Looking back at 2020

As if God is playing a joke on us... 2020 is the year we look back and it's the exact year where we don't want to say "hindsight is 20/20."  A year we wish to never relive for the rest of our life time, or the life times of forever more.  Any normal year... I would say that 2020 is an election year... an Olympics year. The start of a new year... the beginning of a new decade.  A year of canceling, a year where Black Lives Matter (All Lives Matter).  A year of record breaking election turnout.  A year of untimely deaths.  A year where we truly felt the Wrath of God. Like any "Year in Review" and "Looking back..." posts... I start by reading my own blog and news outlets' year in Reviews.  

2020 kicked off with the "Wuhan Virus" when so many people initially wrote it off as "just another flu."  I still remember that one Prayer Meeting where PAL was fearful of going back to Hong Kong for his Dad's funeral. It led to some of our friends arguing amongst their marriages about over worrying and that the CDC will take care of it.  I even reprimanded PAL by saying, "草木皆兵" when he asked about CNY.  It was the year where we had a ton of infighting at work... but eventually capitulating when, ironically, it was the cancelling of March Madness, where reality finally set in.  

2020 was the year where Black Lives Mattered... to a point where the Washington Football Team and the Cleveland Baseball Team finally chose to rename their sports franchises - something I never expected to see in my lifetime.  It was a year of political [mis-]handling: DACA, trade with China, government firings, an impeachment that was never going to happen, deaths of John Lewis and RBG and ultimately the election.  A year where my worst sports nightmare all happened... when the Lakers and Dodgers both claimed their respective championships.  A year marred by natural disasters through hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes... and was spiked out when the Bay Area skies rang orange for 3 full days.  2020...was truly a year we'd love to forget, but is a year we'll forever remember.  

To continue the tradition... here are my top (and bottom) moments of 2020.  And with so much happening this year...  here are my top 11.... in reverse order.

11) Funerals Galore - The new reality is setting in.  We had the wedding phase.  Then the newborn phase.  Countless birthday parties. We're now approaching the funeral phase.  Frankie's dad. 凌太. Carlo. Seth's dad.  阿婆. 大舅父.  And for all those who died from the coronavirus or a cop shooting.  RIP. 

10) Paul's Life and Letters - 1.5 years of studying the Letters of Paul, including Acts. This revealed to me a whole new dimension of the bible, of God, and it brought me ohhhhh so much closer to my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ. (SC, KK, GN, ML). "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith" ~2 Tim 4:7

9) Super Bowl LIV - that forgetful Sunday night when I drove around 280 and 85 for 3 numbing hours.  And it all came down to 3rd and 15.  FUCK!!!!!!!  

8) Dinner with Dad - back in January where I went out to SF to celebrate Dad's bday, originally at HOPR, but eventually at Harris.  An unforgettable night of sharing and fine dining.  The moment that tops this evening is when dad shared, from the bottom of his heart, how he truly was scarred as a child and started to weep. I tried (and failed) to give my dad a hug that he so desperately needs.

7) Presidential Election - The night of November 3rd will live in infamy where we watched, state by state, the color turning red.  But the analyst kept on insisting that the votes have not all been counted and it's still too early to call.  The days and nights that followed where we kept watching and hoping. The day, when the states fully declared that Biden is now the president.  And to this day... that @$$hole is still not conceding.  No matter how good (or bad) these 4 years have been... I firmly believe... the next 4 years will be better. 

6) Friday the 13th - that fateful day when we received an email from Heritage that they were going to shutdown school for the foreseeable future.  The day that resulted in spreeing to Lunardi's to get whatever was left of the meat at the deli.  The day that ignited dining table Ping Pong, garage HIIT, reestablishing the Leung Family Altar, revitalizing badminton, creating the Leung's Garden, and allowing the family to polish off Series after Series like Perfect Strangers, Full House, Fuller House, Crash Landing on You, Prince of Tennis, 回到三國 and 使徒行者. 

5) Let it rip!!!- after months and months of deliberating, we finally bought SW Minecraft.  And it opened so many doors for him and his friends.  Not to mention that countless times we had Pokemon tournaments, Beyblades tournaments, Super Smash tournaments.  But none which comes close to Siu Wah and me going on that 3 hour car ride where he famously says "Before Google Hangout...those were the good old days."

4) Coming of Age - With the onset of puberty and Crimson Tide.  I can't neglect those initial days of Shelter in Place where there were countless shouting matches between Mommy and Nui-Nui.  And the days where we prepped for her admission to TKA.  Or the days where she would just hide in her room... Hanging Out with her friends.  None could top those moments... where I ran along side by her... and she was about to give up.... I reached out to grab her hand, hoping to provide one last ounce of energy.  And at the end... choosing to let go to let her sprint to her finish line.

3) Apocalyptic Shopping - the one night, before SIP was officially announced, Joyce and I dropped the kids of at Awana and we made a run at Costco and Smart & Final.  We bump into a dad who was getting diapers...he looked at our cart and smiled, "Apocalyptic Shopping, eh??" The coming months... where we were able to walk side by side through this apocalypse together.  Who else would I want by my side?

2) Mom's adventures back to HK - "This is the bed bug thing, all over again" said Big Bro.  When we found out that 大舅父 was on his last breath... we did everything in our power to ensure she was able to see him one last time.  The plane ticket.  The hotel.  The 3 day COVID tests.  It was all worth it...the day she sent a pic of her, Maria and 大舅父 at Wah Fu.  There are some things you can take for granted.  But 親情 can never be replaced.

1) Dad accepting Christ - that fateful day when I got a text from PAL.... 

Your dad accepted Christ today.  I led him through repentance prayer.  He followed the prayer word for word!

And if it took a pandemic for all that to happen.... keep it coming...? Maybe...?

Obsession 2.0

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 119

For a good two hours... I sat in my garage untangling all of my Christmas lights.  (Brings back fond memories of "Obsession.")  These include the ones I just took down...as well as lights that I've had stored up in boxes from years and years.  At the end of those 2 hours...  was gonna toss the lights that don't work anymore.  Then I 心血來潮 wanted to fix all the lights.  

Started testing each bulb with a known working bulb to see if there's a hidden Open anywhere.  But this isn't the 1960's when the Christmas lights are in series.  Instead, I carefully inspected each and every string... and lo and behold... 90% of the Opens were from bulbs that literally broke off, but their stem was still in the sockets.  Easy-peesy, lemon-squeezy.  The last 10% that wasn't a broken bulb but was a broken wire.  So I busted out some of my Masters of Electrical Engineering skills (heh)... stripped the wire casing and connected them back to together.  BOOM!! The final strand of light fixed. 

Number of hours spent... 3.5.

Number of lights thrown away... zilch.  慳返唔小!

Life is good!! 

有位就擺

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 118

Pet Peeve #239.... 見有位就擺.  (Hmm... not kidding.  Maybe I should make a list of my PP's).

The other day... we went biking as a family.  I pick up the garage door opener from the shelf - the same spot that it sits on.  It knows no other spot.  It's been sitting there since who knows when.  When we're done... I'm the last to come back into the house.  I walk over and try to return the garage door opener to it's rightful spot... when I see a pair of sunglasses there.  Dude!!! The sunglasses don't belong there.  Just because there's an open spot doesn't mean you can take it!

Our garage is a warzone.  We buy so much stuff in bulk.  I spend so much time organizing and putting things into their right shelves.  The pasta shelf.  The snack shelf.  The canned food shelf.  It takes time to clear up floor space so there's room to walk and park our car and bikes.  But every time some space opens up... it gets taken over and gets randomly occupied.  

Just because there is a free spot... doesn't mean you can just place the chicken stock there.  There's a chicken stock shelf!!!  Just because there is a free spot... doesn't mean you should place a box of 6 handsoap dispensers.  Put that in the bathroom, please. We buy 2 more bags of rice because our SIP inventory is running low.  Where does it end up... tripping me on my way out to do laundry.  I pick up the rice and attempt to put it the bottom shelf, where it belongs and what do I find in that shelf?? A giant pack of pasta... that I knew we bought...but didn't know where it went.  Of course the pasta is there,.. there was probably a gaping hole. 

Heh... maybe someone has a similar list of Pet Peeves... and #239 is "when people are obsessed with organization and order."

An echo of myself...

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 115

I love singing. I love whistling. I love humming.  I don't care who's around me... I do it cuz I love it.

Well.. if there's one gene that NN got from me... it's the singing gene.  And in recent months...she's really started to sing... all the time...ALLLLLL THEEEEE FRIIIIIIGGGGGGIIIINNNN TIIIIIIME!!!!

It's not like she's bad... but she really isn't that good.  And there are times when I just wanna tell her.... y'know... put a sock in it.  I've suggested that we get her vocal lessons.  So she can master her interest. I've told her to stop singing because she'll lose her voice again.  While we're playing Super Smash Brothers and she's belting out Hamilton... I shush her cuz I need to concentrate.  Heh... 

And as they open their Christmas presents... each person getting a bluetooth karaoke mic... who ends up playing with it the entire night???

"如珠 如寶 如C3PO 每日效勞 望到 卻觸不到..."

天堂的敬拜

 COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 113

Had the honor of leading TWA the Sunday before Christmas today. Part of leading a group devotion over Zoom is dealing with the grand spread of age-range and grander spread of technology saviness.  For 10 months, we've been dealing with and continue to live with folks who don't know how to mute themselves. 

And on this day...as I was playing 平安 on youtube.. one of the seniors unassumingly sang along unmuted.  One would think it's goofy or funny or a little inconsiderate perhaps?  We didn't have co-host rights so there was nothing we can do short of telling folks to go on mute.  About halfway through the song.. a few other brothers and sisters also unmuted themselves and worshiped together.  Sure, it was ill-timed.  They didn't know the song well.  Nor was it sung in unison. But to have a church family come together to worship our Lord... that.... is what devotion time is all about.

After the song ended and we came off mute... I was so moved and choked up I can barely muster the final words to end the morning.  Thank you Jesus...for such a wonderful Time with Abba.

普天同慶聖誕夜

 COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 112

Another CS Event in the books.  I recommended we do this... PAL bit... but I pulled an immediate bait and switch and opted out of organizing it.  For one... I was really tired of hearing people make all the recommendations but take no action.  But the real reason... I've been running a lot of CS events the past few years and we really needed another set of gigs and gags and not a re-run of what's in my demented mind.

The team of four was amazing.  They really banned together and there was soooo much passion and love that night. So many new concepts and entertainment programs.  Of course... 大家姐 really took the helm and made it her own.  PC did an amazing job producing the event.  And the night truly was about pointing everyone to the true Christmas star of the show - Jesus. 

In the end... PC did bring me back into the team.  You can't replace experience with just creativity and energy alone. I was understandably grateful that the past 2 months, I didn't have to pull too many strings or cash in on any favors.  

The one thing I can't get over though is... they had 4 people pull this together when I've been doing most everything on my own.  And when I say four... the most important person I miss in all my events... came into light when C-lai Chan was right by PC's side the entire time.  Not only did she construct two of the biggest videos of the evening and pieced together heavenly worship from all walks of life... but how she was literally by his side in all the meetings, all the rehearsals and throughout the evening.

How I long for Joyce to serve by my side.... 

When life passes you by....

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 109

Never once did I expect this to happen to me.  Not me.  But today... I forgot {{someone's}} birthday.  Just yesterday... I was talking about princess cake.  But at the stroke of midnight...and throughout the day... It simply slipped my mind.  It wasn't until evening... when I was about to turn in... that I stopped to take a breath and realized..... Ohhhhhhh Emmmmm Geeeeeee..... and by that time.... it was too late.  23 hours have already past by.  My last stroke of goodwill.... was to wish {{someone}} a happy birthday via text.  Ugh.... I never thought I'd be "that person."  But today.... I am.  

Second Fiddle

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 106

By the fact I'm the 2nd born... I've always played second fiddle.  I was always known as "Vito's little brother."  But he's never called "Henry's older brother."  

When we were small... he would always be the main character and I'm the sidekick.  He'll be Batman.  I'll be Robin.  He'll be Sherlock.  I'll be Watson.  He'll be He-Man and I'll be Orko... Man at Arms... Stratos.  Anyone but He-Man.  And if there wasn't a clear side kick... I'll be the villain.  He'll be Prime.  I'll be Megatron.  He'll be Lion-O.  I'll be Mum-Ra.  It was almost a law of nature.  A rule of the household. 

In a way... I didn't mind.  I knew my place.  He indeed does outshine me in so many ways.  And I'm willing and very comfortable being in my #2 spot.  Riker to his Picard. Poseidon to Zeus. 北霸王 to 救世者 (not 救世主!! chillout!!) 

Even when we went to school.... Sts. Peter and Paul.  And it comes down to finding a patron saint... he has to pick Peter.  The so-called greatest of all apostles.  The first pope.  The rock.  The one who will stand at the white pearly gates.  The one who holds the keys to the gates of heaven.  Big bro gets first billing.  

And me... I'm of course left with Paul.  Not that I picked him... but Paul was what's leftover.  But by default... I'm stuck with him.  Who is Paul?? 

Well well well....  He's the massacre.  The hypocritical pharisee.  He's the one that Christians fear and who the Romans hate.  He's the scumbag of scumbags.  Peter holds the keys... Paul holds a freakin SWORD!!!  Peter wrote 2 letters in the New Testament.  Paul wrote nearly the entire New Testament.  Peter was Jesus' favorite?? No way....that was John!!! Peter spent 3 years with Jesus?? Paul spent 13!!!!  In Acts... when Peter was afraid of the Gentiles... Paul schools him.  And when the time comes for the church to reward Paul... does he stand still to accept it and glorify himself??? Nope.... the greatest glory is for Paul to get onto his next missionary trip.  Screw the formalities of being the first pope and the holy see.  Who cares if the basilica at the Vatican is named after you.  Who did more for the world?? Peter or Paul??  

As we graduated from Paul's Life and Letters today... I came to 3 resounding facts.

1) For the rest of my life... I will always remember that Paul was a tentmaker.

2) Some people like naming their kids after biblical characters.  Our church as a ton of Hannah's and Daniel's and Samuel's.  If I were to have kids again... I would consider naming them Priscilla and Aquila. (亚居拉和百基拉)

3) And I think Peter pens it best.... even he gives props to Paul.  

He (Paul) writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction. 2 Peter 3:16

So I think... that as Peter gets all the limelight that Paul deserves... I'm so much like Paul that, I don't give a d@mn.  I just wanna go do my thing.... you can keep your limelight.  

Heh... and the irony of all of this.  Paul isn't even my patron saint.   

Legend of the 5 Articles of Clothing

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 105

Felt the need to clean out our wardrobe and dressers today.  

I combed through my dresser... which wasn't much to begin with.  But I squeezed water out of a dry towel and found 4 undershirts that's at least 10 years old and 1 pair of PJ's that's so loose it can fit two people.  5 articles of clothing. 

On the other hand... I emptied Joyce's dresser and wardrobe... dumping everything on the floor.  Things I've never seen her wear.  Things with tags still on them.  I was hoping to help her reorganize and sort things out.  One by one...she puts everything... EVERYTHING back in the closet and dresser.... sans 5 articles of clothing.  

And that... is the Legend of the 5 Articles of Clothing. 

再會了

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 104

After how many years....? When I pulled out my wallet and stuff started flying out... I knew it was finally time to say good bye to my trusted wallet. 再會了好友. 

 

畫出彩虹

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 103

One first recollection of encountering comic books is 老夫子.  Sometime in between 1st and 2nd grade... I remember mom buying us a Garfield comic book from the North Beach Safeway.  I still remember it being issue #10, with a white cover.  (thank you Mom....😢).  As we grew up... aside from the newspaper comic section... I shied away from comics because I thought it was "bad."  Occasionally I would dabble in it with an issue of X-men here or Secret Wars there.  

The in 6th grade... Jademan Comics changed my life.  Tony Wong revolutionized the comic industry (sorta) by translating Hong Kong comics into English and opening an international market.  I still remember the first issue I bought was Drunken Fist #16.  Then I went back and got every issue I can find.  That was about the same time I made that huge step... and started reading 港漫 in Chinese.  I vividly remember that day when I was in my kitchen in 1090.... and I had mom read me that one specific issue of 醉拳.  It was the story of 天殘腳 and as she was reading it... I came to the realization... "CRAP!! I know the characters!! I can read this myself!!!"

That catapulted me into a whole new world of comic books.  醉拳，如來神掌，龍虎門，中華英雄，街霸，天下，海虎。 If people ask me how my Chinese is so good.... the foundation is St. Mary's... the dialogue is TVB.... the writing is 港漫.  Before you knew it... I started drawing comics. I mean... who doesn't doodle.  Stick figures. Evil Teachers. Portraits of the girl you have a crush on.  There was a time when we even created our own comic books! We were so into it... dad even helped us inquire how to get into the field (thank you Dad....😢).

Over the years... the interest has waned mainly due to life getting in the way and the reality that comics doesn't pack your fridge.  That is... until the need arised at work where they needed an illustrator for my department newsletter.  

No... this isn't 拳風腳影 or 問誰領風騷.  This is more along the lines of 老夫子.... this is.... 怎去猜想這夢會變真?? 

And what's more important... I did the drawing.  And I had NN do the coloring.  So her DNA is now forever part of LM.  

使徒行者

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 100

Haven't binged on anything since 回到三國.... and as I was perusing for Chinese movies to watch on Family Movie night... I realized that 使徒行者 is both a TVB series and multiple movies.  This franchise is a force to be reckoned with.

The series is 31 episodes long...but it easily could've ended in 20. The other night... I was watching it... and waiting for the twist... and OMG... there are so many plot holes.  To a point where I had trouble falling asleep. To a point....where I dreamt of a resolution to the plot hole!! In my dream... I explained everything.  Heh... that's when you know you've 走火入魔'ed.  

It was cool though...especially the part when 楊康 and 完顏雄烈 had a series defining dialogue.  Heh... some things just never leave you.  

It didn't use to be like this...

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 98

Was playing badminton today... and I heard my knee pop. So right now.. I'm tiger balming my shoulder AND my knee. My shoulder has been giving me grief for a few weeks now. Is it a rotator cuff? Is it tendonitis? Is it overexertion from badminton? Or beyblades? Or ergonomics? Or all of the above?

One cool thing is... now that my right arm hurts so much... I have to train myself to play badminton lefthanded.  It was goofy...clumsy...downright embarrassing.  Like learning to walk again... couldn't even do the basics.  Part of getting old... and getting in front of getting old.  Sigh... it didn't use to be like this. 

But the past few days... I've been making some big strides.  Y'know how they say when you lose one of your senses, your other senses automatically become more sensitive? Like when you cover your eyes, you have dog ears all of a sudden.  When I lost my right arm... and couldn't rely on my muscle memory and / or any hidden tricks I've developed... I'm forcing my brain to go back to the basics.  And amazingly... my returns and digs are far surpassing how I would play right-handed.  

Re-wiring your brain.  

It's back!!!!

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 96

Don't know what kind of meat it is... but take it for what it's worth... Welcome back McRib!!! Nom nom nom!!!!