TRACKING DOWN THE CLASS OF '57

Last update: 01 March 2006

 

Yap Swee Hoo wrote (27 January 2006, 1139 hours):

Some more reminiscences.

John was very much my late mother's pet, as he used to come to our motor-cycle shop at Selegie Road in his motor-cycle gear and all, girlfriend on pillion, for a yarn with her. Thanks, John, for spending your time with her. I'm sure she will bless you and your's where she is now.

 

Jerry Choo wrote (27 January 2006, 1113 hours):

Hi John,

It is gratifying to see our cohort 'discovering' one another after so many years..... starting with our super sleuth Jimmy Ho Chee Meng, Jerry Tan Chwee Lee, Yap Swee Hoo, Tham Heng Fai, Tan Kang Ping. The power of the internet! By the way, the above address list is the latest, as there have been a few changes made.

I have been trying to locate Kwai Ying as well and all I have is a Forrest Hill PO Box number, and what appears to be an old set of telephone numbers (you can see this in our class directory). Didn't realise that Hock Chuan is in Melbourne.

Went into your web site....some super work. We'll need you to be present when we have our reunion to make sure all us old folks look good.

Keep in touch.

 

John Lim wrote (26 January 2006):

Hi everyone,

This is John Lim from Down Under Melbourne.

It's great to be able to keep in touch and Jerry must be commended for taking the initiative.

I've contacted Kang Ping who just moved to Melbourne and we'll be meeting up soon. I've been trying to track down Wong Kwai Ying and Soh Hock Chuan who are supposed to be in Melbourne as well, but I haven't been successful.

Do let me know if any of you is coming this way as I'd like to meet up with you.

FYI I'm running a little photographic studio here and if you want to have an idea of what I do, please visit my website-www.johnlim.com.au.

God bless.
 

Yap Swee Hoo wrote (26 January 2006, 1206 hours)

Thanks, Norman.  A small correction: I'm not a proud grandfather, but certainly a very happy one, for now. I'll be a proud grandfather if my grandson - the only one so far - grows up to be a good person of integrity, compassion and understanding.

As for my children's contributions to society, they're meagre and really average, nothing more. But I'm happy they're financially independent, which lifts a big load off me. Going forward, I do hope that they will truly contribute of their best to society, but not of the TT Durai style. In fact, both of them know that if they should be involved in any irregularities, I would be nowhere around to support them and, rather, will be more intent to ensure that they pay their proper dues.

With God's help, and by His grace, they're alright now and will be in the future, as I place my trust in Him.

Great to know you and your's are in excellent shape, all dimensions considered, Norman. Keep it up. And God bless.

 

Norman Wee wrote (26 January 2006, 1124 hours):

Hi Swee Hoo,

Long time no see. Normally can spot you a mile away.

Great reading of your exploits and the contributions your children are making to society. You must indeed be a proud Grandfather.

My Mrs. still works for/in Phillips Sec.

Pui Chuan Shuttles between Perth and Singapore.  Now in Singapore. Plays his squash at Chinese Swimming Club.
 

Yap Swee Hoo (26 January 2006) wrote:

Hi, Chwee Lee,

Hearing from you in this loop brings to mind the time when you, together with Au Pui Chuan, rescued me from drowning in the MacRitche Reservoir during one of our hikes. Thanks a million, Chwee Lee. I am a grandfather to-day not least because of you!

As a naughty boy in school, I think I haven't changed much, as I'm still rather naughty, as some of you may have noted from various news reports on me. It's a quirk of fate that although I started in the civil service as a civilian officer in the Ministry of Education, I was seconded to the Police thereafter, first, as a plain-clothes officer on the rank of an Assistant Superintendent of Police, then as the Deputy Director, CPIB with both police and civilian officers under me, and then back to civilian rank as the Head, Enforcement & Admin in the then Chief Building Surveyor's Dept (later called the Building & Dev. Control Department) to revamp what was then a corruption-ridden organisation.

I resigned in 1980 of my own volition as I had a very bad period of imbalance which caused me to have dizzying bouts of diarrhoea and vomitting almost weekly, so much so that when I asked for medical leave, the doctors said "no" as they were afraid to be hauled up for issuing false medical certificates. Looking back, however, I am happy I did not stay on in my post, although a subordinate had advised me not to leave as, to quote from him, "it's when you're sick that you should continue to stay in service, to draw gaji (salary)." I had told him that, unfortunately, that's not my way, as, if I was unable to contribute, I didn't want my salary. It was probably the ACSian spirit in me that made me resign, as a matter of principle.

Anyway, God has been very kind to me and I have managed to bring up 2 daughters, both professionals and married. My big girl is an Assistant Prof in biomedicine and so is her husband, who is also a surgeon. My younger girl was an accountant who left her job for a 9-month stint in Africa to tend to the poorest of the poor, joining Catholic priest Fr Paco's mission there. She's now an occupational therapist specialising in pediatrics after graduating from our local poly, and universities in Edinburgh and the US. Her spouse is working in ST Aerospace as a principal engineer.
It's reminiscent of our old school days when she won the Tay Eng Soon award in Nanyang Technological University upon her graduation.

For myself, I'm still working as a remisier in UOB-KayHian, albeit on much reduced pressure and momentum. I was President of the Remisers' Society for 8 years and stepped down to head the Remisiers' Cooperative as its Chairman. The stocks industry has become very much a retiree's haven with its considerably reduced activity.

It's great to connect with all of you, and it'll be better still if we could have a get together again after all these years.

Thanks, both Jerrys, for everything.

 

Jerry Tan Chwee Lee wrote (25 January 2006, 2253 hours):

Hi Jerry,

Sorry I haven't been in touch - been travelling a lot lately and am just catching up with my normal routine.

Let me add my congratulations for setting up the class of '57 website and getting everybody communicating and reminiscing. Can't wait for the 50th year reunion to catch up with everyone, especially those I haven't seen since we left school.

We should perhaps start thinking about setting up a committee to plan the 50th year dinner.

My warm regards to everyone.

 

Jerry Choo wrote (12 January 2006, 1207 hours):

Hi! We would like to confirm if the email listing is reaching the addressees and would appreciate if you can just hit the 'reply all' when you receive this. So far there are about 20 who have made contact.

Additionally, if anyone has the details, addresses or telephone numbers if not e-mail, of those not on our list, please let me know.  Thanks.