VI Reunion Dinner
Adelaide

When I was in Sydney in September 2008 for the VIOS reunion, Daniel Chan jokingly suggested to me that perhaps I could organise a similar get together in Adelaide this year. After that things moved fast. Daniel was busy contacting Adelaide Victorians via email. Our VI web site pagekeeper was a great help, passing on the email addresses of VIOS that he knew lived in Adelaide. Before long a date was set and a venue picked. I frequent the Taste of Spice at least once a week with Georgia; so I suggested that we could meet there. Michael (from Klang) who is the owner and I came up with a special menu and it worked out to be $30 per head for a three course meal. Mm, reasonable, I thought.

Pre-Reunion events in the Barossa Valley:

Michael Tan (cutting cake) celebrates his birthday at the Paradise Hotel; Spouses at the Seppeltsfield Heritage Winery

On the Friday before the big do, some of our interstate visitors were taken by Tat Meng to Hahndorf and to the famous Barossa Valley before the dinner. That night Daniel Chan and Lydia, Tat Meng and Lillian, Timothy Tai and Lilly and I met with the Sydney visitors (Ken and Michael Tan and their beautiful wives) at a hotel in - yes, no kidding - Paradise. I then took them to one of our Fringe events - The Garden of Unearthly Delights! Adelaide was buzzing that night.

Then it happened. Thirty-eight of us dug into a beautiful three-course dinner at the Taste of Spice on Gouger Street in Adelaide. Most were from Adelaide but we were honoured to have Daniel and Lydia, Ken and Milly and Michael Tan and Sandy, Dr Eugene Chong and Bronwyn from Sydney. David Yee and Sylvia flew in from Melbourne. We also had the pleasure of the company of Zahedi Zain and Fadzillah who came all the way from Malaysia.

And the things we learned about each other after four or five decades! I had last seen Chan Tat Meng in 1964 in KL and hadn't known that he had been in Adelaide all along. I found out that Sheila Sodhy and Dr Jega were both from St Mary's and, would you believe it, my mother taught them!

The meals served were varied and delicious. Thanks Michael! After a brief introduction we had an excellent Power-point presentation of The Golden Years of VI, presented last year by Chee Min in Sydney and Melbourne, and now beautifully re-presented by Michael Tan, with his deep dulcet voice. We (me, actually) then drank a bit and mingled and reminisced about the halcyon days of the past. Alan Teo, a dentist in Adelaide, remarked that he never knew so many ex-Victorians lived in Adelaide. Daniel also gave us each a copy of a Star report that said that the VI had been listed as a national heritage. He also circulated some stamps and first day covers that carried the school image. We talked reminisced about our former schoolmates still in KL and the lads went through the names of the girls (old flames?) in Sixth Form and what each was doing now.

We all then sang the school song - all the three traditional verses - and an additional verse written for overseas Victorians.

Finally, it was time to sing Auld Lang Syne led by David Yee and a memorable evening came to a close. I hear there was some talk of a get-together in London. looks like our UK brethren are catching the reunion disease as well.

Some of us met on the following Sunday at Ding Hao for yum cha before our visitors left for home.

The day after: Yum cha at Ding Hao restaurant with the 1964 batch.

            Attendees                         Last year in VI

1.   Michael Ngee Tiong Tan and Sandy     (Sydney)     1959 F 2 to RMC  
2.   Ken Choon Kean Lim and Milly         (Sydney)     1962 F 5  
3.   Daniel Chan and Lydia                (Sydney)     1964 
4.   Venu Sarma and Georgia               (Adelaide)   1964            Barossa Council Town Planner 
5.   Dr. James Chee Meng Lee              (Adelaide)   1962 
6.   Tim Koon Hoong Tai and Lily          (Adelaide)   1964            Accountant to many companies 
7.   Sheila Sodhy and Mike                (Adelaide)   1961 
8.   David Sek Kum Yee and Sylvia         (Melbourne)  1962
9.   Dr.Tat Meng Chan and Lilian          (Adelaide)   1964            GP own practice 
10.  Dr. Andrew Chew and Dr. Sok-Hui Chew (Adelaide)   1974  L 6       Surgeon, Flinders Hospital 
11.  Dr. Alan Teo                         (Adelaide)   1969  F 5       Dentist 
12.  Ken Teo                              (Adelaide)   1969  F 4       Sen Financial Manager in Adelaide Council. 
13.  Dr. Eugene Chong and Bronwyn         (Sydney)     1961 
14.  Zabidi Zain & Dr. Anyta Hanim Anuar  (Adelaide)   1977  F 5       Entreprenuer Hydroponic tomatoes 
15.  Zahedi Zain and Fadzilah Yasin       (Malaysia)   1974  F 6 
16.  Cheng Teoh                           (Adelaide)   1970  L 6       Adelaide State Trade manager 
17.  Dr. Sok Ping Cheong & David McCann   (Adelaide)   1987            ACS Ipoh headgirl 
18.  Dr. Jega d/o Markandoo & 2 guests    (Adelaide)   1961 ? 
19.  Kook Cheow Wong and Ean              (Adelaide)                   VI teacher 1975 - 1990 
20.  Catherine Goh                        (Adelaide)                   Widow of Dr.Peter Goh Kim Hwa (my classmate)
                                                                       

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