Reunion of Former Classmates of Class 70 of CHIJ, Batu Pahat

Retirees and seniors often look forward to reunion gatherings. These events offer them wonderful opportunity to reconnect - not just with each others but with the past - reliving fond memories, sharing stories of familiar places and people. 

I still remember organizing my first high school classmates reunion back in November 2013 (Read here). Since then, we have held smaller, more informal meetups - usually triggered by a classmate returning from overseas or after a "lost" classmate was finally "found".

My wife's high school friends from Convent of Holy Infant Jesus (CHIJ) Batu Pahat on the other hand are even more enthusiastic. Their reunions are more frequent and often held on a much larger scale. Their first major reunion after leaving school at the end of 1970 took place in February 2015 (See Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 of her blogs).

At their most recent reunion lunch, held on 10.04.2025 at SY Restaurant, a total of 16 individuals attended including two men. The two gentlemen were none other than the supportive spouses of two members - I was one of them and the other was Tian Sze, the husband of my wife's close friend, Choy Min (Read here about Choy Min). My role in the reunion has mainly been that of an unofficial photographer - capturing special moments and preserving memories for everyone to look back on!

My wife was given the role of ice-breaker for the event. After she got things started, many participants took turn sharing about themselves. As is often the case in a group of students in a class, some opened up easily while others needed a bit of prompting and encouragement. 

During the storytelling session, I was surprised to learn that one of the ladies - who now lives in Singapore- has fourteen siblings. Incredibly, the number could have been eighteen had four not passed away. Until then, the largest family I had personally heard of was one with eleven children. Eighteen truly felt like something straight out of the Guinness World Record!

Another interesting character is Anita who communicates exclusively in Chinese in their chat group even though many in the group neither speak nor read the language. Fortunately, another kind-hearted member uses Google Translate to help the English speaking members follow along. Anita's concluding remark is particularly amusing - "I observed the sisters at the gathering, some have matured while others haven't changed much like the Virgin Mary. The two handsome uncles have not changed at all. It's as if time has forgotten them. They are still as handsome and youthful as ever. May be they use SK-II for skin care!". (This information is provided by my wife :))

My wife - the ice breaker!

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Another highlight of the gathering was the heartfelt Powerpoint presentation done by Siew Khim, the group de-facto class leader. She had spent significant time and effort collecting old photos from high school days and past reunions to put together a nostalgic and meaningful slide show. The group is truly fortunate to have someone as dedicated and enthusiastic as her to facilitate, lead, organize and keep the spirit of the class alive!

Siew Khim's concluding remark before ending the gathering - "If any of you visit Singapore in the future, please let one of us know. We'd be so happy to meet up and catch up!"

Siew Khim doing the Powerpoint presentation.

Group photo of all the participants of the reunion.

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In the evening, my wife and I were invited by Choy Min to join another makan session with her husband's former high school classmates. We gathered at the Riverside Food Court to indulge in some of the most popular and beloved local dishes available there!

At the Riverside Food Court.

The evening didn't end at the Riverside Food Court. The group moved on to another food court for more drinks and chitchats before finally calling it a night!