Dear All,
From the inception of our group known as the “Cheetahs” to this date, we have gone through almost fifty two years of comradeship and sincere friendship. We all explored the world in different directions and until last year, we finally rediscover one another. While most of us are still enjoying relatively good health, some were not as fortunate to be able to reconnect with us. I do really miss Michael Lai and Philip Kam. Michael had gone before us. We hope we shall be able to at least meet with Philip (Dai Fei) by way of having the reunion in North America or by paying him a visit in Australia after this summer.
The Cheetahs are a part of the cat family and this year is the Year of the Tiger which also represents the cat family. Let us cherish this year’s reunion as a milestone year for all of us. Traditionally, Tigers are seen as a bit contradictory. They are courageous, but can yield. They can be stormy, yet remain calm. That makes the Tiger a perfect fit with what we have seen so far of the 21st century. Every year brings with it risks. Every year brings with it times that will be unpredictable and stormy. And in every year, there will be opportunities associated with those unpredictable, stormy and risky times. In every year, we will have a better chance of responding successfully to the things that we fear if we maintain a inner clam and a spirit of enthusiasm. In short, we need to find the Tiger in each of us. As Cheetahs, we certainly possess this quality as evidenced by the success in your careers and achievements.
I wondered if some of you may still remember the poem by the English poet, William Blake, we learned from English literature:
Tiger, tiger burning bright;
In the forest of the night;
What immortal hand or eye;
Dare frame thy fearful symmetry.
Blake saw the fearful symmetry – or deadly beauty of the tiger as a kind of mysterious sign from God and asked in the same poem:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?
As we begin the year of the Tiger (I call it Cheetah), I wish you all the opportunity to see the beauty in the mysterious unpredictability of the world and the courage and calm of the Tiger as you respond to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
With best wishes,
Philip Lee (1960)