The day began at 1:30pm, when Nat came pick me up from home. We went to KU Home and put some stuff in the room. The room was big and beautifully decorated. The stage had a computer with karaoke on, but it would have to be removed since we didn't want karaoke tonight. I walked around the empty room, looking at white tables and lonely chairs. Tonight, friends will meet here in this room, after so many years. So many things have happened since we all left Bodin. Tonight, our paths would cross again.
Then Nat and I went to Lotus to buy 48 Singha beers and 12 Bacardi Breezers. Then we came back to KU Home to meet Big Kanokrit and Big Suvinee. Then we started setting up registration table and putting candles and water bowls on dinner tables. I put a blue Bodin shirt and yearbooks on one end of the table. We had some problems with the ice cooler. The water leaked and soaked our front table, leaving blue stains on the white sheet underneath. But all was under control with help of friends.
The evening started slowly. Everybody came late that night, including the musicians. But things worked out okay because most guests came late also.
Then our Treasurer Ae Thanaporn and host Tom Tippawan came and all was
well.
Can Vorragan and Tao Sirawich came to help and we were rolling. The registration papers were laid out on the table and the nametags were prepared. Big suggested the bright idea to cut the sticker in half, more stylish. Most of us followed the suit.
The elevator's bell rang. We turned and then a friend stepped out, that was Yai Nattapol. We were all so happy to see our first guest!
Then more friends came. More smiles. And the party was on! Pueng Vichanat came with a gorgeous vest-and-tie dress, but then he changed into a black silk shirt. I greeted some friends right off the elevator, such as Ton Krissada, and Bomb Sitthichon both of whom I hadn't seen in ages. King Komkrit with Red Bull t-shirt. The staff wanted him to dress in all black, so he could be our Man in Black, the enforcer. Rat Narongrat came early, and helped a lot at the registration table.
I officially kicked off the party with a short welcoming speech. The room
was only about half-full at that time, but we had to start because it's
already past 7pm. I mainly thanked everyone who came, then mentioned the
last reunion that Gift Suparerk hosted at The Dome restaurant, many years
ago. We all hope we will meet like this again and again in the future. I
thanked Kai Kathamas and Ist Issara for their work on bodin23.org
website. Then I introduced our hosts Tom and Nat, who talked just a little
bit before letting friends go get their dinner.
My sister Aim came to help. She knew some of my friends and helped with the money and nametags. Friends were still coming in regularly. There were 2 small elevators that brought people up to the 4th floor. When the elevator opened, those who were nearby turned and looked to see who just arrived. People smiled and laughed when they came out of the lift and saw their old friends. It was a magical scene.
I recognized less friends than I thought I could. But I remembered Joom Joompol, who looked exactly the same. Then a group of girls in black arrived, many of whom I recognized: Nut, Kiak, and Looknam. Issara with a big smile, arrived with his girlfriend Noi. Then I spotted None, coming with Pang Mintra, near the elevator, in the crowd. I was so glad that she came.
Picture time! I went around the room and took pictures of each table. Everyone seemed to be in good spirit and loved to be in the camera. I missed quite a lot of people because friends walked in and out all the time and there were always those who hadn't arrived yet.
We had to skip the first game, "Getting to Know You," because we were already late. We started with two interviews, with Pratch and Khee, both of whom I think are very good choices. Pratch probably had the best dress of the party. Khee has a family and young son. We were all excited.
Then we began our first and only game, the Quiz Show. Staff prepare painted chopsticks to give out as points. 15 tables, 15 teams, 15 questions. Tom and Nat ran the show by asking mostly funny and sometimes tough questions. The rule is simple: the table that answers most questions correctly wins. The game was quite entertaining. People participated and laughed. They cheered when their table got the correct answer and booed when the question is too hard. They also protested in good spirit and got puzzled in some of the answers, especially the question about cafeteria's doors. It seemed like nobody in the room agreed with the answer that there are 7 doors.
It should have been more drama at the end when we were looking for the winner. It was kind of anti-climatic when taking back the chobsticks. But anyway, "Beer's Table" won and received pencils with cute yellow "I Love You" or "True Fan" symbols.
Then we ate and talked some more, absorbing the warm and friendly
atmosphere of the evening. The staff finally decided to pass out the beers
and breezers for free. Perhaps we should have bought more. Some friends
brought along their own whiskey to spice up the evening. I went to
talk to a friend whom I had wanted to talk to all evening. I didn't get
to eat much. I was too excited about seeing friends. I just had a tiny
serving of sweet-and-sour fish and
boiled egg.
Then came the time for the last activitiy. We lit up the candles on the tables and started dimming the lights. We left the light near the stage on. The atmosphere changed. We were near the end of the party. We asked for 15 volunteers, which turned out to be almost all males. There was one female if I remember right - Nine Lertip. Each is given a piece of paper, which is a page from M.3 Bodin Yearbook. Then each of them read to all our friends the message of each classroom. Some are poems, some are words. Then I spoke a bit, thanking everyone again. Then Nat asked for a 1-minute silence to think about the meaning of life and friendship.
In the end, Boat and Go Theerasak helped entertained the party, talking about next year's reunion. Then we had a group photo. Everyone gathered in front of the stage and took a few pictures together. Then came the emotional moment. Friends started leaving the room; some left; some stood and chatted some more outside the room. My Prathom schoolmate, Oom Piyawan came, she didn't change much at all. I got a chance to talk to M Sahataya and Pla Orathai in a now half-empty room. I said goodbye to Ae Thanaporn who was leaving. I thanked Tom for her great job as our co-MC.
After a while, people exchanged goodbyes, and the party was effectively over. I got a bit emotional. Every hello comes with a goodbye. The curtain had closed.
The staff took care of the expenses, paying the musicians and KU Home, reimbursing those who helped advance the money. In the end, we found out that we had some money left. The money will go into the bank account already set up as our class' fund.
This had been a dream of mine for many long years. I finally have a reunion with my Bodin friends. Whenever I think of friends, I think of Bodin, since I never went to a Thai university. I only have a few Prathom friends around. And in the US, it's just not the same. Nothing is like Bodin. The reunion finally happened, and I am happy beyond words.
The magical Saturday night was over. We will remember it for a long, long time. We may have left Bodindecha for many years now. We are no longer in school uniforms. The time we shared at Bodin, the stories we had there, will remain with us. But memories don't have to end there, we can still meet our friends, like we did tonight. No matter how far we are in this world, or how different our paths are in life, as long as we want to meet, we will meet. And we will keep making new chapters of memories together.
This one is for you, friends. Thank you for coming and sharing this special reunion. Until next time, take good care.
Bodin Decha (Bodindecha) (Sing Singhaseni) class of 23 (1995) reunion
last updated: 28-aug-02 (Roppon Picha) back to front page | executive summary
