Ipoh 2014

I can't remember how it all came about to plan a visit to Ipoh with the entire family. Perhaps someone casually remarked about its prized hor fun.

My dad's roots were from Ipoh where we still have some relatives and like how life really is some have left us. Obviously there too were new joiners.

I guess the visit was primarily catching up with the folks there and also to revisit the places my grandparents used to take us - food.

There were numerous occasions when I felt the presence of grandma who passed away last year and it kinda brought tears to my eyes. Maybe I miss that old lady especially when I stepped into the house she used to stay in whenever she visited.

Grandfather was missed too as we went to perhaps one of his favorite coffeeshop in Ipoh for hor fun and satay. 

Nevertheless we had lots of fun and Luca's first visit to Malaysia was kind of fun although he did say he missed home.

Throughout the trip he hardly threw any tantrums except when he wanted sweets and cold drinks.

I guess we can always plan another trip with the clan next year but for now it is time to plan a trip just for the three of us.

6 years ago ...

6 years ago on this date and day, I made a vow to love the woman my son now calls his " lover ".

In a flash, my boy is 4 years old and I've been happily married for 6 years now.

I still remember the events that took place on this special day - the down pour, the buddies, the sisters, my dressing, the Thank- you speech, the tea ceremony, the drinking, the partying and the guests who made it to witness our promise to love one another.

Well how can I forget that special day.

Days after the wedding, we headed out for our honeymoon. The best trip we've made so far .... Unforgettable and lots of funny memories.

I wish we could do it again. The trip I meant. :)

Mistakes ...

For me it just seems very difficult to forgive myself whenever I do something which would result in me being hurt some way or another.

Not sure about you but I just get this irritable voice that keeps reminding me how stupid I was although I know this voice eventually subsides, fades away and dies only to resurrect when I make the same mistake again.

Learning from mistakes haven't really been a forte and perhaps I am a slow  learner who is stubborn. That on its own kills it all.

Let's put it this way, I have a learning disability. I need to be reminded of my mistakes occasionally because after so many attempts it still fails to register that a stove is hot when on top of fire and so is boiling soup.

I've scalded my tongue once again.

A lost worm...

For the past three years, Luca always had a companion to sleep with and he calls it Worm. Just like Linus who needed his blanket, Worm was Luca's close friend and a necessity when it comes to sleep time.

During bed time, he is often found patting Worm on its ends to sleep with his fingers. Luca would form a ball at one end of his Worm, squeezed and tapped it with rhythm as he too slowly dozed off into dream land.

On some other mornings when both his parents are still in bed and refusing to give in to his pleas of freedom to play on his own unsupervised in the living room, Worm kept him busy.The occasional role play with his friend - chit chatting.

At times he ends up in serious discussions about fighting an imaginary fire or preventing an intruder who is about to enter his room. Always would he rope in Worm to help him out.

He gave Worm numerous roles - firefighter, policeman but hardly the bad guy.

He developed a strong liking for his friendly Worm but not until yesterday.

I was told he threw Worm into the bin.

I was really shocked hearing that we lost Worm last night and that Luca chose to forsake him.

Scary stuff.

I felt kind of sad because I've always wanted to keep his bolster just like how we kept his first pair of shoes etc.

Too late. I couldn't help Worm.

It appeared to me that Luca was coerced into acting drastically. His Gong Gong (maternal grandpa) had earlier offered him some treats in exchange for Worm.

He couldn't resist the temptation of ice cream (he hasn't tasted ice cream for the longest time since his last bout of flu couple of months back).

What's worst is that I started wondering if he can be more cold blooded than that and would one day desert me for his wife.

Let's hope it's just the age of innocence and not a character developed for the future.

Perhaps I think too much...

2013.

I'm typing this from Mumbai. 

It's been a very long time since I've last made an entry here ... What used to be a habitual expression of thoughts and sharing has now taken a dive into a world of laziness.

Lazy in making short sentences long. Lazy in having to restructure words and juggling with wrong grammar usage.

Basically just plain lazy.

So it is the new year and many have asked how I've fared in 2013. Well,  I guess I did alright. Nothing much to complain about nor any big achievements made which need announcing. 

But yes,  thinking back I've indeed made a big decision in 2013 which made Sandy so happy. Not telling you so don't bother even asking. A secret we both share.

As for Luca,  he surely conquered a few firsts.  Beginning of 2013, we enrolled him in school and of course with a few weeks of tantrum and cries of pleas he did adjust to school life.

He is growing up really well. Health wise he had a bad bout of flu which occurred right after his birthday celebration at Sentosa. 

We can only assure ourselves that all kids fall ill time after time and nothing to be surprised over nor be alarmed.

In the middle of the year,  he had to change his milk from cow to goat. It's a blessing he was happy to drink goat's milk even when I presumably felt it was kind of difficult to put in my mouth and swallow it. That taste too overwhelming for me. 

I can't remember exactly when this happened but Sandy and I had one of the worst arguments ever in our lives. It was terrible. And it wasn't even money related nor me having an affair. It was just a trivial matter that got blown out of proportion because neither of us wanted to give in.

That scene will always remain in the back of my mind to serve as a reminder never to stay firm on certain principles especially towards my loved ones. Peace and harmony is all that matters. And of course - LOVE.

Now that I mentioned the four letter word, I can possibly confirm that LOVE is Luca's first word he learnt to spell. Hopefully he will learn to know the true meaning of that simple word. Being both a receiver and a giver of love.

In December, Luca performed on stage for the first time. Two songs on the violin - Twinkle Little Star and Lightly Row ( I think ).

I would say I had more butterflies in my stomach than he had and I almost lost sleep the night before worried that he will not cope on stage on performance day.

I'm glad he did well and enjoyed the applause from the audience. Different from the times he cried at rehearsal. Phew!

2013 was a good year. From Thomas the Train to Lego toys he is able to build on his own. He is learning. And growing well. Surely equipped with an inquisitive mind and perhaps a boy who wants to free himself from my shouts which I'm learning to manage.

2014 will be a better year for us all. And I'm sure the arguments between the wife and I will be much lesser but with the growing rascal it'll be too many. 

Am hoping I'll win most of the time .... :)

All the best for 2014. Best of heath and lots of happiness.

Luca's first rock concert ...

Surprisingly Luca sat through May Day's 3 hour concert shaking hands and tapping his feet.

I was really afraid the little fella would just lose his patience. He almost did when he commented to the mother asking why are they singing so many songs.

Nearing 1030 pm, he looked tired and sleepy. Biscuits and water worked for him and of course his favourite tunes too.

It was a great outing.

I asked if he wanted to watch May Day again and he said once is enough.

But he did say he will want to watch X-Japan.

Fabulous.

Uncertainty .. .

Yes. Life is uncertain. It is unpredictable no matter how much effort has been put in to plan a grand finale.

Don't get me wrong. Not going be talking about the economy but just things in general.

I've been wanting to sit by the pool in the weekends to enjoy the sun and read my book - one of the simplest enjoyments in life but every time I start making plans clearing the weekend of father / driver  duties and running errands for the family, the weather just seem to change the moment I slip into my swim shorts. (Yes, I don't wear trunks ever since my orange ones when missing)

I guess the Chinese saying 人算不如天算 sure makes sense.

Goodbye Grandma ..

On the 27th of March, I lost my grandmother who was aged 83.

We weren't close when I was younger but for the past 14 years I would say we got closer. Joking and horsing around even more so after Luca joined the family.

She was Luca's friend. She played with Luca and Luca did the same bullying her often.

We will miss her badly. Gone are the days of gin rummy and mahjong with her. Those moments can now only be kept her in our memories.

Tai Tai, wo ai ni.

Was it for real ....?

This evening on the way to pick Sandy up after work I saw this old lady who was wandering in the middle of the cross junction of Telok Ayer Street and Boon Tat Street. 

She looked lost in the midst of traffic.

I parked my car at the side of the road where Sandy usually hops on for a ride and walked towards the old lady. 

She saw me approaching and with teary eyes she told me she was in need of help. She needed money to pay off debts that piled up because a friend's son borrowed her identity card to get loan from the loan sharks without her knowledge.

I guess at that age it really is unfortunate to be in debt and she needed to seek help in the manner she did - reaching out to the public in the middle of the road.

I asked her how much did she owe and she told me she needed about a hundred odd thus I reached out to my wallet and gave her a hundred dollars. 

I also reminded her that it was dangerous to wander on the road and should she really need assistance I could help her approach the police especially if the loan sharks loan sharks are making trouble. 

She declined and said the police can be of no help. 

I walked back to the car, switched on the engine and carried on waiting for Sandy. 

As I was about to take a book out and read, I noticed she wandered back on to the road. This time she tried stopping cars. 

I got out of the car and walked up to her again. It did struck me that perhaps the money given to her was not enough and true enough she said she was still short of seventy dollars. 

Again I reached out to my wallet and handed her seventy dollars. She smiled and thanked me. For some reasons before I turned around to return to my car, I told her if I saw her standing in the middle of the road once more I will have to call the police so as not to endanger her life and others road users. 

She quickened her steps and disappeared into the row of shophouses. 

Not long after, I mentioned this to a friend and for some reason she asked me if the old lady was petite with short hair. She described her correctly.

Thinking back, I wondered if I did the right thing by helping the old lady. What if she too was being used by some syndicate to make quick bucks? Would I not be feeding these syndicates and encouraging them to make us of more old folks? 

Sandy and I spoke about it and she said something which I realized was quite true. 

What if this old lady has dependents at home who are unable to fend or feed themselves due to various medical reasons or disability? 

I guess there will always be different school of thoughts on such. To others, I may have been a sucker but to me, I did what I could there and then. 

If it were you, what would you do? 

Happy 2013 !!

9 minutes before the new year ... am seated in my bed with Luca lying beside me fast asleep.

It's the quietest countdown I've ever had in years.

Even as a child,  I will join my parents at their friends' place for a new year party.

Things are so didn't now after having a kid.

Looking back at the year, I can only say it went past really quickly.

Quite a bit to cheer about -We moved to a new place. Luca is speaking well and learning the violin. Sandy is a homemaker ( For a while more at least ) and everyone's health is so far so good too. Work went pretty well so career is stable.

Looking forward to 2013 and wishing the year will have lots of happy surprises for Sandy, Luca and myself.

Wishing everyone a Happy 2013!!!

Mummy's down ...

It's 2 am and am trying to fall asleep.

Luca woke up half an hour ago requesting to visit the bathroom and perhaps I reacted too slowly, he wet his pajamas.

It's a first for me as the mother usually tends to his bathroom needs while I continue to sleep but this time round it is my responsibility to tend to the boy because mummy has fallen ill.

I grabbed a set of pajamas of two different colours  which didn't match. Why bother since it was bed time and not some fashion show. (For those who know me,  my colour coordination is pretty poor and I never cared) Got him a new piece of diaper and sent him straight back to sleep.

Failed. The boy wanted mickey mouse clubhouse - on television.

He knows my weakness and thus was given minutes to catch a glimpse of his favourite rodent.

Only after fast forwarding the show could I get him to sleep.

Tossing and turning I had to pat him to sleep.

Tiring. A mother's job is indeed not easy.

Wishing my wife a speedy recovery so I can quickly get my good night's sleep.

Parent at war ....

Parenting is no simple task. It is a lifetime of mixed emotions. A lifetime of responsibility.

Yes. I knew clearly what was coming when the doctor congratulated us in 2009 - a lifelong commitment.

Luca is now two and the half and he is a spoilt brat. A child that behaves like a tyrant and wants things his way.

Thus the biggest showdown ignited  between father and son with both badly hurt tonight.

The kid - painful scars of cane marks.

The father - a heart of regrets.

Like most Asian kids, Luca gets his fair share of beatings but tonight seemed to be the most he has ever received.

The outcome of endless screamings and the refusal to behave appropriately.

This showdown leaves me thinking - thinking of the best possible way to teach my son.

Obviously his behaviour reflects how we have raised him thus far. Endless pampering, endless giving - the best formula for a spoilt brat.

We have many times tried persuading him and tried talking sense into him but somehow it seems the message just won't get across - maybe it does but it just doesn't stay in the inbox. (perhaps went straight in the spam box through his high powered filter)

Perhaps it us. Maybe we have been cultivating the habits. Bad ones.

The child has too many protectors. Too many people to spoil him. And he gets cocky.

That cockiness needs an evaluation. It needs to be put down.

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Another first time ....

Just over the weekend, Luca had a fall which resulted in a rather big cut on his lip which also left him bleeding for awhile.

It happened at our new home when we decided to play hide and seek. Maybe I was at fault, I shouldn't have chased him but boys are boys.

They need to run. They don't know how to walk. Thus I am a bigger boy than he is and surely less clumsy.

I didn't see him fall nor did I hear a thud. I only heard him wail out loud.

Mummy realised blood gushed out from his lower lip. He probably landed on his chin and bit is lip. Ouch.

Mummy was cool. Didn't panic. And asked me to serve the rascal ice cream to soothe the pain. I wasn't sure if it'll work but Luca stopped crying at the sight of ice cream.

I have to say he is a brave little fella. I thought the cut would have caused him a loss of appetite. I was glad it didn't. He ate as if nothing happened.

His tolerance for pain is high.

That also means when I have to hit him, it'll have to be much harder.

On the same night, he cut his toe while playing with the sliding door.

I guess boys are indeed boys. Boys need scars.

Just look at me. I have just too many scars. Pimple scars that is. :)

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4 years of marriage ...

It has been a really long while since I last made a blog entry. Laziness crept in ....

Today marks our 4th wedding anniversary and time sure passes us by quickly.

Luca turned two last month and he has been quite a handful.

He is able to recognize his alphabets, numbers and colors. Able to hum and sing bits of his favourite songs.

Tunes like Motley Crue's Home Sweet Home, Bon Jovi's Santa Fe and Rolling Stones As Tears Go By.

His interest for music also helps him learn the sounds of various instruments and to date his favourite instrument is still the drum.

Hopefully we are able to find a suitable school for him to explore music further ....

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Turning two in a month ...

Sorry I haven't posted anything for a long time .. the lazy bones settled in. : )

Luca turns two in 4 weeks but we have yet to plan anything for his birthday party. Guess it is time to start wrecking the brains.

Luca has learnt a lot over the past two months and settling well in his weekly one hour session at Zoophonics on Saturdays. Mummy has been accompanying him in school because Daddy didn't think he would do well in art and craft. Moreover, I thought it was good time together for the mother and son.

He is learning words, speaking in baby sentences and is able to sing songs like Twinkle Little Star, ABC Song and counting 1 to 13. Teaching him new stuff can be a lot of fun especially music.

A fan of Take That, May Day and a little X-Japan, this rascal of ours seem to be able to mouth the words of some songs from these groups and once awhile head banging if the tunes are heavier in beat. The voices of Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman and Celine Dion excites him too.

He has also been very active, climbing chairs, jumping on beds and sofas. I guess this is the phase where he will end up needing the existence of a first-aid box. I used to get very paranoid and afraid he will hurt himself however over time, I thought it'll be good for him to learn the hard way and painful way. Of course, no parents would want to see scars on their kids thus I do keep a look out for him whenever he is at risk however I try not to be overprotective in such situations.

Angry Birds has also been a favourite game of his and occasionally he manages to clear the stages with a stroke of luck.

I hope when he turns two, he will receive less strokes of the cane and learn to understand when my NOs will cause him trouble when defied. : )

Luca is down ....

Just hours ago we had our first reunion dinner with the family.

We wanted to beat the crowd as well as cater to Sandy's work travel plans next week thus we decided to do it three weeks earlier.

Luca fell ill yesterday afternoon. It started out with a slight temperature and this morning he woke up with 39 degree celsius.

Despite the temperature, he carried on his normal activities. Drumming, running around the house and drinking his milk as if he wasn't under the weather.

We decided this time to take him for TCM as opposed to the pediatrician we normally visited because we knew we would end up with more bottles of bifen or panadol to reduce his temperature and we felt we have enough of supplies at home.

So the Chinese doctor diagnosed him as having a viral infection and prescribed 4 days of herbal medicine after which it is our choice whether or not to return for a follow up after.

An appointment was made for Thursday to see the doctor again but let's hope by then his fever is long gone.

Seeing the boy ill breaks our heart but we know it is all part of growing up and we always remind ourselves it is very normal for kids his age to be down with some bugs and for sure he'll be bouncing up again after a few days. ( did I tell you he now likes to listen to Bon Jovi's Bounce?)

Let us hope he recovers quickly so as to be able to eat all the new year goodies.

And I forgot to mention Luca vomited this evening while at the restaurant and I have never seen such massive puke from Luca before. Surely my first but I know it won't be the last because my mum saw me vomit when I was 17 after returning home drunk and that too was an enormous pool of puke. :)

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A new year ... another beginning.

Spent the last few hours of 2011 having Korean dinner at Amara and a few glasses of single malt whiskey with close friends and Wei Sheng.

Luca was the only child amongst us as everyone else decided to leave their children at home so that they are able to enjoy the countdown.

Frankly the last two hours of 2011 was a little stressful handling the little boy. He was playing with whiskey glasses ( with whiskey in it).

He used a glowstick to dip into the whiskey and used the same end to draw on the carpets. Harmless yet creative but what followed scared me a little.

He decided to up the ante by drinking water from his bottle and spitting the water in his mouth into the whiskey glass. I seriously don't know how such an idea came about. He even did the same with some biscuits he had.

Other than the naughty act he did, he was pretty well behaved.

He enjoyed dancing to the loud music at the lobby turned disco and he sure danced for quite some while onlookers took videos and photos of the little rascal. He enjoyed the attention. He seems to have the art of performing.

I enjoyed the time with him spending the last hours of 2011 but he was very close to being disciplined while at the bar for his naughty actions.

Nevertheless I was happy he was discovering new things and learning to play without toys.

Happy New Year and may 2012 bring us lots of cheer, joy, great health and prosperity.

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