throw away from the university campus.

On McGill University campus in downtown Montreal, they met and fell in love.”

They frequented the park, strolling along meandering paths, immersed in the beauties of Mother Nature. Especially in autumn, when the breeze was cool and the air was fresh. And the colours of fall were at their magnificent best!

In Old Montreal, they walked on the beautiful cobblestone streets, admiring the old world charms of the classic building facades of the old town. They wandered around colourful Montreal Chinatown, and enjoyed the delicious roasted duck, dim sums and noodles in the restaurants

Expo67, as the 1967 International and Universal Exposition was known, washeld in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 27 Apr to 29 Oct 1967. It was a large international exhibition designed to showcase achievements of nations. They had the good fortune to be at the right place and at the right time.
They visited as many pavilions as they possibly could. Owing to the longqueues and waiting times, it was impossible to visit all the pavilions.

During the summer vacations, both of them went to New York City to take up temporary jobs. Over the weekends, they took the opportunity to explore the Big Apple, as New York City is fondly referred to.They were sighted at the United Nations Headquarters as well as the majestic Empire State Building They walked through the exciting and colourful streets in Times Square.

They attended concerts at Lincoln Centre, and spent long hours at the Museum of History and Science.They took leisurely strolls along the lake at Central Park.

At New York Chinatown, they were greeted by countless old colourful signboards in big Chinese characters. Over there, they feasted on their favourite dim sums, roasted meats and noodles.

To top it all, they took a ferry ride to the imposing Statue of Liberty, where they spent leisurely hours enjoying the cool breeze as well as the beautiful sights.

The visit around 1969 to the site of the World Trade Centre( WTC) in Manhatten turned out to be historically significant due to the fateful event that would take place in 2001.

From a distance, they sighted the World Trade Centre which was then under construction. The twin towers of the World Trade Centre were completed in 1973.

On 11 September 2001, the twin towers of the World Trade Centre were the targets of terrorists. They highjacked two commercial airplanes and crashed them onto the towers. The subsequent explosions in the towers caused massive fires which burned them to the ground, causing the loss of thousands of innocent lives. This is really one of the darkest days in the history of the USA!

Back on campus, they spent long hours in lecture halls and workshops. Researchand assignments were completed in libraries or at home. During semesters, theyworked really hard in their respective chosen fields of studies. But in winter breaks and summer holidays, they enjoyed leisurely activities to the fullest.

How very happy they were then. But that was once upon a time, long long ago. In 1969, in order to reach his goal, the lad moved westward to Winnipeg, to continue his studies at the University of Manitoba. He left behind the lovely lass, alone and afraid. Along came a gallant knight, who won over her heart.Crestfallen, the lad wished them all the best, and whispered “ fare thee well, my fair lady ”. From that moment onwards, they went their separate ways.

In 1973, after graduation from the University of Manitoba, the lad came back east to take up employment at the Singapore Housing and Development Board, where he stayed on to work for 30 years.

At the workplace, he and a lovely maiden met and fell in love. One year on, they tied the knot. And settled down in Singapore, an island paradise in the sun. As days passed by, in quiet moments, the lad’s thoughts would wander off to the lass far far away. In silent prayers, his well wishes always went her way.


50 years have gone by. It is heaven’s will that, through the lad’s primary school webpage, “ Memories of the Way We Were “, the paths of the lass and the lad crossed again.

Tears of joy flowed down her cheeks, while his heart almost skipped a beat. A miracle that, after five decades, from two ends of the world, they managed to make contact. So their lives have come full circle. Now they would share events of their respective lives during the half a century when they were apart..

Coincidentally, the lass and the lad each has a daughter and a son in their respective families. According to the Chinese, this is a good or perfect family. For, in Chinese charactors, (女) daughter merges with (子) son to form the word (好), meaning good or perfect.

A fairy tale this is not. But, as William Shakespeare has written: All’s well that ends well!

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Author: 陈兆弘