Tennis For SHCians

Future Tennis Sessions

As the interest seems to have dwindled, I’ve decided to have it on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month, from 5.00 pm – 7.00 pm. Lessons for beginners are FREE! Please confirm your participation for the next tennis session on the 24th April, 2008.

Bira, Rene, Andrew, Aileen, Janet, Margaret, Evelyn, Elaine, Ron, Alice, Robert and Kristy,

Thanks for the wonderful Birthday Cake and Sumptuous Dinner. These may be little things but they mean a tremendous lot to me in my "sunset years". I shall ALWAYS remember your kind gesture in celebrating my birthday and I shall treasure them till I’m gone from this Good Earth. It’s a pity that the regulars could not come for the tennis or the fellowship.

Roland emoticon 

46 thoughts on “Tennis For SHCians”

  1. Hi Roland

    A belated ‘many happy returns’. Sorry I didn’t appear with my two ‘Tiger’. Will make up at the next tennis practice. May I suggest Friday evenings (alternates with Chinese class)?

    JassmineT

  2. Dear Roland

    1) Thank you for your kind gestures to teach though it was years ago you were our national tennis coach and tennis champion besides an accomplished dancer (hidden talent).

    2) During last evening dinner, we discovered there are many hidden talents in classical, social and ballroom dancing too.

    Some of us were brought up or have ventured into the Happy World environment and savoured the exotic foods in Geylang, Dunman, Katong, Joo Chiat,East Coast, Mcpherson and Old Kallang Airport vicinities. Some are even excellent cooks!

    3) We would look forward to the monthly 2nd AND 4th Saturday Tennis Fellowship at The Tanamera.

    The Mandarin Fellowship is on the 1st and 3rd Friday monthly at the Jasmine Room.

    4) Keep up your excellent contribution and sincere friendship, whether we are silver, golden or platinum; from glory to glory.

    We will continue to develop and grow graciously, contented and richly.

    5) See you again on Saturday, 26 April, 5pm to 7pm.

    Cheerio!

  3. Hi Robert and Ron

    The two other Romeos, look forward to have a friendly match soon!

    Also for former water polo player Robert, see your swimming teaching skill too!

    Cheers,

  5. Dear Roland,

    Happy Belated Birthday. Because of your dedication & passion to teach tennis to fellow SHCians, I may just try to learn this game sometime soon ;-)

    Catch up with you soon, Jonathan

  7. Hi Roland & AndrewK

    Alice and I will not be in the tennis circle as quoted, we have hand up our rackets umpteen years ago, as we are in the twilight years, injuries could possibly happen, better to be safe then sorry. All of you can carry-on to play and enjoy your games. We will, when time permits, join all of you in fellowships, and thanks for the hospitality, regards to Aileen.

    Ron n Alice Lai

  8. Dear Ron and Alice

    Most welcome to join us for all future fellowships and celebrations.

    As mentioned, we are likely to organise a gathering/function at the Chinese Swimming Club since three of us are members. Hope to meet you two again

    Warmest regards

  9. Hi Roland,

    Sorry for not turning up for the Tennis game. After the Trial cycling trip from EC to CV and back to EC, I was too tired to go for the Tennis game. Hope it is not too late to wish you a very Happy Belated Birthday. So till we meet again…..will call you out with some others to have a makan makan…..

    Ah Nee

  10. Hi Roland..
    Me too wanna wish u Happy Belated Birthday.
    Wow!..u still going strong at yr tender age!hehe
    I hope to participate when time permits ,weekday session boleh tak?

  11. Hi Bro Tong, wishing u a belated hapi bdae. I seriously wud like 2 attend the tennis 4 beginners but I must admit dat d journey 2 Tanamera is 2 far 4 me. I noe tis 1 shd not b considered as valid point but is true in my case lor..

  12. Hi! Dolly,
    It baffles me when you said that Tanamera was too far for you. I always REMEMBER you telling me that some members complained that the IT course you conducted at Henderson was too far and you told me that you would go ANY DISTANCE if the course was FREE! It’s never too far for one who drives and owns a car! We used to have tennis players coming from Woodlands to Bayshore just to play tennis. I used to travel to Kent Ridge for years to play tennis twice a week from Bedok! If there’s INTEREST there’s PASSION and everything else is not the priority!

  13. All Tennis Enthusiasts,
    Tennis is NOT a game that you play when you feel like doing so, especially when you are a beginner. Even for someone who has been playing for years and if he/she stops for two weeks, it is difficult to play as well again. The reflex, the rhythm will will not be there and for experienced players the finer touches will also be gone. So I would like to encourage ALL of you to be serious as this is a life-long investment!
    Good Luck and Good Health!

  14. Hi Roland….I really really wanted to be there last Sat to join in celebration. I was all dressed up in skirt and my favourite pair of sandals :-)) (I didn’t intend to play tennis bec of bad cough but wanted to join in celebration). But in the end, my fav pair of sandals was soaked. It was raining cats and dogs in Upper Thomson!!!! till 6 pm and I assumed tennis and celebration was off. Usually I go to my mom’s place on Sats. From there, I travel to Tanamera…a good one and a qtr hours by bus and train!!! :-) (no excuse Dolly, u drive right?). Anyway, happy belated Birthday, Roland.
    Btw, I will be there on 26 Apr. Thanks much. (I live in Sembawang :-))

  15. Hi Bro Tong,
    Usually most of weekend, my bro will borrow my car for their family outing. OK, promise to give it a try. Like Norlinda, I prefer weekdays. Will look out the schedule.

  16. Hi Bro Tong

    Happy (Belated) Birthday. Glad you had many friends celebrating for you.

    I wish you good health and happiness, always.

    Sorry I could not make it to your party. After the cycling, we were quite tired so we rested for a little while and then I had to send Ron Oz to the airport to catch his flight at 9.30pm.

    Warmest Regards

    Caroline Gee

  18. YA I agree with Roland. He taught me some 10-15 years ago with some other girls at Hawaii Towers. We hung up our rackets as my kakis were young then, unmotivated, and not cohesive. Without a personal goal and personal challenge, we disbanded. Today I am back at square one!

  19. Ya lor….had I not hung up my soccer boots, eric cantona wd hv played alongside with me, be the coach of man utd…..the knighthood wd hv gone to tim not alex ferguson……..but nvm, no sir tim but still can steam

  20. Dolly and Nor,
    It’s not that I do not want to hold the tennis session on weekdays. We took a vote when Nor was around and the majority voted for Saturdays. Even if it was held on weekdays, there is no guarantee that those who are in favour of it will turn up as I’ve experienced it. It all boils down to one’s PRIORITIES and ……………?

  21. Caroline, Dolly, Ah Nee, June and Nor,
    Oi Cheng, Molly,
    Thank you for your belated birthday greetings which I accept with grateful thanks from Good Friends.
    However, cynical remarks have been made by some who have NO HOME and therefore have to use our thread as the forum to project their frustrations in life.

  22. Dear all in the tennis fraternity:

    It is time to ignore all snide toxic remarks from obnoxious person(s); homeless and soulless seeking audience with cheap silly jokes.

    Let us enjoy what Grace has provided us for our good health, enjoyment and fellowship.

    ????(gu1 zhang3 nan2 ming2) – a single palm cannot clap and make a sound.

    ????(jin4 zhu1 zhe3 chi4) – contact with vermillion makes one red – the influence of good companionship.

  24. Roland @20..I accept & respect yr sincerity,thank you so much.

    U are rite, priorities matters most..if there’s a will there’s a way.
    I appreciate had some lessons with you ,even very short stint.. honoured & priviledged to have an excellent coach.
    Hope to meet u in other activities,in the coming Monthly Gathering,perhaps :)

  25. Roland Tong & Andrew Kuan, are you both for real?

    Both homeless and so both now stake a piece off the SHC forum and call it their home? Obviously frustrated that so few turned up for the birday celebration and even fewer admirers of that half-past 6 mandarin is still no excuse for this incursion which you’re at best guests.

    Surely you both cant be that hapless?

  27. Hi Uncle Roland

    Many thanks for the great and fun tennis lesson. It was very enjoyable and I look forward to the next lesson on 26 April.

    I am glad you enjoyed the dinner and it is my inifinte pleasure to have shared the time with you in celebration of your special day :)

    Above all, I can’t thank you enough for being so generous with your time and effort in helping us tennis “die-hards” in improving and enjoying our game.

    Cheers to good health and more cheers to countless tennis games :)

    = Margaret =

  28. Hi Roland & Andrew,

    We will join all of you on the 10th of May as we have something on on the 26th of April. If anyone wishes to learn swimming or polish up your strokes, do let me know and I may be able to give you some useful tips.

    Robert

  29. I had twelve loving friends and that’s more than 1 table could accomodate to celebrate my birthday which I never asked for. I’m afraid some have to sit and “look at themselves” in the mirror in self-pity and whine and smoke their lungs away and hope for someone to take pity on them! However this pity could be misconstrued for something else. So be careful, those who want to be pitiful on those who seek pity for their plight!

  30. Dear Robert

    “He who is generous will be blessed”. I will complement your teaching in swimming on 10 May. Time to assist with my life saving skills too. TY.

    Dear Roland

    How blessed are you with twelve who were with you on 5 April 2008, and many many more who bless you in many other ways with everlasting love, joy and peace.

    Count our blessings with multitudes of sincere and quality friends and families here and worldwide.

    King Solomon wise saying: “Do not speak in the hearing of a fool, for he will despise the wisdom of your words”.

    Jealousy (sour grapes) knows no bounds. Best to ignore and avoid such completely.

    Be blessed and warmest regards

  31. Dear Roland and Robert

    We are also teachers.

    “Teachers, like doctors, are often placed in positions of great opportunity and responsibility to influence and change lives” – Dr Ng, 8 April 08 ST Home H6.

    I remembered Roland was a disciplinary master too.

    “Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, the rod of discipline will remove it far from him” – King Solomon.

  32. Hi To all Tennis Enthusiasts, we are grateful for
    Roland putting in the effort of teaching for free
    those of us who play tennis will know how much we
    hve to pay for tennis lessons. The birthday dinner was our appreciation for his time and dedication for the love and passion Roland has for the game and still able to do it at his age.
    Make the best of it before he retires. Janet Loo

  33. Yes, Friends

    Treasure every precious moment and worthy friendship.

    Where the heart is, this is where treasures lies.

    I am also grateful to Roland for his coaching to start my tennis game again after more than ten years.

    See you on 2nd and 4th Saturdays.

    Cheers,

  34. Wow ! A table of 12 celebrating a birthday……..must be very grand but why then did you need to whine & wallow in self-pity which you repeated so many times? Probably to elicit even more pity.

    Ya lor, calling that young sweetie yr sister assuages yr feel of unwanted and so out of self-pity you’re telling yrself, in yr own words “…..this pity could be misconstrued for something else..”

    Hahaha, construed as love? Getting old is unstoppable but getting befuddled & stupid, you beat all. Too much of that Kinky Solo-monk’s chants adding more nuts into yr brains ?

  35. Janet,

    Thank you for the kind comments. Only people who have played tennis for some years and have undergone coaching know the cost of tennis lessons.

  36. Of course a table of twelve is so much better than others with ZERO! Ladies who had given “lifts” out of pity don’t mean that they are “chasing after you”. What a way to misconstrue kindness! I hope that you are not possessed by the devil to slam everyone that comes your way. God have mercy on you!

  37. Well, since you’re barking so loudly of yr birday, I’ll be kind to you and read yr eulogy which has a lot to do with zoology. Why? Read on.

    That gal had been calling me day into nite to offer lifts and so I had to accept – yes, out of pity for her. And also out of pity for you too, I threw on yr car seat a $10 bill, and had to run off fast, believing that you wd come after me for more and also knowing what kind of a donkey I was dealing with, having received, unsolicited, a whole load of private emails another sent to you earlier.

    But you saved the best joke for us when you intro that young gal as yr sister………..heeee, we were kind and only laughed behind yr back in line with yr tutelege. Too young for a grandaughter if He has mercy for you.

  38. Dear Teacher and Coach Roland

    1) There is a Chinese saying about deep seated envy and jealousy. Such person will be out to seek attention, to create snares and mischiefs when he/she obviously lacked love, joy, peace and basic needs – all due to own making and unrepentant heart(s).

    He/she is usually suffering from a horrible combination of superior and inferior complexes, and self denial.

    The smarter an alec, the greater the toxins within.

    ????? (one step laughs at one hundred steps) – abridged.

    2) Forgive such person(s) who does not know what mischiefs he/she is up to. Let The Most High handle such mean person(s).

    There is another appropriate idiom :

    ????(yan3 er3 dao4 ling2) – to seal one’s ears and steal a bell (stealing and thinking no one knows)

    Meaning: a) to fool oneself, b) self-deceit

    3) A good tree is known by its fruits : how many students you have taught and impacted their lives and well-beings, that matter.

    You have done so many good, useful, helpful, meaningful and praiseworthy deeds. It is no wonder that a jealous person full of self with nothing to his/her name will feel infuriated, would be out to rob, steal and destroy at every turn.

    And we can see them so clearly.

    4)A wise saying : one good true quality friend is worth a thousand. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

    5) You and I have many quality friends. At such a short notice, you have an excellent dozen to bless you with all sincerity and humility. Let us give thanks with grateful hearts.

    Those who can’t make it(due to other commitments) send their regrets and greetings, and are making up.

    Last Saturday, you had two couples who inspite of heavy downpours at their homes came from afar to share your joy and blessings. We had cool and dry weather at The Tanamera – what great welcoming blessings!

    Indeed, it is no surprise the toxic and obnoxious one(s) would burn with green eyes and out to create harms and mischiefs.

    6) We should be grateful and thankful for our strong, fit and healthy bodies, sound minds and clean spirits. Let us sing Amazing Grace, let it reigns and be alive.

    Let all envy, jealousy and snares cease henceforth. So be it.

    We shall not be bothered by any further snide remarks/behaviours. We have done more than enough to help. Light shall shine forth and darkness must disappear. So be it.

    7) Let us move on and continue with meaningful and glorious paths ahead, leaving all behind. It is done with. So be it.

    Warmest regards with all blessings and shield.

  41. After that big fart from the president wannabe now turned preacher, we must all hv a good laugh, nothing matches an ode for him & his old donkey……….enjoy !

    ” He sees in himself a prodigious talent

    We see in him a lao wang selling pengsan melons

    Strolling with a donkey, both minds unbalanced.

    Remember, how hard he wanted to put a durian on trial?

    Another of his many ra-ra styles

    That tickles you into the biggest of smiles.

    He likes to impress with big words like Serendipity

    Knowing not what it means he sidles up to the donkey

    Hee-haw they hug each other as they wallow in self-pity.

    Then, he preaches Divinity

    But do look more deeply

    For it belies the Devils’ Orgy.

    He wanted to be president

    They told him to play bedminton

    In bed with Bill Clinton.

  42. Hi Janet and players

    Met one American neighbour who is keen to have early morning tennis exercise at 7:30am prior to work.

    Thinking of twice weekly early morning exercise on weekdays with him. Keen, let me know.

  43. Tim,

    “serendipity”? hahaha, he knows not the difference between “lock” and “logged”. “lock on” to the computer??? Even my kindy kids know the difference!

    And that old donkey of his! Blustering so feebly.

    You ask me why I haven’t said much online. When I read such boastful and self righteous bs and quotes on heaven and hell, I want to puke, so I prefer to scroll through and read only what pleases me.I have better things to do than waste my time reading such ‘holier than thou’ or ‘I’m better than thou’ rubbish.

    I also prefer to make a few good friends than to struggle so desperately, to gain popularity with the mass, like some are doing so blatantly.

    You know, Tim, I may have my reservations about you, ;-) but I do enjoy reading your comments, some of which can send me into convulsions with their succinct, satirical remarks.

    Oops before I send some people rushing for their dictionaries, ;-)

    “succinct” – briefly expressed, terse, concise.

    “satire’- the use of ridicule, irony, sarcasm etc, to express folly or vice or to lampoon an individual.

    And if they still don’t understand, then they shouldn’t be using BIG words, just to impress.

    They can go fly a kite, hahaha. Can you imagine a donkey and an idiot actually trying to fly a kite? What a sight that will be!

  45. The so-called “beauty” is in reality not a beauty but a BEAST, full of aggression and hatred and TOTAL UGLINESS hoping to entice men with plunging necklines. In short, it is the DEVIL that is showing itself!

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