It was on 4th June 2010 that we joined a tour group to the South Western coastal tour of America. We landed at San Francisco and went along the western coastal area, visiting California, Las Vegas, Black Canyon, Pebble Beach, Hollywood and the Disney in Los Angeles. The whole tour ended on 16th June

From Angeles where our package tour ended we took an internal flight by Atlanta Airlines to Boise, Idaho. Granduncle Don and Grandaunt Suan were there to meet us. We stayed with them in Cascade, a small town, about 2hours drive from Boise where Granduncle Don's children are staying.

We had a wonderful time at Cascade, feasting our eyes to the beautiful scenery around it. Granduncle Don drove us up the hills and mountains in his 4-wheel drive where we had the opportunity not only to see the beautiful landscape that spread below it but also to inhale in the fresh invigorating air around us. He also took us out on his motorboat out in the lakes and ponds. It was our first experience fishing in a motorboat . It;s beginner's luck and Ah Ma caught a few trouts for dinner that night. We stayed with them till 30thJune .