Skip to main content

Try, try again

The other day KK’s sister says to him: Why do you keep taking all these exams if you keep failing?

Because he still is, failing. New sorts of exams.

KK says, just take lor. Sooner or later I’ll pass.

And he does. Then it strikes me that no one really knows how many times you’ve tried. You could have failed 10 times but once you get it, you put it up on your resume and it’s there, another light for your professional Christmas tree, for life. 

It’s something new to me, I who won’t do anything if I think I’ll fail. I never gather any baubles for my professional Christmas tree. I hope KK’s attitude is one which will rub off on the kids. He never talks about it, but you know, he's their role-model and all.

The other day we splurge on a nice meal at Etna Italian Restaurant (its the sort of place where waiters come up to you to recite the menu) because KK has gotten new lights.

After failing once and a lot of grief, he’s finally become a Qualified Erosion Control Professional. Which means that he is qualified to, er, recommend measures to prevent erosion at work sites.

And after failing once, he’s passed an exam to join the UK-based Institution of Structural Engineers, which allows him to design structures in all Commonwealth countries. (I asked him, for what if you have no intention of going overseas? He says, greater recognition mah)

For the record, our Etna meal because we won't be splashing out like this again for a long time.

IMG_5598
* Clams. KK's favourite

IMG_5601
* Mushroom risotto

IMG_5600
* Truffle pizza which none of the kids liked but I loved

IMG_5602
* Lobster ("freshly flown in this morning" says the waiter) pasta and Er Loh, Professional Engineer (geotechnical), QECP, Chartered member of the Institution of Structural Engineers
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Celebrating KK's life

This blog is dedicated to Loh Kar Kheng, known to his friends as KK or Kheng. He died unexpectedly on Thursday, 21st October 2021, in an accident.  He was a Professional Engineer who loved his job, an inspiring coach and mentor, a passionate and gifted sportsman, a leader, a biker, a dedicated father. In the years from 2004 to 2017, I maintained a family blog.  These extracts celebrate his life. They capture his resilience and drive, overcoming the odds, to become a top-notch engineer (he just won a BCA award 3 weeks before he died, for his work on the new State courts - stories   here  and   here ), his sporting passions and his love for his children. The blog goes hand-in-hand with a memorial page here . If you have a story about what he said, what he did, if he inspired you or what you remember of him, do leave it there. It would mean a lot to us. Thank you so much. Love, KK's family
2 comments
Read more

The conclusion?

Finally, today, 16 months after his death, I receive the police investigation report and Coroner's Certificate for KK's death in my inbox. Apart from a few small things, this would be the last chapter in the book of things I have to settle. The findings do not tell me anything. I have bolded the main conclusion. Extracts from it: Further investigations revealed that around 11.00 a.m. on 21 October 2021, Mr Loh had texted his friend inviting him to go for a kite surfing session together.  Later that afternoon, at about 1.30 p.m., they met up at the west side of Bedok jetty beach front and prepared their equipment. They had set off separately, with Mr Loh's friend starting his kite surf first, followed shortly after by Mr Loh on his hydrofoil board. That was the last time the friend saw Mr Loh.  As they were surfing separately, the friend had assumed that Mr Loh decided to surf far down west and did not take further notice of him. At the material time, there were also other f
Post a Comment
Read more

Steak dinners

A month passes. We are doing fine. The kids will forever associate KK with steak dinners, on Sunday nights. Day takes over. He tosses the steaks into KK's beloved cast-iron pan, bastes it furiously with butter. Fries up some mushroom sauce, the way his Papa used to. Its either too rare, or slightly over. "Can you buy good steaks which are of even thickness? I can't cook it evenly if its thin one side and thick the other," Day scolds. We have dinner with KK. The kids giggle. They usually end off with Don Don Donki-quality sweet potatoes in the oven toaster. I'll get those potatoes next time.
Post a Comment
Read more