First taste

(The background is... after a full season of Jr. High V-ball and Jr. High Hoops... NN has yet to win a game of any kind.) 

A few weeks ago... after a lot of begging and rejection... out of the blue... NN asks me if I really wanted us to play together in our church volleyball league.  I said, "Yes."  And I was already on cloud 9.  To play on the same team as my teenage daughter....?? Hardly any dad gets to say that!!!

Yesterday... she was so stressed... her stress got to me!  We practiced a little on our driveway. And at night... she was so nervous she couldn't sleep.  "I just want to win once!  Maybe just one set. Maybe just to get one serve in."  

I wasn't as hopeful.  Our opponent won last week... against a pretty good team mind you.  They have youth and height.  Our team... had 4 girls.  One is a Jr. Higher... One was so bad in week 1 she quit on the team.  One is a mom with a lot of heart.  And one is a mystery.

Half hour before game time... we find that 2 of the 4 girls can't make it and we only have 5 people.  No worries.  Between me and Wayland... we got this.  When we got there the opposing team's Captain... who happened to be our Young Adult Pastor... said he'll give us his extra player.  SCORE!!!!  A young man with skills... athleticism... and most importantly... what we gain, is what they lose!!!!

From an underdog... down 5 vs 6 players... we're suddenly evened at 4 guys and 2 girls. 6 on 6... GAME ON!!!!  

They had 4 athletic players that's clearly played before.  We have 2 dads in their 40's and 2 young guys with novice experience. And the ladies evened each other out.  

Back and forth.  Back and forth.  We pull ahead... but they come right back.  I get into a serving frenzy... but my heart grows soft and I purposely mess up a serve.  Then we started to pull away. This is happening!!!  We're doing it!!!!  Wayland!!! The Great Wall of China!!! With the block!!! We win game 1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This wasn't time to let up.  It's pedal to the metal. Foot on the throat moment.  When I was serving... I was on a row.  I seriously thought about letting up.  Giving the other team a chance.  Then I thought of NN and how desperately she wanted a win. I kept going and going.  Hard serve after hard serve.  Ace after ace.  After 10 in a row... I gave in.  I served into the net.  Dang it... I made it too obvious.  Everyone knew I gave that up.  

Back and forth... we couldn't put them away.  With every sideout... we got a point.  And our 10 point cushion was enough for. 24:18... Our serve.  All we needed to do was hold serve and the game was ours.  

Sue served.

They passed.  

Good set.

Decent hit.

But we dig.

Bump.

OVER!!!!

Free ball.

Set.

Spike.... but wait.... Wayland jumps!!! THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA!!!!!  Ball hits the ground!!!

VICTORY!!!!!!

FIRST TASTE of VICTORY for NN!!!! NEVER TASTED SO SWEET!!!!!!!!

17th on the 17th

9/17 marks our 17th wedding anniversary. Originally wanted to take Joyce out for a weekend getaway… but alas… so much happening… on top of this vicious cold (Nope! Not COVID) I came down with.

A simple “romantic” dinner. 飯是清淡、但情是濃厚。

Notary Public

Got an email from the housing placement company... yet another hurdle in front of us.  In the midst of this vicious cold (which hit me 10x harder than COVID), they needed a notarized letter.  A notarized WHAT?!?!  Quickly did some research to find out that it's basically paying someone $20 to watch you sign your name... in person.  

Dusted off my old lawyerese writing skills to draft a letter... then searched the entire south bay for a notary public (they're all over the place)... drove through Friday evening rush hour traffic to find a Printing/Mailing/FedEx shop in a strip mall.  Done.

And for that... I got awarded a roast duck! Not bad... at the price of duck these days.  

Until the next hurdle. 

Dubya

It's gotta be at least 15...if not 20 years... since the Leung household brought home a "W" from organized sports. When did I participate in the adult softball league...? the company softball league? or the City Beach Volleyball team??  Doesn't matter... cuz today as we walked off the field at Valley Christian... who is known for owning TKA... we were winners!!  

SW was on cloud nine.  NN had rehearsals and couldn't go...but she was just as ecstatic. 

But with every positive... there is a downside to it.  For the first time... we saw SW measured up to his teammates and he was at least half a head shorter and much smaller than his teammates, let alone the opponents.  They are stronger... heavier... and physically more dominant.

SW is relegated to Defensive Line because he isn't big or quick enough for corner and safety, let alone WR or RB.  For most of the game... he was manhandled by the opposing offensive line.  He did manage one sack (or 1/2 sack).  And he's probably not having a lot of fun.  But alas... it's about team sport.  Team spirit.  You win as a team.  You lose a team. He's really going to have to earn it to become a starter... while on the other hand... NN is top of whatever she's participating in.  Such is life. Such it is. 

Cast List

Two long days of waiting... and this morning while we were waiting to pick up the kids from Chinese school... Joyce texts me, "Cast List out!" 

I quickly checked my email... clicked the link to Cast List... and looked for NN's name.  Right there... in the middle of the page... "NN Leung - Marian Paroo." Was this the role she wanted??? I don't remember. 

So I quickly started searching for the audition sides (the dialogue they read during auditions) to see it'll trigger my memory when I see NN come out from her class.  I played it off.  We promised NN we wouldn't read the cast list without her... or more accurately... we wouldn't spoil her moment of self discovery.  

Joyce then approached us... and announced that the Cast List is out.  She handed NN her phone and that's when she screamed. "I got it! I got the lead!" 

We were so happy.  SW gave NN a big hug.  The Monkeys had smiles from ear to ear.  And none of that compared to the glow on NN's face.  She did it.  From secondary character in 6th grade... to ensemble in 7th... to female lead.  I couldn't be any prouder. 

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!!