Family

Have you ever watched someone grow up? I mean literally held them in your arms at the age of 2 hrs, watched them take their first steps, say their first words, give you a hug. I'm fortunate enough to have being an aunt, and its been amazing.

Even though my nephew at 8 gives me attitude and I'm probably a really fierce aunt to him, "JULIAN, GO PRACTICE YOUR PIANO NOW!"....or my adorable niece who also gives me attitude...at 4...but I indulge her more, coz she's a girl and younger =P

Pangs of homesickness at the 3rd year of being away? Really?  Never thought I'd be one to say this, but hell I'm homesick.

It's something about knowing that you're a model, an adult that they can look up to and talk to. An authority of a parent figure, yet close enough in age to understand them, coz heck, sometimes I feel I'm still 9 myself. It's funny trying to understand how to motivate them, as I think back about me having tuitions and getting the grades I did, and how much I hated practicing the piano. Now it's impossible to get my nephew to sit down for a while and plonk out some tunes, yet I can't help but remember how annoying it was for me to do the same. So how can I be the hypocrite?

When I talk to them I feel my tones change, my Malaysian-ness and lahs and totally wrong syntaxes all come out "Why he didn't go one?" lol. Back to the roots, back to the familiarity of home. You can take someone out of their home, but you can never take home out of someone. I'm still the baby of the family and I probably always will be. Once upon a time I thought being grown up meant taking care of yourself. It's all an illusion. We're always someone's baby and someone will always be our parent.