Monday, February 1, 2010

SMJ Class of 1989, Gathering 2010

How many ten years do we have in our lives? (sit down and ponder) It has been more than two decades since I left my secondary school Sekolah Menangah Jinjang (SMJ) in year 1989. Those were the days, the happy days with no worries, no need to bother about any financial commitment, work, bills, installments ..aahh.. those were really happy days. Year 2010 started off rather special because we finally had a reunion. Although I see certain faces pretty frequently but most of the faces especially the ladies, I have not met up with them for years. Here’s a special thanks to the organizer, John Tan’s, for making this gathering a reality on the fateful day of 29 January 2010. I would like to take this opportunity to show my appreciation to him despite of his busy work schedules and took his precious time to organize this reunion. The original venue was proposed by me at Shogun, One Utama but was then changed to Tasting Room in Bangsar because of its environment and atmosphere. True enough, it turned out to me a perfect place for our gathering. Another toast to John. We were supposed to meet at 7:00 PM but it turned out that I was the first one to reach there because I wanted to beat the terrifying traffic jam. In normal traffic condition, I am able to reach in less than 30 minutes from my office in Bandar Sunway but will take me more than an hour to reach the venue during peak hour. The heavy torrential evening rain worsened the traffic condition. While waiting for my freinds to come, I was enjoying the unlimited wine tasting for only RM10-00. Super cheap, right? Not long after, the organiser & the guest from Australia, Elizabeth & her husand Vincent made their appearance. We while away the time with some snacks available in the restaurant before the actual dinner start. Finally, familiar faces started to appear at 8:00 PM. It’s really good to see old friends after such a long time. Well, as usual the gathering started with normal kind of respond like ‘Hi!’, “How are you?”, “Long time no see?” but we expected more right? As the night progress, our moods started to get warmer and warmer. I don’t deny the fact that the influences from red wine had a great deal to do with it. At that moment, I felt young, as if I was transported back to year 1989. If I could, I really wouldn’t mind turning back the clock. Oh yeah, forgot to mention about the food, well I did not mention it is because there is absolutely nothing special for me to mention. For one, I happened to be on vegetarion on that day. For another, perhaps is because my tastebud is too used to the heavy taste of typical Malaysian food. As such, western food doesn’t seem to serve any special “effect“ on me. In the end, I only had mushroom soup and spaghethi with tomato sauce (something I can consume as vegan). I skipped desert because I was too busy taking photographs of my friends. The whole evening was filled of fun, laughter & perpetual flow of red wine. By the end of the function, I was half drunk but still, my fingers were clicking away on my camera. The gathering dispersed close to midnight. and I believe everyone left the place with a huge grin on their faces. I think we should do this more often instead of waiting for the next two decades. I am truly happy to reunite with so many old friends who made an effort to attend this reunion despite of their hectic work schedule. So….when’s the next reunion ? 2020 ?? :D Penned by Chong