On Saturday I attended Pastor Tong's Memorial Service (PDF). The sanctuary was packed. I had to sneak into the AV room to get a seat. Pastor Tong's body was cremated earlier in the week so there was no casket, nor urn, just a photo of him next to a floral arrangement. Esther delivered the eulogy, Patty sang a beautiful solo, and Kitty directed the Cantonese choir. It was a touching service as Pastor Tong's life and accomplishments were recalled through the message, slideshow and testimonies. The service concluded with Enoch sharing his family's appreciation. First he spoke in English, then he busted out some impressive Cantonese that surprised everyone. (He told me he was practicing for hours.) He received a well-deserved ovation.
After the service we were able to catch up with old friends, people we haven't seen in ages (too many to mention). The mood was very cheerful--you would've never know you were at a funeral, more like a formal holiday dinner or class reunion. Food was the classic chinatown greasy delight, complete with an entire roast pig. I think we finally left at 6:30. But the party did not stop there.
The four XCI women above came over to my house to hang out. I popped in my CIBC DVD and they went nuts seeing all those old pics from the 70s and 80s. Amazingly, Patty was able to identify every single person in all the pictures, not to mention that Patty was also in 80% of the photos. I told her, she is the 80's! Hey, isn't that Stu on the bottom of the screen?? Here's a link to the actual photo.
Later, Patty showcased her new line of work selling Cookie Lee jewelry. If you notice the picture above, the gals were all sampling her bling earlier.Grace shared with me her latest claim to fame, The Grace Lee Project. She is prominently featured and if you view the trailer, you'll hear her talk about sex! (gasp!) Hey Grace, when will we actually get to see the whole movie??
As the night wore on, we started to get hungry. I witnessed Esther devour a corn dog in front of me. She's been craving one for years. Apparently, corn dogs are considered luxury items in Singapore because they're so expensive (even more than Dodger Dogs). And finally I set up Karen on the webcam so she can say goodnight to her girls in San Diego.Before we knew it, time was 11:30... oh wait, we lose an hour, it's 12:30! The next day, only one of us overslept and missed church. I won't say who.
I'm glad so many people were able to celebrate Pastor Tong's life. Sorry I missed seeing everyone! btw, that photo's from the 70's not the 80's...and I can neither confirm or deny that's me. ok, I deny it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for getting me a plate of food @ the funeral reception, Stan :) By the way, who has the picture with all of us in it? If you have a copy, can you email it to me? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteDi
Hey!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt was great seeing and chatting with all of you guys....I guess that just proves the point that old friends never go away...too bad my time was limited or I would have loved to hang out with you guys!
Thanks for including me in your blog...this is the first one i've gotten! Shows how tech saavy i am.
ReplyDeleteIt was wonderful seeing everyone and having uninterrupted time to catch up with old friends. For some, even though we see each other every week, it's difficult to have that time with kids around.
The party afterwards sounded like a blast! Wish I could have been there but family duty calls.
Stanley, I totally commend you for your willingness to stay at home with the kids. It's a tough but rewarding job, and I believe it's even harder for a guy! :)
Jimmy, congrats on your upcoming wedding! it was good to see you, don't be such a stranger...i only see you at funerals!