Passing of a friend

27th April 2009

Attended the wake of one of our Bucky Group members, Mr Sng Tong Hai. Departed peacefully on the morning of 26 April 2009 at the age of 66.

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We sang the song "What One Man Can Do" to Tong Hai. I didn't video the singing, but here's a clip I got from Youtube. This song was composed by the late John Denver, as a tribute to Buckminster Fuller.

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Here are the lyrics:

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I suppose that there are those

Wholl say he had it easy

Had it made in fact

Before hed even begun

But they dont know the things I know

I was always with him

It may sound strange

We were more than friends

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Its hard to tell the truth

When no one wants to listen

When no one really cares

Whats going on

And its hard to stand alone

When you need someone beside you

Your spirit and your faith

They must be strong

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What one man can do is dream

What one man can do is love

What one man can do is change the world

And make it young again

Here you see what one man can do

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As shaded as his eyes might be

Thats how bright his mind is

Thats how strong his love

For you and me

A friend to all the universe

Grandfather of the future

And everything I would like to be

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What one man can do is dream

What one man can do is love

What one man can do is change the world

And make it young again

Here you see what one man can do

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What one man can do is dream

What one man can do is love

What one man can do is change the world

And make it young again

Here you see what one man can do

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Towards the end of the evening, Tong Hai's daugther and movie producer, Tania Sng,  asked if she can interview me as part of a film she intends to put together about the last part of her father's journey.

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I know Tong Hai first in the Theosophical Society's Singapore Lodge and later at the Bucky Group. I remember I met him once in a bus and he told me he liked to continue learning and upgrading his knowledge, as he would not like to be seen as being "over-the-hill".  And that he did, joining continuous learning group like the Bucky Group and many others.

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The other time I remember is when I met him by chance at a theatre lobby and he told me about his movie "Cages", produced by his daughter Tania.

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Then, as I was taking a sip of water, I realised the bottle says... "Life Goes On".

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Good bye Tong Hai.

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