Getting Started
Today is the 10th day of the New Year. I'm still wishing friends a Happy New Year. I cherish every opportunity to pass a happy greeting to a friend.
After an eventful end of the year that saw Evan and I with our suitcases constantly packed and unpacked and repacked, we have been enjoying the beginning of 2011 in relative tranquility. Signing up for a gym membership at a place with low traffic but high maintenance is probably one of the best decisions we've ever made -- I kinda wanna move there. Even this morning when I woke up with the worse nausea and was unable to just get myself on a machine, there was the option of sitting in the sauna, followed by a nap next to a whirlpool that kept the room nicely heated. I never knew taking a nap in a lowerground restroom could be so pleasant.
On Saturday, we also attended the premier of a friend's second documentary. Our friend is a Chinese American whom, on her recent trip home to visit her aging grandmother (85 and still stretching and shopping!), also shot this documentary to explore the relationship between her grandmother, her mother and herself. I have not watched many amateur documentaries before this but her film managed to touch a nerve. I found myself crying and laughing through scenes that explored many complex themes that emerge from a simple tale of three women. The morning after, while having breakfast with Evan, I was surprised to find myself discussing at length on our thoughts of the film. It made me want to film. But ahh, I am no filmmaker. I have a couple of ideas stirring just from writing this paragraph. We shall see.
In two days, my dad will turn 61. I used to think that my parents would be in their 40s forever.
We were in Taiwan for the last week of December, mainly for my cousin's wedding as that was a major excursion for the Lee family. I think I'm probably right in saying that it was the first time a large number of Lees had traveled outside of Malaysia for a family wedding. There are so many stories to tell. 我不知从何说起啊. I don't know where to start. The only similar event I can think of is probably that trip we took to Fraser's Hill in Malaysia, back when I was around 9 and when my grandparents were still alive. We rented rooms at this big bungalow that was a bed n breakfast, run by a Hakka family that served the best home-cooked meals. Vividly, I remember my grandmother sitting on the porch, singing folk songs in Teochew while my mother sways goofily on the side (oh man, I just realized a resemblance between me and her). And then there was my grandfather, always upright and strong, teaching Taichi to the grandkids. There is a photo of this scene. I hope I have it still.
All these memories, all these stories -- Cluedo, Chubby Checker, fish n chips, vegetable gardens and alien invasions, vomiting baby cousins, my brother as an aspiring con artist,,,, I am afraid of forgetting more than I already have. At that time, my youngest cousin in the Lee family, Sean, was only a few months old. Three complete generations of Lees had only started existing. If you can put it that way.
December 2010 in Taiwan. 14-course wedding meal with Christmas jingles playing. 2010 has been a difficult year for some in the family, also with an uncle's passing. My aunts, and especially, my mum, feels even closer to the family. Dec 25th is also my third aunt's birthday. She is third amongst the women, but number 5 in the family hierarchy.
It is sometimes confusing because during my grandparents' generation, they started wearing "granny" clothes, the ones my grandmother and my grandaunts used to wear, which are basically the same cuts and styles but with different fabric and floral patterns. And they had the same plastic glasses, the same perm, and the same white powder on their faces. But my aunts and uncles, they confuse me. They wear jeans, they wear hoodies, they carry Coach purses, they learn new languages. I mean, I've stopped wearing a hoodie at age 24 but my mum was wearing a Hillfiger hoodie. My grandparents have always been "retired" since I knew them. And all they did was stay home, read the papers, watch soap operas, and walks in the neighborhood. The most adventurous activity my grandfather undertook was taking the bus to Georgetown to play mahjong with other old Teochew fellas from time to time. He stopped going after most of them, well, moved on, before he did since he lived well into his 90s. But my aunts and uncles, despite retirement for many, still cook, bake, travel, work on the side, join prayer groups, and help in charities.
So we got my aunt two candles -- 1 & 8.
She is also the one who always makes fish curry whenever I am home -- "because I know you like mahhh!!" but I don't think she realizes that I also like her bittermelon fried eggs, congee, chicken rice, mixed vegetables, omelette, dessert soups, lotus root soup, fried rice, steamed fish....
This Chinese New Year, I will stand in the kitchen while she cooks. If I don't do this, I will think up a creative enough self-punishment that will hurt.
Look at me, rambling with nostalgia, writing more about the past even though the post is titled "Getting Started". As Evan puts it, "you've gone off tangent again."
But I am also the queen of self-justification. So here I go -- what is another year in life without a peek into the past to realize what the important things in life are in order to prioritize and consequently, anticipate the coming year with the enthusiasm to live a life more fully than before?
If there wasn't some chicken noodle soup waiting for me at home in this -5C weather after a full day of nausea, I think I'd still be typing for another hour or more. But alas, I know my priorities.
So in a nutshell, 2010 was difficult in certain areas, but it ended well with a vacation that changed some of our perspectives. 2011 has begun well -- regular exercise seems to be a promising activity, I've been productive on a few side projects, I'm developing some interests that might grow into hobbies, and our faithful little humidifier continues to maintain our wellbeing in this dry, harsh climate.
20 more days, and I'll be back in Malaysia, sweating profusely over a plate of Maggi Goreng and some papadam on the side, satay on the other side, and ikan panggang somewhere close. As those cute-sy Chinese/Taiwanese girls like to say, "Oh Yeah!" with a peace sign in yo face.
After an eventful end of the year that saw Evan and I with our suitcases constantly packed and unpacked and repacked, we have been enjoying the beginning of 2011 in relative tranquility. Signing up for a gym membership at a place with low traffic but high maintenance is probably one of the best decisions we've ever made -- I kinda wanna move there. Even this morning when I woke up with the worse nausea and was unable to just get myself on a machine, there was the option of sitting in the sauna, followed by a nap next to a whirlpool that kept the room nicely heated. I never knew taking a nap in a lowerground restroom could be so pleasant.
On Saturday, we also attended the premier of a friend's second documentary. Our friend is a Chinese American whom, on her recent trip home to visit her aging grandmother (85 and still stretching and shopping!), also shot this documentary to explore the relationship between her grandmother, her mother and herself. I have not watched many amateur documentaries before this but her film managed to touch a nerve. I found myself crying and laughing through scenes that explored many complex themes that emerge from a simple tale of three women. The morning after, while having breakfast with Evan, I was surprised to find myself discussing at length on our thoughts of the film. It made me want to film. But ahh, I am no filmmaker. I have a couple of ideas stirring just from writing this paragraph. We shall see.
In two days, my dad will turn 61. I used to think that my parents would be in their 40s forever.
We were in Taiwan for the last week of December, mainly for my cousin's wedding as that was a major excursion for the Lee family. I think I'm probably right in saying that it was the first time a large number of Lees had traveled outside of Malaysia for a family wedding. There are so many stories to tell. 我不知从何说起啊. I don't know where to start. The only similar event I can think of is probably that trip we took to Fraser's Hill in Malaysia, back when I was around 9 and when my grandparents were still alive. We rented rooms at this big bungalow that was a bed n breakfast, run by a Hakka family that served the best home-cooked meals. Vividly, I remember my grandmother sitting on the porch, singing folk songs in Teochew while my mother sways goofily on the side (oh man, I just realized a resemblance between me and her). And then there was my grandfather, always upright and strong, teaching Taichi to the grandkids. There is a photo of this scene. I hope I have it still.
All these memories, all these stories -- Cluedo, Chubby Checker, fish n chips, vegetable gardens and alien invasions, vomiting baby cousins, my brother as an aspiring con artist,,,, I am afraid of forgetting more than I already have. At that time, my youngest cousin in the Lee family, Sean, was only a few months old. Three complete generations of Lees had only started existing. If you can put it that way.
December 2010 in Taiwan. 14-course wedding meal with Christmas jingles playing. 2010 has been a difficult year for some in the family, also with an uncle's passing. My aunts, and especially, my mum, feels even closer to the family. Dec 25th is also my third aunt's birthday. She is third amongst the women, but number 5 in the family hierarchy.
It is sometimes confusing because during my grandparents' generation, they started wearing "granny" clothes, the ones my grandmother and my grandaunts used to wear, which are basically the same cuts and styles but with different fabric and floral patterns. And they had the same plastic glasses, the same perm, and the same white powder on their faces. But my aunts and uncles, they confuse me. They wear jeans, they wear hoodies, they carry Coach purses, they learn new languages. I mean, I've stopped wearing a hoodie at age 24 but my mum was wearing a Hillfiger hoodie. My grandparents have always been "retired" since I knew them. And all they did was stay home, read the papers, watch soap operas, and walks in the neighborhood. The most adventurous activity my grandfather undertook was taking the bus to Georgetown to play mahjong with other old Teochew fellas from time to time. He stopped going after most of them, well, moved on, before he did since he lived well into his 90s. But my aunts and uncles, despite retirement for many, still cook, bake, travel, work on the side, join prayer groups, and help in charities.
So we got my aunt two candles -- 1 & 8.
She is also the one who always makes fish curry whenever I am home -- "because I know you like mahhh!!" but I don't think she realizes that I also like her bittermelon fried eggs, congee, chicken rice, mixed vegetables, omelette, dessert soups, lotus root soup, fried rice, steamed fish....
This Chinese New Year, I will stand in the kitchen while she cooks. If I don't do this, I will think up a creative enough self-punishment that will hurt.
Look at me, rambling with nostalgia, writing more about the past even though the post is titled "Getting Started". As Evan puts it, "you've gone off tangent again."
But I am also the queen of self-justification. So here I go -- what is another year in life without a peek into the past to realize what the important things in life are in order to prioritize and consequently, anticipate the coming year with the enthusiasm to live a life more fully than before?
If there wasn't some chicken noodle soup waiting for me at home in this -5C weather after a full day of nausea, I think I'd still be typing for another hour or more. But alas, I know my priorities.
So in a nutshell, 2010 was difficult in certain areas, but it ended well with a vacation that changed some of our perspectives. 2011 has begun well -- regular exercise seems to be a promising activity, I've been productive on a few side projects, I'm developing some interests that might grow into hobbies, and our faithful little humidifier continues to maintain our wellbeing in this dry, harsh climate.
20 more days, and I'll be back in Malaysia, sweating profusely over a plate of Maggi Goreng and some papadam on the side, satay on the other side, and ikan panggang somewhere close. As those cute-sy Chinese/Taiwanese girls like to say, "Oh Yeah!" with a peace sign in yo face.