Reviews & Press : : Days Gone By: Growing up in Penang

The Star, Wednesday, 21 November 2007
by Helen Ong

Reunion with a Bond theme

IT would have done Ian Fleming proud. The theme for this year’s annual St George’s Girls School Ex-Pupils’ Association Dinner was '007: Entertainment by Bond Girls'.

The glittery gathering was held in the ballroom of the G Hotel in Gurney Drive, Penang, recently. Nearly 400 diners, mostly members and their guests, enjoyed good food, slick dances and songs.

Performances during the second part of the evening were all related to the numerous films starring the famous fictitious British agent, all performed by old girls of the school.

Association president Pamela Ong welcomed everyone in her opening speech, dedicating it to the Class of ’57, of which she was a member.

Ong, who has been president for the past 16 years, then read out a humorous ditty about the impact of ageing which she had composed, drawing roars of laughter from the appreciative audience.

'Days Gone By', a book written by another Class of ’57 member, old girl Christine Wu Ramsay, about growing up in Penang with her grandparents, was also launched at the event.

She tells of the arrival of her great-grandfather Leong Fee, a poor Hakka migrant from China who rose to become a Vice-Consul of China in Penang. Ramsay was present to sign copies of her book.

“This year’s reunion was excellent,” said Lin Swan Lin, a retired teacher, also one of the Class of ’57. She makes it a point to attend as many of these dinners as possible.

Also present was Datuk Seri Eric Lim, Gama Supermarket executive chairman, who was one of the main raffle prize sponsors for the evening.