let's vegetate!

things falling into places

2011-11-09T04:38:00.000-08:00

I went for a regular dental check-up a few days ago. My dentist told me, "It's time for an x-ray. The last x-ray you did was 7 years ago."

7 years? Have I been to the same dentist for 7+ years now?

Actually since a few years back, I found a dentist that I feel comfortable with, a hairstylist who knows I can't handle any type of blow-dry hairdo, a manicurist who understands that I will always only like crimson on my toes, a credit card that gives me the right offers at the right places and the right times .... these things used to trouble me a lot, like nothing's ever right after spending hundreds on my hair, or being pushed around with the latest 'trends' that I never feel right with. Slowly everything seems to have fallen into places.

Aging, yes, probably. Or is it the confidence to accept myself as who I am? That boring nerd who will be more than happy to carry the same hairstyle for the next 20 years?

At least I know I will be more than happy to have the same guy sitting next to me on the sofa gossiping on life's many trivial matters for the next 20 years. Thank you my dear, I am sure this confidence is rooted from you.

hello mini - the community sweetheart

2010-10-06T23:38:00.001-07:00

hello mini,

Mama loves to walk you to the park. And we’ve been doing that every morning since you were about 2 months old. People are quite amazed by how I can wake up so early, walk you, and still manage to get to work on time. Apart from it being my tiny commitment to spend more time with you rather than the pillow, I also enjoy the walk myself. Mornings are just so welcoming – the clear air, the waving trees, the skin-warming sun … and having you keep my company makes it all the more meaningful.

Our friends now not only include the natural surroundings. Over time, we have discovered that we live in such a friendly neighbourhood. The regulars include an elderly couple who speak some Chinese dialect we don’t understand; the Filipino maids who walk all different types of pet dogs from quiet Golden Retrievers & noisy Chiwawas; full-gear hiker ladies in groups, the garbage guy, the sleep-in taxi driver…. etc.

Actually, before your arrival, they were just fragments of the same community. They’d walk past each other without any eye contact. They’d notice the weather turning cold but won’t bother to remind each other on warmer clothing. They’d want to reach out to the pets but dare not do so as it might feel intrusive … at least, it was my feeling of the community as I took the morning walks months ago.

And it’s all different now with you.

When we manage to take 1 hour walks, there would be at least 30 minutes when we’d be stopped by our friends. Why? Because you, our little angel, is so curious about everyone. So curious to the extent that you, with your small eyes expanded to its biggest size, would be staring at every passerby. When they find your stare too irresistible, they'd turn to your direction, and you'd immediately greet them with your biggest smile.

"O-O-O baby smiled at ME!"

As I have witnessed, everyone was melt by your sweetness. You made them feel like the most special person on earth, and for a second or two they were even up in heaven.

Now, when you see the elderly couple even from afar, you would greet them with your biggest grin until they come hold your little hands. And the dogs, they’d sit very still listening to the irregular rhythms of your delightful squeals, and the maids would be laughing at your craze. And you are so interested in the sweeping noises created by the garbage guy, that he has to stop sweeping for a moment to say hello to you.

Mama is overwhelmed. You are not only bringing happiness to the family, your positive energy is actually extending to more. I feel so proud of you. Keep it up baby!

lots of love,

mama ak

hello mini - 1 year ago ....

2010-09-09T13:55:00.000-07:00

hello mini,

it's 0909 today. this morning as mama walk to work, i suddenly remember that it was exactly 365 days ago when i found out about you!

i had not been feeling right for a few days. but i was not too convinced that i would be pregnant so soon, because we have only just started casually trying and we have a trip to germany planned for the following week ... on 0909, i thought i might give those pregnancy tester stick a try. when i got to the drugstore, there were so many brands, prices from $30 to over $100. for split of a second, i wanted to go for the cheap one, me being so famous for my price consciousness. but NO - i ended up at the cashier with the $30 one PLUS the $100 one, hahahaha. when i got home, i rushed into the toilet, sat there, idle and blank. do i wanna find out???????? i didn't know. i felt confused and lost. is it too soon? are we ready to be parents? will we have enough money to give our child a good future????????

i didn't open the pack. i avoided thinking by watching tv and reading books all afternoon. i did this from 2pm til around 730pm. then i was at the toilet again, this time ripping off the package and following the instruction before i change my mind..... on paper, it says it takes 10 minutes for results to show. so tick-tock-tick-tock and after just ONE MINUTE, a red line came rushing out. A RED LINE. POSITIVE. CONGRATULATIONS YOU ARE PREGNANT!

i didn't know what to think. i can't believe i wasn't particularly happy or excited. i then recall all the sashimi and beers and sake that i crazily had on a trip to tokyo the previous week ... o gosh ... i might have just made this baby an alcoholic ... and all the germs that might be inside the baby already from the raw fish ....

then your papa came home - he's home a bit late that day 'cos he was on a business trip to Guangzhou. as we started having dinner, he was chatty as usual about the happenings of his day. normally i love his stories. but i wasn't really listening. i didn't know how to share the news with him. i wasn't sure how he would react....

then, not by my will, i started crying at the dinner table, and i lost my voice. i couldn't say a word. i led your shocked papa to the toilet. i opened the drawer. and i showed him the stick. he looked at it, then looked at me confused, asking "what is this?" gosh he's so stupid! so i had to dig out the packing from the bin and pass it to him. then he started SCREAMING and held me very very tightly in joy. "i cannot believe it's happening so soon! I am gonna be a father and you are gonna be a mother! we are so blessed!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

it was then that i started laughing, and somehow i got my voice back. why did i have to wait? why did i have to avoid? it was all about the reassurance from your papa that WE are going to get to a different stage of life together.

then 365 happy days went by. and you are almost 4 months old now.

feeling very blessed to have your papa and you with me.

lots of love,

mama ak

hello mini - to hold or not to hold

2010-08-06T18:23:00.001-07:00

hello mini,

the past few weeks was quite a challenge to mama. first your papa got sick, fever high as 38.9C for quite a few days. and so much i tried to bar him from going close you, i couldn't allow myself to be so harsh, and finally the virus got to you. your nose was very runny and blocked, and you were coughing and sneezing non-stop. you couldn't sleep, and sometimes your whole body just go shaking as if something just scared the hell out of you. when we had to give you medication, you would swing away with full force and cry your lungs out. it was all very heart-breaking ....

what is a mother suppose to do in this situation?

of course we have tried everything in the books. but what else? what else can a mother do in this situation?

i decided to go back to the very basic. i held you in my arms for the whole night. though you were still waking up every 10 minutes and none of the symptoms seemed to have gone better with my hug, it just felt like the right thing to do.

then i suddenly recall - when we first brought you home, we were told that we should decide how much we wanna hold our baby, 'cos too much holding would mean spoiling you .... then whenever i was holding you, i would be thinking if it was too much holding, and does it mean i m ruining your life, because you will lose the ability to be an independent person????

mini, as you grow older, there will be things in life that you just oughta deal with on your own, like getting sick and getting healed. all mama can do is to be there for you when you need me. i don't know if i can give you sound advice, or offer any practical help. but i assure you my hugs will be unlimited.

lots of love,

mama ak

hello mini - our little private hour

2010-07-19T03:18:00.000-07:00

hello mini,

you have just turned 2 months, and you have learnt to recognize our voices and smile at us. yes, there's a big team of care-takers behind you, and your mama plays only one part in it. there's mama, papa, grandma, grandpa and auntie. all of us love you very much, and we often fight over who to hold you, feed you or put you to sleep. and very often, i lose. or should i say, i feel like i should let others have their turn. your grandparents come all the way to see you, so they should have their share of time with you. auntie will be taking care of you after i go back to work, so it's necessary for her to establish some sort of closeness with you ...

it's a constant battle i have to fight with myself. on one hand, i feel so blessed that you are loved by so many. but at times, i must admit that i feel jealous. it seems like you are smiling more at auntie. and you better enjoy being held by your grandma. that leaves me to being your secretary, only to take care of your administrative matters, like your photo album, your wardrobe, your pee & poo counts, your vaccines, your insurance ... etc.

when this thought creeps into my head, i will tell myself that this is part of motherhood. my love for you isn't measured by how much time i get to hold you physically. i will be doing a lot for you and i cannot count on returns ....

mama will have to go back to work very soon. and the thought of having to leave you to others puts me into tears. so i have set up our little private hour - you wake up sharply upon sunrise everyday, and that's when we get to be by ourselves, no fight over from anyone else. i clean you, i feed you, i play with you and i put you back to sleep. an hour is never enough, so let's make the most out of it :)

lots of love,

mama ak

hello mini - moon river

2010-06-30T18:52:00.001-07:00

hello mini,

my little man, you have already turned 6 weeks old at 11.5 pounds! how come it's so hard for mama to lose the extra pounds when it's such an easy gain for you?

i love to feed you, i love to check the color of your shit when changing your diapers, i love 'coo coo talking' with you, and i love singing you to sleep. and i have to sing endlessly too, because you just never seem to want to fall asleep. you are obviously training me into being a karaoke queen.

i don't have a songlist prepared. but somehow 'moon river' always comes out spontaneously. okay, moon river isn't a lullaby. it's actually quite a sad song, because it reminds me of 'sex and the city' season 4 when mr.big left carrie this song and an empty room of loneliness.

among the girls, there's always the 'who are you in SATC' chat. then there'd be the 'which SATC boyfriend do you like most' chat to follow. i certainly don't want you to be mr.big, no no, he's too much an asshole in how he treats women. steve is sweet, but not tough enough as a guy maybe? and not jerry smith ... i can't picture you to be a male model. trey? berger? harry? i think my vote will still go to aidan. but then he gets dumped and heart broken ....

ok i sound like a control freak mum. and i hate to be that. so i better quit now.

lots of love,

mama ak

hello mini - mini me?

2010-06-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

hello mini,

zachary michael cheng is your full name. but no one seems too interested, as they have all been calling you 'mini'. where did mini come from? hmmm ... when i realized i got pregnant with you, i started doing research on the net and i had to name a folder to bookmark all the links. instead of lamely calling the folder 'baby', i casually typed 'panda mini' - i didn't even know if you were a boy or a girl yet, but i might somehow wished you were as happy as your father the kung-fu panda, and hence panda mini. you have been called 'mini' ever since, and we just cannot quit!

now that you are born, people are all saying you are a clone of your papa. yes, that round face and that piggy nose are quite signature. and i'd be too tired to fight for a look-alike eyebrow or ear-lobe.

then, around the 3rd day, as i was feeding you, you showed me a magic. your toes, yes, YOUR TOES! you can actually do the 'spread-out-all-5-toes' trick just like me. and it's from me for sure, as your daddy was always amazed at how i could do something like that with my toes that he cannot. so finally a trait from me, your toes!

one day, i looked up your birthday. you are born on the same day as a few celebrities i truly admire. first, there is chow yun fat, probably the most charismatic actor in HK. then there's tina fey from the sitcom '30 rock', she is such a subtle comedian-writer! and then there's jack johnson, a musician who spreads happiness and positive vibes through his work. and fred perry, one of the best tennis player of all times and how we can't wait to play with you! actually there's john paul II as well, though i won't exactly put him on my admirable list ...

so it's all silly, trying to own a piece of you. you will be your own individual. be happy like your papa or be stubborn like your mama, it's all ok. just remember to stay positive. we all love you no matter what.

lots of love,

mama ak

hello mini - mama's first tears

2010-05-21T16:30:00.000-07:00

hello mini,

you were born on a tuesday and on the thursday we went home together. before we got discharged from hospital, the paediatrician told us you have been pee-ing and poo-ing all very well and therefore ready to go home.

then for 10 hours after you got home, you didn't show us a single wet diaper - 10HOURS! we started to get very worried. no pee or no poo, yet you have had all those milk! i started to call the hospital, the paediatrician, our baby helper .... all agreed that it's abnormal but we should give you another half day til we take you to the doctor. HALF DAY? would everything be stuck in your little tummy and make you suffocate? would there be some other things that went wrong? would all be too late by a half day later?

these thoughts keep swirling in my mind. after 20+ hours there still wasn't a wet diaper. i dropped on the sofa, looked out the window, and tears came pouring out of my eyes. my first tears for you, my darling boy.

the whole house fell into dead silence. everyone was scared. i could see that they were all afraid i was suffering from post-natal depression and would jump out of the window anytime. i hate that i was making everyone worried for me, but i just couldn't control those tears. then the whole house decided they would put me to sleep to lessen my worry. ok, i thought i needed some time by myself.

when i was wiping my face in the toilet, i suddenly heard a loud call from auntie: "FINALLY HE DID IT". i rushed out to the baby at once. as the baby was laid on the change table, all of us eagerly waited for the diaper to be undone. 5-4-3-2-1. that greenish yellowish baby waste that made all our eyes glowed. this first shit that we have waited for 24 hours! your dad and i hugged in great relief. how we never imagined shit could make us so thrilled!

since then you have been wetting diapers non-stop. and you drag on forever while you are being breast-fed. and you can be quite a crying potato too, especially timed to interrupt our dinner. but none of these annoys me at all. it's all part of the journey. it's all part of the memory.

lots of love,

mama ak

hello mini - you are finally here!

2010-05-18T19:28:00.000-07:00

hello mini,

you finally arrived, right on your expected due date, but in the most unexpected manner! i still remember how the doctor told us you have been so comfortable inside me that you will probably stay in for a few more days, as there was not a sign of you being ready just one day before you were born. did you hear my call? that night, i kept thinking i want you to stay a taurus, and not a gemini boy. i know it's silly. but it's that click between 2 people, right?

i actually think we have clicked since we first bonded. we have put together such a smooth and enjoyable 40-week pregnancy, as i cannot remember a day when i felt sick. some tiredness maybe, but i know it's because you want some quiet time with me. and the labour and delivery too, you basically gave mommy a cruise! we did it, the both of us.

the first sight of the real you, i laughed. yes, i know people usually cry, but i laughed, just like the first time i saw you on the ultrasound screen. it felt all too crazy. if that ultrasound moment was when 2 people first feel the lover's heartbeat, then your birth moment felt a lot like the last scene in 'when harry met sally', when 2 long-lost-friend-lovers can finally meet and get together! yes mini my darling boy, i just found that i am obsessed with you, and i cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you!

it's one of mama's favourite movies. will you watch it with me soon?

lots of love,

mama ak

final week ... or is it?

2010-05-11T11:23:00.000-07:00

today marks the 40th week in my pregnancy. technically it's the final week ... or is it?

mixed feelings really. on one hand, as one of the pregnancy books says, i feel like i have been pregnant forever and wish i can get it over and done with soonest possible.

on the other, i really don't know whether i m ready to handle all the changes that are gonna come. like if i will ever be able to feel the kind of peace and quiet i am enjoying right now, sitting by the window typing my thoughts away.

nothing compares to this waiting, it is quite a test. everything else in life seems to be more scheduled. like when a tv program runs, when you get your exam results, when your paycheck arrives ... even things like when you fall in love is more predictable than this.

meanwhile, we can only keep ourselves entertained. here's how your dad decide to practice holding you in comfort. see you soon honey boy!

photos by bobby & ruby

2010-05-10T19:27:00.000-07:00

i love photos. they are magic. they capture that specific moment. and you can add your own spice in everytime you review them. to me, photos are way more sexy than video recording.

these pics were taken on a sunny afternoon in our home. photos by bobby, using his antique grandpa camera. and art direction courtesy of ruby.

it's not just the pics. we spent some fun 2 hours together.

thank you for capturing this special moment for us.

the mini evolution

2010-04-28T07:18:00.000-07:00

hi mini, only maybe 2 more weeks to go until we finally meet in person :)

thanks for such amazing experience you have given me over the past 9 months.

new camera for mini

2010-03-28T06:48:00.000-07:00

finally! one new item we bought for mini! A NEW CANON DSLR CAMERA!

i have always loved my ricoh snap shot camera. i have had the GRV since film days, then moved onto the digital one. but a new camera with faster shutter and continuous mode seems to be a necessity to catch a few good shots of active kids. so we've decided to get it now, get trained on using it, then welcome mini with our amateur skills :)

mini, we enjoyed the silly portraits so much! and we'd love to have you in the pics soon!

ak & mini @ week 33

3.21 1st anniversary

2010-03-21T07:20:00.000-07:00

since i have my whole wedding album loaded to my iPhone, i would review the photos every so often, and here's a picture i really like.

the smiles on our faces not only told of the joy we felt on our wedding day 365 days ago, it actually sums up what we've been feeling throughout these 365 days too!

the sunshine today already sent us a warm welcome to the next exciting 365 days to come.

and a little ad-hoc "breakfast art" spices up our morning even more!

we spent the day strolling around cheung chau, eating junk food while exercising with mini in my tummy.

next spring, we will bring him with us on his stroller.

by the following year, we should be walking with him while he tries to find his balance.

in the years to come, maybe we can be biking around the island together.

then we will be chasing behind him, slowing down while he takes the course of his own life.

i will keep our wedding pic with me. i will keep that big smile with me no matter what.

ak & mini @ week 32

mini's wardrobe

2010-03-08T23:03:00.000-08:00

as mini's D-day is approaching, we kept being asked if we have been shopping alot. the truth is, we have not bought a single item for him at all! it sounds hard to believe, i know. how can i suppress my shopping desire, especially when it's our first kid??? but somehow, people around us all have pass-it-down items they wanna get rid of. and it become such a good idea to try to take in unwanted items by others, so they can free their house space for their new items.

by now, we have a baby bed, a stroller, a toilet trainer, a walking trainer, and a bunch of toys.

so his room naturally feels quite decorated and cosy already.

then yesterday, via email, we received a super-mega-giga-surprise - mini's wardrobe!

yes, a whole wardrobe is received via email !!!

Billion thanks to our wardrobe mastermind - mike's mum and mini's grandma-to-be!

All these clothes are still in the US and will be shipped back together with mini's grandparents when they return in a few weeks' time. And the wardrobe will only be growing in the coming weeks, as grandma's been enjoying the weekly mall visit hunting for cute outfits for mini!

I can't stop reviewing each piece of clothing over and over again, with a big big smile on my face!

Not only am I so excited picturing mini in each of these fashion masterpieces, I also feel that mini's such a blessed boy~!

Moreover, it feels like mini's a centre force of happiness to all those around us even before he's born. There's grandma and our family in the US who's very involved in the wardrobe. Then there are other aunties and uncles who are happily donating their pass-it-down to him. It's magical! Everyday we think we adults have to make effort to make others happy. Yet this tiny to-be-born can have such power just like that!

thank you mini, for teaching me a lesson on happiness.

our tiger mini

2010-02-15T21:07:00.001-08:00

as we welcome the year of the tiger, our lunar new year eve was surprisingly spent in the hospital - and it just couldn't be better!

with help of a obgyn friend whom's identity i must kept confidential (big thanks!), we sneaked into the ultrasound room of the hospital, and we were able to say hi to mini and celebrate chinese new year eve together as a tiny family! and a few sights were really memorable.

first, i couldn't believe mini's already turned heads down at week 27 - i read that most babies won't do that til week 32! no wonder i have been feeling the attacks at the very bottom of my belly ... so it's mini practicing his thai kick boxing moves ... and all these time i kept thinking those were toilet calls though they felt fake ... u naughty boy, already fooling your mama!

throughout the ultrasound, mini's been facing his daddy. and when we said hi to him, he actually returned the greeting by punching his fists a few times - when i was seeing it on the monitor and also feeling it LIVE on my belly, it felt way more sensational than the 4D AVATAR movie! it's our interaction as a family for the very first time!

then, as we were reviewing mini's every body part, another amazing scene came to sight. after several moves, this little creature has decided to take some rest, and he actually folded his little feet one on top of each other! how very comfortable that looked, and we felt he really knows how to have a good time!

upon entering the year of the tiger, i also just realized that i am now into my 3rd and final trimester. our tiger mini will be born in 12 weeks' time. as my heartbeat quickens, i wish to record this moment of excitement.

thank you mini!

ak & mini @ week 28

lady gaga

2010-02-11T20:55:00.001-08:00

a colleague of mine is a mom with a 13-year-old girl.

i think it was last summer when she and her girl were crazy about High School Musical. they became such big fan that they were following a specific cast touring in the US, and they flew all the way there to see the live show. i must say, to me, having to go that far to impress your own kid is quite extravagant!

last week, i bumped into her in the office lift. another colleague was casually chatting with her about updates on the High School Musical.

"you know what, High School Musical is so 2009 for my girl. she's now into Lady GaGa."

interesting! so i started listening ....

"i don't get it, is Lady GaGa a man or a woman? I asked my daughter one day, and she simply said - MOM, you don't get it, do you?" this was said in a slightly depressed tone.

then it was time to step out of the lift.

i was laughing at her at first, but not long, i started to wonder if i will get the "you don't get it" soon ...

Lady GaGa is kinda like Anita Mui back in my 13-year-old days. if i remember right, 壞女孩 did cause some social controversy, but it was never of my concern. as a mui fans, it meant cool, that's it.

did my parents ever worry if i would turn into a 淑女 or a 壞女? i can't remember them asking me anything about anita mui. maybe they were too busy with work. i guess if they had asked me, i would also say "you don't get it, do you?" and dismiss the whole question all together. afterall, i was only following a trend, what's there to explain?

how far does a parent have to go to "get it"?

what's so bad about "not getting it"?

i better stop playing the 13-year-old me vs the 34-year-old me ... or i will go crazy!

the kicks

2010-01-30T18:32:00.000-08:00

you've heard it all before, but it does feel amazing when you get the kicks from your baby for the first time ... it feels a lot more real than any of the ultrasound or heartbeat amplifier ... those infrequent ripples in odd rhythms over my tummy ... blub blub ... blub ... blub blub blub ... i laugh whenever i get it.

actually i was wondering why i didn't get the kicks til now. i think i read it weeks ago in the 'what to expect' book, but i wasn't really checking out for it. after i felt it for the first time, i went back to the book. it actually mentions that you won't feel it when you are all busy, that you're more likely to feel it when you are all calm and settled at night ... so work has kept me so busy that i wasn't even feeling my own baby's kicks til now??? i felt kinda guilty for a second.

over this weekend, i actually watched 2 movies - án education' and 'whip it'. these are random choices really, but it turns about to be of similar subject matters - teenage wanting to get out there and experience the bigger world, with parents hurt but relationships amended along the way. when i used to watch movies like this, it usually brings reflections on my own teenage years. but this time, i can't help but to fall into the role of the supporting cast - those playing the parents!

in the quiet night as the movie rolls on, i feel my baby kicks again and again. the kicks ... it suddenly feels like a sign ... it's the physical kicks now that brings me the laughs ... then it will grow into emotional kicks as the years go by, and those will be much stronger, bring me bigger laughs or hurtful cries ... and if i don't calm myself and pay enough attention, the kicks might just go pass unnoticed, and i would have missed it all ...

so here i record this moment of the kicks.

and i promise myself i will treasure more of the kicks to come.

ak & mini @ week 25

1008 - my work

2009-10-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

since my trip to germany got cancelled at last minute, i decided to make good use of my time with new hobbies.

in high school, i thought music was cooler was i took music class instead of arts. well, none of the music has stayed with me, except the very occasional karaoke (sigh .... ). as for arts, i know i enjoy appreciating works. and the thought of being able to make something is very fascinating really. being efficient as always, i started taking ceramics class and chinese ink painting class.

yesterday, my first pieces of handmade ceramics work was completed! and my first ink painting was done too! i am obsessed, as i can't stop staring at my own work! i know it's really nothing spectacular, but having done something of your own is a total different pleasure from shopping for them.

it's never too late people. go pursue and you will feel as rewarded as i do now!

0903 - tokyo

2009-10-07T18:40:00.000-07:00

i always say, travel is not about the places you go to, but more about the people you share the trips with. over the years, i have had chances to bring together friends from different corners and put them on the same trips. risking black faces and disagreements, things have turned out more than fine. and that gives me real satisfaction!

2 years ago, i brought along 3 friends to a rural part of japan, and all 4 of us stayed with my cousin hiukei - they have not met before, and i have not met hiukei for years. i knew they'd click, and we ended up with a full week of fun & laughter. my friend gut got along particularly well with hiukei, and they are both experts of japanese entertainment scene. so this time, without much prior planning, we decided to meet up in tokyo again to enjoy a few days of girls-just-wanna-have-fun!

we tried out geeky maid cafes in akihabara, we posed silly for sticker pictures, we stole advertisements featuring hot japanese stars, we ended up buying the same leather jacket, and we have all become owners of the same ricoh digital camera!

thank you gut for being my best travelmate of all times, and sorry for not being as energetic as before. i really can't remember how we could get to 4 districts and shop 12 hours straight. that's all history but i thought we had fun this time too, taking it slower.

and thank you hiukei too, coming all the way up to tokyo. a long way to go for you, having to challenge yourself with japanese grad school admission tests and all. my best wishes to you!

0902 - mum's bday

2009-09-14T05:43:00.000-07:00

my mum is a virgo but she's probably the most un-virgo person i know. interestingly my mum-in-law is also a virgo - i m yet to find out the virgo composition in her ... haha.

we held a little birthday dinner and cake-cutting at home. cake-cutting is my mum's favourite, and apparently this is already her 3rd treat this year.

stay happy, mum!

seoul plus - raw octopus challenge

2009-09-08T21:50:00.000-07:00

as my 2nd iMovie trial, i have edited a special version of mike's battle with the octopus - and his eventual winning!

enjoy!

0824 - seoul

2009-09-08T03:50:00.000-07:00

Seoul is a city that Mike has frequented in his past jobs, and he claims to know "real" korean food and korean (drinking) manners. So this trip is a chance for him to prove himself. For better judgement, we have also invited along our friends Dave & Eva. There cannot be a combination, as together we can eat soooooooooooooooooo much :)

Usually you would describe food as yum / weird / taste like shit .... for korean food i have come up with a new word - "confusing". korean food is really confusing! for the most basic, i can't even tell whether a dish is a hot dish or cold dish! then the tastes - when i think something looks spicy, it turns out sweet. when i think something should be sponegy, it turns out chewy. gosh!

The most confusing highlight was introduced to us by a korean buddy of mike's called 金明珠 (he's a guy). the dish is called 'fermented stink ray', and even local koreans would only have eaten it several times in their own life, as the fish is a rare species, and the way to prepare it is not so available in any restaurant or home. it looks like hamachi from japanese sashimi. once you put it in your mouth ... no taste but it's chewy in texture ... then after 10-seconds .... the fish will explode in your mouth ... the next thing you know, your mouth is filled with a taste which is like you having drunk a shooter of hair perm acid! (or as 金明珠 puts it, it tastes like amonia ... either way, you can tell how unbelievably gross it is).

Though the food ventures are all the time too spicy, and most of the time too confusing, it was still enjoyable to be trying new things, meeting new friends and catching up with old friends.

환호!

brandon's 1st swim - video version

2009-09-08T02:46:00.000-07:00

back by popular demand - here's a video version, with my first time trial of the Mac iMovie tool! pardon my poor editing - i still have to figure out the background music ... i didn't mean to make the pool sound like a safari .... enjoy!

0819 - brandon's 1st swim

2009-08-22T18:09:00.000-07:00

upon fresh delivery of the baby neck floater from shanghai, and gifted with a sunny afternoon, my sister & i have decided to take baby brandon to his first swim. he's 8 mths and 1 day old, so should be man enough to take on the challenge!

he has his doubts at first, as he was inspecting the pool in quiet. but very soon you can see him enjoying the cool as we swing him slowly in floating water. then he grows more active, circling his little feet. and before you know, he's brave enough to go on his own and display a few olympian synchronized swimmer moves!

thank you for such a lovely experience. look forward to another swim with you!

0810 - shanghai

2009-08-20T03:05:00.000-07:00

shanghai is mike's 2nd home. so apart from the hairy crab season which is absolutely unmissable, he also takes the once-in-a-few-months' work opportunity to come home. and whenever he does, a few big family gatherings are always arranged.

if you look from above, you'd see a very different me in these gatherings - i keep a smile on even when eating, and rarely speaks a word - but no fake intended, 'cos the whole gathering is conducted in machine-gun speed shanghainese!

yet i enjoy it a lot being a pure listener & observer. this is a group of people, each with some rich history of their own and some interesting characters. grandma's 93 and so healthy she can almost run on her feet! it's hard to imagine that when she was young, she's been locked up by the government for the sake of her family of 10. how can she stay so positive and happy to this age? when she talks to me she always holds me tightly in her hands. not only did i feel important, i feel an inject of positivity and the wisdom of life into me ... thank you grandma!

then there are the aunts & uncles. the uncle who likes to suddenly pop some english to make conversation with me; another who is a professional cellist and told us off-stage secrets of eason chan as he was in the string quartet of eason's live in shanghai (!); the aunts would always cook us big bags of yummy secret-recipe shanghainese snacks so we can take home with us to hk ... a very loving bunch!

thank you all for teaching me new lessons in family culture!

0725 - my cousin mel

2009-08-03T22:21:00.000-07:00

we stayed with my cousin mel on the last few days of our trip in vancouver.

mel has moved from sydney to vancouver not long after university. i would think that is a rather young age. but it seems like she is not afraid of anything. and despite the many complications she has gone through in past years, she has grown into a happily confident lady, and a professionally responsible nurse.

she has grown up in the most protective household of all times. apparently due to her weak body, everything at home needs to be cook steamed (aka tastelss). and TV time is non-existent, while homework time lasted all days & nights. and a single drop of sweat would freak her parents out, and has to be swiped off in 0.001 sec or she would get sick ....

there was a classic story. our families went on an excursion to the countryside together. my sister and i took little mel on a short walk, while the adults were having lunch nearby. i was sure i was holding her hands tight, but next thing i know, mel has fallen into a pond!!!! i remember trying to pull her up with my full body weight (at 6 yrs old!). soon the adults were there to rescue. and i got into huuuuuuuggggggggggggeeeeeeeeee trouble for the incident.

all these years i thought she has mistaken the 青苔 on the pond to be a grassfield, so she wrong-footed on it and fell into the pond.

mel made a confession when we were in vancouver (after nearly 30 years!)

she had known that it's a pond. yet from cartoons she recalled a fairy flying over and standing on pond-top. so she wanna try the same for herself !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

maybe that's the reason why she's banned from all TV !!!!!!!!

it was good that despite all the bans in childhood she has not abandoned her aspirations. this little fairy has stepped into different ponds and fell, but she has picked up herself time and time again, with no looking back. i admire her being such a brave lady!

mel - thank you for taking us in, and sharing good times together!

0717 - sisterhood

2009-07-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

this part of my trip is rather special, as my little sister has suddenly decided to join in. so together, me, my sister, aunt & uncle have taken many roadtrips to visit nearby city sights.

roadtrips are story times. as we have lived apart, there is always so much to flash back, so much to clarify, so much to laugh about.

my mum is closest to aunt 2. they still talk on the phone a few times a week, over trivial daily things. they love each other, but often get mad at each other over some use of words. well this seems to have been a pattern for them for the past 60 odd years, haha. from my aunt i learnt more about my mum, how she need not do any house chores because she was sick as a kid, how she used to (and still do) linger on the streets til late night and never wanna go home, how she took my aunt along on her dates and taught her to order the expensive items on the menu, how she always think she is more beautiful and younger-looking .... these all cracks me up.

my sister and i grew up rather independently. all memories seem to be dating back to primary school, when we went to school together and was sharing a room. since we moved to sydney, we have grown apart, blame it on the big house, haha, whatever. still those memories were good.

my sister has a baby boy now. i have promised to take him hiking, since she is afraid of the sun. i will tell him about his mum, just like how my aunt told us our mum's story ....

0716 - montreal with aunt & uncle 2

2009-07-25T16:39:00.000-07:00

my aunt & uncle have moved to montreal for 13 years. i never really found out the exact reasons, but i guess god brought them there, for they are there to run a church which serves the chinese community.

i moved to sydney as a kid, and have always been looking at the benefits of immigration from the kids' perspective - how it gives kids a much wider exposure in life, being multi-lingual ... etc.

in montreal this time, i learn immigration from the perspective of parents, strangely, for the first time.

what kind of courage was needed to start all over again at mid-age? to get off a plane from sunny 20C hong kong into -40C snowstorm? to leave family whom you can speak your mind, to land into a community where all speaks french?

like many chinese parents, the courage came from the hope of a better future for their kids. and as kids like us reap the benefit of it all, we often mock about how our parents aren't trying hard enough to fit into the community, and are never thankful enough for what we put them through.

i really don't know how they did it, but my aunt & uncle have long gone from puzzle to pleasure. they take walks in parks over a cup of tim hortons coffee, they sizzle up a BBQ at their little balcony over sunset, they take the snowstorms in winter as just a tiny piece of cake, they miss their little girl but give full respect for her wish to take on her own life living miles apart in japan ...

as stylish as it sounds, none of it was dropped down from heaven for free. it was all well-earned.

is this what you call "aging with grace"? a much-respected couple indeed.

thanks for such a lovely time we shared.

0715 - babies

2009-07-17T20:02:00.000-07:00

the 2 great fds i visited are both taking care of young babies. being with them almost all day was invaluable. how can babies fall asleep while half-eating a pretz stick? how does water melons taste to them? how do they develop their love & hate of things? how do they interact with adults without words?

are there answers to these? can i handle it too?

0714- LA: re-living high school days

2009-07-17T19:08:00.000-07:00

in LA, i stayed with my high school friend fifi. we met 20+ yrs ago, and were the only chinese girls in our form in high school. over the years, we have both left sydney. we have met up in cities like hong kong, taipei, tokyo, london, and now LA. in fact, the last time i was in LA, which was 19 years ago, was a trip with the school, and she was there as well. so it feels quite magical to be here again, with her.

catching-up is the main purpose of the trip. we just talked non-stop. topics can easily cover people varying from my mum to our common friends to interesting people we've met over time.

but this time, i found more catching-up - those of high school days. the first thing we did was to go see a johnny depp movie - we had fallen in love with him since high school (21 jump st!). we drank soda the size of pop-corn cups. we ate fattening hotdogs, double burgers and burritos. we went on a warner bros studio tour and got on the old set of FRIENDS (OMG central perk!). we went on the hollywood boulevard and tried to spot our fave celebs. we spilt coffee all over the car....

there were incidents in life that i had totally forgotten, yet fifi brought them up in our conversations. was i ever the bold girl who always caught the train to the city by myself on weekends? who won a scholarship to japan at 16? who directed a deodorant commercial for uni project? who has been freed by my parents since i knew how to walk?

20 yrs! how could all these time passed at a blink?! it brings some tears to my eyes, happy tears for such blessed lives we've had, and for all that we've accomplished.

thank you fifi, for re-living high school with me for one day.

0710 - BC victoria

2009-07-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

it's a just-the-2-of-us day and our destination is victoria, an island city 1.5-hr ferry ride away from vancouver. it's suppose to be the port with earliest settlement of the english people along the west coast of canada in the 1800s. hence the name victoria (era), and the victorian style architecture are in sight everywhere we go.

not to ruin the picturesque city by words, i will let the photos do the talking :)

0708-0709 - belief

2009-07-11T08:35:00.001-07:00

as said there's a sudden turn of weather in vancouver, and even the forecast was not so optimistic. as lululu & matt has booked us a little road-trip to the winery region okanagan, everyone's been kinda worried.

i somehow had this belief that things would turn out fine. of cos i m no god, but what can be ruined if friends & family can meet even when we live miles apart? during our 4-hr drive, there's been heavy rain, lighter rains, leaks of sunlight from the thick clouds, then heavy rain again ... and the moment we got off our cars, mr sunshine is there for us! if it hadn't been for the rain to chill a bit of the heat, the winery region might be too hot to dine outdoors!

another pleasant surprise is the people mix. my cousin mel who also lives in vancouver has decided to join us for the trip. when strangers meet, sparks ain't guaranteed. but god's little work must be at the backstage somewhere. 'cos mel, who is a nurse, has just been transferred to working at the maternity ward for the past few months. and lululu is a mother with a new-born baby! with these 2 experts coming from different ends, i hv been blessed with a chance to speed-learn on pregnancy & motherhood & the healthcare systems across different countries of the world!

on our drive back, it started raining again, but we could see sunlight in the far distance. and after a few miles of driving, there was a stunning scene - 2 rainbows cutting through the highland mountains - which ends our roadtrip beautifully ...

0707- vancouver

2009-07-11T07:43:00.000-07:00

after the mid-west, it's the west coast - 1st stop VANCOUVER! renowned for its great weather, i was so looking forward to wearing shorts & flip-flops, but we were greeted with rain & chill & 12C .... apparently it was still 30C the previous day!

nevermind the weather, this trip is all about people. it's the same couple, lululu & matt, who gifted me the reason to visit vancouver 3 years ago - i was honoured to be the bridesmaid for their wedding. this time i can't wait to meet their 8-mth old handsome creature - baby ethan (and in return, show-off my new handsome creature, uncle panda :p)

lululu has been keeping a blog on homecooking for the past years, so we were really looking forward to gaining a few pounds. as it turns out, we might need to shop for all new clothes in even bigger sizes, 'cos even matt is another magician in the kitchen. so we'd been having full breakfast in mornings. and home-made dinner would have signature dishes of 5-star restaurants like beef carpaccio and short rips! for BBQ the couple have all these tricks to making even the best meat taste like heaven. and i have not mentioned dessert and snacks yet!

chats & laughters are the best companion for great food, and there has been plenty. so i guess the weight-gain is just so happily inevitable .... thank you lululu & matt :)

0705 - family portrait

2009-07-05T17:51:00.000-07:00

family holiday can't be complete without a family portrait! given that it is virtually impossible to get baby gemma into a steady state while awake, we have decided to do it while she is asleep :p

it's our last day here in indy. we can't really picture what life will be like when we gather again next time. so we are grateful for the chance to spend time together - hunting for that extra 30% discount in GAP from one mall to another; eating out a KFC family meal in less than 10 minutes; gossiping about the hk entertainment scene; walking on fresh green grass; singing and dancing to the crying baby ... so until next time, take care and miss you all!

0704 - independence day

2009-07-04T18:39:00.000-07:00

4th of july is independence day, aka the national day of the USA. from a week ago when i arrived, i started seeing homes decorated with US flags. and at night, there would be bomb sounds in the neighbourhood - which soon i found out being household fireworks! wow! it does feel very much like chinese new year many years back ...

then i started noticing US flags in all sorts of designs. the bow design is especially cute. and the fireworks - they come in GIANT packs again, each pack costing some USD200! though expensive, when i see kids in the neighbourhood gathering around to light up the fireworks, and when i get to experience fireworks so up-close-and-personal, the celebration is very much in the air.

it kinda triggers me to compare 1st of july and 1st of october in hk - when can we really celebrate as part of a nation, and not ride on the days as chances to complain about the government and the chinese-national identity crisis?

0702 - gigantic supermarkets

2009-07-03T12:44:00.000-07:00

one thing i hv been doing everyday with the family is to go shopping in supermarkets, or should i say mega-markets or giant markets. one thing about the US is the size of things - it is all a cycle really. you have giant supermarkets selling giant pack food, then food are served in giant proportions, so you end up with giant-size people.

back to supermarket shopping ... it is very tiring, 'cos the shop size is so huge, you have to walk at least 2 minutes to get to the right aisle for the right stuff. and you end up spending a lot of time inside, 'cos there are unlimited free tasting of almost everything - again, even free tasting are served in giant sizes! my gang got this turkey burger in 1/4 size of a normal burger, coffee size of a starbucks tall, 1/8 portion of a steak, and endless stream of fruit, snacks & drinks.

well everyone was happy, esp my mother-in-law who insists that we try every single item. so don't blame me for my big tummy :)

0701 - the tennis bear

2009-07-02T14:37:00.000-07:00

an interesting observation i hv this time in the US - you either see people who are severely over-weight, or you see people of all ages active in exercising. as it doesn't turn dark til 10pm, from our patio we'd see endless stream of people exercising every evening - couples walking their dogs, singles jogging with their iPods, or people simply taking night walks.

if our dinner finishes early, we'd take night walks around the neighbourhood too. but one other exercise we love most is to play a daily hour of tennis. there is an open-to-all tennis court at this village, so we'd just walk across and hit our heads off.

mike's my best tennis mate. to compliment his commitment to playing tennis, he has been rewarded with this polo tennis bear tee. he's loving it :)

0630 - lunch outing with baby gemma

2009-07-01T08:48:00.000-07:00

in just a few months i hv become, first 姨媽 with the birth of my sister's son brandon, then 舅母 with the birth of michael's sister's little girl gemma. personally i hesitate a bit with the title of 姨媽, it just sounds older. and here i m in indianapolis to try to be a 舅母 and see if it feels any younger :)

the routine for this week is to take baby gemma out with us for lunch to different places, so she can get to see & feel more of this world.

according to the mother, this little creature is typed "active baby", as she is always very restless. she wakes up around 5am, afternoon nap will only last around 1 hr, then she doesn't sleep until 1am! and during her waking hours, she demands to be carried AND walked around 80% of the time. against her will, the scream will start. and once her wish is granted, the fake cry stops right away and you can see that "winner" look in her eyes. no kidding! we gather that maybe she is born to a genius dad who finishes uni at 15 and PhD at 25. so the brainwork just starts a bit earlier than most of us.

but she does enligthen everyone's lives, esp that of her grandparents. so 芝麻小姐, you win!

0629 - 1st sunny day in indianapolis

2009-06-30T05:16:00.000-07:00

jet-lag did not really bother me this time - as i had a whole night's full of sleep from 12-6am! i think a night in tokyo really helped...

it is a bright sunny day here in indianapolis. perfect cloudless blue sky, a bit windy to offset the sweat. i would stand in the patio and imagine i m a yoga master ... inhale .... exhale ....

and my father-in-law did great with the backyard! seeds were sowned years back, and every year when he comes there are new surprises. there are 魚鰭瓜，青豆，油墨菜 ... and there is a big ranch of lily in different colors!

and a new addition to his collection of fun would be 芝麻 - the family's new-born grand-daughter (nicknamed from her name Gemma, which is too hard for parents ...). a smart 2-mth old, whose big eyes are always in search of new adventures. lovely creature and centre of everyone's lives practically!

0628 - 10 hrs in tokyo

2009-06-29T04:51:00.001-07:00

due to transit, i need to (and very happy to) stay in tokyo for 1 night.

as time is short, i have chosen to stay in narita area, which is the town closest to the airport. technically it is chiba, not tokyo. and when i get to walk around the town, it feels so much like the rural small towns!

i had 4 hrs in the morning before heading to the airport again, so i started my morning walk around the JR stn. since i saw many local tourists walking in the same direction, i simply followed them. small shops along the way .... then after 45mins there was this huge temple! no wonder!

most impressive thing was, this town is somehow famous for UNAGI. it's the first time i see& eat live processing of eels. personally i m never a big fan of eels, but hey, it melts in your mouth!

0627 － ANA NH919 HKG-TOKYO

2009-06-29T04:21:00.000-07:00

this is the 2nd time i fly on ANA. the memory from years before hasn't changed - still a full plane of japanese and not a single sight of Chinese! that's why i called it and still call it 偷情快線！

watched [last chance harvey] - i must say all these airplane VOD now carry very impressive movie line-ups! here we are 2 actors that can totally take over the whole movie with just great lines! i read somewhere which compared this movie to [before sunrise] - a senior version. i don't quite relate the 20s romance to the senior type. maybe i will watch it again when i m 50 ....