Former Classmate Back from Canada for CNY 2024

The last time the Chee's or Frankie and Teresa came back to KK was in February 2014, exactly ten years ago. I managed to organize a reunion lunch for them to meet up with our former classmates at one of the local Chinese Restaurants (Read here).

In August 2017 when my wife and I toured Canada, we also met up with the couple in Vancouver before we started our driving tour to the Rockies (Read here).

Taken in front of the Chee's house in Vancouver during our

August 2017 visit to Canada.

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In September 2022, I was informed by Teresa that her husband, Frankie underwent a kidney transplant in a Vancouver hospital on 18 September 2022. The operation was a success. He no longer needs to go thrice weekly for the dialysis. Quality of life has improved.

Frankie was discharged from the Hospital on 23 Sep 2022, five days after the operation.

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Earlier in late December 2023, Teresa whatsApp me that a huge 3-generation group would be visiting Sabah in conjunction with the CNY 2024. The trip would be two-week duration from 4 to 19 February 2024.

Sadly, Frankie was not able to join the group. According to Teresa, such long trip away from home would be too demanding on him.

Teresa's trip program was jammed-packed with activities. Besides KK, the group toured many places - Membakut, Kudat and Kudasang.

I managed to find a slot of just two and half hours in the afternoon of 18 February, the day before they flew back to Canada to meet up. I also managed to get another former classmate, Jeannie within very short notice to join us. Within this short time, we managed to visit our old school at the Signal Hill and had coffee at the popular outlet, Kedai Kopi Fook Yuan.

We visited our old Lok Yuk School at Signal Hill. We were once classmates in this old school and had spent one and a half years together from 1965 to mid 1966 in Form 1 to middle of Form 2. In August 1966, Lok Yuk School moved to the new school at Likas. The old school premise later on became the campus of the Sabah Theological Seminary.

(Left) In front of main entrance to Sabah Theological Seminary, (Right) once the entrance to the old school.

We had a peep at the earth trail that traverses along the hill side. This was once used by students daily to walk/climb from the foot of the hill up to reach the school premise.

The sight of a former classmate who now uses a walking stick triggers nostalgia as well as empathy. Sixty years have passed since she last walked the trail. Now, it's unlikely that she is able to walk the trail again. 

The current sight, though bittersweet still brought back memories of when we were young, full of energy and the many happy times we have had. It's also a testimony of the passage of time and the fragility of life.

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(Top) We stopped by the corridor of the old Chapel where (Bottom 2) we had spent countless times during school recess.

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(Top) At the open space where (Bottom 2) we used to have morning school assembly.

(Top) We walked the staircase where (Bottom) we had to walk multiple times every day.

At this stage of our lives, we are glad that we have a past that we can occasionally go back to - a past that triggers smiles and refreshes lessons learnt; a present that we can still enjoy and a future that we can look forward to. Who know, we might meet up again somewhere in another day!