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Touchwood

26 May

Of late the weather has been very unpredictable. This time of the year, we are supposed to be experiencing hot and dry conditions but no, it has been raining. Yesterday it poured like crazy. Unlike over the weekend, my golf club held its Annual Championship tournament and we had excellent weather. 

Weather aside, I think we are charged up from the event, my golf buddies and I plan to play another game this Thursday. But I am worried about the possibility of rain and commented about it, to which my golf buddy said, “Touchwood.”

This brought out a little giggle in me as it made me recall the last time when this word was used…

I cannot remember why but I clearly remembered M1 reaching over and smacking M2’s head lightly.

I glared at her. 

“I’m touching wood,” she explained referring to M2’s head being the wood. Such sisterly love.

So now whenever “Touchwood” is mentioned, I feel like smacking my own head in remembrance of the girls’ antic.

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So Emotional

22 May

A card from M1 came in the mail yesterday. I was surprised and didn’t think that she would write to me because we Skype and WhatsApp just about everyday. It was a Mother’s Day card that my firstborn made for me albeit two weeks late. But does it matter that it came late?

It’s the thought that matters. And when I opened it and read it, I cried.

It moved me beyond words and made me realize I did good. She’s all grown up and appreciates all the goodness that I instilled in her.

Tears are welling up again as I am thinking about it. Sniff…

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Black or Black

12 May

Every Monday without fail, I’d stare at my closet and debate what I should wear to the office. This black pants or that black pants (and it’s always pants not skirt). It’s funny considering all my black pants are of one brand only but I must say, different cuts.

After it is decided, next debate is the top: a black round neck tee, a black V-neck tee or a black polo tee. For a person who deals with so much colors (and creativity) at the office, I always maintain that my wardrobe shouldn’t be crowded with so many colors that I become indecisive. Even with just one color, black, I am always in a predicament, what more a myriad of color?

Many weekends ago, both girls wore black to go to the mall. I was aghast and queried why they had to wear black. To which they retorted that I always wear black to the office, why can’t they? Can’t argue with them. Sigh.

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Forever 38, 2015

28 Apr

I was aghast looking at the back of my crown in the mirror the night before my birthday. More white strands! Eeeeks… I cringed. My birthday was approaching and this is not something I wish for. M2 came into the bathroom and I told her.

She chuckled and said, “People get white hair when they get older, you get them when you get younger.”

I will be like, what? 39, I asked her.

No she said. I will be forever 38.

Aww…

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The Ant Blankey

14 Apr

Every child has a favorite soft toy. They attach themselves to one as they grow up. When I was young, I had mine but that’s another story to tell next time.

Now my two girls are no different with each having their own favorite but I discovered they have more than this. Last year, I learnt that M1 secretly has an ant blankey too, just like M2’s well known possession all this while.

Now what is an ant blankey, you may want to know?

An ant blankey is a blanket that they place at the edge of the bed (strangely only on one side) to prevent innocent tiny ants from crawling up to them while they sleep. Don’t ask me how or where on earth they got this idea, but yea… my two girls have ant blankeys. Does your child have an ant blankey too?

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Snail Mail

10 Apr

There is definitely a reason why mailing a letter is termed ‘snail mail’. It’s more than two weeks and the first letter to M1 has not even arrived! Since then I have mailed another one last week and plan to mail another this week.

By the time the letters arrived, it would be stale news already. Maybe I should write in past tense to coincide with its arrival…

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Just Like Grandpa

9 Apr

Not too long ago I told M1 that her Grandpa diligently wrote me letters when I was in college every single week and she requested that I do the same for her. So I decided to write real letters and mail them weekly to her at university in the USA, just like Grandpa did. Sometimes some things ought to be done the old fashion way. 

There was no such thing as emails back then. Technology was probably at its infancy and for me to even get close to a computer to send emails was unheard of. Moreover, mom and dad didn’t even own a computer! So snail mail was the way to go. I still have all those lovely letters from Dad.

Besides, making phone calls were also very expensive back then in the dinosaur era. Nowadays, we are very fortunate to be so connected with WhatsApp, FaceTime and Skype.

But all in all said for the effort, I find it funny to be holding a pen and writing so much! All these while, with the advancement of technology, one just sits at the desk and type away on the keyboard to compose what they want to say in the email without holding a pen. Now I find myself struggling to pen decent looking sentences that hopefully, she can make out what I am writing!

Then again, I am pretty sure my handwriting will improve with time. For the sake of keeping up with what my Dad did, I will continue with weekly scrawny handwritten letters and snail mail them to her.

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It’s A Beautiful Thing

6 Apr

Brushing aside ideas suggested for the two of us for the weekend, we actually had a busy time. I played golf on Saturday morning with my friends while hubby had a meeting with the resident committee of the estate we live in. Later that day, we attended a friend’s baptism.

This friend of mine is indeed a special friend as our friendship goes back a long, long way. How long you may ask?

Pre-historic I would say.

I have a picture of her and me plus some other friends at my 7th birthday party to support this.

Over the years in school, we were in the same class and sometimes not but facing all sorts of challenges and adventures together. As time passed, we went our separate ways (for further education, career, marriage and family) but always kept in touch. Fast forward to the future.

We became more connected than ever especially with the boom of technology. Also with priorities evolving constantly and the children getting older, hence less time focused on them, we were able to build an even stronger friendship in our busy lives. Always catching up and updating each other via a phone call or text messages every now and then, coupled with efforts to meet for dinner, it’s a special bond and a beautiful friendship.

And like our friendship, the baptism was of a special bond and a beautiful thing.

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So Quiet

3 Apr

Suddenly the house seems even bigger than ever! Today M2 goes off for a 3 day/2 night camp leaving us folks to fend for ourselves. In an unfamiliar situation, I have a feeling both of us are not quite sure what to do. I guess we have to face the fact that the children are not so little anymore.

Sigh…

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History Does Not Repeat Itself

31 Mar

Life in university for M1 started on a good note as far as dorm life is concerned. She has a Japanese room-mate whom she met at the airport upon arrival. I am relieved that this little worry turned out okay unlike what I experienced.

As I had mentioned before, what are the chances of history repeating itself, let alone for two situations – the arrival and the room-mate? You can gather by now, my initial college years did not start off well but towards my junior and senior years, it was much better and overshadowed those trying moments.

During my time, I was supposed to live in the dorms. I got to Flagstaff a few days earlier before the dorms opened. Soon after my arrival episode, I checked out from the motel and reported to the International Students office; I was hosted by a Taiwanese girl, who lived off campus. Her room-mate was away, so she was able to put me up. This temporary arrangement worked out well until I had to move into the dorms.

This is where it all fell through…

I remember clearly as I lugged my luggages through the room door, my American room-mate was there in the room with a guy, presumably her boyfriend.

My presumption proved to be right because the first thing she said to me was,”Hi. My name is…. (Somehow I don’t recall) and this is Scott (This, how can I forget?) and he will be here on a long term basis.”

Oh. My. God.

What a statement. What a welcome. Stunned and speechless was what I was…

My tummy retched. As liberal as I was (and still am) I just couldn’t stomach this. Everything was a blur after that but it did not matter. That night, I went back to the Taiwanese girl and slept on the couch.

The next day, I went straight to see the Director of Housing and made my case to terminate my supposedly non-negotiable dorm contract. Citing moral issues and culture shock to top off this unsavory experience, I was able to convince him of this undesirable and unwelcoming situation. Thankfully he was very sympathetic. As I did not want a reassignment, fearing another similar episode, I was accorded a full refund. However, as a result of this decision made, I was left to my own devices to find accommodation and semester was starting soon!

Thank goodness, there’s always a good soul around who helped me on the accommodation problem. I ended up living off campus, sharing a two bedroom apartment with two American girls and a Singaporean girl.

So looking back now in comparison, I am so glad none of what I went through recurred for my child. She’s got a good start.

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