Sam

Despite my Swiss Cheese-esque memory one of the more vivid memories is the arrival of our first pet. I'm not talking about that goldfish that died after one night back in Stone Street or the time we looked after that bird or our neighbour's flea-harbouring pooch (Simba), that pet I refer to is the wily, enthusiastic Weimaraner.

It was thirteen odd years ago, while I was still in Highschool when the gray puppy arrived in Earlwood. I remember there was discussion on what to name our first dog. The names Cookie, Max, Rover were thrown around but we eventually decided on Sam (He would also eventually take on the names, Great Stone Dragon and Horse). At that time, the household was busy. The adults were off at work and the children were at school, which meant we had to cage Sam in the basement of our house. We (well mostly Dad) constructed a fence at the base of the staircase to prevent him from roaming up in the house.

I remember my sister and I returning home from school excited to see our pet for the first time after school. We rushed down to the basement and lo' and behold the barricade had been pushed aside and the pup' was no longer downstairs. Lesson #1, puppies that have been recently separates from the litter cannot be left alone in the basement of a Malaysian house for an extended solitary period. We searched the house and eventually found him on the top level in my bedroom. He was cowering in the corner with his big floppy ears next to a bright yellow puddle of urine. The sight of people made him instantly happy although getting him to get downstairs proved a little more tricky. Lesson #2, going up stairs can sometimes be easier than going down stairs for puppies.

Admittedly, I felt a little bad for not being able to spend more time with him, especially during the later part of his life. I still remember the walks, him standing outside the door waiting to rush in, his hip surgery, him eating bees, him killing kittens, him killing blue tongue lizards, him drinking one litre of chicken oil and him sniffing my crotch. Hope we were as enjoyable as you were Sam.

One of my favourite photos of him kicking back on the lawn with a tub of crunchy Peanut butter. Rest in Peace.

"Woof" - Sam

Singaporean Whim

The perks of being in Asia with access to a budget airlines. Fresh Air, clear skies, plenty of room service and a little bit of magic.

The Yips

Pardon the accuracy of this account. It has been close to a year since the actual event so the details may prove to be just down right wrong. Since arriving in Hong Kong I've been adopted by two groups of friends. The multi-cultural Hong Kong group, majority of these guys relocated to Asia to start graduate programs with the large investment banks. The other group is an extension of the London group, consisting mostly of Sydney based ex-patriots. From the later group, two University sweethearts decided to tie the knot in Thailand. To be honest, I was a little taken back that I had received an invite to the wedding, especially since I had only known the couple of a year or so. Not one to complain and feeling honored that I was invited, I booked flights and joined the group in Thailand for the destination wedding of the year.

This is where the details escape me. What usually happens is that if I'm too lazy to write a post (mostly, always) is that I will jot down a handful of memorable points to kick start the creative juices. For reasons unknown to me, I only drafted the following points: "Stressed about work", "Horrible weather", "beautiful", "excess alcohol" and "so much fun".

So here goes - I remember that we spent the initial few days in Bangkok, where of course we stayed at the Lebua for the stag-do processions. The wedding itself was held over in Krabi. The reason I was stressed out about work because in my haste I had accidentally forgotten to re-schedule a meeting keeping me worried the entire trip (this would come back to haunt me). Horrible weather, seems rather self explanatory, I believe it was the start of the Monsoon season and during our stay in Krabi we were presented with only clouds and rain. In fact the night of the reception was cut short due to inclement weather. This brings me to the next adjective - Beautiful, which is exactly what the wedding was, irrespective of the weather the ceremony was extravagant and the international turn out was sensational.

Excess Alcohol most definitely refers to the BYO efforts of the bride and groom. Knowing that the after party would be held in the private villa the couple brought over so much Duty Free Alcohol that come morning, the entire pool reeked of alcohol and our hangovers confirmed this. Despite this mammoth effort, the amount of residual, unconsumed alcohol was staggering. Most of the guests left Thailand with at least two bottles of leftover alcohol.

The last point sums up the entire trip. It was a blast and potentially one of the most fun weddings that I have attended. Congrats to the new couple!

Always

"So if by the time the bar closes, and you feel like falling down, I'll carry you home tonight" - We Are Young

The next milestone

High school, University, Enjoy life, Career, Marriage, Property, Family. Welcome to my rough list of milestones that my generation have come to experience in their short lives. It's funny to think that not 10 years ago we were all at the same stage. Yet, as I retrospectively look at how we've progressed I can see how our time has been distributed across these milestones. For some, all these points have been fulfilled, whilst for others they have invested their time more heavily in some areas.

I found out earlier this week that the girl that I asked to my year 12 formal recently passed away. Shocked, I zoned off into a 20 minute internal eulogy. I still remember calling her and after the initial greetings the first thing she said was "Why is your voice shaking?". To which I nervously squeak out "Would you like to be my partner to my formal?". The elation of her saying "yes" was instantly reversed when she called back not 5 minutes later saying that she couldn't make it. I can't help but laugh as that was the fondest memory of her. I wonder if she would have laughed if I told her that at her death bed.

With that, I add two slightly more final milestones to the list: Retirement and Death. It's scary to think that I know people who have managed to cross off every item in the list. At my passing, what will be your fondest memory of me?

The Hong Kong Sevens

Hong Kong Sevens - An excuse to get dressed up and consume copious amounts of liquor. Oh, and of course watch some seven-a-side Rugby...

Sydney Ceremonies

I had wanted nothing more than to laze on the beach with McMafia. The sound of crashing waves in the foreground, the insane screeching of seagulls in the background. Toes and back frosted with sand all the while the warming Australian sun canvassing my body. Expectation management, never goes too far. That was the best case scenario, what I got was the worst case scenario. 20 degrees, heavy showers. Sydney's Summer was colder and wetter than the Hong Kong Winter.

The flight in was tough - My unusual compulsion to catch up on new release movies on a 8 inch screen and the fact that I had discounted the timezone delta compounded with my strained neck denied me of any decent sleep. I arrived into wet miserable Sydney only to be greeted by my mother at the station. I was home and headed straight for my old bedroom. It was a going to be a long weekend and I needed every ounce of shut eye.

That same night the grooms men met with the groom for a dinner down in the Shire with the Bride and her family. It had only been a month since I'd seen the guys in Bail but it was nice to see everybody back in Sydney. The night was easy, sharing a couple of beers and reminiscing our history: The old university days, the old trips and the laughs and defining moments over the last eleven years. Eleven years, it's been an amazing ride, two down, three to go. I often wonder if it will be the same bridal party for each of our weddings (I mean, provided we all get married).

Wedding Day. It was the same nervous energy with the same group of guys. We all spent the night at the Camperdown apartment and woke at 8 am, it doesn't look like any of us got any decent amount of sleep. It was going to be a long day, charged with adrenaline and laughter. The photographer arrives and we go through the compulsory preparation photos as well as a photo session at our old stomping grounds: The University of Sydney.

The limo arrives and we're whisked down the Princess Highway towards Kareela. Straight off the bat, it would be day where we, the grooms men failed to receive the memo and would result in an comedy of errors. Blooper #1: We step out of the limo and stand around like a pack of lost children, "What do we do now?". The soon-to-be mother-in-law runs down to the driveway "You can't come out until he (pointing at the boy) opens the car door for you!". The groom jumps back into the car and closes the door.

10 minutes and 88 dollars later we buy ourselves into the Bride's house after an obstinate negotiation period. As a little bit of trivia, during the years in university we as a group were (unknowingly to us) known as the "Backstreet Boys".  Continuing on the tradition we were made to perform a Backstreet Boys song of our choice, are much bashfulness we decided on a rendition of "I Want it that way". To be fair we got off pretty easy, couple of eating challenges later and we're in the house with the groom claiming the bride.

The bridal party climb into the limo and make our way back into the City. Traffic is bad, the rain has wrecked havoc on the roads but the banter and chatter among the group distracts us from the severity of our tardiness. Unfortunately our time was limited and we could only squeeze in the Wentworth Park Shoot thereby forfeiting the National Maritime Museum  sequence.

We arrived to the ceremony late and the place was packed with so many familiar faces. The Uni Crew, The Seftoners, the Fairfield group, the Ticketek group, everybody was there crammed into the hall, we were late and they were waiting. The grooms men lined up as we waited for the brides maids and bride. Blooper #2: We were standing up on the right hand side, the wrong side. The groom casually whispers to us "Guys, we're on the wrong side, slowly move over to the other side". Sheepishly we shift to the other side. Soon enough the room explodes with Taio Cruz's "Telling the World". The bride and the father enter the room, the room stands and suddenly all notion of the wet weather outside is forgotten.

Blooper #3. Groom mis-pronounces the Bride's Surname. Blooper #4: Bride has a lapse of concentration during vows. The Groom, notorious for his uncontrollable perspiration had developed bullets of sweat, it was all too much. The "I dos" are exchanged and tea ceremony proceeds. The party then moves over to the Sydney Fish Markets, Fisherman's Wharf. The Bridal Party dance out to the throw back "Where the Party At" and a little bit of silly fun. So. Much. Alcohol. The guests look happy to be inside and there's plenty of socialising and plenty of drinking.

Delicious food, followed by a memorable Father of the Bride's Wedding Speech, whose content included "Men have two emotions: Hungry and Horny". It would be a tough act to follow but Malcolm and myself gave a joint wedding speech: An underlying bully theme, the taunting prankster and a standard helicopter demonstration and we were done. After the formalities the ties became loose and so did the crowd. Everybody was dancing and having fun, potentially the most fun I've had at a wedding. The wedding ceremony ended at midnight and soon I was standing with the two other Hong Kong visitors in King's Cross.  It was a familiar sight, the same guys, just a different city.

Whenever I return to Sydney there's a pedestrian pace that lures you into a want for settling down. It's a strange sensation and it almost makes you want to find somebody, move back home and enter into some kind of mortgage. This proposition is even more compelling when you catch up with all the couples, new daughters and sons and of course a beautiful wedding. What a weekend! Congratulations to the beautiful couple. Thank you for an amazing weekend. I love you guys.

"I'm telling the world that I've found a girl; the one I can live for, the one who deserves" - Taio Cruz