... so good to have a break in Phuket, Thailand

Thanks to Marriott Vacation Club, we had a cheap $119/- stay in the 2 bedroom suite for 3 nights! So we took the opportunity since Andrea and Jon were on leave to make a quick break there. The accommodation was superb and the Thai food marvelous. 


The weather was wet (drizzling most days) but great for a lazy weekend of reading and just chilling. We rented a car and spent an afternoon in Patong Beach area for foot scrub and massage.


Life is good ... to be able to take a quick getaway!

... so good to take a golf break

It was so good to take a 6 day / 5 night golf trip to Lijian and Dali in Yunnan province, China with Mark, Gabriel, Danny and a few other friends. The highlight of the trip was playing at the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Course. The highest point on the golf course was 3,206 meters above sea level. The weather was perfect for golf hovering around 22+ degree with low humidity. 


We played golf in the day and cards in the evening. Lots of fun and laughter. The scores didn't matter as we played with blind partners. The group was divided into 2 teams by drawing straws after the games and best ball of the team won the hole. So though I played quite bad (driver was not cooperating and I had to tee off with irons), I won most rounds (3 dinner, 1 lunch and paid my own lunch once). Even won cards against Danny and Gabriel which is a rarity. 


That's what a break should be like - no stress of what to do, to eat or where to go. Just go with the flow, doing stuff we enjoy when we want! Life is good.

... so good for Ken to b awarded CSA Scholar Athlete

2011-2012 Scholar Athletes for the Men’s College Squash Association

By Michael T. Bello | Published April 17, 2012, 7:00 AM ET | Updated April 16, 2012, 8:57 PM ET

    

 

 

Northampton, MA — Each year, the Men’s College Squash Association recognizes its players who have exemplified the true definition of a student athlete. Scholar athletes must meet the following criteria:

• For varsity teams, two-time varsity letter winner at the school he is currently attending
• For club teams, two appearances at the National Team Championships
• Has a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or above
• Junior or senior
• Enrolled at his present school for one full year prior to the present term
• Played in majority of scheduled CSA sanctioned matches

Below are the 2011-2012 Men’s College Squash Association Scholar Athletes:

• William Ahmed (Harvard University)
• Michael Badali (St. Lawrence University)
• Ezekiel Barnett (Haverford College)
• Robert Berner (Yale University)
• Clay Blackiston (Princeton University)
• Peter Boal (Haverford College)
• Eli Borek (Tufts University)
• William Bryan (Brown University)
• Jose Calderon (George Washington University)
• Kenneth Chan (Yale University)
• Samuel Clayman (Yale University)
• Jesse Crame (University of Roceshter)
• Walter Daly (Vassar College)
• Johan Detter (Trinity College)
• Juan Diego Lopez (Trinity College)
• Samuel Ehrlich (George Washington University)
• William English (Vassar College)
• Dennis Grabowski (University of Notre Dame)
• Dan Greenberg (University of Pennsylvania)
• Christopher Hanson (Dartmouth College)
• Woo jin Choi (Johns Hopkins University)
• Parisa Khalighi (University of Washington)
• Bradley Kolodner (Ithaca College)
• Todd Lavine (Amherst College)
• Luke Lee (Dartmouth College)
• Jakob Lupa (University of Washington)
• Robert Maycock (Dartmouth College)
• Amay Merchant (St. Lawrence University)
• Jason Michas (Harvard University)
• MacNeal Middleton (Vassar College)
• Daniel Pelaez (Hobart College)
• Stephen Severson (Amherst College)
• Julian Snider (Hobart College)
• Yi Tan (Vassar College)
• Yen Theng Tan (Johns Hopkins University)
• Bradbury Thompson (Brown University)
• John Tienken (University of Illinois Springfield)
• Alexander Wood (Hamilton College)
• Anthony Zou (Columbia University)

...so good for Jon and Andrea to buy their first property

Jon and Andrea today placed a booking for a 2 bedroom ground floor unit at The Spectrum, 501 Pasir Panjang Road, #01-01. It is a huge commitment but at least they are on boat the property train. 

... so good for father to be home

We collected father's ashes from Tai Peh Temple and moved his ashes to his new urn (see above). We will be keeping his urn at home so that it is easier for us to visit or be reminded of him. In the past, Lai Fong and Lai Ying would visit the temple once a year to clean his urn. The temple restricts when we can visit and also it would not be right to put mother there with him. Now the two can eventually be kept at home!

... so good for Ken to be awarded Academic All-Ivy

Winter Academic All-Ivy -- 2011-12

PRINCETON, N.J. -- The Ivy League released its list of student-athletes selected for 2011-12 Academic All-Ivy honors in its winter sports today. The 80 men and women were starters or key reserves on an officially recognized varsity team with 3.0 or better cumulative grade point averages. Each institution nominated five men and women from its eligible student-athletes. The full list, alphabetically by institution, follows.

Yale


Charles Brockett, Sr., Hockey, Political Science (Shaker Heights, Ohio)
Played in 34 games and finished with 10 points, both career highs; Yale's ECAC Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year candidate.

Michelle Cashen, Sr., Basketball, Political Science (Belle Harbor, N.Y.)
Honorable mention All-Ivy selection; earned All-Ivy recognition in each of her four years; played in 110 games in her career.

Kenneth Chan, Jr., Squash, Economics (Singapore)
First-team All-Ivy; three-time All-Ivy selection; played in No. 1 spot for Bulldogs for much of the season.

Stephanie Goldstein, Jr., Gymnastics, Molecular, Cellular & Developmental Biology (Plano, Texas)
Recipient of ECAC Scholar Athlete Award; competed on beam, floor and vault in every meet of the 2012 season

Hayes Hyde, Sr., Swimming & Diving, Environmental Studies (Woodside, Calif.)
Ivy League champion in 200 butterfly; also part of two Ivy champion relay teams; first-team All-Ivy.

Shiv Kachru, Sr., Fencing, Economics (Los Altos Hills, Calif.)
Finished seventh in the foil at the NCAA Championship; team captain.

Christopher Luu, Sr., Swimming & Diving, Economics (Monterey Park, Calif.)
Team captain; Several top 10 finishes in 100 and 200 breaststroke.

Rhetta Nadas, Sr., Squash, Political Science (Boston)
Team captain; ranked 16th individually in nation; competed in CSA Individual Championship; helped Bulldogs to 17-2 overall record.

Robyn Shaffer, Jr., Fencing, History of Science & Medicine (Nashville, Tenn.)
Team captain; competed at NCAA Regionals in epee.

Reggie Willhite, Sr., Basketball, Political Science (Elk Grove, Calif.)
Ivy League Defensive Player of Year; second-team All-Ivy; set school record with 65 steals; team captain.

... so good of Societe General to invite me for golf

... it has been so long since I played at Sentosa Golf Club, it was a pleasant surprised to be invited to play at  Sentosa Tanjong Course. The course was really beautiful and the weather was great - the score wasn't as I am still nursing a hurt shoulder and couldn't use any of the woods or driver! But it was a great golf outing. And dinner was exceptional - great food, good company and the whiskey and wine was exquisite! Thanks, SocGen (Pearl and Florence).