It was the windy raining season at Hayward Hills again. It’s been raining for days and finally the sun came out smiling at us around 2:00 pm today. I was just bored enough and thinking about taking Anders to somewhere. Good! Now I can take him for a walk at the newly opened park on the middle of the hill. I asked the dad to hold Anders for a little bit so I can wrap up some errands and prepare the diaper bag.
It only took me 30 minutes to get everything done. I came upstairs and was ready to go. To my surprise, not only the rain was pouring and wind was blowing again, but the dad and son both fell asleep on the couch with TV on. All of a sudden, the afternoon wasn’t boring anymore. I smiled. It was just peaceful and sweet with the sound of the rain and wind.
Whew… Finally Little Anders got over the jet lag of traveling from Taiwan back home. He’s the happy piggy again. He’s so choppy these days that Harrison always calls him “little meatball.”
Harrison and I are blessed that Anders is adapting traveling quite well so far. We’ve taken him to Vancouver at the end of his 2nd month with Uncle Peter and Auntie Lucy, LA at the 3rd to meet my high school friend, Mandy, her fiance Will, and of course our dear friend Andy, and Taiwan at the 4th month to see the Hung and Pu families for the first time. Other than struggling with jet lag both in Taiwan and US, he’s been such an angel to travel with. Well, at least I am not yet scared away from taking him to another trip in the near future. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that he will keep this way.
Little Anders met Grandpa Pu for the first time. Grandpa Pu held him everyday when he was in I-Lan and couldn’t put him down. Every time if Anders made tiny little noises in Grandpa Pu’s arms, Grandpa Pu would stand up right away and said that, “Oh, he doesn’t like me to sit, I better walk around.” Grandma Hung was also so happy seeing him again. The sentence Grandma Hung repeated the most was, “Oh, you little cutie, you come to steal my heart away huh?”
I guess the little piggy also know what the red envelops are. See… He held them tight even when he was sleeping.
Now Anders is 5 months old. This little meatball is more and more active. I haven’t done a good job updating details of his growth. I promise I’ll try my best from now on so you can share our joys and smile at his baby actions with us.
Here are a couple videos for now. More to follow in the near future…
My flight back from Taiwan arrived early in the morning, and I watched the sun rise over the Bay Area, and I was struck with a powerful feeling I haven’t had in quite a while.
I lost this feeling soon after college after a few years becoming experienced with the business world. When I fly over cities, my gut reaction when I look down at the urban sprawl was more like Sweeney Todd returning to London in the opening song to the musical: No Place like London
Sweeney Todd: There’s a hole in the world like a great black pit
and the vermin of the world inhabit it
and its morals aren’t worth what a pig could spit
and it goes by the name of London.
At the top of the hole sit the privileged few
Making mock of the vermin in the lonely zoo
turning beauty to filth and greed…
I too have sailed the world and seen its wonders,
for the cruelty of men is as wonderous as Peru
but there’s no place like London!
This time it was different. Maybe it was the early morning light rather than the harsh bake of the afternoon full sun. Or maybe it was the early spring rains that bring the flush of green to the hills of California. Or maybe it is because I am a father now.
This time my feelings were more like Boromir talking about returning home to Gondor in the Fellowship of the Rings.
Boromir: My father is a noble man, but his rule is
failing and our..our people lose faith.
He looks to me to make things right…and
I would do it, I would see the glory of
Gondor restored. Have you ever seen it,
Aragorn? The White Tower of Ecthelion,
glimmering like a spike of pearl and
silver, its banners caught high in the
morning breeze…have you ever been
called home by the clear ringing of
silver trumpets?
