Monday, September 26, 2011

Chapter : Raising Kids.

Few days ago, someone asked me, “Would you want to have kids in the future?” 

I answered, “Well, it depends whether I could afford it or trust myself to raise it.” 

Well, if you think it’s a funny answer because normally people would say yes or no. But these days, really...it depends whether you could afford it or devoted yourself to taking care of the child. It’s a lot of responsibilities taking care of a child. My parents always say, “You will soon know the burden of raising a child when you own one.” 

Well, I don’t need to own one but I roughly know how tedious a task it would be. The responsibilities begin the moment you’re carrying a little bean in your tummy. You have to be careful of what you eat, drink or do. Once you give birth to the little one plus enduring the labour pains, another set of responsibilities begin. Your task is to support the little one with everything. Nursing it, feeding it, teaching it and all sort of things you do to mould the little one into the person you hope it grows to be. 

Not sure whether I make sense at the last part...but during the process on taking care of the little one, you have endure sleepless nights and changing diapers...but once the little one grows out of the diapers, you have to make sure the little one keeps their clothes on! Okay maybe that’s an exaggeration but I did know a little one that refuses to keep his clothes on. After their toddler years, they start to demand more from you...money-wise of course. They need this and that, their homework requires them to build a transformer and they need materials, they have ballet lessons, art lessons, music lesson or whatever lessons they want to attend plus we must not forget if they have tuition classes! So here you become their loyal little driver, chauffeuring them from north to south. 

Then reaching to the age where they’re a teenager. The rebellious stage, they won’t listen to you, they yell at you, they do all sort of things you do when you’re a teenager. You ground them, wallop their sorry little butts, cut their allowances, and make sure they have more chores to do or something to punish them. Making sure they learn their lesson in hopes that they wouldn’t repeat the same mistake. 

There’s a lot of process we have to go through emotionally, mentally and physically during the process of raising a child. A parent must be strong to endure the shits through thick and thin. Worrying about the cost they have to support when raising a child or whatever stuffs they need to do...

On the other hand, some might have doubts because of the pain that we women have to endure. Carrying another life inside of us which would add extra weight to our body, some of us would start feeling fat, suffer from hair loss or any other itty gritty bit that we get during our pregnancy...

But all in all, it’s a joyous thing to give birth to life and bringing them into the planet. Watching them grow and sharing happiness and sadness together...and when you grow old, you will have someone to keep you company, to take care of you in return.


Sunday, September 11, 2011

Chapter : Prom

Fell asleep while watching Glee...had a dream. I think the episode I was watching might have influenced my dream. The summary of the dream, I went to prom with my date and was dancing the night away. I felt like Cinderella for the night. 

In reality, I have never been to prom. Most of the time, prom was held at the end of the year and during that time I’m always out of the county for a family holiday. So I missed out on prom, throughout my high school years...well, can’t say throughout my high school years because prom was only held when you’re at the last year at school. But I got asked out when I was 15 years old. At first I said yes because I thought we won’t be going anywhere...but then had to disappoint my date because I flew to China I think. Then I thought that I would be able to attend at least my OWN prom after my important final exams, I was off to Vietnam. So either way, I never attended one. 

Then it got me thinking, what was prom like? Watching from all those American shows, girls get asked out by guys, they all dress up like princesses; the guys picked them up and gave them corsages. Then reached to their school, have some upbeat songs to dance, then slow dances and ends it with the crowning of prom king and queen. Was Malaysian prom like that? 

I remember vaguely that my sister attended her school prom. I think she got asked out by a senior at her school. Then I think her date picked her up. That’s about it. I never asked for details during her night outs anyway. We don’t share that sort of bonding.

It got me imagining, what it would be like to be at a prom. For once, able to dress up like a princess and dance a slow dance...well, I did a slow dance before...if you would call swaying from one foot to another a dance. It was during my 21st birthday and that was pretty awkward because everybody was just staring at my ex and me swaying from one foot to another. But then, aren’t slow dances like that? I’m not too sure myself.

Truthfully, I can’t picture myself attending this kind of functions. I would love to dress up like a princess and be treated like one someday but I think I rather stick to my own little fantasy for now.