My surprise

I had a spontaneous and most pleasant surprise yesterday: my fellow coaches and the participants of the Student leadership workshop for sixth formers at Penang Free School presented a birthday cake to me. I was so moved by them.

What happened was that in late August or early September, Lean Kang had suggested that we should hold this workshop on the 23rd and 24th of September. However, I had told him that I was going to use the 24th for my OFA Centenary chess tournament and in the school hall too. There was no way that the tournament could be moved as The Old Frees' Association had proposed this date to the school and the headmaster had agreed to it. 

Lean Kang had to find some other dates and after consulting the school, decided on the 4th and 5th of November. What, the fifth of November? I hadn't the heart to tell him "No" again, given the school also had a difficult time with their scheduling. Thus, I accepted that I would have to sacrifice my birthday this year so that the workshop could go on. 

So the birthday cake was a very pleasant surprise indeed. More so, when the venue happened to be Penang Free School itself. I couldn't be happier.