Unlike average Singaporean families who have picnics or go to the malls during the weekends, the Lek family found Chingay as an opportunity to bond and spend quality time together.

 

For the past three years, Mr Lek and his wife, have been faithfully sending their three boys to Chingay rehearsals on Fridays and Sundays. The three boys, who were given the nicknames Ray, Bean and Bright, are 12, 10 and 8 respectively. As the boys are in their primary school’s wushu Co-Curricular Activity (CCA), they enjoy wushu a lot and this passion has driven them to take part in Chingay as a trio every year since 2014.

 

Upon seeing their boys assembled and accounted for, Mr and Mrs Lek would then proceed to spend some quality couple time, be it taking a stroll or going for coffee. They will then head back during dismissal time to ferry their boys home from a tiring day of rehearsals.

 

Mr and Mrs Lek have been crucial, playing key roles along the way, offering them support and words of encouragement when the going gets tough.

 

Their Chingay journey first began three years ago when the Chingay organisation approached their School’s Wushu team for volunteers. The boys were then selected as student performers after a few rounds of interviews.

 

At first, they were hesitant as usual school training sessions were tiring enough. However, after encouragement from their parents and friends, they took up the bold decision and accepted the roles. Ray, Bean and Bright have not looked back since.

 

This year’s Chingay show, themed “Lights of legacy, Brighter Singapore” will be their third time performing at the Chingay parade. For this year’s edition of Chingay, the boys started having rehearsals as early as December last year.

 

Mr Lek said: “They are having fun with their friends here during rehearsals, even when rehearsals often span long gruelling hours from 5 p.m. in the evening to around 9 p.m.”

 

However, their efforts have not been fruitless. Over the past couple of years the boys have bonded much more together, all thanks to the countless hours of practising. The bond in the three brothers were evident, often spending breaks and meals together with each other.  

 

Ray, the oldest sibling, mentioned that by joining Chingay together as brothers, they have found an activity in which the three of them enjoy. He also added that all of them share a common love and passion for Wushu, a traditional form of Chinese martial arts.

 

The Lek family also plan to be a part of the subsequent annual Chingay parades for many more years to come. What started out as simply as learning wushu to protect themselves as a simple form of defence mechanism has brought Ray, Bean and Bright under the spotlight of Chingay.

When the parade finally commences on the Feb 19, 2016, the boys will not just be performers, but most importantly, children to very proud parents.