Class 1961
Articles and News of Class 1961
Background
Our younger son David got married to Miss Kimberly Jang on April 25, 2015 in Vancouver. For the occasion, I composed a Chinese wedding couplet with the help of a friend and then asked another friend who is a calligrapher to write it out in Chinese ink on red paper. Then I hung it in on the wall of the dining room in our house. I also prepared some explanatory notes for those who wanted them, as below.
Some thoughts that motivated the writing: the first half of the couplet tells the story of David and Kim and the Chinese legendary matchmaker; the second half contains three allusions, one by a Tang poet referring to the inseparable male and female mandarin ducks, and two traditional historical stories of love and respect between husband and wife.
The Wedding Couplet with Explanatory Notes
The 11- character (4+7) couplet:
同窗同社 千里姻緣牽本市 (1) (2) (3)
雙去雙來 舉案畫眉始今朝 (4) (5) (6)
(Standing L-R) Michael Tang, Yu Fong Ying, Gilbert Chinn, Robert Lee, Augustine Lam, Ho Kar Wing
(Seated L-R) May Yu, Margaret Chinn, Lily Lee, Martina Lam
After the San Francisco Reunion in September 2014, Augustine and Martina Lam went to visit Father Farren in Ireland.
"Father had been recovering well from recent surgery. He looked younger than a 91 year old."
Father Mallin turned 101 years old on September 13, 2014.
Every year, Wong Hin-shing sends a birthday card to Father Mallin on behalf of Class of 61.
The hand-written reply from Father Mallin himself is amazing.
Background
Our elder son Jason got married to Miss Florence Lau on July 26th 2014 in Vancouver. For that occasion, I composed a Chinese wedding couplet with the help of a friend and then asked another friend who is a calligrapher to write it out in Chinese ink on red paper. Then I hung it in on the wall of the dining room in our house a week before the wedding day. I also prepared some explanatory notes for those who wanted them, as below.
Some thoughts that motivated the writing: Jason plays the flute and the piano, and Florence plays the piano and the violin to performance level. The allusion to the soaring dragon was the suggestion of a friend, but I avoided too many allusions to the classics, making it easier for those not fluent in classical Chinese. The reference to a fine home is also an approving remark referring to the fact that the young couple had taken out a mortgage on a townhouse before getting married. The double meaning of “accompany” was deliberate. Altogether I aimed to create a lively musical mood.