The Star actually picked up bits of my speech! Click on the title to read the article written by their journalist Lisa.
I'm just happy that mom and dad were happy with my speech. I was so surprised that Dad was so moved - when it was over, he hugged and kissed me! Very unusual behaviour for that strong silent Chinaman - think the last time he did that was at my wedding!
Here's me kissing mom after my speech, when my brother Mike wheeled her onto the stage.
Mom is actually still kinda dazed. The whole event was quite overwhelming for her, and of course my speech took her by surprise. From the stage, I saw her smiling and laughing at the funny bits, and then I saw Dad reach out and hold her shoulder during the emotional part when I spoke about my brother Kenny. I warned my niece Mellissa to standby with tissues for her - but she didn't cry.
Neither did I!
Now that was an achievement! And that was my biggest worry - how to be authentic and moving without turning it into a weepy wailing spectacle that would embarass the organisers. I'm glad I managed. My voice did break, and I was close to it, but managed to focus. Phew, I'm glad it's over, and I'm glad I gave it my all. I thank God for giving me the courage and divine guidance, and Sonny for being such a steady rock by my side.
Here are the five wonder-moms, from left : Datuk Dayang Fatimah Tom Abang Saufi, Prof Datuk Dr Sharifah Hapsah Syed Hassan Shabudin, Tan Sri Siti Norma Yaakob and Puan Zahrah Bidin.
And here Mom, Sonny and I are being greeted by Nik Surina, Avon's Head of PR and En Wan Mansoor, the MD. Pity Dad was parking the car and missed the photo opportunity.
I must say Avon did a really classy job with the whole event. As a finishing touch, Nik came over today (abt two weeks after the event) to personally give us a framed photo and photo album. Very, very nice touch. It's the kind of gesture that I always think of but never get round to doing. They've got style.
Shine, the training we designed for the 4As is now in its sixth round - we must be doing something right! To read more about Shine, click on the title, and it'll link you to an article in ADOI magazine.
