Long before receiving my first ever wage earned via participating in the summer research project, I've decided to use it to buy gifts for people I care the most.
First, I had to buy gifts for 3 men in our family, my dad, my brother and my uncle. Buying gifts for men can be a real pain. There aren't many option to toss around. Wallet, belt, gadget, or stationary. Thats about all. After shopping around, I stumbled into a stationary shop and immediately fall in love with what I have seen. Pens! So at the end, I bought two ball pens, one of each of "my dad".
The picture shown above is a Cross ball pen with my uncle's name engraved on it. To be perfectly honest, thats the gift I care most. Likewise, it goes without saying that my uncle is the single most person I love and care most. Put it simply, he is an amazing person. He cares about others from the bottom of his heart.
For my father, I have bought a Lamy pocket pen. Its a very small and elegant looking ball pen with his name engraved on it too. Having said that, I don't expect him to use that pen. It seems that he never care about presents we bought for him. A pen bought a couple of years ago for his birthday still sits inside the wrap. A watch me and my brother selected for him during last summer is on display in my brother's room. I am not him, so I have no idea why on earth would a father do that to his children. But anyway, I bought one for him, just in case he feel insulted not having a present.
Then there is my brother. For him, I have bought 2 calendars. One Dilbert Comic table calendar and one DIY wall calendar from Kikki. With the DIY wall calendar, I have carefully selected 12 quotations and tried my best to draw some pictures on them. Hopefully he will like them.
As for my mom, I haven't buy any special gift for her. My plan is to be a good girl during this summer holiday when I am back at home, and help her to sort out her iPod. Being a good girl to my mom is very challenging. We have never been close to each other, and never will. Having said that, she is my mom and neither will that be changed either.
爸： 妈早上到哪里去？
女： 到哥的办公室那儿打扫。
爸： 打扫需要那么早就出门吗？ （妈早上六时就已经不见踪影）
女： 不知道，她是这样跟我说。
爸： 打扫需要用上那么长的时间啊？
女： 不知道啦，反正妈就是到哥的办公室那儿去。
隔两天晚上，回家路上......
女： 爸呢？
妈： 到云顶去了。
女： 神明不是给爸指点，提醒他不可以再去那种地方吗？
妈： 不知道，他说他到云顶去，我们也不知道是真是假嘛。
有点悲哀吧？从我懂事开始，爸和妈之间的互相猜疑好像不曾停止。在缺少沟通的情况下，夫妻之间的信任变得越来越单薄。身为子女的我们刚开始有点懊恼，有点悲伤；现在的我们却经常一笑置之，笑说习惯就好。
不知哪一天，妈才可以和我们一样，学会如何放下一些已经无法改变的事实。
After a tough semester, I will be heading back home this evening, flying with Malaysia Airlines. It will be a short holiday, but nonetheless come just in time. Things can only get better from here.
是第六感，还是拜自己向来较为悲观的思想所赐，一早就已经预料到她们会使出这一招，让我毫无招架之力地乖乖清洗哪好脏好脏的茅厕。
趁我不在家的那整个下午，她们将客厅和厨房打扫得一尘不染，留下那面积最小，最脏的厕所。于是就算不是轮到我值班，也得在回乡前将其打扫干净。很棒的一个构思，您说不是吗?
实际上，我大可草草了事，随便洗洗就好。毕竟今晚我就会启程飞往马来西亚，与家人一起度过三个星期的冬季假期。不过很多时候我会停下来想一想，会这样做的人不是原来的我。
于是接下来的两个小时里，我尽量将厕所的每一个角落都洗一洗。不能说一尘不染，不过确实比之前干净好几倍。算是给自己一个好交待。
This is rare, but today I am one of those yellow smiles. Yay!
It reminds me a quote that my father mentioned sometime ago:
It is always better to have one less enemy. You want to be right, or to be happy?
Why can't I have both? Thats the beauty of life, isn't it? We wouldn't appreciate lovely days, if we haven't had moody ones before.
Friday, 30th March: Dad and brother's arrived at Melbourne airport.
Slept at: 3.30 a.m.
Saturday, 31th March: Brother's graduation ceremony.
Woke up at: 6.30 a.m.
Slept at: 3.30 a.m.
Sunday, 1st April: Dad, mom and brother's departure from Melbourne, heading back to Malaysia.
Woke up at: 8.00 a.m.
In total, seven and half hours of sleep for the past two days. Ooch!
Seeing them leaving after just a short visit surely is not a very pleasant experience. Whatever, I will just have to move on. 没有离别的哀伤, 哪来相聚的期盼?