Throwback Thursday: Meeting Min Lawrence Wong before the 28th SEA Games

Never a nice thing to be stuck in bed with flu so I decided to cheer myself up a bit and reminisce about the past - nothing wrong to do this, in between the intermittent naps as the body recovers from the ravages of flu...

May 9th 2015 - Anyway, in my capacity as a Doping Control Officer, I was given the opportunity to meet then MCCY Minister, Lawrence Wong during the Uniform Distribution event at the F1 pit building. I thank Sport Singapore for this opportunity.

Receiving my Accreditation Card & Uniform Pack from Min Lawrence Wong during UDAC

Group shot with the rest of the volunteers receiving their Uniform packs from Min Wong

Shaking hands with Min Wong as he walked into UDAC

During the 28th SEA Games, I was Venue Doping Control Manager for Expo where 5 sports were contested.

As a "people person" I love coming in touch with all sorts of people - it helps one grow as one adapts to the various idiosyncracies of different people.

A Successfully Run Exhibition!

I am extremely pleased to report that the exhibition I planned for the Singapore Swimming Association was very well received!

Sidenote: By plan, I mean coming up with what I felt could be the overall concept, subject to approval. 

This included selecting which artefacts and how many to display, how many mannequins to put up and what these mannequins would be wearing. I was also responsible for which videos to make available to the public (and getting permission from British Pathè for example). I also sourced for and secured permission to use the "Swim Meet" Ambience Sounds (although this was drowned out by the crowd) 

Thank You YT for Panels 3 to 5 and to my bosses, Legends Pat Chan, Tay Chin Joo, Ang Peng Siong & Margaret Thomas, for the guidance and tips for improvement, whom I am deeply thankful to! 

I must also thank the wonderful people at SMRT (Cherie, Wymen & team) for helping us rescue the low res pics & set the information right onto the panels. 

There were many rave reviews from the Sporting fraternity and I am truly, madly & deeply honoured to be part of this project!

Will let the pictures tell the story!

And now the exhibition will go on the road, with St Andrews being the 1st stop...

From May 10 to May 16 the exibition will be at Takashimaya & from May 17 to 20, it will be at Kallang Wave Mall.

Afterwhich, the exhibition will go East to Tampines Mall from May 23 to May 29 2016

With SSA VP (Swimming) Joscelin Yeo who was part of the SSA EXCO who engaged me for this project! Joscelin was one of the legends who loaned us her memorabilia for the exhibition! 

With Chairman, Legacy Council (Patricia Chan) who was my boss for this project! A great learning experience to be under her tutelage! Honestly, I feel like I have grown under her... Thank you so much, Pat!

Exhibition panels with mannequins and exhibits!

Minister of Culture, Community & Youth Grace Fu enjoyed the exhibition.

Pic Credit - MCCY

  Minister MCCY, Ms Grace Fu who was GOH that night seemed rather pleased with the exhibition that we put up. 

Here she is asking me about me keen interest in sports memorabilia

SSA Secretariat + Interns

Was very pleasantly surprised & touched by the personally engraved Parker Pen as a memorable souvenir from the Awards & Appreciation Night 2016. Thank you SSA!

Sneak Peak - Singapore Swimming Association's Exhibition

Yes... the cat is slightly out of the bag...I've had the joy & pleasure to work with the Ivy-League of Singapore sports - The Singapore Swimming Association!

#watchthisspace cos something ground breaking is gonna happen tomorrow, 23 April 2016 @ the Shangri-La Hotel!

Throwback Thursday: Featured on the 28th SEA Games Webpage - 27th May 2015

Was honoured to be featured on the 28th SEA Games webpage on May 27 2015, as the countdown to the start of the SEA Games began...

Sidenote: Singapore has hosted the SEA(P) Games 4 times, since its inception in 1959. The years that we hosted are 1973, 1983, 1993 & 2015.

Fun Fact: Many of the swimming legends of Singapore have chosen to swim their last competitive races, on home soil - Pat Chan in 1973, Junie Sng in 1983, Ang Peng Siong in 1993 & Tao Li in 2015. #SGswimlegends

Here is the article, in its entirety:
http://www.seagames2015.com/news/feature-stories/2015/5/volunteers-sea-games-collection-dates-back-to-1959

Pic Credit: SINGSOC

Some of my collection - winners' medals, pins & the like

Pin & Transitlink Card Set from the 17th SEA Games, which Singapore hosted in 1993!

The Inaugural SEAP Games in 1959 - Bangkok, Thailand

The 1st ever SEAP Games was held in Bangkok, Thailand from Dec 12 to 17 1959.

It involved 6 nations (Thailand, Burma, Malaysia, Singapore, South Vietnam & Laos). 800 athletes competed in 12 sports.

The 1st ever Gold Medal awarded at this Inaugural Games went to Hurdler Tay Eng Yoon. It was the first time ever the National Anthem - "Majulah Singapura" was played at an overseas sports compwtition. Athleyes from Singapore also competed under the Red & White and no longer under the British Crown Colony flag.

Singapore came 4th in the medal tally, with 8 Golds, 7 Silver & 18 Bronze medals & we were not even independent yet! 😉

Cover of the 1st SEAP Games Bulletin

Commemorative Medal issued to each athlete/official at the 1st SEAP Games

Winner's Medal (without ribbon) and Commemorative Medal

Wacky/Weird Wednesdays: "What's the weirdest thing you've ever done to get a certain piece of memorabilia?

Was recently asked this question and in all honesty, I think it must be May 2014, when I was in Yangon, Myanmar.

Side Note: Yangon is the capital of Myanmar but in the 60s & especially during the 1969 SEAP Games, the capital was still known as Rangoon and the country, Burma

Back to my story...

I had thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Myanmar, during the 27th SEA Games [Dec 2013], when I was with the Singapore Sports Council's Media Team, covering the progress of Team Singapore, as a volunteer photojournalist.

Hence I wanted very much to come back and enjoy the rest of the country, especially the famed capital of Yangon. And so I returned and Bogyoke Aung Sang Market was one of my 1st few stops.

Now, Yangon and Myanmar are quite unlike Singapore - it sometimes floods and power outages happen but Myanmar generally does have that rustic charm which I really like.

Anyway, I came across this stall holder and after communicating what I was looking for (Sports Memorabilia from the 1960s), he showed me a beautiful gleaming medal in a box.

Quite naturally I got excited! My prior research had indicated to me that this was indeed the REAL deal - a Gold Medal from the first ever SEAP Games in Bangkok, Thailand in 1959!

"How much?"

"USD150," came the gruff reply.

Although it was not too pricey (considering its rarity & significance)  I decided to haggle a bit...

"USD 100? Chei-zu-tin-bar-te (Thank you in Burmese)

"No" was the curt answer. "USD 100 plus your watch," he replied

"My watch expensive... USD 70 plus watch?"

It was a done deal. In less than 5 minutes.

Now I wasn't wearing an Omega or a Rolex, if you were wondering... It was just a normal Bangkok bought Chronograph but as I was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, I quickly parted with the watch and became the proud owner of another Thai product: A 1959 Gold Medal from the 1st ever SEAP Games!

Perhaps it may not sound so weird but such barter trades rarely happens in Singapore, if at all. So my conclusion? #agreatdeal

Together with other artefacts from my stash, this Medal will go on display this weekend... Watch for it! I am sure you will be as enthralled as I am :)

            

Reverse side of Gold Medal from the 1st SEAP Games 1959

      Front side of Gold Medal from the 1st SEAP Games 1959

Throwback Tuesday: Pin Collecting during the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore

When I was still in the Education Service in 2010, I initiated a writing project that got the boys of SJI Jr to write persuasive letters to the 205 National Olympic Committees around the world. It was quite a hit, considering that we got 184 replies! I wanted the boys to learn how to write persuasively (as per syllabus then) & what better way than to link it to the then upcoming YOG! Putting it into context, it generated quite a buzz with the boys! It started with a class, before becoming a school-wide initiative.

Hence, it became the "Countdown to the 1st Youth Olympic Games" project and it gained some media publicity & support from the Singapore National Olympic Council (SNOC) and for a time, it was displayed at the YOG Museum at Kay Siang Road. I think this display should still be at the SJIJ School Library, where I last left it 😃

It was really exciting times 😃 Literally each Monday, the boys would look on eagerly as I came into class with envelopes of letters + pins from the NOCs that replied.

Coverage from the Lianhe Zaobao in  August 2010

Letter of support from Josephian Mr Teo Chee Hean, then SNOC President.

                                                                      

The whole explanation of the "Countdown to the 1st Youth Olympic Games" Pin Project.

Sunday Flea Market @ China Square Central (CSC)

I love flea markets. It is quite amazing what one can find, if one looks hard enough. Here's some pictures of this really awesome "Commemorative Book" that I got from Mr Wing of CSC.

He is this really awesome Hong Konger who owns an antique store on Level 2 and you must visit him to be totally enthralled by the amount of things he has, packed, into his little store. I have spent many an afternoon rummaging through the nooks and crannies of Mr Wing's store and yesterday, I was rewarded again.

I found this "Commemorative Book" from the 1973 Opening of the National Stadium. #vintagefinds #sports memorabilia

Upcoming Heritage Exhibition

Since the end of February 2016, I have been working with a special National Sports Association (NSA) which has contributed much to the sporting landscape of Singapore.

So as not to spoil the surprise, I won't name the NSA just yet... but come Saturday, 23rd April 2016 (1 week from now), I will post pictures of the exhibition that I am currently working on.

Yes! An exhibition! This NSA is indeed a trailblazer in this field because this is the first time ever that any NSA has taken a big step forward to tell their story in public... Chaired by a very prominent legend, this exhibition will certainly make people sit up & pay attention, with it being an Olympic year and all...

I have planned it such that it will be a multi-sensory,interactive exhibition: with things to see, hear, touch & feel.

Very humbled and proud to be involved in this ground-breaking exhibition! Stay tuned, for pictures, in a week's time!

Donating Football Memorabilia For Inclusion into the SG50 Time Capsule

Was very honoured to be given the opportunity to contribute to the SG50 Time Capsule, which will be reopened in the year 2065, when Singapore turns 100! I do hope I'll still be around, even at the sprightly age of 84...

Decided to donate 2 ticket stubs & 1 Commemorative T-Shirt. In detail, the items are as follows:

1) Ticket Stub from the 1994  Malaysia Cup Final between Singapore & Pahang - autographed by Lee Man Hon. Singapore won 4-0 @ Shah Alam Stadium, Selangor.

2) Ticket Stub from 2012 AFF Suzuki Cup Final between Singapore & Thailand - autographed by Captain Shahril Ishak. Singapore won 3-1 @ Jalan Besar Stadium, Singapore

3) TNP Commemorative T-Shirt from 1994 Malaysia Cup Finals....

The 3 items I donated for inclusion into SG50 Time Capsule. 1994 Malaysia Cup Final ticket stub in yellow.

Very blessed to be able to share these wonderful football memorabilia with the SG50 Time Capsule.

As a result, I was interviewed by CNA & News 5 and got featured in the Sunday Times LIFE Section on 13th March 2016!

See the link here: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/mobile/singapore/sg50-items-representing/2596568.html?cid=FBSG

Thanks for laminating the article, 

my dear GF, Hester Chua

At the Sports Library, before being interviewed by CNA

At home, with my football regalia

With a half page photo, I appear on Page 2 of Sunday Life - 13th March 2016