On The Train, Aug 9, 2007

I woke to the realization it was our 19th Anniversary. I gave no indication that I remember it until when I disembarked at the station. I gave my wife a kiss on the cheek and wish her happy anniversary. She thought I forgot. But I told her the dinner would have to be tomorrow night as I was scheduled to celebrate our beloved SDAR 50th anniversary at PICC together with old boys and old girls of STAR and STF respectively. We knew this for quite sometimes already so no conflicting priority.

So many literatures have been written and no less of research on the subject either. Last night was yet another phenomenon. The beauty of the old boys (or old girls in the case of Srikandi) network prevailed. The success of the dinner was not really due to the organization or Sifu M Nasir but of the simple fact that we are bonded for life and would want to meet old school friends. Especially those that we had not met for 30 years. Young or younger we just clicked and immersed with each other. Forget the speeches, forget the dinner and forget even M Nasir, we were there just for each other. What even more interesting was that the three schools were really connected body and soul. Not only the schools were born on the same year some of us married (SDAR, STAR + STF) each other and our children also found some of us to be their parents-in-law. As expected once the dinner was served I could see a lot of people started to move around the hall to talk to their friends and it continued to be that way until even M Nasir came on stage. Our relationship is so special that a lot of people could not really understand. Actually it is so easy; because of the intensity of feeling that we shared so often trying to be the best in whatever we do the sense of brotherhood and trust were ingrained in us.

M Nasir continued to belt out the familiar and nostalgic tunes. The ladies camped themselves in front of the stage inching closer by the minutes. Some of us silently enjoying the music and very tempted to join The Sifu up stage to resurrect our funky moves. Our night continued to morning as we moved our ‘warung’ to a mamak outlet at Sect 9 Putrajaya and I was finally home at 2am.