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 10th 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 1st 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 29th 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 30th 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 50th Anniversary of SM Raja Shariman Bruas 5th 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 50th 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
