CIC Family Day 2008

JOHOR BAHRU: Daniel Liew reporting live from Skudai. The hottest event in Johor Bahru was reportedly happening in the Church of Immaculate Conception in downtown Johor Bahru.

CIC Family Day 2008! Held to celebrate three important events, firstly our nation’s 51st Merdeka, secondly to bring families closer and third to celebrate Fr Paul Wong’s ordination as a priest (four years old).

The century old church (built in 1883) started the Family Day tradition a few years ago. Ever since, this tradition has been able to bring families of different speaking groups closer and closer. The Bahasa, English, Mandarin and Tamil groups worked together to make this event a success.

Parishioners started flocking the church compound when all the stalls started operating in the morning. By 10 o’clock, the crowd was just as big as the one shown in the below picture.

Rev. Fr. Michael Mannayagam, our Parish Priest, officiated the Family Day right after the Mass ended at 1130 o’clock. Our national anthem - Negaraku, was sang with all our might.

Right after the opening ceremony (no pictures to show), the organizer invited Fr Paul Wong, our assistant Parish Priest to come forward to celebrate his fourth year as a priest. He’s a very young priest, a priest whom kids, teenagers and adults find easy to get along with.

Out of a sudden, the weather man was playing trick on us. Rain started pouring. Nevertheless, the rain did not dampen the mood of the parishioners. Activities and performances still went on as if the rain was invisible.

Children, pure in the sense that their thoughts are not yet complicated by adult life, hold the Jalur Gemilang with great pride! They hold the flag because this is the country they were born and will continue to prosper it. To them, Malaysia is a country which belongs to all of us and not of a single race.

If you like poems, I would like to refer you to read Arthur’s To know Malaysia is to love Malaysia….

The crowd were also entertained with traditional dances despite the gloomy weather. The music just ligthened everyone’s heart. Seriously I enjoyed the dances from Indonesia and Sabah.

At the end of the day, there were prizes given to the best decorated store. If you wonder how a beautiful stall looks like, here you go! You need to have big visible signboard, beautifully laced table, and flowers to freshen people up.

But seek first the kingdom (of God) and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides.
Matthew 6:33

I hope you won’t be disappointed because you are not getting the chance to see my face in this post. The reason I am reluctant to appear in photographs nowadays is mainly due to the fact that I am getting rounder and rounder each day. Wait for me to slim down to the usual figure, give me two weeks!

This is a very nice shirt which I initially thought of giving it to one of my friend who likes white colour a lot, I noticed that most of his shirts are white. But then, I can’t find any reason to give him so I decided to keep for myself. Lol! This will be my very own birthday present.

That’s all from Daniel Liew, a very short report on the CIC Family Day 2008. God bless!