What about me?

Here is a very rare appearance from me. For some reasons, I don't get into pictures much. Either I shy away from the cameras, or I am usually the person taking the pictures. Here in an old family picture is me, sitting next to Papa - what an honour that must have been. I don't recognize the place, and I don't know why we were all dressed up. It must have been an occasion.

There are not too many pictures of me as a young child. I believe I used to have some pictures of me, and I put it in a photo album. The last time I remember, I left it in a friend's house. I cannot go back and ask for it now, 30 years later, but I am pretty sure that is where I left it.

Sitting in front of me is Siew Cheong, then Siew Seng and Sui Laun, and S

ui Fun.

Following Papa, we are the Nam Hoi (South Seas) clan from China. We belong to the Nam Hoi Association, which gives out a scholarship to top students every year. Every year, all our siblings would be eligible to receive a scholarship award. It is not a lot of money, but $50 to $100 was a lot of money for us in those days.

I remember we always lined up to take pictures after the award ceremony. There must have been more than a hundred students in the clan getting scholarship money, we lined up six or seven levels high on rickety scaffoldings against the wall. One slight mistake, and it would have been a disaster that could wipe out the entire future of the clan. Fortunately, nothing happened, and we survived. The picture came out and each of us is so small you will need a magnifying glass to see our faces. I wonder if we have one of those pictures around.

I remember getting awards every year for quite a few years, until I left for University. After father passed away, I wrote to the Association to see if they will help me study in America, and they very politely declined.