A quick post on College General Penang Bicentennial Celebration

If you are looking for College General Penang, the website is over here.

It is Divine intervention that I am lucky enough to get a glimpse of this auspicious occasion. I am the luckiest person on earth to be able to participate in this grand event. My church member, Lily who is a lecturer there roped me into to help her but in the end, her schedule to South Africa took her away. But never mind, I am the little engine that says, “I think I can, I think I can”.

The above photo is the cantors and the seminarians (those young men studying to be a priest) having their final rehearsal. When I walked into the hall around 9.15 am after a tiring morning (having been awake at 4 am to cook) , all the tiredness were lifted away by those angelic voices, both male and female cantors. Credit to Andre and gang plus Bro. Greg and gang. Many people later told me how their emotions were choked by those voices. (give yourself a pat on the back, David)

(how many priests do you know?)

I did shed a few tears after communion, thinking of those martyrs, saints, French priests who are aged and in wheelchairs far away from their homeland in France, the energetic, selfless priests who shaped my life now, the young men who leave their comfortable life to study to be a priest and all those who had walked the corridors of this magnificent building, College General.

(a short video of the psalm sung by Bro Kevin (?) and Bro Greg. Pardon the bad quality because I was seated far at the back.)

I asked myself, “What have I done Lord, to deserve this.” Normally, people asked this question when they are in deep troubles. I asked this same question because I feel blessed. If I have not been asked to volunteer in staying-in and preparing their meals, drinks and other comforts, I probably will remain sceptic to these individuals as some holy men who lived a cloistered life and never understand us, the earthlings. Hehehe. But being there, the selected few ladies who are called to help around, I see these great men in a different lights. Their jokes, camaderie and etc.

The above photo is all the Archbishops in their funny hats. 😛 The last one is His Lordship Archbishop Pakiam. Ehem, I have learnt how to acknowledge an archbishop. Your Grace. However, they are all such down-to-earth people and we do not have to feel self-conscious of them.

At the far end, that’s Bishop Anthony with that funny crooked rotan which is the staff used by shepherds to herd their sheep. Funny that we had a whole slaughtered lamb and whole roasted pig for dinner.

Aha, my main duty was to help with the scrambled eggs and I must say it was fun. I seasoned most of the eggs but several ladies helped to do the cooking. Fuyoh, imagine putting dashes of pepper lah, herbs lah etc etc in huge bowls of beaten eggs. I felt like some harried woman in a soup kitchen because there are hundreds of eggs to season. Praise the Lord, everything went so well and our teamwork was fantastic!

(this is not sausage but the best tasting chicken chipolata)

Do you know how many sausages were cooked? 1,150! Those ladies who took care of the beans, sausages, bread and etc were superwomen. I wish I have time to take photos while they were in action but unfortunately, we had to rush breakfast out by 7 am and that’s why we woke up at 4 am.

And squeal! I am going to drive up to College General in another 4 hours time! We initially do not plan to cook this morning (Friday morn) but looking at the French priests and other foreign priests who do not tolerate spicy nasi lemak, I decided to do it at the last minute because there are 60 eggs left. I am taking my two older sons (you know, the chef in the making?) to help as some of the other ladies won’t be able to make it. *prays really hard all will be ok* I am not sleeping yet because my body reeks of onion as I had just cut a whole lot of onions. It is omelette with smoked chicken breasts and some onions. Nite!