Posted by Jun

After the chalet in Dec'03 I would always call him 'Shifu' when I see him...
He was the only one among my friends who was willing to teach me to play mahjong... I was always rejected when I asked my other friends to teach me, I can understand that who would want to gif up their time & seat to teach u... They will always tell me to jus stand behind & watch & learn... that day in the chalet was exactly the same scenario... But then he jus said "How to learn Mahjong when ur hands are not touching the tiles at all?" He, then, just stood up & offered me his seat... at that point of time... Till now... I was so grateful... He taught me patiently, about the rules, the type of tiles, how to win & how to observe ur opponents etc... Though the time seemed short, but he managed to teach me all the fundamental of the game... And Then, I started to CHALLENGE him… That's why he will always say I "bei4 pan4 shi1 men2"... I must say, I am not a good disciple b’cos I always forgot the rules & anyhow eat & pong & take extra tiles &... I asked for revision lesson... And he just left...

I forgot the time, but think is around noon... while Val started a MSN conversation with me asking for his Home no... I didn't suspect a thing, just maybe she had something urgent to look for him... then halfway through the talk, Val suddenly break the news to me... I thought it was a joke then I called her, her tone sound serious.. I dun believe her... I msged Desmond... Then Kim Hau called... Then Ann msged me... I called Ann to confirm again... I still don't believe them, At All... I waited, till I heard the news trough the radio, 17:35, then his relative, using his Hp, called me, 17:35:50. The flash of “Ivan Calling” really shocked me… I was still hoping that when I answered the call Ivan would tell me that it was a prank… but no… I was informed, formally… I broke down… so lost, the feeling I would say…

Ivan, I prepared some jokes and qian4 bian3 wen4 da2 ti2 for u, waiting to meet u one day & tell u… I told them all in ur wake… Is not nice to tell jokes there, but I jus hope that u could hear them all… U left too abruptly… That time we visit the KTV was actually the 1st time I held mike to sing and the last time I saw u & qi1 li3 xiang1 was the song I tried to sing with u… jus wan to say that u r really soft & monotone… And that time I was thinking if next time we go for singing, I would delicate that song before u did and dun let u sing… U made me feel that life is really so fragile, wat are u really thinking at that time? For each outing, I always feel that u left without informing (or to me only), halt a cab & left the group… If that is ur character, u can jus tell us, no need to prove to us… All ur friends can’t take it… U know…

I believe in spirits, so that day for the very accurate timing I heard the news and ur relative used ur Hp to call me to make me scare was actually the last joke u made to me… And for Thursday, I met Ziyin in that Long train, without arrangement, later meeting with Desmond & Jiun Hoe was actually all ur arrangement… I believe… As u already have the power to know that I was actually timid. U scared me and later arranged friends to accompany me to make up for the joke u played on me… I believe… And I thank you for wat u did, ur friendship, ur guidance, ur jokes and ur everything… I really hope that u will be peaceful & happy in the world u are in now… Rest assured (this is jus wat i can say now), u left enough things to make ur friend to remember u… Esp the mahjong u left me & many other memories…

Thanks Shifu…

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Posted by Jun to In Memory Of Ivan at 7/05/2005 02:42:58 PM

I have been thinking all night after attending his wake.I am really sad to say that he has left us....Ivan was my platoon mate during BMT and he was such a jovial person.The once "Leopard 2's William Hung" who has brought the crowd in Platoon 2 fun and laughters will definitely be deeply remembered by many of us.Rest in peace pal and thank you for everything that you have done for us.Hooha...

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Posted by The man with the broken smile to In Memory Of Ivan at 7/04/2005 09:02:26 AM

Latest News

Anonymous said...

Our late friend's altar will be placed at:

Liew Lee Ceremonial Services
Add: No. 53 Lorong 4 Geylang Singapore 399294
Tel: 68482083
Duration: From now till the 16th August 2005

After which it will be moved permanently to:

Mandai Columbarium (check street directory for address)
Blk E, Floor 2, Rm E203, No. 529

Pls pass this ard

Poh Guan

From Fiza GESS 4D

hi zi xuan its me... i don't think i knew ivan well enough to post a whole entry on him. but i have some things to say...

it hurts to speak of a fellow schoolmate, no matter how little i knew of you, in the past tense. we barely spoke to each other but i do remember you attending some track sessions, seeing you clowning with your class boys...

it is odd to realize you're not with us anymore.

what little i knew of you, i still think life dealt us all a cruel blow to take away a life as suddenly and abruptly as it did yours. a life so full of potential, which brought so much joy to so many.

rest in peace, ivan. God bless.

poh guan, gess ncc intake 98

A tribute to Ivan Ong Peng Ghee

i have no idea how to start this. to be perfectly honest, i have yet to find a way to deal with the loss of a dear friend. it came so suddenly, one moment hes standing tall, the next moment he lays lifeless. god really has an unsubtle way of displaying its wrath. 2 deaths in the last 3 months, pieces of my life are slowly drifting away, dissipating into the oblivion.

i have known him for almost 8 years now. we were classmates for 4 years in secondary school, been thru thick and thin together for 4 years in ncc. the first time i met tt bugger i was 1.4m? and he was overgrown for a sec 1 kid, with tt uncanny resemblances to lao fu zi, and tt kampong style and accent. he had always been the clown, the one doing ridiculously dumb stunts for our entertainment.

i was nv exceptionally close to him on a day to day basis, but we always shared tt special connection being platoonmates in NCC, which meant more than anything else from my sec sch experience, the brotherhood tt lasts for life. we put up with sadistic punishments, struggled to endure the augmenting overwhelming burden of our bodies on our arms, relentlessly fought against the urge to fidget, went on countless attempts to become the man of steel, all for the guy standing next to us. the concept of brotherhood has been drilled so deep down the stems tt everytime we felt like giving up, we tot of the others in the platoon, every other guy getting the same shit we are getting, every other guy who will get it worse when we give up, tt brotherhood empowered us with sth way beyond mere determination, but a combination will, selflessness, care and pride.

we are all proud to be part of gess ncc, being the best unit in singapore, an achievement not credited to a single person, but all in the unit; the pride not of being the best, but being part of the best. together we make up gess ncc intake 98, together we made memories, together we forged brotherhood, together we lived through a phase of our lives we will nv have a chance to go thru again.

the first trg which i literally cracked my head and got everyone laughing, the first annual sadist camp in school which we ended up taking weird pills tt made us pee red piss, the first combined part a camp where we first got disgusted by the ncc girls, the first canoeing expedition to seletar island where we were encircled by tons of crows, slpt on the haunting tales of hantu tek tek, and peed in view of the full moon by the beach into the waves, the first overseas expedition to pahang where he had a leech stuck to his tummy for hours, the first annual camp we ran which we snuck out for peanut porridge in the morning, the first intake 98 chalet after graduation where the whole gang watched porn while i served them freshly cooked otaks, he was part of all these memories and he will forever take a part in them.

we drifted further and further apart after sec sch, he went to yjc and i went to nyp. apart from occasional visits to gess, basketball sessions, and the yearly visit to rong tong's altar, we hardly met. and when he got enlisted it became even harder for us to meet, i cant even recall the last time i met him. i havent seen him in ages, and now i will nv have a chance to ever again. i regret not having a chance to see him, i regret my constant procrastination of organising a much-talked-about intake 98 chalet, i regret not being able to see him, laugh at his hilarious countenance, and mindlessly spar with his wushu.

however subtle was the part he played in my life, it was an important part. the connection between intake 98 is nth anything else in life can ever replace. and even tho our late brother will no longer be here with us, our special connection with him will last as long as we live, the brotherhood will nv fade, he will always be near, in place ever so dear to every single one of us, in our memory that will forever take a part of our lives and be drilled deep into our hearts.

Ivan Ong Peng Ghee, GESS NCC INTAKE 98, 1985-2005, our beloved brother.

http://www.mindef.gov.sg/imindef/news_and_events/nr/2005/jun/29jun05_nr.html

Sunday Morning

Our dearest friend will be having a full Military funeral at Mandai on Sunday. Please pay him a visit by this sunday morning before he departs. May he serve God in peace and may all of you treasure the people around you.

Hock Bao said...

Hock Bao said...

I was @ the start of my JC life journey when i met this 'Lao Fu Zi' lookalike in my class.Ivan was the one who dragged my unwilling body to the legendary Lion Den and made me a member of Wushu Club.@ that point of time,i cursed myself for joining a club that requires long tedious hours of training as i wanted to slack.Now,looking back,i realised i dont regret joining Wushu after all.

I still remember every wednesday trainings where i would usually be idling around talking nonsense while he would oredi be wielding his spear or performing stunts.@ nighttime he would volunteer to go LongKun for extra training while i'll be rushing to catch the fastest train back home.Thus explains for why hes always dozing off during thurday morning lessons.

Nearing exams,its not uncommon to see Ivan mugging on his notes after school @ the study corner or library or benches either alone or with a few friends.Its not surprising to know that he scored well for them as well.

He is always so enthusiastic on outings that if u jio ivan along,he never fails to turn up.And hes usually the joker of the crowd,amusing others with his lame Jacky Wu's jokes which often creates a crow flying above our heads.

Last Sunday(26/6),we just met during a class gathering.I didnt intend to go at first since i thought it would be a boring event,but im glad i went.It was an enjoyable night and we all had fun.We even promised to go clubbing together next time.

I still can recall Wednesday,the day when my camp was receiving a VIP and we were busy until eveningtime.By then,i was groggy and shagged out.Then i looked @ my phone and noticed 70+ missed calls.When i found out whats going on,i cried.The person who had carved a deep impression on my life had passed away.But i still carried the glimpse of hope that its a stupid joke until i attended his funeral.I didnt cry then.I was in a state of half shock and depressed.

There wont be another next time for us to do anything together again.I miss ya alot,Ivan.But hope u find peace in the other world.

Thanks for being such a bud'.

10:00 AM

Posted by Desmond Lim

Ivan had been my study khaki during my 2 yrs in JC. We studied together at the libary, at the bench next to the pond, bench outside the lib, study corner, burger king, airport, woodlands libary. He's very confidence in his math, thus will always guide me along. Very hardworking and full of fighting spirit! I think giving up is never in his mind! He's very cheerful also, never stops to let his wu ya fei guo and do all sorts of nonesense. Still remember his M&Ms trick and when the choc drops on the floor, he will make sure he swollows it. Basically is he eats everything... He will order so much food without thinking and make sure he finished it. When we goes to KTV, he will sing his fav Ah niu songs and Jay's raps.
......
So going to Miss u... like crazy...
If u r with God, ask him the qns u always wanted k... I'm sure heaven is better than u had expected right? : )
Thank God, we still met on Sunday night, still remember u r bbqing the food and enjoying yourselves.
I will see what I can do k...
Rest in Peace.

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Posted by Desmond Lim to In Memory Of Ivan at 7/02/2005 12:11:55 AM

Extracted From Xiong's Blog

Extracted From Xiong's Blog

I'll say a lil' prayer for you.

When I was still a happy-go-lucky JC boy who played football all day long, chit-chat with the Farmers during Geography lectures and go on ‘fishing trips’ with Zak while Mr.Leong was explaining all the theories in Economics, I knew a chap called Ivan.

Ivan was from Wushu and you could always see him wielding Chinese swords outside Lecture Theatre One. Behind those dark framed spectacles, you almost thought Bruce Lee was resurrected.

And with half a year to go before the A-Levels, the Farmers and I met up every weekend nights and slogged till the next morning at Changi Airport’s Starbucks. And there was a familiar fellow Yjcian studying alone at one table too!
We met, we introduced and we became friends.
Everytime when my clique and I were to be studying at the airport, Ivan would be there without fail.
He was a quiet chap but in between those frequent short breaks for trash talking and supper, Ivan would shed away his ‘quiet’ mode and emerged a real joke-machine. He was so full of hilarious antics it made us laughed all the way home.
And when it was time to go home, we would take the train back. He stopped at BoonKeng and I was just 2 stops away. On the way we would talked about the impending A-Levels and our future.
We would always be saying things like, “Eh! A-levels coming liao! Scared a not?’, ‘So how’s preparations?’. “Which Uni you wanna go?’.

After graduation, we had not met. Ivan went to SISPEC and emerged as a Sergeant with dear Zak as fellow instructors at Delta Coy. Zak would mentioned to me about Ivan and his banters which made me laugh a lot. I would always thought of messaging him just to say, “Hi! How have you been?” but I always did not. Telling myself next time would be better. And that drags on for so long, till now I have not messaged him.


But I won’t have the chance anymore.
We won’t be talking anymore.
And I can’t laugh at his witty antics anymore.


For 3SG Ivan Ong has left us as 1SG Ivan Ong.
He collapsed during a run this morning at Tekong and will never recover.

Tonight, I'll say a lil' prayer for you.

Extracted From Kevin's Blog

Extracted From Kevin's Blog

Thursday, June 30, 2005

tribute..kudos awesome friend =) ivan ong.. one bruce lee look and act alike.. one of the back of the class mischievious grp.. one of the six of us that called outselves the olss during the Os.. really fun and lively guy... although we were same class for 2 yrs only. the whole grp of us had a hell lots of fun at the back of the class.. brithday pranks, stripping madness.. plain crazy talks... it was fun... but yesterday, i received news out of the blue... ivan collapsed while servicing army and was pronounced dead moments later.. ive never tot such things would happen to anyone close to me... i havent contacted him or met up with him for the past few yrs after i left for states.. well.. wherever he is now, i hope his in a much better place. will miss ya.. kudos for being a good friend of mine

Wake

Our Dearest Ivan's Wake will be on till sunday 12pm.
The address is Block 5 Boon Keng Road... its a stone throw distance from Boon Keng MRT, Approximately 200m

To Post

Dear Friends, If you want to post on this blog, please click comments and type your name and email.

This Blog is created for Ivan's Friends to post their messages of love for him. Especially for his friends who are overseas.

In Memory

Extracted from Mister-I-Mare's Blog on 29 June 2005

This is to my good friend Ivan, who passed away this morning:
If you can read this, this goes to you. I adore you as a friend, in fact i'm so fortunate to have you have a friend, I'll do anything not to let you go. But nothing is predictable, life is so fragile, I should feel happy for you, cos you are serving God now. But i just can't help myself... Here i am trying to calm my female friends down, but deep down inside i feel very troubled. This happened too soon, without warning. And i know I'll tear when i attend the service, I cannot hold back, so please do not blame me.

:(

I had a great shock 20 mins ago when the name IVAN GESS appeared on my phone, In fact i was happy cos i thought he called me to say hi. "hi is this zixuan?" This don't sound like ivan... "I'm ivan's brother" He spoke softly... "Yes?" I replied. "Ivan passed away this morning..." I just got so shocked, that i gave a loud "Huh? What!!!" in the office. I just cannot believe it! My good friend, my schoolmate! I used to disturb him and he used to tease me. He is part of my secondary school life and now he's not here anymore. How can that be happening. I knew he wasn't joking but i just dont have the courage to ask what happened. "Oh... okay" My mind was in a total vortex... in twilight zone perhaps. "the service is at Boo..." "hold on i get paper and pen" "Okay where is it again?" My mouth reacted calmly but my hands were trembling. "Boon Keng Road, block 5" "Ok thanks" "its the day after" day after? Day after is my NDP rehearsal, its near impossible to visit him on that day... After that i called everyone from GESS on my phone list... I managed to contact a few... Oh no... Angela is crying her hearts out, I'm not sure what to say to her too... Words just blurted out of no where, not sure whether it'll work... The more i try to calm her down, the more troubled i became.

:(

I called my OC immediately to apply for a last minute leave tomorrow and friday... but he only allowed friday cos there's training tomorrow. Then i called my mom to help me prepare a bouquet of flowers for my dear friend... Hate this kind of feeling... its just too sudden...

:(

Still can picture the days when we study for O levels at Red Hill Mcdonalds... and in JC... used to tease him with this girl... I still want to tease him! He did so well for his A's! What the heck, he got a bright future! He is intellectual and easy going. Perhaps thats why God chose him to serve him early. But i still hope God don't choose him so soon...

:(

To Ivan my dear friend... I'll remember you always...