The 2Jeyers were great, they made him a card with personal dedications from the class and also this beautiful album with photos of our outings. Seeing those photos with Wei Cheng's trademark smile is such a stark difference to the grim atmosphere. The photo album (the 2Jeyers explained) was meant for his mum as they had left pages for Wei Cheng's friends to leave their words and thoughts. Such an incredible gesture of love for them to make that album.
Our large group of 2Jeyers occupied 2 round tables, I mentally counted that almost the whole class was there, except for those who were overseas. Many of the ladies are having their exams and my champion chairperson had TWO papers the next day. Looking around, a thought struck me and I told them,"We've got to stop meeting like this." Some of them understood what I meant and smiled in response.
Being at funerals always get me thinking, and these are a few conclusions I made last night.
1. Do we need a major event (death or wedding) to be reason enough to make the effort to meet up? We should always make time for our friends. Take it from me when I say that making friends is tough, keeping them takes even more effort. Especially when work takes over your life...
2. Why do we have wakes? I think wakes help us to come to terms with the reality, to let us cry openly, to grieve, to busy us with something to do so we don't just sit there and crash. It's after the wake that we need to be even more cautious about Wei Cheng's mum. That's when she'll really need love and comfort around.
3. On some level I feel that the number of people who make an effort to attend your wake is a testimony to the person you were. Wei Cheng evidently touched many people in his own ernest way as groups of friends just kept coming over the course of the night. I thought about it - this is how I'd like my funeral to be, friends and loved ones all there to tell me that I'd be missed. Alright, I'm starting to get morbid.
Some comments to my first blog entry reflected that you wished you'd have known Wei Cheng better, I think we can all do better in this area, myself included. We should NOW treat others better, say HI to people we might not normally say hi to, make time to organise gatherings for friends, practise more patience with our family members. Let's not wait till we regret not doing better.
Wei Cheng, see what good you continue to bring to others?
22 comments:
Hi Wei Cheng
Although I do not know u, but when I saw the news, I felt very sad. rest in peace.
Eric
How your words touched me. Hmmm. I understand what you mean. Please don;t cry any more. I know it is a sad affair but the dead will not be at peace if he knows so many grieve for him.
Laurence Robert Binyon said:
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
thanks for the sharing teacher
u are indeed a teacher with a kind heart
may u continue to inspire your students
with metta
henry tee
Ms Goh,
Thank you for your advice. I think we ought to learn from this tragedy and cherish those we have around us more. I'm sure Wei Cheng and the other 4 rowers who passed away do not wish to see everyone feeling so depressed over their deaths.
I know Weicheng will definitely want his family and friends to move on. I don't know how we can help his family, but I really hope relative and closer friends of Weicheng's family will be there to lend support. My heart broke when I knew of his mother's grief.
Weicheng has gone to a better place. Let us all wish him well.
Kairu
RVHS 4D 2003
To the class of RVHS 2J 2001:
The first conclusion made here really hit something within my heart.
I have been thinking for quite a long time that it is a pity that the foolish young boy I was then didn't know how to cherish being in the class of 2J... with its great form teacher and caring classmates.
By the time I realized my mistake, it all seemed too late by then. I felt detached from the class.
However, from what I have been seeing on Tuesday, you guys are meeting up at least once every year and I really hope that you guys will continue this for years to come. Like what Princess Jessica said, making friends is tough, but keeping them is even tougher.
I've had my chance and learnt about it the hard way. So make sure you guys continue to cherish each other like you do now.
Yours Sincerely,
Zhiwen.
miss goh, your first thought was excatly the same as mine, after i took awhile to settle my emotionsa after seeing chee. we often cherish sth only after we lost it. and im afraid that's how reality works. and will continue to work, no matter how much we say we're going to treause pple around us. soon, things will just go back to the same. im just as sad/angry as yu are at this fact which we can't deny. but that's the way it is. life sucks. haha.
i admit i myself did many things i can regret. arueing with him over training methods, ways a team should be managed, even places to shop. but we've shared the same liking for music (we always get damn higih in club to timbaland's the way i are), shared the same cab... oh damn i think i owe u money for last cab ride. how? haha. and yes i was happy i reignited your desire to get a driving license. sorry i kept laughing at yu about failing basic theory 2-3 times and taking another 2 tries before passing final theory. yu were just beginning to enjoy the driving lessons man.
"very sian to drvie round and round leh.. i wana go outside..."
bro, im having my test this friday, day after tomorrow. just so let yu know. haha. i'll be doing it for yu. i'll show yu my license after that ok? :)
The saddest thing about this is that it is entirely different from knowing you're going to die, least if you've got a terminal disease, you had time to leave your last words, to do whatever you want to before leaving the world. but thing is, these boys haven't the time to prepare for their deaths. and i could almost visualize the scene of them struggling for the water surface yet not knowing that whatever they felt then whether it was the drive to hit the water surface again, or the sense of helplessness knowing that no one's there to guide them to safety, would be the last they'll ever feel and whatever they have seen just a while ago, before they were thrown out of the capsizing boat, were the last they would ever see. was it the clear blue sky? was it the boat they had rowed in for years? or was it their friends' faces? And i wonder how it felt knowing you're drowning, having the instinct to swim to the surface yet somehow being held back by a force so strong and then gradually, your short of air cuts the oxygen supply to your brain, and prolly the last thought you had was: "i need to swim to the surface".
i feel the pain for them, i feel their short of breaths, i feel their unjust..i feel for their family, friends and loved ones..
and for my senior wz and the other 4 rowers, i hope you'll be happy wherever you are, because we need you to be.
We will remember you.
RP. Class 4H' 2004
Sorry for getting the name mixed up...was in grief when I realised the photo in the papers which had been staring at me belongs to an ex-student's brother.
Wei Cheng, You will always be remembered!
Can anyone tell me the family background of Wee Cheng and the 4 others?
i felt that i needed to comment on what RP. Class 4H' 2004 has said. yeah i agree, it would've been just as you described, IF you were looking at it negatively.
Wei Cheng, with his forthcoming smile and positive attitude toward life, would probably have viewed it another way though. I believe, in a way, it's a blessing to leave this world in your prime, and doing something you love so dearly. few ever get to do that. He was leaving without fear of impending death that terminally ill patients have to face, and he left in service to his country, and with his friends. People who have to wait day by day with certain knowledge of their passing would hardly be enjoying the vibrancy of youth, especially if he or she were suffering, in which case, death is more often looked upon as a relief than not.
To all, Wei Cheng has worked hard all his life. I'm sure those of you close to him will know, yet in every one of his endeavours he has found joy, and love from his friends. Wei Cheng left us suddenly, but he was NEVER plagued by thoughts of death. He has been able-bodied, and strong, all his life. He lived every second of his life without worrying about what comes to us all in the end, and we should take some comfort, even joy when it is time to put aside grief, in that.
We can help him with some of what he has left undone. in the upcoming indefinite future, if you have the time, do spare some of it to visit his mother once in awhile. if anything, it'll show her how much influence her son had on others, and be relieved that he was such a wonderful man. We all loved Wei Cheng for who he was. I for one, am proud of all he's achieved. I'm proud of having been his friend. Heck, i'm even proud of having shared his shampoo. (actually it was more like him always using mine, but i do recall him ever having brought some to training. So everyone, don't hurry with your emotions, but when you think it's time, lift your head and be the person that Wei Cheng was. It's the least we can do to show him, whereas he is now, that we care.
W.Howe
proud friend of the fallen.
sorry for the grammar at the end :)
I regret to say that I barely know Wei Cheng even though we were in choir together back in RV. Nevertheless, the news of his passing struck me deeply for despite the lack of contact, he was an acquaintance, someone whose name I've known, someone whom I've said hi to.
I mourn the loss of men with such great potential.
May this be a reminder for us to treasure the people around us and not to wait till it's too late.
Thank you, Mrs Chak, for sharing and for giving us a place to share our thoughts too.
Dear Wei Cheng, rest in peace.
Jinghui
RVHS 4G 2005
Hi, I am just a passer-by..
I was really sad to read about the deaths of the 5 young guys. I came back to Singapore happily on 23rd Nov but the next day, I read about what happened on TNP.
Have been away from Singapore for months and to come back knowing that the nation is grieving is really sad.
I'll be going over to Cambodia next month to visit my friend, perhaps, I'll drop by the Tonle Sap River.
Nevertheless, I hope that all of Wei Cheng's family members and friends will be able to find a closure. Perhaps, take a look around this world and understand that there are a lot of people who also need our love, care and concern, and help.
May all the brave boaters rest in peace
it's been more than 2 weeks have passed since the freak accident..no more headlines flashed across the newspapers on it..but i feel touched seeing new posts on this blog continually.shows just how much u guys have impacted our lives that we keep coming back to view the blogs in remembrance of u.though i nv knew u until the reports on the accident,i added the blogs dedicated to u guys to 'my favourites'.
thanks for teaching me to live my life to the fullest..
my msn nick still reads,'rest in peace.the 5 of you will always be fondly missed.'
For all my life I've been procrastinating. Whenever i want to do this and it feels troublesome or requires some effort, I'll told myself--I'll do it another day.
Before I fly to Australia for Ex Wallaby I've been quite busy so I told myself I'll meet up with wei cheng and take a photo of us after I return to Singapore. Just before I fly I msg him, but he didn't reply because he's already in Thailand for shopping (He loves to shop). A few days after I flew he called my home but I was already in Australia. When I returned to Singapore after a month, he flew to cambodia on the very same day. I guess we were just not fated to meet. The next day i received the news that he had gone frm this world...
I've known him for 8 years. We've hang out together countless times ever since i've known this very special friend who never fails to brighten up everyone's day. And yet I don't even have a photo of both of us to be kept as a memory.
This is the greatest regret I have. So please, if you have something to do, especially when it has got something to do with your close ones, do it NOW. Do it before it is too late. I've learnt it the hard way...
Chin Hian
Dear All,
Kindly take a time to read this :-
http://chickensoup4souls.wordpress.com/2007/12/07/a-good-cause/
Its a good cause to help out Wei Cheng's mom.
Hope you guys can spread the word.
http://chickensoup4souls.wordpress.com/
Dear friends,
My name is Kai Hong, a close friend and dragonboat team-mate of the late Wei Cheng. I am sure by now, you have heard of the tragic accident in Cambodia 3 weeks ago.
(http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/314549/1/.html)
I am honored to have had the opportunity to row with Wei Cheng in both SAFSA as well as the National Team. He was a dedicated paddler who worked hard to reach his goals. This eventually earned him a place in the National squad, despite his lack of prior experience in the sport.
While participating actively in dragonboat, Wei Cheng dedicated much of his remaining time to giving tuition in order to contribute to the family's income. From a tender age, Wei Cheng and his brother, Wei You, have been raised single handedly by their mother, who is currently sourcing for a job with the help of relatives. Wei You recently re-took his 'O' Levels and is hoping to enter a local Polytechnic with his grades. He will be working part-time to bear some of the family's financial burden, which his brother had so painstakingly bourne these few years.
I understand that some of you have probably attended the recent wake and have already given "white money" to the family. However, with the "season of giving" just around the corner, I'm trying to arrange for a second round of donations for the family, hoping to offer what aid we can to help mother and son tide over this extremely difficult time. No obligations here. If you feel that you have given as much help as you could, it is ok.
After some discussions with Wei Cheng's cousin, we have jointly decided that cheques would be the most efficient method of facilitating these donations. Even if you are unable to write a cheque, I hope you can approach your parents and see if they would like to extend their help in this. My team-mates and I are organising this to provide an avenue for those who wish to extend their aid to the Chee family, but do not know where and how.
You will have my assurance that all donations will be documented, and that the FULL proceeds will be handed to Mdm Chee. We are doing this for we believe that Wei Cheng, being the filial son that he was, would not want his brother and mother to have to bear the weight of his departure.
For those who would want to donate a substantial amount to the family, please either reply to this message,
contact me at "kee_heng@hotmail.com" or 96461072. Details on how to donate will be diclosed to you privately. I hope to be able to collect all donations during the 3rd week of this month, which is 17th to 22nd December 2007.
I'm not sure of the response to this, but I thank you for reading this, and hope we can all do our part to help the family.
Yours Sincerely,
Chian Kai Hong
www.hungrykaihong.blogspot.com
Happy New Year Wei Cheng.
Hi Ms Goh, if you see this, could you contact me at kee_heng@hotmail.com? I could not figure any way else to reach you.
Thank you.
-Chian
Today, I thought about him. I regret not talking to him even though he was there, I regret not saying "good morning" even when he was there. Now that he's not here, what can I do. I remember my sister sitting next to me and wei cheng in the front seat when my dad sent us to school. He was a sincere, well mannered boy. Years have passed, he still lives on.
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