A good year

Today is the last day of 2017...  as per what many people felt, I too think that the year passed rather quickly. Throughout the 360+ days, many things happened ... some bad and a few quite ugly but most were good. So for me, I think it is a good year.

On this last writing of the year, I would like to recap ... not on the bad and the ugly ... but on some good things that I think is worth talking about to end the year on a happy note.

“Torng kai pai sun”

At the beginning of the year my son enrolled into a local university ...

yes, I am a proud father because my son is the first in my family to attend university. Maybe for many other families this is normal but to my family, this is a big thing. Really, if my father is still alive, I am sure he will call for a “torng kai pai sun” (slaughter chicken and offer to the gods) session and very likely invite all my relatives over to celebrate.

And just a few months before, my son passed his driving test at the first try (that surprised me) and after getting his driving license and his mother’s car, he is very much on his own. Now he is quite independent in managing his own personal needs and education requirements ... I am happy to see that he has grown into a good young adult.

A journey of great friendship

I went to China with 4 of my very best childhood friends. We went exploring the various parts of this great country. From Xian to Beijing, we spent time learning the rich history of China ... emperors, princes, generals, terracotta, tombs, mausoleums, walls, temples and pagodas. Apart from that we also explored modern China ... places, streets, food, Olympic city, bullet trains, underground rails and glittering skyline of Beijing today.

The trip was not just a holiday outing ... more importantly it was a “bonding” trip of 5 very good childhood friends ... getting together, experiencing, learning, sharing, connecting, discovering and spending time together ... a journey of great friendship.

Cha Cha and Tango

We adopted two cats ... someone left them in a box behind our house when they were just little kittens. First we were thinking of keeping the kittens for a week or two ... just to look and see if our dogs can tolerate them. But after a week, we decided to keep them ... they were just too adorable ... then we named them Cha Cha and Tango ... like the Latin dances that my daughter is learning.

Cha Cha and Tango brought a lot of joy to the family ... cats being cats, with their carefree laid back manners and attention demanding attitude, they can be quite delightful and amusing. Always had us entertained with their mischievous frolics. At times when they are not running and chasing squirrels up the tree ... they will curl up beside you teasingly seeking attention and affection.

We love Cha Cha and Tango dearly ... glad to have them in the family.

My Susan

I bought a car ... why am I talking about it? I don’t know about other people but buying a car is a big thing and a good thing for me. Bear with me on this.

You see ... my wife gave her car to my son and set her eyes on my car ... so, I have to buy another car for our convenience. As I am always on a limited budget ... a used car is the only choice. And so I got me a cheap “pre-loved” 15 years old black Wira.

My son called it Susan ... why? Because like the Susan he knows ... it is big, heavy and noisy. OK, OK ... to all the Susans out there ... you go settle this with my son. Well, my Susan has nothing to shout about but I am very happy with it ... it serves its purpose dependably ... so you will see me with Susan very often from now onwards.

A pleasant surprise

I have two very active teenage kids ... like normal teenagers ... they hate exams, love Marvels and cannot live without Ed Sheeran. On good days they complement each other and do things happily together. On some days ... each were yelling and calling the other an asshole. Yes, they made some noise every now and then but really, they are good kids.

Not too long ago I wanted to buy a newly launched book but the new hard cover version was a bit expensive. I went to the bookshop ... looked at it several times but still I could not convince myself to spend the money ... told myself I will wait for the cheaper paperback. My kids know that I love that book ... so they used their own pocket money and bought the hard cover for me ... wrap it up nicely and let me open it. That was really a very pleasant surprise ... love the book, love the kids ... like I said, they are good kids.

Thank you Mrs Shiek

Throughout the year my wife and I were quite busy running our daily activities to keep everyone in the family well, comfortable and fed. In our daily activities ... we pretty much do everything together ... marketing, preparing, cooking, buying groceries or running errands ... she was always close to me.  

We spent a lot of time together every day ... we talked, we laughed, we joked and we gossiped. At times we argued and sporadically we quarreled ... but very soon we were back to our usual jolly cheery selves. I like doing things together with her ... it is this togetherness that strengthened our friendship, our closeness and our companionship.

Thank you Mrs Shiek ... for always staying close and beside me throughout the year. I am looking forward to the same next year and the many more years to come.

Last ... but not least

I must say I had a lot of good outings, gatherings, meetings, games and treks with a bunch of good friends. Though we do not see each other very often over the year but almost every day I received morning greetings, words of advice or simple courtesy messages from them ... appreciate it ... simple things like this made my days better throughout the year.

Again ... to all those who made my days better in 2017 ... thank you very much. And a Happy New Year to all !!!