I saw a Tanuki today!!

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I was happily ruminating on my way home. Reflecting how the day started with two big problems at work; where one could possibly cost us hundreds of thousands, if not a million, dollars, and the other a safety issue. How one ended with me finding a possible cost down effort that will have a bigger impact instead of the initial (deemed) cost increase (much smaller). And how the other one ended with different disciplines agreeing (with much satisfaction) to my proposed solution.

It was a day to be thankful for.

Then, just as I was approaching the back entrance of our condo, I saw in the dark the cutest fur animal I’ve ever seen in my entire life. It stood there frozen, looking at me quizzically, yet somehow also looking at me as if encouraging me to move forward. Its big black round eyes was looking at me curiously. Big round belly. Huge furry tale. Looking at me deeply, so much so that I still feel its stare up to now.

Then it dawned on me that I was seeing in flesh the famed lucky tanuki (raccoon dog) The type so cute the photos I’ve seen doesn’t do it justice. I’m seeing a lucky charm tanuki!

When I realised my good fortune, I flicked open the flap of my phone. Dang. It darted away so fast, faster than I could say “wait”.

The encounter was so overwhelming I’m claiming the good fortune it is famed to bring! 😂🤣😅

life with a grade schooler: iPad time limit

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Dear Apple,
You need to work on improvements of your time limit function on iPad.
My 9-yr old outsmarted/hacked your current program. She learned that if she closes her iPad once the time limit-reminder pops up and then wait for a few minutes, the timer resets.
And that is why she could have longer time with her programming/minecraft while at the same time follow the rules imposed.
Please make the improvement ASAP.
Yours truly,
Out of sorts (proud or frustrated, can’t decide) Mom

Beauty and Terror

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Watched Taika Waikiki’s Jojo Rabbit while ironing (thank goodness for Company anniversary holiday!). Loved it.

And I’ll take this with me.

Let everything happen to you. Beauty and Terror. Just keep going. No feeling is final.

– Rainer Maria Rilke

Churchill

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Whenever you doubt yourself to take on an immense task, thinking your current life must be excellent first before you take on another great role, think of Churchill. How despite having an immense personal debt, and an erring & troublemaker child, he did not doubt himself in assuming the role of the British Prime Minister, at a time when war was raging.

Not all of us are Churchills of course. But who knows, you could be better.

life with a grade schooler: Thomas Edison

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Yui: Mommy, you know, Thomas Edison was “99% perspiration and 1% inspiration”. So it’s really all about work.

Me (big smile): yes baby. That’s why, on your first hour of trying, you should not give up easily. And also that’s why you must never say you can’t do it when you never even tried at all.

Yui nods understandingly. My work here is done.