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Anxious Parents

13 Dec

Since last night, there’s anxiety. It was a restless night but for a good reason. M1, our firstborn is homeward bound! Finally. Yesterday evening at 6.30pm, way before she headed to the airport, I had wished her a safe flight and told her we will see her in 30 hours.

Yes 30 hours. But when this is published, we have another 13 hours to go. Like her previous trips, we were tracking her flight path on flightaware.com

This trip home, she is not flying the usual flight path because she’s taking a different airline. There’s an additional San Francisco stop before Narita International but minus a Singapore Changi Airport stop before Kuala Lumpur. That’s why we are not down in Singapore to pick her up like last year.

A long journey for her – slightly more than 20 hours of flying sans delay hopefully, and not inclusive of the layover time at the different airports and change in time when crossing the International Date Line. I lose track counting with so many time zones involved. Shudder… All I know is that she started at 5.30am (Pacific Standard Time) on Monday morning and we see her at past midnight (our local time) Tuesday night.

So did I sleep well or not at all last night? Forty winks probably or maybe just 38 or 35… 

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Countdown Begins!

6 Dec

It’s exciting knowing that a week from today, our firstborn will be home for the Christmas holidays! We can’t wait. One more week to go…

It’s occasions like these that I want to will time to hurry up. Other days, I wish time would slow down for me to enjoy the children. They grow up so fast and too fast.

M1 is finishing her sophomore year at university. How quickly time has gone by. Somehow it feels like it was only just yesterday that we sent her off and now, she will be back for her second Christmas break! This year, she will fly directly into KLIA, unlike last year where we drove down to Singapore for her.

Ooooohhh… Can’t wait.

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Times Have Changed, Part 3

18 Nov

It’s situations like these that remind me of my dinosaur status and how times have changed. Sigh… these days school-going teenagers are purposely skipping school especially after exams. Not so much to go out but to stay home instead. Yes, M2. When her big exam was over, according to her, there is no reason to go to school anymore! What?! I don’t even remember M1 doing this when she was still here.

When I was a school-going teenager, skipping school was not even an option. No ifs, ands or buts about it as there was no negotiation with Mom and Dad whether I could give school a miss. And I don’t recall being sick qualified an absence. Also during the dinosaur era, there were no distractions like these days – the internet and smart phones, to want to skip school.

Going to school was fun especially after the exams because I could be with all my friends to pass the time. We could talk or play all we want, do fun things or nothing, and not worry about studying or homework. We could even be silly and brave in front of even the most fierce teacher because we knew we would be forgiven when the school holidays kicked in. Aaahh… Those were the days. Innocent and carefree dinosaur days.

These days? Going to school after the exams are no fun for M2 because according to her, none of her friends would go and she would be bored to death. She pointed out that there’s nothing to do, the friendliest teachers are always busy and there’s no one to talk to. Geez… making it sound as if she has been banished to no man’s land and is the only lonely surviving soul! 

So being at home is better because in this comfort zone, she and her friends are able to do Skype sessions with each other, hang out virtually to listen to music, watch a movie together or just talk the whole day! Unbelievable. Why can’t they just interact in person at school? I cannot understand them.

With six weeks of holidays ahead, today being the last day of school and us busy with work, it looks like this pattern of activity will continue… unless we go away again for a family road trip or escapade… Hmm.

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It’s a Wrap!

13 Oct

Yesterday was the last PT3 exam paper for M2 and we went out for a nice dinner to celebrate. For the past two months, we saw a new side of her that we never knew existed. Amazing trait for a 15-year old I must say.

Every day, yes, every single day for the last two months, she would sit at the dining table, with books piled up high, and prepared for this exam. And the last two weekends, we stayed around to give her support wherever possible. If anything else, physical presence for comfort and positive vibes to feel good.

There was no need to tell her to study nor was there any need to worry that she won’t do it. She was just so into it, so determined and motivated. 

In fact, the last two nights, she stayed up until 2.00am in a last gasp effort to refresh her memory on topics she covered earlier. Unlike M1 who would wake up at 5.00am to study in the bathroom so that the bedroom remains dark for her sleeping sister and it feels safer (I don’t know know why) than in the living room, M2 prefers to be a night owl to do her studying. Although I disagree with M2’s method because it deprives rest and sleep, I did not want to dismiss her efforts and am thoroughly amazed at her dedication. I was never like that in high school nor college.

The desire to succeed is far greater in her than me. At this point, it doesn’t matter what the outcome of the exam would be, I am just very proud of her. I just hope there won’t be disappointment when the results come out two months later. 

She had lamented once the what if scenario that all her efforts would be wasted if the results are not up to expectations. To this, we told her it is always the effort (journey) and not the result (destination) that matters and one must never feel that the effort is wasted. Along the way, one learns, grows up, sees things in a different light and ultimately, be a better person.

So M2, stand proud and be proud for what you have done the past two months. We are definitely proud of you. Totally deserving of the dinner celebration!

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Another One Leaves the Nest

12 Sep

You know your dinosaur status is reaffirmed when another child leaves the nest. First it was the twins who went to the US for their degrees. They are both back now and working. Then it was my M1 who went off last year and will be completing her Sophomore year by the end of Fall term. My M2 may be 15 years old now but I think she’s growing up too fast. Before we know it, she will also be off to university.

Then there is the bone creaking here and there status. I pulled a back muscle after gym on Monday last week and could not walk straight for a bit. Sigh. Dinosaur status reaffirmed.

Tonight, my other niece, my only sibling’s third kiddo is no kiddo anymore as she prepares to leave for Ireland to read law. We will all be at the airport to give her a happy send off.

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Serial Eater, Part 2

29 Aug

Looking at M2 eating Honey Bunches of Oats made me want to eat cereal too, so I bought a box that comes with almonds. This is where our tastebuds differ slightly. She prefers with strawberries while I am into nuts.

It made me also recall my college days and cereal eating habits, which is highly not recommended. I think I would balk if my girls ever did what I did.

I think it was my Junior year and whenever I had 8.00am classes, I was never on time waking up, thus leaving very little time to get ready. Everything had to be super quick and breakfast was always stuffing my face silly with cereal then washing it all down with one or two gulps of milk. 

With five minutes to spare, I would be scrambling out of the apartment, zipping across the main road on my Giant mountain bike to get to campus and still be on time for class. Amazing. 

What’s even more amazing was that this routine was repeated just about for every 8.00am class during that one semester.

  

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Such Dedication, Part 2

29 Jul

It was a late late night last night. M2 was furiously chasing time to complete her Geography assignment. It is not that she had been slacking on this but the point being the teacher in charge gave out the second part of the assignment late, thus leaving a less than desired timeframe for completion. While we were appalled and certainly not happy, what can we do at this point? 

So I sat with her to help in whatever way I could, be it moral support, bouncing ideas and basically keeping her company. She said there was once when she sat at the dining table alone doing her assignments, there were shadows and it freaked her out. Such imagination the child has…

By 1.30am I got hungry. It was a sin to even think about snacking at this late hour, what more to have a Maggi cup noodle but I did. However, I am not feeling remorseful about it. I needed fuel to keep her company and I certainly didn’t want the caffeine overload of Kit Kat and coffee that M2 had.

She finally got done by 3.00am and the paper will be handed up today; as for me, I feel like a semi-zombie.

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Such Dedication

28 Jul

With the national education system changed, the requirements to pass the big year-end Form 3 exam for M2 has evolved. Now she is required to submit a field research paper for Geography instead of the usual sit down written exam and I have never seen M2 so dedicated in preparing it. 

The past several nights she has been staying up way past her bedtime to complete her assignment which is due tomorrow. I was certainly never like that! And I don’t think hubby was like this as well. 

Well, I hope all this effort will yield good results.

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Another Break

5 Jul

M2 just had her school holidays not too long ago and here we are this week, having another week long break. It is the Aidil Fitri (Eid ul-Fitr) celebration this time and like Chinese New Year, it is typical of schools to take a week off so that families can travel back to their hometown or spend time with family. Businesses will not close for a week but on the gazetted days.

We are not traveling anywhere this time because we didn’t want to join the exodus and be stuck on the highway. Toilet breaks would be a bane especially for us girls. So it is an easy week at work and at home with lots of sleeping in and golf during the two-day break (for us) on Wednesday and Thursday.

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Holiday Over

13 Jun

The two weeks holiday went by quickly and M2 goes back to school today. Funny when we had the school break, workload at the office seemed to take a break as well. We were rather free I must say.

But as the new term begins for her, work picks up for us too. I have a rare face-to-face meeting with a new client today. Looking forward to the exciting new challenge ahead!

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