Anna Abisheganaden 1930 - 2011 Happy Mother's Day !

                                    Anna, age 24 years (1954). She was the eldest of 4 sisters and 2
                                                                younger brothers
                        

         My beautiful and beloved Mother, Anna Abisheganaden nee Wen passed away 2 over years ago in 2011, but it still feels like yesterday when we were young and she was the strong minded ,determined, clever and giving mother every child could hope to have. I am blessed that during the 49 years she was my mother when alive, she gave me and my brother much love, discipline and wisdom in study and career options, opportunities to travel far and wide, when we were young. She was for over 40 years with the Ministry of Health, and was the PA Personal Assistant to the Permanent Secretary for Health, and her last boss being Dr. Kwa Soon Bee.

                My Mum and Dad Geoffrey outside the Club Tropicana beside Scotts Road,
                                                                      circa    1973


        I recall making my first International trip to Europe before I turned 12, it was with my father Geoffrey, and it was to London and Greece. There were many regional trips to South East Asia, in the mid 1970s with our  Singapore Swimming Club, of which my brother and I were representing as club swimmers. Later, I was nominated to be the Boys Swimming Captain for the Club.

       My mother followed us through all these memorable trips as chaperon, to Bangkok  in 1975 and 1978, (by road then), Chiangmai, Thailand. We sat through the most bumpy of roads to go into the Golden Triangle Region (I believe it was North Eastern Thailand) and saw the villagers on opium fuelled highs. We sat on elephants and crossed rivers. We flew in 1976 to Manila, Philippines to compete in the Sanya Sammaki Inter Club Series against the Royal Manila Polo Club, went to Penang and competed against the Penang Swimming Club,then called the Ikan Bilis, in 1975. In 1977 we went to Jakarta also to compete.  Those were what I fondly remember as the good old 'Swimming Club Days'. I was the Boys Swim Captain for the 1977 and 1978  for my Swimming Club. A true honour for me.

     One memorable trip was to Bangkok in 1974, our team had to take the coach up by the old road north (no North South HIghway those days), and after something like 16 hours, stopped at Hat Yai at a local hotel to rest for the night. I remember, we had a sumptuous dinner, and we were all in our room playing cards when we heard something like a metal cabinet falling. "Bang, Bang", and then realised that someone was shooting a gun downstairs !   We all huddled in the room before my Mum plucked up the courage to go downstairs to check out what had happened. Apparently some businessman had a tiff with someone and pulled out his gun and let off a few rounds.  The next day, we all all dared to go down and saw the aftermath of the shooting, apparently no one was hurt, but I remember the gunshots very clearly. 


     In 1979, we had our Inter Team (within the Club) competition and I as the Swim Captain 

Mum and I circa 1963. I was 1 year old then.

managed to guide my team the Barracudas to the Championship that year 1979. This was the first InterTeam event which was organised, and I believe is still in competition today, some 34 years on. It was my last year of swimming at the Singapore Swimming Club of which i still am a member, and go there for the occasional lunch, gym or run outside at the East Coast Park.  
   
     Anna, the investor, was really an excellent role model. She kept a tight rein on house finances, dabbled in stocks succesfully, property and was able to help a number of people who were in dire financial straits then.  As a property investor, she was particularly outstanding, and imparted upon me the need for strong fiscal discipline.

My mother being introduced to Prince Philp as head of the Girl Guides, circa 1953,

at the Padang during Queen Elizabeth's first visit to Singapore

      She had many friends outside her medical circle, many top administrators, who are now CEOs, Political Ministers, and experts in their field became her firm friends. She had the common touch and every year, without fail since the early 1980s, our house would be open house for all her family and close friends.

     I remember fondly we had Prof. Chau Sze Ching, and his son Dr. Alex Chau and family visiting us every year. Dr. Teo Hoon Chau (paediatrician) and Dr. Teo (former CEO of Woodbridge) as amongst her closest friends. So every Chrisrmas and Chinese New Year period, since the mid 1980s, we would be hosts to 50 odd people family friends, and business associates.

     Those were the days of my Mum, whom I will remember fondly and with much love. 

     Happy Mother's Day Mum 2013 !!   Much love from your son, Mark.