Category: General

Last night was the thank you dinner for the organising committee of this year’s Club 100 dinner. We did well and we managed to hit our target of maintaining the membership at 750.

The dinner was at Jia He Grand restaurant at Farrer Hospital. I used to go there a lot some years back but for some reason, which I cannot recall now, I stopped. The food was good and the price was reasonable for that menu. I think I will organise my next ACS dinner here.

I sat next to the Mayor and I really enjoyed our conversations. We talked about a variety of topics and I find it useful because he knows what is happening and so I learn and understand quite a bit listening to him.

Towards the end of dinner, as an entire group, we talked about the various initiatives to address job seeker’ concerns in Singapore, especially the role to be played by the CDC. This is something I will need to get my teeth into, as I chair the committee for this at the CDC. There are just so many initiatives and so someone looking for a job will find help. I am not sure how the impact of the effect of AI on white collar entry level jobs will be addressed at some point in the future.

Yesterday I received an autographed copy of this book from the Minister. It was very kind of him to send me this and I am very grateful.

I have briefly glanced through this book and it is a very varied and interesting compilation of various speeches, interviews and newspaper articles on a wide variety of topics. From reading his eulogy to his mentor Joseph Grimberg, it is clear that he meant a lot to Shan. I guess in life having a mentor always helps, that one person who is able to guide and advise you and often promote you.

I also enjoyed reading the section on Davi vs Shan, since I know both of them and have appeared with them on opposite sides. Both are clearly giants in their field and that I can attest to from first hand knowledge.

I did wish it also had a write up about his own life growing up, his parents, schooling and his legal career. Pity because I would have enjoyed reading that very much.

Still it is good that he has put down in writing what he feels is important to be set out.

He has contributed much to this country and I do hope this is not his swan song and that we still have many more years of his contributions.

Good for him.

The 3 of us met up for lunch yesterday. We had a Japanese lunch at Marina One followed by some cakes. Although there are 4 of us in the chat group, Francis couldn’t join us.

Interesting observation was that all of us are now retired as partners. Haq joined in 2006, Harish in 2008 and of course I have been here since 1995.

How time flies. I was in the firm exco with Haq and Harish was my deputy head in commercial litigation department. All of which seems ages ago. We were all planning events and activities and managing our teams then. Yet amazing how time has also flown by so quickly. We decided that the only thing to concern ourselves with now is how to remain happy and healthy.

Yesterday afternoon was our long awaited annual catch up.

We were part of a Christian cell group in ACJC in 1979/1980. We didn’t know each other before JC 1 and somehow we became part of a group. As a group we were close and we met almost every morning those days.

Now since Lina Wong lives in the US, we catch up once a year. But it is so good catching up and talking as if we have never spent a year away! We talked about the people we know and about what’s happening in the world and in US.

Now awaiting next year’s catch up.

I was invited by my friend Virginia today to have lunch at short notice with Flair Ren. Flair runs the business development for Alpha Square Group, a technology fund out of the US.

An enjoyable lunch at Milos restaurant at MBS. Apart from talking about ourselves, it was good listening to Flair and to learn what are the worldwide trends in AI and technology. Also to understand the key differences between the US and China in entrepreneurship and why the US will always be ahead in innovation. The ecosystem of young and innovative people, the available resources and funding and the opportunity to make money or a difference in the world will be the key drivers keeping the US ahead.

I was invited by Hanif and his wife to celebrate Eid yesterday but this time at his father’s house.

I only got to know Hanif in 2020. But then I found out that we were in kindergarten, primary, secondary and JC at the same time. And we are neighbors! What a small world.

It was a pleasure being there and meeting his father, who is still very alert, and his mom, who are now in their 90s.

He had catered the food from Four Seasons Hotel. Just that by the time I went there, after lunch at my mom’s, the food was cold and the biryani dry. Still a pleasure meeting him, his parents and his distinguished guests.

On Friday. Peng Tiam messaged me and asked me for lunch. I had plans already and so I suggested Saturday. He was free and he wanted to try the Indian restaurant I had talked about.

So off we went in his car to Little India. The place was packed as it was a public holiday and the restaurant was also packed. Luckily I managed to get a good table.

We ordered the set meal, 3 chicken dishes and a mutton dish and rasam. I think he as his wife enjoyed the food. Plus the fact that it’s in such a local setting made it more interesting.

Last night we met up to celebrate Mei Ling’s birthday. This time it was the Chinese restaurant at Tower Club.

We were fortunate they gave us a private room. Apparently they is a $1200 minimum spend,which we were not going to hit, but one room was available and they kindly gave it to us.

The food was good and simple . Total spend for 5 pax, including desserts, was $624. A very good catch up and conversation.

Wednesday evening was another catch up with Prasoon, before I left on my trip.

it is always good talking to him. He is so well connected with people and I do learn from him about people and events.

This time he was telling me about his grandparents and his father a d uncle. They both had very illustrious careers and he must be grateful to have been a part of an illustrious family that played such a significant role in Indian history.

But I noticed that the hotel pool was so crowded, much much more than usual and they were all Europeans. Perhaps the war in the middle East has driven them here instead?