boon's log 0309.03: We're home!

Moonshot 011309

We've arrived home safely last Thursday - I cannot say that it was a smooth ride all the way back, though. We had to squat in a hotel suite because we were "kicked" out of our apartment because our contract expired and we could not depart on our original departure date because of the snow storm... and after the snow, came the heavy rain and flood and flights continued to be delayed and foggy SanFran lived up to her foggy-reputation which had us circling in the air for about an hour before we were given the greenlight to land - what was supposed to be 1hr flight ended up being a 2hr flight. Oh and the amount of turbulence... and the list goes on... Anyways, believe me when I say, I am so glad to be home!

IL and I have been attacking the local food eversince we touchedown and so far, the food's been really good and we are not disappointed. While Ab's been pretty much kidnapped from us (by our relatives) and we pretty much have all the time to ourselves to unpack, clean up, unpack again and clean up again and hawker-hopping for the past 5-6 days. We even managed to squeeze Keanu Reeves' latest The Day the Earth Stood Still in between (which by the way was a disappointment, probably 1.5/5 stars). I fell asleep more than 3 times during the entire movie.

Things in and around Penang are what we expected it to be. Quite some changes, but not much that is of a surprise to us.

The only thing that came as a surprise to us was the passing away of our dear friend Hong Leong. We are assured that he has left this world to be in a better place.


Lim Hong Leong: 1958-2009

Our deepest and heartfelt condolences go out to Lean Bee and Hui Ling. May God continue to watch over them and bring healing to their hearts and grant them peace.

Write up from The Star, by Ng Su-Ann


He was known as the “punny guy” because he was never short of puns, and he was proud of it.

His tongue-in-cheek wit never failed to bring a smile even to the gloomiest face.

The Star Penang’s assistant chief photographer Lim Hong Leong, died after 5.30am yesterday following a short illness at Island Hospital. He was 51.

Lim will always be remembered for his quips.

Instead of the usual “Let’s go have a meal”, he would entreat us with “Let’s go stuff our face” or “We go for CKT (char koay teow)”.

One of his mischievous remarks was “God gave us relatives but thank God, we can choose our friends.”

Even on Facebook, his humour was distinct. He named his virtual pet – a crab – Dinner.

Lim, who joined The Star’s Penang office in the late 1970s, was described as a jack of all trades.

He worked as a driver, a paste-up artist and a clerk before joining the photo department in 1981.

“He was a jovial father figure to rookies and trainees. His positive outlook of life made him easy to get along with,” said Penang chief photographer Ng Ah Bak.

Lim also had a passion for music.

“He played the guitar and loved jam sessions with other fellow journalists. Lim also played the guitar at church services,” said another colleague.

In 1984, he won a gold medal for taking a photograph of a nude man who was walking around in public, dubbed the Sunday Streaker.

His picture was adjudged by the Kedah Photography Society as the best of many entries from the northern region.

He will also be remembered as a devoted husband and a doting father.

Lim would always place family above everything else.

He leaves behind his wife Ong Lean Bee, 47, and an only child, Hui Ling, 22, whom he always referred to as “my Sim Kua (heart)”.

His body has been taken to the Batu Gantong funeral parlour.

The funeral service will be held at 11am tomorrow and his remains will be cremated at the Batu Gantong crematorium.



boon out...