Kids say the darndest things

At school pickup yesterday... Joshua's friend saw Joyce and asked him, "You have two older sisters??" 

Man... that's my line!! Hehehe... someone was so happy the rest of the day. 

She didn't need me...

Got an email from the Jr. High Musical Director:

"Great job everyone on auditions! We would like to see the following students for callbacks:"

And NN was part of the call back.  She screamed when she saw the email.  Still remember the pain and sorrow we went through last year.  This year... she tried to play it off.  When she finally asked me for some advice... I gave her two earfuls.  But in the end... she did what she wanted to do... got the callback... and didn't need me afterall.  HA!  

No Mercy... comes with a price

Played Monopoly with SW last night.  He was buying up all these properties... and I kept on getting Chance and Community Chest.  After a few rounds, I managed to get one full monopoly and a street for every color, thereby, preventing him from getting a monopoly.  I refused to trade him thinking in the back of my mind... this is a learning opportunity for him.  "You can have all the land... but you still need a monopoly go have a chance to win." 

He landed on Vermont with 4 houses and having to pay $600... he forfeited.  And he was fighting back tears... saying how "unfair" I was.  Then he threatened... the next time the tables are turned... he too will show no mercy.  Not the learning opportunity I wanted him to have.  Aye.... 

STRIKE FIRST!! STRIKE HARD!! NO MERCY!!

Took all of two weekends.... and we successfully binged Cobra Kai the series. Right on time too... season 5 comes out on Netflix on Friday. 

Karate Kid is so meaningful to me.  Karate Kid II was the first (or 2nd, I don't remember), English movie that I saw in a theater - the North Beach Theater. It was the summer we went to S.M.I.L.E., the summer school program at St. Mary's.  I loved that program...  

The reboot is a farce. It's a parody. But yet... it's so real.  So many misunderstandings. So many learning moments. So many things that make you think, "Man... if I had a rewind, I'd do this...."

Cobra Kai will never win any artistry awards... but it doesn't need to.  It's already won the hearts of tens of thousands of viewers.... who will be by their Netflix apps on Thursday night at 9PM PDT, 12AM EDT... as we embark on "STRIKE FIRST!! STRIKE HARD!! NO MERCY!!"

Last will be first and first will be last...

This morning... I braved the elements and took Siu Han to the DMV to get her Real ID. We scheduled an appointment two weeks ago for 8:10AM and by the time we got there... there were 10 deep for appointments and 10 deep for walk-ins.  At 8AM sharp... the door opens and the walk-ins were given access directly to the service windows while we.. with appointments.. queued up to check in.  There initially were two windows to take care of us... then one of the two windows were given up for "late" walk-ins.  

One at a time... the walk-ins were directed to service windows while we waited in line to get a number to get called. At one point... I wanted to get out of our line and line up in the walk-ins!!

After 15 minutes... we finally get our number.  It's not a long wait... but a wait nonetheless.  We get to our service window and the lady was very understanding.  They probably deal with a lot of translators... and didn't flinch when Siu Han didn't answer any one of their questions.

We filled out the form beforehand so everything went fairly smooth, until it came time for the vision test.  For whatever reason.. the light... the reflection.. the nerves... Siu Han couldn't read the letters.  To a point where our service lady said, "We'll give her the visually assisted test."  Basically, it's looking into a machine at a bunch of well lit letters. She was kind enough to find a Chinese speaking service person... only... he spoke Mandarin and Siu Han only speaks Cantonese.

We were told to wait till the Chinese service man finished up with the lady and she disappeared. Supposedly.. the wait was going to be short.  Only.. the person he was helping had a boat load of issues.  So we stood and waited.... and waited... and waited some more.  At one point.. another DMV service person cut in front of us to test their client.  I was dumbstruck. Why couldn't our service lady cut in front of the person to get tested.  We didn't need that Chinese man.

10 minutes later... we finally get our turn.  And Siu Han barely passes.  Again.. be it nerves...the lighting.. the reflection... she barely passes. I was so scared that they'll send her to get an eye exam and new glasses.  But the dude finally said, "She's borderline... I'll let her go, but get her eyes tested."  

What was suppose to be a 15 minute appointment ended up taking an hour.  Sigh... what can you do?? Well.. if it was my own personal appointment, I would've mades stink.  But alas.. it wasn't.  I wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere.  Siu Han finally finishes her pictures and exams... and off we go. Again... tho... the bible verse comes true... "Last will be first and first will be last..."

I hate lines. 

New Toy

In a surprising turn of events.... a family pings me and offers me an electronic drum set!! The gift I wanted for my birthday (didn't get) and something I wanted from Craigslist used I (couldn't find). 

Since my Hawaii trip... I haven't practiced drums... let alone hit one.  And now... Oh hooo hoooooo!! 

Knocking on your door steps

NN just got back from a school retreat.  The 7th and 8th grade class at TKA went to the Santa Cruz mountains for 3 days and 2 nights.  Friday afternoon... we pick her up and find out.. 2 people tested positive inspite of testing prior to attending. Saturday morning... it doubles to 4 people.  By late afternoon... it's 5.  And the 5th person... we had lunch with!!! Early evening... it's become 8. Late evening... 12.  And that's the people we converse with. Who knows what else is out there.

It's not a matter of "if".... it's a matter of "when."  This time... it's far too close.  Well... not as close as when I got it... but for the sake of being dramatic... 

Be careful what you wish for...

All through life, NN has been an overachiever.  She's adored by her peers and admired by her teachers.  A straight A's student.  A hardworker. Respectful. Leadership.  All things you want in a growing girl.  We've always worried that her success will to get to her head.  So we've kinda... sorta... in a round about way... wanted her to experience some bumps and trips along the way.  Maybe not like... an epic fail.  But get use to life being life.

Last year's audition was rough.  Junior High basketball and volleyball were ground breaking if not earth shattering.  But those were new frontiers.  Today... she officially got her first C in math.  It's just a quiz.  It's just the first quiz.  She'll bounce back.  But ohhhhh.... when she saw her grade... her entire world crumbled. "I hate myself!" "I'm so stupid!" 

Not what I was hoping for when I wished that she might run up against a bit of failure. Aye. 

Shaddap Already!!!!

Went to our first TKA high school football game.  And in the stands was an obnoxious dad who's obviously been there for a many years, since he knows a bunch of people.  He'll be screaming, "GO O!!!" or "Let's go Offense!!!" when the Knights are on offense.  No one does that!! You scream "D-Fence!!" or "Go D!!!" But not the other way around. It's so.... dumb!! 

Then when the other team's on offense... if it's a handoff, he'll yell "RUN!! RUN!! RUN!!"  I initially got confused... "Why's he cheering on the other team's RB to run... run... run...."  Then on pass plays, be it a screen or slant or post... "PASS!! PASS!! PASS!!"As if the crowd doesn't know? Is he trying to alert the players on the field (who can't hear him).  Or did he know I was going to show up today... and he is just trying to annoy me.   

I wanted to walk over there to tell him, "Love your passion.. but shaddap already!!!" 

Birthday Blessings

Aside from the usual birthday blessings I would get in person or via text... while exiting church... a sister walks up and says, "Happy Birthday!" I said... "How'd you know?" She said... "You mentioned it 2 years ago." Wow....

Then while I was picking up dinner for carry out... I started whistling an SOP song.  The clerk immediately said... "I love that Christian song!"  I got my food.. paid... and he said, "Thank you and God bless you."

A Tale of Two Cultures

On Wednesday night's New Parent orientation... I bumped into a bunch of Cantonese speaking parents.  And we unanimously decided to create a Whatsapp group to combat /circumvent / supplement the WeChat group. Truth be told... I'm a Whatsapp fan.  Maybe cuz most of my friends are Hongkongers and won't even install WeChat for philosophical and political reasons.  But after creating this Whatsapp group... I can totally see the limitations.  Better yet... I can see the ever-growing features of WeChat.

After the Whatsapp group was created... I did something I never did in the WeChat group.  I started throwing stuff out there.  Only to be met by.... crickets.  Silence.  No one says a word.  Conversely... over in WeChat... parents are talking about lunch lines... how to use a locker... which combination lock to buy... how to enroll in Google Classroom.... PE clothes.... on and on.... a lot of humdrum, mundane stuff that's actually quite amusing.  

More amazingly... the mom's in this WeChat group will just randomly form a picnic or a lunch Meet-Up... and do something called 接龍。 And it'll catch on... more people will sign up.  Before you know it... there's a dozen people going to lunch together. Or picnic-ing together.  Or hiking together.  Completely, random strangers.  It's amazing.

Cantos? Hongkongers? Good luck. Oh... and the "American" parents.  They're using Shutterfly as a social platform.  Geez.......... how early 2000's.