Terlajak Perahu

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Sofia came home last week with her first term results. She was 27th in her class, her worst ever. I was so upset that I ranted and railed, railed and ranted and ranted and railed like a madman. In the car, at home, at night, in the daytime. Had we been to the hills and beaches, I’d probably sound like Winston Churchill.

“What do you mean you came in 27th in your class?”
“I told you to study more and watch TV less, but nooooooooooooooooooo….., you’d watched TV all day long, do your homework at the last moment, never listen to what your Mama or me said.”
“You keep on doing this and I can bet you that you’ll never amount to anything.”
Your friends will be going to college, graduate and get good jobs and earn good money while you’d only look.”
“You can forget about college.”
“You will regret it one day but it will be too late and no one could do anything about it and the only thing you could say is that you wish you had done what Mama and Papa asked you to do.”
“You can forget about Beijing.”
Etc.
Etc.
Etc.

She pulled her usual long face. Her usual long expressionless face. She hates me, I think.

Then yesterday, it was the day when the teachers see parents or something like that and Lina went and guess what? The teacher made a mistake and she was actually 10th in her class. Aduuuuuuuhhhhhhhh………………….. You don’t know how bad I feel. Aduuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…………………. A hole, I need a hole to climb into. Now while 10th is not 1st or 2nd or 3rd but it is a lot better than 27th and she did not deserve the tongue lashing that I gave her. Aduuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhh………………….

The morale of the story? That thing about the perahu terlajak tu……. And everything else on what not to do in order to be a good father.

Llast night when I picked her up from her tuition, she asked,

“What are you going to give me for being 10th?”

“Excuse me, do I have to give you something for being 10th in class?”

“No, but at least it’s better that 27th.”

“We’ll see”

She smiled. She still loves me.

I am so lucky.

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On Hallowed Grounds

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Jet lag, this is the first time that I have ever felt the vagaries of jet lag. I fell asleep on my arrival on Monday and my friends Faz and Z (you know who you are) had to ring me from the lobby to go out to dinner. That's aging for you.

And just like Britney Spears, ooops, I did it again the next day. Plopped down on the bed after a day out and the next thing I knew it was 2 a.m. local time. Drats, drats and double drats. Just as Mutley himself would have said it.

But I managed to mix pleasure with business, thank you. The next day I went to a base in Aberdeen, by train, met a service hand or two, looked at lots of equipment, spoke a lot of techie techie things, took lots of pictures and sweated a bit in the sun. Hey, it was windy but the sun was out. That was the business part. On the pleasure part, on the way back to Edinburgh, I stopped by at Leuchars (pronounced Luckers, I guess...) and made a pilgrimage to the St. Andrews Golf Course. Yes, you landlubbers, the home of golf. The Royal and Ancient. Took a million photos, bought some souvenirs for myself, Papa, Along, Shaz and Abang Amir and registered for the poorhouse after that. I'll post some pictures later maybe. Walked around the course, at the tee box for Hole No. 1, at the 18th green, places where Tiger Woods treaded, Els walked and Palmer posed. Life could be so kind sometimes. Just walking around such a beautiful place is simply good for the soul. Sigh........

Before I left home, I asked Lina if she, and the kids, with the school holidays and all, wanted to come with me but she said that it was a bit rushed,I'd be busy working and things are expensive in Europe etc. etc. etc. but she wouldn't mind a trip to Beijing in December to shop and maybe catch some snow, for the children's sake. She heard that the travel package to Beijing are good. OK, I said.

Oh oh, then it dawned on me. Beijing? Beijing? When did Beijing get into the picture? Ah well, Beijing here we come.

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