Two visits in one

Da received a telephone call from his old friend, SW, today.

SW will be migrating to Perth, Western Australia on 27 December 2008. His wife (YC) and two sons (AW and EW) have already been living in Perth for a year or so. YC is an Australian Chinese and their sons hold Australian passports as well.

YC's family lives in a beautiful single-storey house in Leeming, Perth.

YC is currently in Singapore to help with the final packing. They intend to ship the furniture in their home (in Sengkang) to Perth.

SW and YC paid a visit to Da's parents today around 9 pm for some drinks and to catch up on old times. As SW and Da were housemates during their University days at Curtin University in Perth, Da's parents are acquainted with SW.

When Da and I arrived at Da's parents' home, SW and YC were already there. They had brought along some mangos.

MIL cut one of the mangos to be shared. It was very sweet!

I think that MIL has gotten into the swing of being a "model"! She gamely showed me her bandaged knee for me to take a photograph.

Da and I brought a Mocca pound cake that we bought from the supermarket this evening. No, it is not Sara-Lee brand. It is, in fact, NTUC brand. The cake is sold frozen. When thawed and cut, it is very soft.

The cake goes well with a cup of coffee.

We also opened a packet of potato chips that we had brought along.

It was a wonderful time of fellowship. YC updated us on AW's and EW's activities in Perth. The boys have matured. When we last met them in Perth last year, we could already see the change in them. Had they remained in Singapore, they would probably have been the typical student here, with their noses stuck to their textbooks and their hands glued to the keyboard of their computer. In Perth, they have cultivated an appreciation and knowledge of nature and their general knowledge has improved by leaps and bounds. Despite their youth (AW is 13 years old and EW is 11 years old), they have shown a level of maturity that belie their tender years.

SW also kept everyone entertained with his stories about the dog breeders that he and his family have visited in Perth. They are thinking of buying a Rhodesian Ridgeback once they have purchased a house of their own.

When SW, YC, Da and I left FIL's and MIL's home, it was 12+ in the morning. Before we went our separate ways to our respective cars, we stood at the bottom of the block where Da's parents live and continued chatting till 2+ in the morning!

Have a safe flight back to Perth, SW and YC! We look forward to meeting you again in Perth next year!