Bar-B-Q Dinner by the sea, Bintan Style!

All the official Town Councillors and staff of the Aljunied TC including the Chairman Cynthia Phua, had been working very hard throughout the day...almost right to Dinner time. So it was really good planning on the part of the organisers to have the night's dinner right on the beach at the sea front. Better still, it was to be a Bar B Q done by the resort's staff. The tables were laid out in style, with buntings fluttering in the night wind and lighted oil lamps around us.

Everyone soon settled down and dinner was a buffet spread of sea food and the stuff they grilled for us over the Bar B Q . There was a sound system playing loud unimaginable noises ( not music as far as unk Dicko is concerned. This is by the sea man! Music selections should be in sync with our sea setting. Right? Perhaps, some Hawaiian or calypso music would be the better choice.)

Did I say or think too fast?

Not too long after we started on our dinner, I heard my name being announced like this," And now we have the pleasure of inviting unk Dicko, from the Serangoon Gardens group,to entertain us with his baby Ukulele! " Alamak! Instead of relaxing, as I did in the day, now I had to sing for my supper! No choice, as I found the mic being thrusted into my hand. Huh, never mind I thought. At least I can now get the gibberish noises turned off. That's the 1st thing I did. The stillness was magic. I took the Mic and "entertained" the diners with some funny comments...that set the mood for what was to follow. I warmed all up with some catchy numbers.( Thanks Claire for holding the Mic for me! )

Since there were discernible groups of people sitting at different tables, I proposed that I will approach each table and they could request any song they like to sing. But first, I called out for Texan to join me as I knew he would be able to handle some of the Mandarin or Hokkien numbers...just in case! ( unk Dicko very smart huh?There were several such requests! I call this 'good forethought'.)

I went from table to table just like the "lang ting tang" man of days gone by, accompanied by my ever dependable faithful crooner, Texan.

He sang, I played.

I strummed, he sang.

Then we all joined in the merry singing with ever popular songs and all those favourites of yesteryears.

The Bar B Q resort staff, who had been serving us so well and splendidly, were enjoying the music by the sidelines too.

I decided to do a special number for them...Bengawan Solo, playing the ukulele in the kerocong style. I could see they were very happy as I dedicated the song to them. So, they too joined in the singing! What fun we had by the sea, under the stars of the night sky!