My Dad!

It's Father's Day today...so how did you spend this day? Or did you not even know it was Father's Day? =P

Well, I thought I would want to dedicate this entry to my dad. I've realised that I've only mentioned my parents in passing every now and then. Probably can expound a little more on him. Not that you would care of coz. Well, I just want to talk about him, can? *grin*

Was even contemplating putting his pics up, but I thought the better of it. Heh...As of this moment, I don't think I'm ready to "expose" my family...not my parents at least. Myself, my nieces - yes...case-by-case basis for the rest. Anyways, I've digressed.

My dad is a really kind person...Super-duper kind, I may even add. Especially towards my mom. I've never met any man/father like him, who gives in sooooo much to my mom. Well, needless to say, my mom has him wrapped around her little finger. Ha...not in the bad way. In the sense that my dad just doesn't see the point of upsetting her and gives her her way, nearly everytime. Certainly not me. And there are times that I just can't stand my mom "bullying" my dad. Of coz, there were times when she went overboard. Her nagging and all...And yet, my dad typically just "in a ear, out the other". Hehe.

Whatever my mom wants, wherever she wants to go, whatever she wants to do...anything at all, my dad will go all out of his way to get/do it for her. Seriously. Driving her to different shopping centres just so that she can get whatever she wants, doing shopping with her (I don't mean marketing; shopping as in shopping for clothes), working longer hours just so that she can rest more if she were tired...so many instances. And yes, he does shopping for general groceries for the family too. From bread for breakfast, to the topping up of soft drinks in the fridge, snacks in the cabinet, fruits, coffee, tea, rice...anything at all. And guys, he has no qualms buying female essentials (aka, sanitary pads) when the "general stocks" reduce. No complaints, nothing. He is a real mild-mannered and calm person, that he rarely blows his top. Really rarely.

My dad is also super duper hardworking. He doesn't have to work now, since all of us are working and we do live comfortably. But still, he "piah" so hard that sometimes, I'm ashamed of myself. Seriously. In a nutshell, his work schedule everyday (and I do mean Monday to Sunday) is: Wakes up at 4 in the morning, by 5, he is out of the house to go over to the workplace. My uncle (mom's brother) has entrusted him with one of the many shopfaces that he owns, so basically he has to ensure things run smoothly, from the staff to the accounts. He doesn't have to, but he takes it upon himself to see that everything is without hitches. He is there all the way till about 3.30 in the afternoon, when the afternoon people, including my mom, comes over at about 2pm (sort of like a shift). He goes home to catch a rest, and naps from about 4 to 5.30, when he wakes up again to get dinner, and yeah, he's back to the workplace by 6pm for the evening peak hour. There, he will stay till he does the closing at about 1030. Then he reaches home at 11. By the time he showers and watches some tv and all, it's already midnite when he goes to bed. Gosh...I don't think anyone works that hard these days now, rite?

I do feel heart pain for him and his punishing schedule, but when we implore him to rest more, sleep longer or things like that, he will decline. Partly coz he isn't comfortable with leaving things to the hands of others, and also, he finds it boring after a while if he "rests too long". Sometimes my mom can be so insensitive, that she doesn't realise how tired he can get. That's when we come in and remind her...though sometimes to no avail. Sigh.

Of coz, I'm not saying he's a saint. He does have his flaws too. For one, he spends alot on buying lottery. Haha...I guess that, to him, is one of his few forms of relaxation. In his own words, he describes himself as a "professional". Indeed he is. For one, he spends so much money on lottery, that when weird combinations of a certain number comes up, he strikes too. And apart from a fix set of numbers that he always bet on, he also places bets on any numbers that ignite a sense of inspiration in him, in an instance. Haha...Good thing is, he knows his limit. Then again, I rather he not bet or anything. Oh well...

He doesn't stinge on money. He is such a generous soul that he has no problem footing the bill or buying stuff for people. Sure, who doesn't like money, but he never allow money to come between people, or to cause rifts. And in fact, it's not just money. Material things too. I guess his mindset is one of what we describe: Can't lose what you never had. AKA; you come into this world with nothing, and you will leave with nothing too. Sensible. Everyone knows that, but not many appreciates what it truly means and practices that.

I used to think that I got my sweet tooth from my mom. Now I know I have been wrong. Daddy dearest loves to eat sweet stuff too. He likes soft drinks, cakes & stuff...& loves ice-cream (cornetto). My family's three-tier fridge has no lack of foodstuff, especially cornettos. My dad "replenishes" cornettos by the boxes, in different flavours too! Haha...On an average of seven nights a week, he has a cornetto about five to six days, really. That day, he even told me how he has found a great deal for cornettos. Currently the Esso station where he pumps petrol at is having a cheap sale for cornettos; far cheaper than what he got for at Shop&Save or any other supermarkets. I didn't even know that...Heee. Oh but me my my bro were just discussing about how his tummy is showing more evidently now. My dad is a little man (I'm short, and for a guy, he is too); and because of the immense effort and energy that he exerts, he doesn't have an ounce of fat on him. Ok, perhaps that was a little too exaggerated. But he really is thin. =)

He enjoys watching soccer, and for someone who spends most of his time working, he knows the players from various teams. From Premier League to the World Cup. Needless to say, he's having a while of a time now, which I'm partly glad yet worried about. He gets to watch some top-notch show of dribbling footwork, but that would mean he's sacrifcing his sleep time. There!

I especially enjoy his dry humour. Which sometimes give way to cold humour too. Haha...For instance, he would turn off the volume of the TV with a world cup match showing, and make up imaginary conversation based on the expressions and mouthing of the players/coaches/referee. *heh* He especially enjoys "disturbing" my mom, who doesn't have a clue at all. At times, his face doesn't change when he jokes and twists the facts. And my mom would be totally taken in. Nothing harmful of coz. My mom once remarked that she enjoys seeing my dad make us laugh. Big hearty laughter. =D

From chauffer to family grocery-man, to family handyman, my dad is everything and anything. There's nothing too difficult or too out-of-the-way for him. He does small paint jobs around the house when the toilet pipes' paint peeled; he fixed the hose when it came loose; he climbed up to the ceiling fan to clean the plates; he climbed up to change the bulb for the lights around the house when they fused; he sacrifices his rest time to wash the walls around the house during our once-a-year spring cleaning (just coz my mom is a cleanliness freak...wahaha)...so many instances that I can never possibly finish. Yah, makes me wonder why my bro isn't even half of him. -.-''

I think I got my lazy genes from my mom, and I attribute my sometimes lack-of-logic from her genes too *hehe* I'm not putting my mom down; she has her flaws, but she has her good points too, definitely. But that's another story. But I think I did get good genes from my dad. He's wise, street-smart, with no lack of logical & common sense (I do need that at times =P). Thankfully I inherit the necessary good stuff. Hahaha...

Now, experts say that when we marry, we tend to choose our partners like our parents inherently (girls choose someone like their dad and sons choose someone like their mom). If that were the case....good luck to my bro. Wahaha! Seriously, I certainly wouldn't mind my husband to be just like my dad in terms of personality, character, etc. THat would be good news! Keeping my fingers cross then. =)

I'm glad to have my father. When we were young, ours was the typically chinese family, albeit traditional. The father was supposedly the imposing figure, no expression or laughter. A faraway figure of authority and disciplinarian. As we grew older, it was more and more detached from that stereotype.

I must add that actually, even as we were young, my dad may have been "faraway" from us (emotionally); but he was never the disciplinarian. My mom was the one (and a terribly strict, fierce, imposing, over-protective one, who was constantly afraid that we would mix with wrong company and grow up all wrong). But we did find my dad a little unapproachable. We rarely saw him coz he came home late from work almost everyday and even then, we didn't really talk to him too. It was only after we were all grown up (me, the youngest, being in JC or Uni alredy), that we drew closer as a family. I'm certainly glad for that. =)

If I had to describe my dad using an anecdote or situation or whatever, it would have to be his unselfish love.

I read this before, and I think I posted this up sometime ago too.

A child was asked to describe what love is, and this was what he came up with (can't remember totally, but the gist of it):

"Love is when my grandfather massages my grandmother when her arms and legs hurts, even though he has rheumatism in his hands."

This anecdote is so apt, it seemed to be created just for my dad...Well almost. You see, my mom's legs hurts every now and then coz she's flat-footed and cannot stand for long. Coupled with mild rheumatism, she needs someone to massage medication on her legs for her (she finds it hard to bend). My dad does it for her, just the way she wants it, without complaints. And he does his best, not just to get-it-over-and-done-with sort. He even puts on socks for my mom after that to ensure that the medication stays on and is best effected. My dad doesn't hurt in the arms/hands, but the thing is, his legs has an ailment too. He had an operation couple of years ago to remove some sort of growth (not sure what...stones or something) at his knee. He recovered from that, but now his calf is suffering. Calves actually (both legs). He's the kind who would rarely voice his pain/suffering, so my guess is, most of the time, he just kept quiet. When we asked, he would assure us that he's recovering.

Of coz, all of us are really worried that he may be over-exhausting himself...unnecessarily too. Just a couple of weeks ago, he told my second sis that he was experiencing pain in his chest, over where the heart is. Because he's already on medication for high blood pressure, we had a fright and told him to go to the doc. True enuff, doc said he needed to rest more.

It sure feels weird that now that we are all grown up, our parents become old and it would be a case of reverse roles. We would be the ones takin care of them as they age and we pull in the dough now. My dad is in his fifties now, but it's still kinda hard for me to imagine him old and white-haired..feeble and weak. Especially when he used to rescue me from cockroaches and lizards and whatever unwelcome "guests" at home. Hopefully I would have found a new knight to rescue me from such pests by the time my dad isn't as flexible or fast. My gallant dad once swopped up a cockroach with his bare hands, and went on to pluck off its head using the other hand. Gross I know, but that's what made me love my dad more. And yes, I don't have sympathy for that roach *grin*

Ok, this has been a long report on my dad, but seriously, this short entry is only a summary. Took me quite awhile to complete this, when I'm supposed to have either slept early or finish my work. I've done neither. And now I'm drowsy. Hopefully I can wake on time tomoro for work. Tons of crap to return to -.-''