Sibling Rivalry

Yesterday Nn said something quite astounding. She complained the whole school cheers for SW when he plays four squares. And he gets preferential treatment and always gets to serve. She ended her rant by saying, "個個人鍾意小華多過我。" Wow!! Did I hear that right??  Nn is jealous of her brother's popularity??? 

I guess throughout her first few years at school, she's always been the center of attention. Huda think her first rival.... Would be her sibling!

Under all the hilarity, I'm super pleased that Nn is willing to share her deepest feelings with us. Before I pass any judgement, first and foremost she is open and honest. And I pray this won't change - ever.

Kindergarten

I can't help but admire and boast about SW... and his leaps and bounds in going to school. 

The principal called me aside the other day and said, "I had him in my office for a chat and he spoke so well!  I was surprised!"  Should I be surprised that he spoke so well...? Or should I be surprised he was called into the principal's office?

SW is 5.... the ripe age for kindergarten.  But everyone in his class are almost all redshirts.  So they've either gone to kindergarten twice... or they're at least a year older.  But the kids will still play with SW and not pick on him.  Is it because they think he's cute? Or do they really bond???

SW says he has two best friends.  One of this "best friends" gave him some Pokemon cards... to which we started playing with at home.  Does SW really have a best friend??? In reality... sadly to say... these are his first group of friends aside from the Fellowship kids...and Han Yi. 

SW is reciting nursery rhymes and singing a bunch of English songs.  When did he advance so much???

And yet.... at the Pumpkin Festival today... he was still mistaken for a girl (due to his long hair).  And he was still thought of as being 3 or 4 years old (again, he's 5).

My son..... the happy go lucky guy who's now suddenly the biggest Star Wars and Pokemon fan in the world.

買豬骨

琴日去大華買豬骨煲湯。 個賣肉叔叔話：「又係豬頸骨？」

我問佢：「你認得我？」

佢話：「你個個禮拜都離買豬頸骨㗎啦。」

佩服！欽敬！

"Lord, wash away my iniquities..."

"...and cleanse me from my sins."

Just got done watching "Spotlight", the Hollywood version of how the Boston Globe unleashed the first domino that would cause the entire Catholic Church to nearly crumble in 2002. Rampant sexual abuse and a systematic coverup scandal by the Vatican. 

I was watching... And soon... I found myself crying uncontrollably. Those were kids. That could've been me or big bro... Or any one of our friends growing up.  

And to think... Most of my childhood heroes were priests. My favorite saint Don Bosco, was a priest... I wanted to become a priest.  Ironically... Don Bosco was known for his work with Youths, particularly young boys. Goodness gracious...

And prior to the consecration and communion of every mass.... The priest will our holy water on his hands, like the priests did during biblical times and utter those words, "Lord, wash away my iniquities and cleanse me from my sins...."

First week of school...

Siu Wah officially started school last week.  The night before, a dear sister of mine asked, "Do you think he'll cry?"  It never, ever occurred to me that he will.  Is this 2nd child syndrome? Just cuz NN was always so easy... we automatically think SW will be the same? Or do we know our son well enough where crying just isn't part of his nature?

As expected... he didn't cry.  As expected... he was very quiet.  Not that he doesn't understand, but because he's not confident enough to speak yet. 

When we picked him up on the first day... his teacher and the principal made a bee-line to us to say, "He did great! He understood very well!" 

As the week progressed... we find out from NN that all the older girls are "spying" on him.  I guess he's the "cute" kid.  All the girls like the "cute" kid. 

The principal made a point to mention that "He's so small.... we're all looking out for him." Indeed he is.  He's at least a head shorter than the rest of his classmates. 

First week - a scratched elbow and a bump on his forehead.  The teacher said, "I grew a ton more grey hairs this week than I have over the entire year."  Poor kid... probably too goofy to know that his body is destructible.  That's what happens when you live at home the first 5 years of your life. 

How's dad doing?? I'm doing fine.  He's going through exactly what I went through at Sts. Peter and Paul when I didn't know any English and I was the short, chubby, cute kid. 

How's mom doing?? She's a complete wreck. =)

歲月不饒人

最近發現多咗好多白頭髮，連鬍鬚都是白色的。

嫻姨

Today was Han Yi's last day with us. 5 years. She's been with our family for 5 years. From the day Joyce went back to work after maternity leave to SW entering kindergarten, she's been part of our family. This morning as we were leaving our kids with her for the last time, I can see the tears welling up in her eyes.

This afternoon, I had the fortunate / misfortunate chnace to bid her final farewell.  She sat there... And said, 「五年啦。真係唔捨得。」And the waterworks were turned back on. Amazingly, my eyes were dried. Until....

「嫻姨，我從來都冇當我係雇主你係工人。我只當你都係一個好願意幫我地嘅好朋友。 」


And when I said that.. It suddenly got really dusty in the room.

In our minds, she is our 大恩人。 She took great care of our son. When he did not transition to a bottle from nursing, she spoon fed him milk from a spoon. A three month old!! She spoon fed him milk!! She taught my children how to sing 上海灘。 She turned down multiple more lucrative job offers to stay with us because she would never leave us hanging out to dry. 

She says that she treats us as a younger sibling. But in reality, she is old enough to be our mom.   

天下無不散之宴席。 And this is no exception. 

病咗

由細到大都係抱住佢「慳」字去做人。

我其中最討厭嘅就係浪費食物， 所以就習慣咗每晚食剩嘅餸都用保鮮紙包着擺雪櫃。我最開心的莫過於禮拜六禮拜日晚可以將成個禮拜嘅食物炒成一碟。 最討厭嘅就係清理雪櫃要丟晒成個禮拜啲餸。 

有人話貪就變咗貧。今日我慳變咗病。

尋日食咗上個禮拜買嘅隔夜燒肉同埋隔夜菜， 到晏晝時，我好想咬好頭暈。 

怕怕了。

（真係可以親身體會到一班孕婦需要經歷嘅morning sickness. 真係難為左佢哋）

Ruffled Feathers

Nothing turns me on more than a bargain... nothing pisses me off than someone ripping me off.

Took my car to L**** H****** Honda in Sunnyvale for service.  We've been there for about 5 years since it's convenient.  We know they make a lot of money off of us... but whatever, you get what you pay for.  It's the car service industry.

Yesterday, I get assigned the service agent "Benny."  Who rattles off a bunch of stuff I need. 
I fire back, "I don't want this I don't want that." 
Then he rattles off some technical stuff saying, "You'll probably need this.  I saw your brake fluids, it's green.  It goes from juice to black to green.  And your records show you've never had it.  You pay $129 today.  If you skip it, you'll come back in 3 months and pay $500."

I'm puzzled.  This doesn't sound right... but whatever. 

After a 4 hour wait (which should have been 2 hours, as he promised), I get the car back, pay my bill and ask the cashier to print all my records.  She reluctantly does so... probably cuz she knows someone's about to get into trouble.  I review my records and question "I had a brake service in March 2015, and now I need another one? 
She said she'll get "Benny" for me.

I sit down, start flipping through all my records.  "Benny" finally comes back from his lunch break and asks me what he can help me with.  I show him the record and he immediately says, "I owe you money."  There was no, "What?? Really?" or "Lemme see that."  Almost as if he was ready to admit it... almost as if he knew what he gotten himself into.

I had already paid with a credit card and he said, "Don't worry, I'll take the brake service off."  I asked him, "What about the rest of my payment.  The credit card payment already went through."  He said, "Nah, I'll put it on hold."  I asked, "On hold?? Can you do that?"

Round and round.  He said it was an honest mistake that he missed it.  It was a "new" system. Fine.
Then I quietly asked, "So if you guys did my brake service 16 months ago.. why is the brake fluid so green? Your service must suck!"  He didn't answer, or couldn't answer.  He said... "Ok, I'll give you everything at cost."

He goes through screen by screen like a virtuosi with his piano. This wasn't a new system. He knew exactly what he was doing. 

I questioned every step of what he was doing.  Scrutinized his every click and every letter typed.  He was either embarrassed, pissed, or both.  I didn't care.  He finally asks, "Is this all you want?"

I thought about it.  His question was very well asked.  He made it sound like he was doing me a favor.  In my mind, I was thinking "lawsuit" and "legal action" and "NBC Investigation." 
I went on to say, I want something in writing that you will "VOID" my previous payment. 
"We can't do that", Benny says. 
Then I say, "Then I want you to sign in blood, in YOUR BLOOD, that if even a penny shows up on my credit card, that you will personally pay me back.  You have zero credibility at this moment. I don't believe a word you say.  I will NEVER come back here and this is the last time I want to see your ugly face." 
Then he gives in, "Fine.  We won't charge you for the other stuff we did today."

We go to the front desk to have the payment reversed.  At the front desk, I asked the cashier, "Wasn't my payment put on hold? That's what "Benny" said.  Why do you need my credit card." 
The cashier gives "Benny" a look, "We don't put anything on hold. The payment has been processed.  We have to reverse it."

"Benny, that's not what you just said. Why do you keep lying to me??"

I finally grabbed my key, took my car, and drove off their lot for the last time. Shame on me for not keeping good records of my car. 

Old Glory

I am an American.  I love my country.  But every 4 years, come Olympics times, I find myself rooting for the country of my roots.

And yet... I dare not raise the flag of my root country outside my home.  Too many misunderstanding.  Too much politics.

So disappointing...

I'm so disappointed in myself.

All week long, I've been looking forward to the Santa Clara County Fair.  After struggling through an entire day of overpriced, undervalued spending... After keeping all those irritating moments of spilling drinks and popcorn... the kids had one of their "best days ever." 

I really wanted the day to end well.  But while we were looking at the pictures on my phone... Nn said something that struck a nerve.  And off I went... I ripped a new one into her and ended up sending her to her room.

What was her "best day ever" will now forever be tainted cuz i couldn't hold my anger in for one brief moment.  I'm so disappointed in myself.  How easy I'm able to hurt my children.... and for such simple and little things too.