Down Memory Lane -- Elsewhere

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[THIS SECTION WILL INVOLVE SCENES AND RECOLLECTION OF ACTIVITIES IN PLACES OTHER THAN SANDAKAN]

EW01 Meeting of Friends

It was Winter, 1968. I was in the last year of my Engineering Course in Auckland University, New Zealand when an ex-St Mary's school mate from Sandakan dropped by for a visit. Valentine flew in from Perth on his honey moon trip, and had taken the pain to travel more than 30 miles from Auckland to Admore, where the AU's Engineering School was located. With the aid of fellow AU student Low W F (from Singapore), we posed for several photos in front of Lamb House, the students hostel.

->->->->->[L_R: Valentine, Myself, Low and Rosalyn]


It was almost 42 years later when I caught up with Valentine and his wife, as well as our former photo assistant Mr. Low for a special reunion in Singapore.

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EW02 AU Golden Graduates Luncheon (28 Nov 2019)

It was very thoughtful of Auckland University (AU), NZ, to arrange for this function in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah this year for its Malaysian Golden Graduates who could not make it to Auckland for the same activity.

Hosting the function on behalf of the AU were:-
Prof. Jenny Dixon -- Deputy Vice Chancellor/Strategic Engagement and
Mr. Stephen Dee -- Executive Director/Australia and South East Asia

There were 3 Golden Graduates on this occasion, namely Mr. Ong Tee John, Datin Tong Siong Kong and Mr. Koh Poh Wah.

(L-R) Mr. Dee, Koh Poh Wah, Ong Tee John, Datin Tong Siong Kong and Prof Dixon

It is noteworthy that of the score of AU ex-graduates present, one big group came from a single mission school in Sandakan -- St Mary's Secondary School (Pix below)

 (L-R) Mr. Stephen Dee, Chung Cho Sem, Ching (Chung) Kau Jai, Koh Poh Wah, Prof Dixon, Datuk Kamal Quadra, Chung Chee Tam and Pang Chun Ming.

The three Chungs were brothers. (Another Chung brother also graduated from AU, but could not make it to the luncheon due to prior engagements)

DML with Two Ex-graduates


It was also a good opportunity for me to take a group photo with two other ex-graduates from St. Mary's School Sandakan. The last time we had a group photo together was more than half a century ago. In early1968, when Robert Ching and Pang Chun Ming arrived at Auckland to begin their courses, I was in my final year at AU (Ardmore Engineering School). I took them on a Auckland  City tour in my old 'bomb' (1952 Hillman Minx), dropping by numerous landmarks such as Mt. Eden, One-Tree Hill, Parnell Rose Garden, etc

After more than 50 years, Pang still looks "youthful", whereas both Chung and I have little or no need to comb our hair anymore! That's life.