-----Original Message-----
From: Ong Hua Meng [mailto:onghuameng@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, 19 October, 2001 2:36 PM
To: nwatch_usj16; nw12; nw17; Robert E Chan(NW23); Yee Foon Kong
Subject: Fwd: [nwatch_usj18] Re: D2D Visit
A good account of NW experience to a NW member
-- FonZie <fonzie@usj.com.my>
wrote:
To:
nwatch_usj18@yahoogroups.com
From: "FonZie" <fonzie@usj.com.my>
Date: Fri, 19 Oct 2001 05:55:53 -0000
Reply-to:
nwatch_usj18@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [nwatch_usj18] Re: D2D Visit
Dear Good Neighbours of USJ18,
I have stayed in USJ18 for about 3-5 years now. I can still
remember my first exposure to community service when we, residents,
were "hit" by MPSJ's "upgrading our tax status" via the assessment
tax for USJ18. That's where and when I met Raymond, Bankeat, Jeff
Ooi and a few other people...
I was struck by the commitment and friendliness (if I may add
"ordinariness") shown by these people in that first meeting on a
Sunday at the place now occupied by Sri Melor restaurant. They were
just ordinary folks like you and me.
Later when Raymond started the Neighbourhood Watch project, at my
wife's urging, I decided to participate. I can still remember the
first meeting held at Mrs Liam's house. It slowly dawns on me that
OUR neighbourhood was on to something BIG and BENEFICIAL.
I remembered very well, our first pot-luck event to commemorate
the launch of the NW project. It was held right beside my house and
it was the start of some history setting events for OUR
neighbourhood.
It was raining prior before the start of the event. I thought for
the worst, attendance-wise. However, on the appointed hour the rain
stopped (a good omen), and just like a Steven Speilberg movie or an
X-File episode, I saw neighbours slowly emerged from their houses
and gathered at the venue. From my vantage point, I could see groups
of people - young and old, people of all races - emerging from the
slightly darkened and damp streets and grouped at the junction in
front of my house. The crowd became bigger and bigger. It was an
eerie feeling, but also a very satisfying and proud one. This memory
would forever remains in me and strike an emotional chord in me, as
well. That's when I coined the words "OUR neighbourhood is somehow
blessed by our kind friend up there" and it has remains true on ALL
the subsequent social events the NW committee has held -
weather-wise.
To coin another word from Raymond, this "bugger has been driving
up and down" to join his patrol mates (Aru, Syed, Tee, Dean - take a
bow!) to do their community service ever since its inception - rain
or shine, except for the Y2K event and when medically "sidelined"
which only occurred once, God willing remains so ;)-
I now have MORE FRIENDS and NEIGHBOURS (too many to list down)
and through OUR friendship, I have come to value community services
as my "calling from our friend up there" and God willing, would
forever remains so.
Rgds,
FonZie