It’s tough to pry an insightful answer out from both M1 and M2 when the topic is about school. Every time I ask, “How’s school?” They’d reply with a “Good.” or “OK la…”
Then I have to probe, “So whatcha did in school today?”
“Learn…” is the standard answer I get from M2, as if I don’t know what they did in school.
It is no better when we pick M2 up from her extra tuition class. “How’s tuition?” “Good.”
“Whatcha learn?” “Stuff…”
Big sigh.
Official pet number one, Rooney, is one quirky bulldog. Must be the English in him or being with us, the Asian in him.
Whenever he comes out to the garden to play and suddenly does his thing, he would bark like crazy as if telling us, “Poop! Poop! I pooped!!!” and would run scared shit (pun intended) maniacally.
If we choose to ignore him even for a little while, taking our time to get the paper and scooper to clean up after him, he would not have it any other way but to hurry us, “Poop! Poop! Go scoop!” He would go on barking relentlessly and sometimes the bark pitch turns into a scream. “Poop! Poop! I pooped!!!” “I pooped! Pooped! POOPED!!!”
It seems like he likes his mess to be cleaned up immediately, not afterwards in 5 minutes, 2 minutes or even a minute but IMMEDIATELY. Geez, it’s only poop and not like an air-borne toxic pile of radioactive compose or something…
Are all dogs or just bulldogs like this in nature? Or is it just him? I wonder…
Last week, it was not a typical Friday. We were so busy going in and out of the office, running errands and all. I hardly had time for my Candy Crush, let alone my Zookeeper Battle. Thank goodness work in the office was manageable. M1 had a birthday party so she was out with her friends the whole day. M2 was left home alone to do more revision on this last day of the holiday before the weekend kicked in and then back to school.
I called home several times to check on her progress and both times, she told me she was resting as her tummy did not feel well. Hmm. Excuses?
It was 8.30pm when we were on our way to fetch M1 from her friend’s place when I spoke to M2 again. “What time are you coming home?” she lamented.
“Soon. We’re on our way to fetch M1 and should be back by nine. Are you ok?” I pitied her loneliness.
“No. Mosquitoes are attacking me!” M2 complained.
“Why don’t you go upstairs to your room then?” I suggested.
“Nah. I’ll wait for you downstairs but hurry home please! I need people here so that the mosquitoes has somebody else to attack!”
Pppfffftttt…. So much for loneliness and missing us!
The good host role continues! Today hubby and I went to the mall after work to buy some gifts for M3 who will leave us tomorrow. It is only befitting to return her gesture with things that will remind her of her visit and short stay with us.
But the short time at the mall wasn’t a pleasant experience. I had foot cramps! Omg! How could this be? Me, a golfer and world traveler who could walk 8km in Paris recently but not even two thousand steps in the mall! Useless, I chastised myself.
Soon the purchases were completed and we fought our way through rush hour to bring all three ‘M’s out for dinner.
Tonight we will go for a steamboat dinner as last night, dinner was at home and the previous night, at a Nyonya restaurant. All in all I think M3 is experiencing equally interesting delicacies other than the more famous nasi lemak, roti canai, char kueh teow and banana leaf rice.
It was a clear case of too much, too little of everything that had M3 zonked out by 10pm last night.
From her arrival to our country, to the school for activities, to our home and doing more stuff, there was hardly time to rest. Coupled with an unfortunate sleepless night, no thanks to our mosquitoes, M3 was so exhausted to the point of being nauseous.
Earlier yesterday I commented to hubby on how I wish I had her energy when I travel. “We were only young once,” sighed hubby dearest. Indeed. But even then with M3’s youthfulness and exuberance, exhaustion got the better of her.
This morning, after the triple assault on the army of mosquitoes, I am glad to say she was well rested and back to her bubbly self and ready for another adventurous day ahead!
And so being a good host means bringing your guest to see the sights, after work.
The hubby and I assigned duties for each other for the evening: I was to fetch M2 from her tuition class and thereafter swing by to see my mom; he will bring M3 and M1 to see KL tonight. They’d go for a drive and enjoy the bright lights and cityscape.
The carrots are being dangled again this year! I figured if it worked last year for the girls with the reward being ‘The Great Adventure Road Trip to USA’, this year we will do a regional destination for its city and the islands. I love this Asean country for its food, golf courses and shopping. Both M1 and M2 have never been there but I think they are old enough now to appreciate the culture and the food, besides the shopping and sights. Also this time, I dispensed with secrecy and let it be known where and when. So the girls know what is at stake and what they have to do in order to enjoy the reward, pocket money for spending included!
The current August school holidays has ended with two weeks of staying put and not much excitement on the homefront. M2 has exactly three weeks to her big UPSR exam while M1 has the year end to show her results. She promised she will not be watching anymore ‘Friends’ until the year-end exams are over; I hope she keeps to her word.
Having made all these exciting travel plans with the children, suddenly a curve ball was thrown when we were summoned to Singapore for a year-end wedding.
Both M1 and M2 are really enthusiastic about Singapore as well but hubby is a little bit concerned. Three destinations. Uh-oh… so much traveling, so little time!
Our house guest’s name also starts with an ‘M’, so I shall call her M3. M3 comes from Fukuoka and shared with us, last night, an interesting video about the prefecture besides showering the family with gifts. Very thoughtful and polite. Both M1 and M2 were pleasantly surprised and delighted with their unexpected presents.
M3 was to sleep in the guest room and although the room was prepared for her, the mosquitoes had other plans! The new blood was a feast for the darn mozzies! A new flavor, a young delicacy unlike grandma (who uses the room whenever she sleeps over) and her old blood, poor M3 had another taste of our country. But I must say this is not the usual environment.
Tonight we shall make further reinforcements to prevent another uncomfortable experience for her.
I went to the school today after lunch to attend the Cultural & Educational Exchange Program whereby M1’s school hosted some Japanese students for a week long visit. M1 gave a very confident, warm and welcoming speech. I would have stuttered and err-ed and umm-ed my way through.
We are playing host family to a bubbly 17-year old student who will stay with us for 3 days to learn more about the typical family in our country. Unlike playing host for a party and having friends over for dinner, this is a totally new thing.
But this experience brings back some good memories of when I was 15 then and went on an exchange program myself. I stayed with an Australian host family in Gloucester, Australia for two weeks. That was a fun time dinosaur years ago.
Nonetheless, I hope she will learn a thing or two in terms of food, language, culture and lifestyle while we should seize this opportunity to brush up on our hosting ability.
Whenever there is a school holiday break and we don’t go away, the girls would tend to sleep in because it is, well, the school holidays. But sometimes it irks me because they would sleep in until it is almost lunchtime. I would have to remind them constantly not to practice such lazy habits. So they tell me, “Wake us up then, ok?” “Sure,” I said.
The next morning, I would open their room door with much fanfare and go, “Rise and shine! Wakey… Wakey, Rise and shine!” in the most boring and irritating monotonous drone, there would be groans and resentment towards this wake up call.
“C’mon girls, wakey! Wakey! It’s nine already and I am going to the office soon!”
“Mummy, you’re so noisy!” M1 accused. “Must you do the ‘Rise and Shine’ line?”
Well, excuse me….
But as the school holidays are over and it’s back to school today, thank goodness they managed to wake up this morning despite sleeping late last night out of their usual habit over the last two weeks or possibly, out of excitement they will be seeing their friends again.
Angieneering 
Remarks