itherese Leung’s blog

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This robbery was taken place at one of the very few nearby Chinese restaurant. I feel relieved that mom has gone back home.

Last Saturday night, my sister-in-law told me that my mother was going back to HK the next day. I was shocked and asked for reason, she said because grandpa was seriously ill. Mom did not tell me. Immediately I called mom, asking her how the situation was. Knowing the fact that grandpa wouldn’t stay long, I didn’t really have much to say. He is old. Dying is natural. I didn’t have much to say, I did not know how to comfort my mom.

Then mom asked if I was going to mass on Sunday. I wasn’t. I was going to go to church with Eric. I said no. As expected, she started confronting me. We have talked about the church issue before, this was just going to repeat that. I said let us not talk about that. She was angry.

After the phone call, I thought for a while, maybe she just wanted to have my company. Also I thought she would feel better if we go to church and have many people pray for grandpa. Then I called her again and said let us go to church together the next day.

Next day morning, when I was still in bed, she called me to pick her up earlier as she wanted to go to the local parish where we didn’t know anybody. So this Sunday was going to be between two of us, not sharing news to all others, not receiving greetings from any other. Then we went to church. After that, I went shopping with her for stuffs to bring back home. We had lunch at the crepe cafe which I wanted to try. We had the filling savory crepe and the yummy dessert crepe. We shared a cup of iced mocha. We enjoyed our lunch. We enjoyed the time we spend together without arguing.

Family is precious. We are family no matter what. However, there is a barrier between us. I am afraid of dealing with her confrontation. No matter how I explain to her my perspective, she does not accept if she does not agree. And she starts to confront. I hate confrontation. This is what keep us distanced. I feel sad about that.

We do not hate each other. We love each other. Loving someone in the heart but having difficulty to express it is painful. I am sure she feels the same way too.

I do not take care of her all the way. However, I always worry about her. I worry that something unfortunate would happen to her. With increasing crime rate around the city, I worry about her everytime I hear robbery from the news. Although I worry about her, I do not call her of visit her very often. It is because of the same reason. I feel bad. I know I should have done better, call her more often, make her happier, but there is the barrier before me.

She is going back to Hong Kong for a while, to take care of grandpa. I actually do miss her, as I remember the happy moments we shared. But I am happy for her too because I know she is much happier and safer at home than in this foreign land.

Take care, mom. One day we will come close again.

has arrived! YAY!!!

Last time we trial played it at BestBuy, and as I laughed so much while I was playing, Eric looked for it everywhere for me. Thanks honey!

So excited!

Before I came to the United States, a sister (Catholic nun) gave me some books to strengthen my faith for the upcoming unknown future in an unfamiliar place. It was a Chinese translation of the original “Power In Praise” by Merlin R. Carothers. I have read it once before. I picked it up again this morning, read from the very beginning. This is a very well written book which brings deep insight on living up the Christian faith. It describes and demonstrates the power in praise with real life examples. It is a book that strengthens faith, strengthens life, and providers the very way to change life in the faith to God.

Life is messed up? Unfortunates happen? Something bothering you? This book can brighten your day.

The author of the book is the founder of the organization called “Foundation of Praise“.

We trial played Wii Mario Kart last night in BestBuy, we had so much fun! Now we want to get it, but it is all sold out - everywhere.

Helen brought me to a crepe place in Japan town on Wednesday. It was the fist crepe in my life (can you believe that? It was pretty popular in Hong Kong before I came here, but I have never tried). It was so good! Red bean paste with green tea ice cream and the green tea paste (I don’t remember what was it called exactly), such a satisfying dessert. I always like to have Eric to share the sweets with me, but he seldom comes to the City so it’s hard to have that together. Yesterday I remembered that there is a cafe in Dublin that offers crepes. I will have to try it out next time. I wish it is good, so we will have another favorite sweet place in Dublin.

We have finally finished the big bag of Japanese rice. Now we have got Thai rice so I can make fried rice now (it is thinner and less sticky than Japanese rice).

I am so god-damn bored. Have nothing to look forward to. Work is not busy nor challenging. What am I doing?

Complaining, complaining.. I am complaining myself.

And I am clueless. How to help myself?

I know what I want, but I cannot get what I want, and there is nothing I can do about it. Do not want to think about that. Want something else maybe? Shift my focus maybe? What is that?

According to Wikipedia:

Qi Xi (Chinese: 七夕; pinyin: qī xī; literally “The Night of Sevens“), also known as Magpie Festival, falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month on the Chinese calendar; thus its name. It also inspired Tanabata in Japan, Chilseok in Korea, and That Tich in Vietnam. It is sometimes called Chinese Valentine’s Day in recent years.

Young girls traditionally demonstrate their domestic arts, especially melon carving, on this day and make wishes for a good husband. It is also known by the following names:

• The Festival to Plead for Skills (乞巧節; qǐ qiǎo jié)
• The Seventh Sister’s Birthday (七姊誕; qī jiě dàn)
• The Night of Skills (巧夕; qiǎo xī)

In 2008, this festival falls on August 7.

Happy The Night of Sevens, fellows!

Thank Zoe for the information.