Candle 35: Seto Wai Ling & Chang Wai Fun

What happens when a classmate you haven't seen in 22 years announces on Facebook that she's stopping by Singapore? You happily round up other BBGSians and have a mini-reunion of course!

(L-R) Lu Meng, Seto Wai Ling, Joanna & Chang Wai Fun having dinner at Cedele in Wheelock Place

This evening, I had the pleasure of catching up with Seto Wai Ling and Chang Wai Fun, another 2 schoolmates from the Class of 1987. As expected, we repeated our life stories, recalled silly school stories, caught up on the goss about fellow classmates and teachers and it was a barrel of FUN! When we meet Lu Meng, we'll always get the drama story, the hockey story, the "all American girl" story...in that order...we missed the Naimah one this time, though...you're losing your touch girl :-) We'll definitely be meeting up again after Chinese New Year (once I get my act together and actually start planning a reunion for Singapore-based BBGSians)


Seto Wai Ling arrived in BBGS in Form 4 as a minor celebrity, having won national chess championships. She studied Economics & Philosophy in NUS before accompanying her husband to MIT in Boston. There, she threw herself into Japanese language studies while enjoying the myriad activities that MIT had to offer. She currently resides in Melbourne and calls herself a "professional student".


Patricia Chang Wai Fun was THE Mathematics wizard in my year, sweeping all the prizes while I could barely understand my dy/dx. Not surprisingly, she went on to study Actuarial Science in Canada and is now the CFO of a large insurance company. She has also worked in China & Indonesia and currently resides in Singapore with her family.

Back2BBGS in Tatler

Our gala reunion in August 2009 was so glamorous that we made it into November's issue of the Malaysian Tatler. Check this out....no more "kuih talam" parties for these glamour dolls!

Thanks to Irene Chen (Class of 1984) for this lead.

Happy 2010

Dear Friends,

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!

As 2009 drew to a close, I couldn't help re-playing one precious memory - the gala reunion of 4 August. What an outpouring of love that was!

From the shrieks of excited middle-aged women, to the beaming smiles of our beloved teachers, it was evident how big a part BBGS played in our lives and how much we wanted to see its re-birth. For one glorious day, we filled the halls of the Pavilion KL with images of BBGS and the strains of our school song and choral speaking reverberated all day long. Tears flowed freely as we greeted our dear Miss Cooke who walked into the hall, supported by Miss Moey. That image reminded me so much of the words of Isaac Newton who said; "If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of Giants."

I am so grateful to the team of girls who made this dream come true and to all of you for your overwhelming support. It was one of the principal goals that inspired me to start this blog.

If you would indulge me, I'd also like to take some time to re-cap the 2009 achievements for the Back2BBGS blog, in which you've all played such a big part:

• Blogged 80 posts - the highest since our humble birth in 2007
  
• Collected 34 stories for Project Kindle...yippee...keep those stories pouring in!
• Digitized the early history of BBGS through the Women of Vision exhibition
• Served as the platform for disseminating information and rallying all our girls for the gala reunion, as well as provided research for numerous newspaper articles about BBGS published this year
  
• Recorded the healing and closure that took place as we all set aside our bitterness and stepped into the Pavilion KL for the first time

Thank you so much for reaching out to me. I have so enjoyed our communications in person and online and I invite you to keep in touch with me and with each other. You are welcome to continue sharing stories of reunions, achievements and memories. Let's keep this fire burning...

NISI DOMINUS FRUSTRA

With all my love and warmest regards,
Joanna