Eulogy for a Friend

 

Outside Han's Pop Up shop at East Coast Parkway (2017)

Our time on this Earth is short, so it is with a heavy heart that I write this much belated eulogy for a friend of mine, a Belgian who restarted his second life in Singapore in 2000, became a Singapore PR and rebuilt his business from scratch. 

Hans Brys. 1968 - 2020 ( 12th July)

I only knew him for about 6 short years, when he was introduced to me by my good friend Fang Kim Soon. Hans was bald, and he rebuilt his life and married his then girlfriend Marilyn and had a lovely daughter.  At the time, 2014, we both had small businesses, I had a food supplement company called VivaFresh and he had his company called Branchly. We discussed about cooperating in business opportunities going forward then. Sadly, both our respective companies have since been wound down. 

As far as I knew Hans, his business in Singapore from 2010 till the day he left Singapore in 2019 was difficult. He was hardworking, an excellent father, and the last venture he tried was in food imports and pasta.

Pasta 101 at Chevron House Basement

He had some success with his pop up store at East Coast. This lasted about 3 months then, he moved his shop to the basement of Chevron House next to Ocean Financial Center. Pasta 101 as he called it was doing pretty OK for at least close to 1 year (2015 till end 2016). A dispute with the landlord led him to not extend the lease contract after it ended. 

Me, Fang Kim Soon and Hans at Il Fiore 

He tried his hand at many things food related, and encountered much roadblocks at each turn. True to his spirit, he never gave up. He was a chef with Emmanuel Stroobant's restaurants and was intent to make a comeback of his life. 

In mid 2019, he told me he was stricken with lung cancer. I was shocked and sad to see that happen to a person who had so much zest for his life, his family, and his work. he went to the US for some further checks and then remained in Belgium living out his last year until his passing on 12 July 2020 - right in the midst of the raging COVID pandemic. 

Hans,  after almost 1 year since your passing, I am penning this belated eulogy to you.

You were a good friend, and I miss the frank talks we had over coffee and beer all those  years not so long ago.

Till the next time, wherever, whenever.