Aunt Poh Choo

On this day (25th Oct 2016 - Tuesday), at about lunch time, I got a call from my Cousin Sister Lay Khim informing me that Aunt Poh Choo had passed away. She was my Dad's eldest sister. She was 78 (born in 1938).

Just about 1 week before her passing, she was admitted to Sri Kota Medical Center for a couple of days. When she was in there, the doctor had put her on dialysis as she her kidney was not able to function properly.

When I visited her at the hospital, she had a very severe mouth ulcer and her mouth was bleeding badly. Then, 2 days later, she was transferred from there to Sunway Medical Center as the doctor in Sri Kota says she might be having "Stevie Johnson Disease" - a severe allergic reaction of the body to some medication / food.

When she was in Sunway medical center, she was immediately placed into High Dependency Unit (HDU). She was doing fine initially, but her condition deteriorated over the next few days and this morning, she was transferred to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the children decided to take her home and it seems she passed away on the way.

Her wake was in her house (Cousin Sister Lay Heong) and she her cremation ceremony was held on the 28th of Oct 2016 (Friday). She was cremated in Fairy Park and her ashes was laid to rest in a new block in Fairy Park near to Dad.

This Aunt have been staying in Kuala Selangor when we were kids and only moved to Klang after my cousin sister bought a house. I still remember when she was staying in Kuala Selangor, she use to make nice fish balls for us whenever she comes and visit and every year without fail she will give us "ang pow" during CNY.

The CNY this year, my brother + sister in-law with me and my wife went and visited her in her house during the festival and we never thought this was the last time we celebrated CNY with her.

Also, during this year's CNY, I manage to have supper with her when Sister Lay Khim came to Klang. I still remember she had Naan bread and we chatted happily during the supper session.

I was lucky that I manage to snap a beautiful "selfie" and also got a "wefie" of her together with my brother and 2 cousins. That is perhaps the only photos I have of her and those photos were taken during a dinner organised by cousin Sister Lay Heong.

Dear Aunty (Tua Kor), thank you for everything you have done for us and seeing us grow up. Hope you have a great journey and happy in eternity. It had been a great blessing for me to have an Aunt like you even our encounter was not really much, I know you have always cared for us. Hope you are now staying closer with Dad and cousin Loke, hope you all will look after each other well and bless all of us here which always have you in our heart.

Promotion

Today is a great day for me. I received from our Director of Asia Pacific a letter of promotion. I did not expect it to come so soon because to get to this position, the particular person will need endorsements and approval from a few senior level managers and this will take time.

Since April 2006 when I was last promoted to my previous position. I have worked across many different functions. During that time, I have also seen through so much. Work in different countries, work with different functions, from the basic bolts and nuts to scoping the scope of work and costing. 

I have been seconded to our sister company in Australia for approx 1 year to be in the lead sales role and setting up a full scale engineering and project team. Then back to my current office to resume to role of sales and proposal. Along the way, I was put fully in-charge of the solution and proposal in which I have given the role to standardize the offering of our team to across Asia Pacific.

Last Friday (4th Jan 2013), my immediate manager did my annual appraisal together with me for 2012. He did mention that our director did requested him to do a write up on my promotion which he thinks that it is also timely. He did also told me that the director himself have also put in a letter of recommendation to our Regional HR for them to work on the rest of the details. 

Hence, I only thought that they have just started the process and I will have to wait until at least April 2013 to get the promotion news. Little did I expect the promotion was already been approved and it was backdated to 1st December 2012, effectively which means it have been a month I have been promoted to this new position without anyone informing me until today - 14th Jan 2013.

I am so delighted and happy about this and the first thing I did when I got this letter is to call my wife on her mobile and share with her this good news.

Aunt Sui Fong

On 3rd of Jan (Thursday) one of my Aunt passed away unexpectedly. She is Aunt Sui Fong. She was 57. She have been very kind to us. I still remember when I was still in school, there was a year we (me and Jeremy) went to stay with my cousins (Kim Ho and Kwong Weng) in Kepong, Aunt have taken some leave and took us around KL for shopping and treated us well. For the very first time I have tasted pizza was also a treat from her. During those years also, she will always buy us birthday present every year. 

Then for my wedding, she have help me tie nice ribbons on the sweets bottle which we have gave to all our guest which came for the dinner.

She will visit us every year at least once on the first day of Chinese New Year without fail and when she comes over, she likes fish maw cooked in vinegar which my mom prepare. 

Her demise came as a shock to all of us. I got a missed call SMS at about 615am on the 4th of Jan when I switched on my phone and the second SMS that came is was from my Uncle informing us of her passing. I immediately informed my mom and my wife and both of then were also shocked to hear that news.

Her wake was placed at Nirvana Memorial Hall for prayers and on the 6th of Jan, she was cremated and laid to rest at Semenyih Memorial Park. Soon, her parents and Uncle Charlie will join her in her new resting place as arrangements have been made.

Dear Aunty, you will always be missed and remembered. Sincere thank you for your kindness and treating us so well over the years. Thank you again and may you rest in peace for eternity!!

2012 came and went..

WOW, so fast 2012 have just passed by without me realizing it. Read my last blog was about my wedding update no. 7 which was dated 16th Nov 2011, a month before my wedding. 

Well, today it is already 8th of Jan 2013. My wedding was held successfully with some minor glitches during the wedding dinner on the 16th of Dec 2011 - there was a power failure at the dinner venue, but luckily the backup generator sets came back online just before the dinner started. What a memorable event for us.

On 24th October 2012, my 2nd Uncle from my maternal side passed away. He was 75. His funeral was one of the more grand funeral I have ever attended. This is based on his final wishes and he was laid to rest at the same memorial park as my father. Rest in Peace Uncle O-Bee. I will miss you.

Also in 2012, my god-sister's mother-in-law passed away too. Her wake was at Nirvana Memorial Center where simple prayers was conducted before she was cremated and laid to final resting place in Semenyih Memorial Park.

2012 was a very exciting year for me personally. The whole of 2012 was a learning curve for me to become a husband. I think I had 'grown' and 'learn' a lot during this year. I learn to listen, discuss and talk to my wife. I learn to balance between friends and families. Both of us went through thick and thin this year trying to adapt to each other and I am sure she also have tolerated a lot during the whole year passing. I hope I did not disappointed her too much and I am sure there were more learning and experience that will come along the way for us.

As for work, 2012 have also been an interesting year for me. This year for the very 1st time I flew in a sea plane in Maldives. 

Well, that all I want to write about 2012. I have an unfinished work in 2012 which I am still continue to do until today is to get myself a Chartered Engineer's status. Hopefully by 2013 I will get it done up.

Wedding Update 8 (20th Dec 2011)

So fast, the wedding is over and now me and my wife are happily married couple.

The wedding did turn out well despite a few 'road blocks' here and there, which both of us overcome it well with the support of our families, relatives and friends.

Where should I start? Perhaps, I should start on the 11th of December 2011. I just got home from a company meeting in Chiang Mai the day before. In the morning, as I was cleaning the front porch with my mom, my neighbor informed us there could be a funeral a few houses away from mine. Indeed, there is. It seems an elderly man had passed away the night before and their family will have their Chinese ritual and prayers there in their house.

Later that evening, we found out the funeral would be held on the 13th December 2011, which was similar to our wedding date. So, we immediately plan for preventive action. Come the 12th December 2011 (Monday) morning, the canopy supplier came over in the morning at about 9am to fix up 4 sets of canopies in front of my house as I will be hosting a buffet pre-wedding dinner.

Then, at about noon, me and my cousin brother in law which will be my driver for the wedding had driven the wedding car to the photo shop for decoration.

At about 4pm the buffer dinner caterers came and started to setup for the dinner. Our first guest arrived at about 710pm and the night went on until about 11pm and even after that, me and some friends and a neighbor were still drinking all the way up to 2am.

I took a nap at about 3am and woke up at about 5.30am to shower and prepare myself to pick up my bride. I have to leave home at about 6am. All those that will go pick up my bride together with me came on time and we left home at about 615am reaching my wife's house about 7am. My brother in law (wife side) had open my wedding car door for me and immediately we were greeted by her 'sisters' at the gate and were asked to eat some cheeries soaked in vinegar, asked to sing, asked to do push ups and negotiated our ways before we were allowed to meet the bride.

Tea ceremony took place in her house and we left her house at about 830am heading home. As we reach our house, some simple prayers and tea ceremony was held. It was full of laughter and happiness and we have prepared some simple lunch for our guest and all was sorted out at about 3pm. My parents in law came to our place at about 4pm to visit. According to my wife, it is their custom that her parents will come over.

The next 2 days we have some rest before the wedding dinner reception which is scheduled on the 16th of December 2011 at Tropicana Golf and Country Resort. We were lucky that we were given the Grand Ball Room to hold the dinner.

Wedding Update 7 (16th Nov 2011)

So fast its one month just pass by and by this time next month will be our wedding dinner night.

Over the last month, we have ticked off a lot of to-do stuffs in our list.

Now, the candy bottles are sorted out, on 11th Nov 2011, as I attended my wife's friend's wedding registration, I went and bought 340 bottles for the Sticky candy we plan to give out as wedding favors. I have washed and dried the bottles and send the bottles to my Aunt's place to get some pretty ribbons tied to it.

Also, on 12th November 2011 (Saturday) we have confirmed out dinner reservation menu, we have decided to take Menu C from the 4 choices we had. The discussion went smooth and I think the captain that serves us - Diana was really professional. She even upgraded one dish for us without us asking. Also, she have push the limit of the offer by giving us up to 200 invitation card printing for free. Normal package was 5 cards per table, hence, we book 34 tables, we are only entitle to 170 cards.

However, on the way there, as I stopped by a petrol station to reload my T&G card, my car battery went dead and I cannot start my car. I have to then resort to call the insurance car assistance team which they have came prepared with a new battery for me to purchase. Only shortfall was I need to wait for him for about an hour at the petrol station with my mom in the car.

On Monday (14th November 2011) we have also visited the invitation card printer to get our artwork done and hopefully in a week or so, we can get our cards and start to distribute it.

Also, 2 weeks before that, we have also book our wedding biscuits for the 'Gor Tai Lai' which my wife have requested 100 boxes and I have added 40 boxes to be distributed for my friends and relatives.

For our wedding dinner night, we decided to hold a simple reception before the main dinner as we would expect the dinner to start about 830pm or so. After discussing this at my Uncle's shop, he suggested 2 types of cakes (Malay traditional cakes) and also to my surprise, my God Sister have offered to make some brownies for me too.

Over the month also, my wife have return back to the wedding shop to change her wedding gown which the first one she selected was not really pleasing to her / meeting her requirement. Good thing is this wedding shop we went to was kind enough to allow us to make that change as required.

Last Sunday, I have also met up with a canopy supplier which we firm up the 3 pieces of canopy for the bachelor's night, where I am expecting approx 100 guests giving that on the 12th December 2011 is a public holiday in Selangor.

This coming weekend, we will be collecting our wedding photos and also my wife have book a musical show in which the performance is about Goddess of Mercy entitle "Magic Mirror" and we need to collect the tickets by the weekend.

Also if possible, this weekend I will go and book buffet for my bachelor's night dinner. Need to finalized the menu with the person as I will want to change some dishes inside the menu.

So far the whole process have been smooth... and hopefully it will continue all the way to the wedding and dinner day.... Keeping our fingers crossed..

Wedding Update 6 (18th Oct 2011)

It had been a month since I last update this.

Last weekend, my wife went to the bridal shop again, this time to select her wedding gown and also dinner gown. She have chosen a nice cute princess outfit for the dinner gown and also a nice white wedding gown for the main wedding day.

I have also chosen my black coat for wedding. The lady there wanted to give me bow tie, I rather prefer a neck tie. Don't wanna look like a waiter on my wedding day.

On the Saturday, we went back to Central Market where my wife wanted to buy a souvenir for her boss that is going to leave the company by end of the month or so. She got him a nice wood carving which have a nice saying 出入平安 and surrounding the beautiful phrase, are 12 Chinese Zodiac animals in a circle.

Talking about Central Market reminds me of the week before that, we went there but didn't manage to buy anything from there. Small mishap happened. It was raining and my wife fell on the stairs leading to the Central Market and the fall was so hurtful that she was taken to the KL General Hospital via an ambulance to the emergency department.

It was my first time inside an ambulance and speeding through traffic. Upon arrival at the hospital, she was given a pelvic X-Ray and she was lucky as they found no bones broken. She was discharged on the same day and we took a cab back to our car and drove her back. This is the first time I see the service of the government hospital went so fast. It took us only approx. 2 hours to get the X-Ray and discharged out from there. The best part was it was really really cheap. We only paid RM1 for the whole treatment including the ambulance pick up.

Until today she is still recovering from her fall 2 weeks ago and she is a very strong girl and can endure all the pain and I am very sure she will recover well.