My Dad is In China
Hello Internet,
Last night I called my dad, who's working in Shanghai at the moment. It sucks that I haven't seen him in so long. Actually, my original impression of the situation was that this set up would be temporary, that my mom and sister would stay in Michigan while my dad returned home frequently from work.
Last night when I called, he said he really misses me and thinks about me. That never happens. And when I listened, I thought I heard his voice crack. And it made my heart crack.
I asked him when he'll be back. He said, well, Sherry and your mother are coming this summer to visit. I'll probably come back during the holidays.
And then it hit me how much this really sucks. I can't believe it took me this long.
Spring Break is Over
Hello Internet!
Today was the last day of Spring Break 2010. What an adventure it was! I hate typing long sentences that lead to nowhere. Internet blogs are generally boring.
These are the notes:
- I got an MRI for my knee from an orthopedic specialist. Possible tear in meniscus (since nearly two years ago)? You betcha! Wait, still no diagnosis? Waiting on phone call from Indian doc whose name has escaped me. Leg still hurts. I need it to stop.
- I made a lot of food: dumplings, stir fry, cheesecake, birthday cake. My mom went to the doctors and as it turns out her hand needs to be in a cast for another two weeks (owing to a torn ligament in hand from self-injury: her reaction from a semi backing up towards her was to quickly jam her hand against the steering wheel)
- Went to see a dance competition (Nachle Express). Got to see familiar faces and my friend Hemal's team UIUC Fizaa win.
- Heard about my choir group conductor's daughter being involved in a horrible accident (which really still is in my mind).
This upcoming week is show week for SASA, and first week of spring quarter -- hurray!
My First Birthday Present
I remember my very first birthday present. It was a Mighty Max digital watch. The exciting about the watch (and all Mighty Max merchandise of that time, really) was that you could open the clasp covering the watch and reveal a miniature setting based on the Mighty Max television series, including a small plastic Mighty Max figure of himself. The figure could be made to stand on holders inside the scene such that it felt like Mighty Max belonged in that dungeon, or cave, or whatever it was.
My mom took me to Toys 'R Us and told me that I could pick any toy that I wanted. I don't remember the exact thought process that brought me there, but I ended up in the aisle with all types of colorful watches for children. I probably wanted a watch when I was young, I remember associating watch-wearing with adulthood.
And after we had bought it, I remember her remarking to my dad how surprised she was that it was all that I wanted. And it was. I was absolutely in love with the watch, and played with it any opportunity that I had. I wore it to school all the time, and had it on when I played outside. One afternoon, while playing on my neighbor Jeff's swing set, the Mighty Max figure fell out onto the grass, and was forever lost. That was quite the traumatic experience for me, since I adored that thing.
Not surprisingly, the watch was not the same without Max. It was 1996, at the start of my second year in the United States. Not very often nowadays do I treasure objects as much as I did toward that watch. Rosebud.