Hearing Aid 2

Just over three years ago, I had a hearing test which confirmed that my hearing has deteriorated. The audiologist did assure that putting on hearing aid would help to restore some of my hearing loss back to a reasonable level (Read here). However, I did not pursue this further mainly because of the exorbitant cost of acquiring a set of hearing aid of acceptable quality.

Through the help of a relative, I managed to see an ENT doctor at a local government hospital at the end of February 2018 and followed up with a hearing test by an audiologist in early April 2018. At the end of the test, I was offered a variety of hearing aids to choose from and to select a type of personal choice. I was advised by that specific audiologist against choosing the smallest type because they may not be that sensitive. I opted for the medium range which if worn would "unfortunately" be fairly noticeable.

The set selected would have looked like this!

When I was finally asked to pick up the set offered to me at a government appointed private outlet on 27 December 2018, the set is miniature and is hardly noticeable when worn. Unlike the earlier set used for the trial in April, this set has very little background noise. It is the background noise I believe that has discouraged many people from wearing the aid. But on second thought, it is probably the high cost of its acquisition that is the major hindrance.

The benefit of wearing the hearing aid was instantly felt. My TV volume is turned down from 50 at pre-wearing stage to 25-30 at post wearing stage. In the end, through personal experience, I have no hesitation in recommending hearing aids to individuals who suffer from hearing loss.

I am one of those most fortunate to be able to acquire a set for free. As a spouse of a government pensioner, this is a benefit that I have to give credit to the Federal Government.  

Christmas in Singapore

Christmas 2018 was spent in Singapore with the families of Sam and Paul. Similar to the occasion of Chinese New Year, Christmas is also a time of reunion for family members. It is also a time to celebrate and reflect on God's faithfulness and graciousness toward our family.

Since the last visit of Livvie to Sabah in October 2018 which was barely two months ago (Read here), Livvie's affection for her Sabahan grandparents has grown by leaps and bounds.

To spice up the occasion of Christmas especially for the kids, Rachel has organized a "competition" of making ginger bread houses among families of her friends and connect groups.

A trip to the playground allowed us to experience and to see the gutsy and fearless side of Livvie. She too has similar gene of her cousins down south (Read here). 

This Christmas would also be remembered for my first taste of Ratatouille, courtesy of Paul and Juhshi and Pavlova by Rachel.

Letting Go of Another Family Car - Honda CRV

More than two years ago, we let go our 4WD (Read here). Today, 19 December 2018 marks another end of an era - we let go our Honda CRV which has faithfully been serving us for the last sixteen years. It was not an easy decision. We had debated about this for quite some time. In the end, we think it's best to let it go before its useful life is too costly to salvage.

Its greatest "achievement" probably is the three years period from the end of 2008 to 2011 when it needed to ascend and descend the steepest road in Sabah, the Kimanis Highway in between Papar and Keningau almost every week. It did not even once fail the challenge.

I was very surprised by the tremendous interest from potential buyers after I put up the car for sale in Mudah.com. That same evening after the advertisement was published, one young man called from Sibu, Sarawak to show his very keenness to acquire the car. The next day, after being shown a few photos of the interior and the engine compartment, he immediately confirmed his intention by paying the deposit online. Meanwhile, my phone continued beeping from potential buyers. In the end, I had to delete the advertisement to cut off further inquiry.

The buyer Vincent Ng, a 29-year old lad took leave and flew in today to collect his car. He was more than happy to see what he is getting!

Well, not to be too disappointed. Another little work horse has been acquired as a replacement! Cheer to Honda Jazz!. 

The beginning of the ascend , Kimanis Highway.

Fragility of Life

It's exactly a month since my phone beeped with the notification of Henry's passing. This morning, another very unexpected beep of my phone notifying the passing of Michael Lianson.

I only got to know Michael in the recent tour to Eastern Europe. I remember his first statement when we chatted for the very first time - "I know you because your company is doing a project in Tuaran". He was then the District Engineer of DID in Tuaran. I guess he was in his late thirties or at most early forties. A well built muscular man with a height above the average. It was only in the FB obituary that I discovered he was a rugby player. It was unthinkable that an apparently healthy man in his prime of life just suddenly died, apparently after a stroke. 

Our final encounter was exactly three months ago on 18 September 2018 when we parted way soon after our plane landed at KLIA.

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Sadly, another premature death too happened on 17 December 2018. Mohammas Adib Mohd Kassim, the fireman who was critically injured in a mob attack during last month's Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple riots. At 24, his life was cut short so prematurely, just three days before he was to get married - a truly very heart wrenching incident.

"We stand on the edge of the abyss, across whose unknowable face we paint meaning so as to see into it. It is always there. But we're here too, and we are no less real than abyss. We are no less meaningful for being transient creatures caught up in something too big for us. There is still value to our lives. I've learnt that those things that are most fragile are also the most precious." 

Ovadya ben Malka. A Damaged Mirror.

Remembering a Passionate Photographer

The news of Henry Chin's passing did not come as a surprise in the early morning of 18 November 2018.

Ever since the detection of cancerous blood disorder in his body last year, he had shown to be tenacious and unyielding in confronting the illness. Whenever his health permitted, he would arm himself with a newly acquired but much smaller camera and continue to take photos. His illness did not dampen his passion for photography.

A couple of months ago when he had to put on face mask to minimize risk of infection, he was still seen moving about shooting from his camera. Much of the conversation I had with him then was still confine to giving tips and fine points about camera and photography.

Henry's younger daughter and my daughter are good friends and of similar age. Henry had taken photos of them both whenever opportunity arose. It is therefore not a surprise that my daughter was among the first few to receive news of Henry's passing.

Henry will be missed by friends and peers especially those in the photography fraternity.

His captioned FB photo aptly portrays his passion and achievement.

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Photos taken by Henry during the BCCM KKE 

Christmas Eve Church Service 2017 

and posted in his Facebook.

The Greatest Wealth is Health - MU Fifians Reconnect

It was amazing that a group of friends were able to sit around the same sofa after a lapse of thirteen years. With a deep sense of gratitude and thanksgiving, I truly appreciate the meaning of the saying, "The Greatest Wealth is Health".

True to the saying, friends that last for a life time are those made in schools and university. Ever since we got to know each other in 1973 in the Fifth Residential College of the University of Malaya, we have not ceased to meet whenever opportunity arises. Our last gathering (Read here) was in August 2015, just over three years ago.

At our age, there is no career to pursue and no assignment deadline to meet. We gather to talk about anything under the sun and we look for food that pleases our taste buds. We understand that we have the time but do recognize that time is fast becoming a diminishing commodity.

August 2005.

13 November 2018.

At the Visitor Centre, UMS

At UMS Jetty

A very short evening to be awed by Tanjung Aru sunset. Unfortunately, it was not the best sunset that Tanjung Aru beach usually offers. It was past 6.00pm by the time we arrived and the sun had disappeared below the horizon. The usual golden orange glow was dampened by dark cloud that hovered above the thin strip of golden horizon.

At the Signal Hill Observatory to have a
bird eye view of KK by night.

Overwhelmed by the big bowl and Q taste of the
fish noodle at  Tian Yuan, Taman Khidmat.

The visitors too have high mark for our pau at
Kedai Kopi Chakitiam, Damai Plaza Phase 4.

Savoring Tamparuli Mee at Wun Chiap Restaurant,
Tamparuli.

Durian at Tamparuli Tamu.

At the Tamparuli Tamu, the guests had a chance to mingle with the local folks and be fascinated by the local produce and unique delicacies.

Fish noodle at Kuo Man Restaurant.

We all agreed that we have had a good time and we had thoroughly enjoyed each other's company. Even as they left for KL, talk has started about the next visit to KK!

Friends in Kuching

My primary objective of visiting Kuching was to meet up with friends some of whom I have not seen for over forty years.

My MU Fifth College mate, Nan Ping whom I contacted before the trip managed to get two other friends for a reunion dinner at Kuching Club House on 6 November 2018, Ha Ting Leong and Fong Vui Kiong.

From left: Me, Fong Vui Kiong, Sun Nan Ping, Ha Ting Leong,

Nan Ping's wife, Vui Kiong's wife and my wife.

Taken on 6 Nov 18 at Kuching Club House after the dinner.

Nan Ping is one of the uni friends whom I meet up comparatively more often. The last encounter was on 14 July 2018 at the 70th birthday celebration of another ex-5th collegian, Lai Kui Len, a Sabahan in KK. Nan Ping, one of the active chatters in the 5th Collegian Chat Group has recently been noticeably quiet. From my recent chat with him in Kuching, I discovered the reason why he has been rather quiet - "I just need to spend as much time as possible with my fast growing grandson. That window of opportunity is fast disappearing". What he said is indeed true. This is a "concern" of almost every grandfather!

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7 July 2018 - At the wedding banquet of Paul Ha's son.
From left: Chiam Khoon Swee, a MU Civil engineering
course mate from Sarawak and Ting Leong at right.

Another friend whom I met that night is Ha Ting Leong, a Sarawakian who did electrical engineering in the same engineering faculty in MU in the 70's with me. We last met in KL at the wedding banquet of his nephew. The bridegroom's dad, Paul Ha is a civil engineering course mate of mine and the younger brother of Ting Leong.

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The high point of the dinner in Kuching was meeting up with Fong Vui Kiong whom I have not seen for over forty four years. During my entry year to MU in 1973, he and I were staying in the same block (Block D) in 5th College. Being east Malaysians (somehow east Malaysians tend to be more comfortable with each other), we had spent many occasions together, one of which was visiting Zoo Negara in Selangor.

True to his spirit of adventure, he together with his wife now spends a significant amount of his time in travelling. 

1973 at Zoo Negara.

1973 at a lake side in Zoo Negara.

The next day after the reunion dinner, Fong and his wife offered to spend an afternoon with us. He started off by inviting us for lunch followed by a driving tour around Kuching city. He was particularly proud to show us some of the iconic buildings and old colonial buildings still being used in Kuching.

Another surprise was to discover that Fong's wife in fact grew up in Tawau, Sabahan. She was born in Sarawak but the family moved to settle down in Tawau when she was still very young.

At the lunch, we also met by chance Fong's in-law
(mother of Fong's son-in-law).

Sarawak Museum - unfortunately, the museum has been 
closed since 23 October 2018 and will remain closed for
one and a half  years for repair and conservation work.

Natural History Museum.

Main post office building, built in 1931.

South Kuching City Hall.