The Smurfs and the Linkage to ESP, EPS and PSP

Thursday 28 August 2025

I mentioned yesterday about how my mom was a big fan of the Smurfs and would timer-record it on the VCR for herself to watch after church and also for me to watch whenever I booked out from BMT.

During my BMT, sometime in April 1986, I was given half a day off to travel to NUS for a Law Faculty interview.  I had applied Law as my 1st choice and Accountancy as my 2nd choice.

A gentleman and a lady sat across the table from me, and after exchanging initial pleasantries, asked me whether I watched any television shows.

I assumed they were assessing whether I was able to carry out a decent conversation in English, so I replied, "Yes I do. I watch the Smurfs. The episodes are enjoyable. I especially like Jokey Smurf, who carries with him these yellow gift boxes tied with a red string and ribbon on top, to give to the other Smurfs. Yet they keep falling for his pranks and I would laugh along with him when the boxes exploded in their faces. But most important of all, good always triumphs over evil because Gargamel, the evil wizard always fails to catch any Smurf."

Far from being impressed, the two interviewers first looked at me in stunned silence, and then at each other in bewilderment, as if to say, "Is this guy for real?" They then clarified, saying, "What we meant is do you watch any law-related shows, such as Paper Chase, LA Law or Matlock", to which I replied "Uh, no sorry I don't."

Needless to say, I failed the interview.

So in a strange way, it was because of the Smurfs that this Law-reject (ie. me) ended up going to Accountancy, where God would cause him to meet a Medicine-reject, who eventually ended up becoming his wife for the past 33 years and counting :-)

I have repeated the above sad yet happy story to my kiddos many times, and they are hence very much aware of how much the Smurfs mean to me.  

Thus for Fathers' Day this year, they bought me this newly-released pair of Crocs. Lord, bless their wonderful thoughtful hearts! Was planning to blog about it, and am finally doing so today.

To recap,

ESP-link?  Check. Mom was a fan too.

EPS-link? Check. She bought me a pair of Smurfs crocs.

PSP-link? Check. If not for the Smurfs, our paths may never have crossed.

By the way, my ex-colleagues are also aware of how much I love the Smurfs, especially Jokey. I used to hang a Jokey plush inside my room in the office, just above where my name was displayed.

Also, dad knew how much his wife and son loved the Smurfs. That was why when he and I made a trip to Europe in 2015, one of the places we visited was the Smurfs Museum in Belgium. Here are snapshots we took over there.

Oh ya, I found a compilation of Jokey's Best Pranks Ever on YouTube for your viewing pleasure.

Tomorrow, it's back to blogging about the extent mom would go to show how much she loved me, so stay tuned!