Once upon a time when I was a small child, I was happily jumping around everywhere. Daddy asked me if I could sing. "Yes," I replied. Then Daddy said, "Okay, May! Why don't you sing us a song?" I suddenly realized that Daddy was testing me and he wanted to see how well I could sing. So I stood there in front of Daddy and everyone and began singing, "Twinkle, twinkle, little star! How I wonder what you are! ...". When I finished singing, everyone clapped. I was happy and excited! I jumped up and down and around, and each time landing my knees on the couch. Then I was requested to sing another song. I went on to sing another song in Cantonese. It was a Chinese children's song about a little girl carrying a basket and going to the market. I am not sure of the title of the song, but only know it was a song that many Chinese children sing. Daddy watched me attentively. He listened to my song with undivided attention although he knew the song very well.
One good thing about Daddy is that he was always a good listener and attention giver. Whenever you have something which you thought was exciting to tell him, he would always look right into your eyes while listening to you. I remember when Mommy and Daddy moved to Canada to be with us we would always go to Chinatown to pig out. Whenever I had a promotion at work I would always tell daddy the minute I see him, and he would listen attentively to all that I had to tell him about my work, then he would say to me "Now, let's go to Chinatown to celebrate your success." He did that because it was a reason to go and eat. We usually pig out! Daddy's favourite dishes were King Crab, Crab, Steamed Fish, Shrimp, Lobsters, Oysters, Peking Duck. My parents were very active parents. They would always go around Chinatown to investigate which restaurant offers the best food at the most reasonable price, and then Daddy would report to us after they've found it and would call for everyone to go and pig out.
One time Daddy made an error in judgment because one of his friends had made a recommendation about Peking Duck being served in one of the downtown hotels. Luckily we didn't bring the whole tribe with us (my husband and my children), so there was only me and my brother, and my parents - the four of us trying out that hotel menu.
We ordered the lobsters for each of us, and then the Peking Duck which was supposed to be made into 3 dishes. The lobster was okay because we could see that the whole lobster was there on our plates, but we got ripped off by the hotel when it comes to the Peking Duck:
First, they presented us with the whole duck, but would not bring that to our table so we could not do everything for ourselves and pig out the way we had wanted to pig out. Two waiters wheeled that duck out on a cart, and then they would cut the duck for us, wrap up each piece for us, and gives it to us on our plates. We were not used to being served in that manner. We liked to do everything by ourselves and wrap up each piece the way we wanted to have it wrapped up and eaten it to our hearts' content. It was frustrating to see how each piece going through the wrapping process, being wrapped by the waiter, and then another waiter took turns in putting it on our plates! I got tired of watching the waiters do their jobs! Okay, when the top layer of the Duck's skin was all done and eaten, they wheeled the duck back into the kitchen to make another two dishes. One was supposed to be the duck's meat stir-fried with some kind of vegetables. However, there was hardly and duck meat in the dish. Another one was supposed to be soup or something and again there was hardly and duck meat there at all in the bowl. We've got ripped off!!!... Big time!!! Mommy was mad at Daddy for taking us over there just because one of his friends thought nice of the place. That meal cost Daddy a few hundred dollars including the tips for the two waiters!!! Never will we go there again!!! It was a big rip-off joint!!!
I'm really missing the part of my Daddy's attention although I know some of my friends are saying to me that Daddy has never left me, he is always around me and is always watching over me, and I can accept that. On many occasions, I would feel Daddy's presence when he would have something to tell me, he would always come into my dreams to deliver the message. But I wish he was still alive and I could see him and hug him for real. I'm missing my Daddy so much!
I think there is a lot of my Daddy in me because I value my family as much as my Daddy did. I would do anything for everyone in my family. Whenever I feel down and felt that I had not a purpose to continue living, I would think of my husband and my children. Then I would know I have them for a reason and they are all so precious to me - much like how precious we were to our dear parents. I think no matter how bad we feel about life, there is always a sense of comfort, and a certain level of responsibility that we feel are there for us. It's the life cycle in humans - When one generation ceased to exist, we look forward to our future generations to love and support.
Oh, please! Here it is 9:45 PM and I am in my pajamas reading about your fantastic family and getting hungrier and hungrier by the minute. It is truly nice when someone attentively listens to you and responds... Especially your "Daddy". But getting back to me here at, now, 9:46 PM dying for some King Crab, Crab, Steamed Fish, Shrimp, Lobsters, Oysters, Peking Duck all of which I really, really like... W
ell to be honest, I'm not too sure about the steamed fish and I do not think that I have ever had Peking Duck. It sounds like you had wonderful parents and a very interesting childhood... Good for you!
Mark
Reviewed by May Yu
5/26/2014
Sandie, your dad sounds like a wonderful dad. I'm so glad you have some good memories of your dad to share with us. Thanks Sandie!
Beautiful tribute to your Daddy, Sandie; well done! I miss my Daddy too; it will be six years on May 28 since he passed. He died in 2008. I miss him ....
(((HUGS))) and much love, your friend in Texas, Karen Lynn.
Every family should have a strong leader. Your father appears to be one of those precious people that makes a family strong. I was lucky to have a strong father too. Not everyone is so lucky as we are.
Ron
PS. I always loved to go to Chinatown and eat too!
This is so wonderful Sandie. Your Daddy sure was a good man. Rest assured knowing that he is your guardian angel. Life is made of moments and cherishing these good moments helps us to move on happily in this world. Mary
What beautiful memories to have about your father! You were blessed to have a father who was interested in what you had to say. I never had that but I did feel a twinge of how it must fee as I read your story. Excellent story!
Good story, China girl. Print it, or better yet hand script it and put it in a time capsule with some of your children's books for your grandchildren and their pets (cats).
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