Life in 2021 (Before 2nd Lockdown)

 The first 4+ months of 2021 is full of actions.

The CEO who hired me retired. My president took over as managing partner and talk about busy. But in this hive of activity, I found the best work buddy I can ever ask for - my current CFO. Ever so patient and willing to teach, I sit with him daily to download challenges various offices are facing and discuss solutions. He in turn explains everything in terms of finance, audits, taxations, insurance, transfers etc. Finance has never make more sense to me before. The joy of learning… I LOVE it.

Great news. New helper is here. Bad news, her cooking skills are slightly non-existence.  Good news, after tasting variety and different flavors, she shows keen interest to explore new recipes, a fast learner too. Now she boils a mean soup and excels in last night’s sweet vinegar pork ribs. Awesome. Life is good again. Ken can pursue more soul satisfying activities than scrubbing porcelain and gathering hair in the bathroom again!

Life is rosier for Mimi who completed her knee replacement operation. All the fear inspired concerns telling her she will need bed rest for 2 months made her anxious, despite her surgeon reassuring her that she should be able to take a bus home herself after the operation. However she starts walking on Day 2 and is practicing climbing stairs on Day 3. By week 3, she was out and about and back home living her independent life again. Way to go old mother! Mountains are awaiting you after this Covid is over.

While she stays with me, she discovers Mr Morg’s enormous passion for Chinese! Bet none of you have met a kid loving 听写 so much. Introducing Morgi who finds heaven in Chinese dictionary, writing Chinese words and Chinese reading apps. All credits to his Chinese teacher – his fav!

The same cannot be said for his sister and the bizarre state of affairs of P5 higher Chinese. Bravo to MOE for finally outdoing themselves in terminating every student’s possible interest for such a beautiful language. Shame.

Mandarin aside, Megan is having a blast with Class Dojo Conundrums and Ted Ed videos. What innovative ways to build critical thinking skills! Megan also joins me to watch the online debate show “I can I BB”.

Perfect timing since P5 starts debate season with “Mac Donald’s is better than KFC”. I say there is no fight, of course. KFC is TOP!!! Apparently her whole class wants to be in proposition team except her… I listen in horror that no one in opposition brings up whipped potato when Mac team highlights the glory of French fries. You pathetic debaters!

Out of the blue, Megan exclaims that her classmates bring delicious snack boxes to school and she too, wants me make her one daily. I can imagine her “sian-ness” when her partner pulls up cold soba with tempura in the classroom, chatting casually to her while slurping noodles from the soba dip (she is only missing the ice!) while Megan sighs and bites into her nutella sandwich. My poor baby… You know what? Game on!

Went in search of snack containers (bought 3 becoz I got over-excited). One request from Megan leads to half my girlfriends embarking on this start-the-snack-box-movement (since all our kids are around the same age) and contents of group chats shifting to “can eggs last 6 hours in room temperature?”

Megan has never been more excited and happier to head to school! Ken shakes my hands and tells me good luck for tomorrow after Megi comes home on day to happily narrate classmates crowding around her Japanese bento box, going “wow”.

Art and Craft in this household continues. Morgi has the genes and Megi to my surprise, is pretty good at drawing too!

Cheap blank masks, clay piggy banks, root cut outs. Art Friend actually sells cheap items for kids to decorate and paint on. Cheapest hourly cost to park the kids away from the computer ever.

A postcard of leisurely fishing in the lotus lake.

With time at hand, I rediscover my long lost skills of watercolor painting. Bring it on, my other group of bored buddies say and they either start their own craft projects or meddle in mine.

Project Paint A CNY greeting card for the year of the OX.

Except. I only know how a diary cow looks like. What color is an ox? An ox is a male cow right? Only male have horns so I just add horns to a black and white milk cow? OMG how little I know of this animal.

LL        : An ox is the male cow but castrated so yah black and white is ok

JY         : Ox is a cow that labor for many years, like a cattle. Picture shows them yellow because  they are covered in earth and dust coz they work so hard! Their actual skin color is different…

LN       : I think burgundy is the normal color. But sure, black and white can be the new normal.

IP         : Male cow is called a bull ok… I think Ox is a different species of cow?

KP       : Actually it is the year of the golden ox. It is golden!

AX       : YY, that is a Texan buffalo, I swear.

No wonder they are my buddies… Intellectual level strikingly similar.

Exercise… Except for Ken, our attempts at keeping fit fall below the line of despair disappointment. I sign up for blading class though. Coach is wowed by my awesomeness on wheels, I am one of those 传说中的 legendary talents he professes. 

Megan rolls her eyeballs, dying to spill the beans on the evening “tuition” classes she has to administer so that her mum does not lose face. Anyway that is before I fell backwards and my 推拿 masseur wonders why I subject my old bones to this dangerous sport… Nag nag nag…. Recovery is surprisingly long… I am still in pain…. Ouch… But legends bounce back after setbacks and soon M&M will eat my dust and go “mummy is too fast, cannot catch up”.

 Oh…. 2^nd wave… semi lockdown starting today! Urgent need to pull rainbows out from my A again for the kiddos….