COPA IBA food fest!

I admit – it’s been a while since I showed my face at Youth. I will make no excuses suffice to say that things will (prayerfully) return to normal after September 29 ;)

Because of this, I made sure that I was at the COPA IBA reunion dinner last week at Cheng-Yi’s place. Oh sure, the food had something to do with it but, most important of all, I wanted to see my boys and girls who, in the months of my absence, seem to be fast becoming young men and women! Slow down! Get shorter! Where did you learn how to dress like that! Why is everyone taller than me???

Who's the OWL? No prizes for guessing!

Johnson, Kuang Ern and some guy in a pink shirt

ANYWAY, I was waiting in church in case any lost souls came by so by the time I got back to Cheng’s place, it was all brightly-lit and overflowing with people and delicious smells from the grilling lamb. It was festive, so warm and I promised myself that I need to start being around more often.

We started off by celebrating the birthday of Chin Wuen who is currently in college. He’s been a part of the Youth since he was in secondary school and because he stays on campus, he hasn’t been around as often. So it was really good to see him again and sing Happy Birthday to him.

Chin Wuen doing justice to the candle

Look at all the pretty M&Ms!

Take a look at the cake (upside down, thanks to our photographer :P)! His mom made it. Certain people could hardly keep their itchy fingers from plucking one (or more!) tempting M&Ms from the cake. I think it was a brownie. A BIG brownie. The only kind of brownie there should be…

Then, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: DINNER! Check out the spread. ::DIES:: Apple salad, kindly tossed by Ashley and aunty Katrina; aunty Liew’s delicious, creamy mash potato baked with a cheese crust; crispy lemon chicken, stroganoff and pasta kindly contributed by honorary TTDIGC YF chef uncle Chiong Shen and aunty Wai Mun; and last but certainly, certainly not least, tender lamb marinated by Xin-Yi and Cheng and grilled to perfection by the willing, ever-helpful hands of uncle Chee Kong.

Imported COPA IBA guys and girls: see if you can name all of them...More imported COPA IBA dudes... and Ms Wong

OK fine I admit I had three helpings but the last was just pasta sauce.. and salad. That’s healthy! Oh wait – you mean the lamb counts? But how could I resist as Xin Yi whisked in bearing a styrofoam plate of the coveted lamb chops! My willpower was overcome eventhough I had already eaten enough to last me the whole of next week so I proceeded to carve everything up nicely – to share! – and downed a few choice pieces of meat. Ahh – the perfect end.

It was really good seeing everyone chatting and talking. My radar even picked up some very suspicious behaviour going on behind my back, literally, but I will not say further in case I incur the wrath of Certain Individuals.

Well – it was a good night. We should have COPA IBA more often if it means having lamb chops after to celebrate!

Here's to COPA IBA 2008! Finals, guys? :D