(Photo Taken: 1st July - Today is Hong Kong's 12th Handover Day to China - an important public holiday here. The weather was great and we decided to spend our day-off at Stanley Beach. We returned home at 5pm and headed down to our condo swimming pool for Round II! What a healthy day!)

Something that will put a smile on my parents, my in-laws and my aunt amy's face. Yesterday morning at 10am, we attended Elkan's 2nd Award Ceremony in Hong Kong. And this time, it was held at HK Polyechnic University at Hung Hom. (My gosh! At the University????) Wow, it was more "dramatic and grand" than I have expected. Earlier this week, I thought the kindergarden award will be presented at his school.

Big stage, red curtains and a marvellous performance by the little kids - this is the kind of award ceremony venue we been through when we picked up our degree scrolls. My gosh, it was a grand gala for these little ones. They can sing, dance and even addresse the audience. I would say, what an interesting Sat morning!

There were 5 awards (Most Cheerful, Most Artistic, Most Helpful, Most Well-Mannered and Best Progress) for every level (K1 - K3). Haaa.. my son didn't get the artistic award. Instead, Elkan won the "Most Cheerful Award" in his course. Guess his teacher is pretty positive about his noisy pranks and talkative-behaviour. If only my teachers were that positive, I would have swept those trophies for my folks every year. Yeah...My son beat his old man's record. I brought home my first gold trophy when I was nine. Proudly, he brought back 2 this year.

8.25am, 26th June. I was scanning through the list of headlines on my iPhone in my daily morning routine when I read about the passing of my favourite King of Pop. It was an unreal moment - I didn't really believe in what I just read. I went on to another news portal and read the same news about the death of Michael Jackson. For the next 5 minutes, I stood quietly under the shower head. Just don't know why... I felt really really sad. It was like saying goodbye to an important chapter of my childhood. The hot water rained down from above....One of his songs, "Childhood", played in my mind...

Michael Jackson had an extraordinary life. Off the wall, Michael's life was a Thriller (his battering childhood), Bad (cosmetic failure) and Dangerous (court cases about his child-molest case). He went from black to white, riches to rages and from famous to infamous. He was the King of Pop, the Peterpan of his own World. His journey from fame to shame reflected the same fate of his country, America. He was the glowing pop icon of a superior America in the 1980s-90s. And he had his darkest hours in the late 90s-mid 2000s. It just makes me wonder how closely he and his country were connected. His passing only reminded us of American's plight today - A metropolitan losing her shine and her meteoritic star dying. He was the man who wrote his own HIStory. 

His sudden death will sparked off a wider outcry. Much bigger than Princess Diana or even the Pope himself. Turn on any broadcast device today and you will hear his songs, watch his dance footage. On the cab to work today, the radio was playing his song. He was the Original King of Pop. His music connects the world, across all religions, races and ages. Millions grew up listening his songs. For me, his concert at Kallang Stadium was the first and biggest concert I have ever attended. That was a historic concert. It was the concert when 65,000 fans sang "Happy Birthday" song for him! Michael shed tears that night at Kallang. The next night, Michael collapsed and cancelled his concert in Singapore.

Like most Legends, Michael Jackson lives on. His songs, his moon-walks will be icons for many generations to come. And like most Legends, he died young. He still have so many more good years to give. And more blissful moments to spend with his own children. And heal our world.

Just like what he sang in his song "You are not Alone", Michael left this world, accompanied by a very sexy Charlie's Angel, Mary Farrah Leni Fawcett. It will be very difficult for many to accept the news of his death. His legacy will forever lives in our hearts. His music have engraved deeply in our minds. A sad day indeed and a night when millions will think of him before they close their eyes to sleep tonight. RIP, my King, you are Invincible.

 

       

Yesterday was David Ogilvy's birthday (23rd June 1911). If he is still around today, he would be 98 years old! He was a notable advertising executive. He was into many odd-jobs before he founded his company at 38. He was a chef, a farmer and a stove-salesman. And today, he was worshipped as the Legend of Advertising, "The Father of Advertising"! He passed away on 21st July 1999.

Of course, like most Ogilvy Day, we have our event outside the office. No pressure from the company this year, there isn't any type of "mandatory team-building games" (last year, we saw broken arms at Outward Bound). This year's theme is "Ogilvy's Got Talent" - we are trying to find our own Susan Boyle. 2 years ago, we had the "Amazing Race" theme in Shanghai and my team came first. I say let's bring on the THE OGILVY'S NEXT TOP MODEL or WHO WANTS TO BE THE WPP's MIILIONAIRE? games next year.

Like any company dinner, we have great food, good entertainment and big big lucky draw. And yes! Lucky me - I won the 27th Prize! And it is a "SKATEBOARD CHAIR". What the hell was that???? For the first time, I have no idea what I won! Mmmm.. it sounded too alien for me. (I collected my prize this afternoon and I understand why it was named this way... see photo below!)

(Photo Taken: Farewell Lunch for EVA - Credits to my Canon 50mm 1.4 lens and the beautiful people)

(Photo Taken: At the new Causeway Bay "Modern Toilet" outlet - Yiyi wanted to "eat shit" and we granted her wish!) 

THE SWEETEST FINALE EVER: THIS EVENING, I received a surprise gift from my old clan from Singapore. I almost cried out when I saw the content inside! It wasn't any commercial toy. It was a specially-made customised wooden musical wind-up toy!!!! Hanging on the toy were "special moments" and photos of my best buddies from home. (THANKS JOANNE WHO MADE THIS! You sly..haaa..trying to check me out on the Fedex box???)

Like a little boy, I opened the box, looked at it, wind the music and watched the photos and aeroplanes fly. For that one second, I was transformed to a child - feeling so contented, happy and peaceful. This musical piece is a very very special gift. I will always cherish it. Like all the other good wishes, special handmade gifts (Tracy's Blog Book & the Birthday Videos Edits, Felicia's First Cake, that awfully disgusting G-string & the overly expensive PS3 gift) plus the priceless companionships (Macau Trip) I received this birthday, I am very touched & grateful to have a group of friends and loved ones who love me so much. No matter how far you are (be it in London, USA, Taiwan, Malaysia, Shanghai or Singapore), thank you for remembering and making my humble day so special.  Indeed, I have a very very happy birthday.



   

(Photo Taken: Disneyland, Hong Kong - Auntie Jacqueline and family are here - on my birthday!) 

If I remember correctly, this should be my 2nd birthday in Hong Kong (I spent my first one back in 2006 with Nick at LKF). I have a very different birthday celebration this year. No dramatic surprise birthday guest this year - (2005 Wahbiang Surprise in KL, 2007 Juliana Surprise in Shanghai, 2008 Duuk and Juliana Surprise in Shanghai). No JC karaoke concert... and no violent "water parade incident" like the 2008 eve.

My birthday celebration began 4 days ago. I received a very big and expensive birthday gift (Sony PS3) from 17 different friends. What was special wasn't in the value of this gift but the effort to coordinate such a massive collaboration of good-wishes from Hong Kong to Singapore. I was indeed very touched by their gesture and excitement. Compared with what we did to poor Meijie 14 years ago (we only paid the phone deposit for him), I was indeed blessed. My friends paid the gift in full - all I need is to go to the shop and pick my favourite titles and the console. (Yeah! It is coming tomorrow!!!)

My Hong Kong Kakis (Hong Fei, Harshad, Zeph) spent lots of time with me and my family over the weekend - doing life-threatening stunts + losing good money in Macau and enduring the thunderstorm on Sunday night celebrating my birthday. Not to forget their distinctive G-String creation which will take me god-damn decades to erase from my mind.

Back in office - I have the comfort from my 3+1 (Alice, Kitty, Tracy + Nelson) angels. Living through endless hell and suffering constant "non-sexual abuses" from me - they struggled so much just to keep my record clean. Together with the jolly-good Frenchman, my angels watched my back so well that I have nothing to worry whenever I go for "break".

This must be my busiest day on FACEBOOK, MSN and SMS. Thanks for all your kind greetings and wishes (from USA to UK, Dubai to Shanghai). I have a fulfilling life - so there is really nothing much more to wish for - except wishing good health and wealth for my loved ones.



This morning, my lovely wife surprised me with her first (also mine) home-made birthday cake! She woke up quietly at 5am this morning to bake this special cake for me. It was awfully tasty! (I just found out that she has done a couple of "cake-experiments" during those days when I was not in HK. Poor Elkan - hope he didn't have to do any lab-test for mummy!) My wife never failed to surprise me.

Also today, I received a very special (and priceless) gift from Tracy. She has spent a couple of months "laying out my online blog" into a real book! She ACTUALLY published my 1st Blog Book (2004-2009 Jo's Thoughts)!!! It is a 100-page hard-cover book with all my blogs and pictures! Finally, my 1st COFFEE-TABLE Book! (And guess what, she actually sell this book on the internet!) This was the reason why she has been "isolating" herself in her bedroom for some nights and weekends. Now, I felt so guilty (for scolding her "anti-social"). I was very touched by her efforts.

34. Blissful. Happy. Still quite healthy. Slightly overweight. Can drive, can't park. Still the same rude, straight-talker prankster inside.

Thank you all for being here with me on my very special day.  

(2) WAITING AT GROUND ZERO - All of us couldn't wait to see them fall...




(3) NOT "LADIES FIRST" - Harshad came down with his eyes closed!!!




(4) TOO FAST FOR ANY SCREAM - Tracy only screamed after she landed. Retard.




The jumps were successful...no one pee in their pants! The only one incident that nearly had Harshad shitting in his pants was when he found out that Hong Fei left his bag (with money and passport) at ground zero!!! Hong Fei was supposed to safekeep Harshad's bag but he left it out there in the plaza (and we simply left the place for about 30 minutes!) It was only seconds before we board the cab, Harshad realised he wasnt holding any bag! That must be a "ball-dropping" moment for everyone! "Oh no... my passport is in the bag!" exclaimed my indian friend. Tracy, Harshad and me ran back to the plaza (Thank goodness! we saw his black bag lying on the concrete floor out in the sun!)

Later the evening, we headed to Venetian Casino where we spent 4 hours dining and gambling... Except for the Singaporeans, this was the group's first visit to the Venetian. And our first ever bet on the tables at the Macau Casino! We were winning at first but eventually we lost to our own greed! Guess we cannot accept winning. We only quitted when we lost. No pain... it's still a great adventurous day!