Mrs. Catherine Dunlap

Mrs. Catherine Dunlap is now in her eighties. I was very happy when she and her husband were able to visit me in December 1991. Worried that they might not get used to our humid and sultry weather, I gave them my room which was the only one with air conditioning. I told the lovely couple that I was very grateful to them for the warm hospitality which they and their son, James, had showered on us foreign students in the University of Alberta. We were constantly invited by them for sumptuous home cooked meals. Even if the meals were sometimes less sumptuous, they were always very tasty because they were cooked with love.

Since I was then working as a teacher in ACS, it would give me the greatest pleasure to pamper the Dunlaps during their one week stay in Singapore. It was my privilege to play hostess.

At Changi Airport, just before the Dunlaps flew off, Mrs. Catherine Dunlap said to me, "Choo, we have left you a present in your Bible. Please use the gift as you deem fit." When I returned home, I found a thank you card with $300/- cash gift. Gosh! I blushed. For on the first page of my gold rimmed Bible, I had written the words: "Presented to Kam Choo Choo by Kam Choo Choo. Waited one whole year to buy this Bible at 50% discount of $90/-".

It was always so typical of the Dunlaps to be ever so generous to others, but stingy on themselves.

I can still remember when Mrs. Dunlap first came to my apartment for dinner in Edmonton. Since I was shorter, I could not quite see in detail the lovely hat that Mrs. Dunlap was wearing. I asked to see the hat. Mrs. Dunlap graciously obliged. I was somewhat taken aback when I saw that there was a hole with the size of a one dollar coin in the centre of the hat. I was quite overwhelmed because Mrs. Dunlap reminded me of my beloved papa ......... always so selfless and generous to others; always giving so cheerfully yet were so frugal on themselves. Even though we bought papa nice shirts for his birthday, he would still wear his old shirts until they had holes in them.

I decided to use the $300/- cash gift from the Dunlaps to buy Christmas presents for the construction workers who were then building the new ACS nearby. My friend, Carrie and I wrapped 200 presents and brought them to the school. We wrote out the verse of John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son ...." from the Dunlaps. It was such a joy to see the workers so happy to receive the little Christmas gift and to ask about the Dunlaps and what John 3:16 was about. Christmas would not be Christmas without John 3:16.

The following day, Carrie invited me to her Hospital Dinner and Dance as one of the nurses had to opt out of the dinner. I won the 3rd prize - a microwave oven and Carrie won a consolation prize - a gift hamaper in the lucky draw. One medical staff, Dr. Lee, kindly gave us a ride back in his Mercedes. Carrie and I went home, laughing all the way, especially at the Indian drama I had spontaneously participated in, and was voted best actress! Perhaps it was inevitable after all the Indian movies I had been watching the past two decades! The prize was a watch which I decided to give to my cousin as a Christmas present.

Although the Dunlaps had come all the way from Canada, they had left footprints in the lives of foreign construction workers they had never met. They had definitely left big footprints in my life... because I will always want to emulate their fine examples. Whenever I sing the song, "It only takes a spark to get the fire burning",
I would be reminded of the Dunlaps.

Gan Chau