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!!!!

Unmasking the Truth

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 94

Came across this ad-hoc experiment where someone decided to test out a series of face masks to check for their permeability.   Some water...food coloring...  some glasses... a bunch of masks and voila.... 

And the results are in!!!!  As expected... that one country that makes a lot of cheap and fake stuff.... FAILED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Right away... the floodgates were opened.  Wasn't even worth a sneeze.  (get it?) 

The next one to fail... surprisingly... is a neighbor of that country.  The result.... how shall I say it... crash landed on me!!! (heh... )

For more results... go run your own experiment.  Back to you regularly scheduled program.  

天使就在人間

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 93

I have a dear, dear sister who shall remain nameless.  But she is truly an angel.  The things she's done over the years... behind the scenes... out of love... is truly admirable.  She is one of the sweetest... nicest... *prettiest* and downright "I can't stand you for being so perfect!" kind of person.  She comes across as being very quiet... but she's one of the most outgoing person in the world.  She comes across as being shy... but she lights up any room and any party.  You think she's going to zig...and she'll probably zag.  It's not like she's solving poverty or finding the cure for cancer.  But it's her consistent selflessness and small acts of kindness.  And today... I was one of the many recipients of her act of love and kindness.  Ohhhhh CMC... can't you pass on some of yourself to the rest of the world??? We sorely need it right now. 

A simple ornament

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 92

Annual tradition of busting out and trim the 7 feet Costco tree. 

.  

Had the idea of reusing a bunch of toilet paper tubes to make little ornaments... or maybe create a garland. 

  

Then had the idea of decorating each one of them. One thing led to another... and BOOM.... 

We each created three.... and here's the final 12. 

A slew of animals...  

SW celebrated 2020 with Among Us

The flag of Greece...for the trip that never happened... 

Multiple Beyblade tournaments (Hot Salamander and Leopard) and NN's 10 minute mile

Joyce commemorated several of our trips to the beach....

And celebrated the many nights of homemade pizza...and air fried chicken wings... 

A pretty creative and touching gesture... I think.  Was pretty proud of the creative juices from the family... and when I shared it... someone said... "咁慳錢呀, 爸B."  To which I answered... "超！"

Legend of the 5 Kernels

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 91

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” ~1 Thes 5:16-18

大舅父

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 90

"舅父 stopped breathing..."

And text by text... scene by scene... we got updates from HK...

and shortly thereafter....

"我們父親已經上了天堂與阿嫲和母親一起..."

In my mind... I only have 4 uncles in this world. And he’s easily my favorite one. His determination in life.. his goal... his heart. I didn't know him well. But he was and forever will be my 大舅父. He's in a much better place...

God's Timing

 COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 89

PAL and Amy paid a visit to dad up in the city today... part of our Thanksgiving Gift Package ministry but also as a means of following up with dad after the past several months of bible study and evangelism class.  Dad... in his old self.. bought a chicken and some pastries for PAL.  And PAL, under my advisement, got some pineapple buns and cocktail buns for dad.  Old fashion visitation...but that's who dad is.

Guess who comes strolling by while they were chit-chatting on the streets???  

Mom.  HA!!! Huda thunk.... 

偶然遇上的驚喜

COVID19 - School Closure - Day 157  School Reopens - Day 88

Part 2 of our church's Love Box distribution and I was headed up to the city for my two targets and mom and dad.  The night before... I call dad and ask him if he needs anything... toilet paper... meat... etc... And not surprisingly...he says "Nah... I'm good."  But surprisingly.. he says, "你只要帶比我愛." Dad is not the sentimental type... and in almost 40 years of my cognitive being... he's never said anything like that.

After our mission was done...and we were heading home... Get a text from Keno that Stella's mom also accepted Christ!! PTL!!  Years of prayer... and all it took was a simple question.  "易過食生菜" as Keno describes it.  I quickly congratulated Stella...who was Facetiming with Siu during the Repentance Prayer... and she was so emotional... tears of joy flooded her.  I know that feeling too well.  Too too well... 

Thank you Jesus!!