Its a long Chinese New Year Holiday for all of us. Having the chance to spend the entire 4 days off work at home with the kids, is really fun. Yasmeen has been counting days since day 1 as she was aware that she has 1 day leave extra than us the working adults. We went to Brother’s place and had dinner with Karen and Abie. Mum didn’t come coz she said her father was admitted which at the end she did’t go anywhere but stayed at home. Perhaps she just doesn’t feel like going. To me its always nice to catch up with my siblings and even aunts and uncles once in a while but sometime that doesn’t go down well with mum. Not sure why, sometimes she just appeared ‘different’ to me while other time she just wants to be alone (maybe).
Its not very easy to bring up kids and mould them to be what you want them to be. Is it really that? To mould the kids to be what you want them to be? Or it is better to guide them through the years so that they become what they wanted to be but at the same time is correct in doing so? Give them the freedom to think and do what they should do but at the same time correct them and let them see the consequences or results of their decision? Hmmmm....
Often we gave the wrong idea, pass the wrong message to the kids without realizing it. I remember I once told yasmeen that she is a ‘Big girl’ and that she must tolerate Sarah. Let Sarah have her toy. Later, when she asked me about something else, something that to me is too early for her to understand and do I told her that “No, you are still small (young)” to which she responded to me saying that I had just told her that she’s a ‘Big’ girl already. Sometimes it is just wise to let ‘Kids be kids’ let them fight over a ball if need be, let them pull each other hair for a while until both can feel the pain, let them fall off the bike once or twice. How do they know that it is not a good thing to do? Will telling them not to do something is more effective than to let them see why they shouldn’t do it? I hope I can imply this better on my kids in future. Maybe that’ll work. Will update here if it really works. So far, its been really great nurturing girls. I could not imagine having to bring up boys as the saying “Women are from Venus, Mens are from Mars” or something like that just to show how different boys and girls are meant to be.
Where has this blog leading to? Ha ha! 1st day of CNY, we went nowhere. Just had breakfast and then head home. Abang does his house cleaning and me ironing clothes and cooking lunch cum dinner for the famiy. 2nd day of CNY, we went to Shah Alam Wet World (Yasmeen translated it to “Basah Dunia”) just be surprised with the loooooooooooooooong curving queue at the ticket counter. We then went to Sunway Lagoon, same long queue but with much much expensive ticket price. When we decided to leave Sunway Lagoon, the 2 girls were nothing but disappointed, sad, heart broken and etc. Yasmeen even mumbled “but Ayah had promised us..” while Sarah keeps repeating “but I wanna swim”. I wish I could just close 1 eye, bought the tix and brought them in but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. To this I have no one to blame but myself.. its just not me. Maybe in the future when money doesn’t mean anything to me but for now, 48+48+36+36=?? 168! Is a big chunk! That is excluding the food and drinks one had to purchase when in the Lagoon! After they both calm down, we finally reached Desa waterpark @ 11.30ish and let them play till almost 2.30.They were satisfied but could still not let go of the view they had on Sunway Lagoon. Yasmeen reminded me by saying “do you know that @ Sunway Lagoon the fun never ends??!” I am sorry to disappoint them but they just wouldn’t understand the value of money at this stage of age. I felt sorry looking at their teary eye but am relieved that they at least got to spend their time at Desa Waterpark rather than just pack and leave!
Chinese New Year reminds me of so many things. My grandparents, Ah Kong and Ah Ma. Both were very close to my heart. Very-very close. I can say that I love them almost as much as I love my own parents. Always we tend to realize that we love and care for them when they have gone. Loved ones were mostly appreciated when they are no longer with us. Shouldn’t we be showing love and affection, humbly tell them that we love them, couldn’t live a day without them while they are still around to hear it and feel it?? I can clearly remember those days Ah Ma took care of me, tied my hair, cooked me meals, bought me new dress for CNY, hold my hands while crossing the road to Sentul Pasar! I also remember the way she pound the fish paste for Yong Tau Foo, how she showed me to clean the squid and the many steps of cleaning real live shark’s fin for shark’s fin soup. I remember Ah Kongs fish smell every time he came back from Sentul Pasar, his white silver hair combed aside neatly before he walked all the way to ‘Chowkelot’ (Chow Kit Road), the look in his face when he uttered “Lisa, Ah Kong is dying already” to which I broke down in tears! All those memoirs that a grandchild suppose to have went through with their grandparents. I can say that they are the ones who picked us up when we’re down and that I regretted I do not have the chance to repay them a favour. May they rest in peace....
Liza Masrina Ibrahim
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