the streets were eerily empty last friday, the usual hustle and bustle missing as memorial day weekend kicks off. memorial day in the united states is a day to remember the brave soldiers who have given their lives for their country.
my father-in-law is a veteran of the united states army, he fought alongside rock hudson in world war 2. they were the first wave sent to okinawa to fight the japanese. i'm sure he knew a lot of heroes that deserve to be remembered this weekend.
i see it as a diluted form of our all souls' day, which of course they don't have here. they remember the dead, but only the heroes. and that is where the difference ends.
memorial day weekend is a long holiday that allows most americans to go off to the beach, to the lake, to the mountains-- or wherever their fancy takes them. thursday afternoon while at a nearby ralph's, a group of college boys in the line before us was busy making sure they got all their favorite beers, chips and junk. the cashier knowingly asked them where they were spending memorial day weekend. a lake house somewhere, they said promptly-- they looked somewhat like the gang in american pie-- and probably intend to party just as much:)
my memorial day weekend is a bit longer because i took my birthday leave on the tuesday after. it would've been a perfect long weekend to explore the catalina island or go to lake tahoe (which i have yet to see)... but no. we're going to disassemble my mother-in-law's executive L-shaped desk, hopefully to move it to their retirement home. and then we will be celebrating my aunt by marriage's first death anniversary. and of course, we have to help my in-laws move the rest of the time because they have to be out of the house by june 1st.
oh, well, since my father-in-law's heroic works is worth remembering this memorial day-- i guess spending the weekend helping him is appropriate:)
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Monday, May 22, 2006
a culture of independence
i was helping my husband move furniture into the retirement home his parents are moving into last weekend. the one-bedroom apartment looked like a one-bedroom suite at a hotel room minus the usual jacuzzi feature. it had a tiny kitchen that had about two feet of countertops, a sink, a stove and a refrigerator; a vinyl-floored dining area and a carpeted living room. it was very clean and well-maintained, in stark contrast to where they are living now. and the best part is they're about a block away from old towne pasadena where all the nice shops are!
the facility had a laundry area, a big mess hall, a park right outside my in-laws' unit and they had great security systems. they had social workers to clean the rooms and to do laundry for the tenants for a small fee. they can have cabs especially priced for the elderly and disabled pick them up and take them wherever they want to go. in other words, they can live independently without having to bother their working children about their special needs.
we usually hear about american dads telling the kids they're on their own at age 18 or whenever they get a girl pregnant... but this side of their culture of independence is a new concept to me.
parents who have told their children to get out into the world on their own two feet, after finally finishing their workforce years are now relegated to these active senior retirement communities where they are kept out of the way of their children's too busy lives as the vicious cycle continues. at their golden years, too proud to tell their children that they need extra attention, they retire to these communities telling themselves that they want to remain independent...
but could they just be afraid to ask the kids they threw out of their homes at 18 to take them in? could they just be afraid of their kids finding them a great burden? or could they not swallow their pride and tell those they taught to stand on their own two feet that they need help? or maybe, like my mother-in-law, they could not stand to live by the house rules of the woman who took her son away... i can only wonder... it's a sad life, one i hope i will never have to endure.
when i grow old i will spend the rest of my life by the beach, writing about what i learned in life, enjoying the golden years with my husband... my golden years depend on what i accomplish today and so to work i now go back:)
the facility had a laundry area, a big mess hall, a park right outside my in-laws' unit and they had great security systems. they had social workers to clean the rooms and to do laundry for the tenants for a small fee. they can have cabs especially priced for the elderly and disabled pick them up and take them wherever they want to go. in other words, they can live independently without having to bother their working children about their special needs.
we usually hear about american dads telling the kids they're on their own at age 18 or whenever they get a girl pregnant... but this side of their culture of independence is a new concept to me.
parents who have told their children to get out into the world on their own two feet, after finally finishing their workforce years are now relegated to these active senior retirement communities where they are kept out of the way of their children's too busy lives as the vicious cycle continues. at their golden years, too proud to tell their children that they need extra attention, they retire to these communities telling themselves that they want to remain independent...
but could they just be afraid to ask the kids they threw out of their homes at 18 to take them in? could they just be afraid of their kids finding them a great burden? or could they not swallow their pride and tell those they taught to stand on their own two feet that they need help? or maybe, like my mother-in-law, they could not stand to live by the house rules of the woman who took her son away... i can only wonder... it's a sad life, one i hope i will never have to endure.
when i grow old i will spend the rest of my life by the beach, writing about what i learned in life, enjoying the golden years with my husband... my golden years depend on what i accomplish today and so to work i now go back:)
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
a working weekend :)
i spent half of last weekend burning photos from my in-laws 50th wedding anniversary into cds for my husband's siblings. i recreated the slideshow i made during the reception and made an autorun cd to go with the photo cd as well. so it was kind of a working weekend for me.
my husband just got me this new L-shaped desk for our home office and it is definitely more comfortable to work in than my old desk-- though that might have something to do with my husband's big office chair whose height cannot be adjusted than anything else. we moved the small desk into our bedroom to use for the video-editing pc we're going to get later on. the funny thing is, i have all the editing software already (thanks auntie tani!), all i need is a pc powerful enough to install it on.
it was my hubby's birthday yesterday, his sister in New Zealand called. but it was his niece who remembered that it was his birthday, she eagerly took the phone from her mom and chatted with my husband. cathy is one of the sweetest girls i've ever met-- she reminds me a lot of my youngest sister.
we plan to attend this real estate workshop on saturday then start moving my in-laws stuff in the retirement home they're moving into on sunday. it's going to be another busy weekend! i still have to post the cool stuff we found at the home remodeling and redecorating show from last last weekend. don't worry, i'll find the time-- i work for the possibility thinking guru after all:)
my husband just got me this new L-shaped desk for our home office and it is definitely more comfortable to work in than my old desk-- though that might have something to do with my husband's big office chair whose height cannot be adjusted than anything else. we moved the small desk into our bedroom to use for the video-editing pc we're going to get later on. the funny thing is, i have all the editing software already (thanks auntie tani!), all i need is a pc powerful enough to install it on.
it was my hubby's birthday yesterday, his sister in New Zealand called. but it was his niece who remembered that it was his birthday, she eagerly took the phone from her mom and chatted with my husband. cathy is one of the sweetest girls i've ever met-- she reminds me a lot of my youngest sister.
we plan to attend this real estate workshop on saturday then start moving my in-laws stuff in the retirement home they're moving into on sunday. it's going to be another busy weekend! i still have to post the cool stuff we found at the home remodeling and redecorating show from last last weekend. don't worry, i'll find the time-- i work for the possibility thinking guru after all:)
Monday, May 01, 2006
some photos...
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This is my beautiful stepdaughter, Pia, taken while they watched MTV in our home. They seem to enjoy lounging in our place:) |
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You get the picture (Ronnie and Cathy find the bamboo lounger relaxing)... hehehe. |
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Hanging out at a local diner with my niece Cathy and my stepdaughter, Pia. (Trivia: My niece informed me that there are no diners in NZ) |
Our Vegas Trip
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We love the Bellagio conservatory. That's my husband basking in the grandness of it all. |
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The magnificent interior fountain at Caesar's Palace. This casino covers a whole block of The Las Vegas Strip! |
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The creepy Anubis twins at the Luxor. I ran away the moment my husband took this picture. |
So there's your sneak peek into my little adventures. Don't worry, there will be more pictures coming soon!
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