Stories of KK

The rod has landed. Life on Saturdays is taking a new turn. KK's latest thing: Fishing. * KK and kids I don’t know if it will last. At the moment the factors are not in place for sustainability. It’s a one-man hobby not a family hobby. Day is not particularly keen. The girls are certainly not, and I have zero interest in fishing. I don't like fish, apart from eating them. But I’ll try my level best to engage the kids as KK does his fishing thing. God knows I love nature, it certainly ranks above malls and museums in my book. How did it go? Once the rod arrived, KK randomly hit a fishing spot somewhere in Singapore. Nothing for a while, as he and Day figured out how to keep the fishing line from tangling, and struggled with other teething problems. They practiced casting, which I’ve figured is how to throw the line out accurately to where you want it to go, and then reel it back in. * Untangling the lines * Practising casting Then the fish started biting. First time we went, I t...

I suggested Bali. KK said, “Huh it’s a terrorist hotspot.” I suppose that rules out the whole of Indonesia. I've tried Philippines in the past, he's ruled that out too. I try to think of a nice, safe, familiar, nearby spot we can venture to for a budget June do. “Penang?” I hazard hopefully. “OK,” he says. I’ve been with the kids at least twice. Both times, KK never went. He’s only been to Penang once, when he was very young. We're there six days, two nights at Georgetown, three at Batu Ferringhi. We flew. Post-trip, I get everyone to write down their fave moments, fave foods and dislikes. KK’s fave spot: Penang Hill. I’ve always liked Penang Hill, and decided to bring everyone back again. The ride up the mountain in the fast funicular, the emergence into air which feels a degree or two cooler than the blistering heat below, the trees, the chill-out vibe. * The funicular I’ve noticed that KK just likes going up, up, up. Every place we go, if there’s a chance to ascend, he g...

It’s still steak. Thanks to blog archives, I realize KK’s obsession with cow meat truly stands  the test of time.  Five years later, he wants to up his steak game, and invests in more steak paraphernalia. The girls very excitedly crowd around me when I came back from rehearsal one day: “Mama, Papa bought a XX which costs $Y!” To which KK cuts in, “No lah it was discounted”. It doesn’t matter, really, he can spend his money however he wants. The reason I softly sigh is because I have to store these things. And I know I won’t use them. What would I do with a sexy chopping board, heavy cast-iron pan which would strain my violin-playing wrist, and why the hell would I want to go through the hassle of carefully pouring olive oil from the glass bottle it already comes in, into another albeit prettier one? I think the impetus was after we ate steak from a rather nice little coffeeshop restaurant out in the Pandan Gardens boondocks, right after trampolining. Part of a HDB block, ...

KK and Day had the time of their lives, because after skiing on Day 1, they decided to sign up for a snowboarding class on Day 2.  The class barely scraped the surface of what they need to know, but after coming down the slopes several times and falling spectacularly, they started having fun. So much fun that even after KK injured his ribs (sneezing became painful and he couldn’t quite carry the luggage), he longed for a couple more days of snowboarding, ribs be damned, so he can become as proficient as some of the guys whizzing past him. (He hopes to go snowboarding again with Day, so that’s great news because it means he’ll be willing to fly again) Skiing and snowboarding are also two of the rare things where I see Day trying hard, again and again, to become better. (doesn’t apply to schoolwork or piano or any of the usual yardsticks of success) * In which KK takes very long to appear, long after Day and Jo, and when he does, falls * In which the trio ski in the dying light of th...

KK doesn’t have to go to Mandai  anymore. That means he has an extra 75 hours a month, a lot more time in which to spend a lot less money. The point is that he’ll get to be home a lot more, and he’ll be with us on Saturdays once again, and even a weekday afternoon or two. Never mind the money. We’ll get by. It’s time to celebrate! In memory of this great occasion, Jo and I do a video of his first weekend post-Mandai. I shoot the videos, send them to her via Whatsapp, and she edits and puts together the entire thing just like what she did the last time.

The one thing KK wants to do in KL is to visit the soaring Petronas Twin Towers, which we are also staying right next to. He views the construction videos and observes the sides of the tower with an engineer’s eye. * Who watches these videos? KK! * He is most fascinated by the thick struts which hold up the sky bridge (which is not fixed to the sides of the two towers. It's kind of flexible) * There's the sky bridge and the huge diagonal struts on either side

The other day KK’s sister says to him: Why do you keep taking all these exams if you keep failing? Because he still is, failing. New sorts of exams. KK says, just take  lor . Sooner or later I’ll pass. And he does. Then it strikes me that no one really knows how many times you’ve tried. You could have failed 10 times but once you get it, you put it up on your resume and it’s there, another light for your professional Christmas tree, for life.  It’s something new to me, I who won’t do anything if I think I’ll fail. I never gather any baubles for my professional Christmas tree. I hope KK’s attitude is one which will rub off on the kids. He never talks about it, but you know, he's their role-model and all. The other day we splurge on a nice meal at Etna Italian Restaurant (its the sort of place where waiters come up to you to recite the menu) because KK has gotten new lights. After failing once and a lot of grief, he’s finally become a Qualified Erosion Control Professional. Whic...