2010, Goodbye! 2011, Hello!

Professionally, Year 2010 started off painfully, for me. The Firm disintegrated in the space of days during the early days of 2010. What started of as a disagreement of management style turn into an unfortunate hostile situation between the partners. At the end of the day, Richard Wee Lopez closed & re-emerged as Richard Wee & Yip.

I will not forget the many great conversations I had with Sunil. He was (& still is) in my books a nice chap. Unfortunately, things got in the way and the firm split.

Thank God, Yip joined us earlier in December 2009. He was suppose to be the 4th partner in the then known firm of RWL, but we ended up how we started our legal career; as colleagues. Yip and I were colleagues at David Lingam & Co, when I first started my legal career as a legal assistant. I must say we worked well together then, and still do work together now.

Thank you Yip (if you are reading this) for standing by me, and supporting what I believe was the best (though painful) decision I had to take for the firm.

We have progressed fairly well this year. We grew from 1 clerk in February to 1 para-legal, 2 legal associates & 3 clerks.

We had a very tough time in July to August when we were severely short of staff. A staff left & never returned to office (despite promising to return as part time in August); and another staff was on maternity. Somehow, Yip & I survived; and we now look forward to the new year. Hopefully, RWY will be better in the delivery of our service, as we strive to be one of the top firms in town.

On a personal note, I have found a person whom I feel I can live with for many years to come. It was a surprise that we are together, but I suppose love comes when you least expect. Thanks Ann for always supporting; particularly during those trying and searching times, piecing things together at the new firm.

Also, we moved to a new Home. Its nice! After 'squatting' at my sisters house since 2003, finally, I have a place of my own.

My buddies Soon Seng remains in US & Teh (& Yee Suan) remains in Spore. The other close buddies (CH/YM/TT Hock/Sze Meng/KW) are all over town, and we still meet each other, every now and then. It is great that after almost 20 years, we are still meeting up.

Speaking of 20 years, the St Michael's Institution, SPM 1990 class had our 20 years re-union just a few weeks ago. It was surreal to meet so many old old friends again, since we left school in 1990. Many of them; I have not met since we all walked out of the SPM Exam hall back that year. The PJ Hilton re-union dinner was well received & I suspect we will meet again, sooner rather than later.

At the Bar, I offered myself as a candidate for election & I garnered enough votes to be elected to Bar Council next term. After serving KL Bar since 2005, this will be a new challenge & hopefully, I can effect change at BC. Must say thanks to many close friends in the Bar. Too many to name here; but still; THANK YOU for the support.

Everton. Everton continue to bring its supporters along a roller coaster flight. We go up and down so much; I dont even know what is going to happen in the next few months. We ended strongly last season; but as this piece is written, Everton is just 2 points above relegation. Please lah David Moyes, please change the way you play and exert more strikers in our system.

My family remains intact. My parents have been the super-rock in my live. They have been supportive in my relationship, helps me out at my firm (mum is quasi office manager & dad is our Commissioner for Oath). Without the rock-solid support they gave me (& the firm) I dare say; I may have slipped away in oblivion.

Leen is still working hard in Singapore. I wish I can earn more, so that Leen dont need to work so hard in Singapore. Hardly get to see her nowadays, and I do miss our usual Sunday lunches (when she was still working in KL) where she and I would zoom all over town to makan Yut Kee food/Jalan TAR Chilli Pan Mee/Ismail Briyani at TTDI etc etc. She will always be my dear sister, the sister who always believed that I could do it.

Well, in a few days time, we take a slow step to 2011. I will be 38 years old next year, and as age catches up, I hope I can continue to do whatever I can to make Malaysia a better place for the betterment of my family & friends.

Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011 !