Festive Get-Togethers

TMC is all for reviving the festive get-togethers in Tiara...if the original aim of the idea is adhered to. Mooted 2 years ago by TMC, the aim was to create a spirit of camaraderie and to get Tiarans to know one another.

The idea was for residents themselves to organise the festive gatherings. For example, for Chinese New Year, some Chinese residents should get together to organise the get-together. They could rope in their Chinese neighbours or other residents, who in turn could rope in their friends as well, to organise the festivity. TMC is even agreeable to contribute up to RM500 to the organiser for food, balloons, angpows for the children, even prizes should there be games.

For a start TMC councillors started the ball rolling, using their own money to organise the get-togethers. But it was found, after a few gatherings, that this defeated the purpose of the mooted idea, since the same faces turned up all the time. Not that there was anything wrong with this, of course, but this defeated the aim of getting Tiarans to interact and get to know one another.

Since this was not happening, and TMC members had to keep on organising the get-togethers, it was decided to do away with the festive get-togethers. After the announcement was made in Tiara Times, two residents, "Disappointed" and "All for Get-Togethers," (see Dec. 4th, 2006 issue of Tiara Times) expressed their sadness over the cancellation of future get-togethers.

At a recent TMC meeting, the Councillors were agreeable to the idea of resurrecting the get-togethers after hearing the views of “Disappointed” and “All For Get-Togethers”... but residents themselves should do the organising. This, after all, was the original idea for having such functions.

So, for the forthcoming Chinese New Year, if some Chinese residents are game to organise, TMC would be happy to throw in their support. It actually does not require large sums of money to hold such gatherings. It requires teamwork and a generous spirit of giving of one's time.

There is plenty of time too to organise the party. It need not be done on Chinese New Year of course, since most Chinese would have returned to their "kampungs" to be with their elders. Set a date a fortnight after, either March 3rd or 4th, 2007, for the get-together, when everyone should have returned to Tiara.

Let us be muhibbah and organise this for our Muslim, Hindu and Christian neighbours. And for Hari Raya, Deepavali, Christmas, the others would surely reciprocate by organising the get-togethers when their turn comes.

So, do take up the challenge for those who would like to celebrate the Chinese New Year with a bang! How about “Disappointed” or “All For Get-Togethers” joining hands and organising, for a start...