i was thrice waved away approaching other tables but a sweet old lady, seeing me with forlorn with a tray in a crowded food court, beckoned me to hers. also, no one has called me mei-mei for many years, balm after a recent spate of wince-inducing ‘aunties minzhis’ — christmas and new year house parties throng perilously with other people’s small children. the losing battle is not mine alone; at the ao1b pre-christmas reunion some of the boys would persuade assorted children to call them kor-kor, but unduped the children turn strange looks on them and say to their parent: “what does that uncle mean?”

(by a chain of events set in motion by celine and julia the 1b-ers rustled up enough of those who were in singapore for a last-minute get-together. for the protection of anyone harbouring parliamentary ambitions i present you with only two utterly respectable group photos (by julia)):