I dreamt of falling into deep space again, but this time I fell from the mountains down to a tree-filled jungle. ._.
My body got caught up in between the branches and I begged this insensitive purple bird to save me. It only chortled loudly and shake the branches repeatedly until I fell again.
Second nightmare of the night, so I guess my subconscious fears made me refuse to sleep again, yet I was able to try and recall happy memories for a few hours to feel more comforting at four o'clock early in the morning.
And so, somehow I decided to share and reminisce to you all what a wonderful childhood I had, and how it made me the person I am today.
I can remember things pretty well dating back to... maybe when I was three? Anyhow, I recall things and differences in a way that I compare what I have now, to what I had back then. Movements and transitions told me that times during my preschool life was much different. Financial wise. It gradually improved as I grew older, and having to witness my the hard work and commitment that my parents put into the family, I simply felt that there were nothing more I could ask for.
But let me make it clear, we weren't poor to begin with, at least I wouldn't say we were. I was born here in Brisbane, but that didn't leave me a single memory of this place as I was only one when we moved back to Hong Kong. My dad finished his studies at UQ and both my parents were busy looking for jobs. Though we lived together at my grandparents' small unit, which consisted two rooms and a single bathroom to share between the six of us, we still had three full meals to fill our stomachs. Our family was always warm. It had to be, when everyone was cramped into such little space. (:
Kids in the neighborhood would always play downstairs in between the building, but I was never allowed to go and hang out with them. Since the local area we lived in wasn't very developed, my grandmother would always keep me indoor when my parents are at work, while grandpa would take me around whenever he could and bought me snacks wherever we went. I would always lay on his lap and watch the horse-racing events with him on the television, while he patted my hair. He would also take my to the neighboring playgrounds and pushed me on a swing.
My mum was a teacher and so every Saturday morning, she would take me to the local family restaurant and eat breakfast there. One of the most vivid memory was that she would always cut out the yolk of the sunny side up egg and fed it to me.
I never liked runny egg yolks, but I didn't tell her and swallowed it every time. This is because deep down, I felt the most happy when she gave me all what she believed was the best.
Sometimes, my dad had days taken off too. On those days he would bring me to the local markets and buy fresh produce for dinner that night. I remember how he would piggy back me around because he knew I didn't like walking on that slippery floor and getting my shoes dirtied. Oh yes, I miss those days when we didn't have a maid to buy it for us. Strangely, people there would always ask my dad whether I was mixed and where my mother was from. Another vivid memory was when I was given a handful of cherries from a marketer at a fruit stand and I placed them into my dad's mouth one by one while he piggy backed me. The cherries were what I believed was the best at that moment, like how mum gave me those egg yolks every time.
Half way through my preschool school years, my parents had saved enough for us to move out and live independently from my grandparents. I changed from the local nursery-like school to a proper girl one. It was so strict that we weren't allowed to grow long hair!! Anyways, even though we moved, grandpa and grandma would still always come and visit me after school.
Grandpa was always the one to pick me up from my school bus and he would always buy me a soft serve when we walked home. (:
Anyways, after that year we would always move around from one place to another.
We were moving further and further away from my grandparents, but we still saw them every Sunday at church. All together, we moved nine times from when we lived with them to when I was in grade two. I got into the art school too, which I went three times a week. (:
That year, my dad took the risk of starting his own clinic with a friend, and so money became strict on us. Going to my art school was reduced from three times a week to once per week. Even though it caused a great amount of money, my parents still put in great effort in supporting me for my love of art. Even though there were many changes throughout that year, we would still stay tight together like before, and it only made the family warmer.
Dad's business also gradually became more stable, but that was when the SARS outbreak happened and caused the financial crisis as people panicked. My parents decided that it was best to send Jono here, but I was still too young to follow. Since he was my only sibling, having him gone for a year was like having a best friend taken away. My parents and teachers realized a change in me and in the end, my parents decided to let me come here even though they weren't content to let me go when I was nine.
AND THAT'S how I met you all. (:
So my childhood was family restaurants, markets and neighboring playgrounds.
Yet those things only made me realize how lucky I am today and how hard my parents had worked to provide everything that I have now.
Jacob will never have a chance to witness that!
And once again, thank God for giving me such a wonderful childhood.
I will work even harder to strive for success and give back to my parents what they had given me. (:
ps. I'm sorry if this is a bit rush in the end, I'm feeling tired.
