The 1st of February 2023 dawned a bright and beautiful day – rare, considering the wintry January Singapore has had since the first day of the Chinese New Year. Ahead of the celebration, the NUS ASA Committee and volunteer helpers met to set up the function room to prepare for the year’s first major social gathering.

The flurry of activities included setting the tables for the Lo Hei and buffet, decorating the venue with cheerful red paper cuttings of good luck couplets, red fire-crackers and adorable bunny wall hangings befitting the Year of the Rabbit. Meanwhile, the group’s entertainers and eager musicians tuned their instruments and made last-minute adjustments to the sound system.

The prompt arrival of alumni members and guests soon filled the room with lively chatter and happy laughter with a high note of anticipation for the activities to come. ASA Chairperson Joanna Loo’s (Science ’71) welcome to all participants was followed by a rousing rendition of ‘Gong Xi Gong Xi’, with the friends gathered, mingling and greeting each other.

Next, Lim Wee Bin (Arts and Social Sciences ’93) led the traditional well-wishes for good luck, good health, and prosperity. Ringing out loud and boisterous, the voices were accompanied by nimble chopsticks tossing the healthy salad topsy-turvy, higher and higher. As no celebration can be complete without great food, everyone then made a determined beeline for the sumptuous buffet. There was something delicious to pique and satisfy every distinctive taste bud. The mouth-watering array of dishes included Spicy Chicken Winglets, Prawn Fritters, Hong Kong Noodles, and more. After tucking into the hearty food, everyone was ready to entertain and be entertained.

A series of stirring performances enthralled the audience, including a violin solo performed by Su Allin (Engineering ’73). There was, surprisingly, amidst the songs full of energy, a rather touching and poignant Ukulele duet performance by Joanna and Lim Thou Tin (Business ’81) titled ‘The Descendants of the Dragon’. A Musical Quiz hosted by Thomas (Medicine ’65) and Elaine Sim (Arts ’66) gave all present the opportunity to rack their brains, trying to remember elusive song and movie titles, singers, and composers, to win table and individual prizes.

Abracadabra! A Magic Show by guest Roger Lim kept guests on their toes, trying to solve the numerical puzzles and little tricks he staged. Led by Lim Chee Kiang (Engineering ’83), the Line Dancers’ agile, simple-to-follow routine inspired calls from the audience to organise follow-up dance sessions! A rousing performance of 财神到by Johnny Chor (Engineering ’88) was followed by the final performance of the foot-tapping and catchy beat of 欢乐今宵, where everyone got to their feet to dance their hearts out.

Let us, with a new spring in our step, ‘hop’ into the Rabbit Year with its symbolism of quiet and gentle thoughtfulness. Thanks to everyone present and prize donors for making the festive occasion a wonderful success.

Submitted by Helen Ng Bee Loon (Arts and Social Sciences ’81)

The NUS Overseas Colleges Alumni community recently held its annual Chinese New Year reunion gathering on 1 February 2023, the 11th day of the Chinese lunar calendar, at BLOCK71. As Singapore’s first and currently largest startup ecosystem, BLOCK71 holds a special place in the hearts of many of our alumni who took their first steps into entrepreneurship here.

About 146 alumni attended the Chinese New Year reunion gathering, representing different batches and colleges, including those from the NOC Silicon Valley, Stockholm, Beijing and Southeast Asia programme. The event also saw the attendance of the current Vice Provost (Technology-Enhanced and Experiential Learning) and Director of the NUS Overseas Colleges programme, Professor Chee Yeow Meng.

In kicking off the evening, Professor Chee shared his experiences on the past year and wished everyone a prosperous new year. Afterwards, everyone gathered to engage in the colourful and joyful tradition of Lohei, exchanging meaningful well-wishes to welcome greater abundance and prosperity in the coming year. At the end of the evening, our alumni had a simple dinner and networking session, where some were able to reconnect and catch up with each other, while others got to meet new peers.

Submitted by Ms Inez Yong (Arts and Social Sciences ’22)