Bob Leong and I first met almost 20 years ago in Singapore at the Singapore International Furniture Fair where he was Executive Director. Bob was in charge of the whole international event while I participated as a director of the Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines. I was never into furniture manufacturing, but I became an active officer due to my efforts that time in helping promote our country’s exports thru our publications, namely Buyers Guide to Philippine Manufacturers & Exporters, Philippine Products Magazine, Furniture International, and my tv-documentary show the Export Connection.
The CFIP hired Bob as a consultant some 10 years ago to help them successfully launch the Phhilippine International Furniture Exhibit.
Edmund and Bob has played golf together. I remember Bob driving with Edmund to the Malaysian border to play golf.
Bob and his wife are now both retired and spend their time traveling, cruising, and playing with their grandchildren. He has stopped playing golf due to a bad stroke he suffered some 5 years ago. He has fully recovered except he now walks with a limp.
I did not join the rest of the day’s tour and instead, Bob and I had a long lunch on the 4th floor of what used to be a race track. The Chinese seafood restaurant has…. Filipina waitresses and workers.
There’s a big place full of aquariums and huge drums containing different varieties of crabs, clams, lobster, etc. imported from all over the world.
We spent a whole three hours updating each other on events, Corona impeachment, Scarborough Shoal, Singapore government and sex scandals, and on his good-looking half Chinese-half British grandchildren.
Bob said many Singaporeans are unhappy with the rapid jump in their population. Ten years ago, there were 2 Million residents, now there are 5 million. They complain of traffic, too many people, crowded trains, increase in the price of basic commodities, tax increases, etc. New businesses are owned by Chinese, and other nationalities. Some of the complaints are there are now too many young Chinese prostitutes luring Singaporeans.
In fact there are 48 Singaporean men including some government officials involved in a sex scandal- they had sex with a 16 year old prostitute. One of the guys has quit his government post.
Real estate in Singapore has sky rocketed. Bob’s house he bought for S$250k is now worth S$2M.
Singapore’s pride, pepper crab, the crab is imported from the Philippines, cooked by a Singaporean, served by Filipinos, eaten by me.
According to Bob, this Crab with egg yolk is the new thing in Singapore. It’s delicious. I actually cooked one this morning for our brunch.
Bob dropped me off at the hotel immediately after lunch. I was nervous riding on his car because for one, I am not used to riding in small, bantam cars, two, he just had a cornea transplant. Bob is celebrating his 79th birthday on June 15 and looks forward to having a grand 80th birthday party next year. He said all his best friends have already died but he still thinks he’ll reach his 80th birthday and beyond.
