Stories of KK

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.

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

The rod has landed. Life on Saturdays is taking a new turn. KK's latest thing: Fishing. * KK and kids I don’t know if it will last. At the moment the factors are not in place for sustainability. It’s a one-man hobby not a family hobby. Day is not particularly keen. The girls are certainly not, and I have zero interest in fishing. I don't like fish, apart from eating them. But I’ll try my level best to engage the kids as KK does his fishing thing. God knows I love nature, it certainly ranks above malls and museums in my book. How did it go? Once the rod arrived, KK randomly hit a fishing spot somewhere in Singapore. Nothing for a while, as he and Day figured out how to keep the fishing line from tangling, and struggled with other teething problems. They practiced casting, which I’ve figured is how to throw the line out accurately to where you want it to go, and then reel it back in. * Untangling the lines * Practising casting Then the fish started biting. First time we went, I t...

I suggested Bali. KK said, “Huh it’s a terrorist hotspot.” I suppose that rules out the whole of Indonesia. I've tried Philippines in the past, he's ruled that out too. I try to think of a nice, safe, familiar, nearby spot we can venture to for a budget June do. “Penang?” I hazard hopefully. “OK,” he says. I’ve been with the kids at least twice. Both times, KK never went. He’s only been to Penang once, when he was very young. We're there six days, two nights at Georgetown, three at Batu Ferringhi. We flew. Post-trip, I get everyone to write down their fave moments, fave foods and dislikes. KK’s fave spot: Penang Hill. I’ve always liked Penang Hill, and decided to bring everyone back again. The ride up the mountain in the fast funicular, the emergence into air which feels a degree or two cooler than the blistering heat below, the trees, the chill-out vibe. * The funicular I’ve noticed that KK just likes going up, up, up. Every place we go, if there’s a chance to ascend, he g...

It’s still steak. Thanks to blog archives, I realize KK’s obsession with cow meat truly stands  the test of time.  Five years later, he wants to up his steak game, and invests in more steak paraphernalia. The girls very excitedly crowd around me when I came back from rehearsal one day: “Mama, Papa bought a XX which costs $Y!” To which KK cuts in, “No lah it was discounted”. It doesn’t matter, really, he can spend his money however he wants. The reason I softly sigh is because I have to store these things. And I know I won’t use them. What would I do with a sexy chopping board, heavy cast-iron pan which would strain my violin-playing wrist, and why the hell would I want to go through the hassle of carefully pouring olive oil from the glass bottle it already comes in, into another albeit prettier one? I think the impetus was after we ate steak from a rather nice little coffeeshop restaurant out in the Pandan Gardens boondocks, right after trampolining. Part of a HDB block, ...

KK and Day had the time of their lives, because after skiing on Day 1, they decided to sign up for a snowboarding class on Day 2.  The class barely scraped the surface of what they need to know, but after coming down the slopes several times and falling spectacularly, they started having fun. So much fun that even after KK injured his ribs (sneezing became painful and he couldn’t quite carry the luggage), he longed for a couple more days of snowboarding, ribs be damned, so he can become as proficient as some of the guys whizzing past him. (He hopes to go snowboarding again with Day, so that’s great news because it means he’ll be willing to fly again) Skiing and snowboarding are also two of the rare things where I see Day trying hard, again and again, to become better. (doesn’t apply to schoolwork or piano or any of the usual yardsticks of success) * In which KK takes very long to appear, long after Day and Jo, and when he does, falls * In which the trio ski in the dying light of th...

KK doesn’t have to go to Mandai  anymore. That means he has an extra 75 hours a month, a lot more time in which to spend a lot less money. The point is that he’ll get to be home a lot more, and he’ll be with us on Saturdays once again, and even a weekday afternoon or two. Never mind the money. We’ll get by. It’s time to celebrate! In memory of this great occasion, Jo and I do a video of his first weekend post-Mandai. I shoot the videos, send them to her via Whatsapp, and she edits and puts together the entire thing just like what she did the last time.