Happy Birthday Duckie!

Mama Lai sends Duckie a birthday e-mail:

"Happy Birthday, my little duckling! Of course, you were not born yet at this hour. I had to suffer for a while before you decided to come out!"

Papa Lai Says "Happy Birthday"?

I was video chatting with Papa Lai and he said excitedly:

"Guess whose birthday it is this week??!"

And thinking Papa Lai had something interesting planned for Duckie's birthday, I said:  "Duckie!!  What do you have planned?"

Papa Lai paused with a look of confusion:

"Riiiiiight.  Yes it's her birthday too, but it's also someone else's birthday....it's Martina's [Mcbride]'s birthday this week too!!" 

[For non-Martina McBride fans, Martina's birthday is July 29th].

Hard Being Parent

When I reached my mid-twenties I decided to confront Mama Lai over all the missed basketball games, rowing races, tennis matches and various other unattended school and extracurricular events.  I wanted her to account for the lack of support I felt all those years growing up.  Mama Lai heard me through my venting and ranting, cocked her head to one side and sighed:

"I never knew you felt that way!  I honestly felt like I was stretched so thin. I was so tired from sleeping very little raising you three and then I would have to drop you off here, pick you up somewhere else so you can participate in anything that you were interested in always thinking I'd give you an opportunity to learn whatever you wanted.  Something I didn't get to have growing up.  All that time I thought I was being supportive!  And then you tell me that you feel like I didn't support you?  I do my best -- gosh it's so hard to be a parent!"

The Cherry Tree Story

Once upon a time I swallowed a cherry pit.  Worried, I went to Mama Lai and told her what happened in case she needed to take me to see a doctor.  Then my uncle, Mama Lai's brother took me onto his lap and said:

"Little [Niece], there's nothing we can do about it.  But don't worry it won't hurt you.  It will just sit in your stomach and then one day it will sprout.  And then become a cherry tree in your stomach.  And as you get bigger, the tree will get bigger and the branches will come out of your ears and your mouth until you will no longer be you but a really big cherry tree.  And then [Mama Lai] will have as many cherries as she wants."

And then I burst out crying and then Mama Lai laughed .  Mama Lai likes to re-tell it and say:

"Hahaha.  You were such a dumb kid.  You would believe anything your uncle would tell you."

 

Big Teeth

Mama Lai would sometimes tip my chin and peer into my mouth and suggest:

"You have big teeth like me.  Maybe you should go to Asia and find how much it cost to get them shaved down."

I would refuse to consider such a thing, then Mama Lai would sigh and say:

"Well then you should stop opening your mouth so big.  That way people can't see how big your teeth are." 

"Good for Wendi"

Mama Lai said she would do the same thing for Papa Lai that Wendi did for her husband Rupert Murdoch if someone tried to throw a shaving cream pie at him:

"Good for her!  Why a wife should stand there and see somebody throw a pie at her husband.  If I had a chance, I would do the same!  Go see the video, you must say that Wendi is really quick!"

Papa Lai's Culinary Skills

Me, Papa Lai and the Little Prince all share an intense love of Nong Shim Ramyun Instant Noodles (Seafood Flavor).  Healthy, I know.  Our household has never been big on cooking, but Papa Lai has always been the most "creative" one when it comes to making up recipes and they usually involve Shim Ramyun:

"You have a final tomorrow?  You should pick up some canned tuna from Costco.  Fish makes you smart.  Do you know what it would taste good in?  Put it in with your Korean noodles"

or

"Guess what I did with yesterday's chicken curry?  I put it in with my Korean noodles for breakfast this morning.  So good!"

Men Don't Want Giants

I'm taller than Papa Lai by nearly four inches.  And like Mama Lai, he is not a fan of my collection of high heel shoes:

"You're not exactly a tiny girl.  When you wear shoes like that, you may not be taller than guys, but you will make it feel like you tower over them.  Men want girls, not giants."

Lies and Friends

When Duckie and I were growing up, Duckie's friends were always much more amiable and polite to Mama Lai than my own.  Looking back, I think it was really because my friends tended to more shy and introverted than Duckie's circle of friends.  But at the time, Mama Lai saw it like this:

"Your friends always seem to be afraid or suspicious of me.  I know why!  You have been telling bad things, lies, about me to your friends."

Handsome Pharmacists

In one of the shopping centers Mama Lai frequents, Mama Lai discovered that a pharmacy was being opened by this young Vietnamese pharmacist.  Mama Lai fondly recounted this chance meeting:

"He had no hair, but he was such a handsome pharmacist.  I don't think I've ever seen such a handsome pharmacist.  You go get your medicine and it's never anyone good looking.  That is a good business model."

Happy Toes

Mama Lai and I were in the ktichen talking on one of my last nights home.  She said that once I was gone she would treat herself to a pedicure:

"You know I don't care so much about my fingers.  They are old fingers, but when I look down I like to see my pretty painted toes looking back at me.  That makes me feel really good."

Foreigners

I had spent some extensive time in China and called Mama Lai to complain about some misunderstanding at the local market because I couldn't speak the local dialect and had no idea what the cashier was telling me.  Mama Lai was less than sympathetic:

"I don't feel sorry for you.  I was once foreigner here [U.S.].  Now you know how it feels!"

Measure of Success

Hoping to further encourage me in my recent weight-loss, Mama Lai said:

"If you could get under 140 pounds and stay there, Mommy will consider you to be successful.  No matter if you get fired from your job or lose all your friends or get kicked out of your apartment.  You will be successful in my eyes."