Old TPS as of November 2013, taken by Stanley

Man Tak is home safe

Dear folks,

It has been more than a week since I left, took me quite some time to adjust the so called jetlag, also took some time to get things settled at home. Forgive me for being so late to give thanks to all the good old days folk to arrange the memorable lunch, especially with the presence with Mr. Ma. I just couldn't find a proper word to describe how excited and how grateful I was when I can meet some of the long lost friends whom we were sitting in the same classroom half a century ago. Time changed, things changed, but never will make a dent on the memory and friendship.

During the time in HK, I have the luxury to meet you folks, friends from high school and all the relatives I missed a lot. I dropped by so many areas to help shopping with my family, I was totally like a tourist, I wasn't surprise to feel like a stranger to the place I grew up, until Ralph, took his precious time to take me and my family back to Taipo. The school we used to spend our childhood is still standing, the garden we spent our agriculture knowledge lesson is now become a park. He then took us to the Train museum which my daughter showed great interest. She was amazed by the history of different stages of the train system. 

Last stop was the fresh water Plover Cove Reservoir, which was once part of the Tolo harbor. The dam and the surrounding area once was a quiet country side has now become a resort. 

Before the end of the day. Ralph took us to enjoy a delicious dinner at a club in Tsuen Wan. Priceless is not the dinner itself, but is the hospitality and warmth of Ralph that touch everyone of our family. 

Thanks again Ralph. I hope I will have a chance to offer you in return if Ralph or anyone who happen to drop by Vancouver. Oh before I forget, Ralph and I had a table tennis game before dinner, I was technically knocked out by the Champion Ralph. He is still energetic, skillful, and is a good competitor to play with. Looking forward to have another game with you, I will keep practicing.

It was indeed a memorable trip I had. Hoping to meet more and more of you is the motivation that draws me back to Hongkong. Would it be so excited to see two or more tables of old folks sitting together, exposing stories of the old time that would make us laugh or shed a tear? I'LL BE BACK.

Thanks again everyone, Love you. Keep healthy and happy.

Man Tak

Oct 12, 2013 Lunch Gathering

It was a rejoicing gathering in Lei Garden Restaurant, Shatin on 12 Oct 2013. Joe (張敏德) came back to Hong Kong, and we took the chance to invite the presence of  Ma Sir to join our lunch gathering. We had 10 of us present.

While seeing Aliana’s (楊家旅) presence, without any prior coordination, we all asked the same question to her. An old idiom, 有輕於鴻毛, 有重於泰山. But these were not what we wanted, it is something a bit heavier than the feather. Some years ago, in a gathering, Aliana brought us some self-planted fruits, the dragon eyes. Not too plenty, but so delicious that recalled all our memories. Yes, very delicious, confirmed by麥小玲. Aliana then told us the adventures the dragon eyes met in these few years. While this year may have a good chance, and she kept some as personal reserve. But then her husband’s friends came in, after winds curling the clouds, even her secret reserves were gone. We may have to wait for one or two years.

Joe said that this time coming back was joining a contest, the 17^th 世界華裔長青盃足球賽. There were total 20 teams from many countries. This year was held in Hong Kong. He was in the Vancouver team and joining the group of ages 55 & above. If you will see Joe in person, you will know that he kept himself very fit and he can play all the four games, and these were 11-11 full court matches. A little regret, he said, didn’t make any win over the other teams. Which position he was playing? A hard one, the goal keeper. Who played football well when we were in TPS? Joe remembered clearly a few, and that Stephen was one of the strongs. Yet Stephen said it was difficult to play football now, and easy got hurt at our ages.

As Joe met NaiNai years ago in Vancouver and got the link again, we were curious how that happened. Joe said that when that day NN came to buy 义燒, NN didn’t recognize him, but he felt that the shape of NN was so familiar. He then imagined that if he put on a hat, and that’s it. So he asked NN a few questions on Tse’s brothers, and bingo. Joe’s memory is terrific. Joe told us that he was a bit naughty at TPS time. This does not seem to get a recognition in the table. He said that he had had a fight with 萬里程 (or 程萬里?), and got hurt on the mouth. None of us realized this happened. What should be the real name? 淩煥儀 & 麥小玲 both said that he has a sister called 萬里花, so his name actually is 萬里程.

When we talked about the TPS years, we all knew that it was difficult to enter TPS at that time. But the 升中試 result was not so satisfactory to many of us, and that was not reasonable. Sau wah put forward a cause that we might have missed the last page of the paper which also printed with exam questions. Stephen put forward another cause that the Headmaster might not have the capability to get the exam questions for us to do the exercises. He remembered there was a tutorial after school and an idiom 克紹箕裘 came out in the Chinese subject exam. OMG! I still don’t know the meaning of this idiom yet. This might happen as at that time fairness was not yet popular and if other schools got it, then we were in disadvantage. So we entered the Secondary schools as it was. Some of us entered the nearby one, 黃肇枝中學. Ka Koo said he was in it, but 淩煥儀queried about this, as she never saw him in school.

Joe said that this time coming back together with the wife and two daughters and a baby grand daughter. He then showed us the photo of his grand daughter. Ma Sir also showed us the photo of his grand son. Tomson has two now, and I also have one, but we did not have the pictures on hand. Joe said that his wife & sister & daughter were somewhere outside the restaurant, and we immediately invited them to come in. We took some photos before we went on our own trips. I got the time that day and volunteered to be their tourist guide to have a visit to TPS again.

Ralph

Aug 2, 2013 Dinner

We have a dinner gathering at  restaurant Zhe Jiang Heen (浙江軒) in Wanchai on Aug 2, 2013. This time we have 17 people present, taking the chance to celebrate the graduation of  3 of the younger generation, Elke, Hannah & Julia, daughters of Koon Tai, Stephen & Mice.

Mice put forward a question to the 3 girls: How frequently you will be using the mobile phone? This question actually relates to many many people. The answer is (a) as necessary (b) without this, cannot do the job properly. Good answers, isn’t it.

 We are sixty going on seventy, yet not everyone of us knows the applications of the phones. Charmaine demonstrated to us by inviting Timothy just saying to the phone in English & Chinese, the phone automatic generates the sentences. No need for you to write it out. So sophisticated, the iphone 5.

The food came in continuously and we also enjoyed the wine our classmates brought in. Our chattering then turned to the wine, that wine’s price is appreciating. I told them that I have one bottle of Henessy XO about 20+ years. Timothy said that for 30+ years the value much higher. Mice said he has 7 bottles. People like to drink wine usually has a wine cellar. Timothy put forward a quiz that one of his friend told him that he has an object with value raised 400 times in the 40 years. Soon we got it as the answer was hanging on the wall, the Chinese Calligraphy. Yes, if the auctioneer found your object interesting, you will indeed get a fortune. If not, no matter how beautiful your object is, sorry, this is not the cup of tea.

While talking about such kind of antique-like objects, this aroused NaiNai telling us some stories about watches.You won’t know if he did not say so, that he is a fan of the watches. He knew what are good watches as well as where are the faked watches. He wondered years ago why he was so naive at that time to sell one which he was so fond of, but have the pressure relieved as he will think that it must be stolen if he is still keeping it. The thief only took away the watches, nothing others.  Koon Tai said NaiNai should not keep faked watches at home, cause that will be unfair for the thievies who spent much time planning for it.

Ka Koo & Tomson both said that the foreigners like very much to buy the faked watches. They may wear it over the arms & bring back home. Cannot imagine!

 Then we changed the tune talking about Hiking in Western France. We all admired 訓佳 being capable to walk such long distance and like pilgrims for forty days. It is mission impossible. While we are still calculating the walking distance & walking time, a voice suddenly said:

Our trip to Huang Shan (黃山) was unduly postponed for long time. Should this be the right time to go? A meeting was quickly convened. Now it was suggested the trip be 5 nights 6 days, with 2 nights staying in Huang Shan, 3 nights staying in Shanghai. The departure date to be 19-09-2013.

Information is that we shall take the cable car up, and the hotel was not far from the cable car station. After that, for any scenery, there needs walking. The walking distances may take 2-3 hours each sight. It is not recommended to take the sedan chair. Anybody would like to join, please put the name as soon as possible for the arrangements of Hotels & air-tickets. KaKoo & Charmaine will contact the travel agency for this. A poll was passed that nobody object.

Mice brought us some pictures. His family has joined the graduation ceremony of their son, Benjamin, now a PHD in Molecular Chemistry in CIT. He was so happy that his son had found a girl friend there, and he drank a lot of wine that night.

 Ralph

尋人

下列同學曾於１９６０至１９６４年間就讀香港新界大埔官立小學，如有連絡資料，請電郵﹕tps[at]drinkeat.com

譚美梨, Rosita Tam, 黃瑋, Grace Wong, 鍾譚芳, 黎碧玉, 古敬華, 方兆麟, 溫玉蘭, 黃開平, 廖浩波, 李長有, 董潔文, 郭傑華, 簡耀雄, 簡振雄, 張嘉猶, 李萬雲, 鍾素秋, 鍾隸湘, 連潤妹，蔡梅, 劉少雄, 劉國榮

Dinner on August 2, 2013 with 3 fresh graduates

Raymond's visit to HK (late post)

Dear All,

After adjourning the dinner, we had a lunch gathering with Raymond on 16.9.2012 at Lei Garden Shatin. Though no female classmates present this time, we do have two female guests, Ka Koo's sweet heart, Charmaine and my daughter Janice. We got a big table and everyone can sit comfortably.

These years, Kai Ming was so busy & cannot always attend our gatherings. This time, not only attend, but also showed us his adventures in the passed few years. The photos he brought us made us a proud feeling to have a classmate contributed so heavily to the Society. His photo wearing the Airforce uniform and another one wearing the helmet standing by the side of the airforce helicopter looks like he is going to drive the helicopter and then do a parachuting amazed all of us. He also told us his gathering with Pak Suen in Paris on his last trip to Geneva in Swiss and reported that Pak Suen is fine and that she lived just close to the Eiffel Tower. So if any of us paying a visit to Paris can easily have a cup of coffee or tea with her.

Raymond told us that he had an unforgettable trip to Huang Shan (黃山). We guys have been talking for years to go there, while Alex also wondered if this was the case, now Raymond showed us the lead, acting 身體力行, a five days trip, with 2 nights staying in the mountain. There are sedan chairs you can take a ride for part of the journey, but people used to take the option to Walk. Up the hill, you will have to walk about 3 hours. The road is quite narrow and allows only one person at a time. You have to keep walking as there are many after you. If you like hiking, this will not scare you though you are carrying with you a bag of clothes & utilities to stay in the hotel in the mountain. Well, with a big rainfall such as raining dogs & cats, your clothes all wet, the camera wet, the shoes wet, the hair wet and the glass also wet, you can imagine if you still think this is fun. And then up in the mountain, it was surprisingly cold, about 8-9 degree Celsius. Can never forget this experience.

Raymond further said, the taste of food up in the mountain is for the purpose of keeping the hotel customers not going to starvation, you cannot expect much. A regret to this trip is that he didn't see the Sun-Rising which is one of the key sight seeing object. Yet he is happy to see the Sky of Clouds which is marvelous. Raymond said he may visit Huang Shan again in the future.

Then we changed our talking to the younger generation, Janice said nowadays the working condition is horrible for the new graduates. Without any experience and any knowledge of the job, she has been sent to Shanghai to work a job, morning go, night come back and without any senior supporting, leaving you one person in an oversea country without any help. Raymond said his son also experienced similar thing in England. The first practical training in the Hospital ward, the senior told his son that his son will take care all the patients in the ward that night, without any experience & without any doctor to consult if anything will happen. He has to pray for nothing will happen that night.

Sau Wah reported that Marrow was difficult to sit. Long time no seeing Marrow, and we shall see if next gathering place will be close to Marrow's place so that he join us. At our age, we are getting to retire sooner or later. Kai Ming also retired from CX, and can now do anything he likes. Tomson chose to learn how to sing 大戲. Tomson, Marrow, Fan Kai & Timothy were the Beatles-4 when we were P6. Talking about aging, Ralph said he met a friend with age 78 but looked like 60. Raymond said he has a friend about 100 but looks very healthy. Then we checked our ages. It was interesting to know that with the several of us present, NaiNai is the youngest. NaiNai is so happy about this. This is the numeric figure only. We all admitted that Ka Koo looks the youngest. Charmaine is so happy that her Honey just looked like about 30+, and Charmaine also looked like about 25. Amazing!

We ended our gathering with the good food in Lei Garden.

Ralph

Dec 13, 2012 function

Glad to make a report before things being forgot!

Dear All,

After so many years, Godfrey & his wife came back to Hong Kong. At the same time, June & her husband also visited Hong Kong again. Coincidentally, they both came back from Canada & are both joining their child’s graduation ceremony here. We have congratulations to them.

A dinner gathering is organized on 13^th Dec 2012 in Restaurant VTC Tao Miao Institute in Fotan by Kai Ming. We gathered in the Fotan Railway station, and then marched to the restaurant. We have four couples present, Godfrey’s, June’s, Aliana’s & Tomson’s and together with Stephen, Koon Tai, NN, Kai Ming, Tang Chi & me, totaled to 14 of us.

It is glad to see each other, & more glad to see the familiar faces some of us haven’t seen for many years. June has come back counted some years ago, and Godfrey stayed abroad some twenty years already, really long time no see. NaiNai of course first introduced Kai Ming to all of us again, cause Kai Ming is tactful in many aspects and now got more time to join with us. Tomson added that he got a lot of of titles which cannot be fully printed in one name card ….front & back page. As member of the Labour Advisory Board (勞工顧問委員會), one of the work he did was the introduction of the Minimum Wages in Hong Kong. It was found that though the minimum wages is HK$28 per hour, the cleaners are earning over HK$50 per hour. NaiNai got a humor that one day when he is going to retire, he will pick up the job of a cleaner. Aliana made a suggestion that anyone can try to wash the “big dishes” at home first.

Food continued coming, and we ordered some beer as well. Godfrey said he is still working at his own, a specialist in Rolex watch in Toronto. Anybody with difficulties in watches can seek advice from him. But he added that with new technology, the faked watches are so brilliant that some are made with the outlook totally the same, not likely to discover unless opened.  June said she lived a more leisure life, the funs of making snowman or digging snow are not so great now. Instead, they like to travel from here to there, visiting small towns. This is the life many people admired. 

Tang Chi said he also retired, but he is doing another thing…. helping some oldies to sort out problems for them. Tang Chi said one time he helped an old woman to look for a domestic helper, thinking that should be an easy job. To his surprise, over 10 agencies found, but none is willing to work for an oldie. One time he helped another oldie for a HK$5,000 cash transaction, but turned out to be a Million Dollar deal of ELN persuaded by the bankers. Tomson explained it is interest linked investment tool. Koon Tai asked if a deposit got an interest rate of 2% is a real deposit or not? Probably not all of us know what is ELN, and sometimes it is a merit to be a good listener, and I am glad that I can be one. Tang Chi, being an ex-banker, concluded that the business environment is so keen that the Banks have to go for some value added services and we should be award not to fall into a trap……or, perhaps into a fortune unless we understand it.

Stephen got a new assignment recently by establishing a food shop/ restaurant in Tang Lung Street(登龍街) in Causeway Bay providing various types of delicious Western Food. This is good news for the gourmets. This is proved by Stephen using some rice vermicelli mixed into the lambs meat pot and all of us found good taste and the dinner, including beer, each costs HK$200 only. Is it marvelous? We ended with a happy dinner.

Ralph

A Surprise - Tung Kit Man, after 50 years

As you may see in recent emails, Ralph happened to meet a long lost contact classmate, Kitty Tung Kit Man, and we have, before the time passed, had a gathering on 24-01-2013. We did not have many present in this dinner party as this is a bit rush. Place is not important as time of gathering is too close, and food is also not important, as what we are concerned is a long long time friendship. We have Nai Nai, Sau Wah, Kit Man, Kai Ming, Tomson & Ralph.

NaiNai started to say that in last time gathering with June & Godfrey, he had been asking if can find Kitty or not. His dream soon came true, seemed like miracle. We told Kitty that we have been connected together with the Group Email link. And our TPS blog showed our passed gatherings, as well as searching our lost contacted classmates. Ralph said that as a custom, not every classmate did the postings in the emails, some would like to post a little bit more, and some less. Some postings came from overseas just like from your neighbour.

Tomson this time brought with him an ipad. He had put the old photos of  our TPS gatherings, starting from the classroom days, through our secondary school days to recent years so that everyone can have a better memory of the old days, even with clips of the "紀念冊" kept by NaiNai.  Do you still remember what you have written to NaiNai? Some pictures showed many of us joining  picnics when we were about P6. Some pictures showed many of us joining picnics in our teenages. Some pictures showing our old school with the cotton tree. But now the cotton tree in the playground was gone, the school also moved to Tai Wo. And we had a 60 years anniversary dinner there some years ago to celebrate TPS.

Kit Man said she has moved to Australia and first time came back to Hong Kong in the 17 years. She & her husband came back to visit the relatives. In fact they had another dinner party that night, and she decided to split the functions and joined this union with us. Kit Man is still serving the society as a teacher. In leisure time will travel here & there in Australia, and quite settled & accustomed to the life in Sydney. This time came back seemed like a visitor travelling here & there, and found that Hong Kong changed a lot since she left. She said that it was such a short time they made the decision to move to Australia, just like all of a sudden. Same sudden happened when Ralph met Kitty in the restaurant, both passed by, such familiar face, but without the courage to say Hello to Kitty at that very moment. A thought came out if she is Kit Man or not. Kitty already came back to her table, with 3 other persons talking to each other.  Time is lapsing, still wondering  go or not go. With this wondering condition, Ralph went forward for an interruption……. Thanks God, no mistake.

We told Kitty that with the members now sitting in the table, half is already retired. Some of us got the insurance in UK, but in fact never did the move. Some stayed in other countries like US, UK, Canada. Sau Wah had been staying in Australia for quite many years and came back to Hong Kong. Kai Ming last year needed to have meeting in Zurich of Switzerland, and took the chance to travel to France and met Pak Suen in Paris under the Tour Eiffel. Ralph told Kitty that Kai Ming is the Member of  Labour Union of  Cathay Pacifics (CX), and if he says no, the aircrafts will stop flying. Of course Kitty knew this was a joke.

Now is 2013. Next year is 2014, 50 years since we graduated from TPS. Is it possible for us to have another gathering to see more familiar faces?

Cheers

Ralph