Eat, Play, Love – with Felicia and Elkan
September 9, 2012 Leave a comment
10 good days. Sweet, yummy and delightful. Felicia and Elkan packed our small apartment (and my big tummy) with so much love and joy. It will take a couple of days to readjust back to my lazy monotonous expat life.
Felicia spent her first night in Hong Kong cleaning up my messy apartment (and granted me a “visa” to celebrate Harshad’s birthday across the border). When I came back the next morning, it was a completely different apartment – everything was so sparkling clean and tidy. My table was stacked with new copies of 8-days magazines and Singapore newspaper. She brought so many yummy ingredients from Singapore. Over the past 1 week, she cooked many of my favourite Singapore dishes – Black Carrot Cake, Ice Glass Jelly Drink, Almond Jelly, Hokkien Fried Noodles and Mee Rebus. One one hand, she was asking me to lose weight. On the other, she pampered me with all my favourite high-carbo food.
While Felicia was taking care of my tummy and heart, Elkan was terrorising my mind with his endless pranks. He was the complete opposite of his mum. I couldn’t keep up with him anymore. He tore the places apart with his loud noise and messiness. He was so into the recent pop songs – Gangnam Style, Last Friday Night, Part of Me, Price Tag, Whistle, Payphone). Poor boy, he is too tall and big to share bed with Felicia and me. He volunteered to sleep on the couch. The living room was littered with his toys. He “invaded” all my new gadgets (AR Drone, Jawbone Jambox, Sphero, Gopro) and “confiscated” a couple. He blasted our quiet mornings with his shower-time concerts and he “vandalised” the glass walls of the shower room with “invisible” soap-drawings (only visible under hot steam). He drew hearts and scribbled love notes on the walls – for us to discover. Creative, lovely and cheeky.
They joined our company’s team-building trip at Macau. Thanks to David’s generosity, he paid for all our accommodation and food at Macau Galaxy. Felicia and Elkan attempted the SkyWalk with the team. Elkan and Felicia were the first ones out on the ledge – 233m above ground. I was so proud that my boy didn’t chicken out. He was fearless (perhaps no concept of danger). While some of the older adults were struggling with the height, he was jumping and swinging freely on the ledge. We had a great time at Macau with my colleagues. Elkan made new friends (dumping his best buddy Harshad). And yes, he terrorised almost all the pretty girls and old men in the group.
On our last day at Macau Galaxy, Elkan asked for a dollar coin. He said he wanted to make a wish. To my surprise, he made a noble wish. Closing his eyes and praying sincerely, Elkan wished for “I wish for happiness everyday”. A very wise, “sustainable” and priceless wish, I thought. I expected him to wish for an iphone or something short-term. His wish is certainly far better than a toy or a passing fad. I patted his head and gave him a big warm hug.
Our 10 good days are coming to an end. Felicia and Elkan are packing now. We are heading out for breakfast and leaving for the airport. In another 6 more weeks till we eat, play and love again.
12 years away from home - Singapore. Writing my stories here for my lovely mum & dad, friends and most importantly, for my wife & son back home. A self-confessed gadget freak, a spontaneous prankster on the outside and a warm loving heart inside. Enjoying a happy life with loving families, friends plus a dream job. Realising mum’s motto – “Exceed Yourself Every Day”. Always believing that “Simplicity is Beauty”.
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