A beautiful day. Arigatou. Yokatta.
Category Archives: beginnings
baby diaries: cat’s hand
You were watching way too much videos already so I asked you to come on over to help me beat the eggs. Result: you had a tantrum because you didn’t want to help and just wanted to watch. The tantrum was a confirmation you’ve had too many videos and so I set my foot and commanded you come on over in the kitchen.
The moment you beat the eggs though, you were your usual gay self already and was having fun. Then you volunteered to cut the pechay/chingensay/Chinese cabbage. My first instinct was not to allow you to hold the knife. But you looked so confident that you can do it and I most definitely don’t want to break that confidence. So I grit my teeth and handed you the knife. As you positioned the knife, you said that Sugawara-sensei told you the other hand that’s not holding the knife should be like a cat’s hand; curled like a cat’s hand so that those cutie little fingers won’t get nipped.
I’m loving your head teacher all the more. By the way, you cut those two heads of pechay quite evenly. Good job, Anak! 🙂
baby diaries: your first piano recital
It was an easy piece but quite a challenge in terms of keeping you engaged such that you could keep the right tempo. In all your practice sessions, there were times you moved too fast and other times too slow. But today, your tempo was perfect.
What I was most proud though? It was that when you made your bow before and after your piece, you lingered in your place and made eye contact with the audience. You owned the stage, my confident little one.
Humbled by a compliment
I believe anybody would consider being able to change someone, for the better, as an achievement of a lifetime. Especially when you didn’t intend to do it. That by just being yourself, you’ve brought change.
Hence I was totally humbled when a colleague/boss told me how the whole project (process) team – 15 of us – changed, for the better, after I joined the team. How a once non-interactive team got more engaged and finally truly acted as a team just by being my communicative self.
I didn’t see the compliment coming, who would?! Especially since I joined at month 4 and hence my role wasn’t as lead, not even for a dedicated unit.
But indeed, if I would be honest with myself, I could see some change. No, not the whole team – even if I be truly truly honest to the core, I could not see the whole team had changed just because of me. But I did see the difference in a few people. How they got more passionate with their work, where before, there was lacklustre; and how a few became happier and more communicative. Was it because of me?! I wouldn’t dare claim that. They most likely just realised something within the month of my joining the project.
Nevertheless, dear colleague/boss/mentor, I am deeply grateful that you think so highly of me. I am truly humbled.
Mark Twain said, “I can live for two months on a good compliment”.
Your compliment, however, will last me a lifetime and will continue to inspire me to be a better person than I was yesterday. Thank you.
life with a kindergartener: otouban
For the new school year this April, your head teacher asked your class to draw your own portraits to be posted on your “Leader of the day” board.
And you drew this. It’s beautiful. You drew a child who looks happy, benevolent and smart. Proud of you, baby.
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! Daycare Year 4
My secret wish has been granted. We have our favourite sensei as your head teacher for this year (さくら組)! Happy! She was one of your head teachers too during Year 2, and you bloomed then.
I pray you’ll have a great year of fun in learning about life and love with young Sakura gumi classmates under the tutelage of your redoubtable head teacher.
We are excited for you! We love you.
