Chipmunk

One thing I always like to do when I have free time is just to sit in back yard and relax.

I bring my book to read or sometimes just sit there silently, enjoy the atmosphere and watch activities of creatures in the yard.

One of those is a tiny striped squirrel called Chipmunk.

I watched them running back and forth in the yard to collect acorns and throw them into their hole.

If I make a move and they know it, they will run and hide themselves in the hole.

When they realize that there's no one around, then they will come out and lively continue their activities again.

One of my friend, Pleng, compares our lives with chipmunk.





Close your eyes and imagine....





We hide ourselves in a little cave called room.

When we're hungry, we're out of the room to find something to eat.

Our ears are upright, our eyes are much better than usual, just to try to catch anything wrong around.



Suddenly, when we hear something...., mostly, it's move of our host family, we run back to the room.

Then, when things outside are quiet, and we know we avoid them successfully, we then open the door quietly and come out again.






All I did when I heard my friend compared us with the tiny creature was just laugh.

Well, although I admit that I am like that sometimes, but it's just to avoid working when it's my time off.

So, I didn't think that aupair life is really like that.






Last month, I was hanging out at my friend's, Suk, place.

While we were making food and watching movie, her host cat, Kitty, was around almost all the time.

Whatever we did, she walked around like a watch cat and it felt like she kept her eyes on us.

"I have no idea why she likes to be around and stare at us like this," Suk said.

So, when Suk's host family got home, I talked with them about Kitty and what she did around us.

"She just gets bored and had nothing to do," The host dad said.

"Oh? What does she usually do?" I asked

The following sentence of his then clear everything....

"She loves to watch chipmunk."

Sis

Dad said there were two angels in this house.







My aunt and uncle in law had been waiting for their child for long time. When my mom had noticed that she would have a baby in the next 8 months, my aunt also thought that she got pregnant too.



Their babies were predicted that they would be born not for long after each other. One would be in July while another one would be in August or September of 1984.



In that year, July 3rd, a baby girl was born. Another baby who wasn't born yet was so impatient to get out of its mom's tummy. So it kicked the mom from inside so hard that she couldn't take the pain and wanted to get rid of the baby from her tummy.



Thus, another baby was finally born as it has planned on July 22nd, instead of one or couple months later as the doctor had made an appointment.











Dad said there were two angels held their hands to be born together.





Well....

if you know those baby girls well enough, you would know that they were not angels.....




but devils!







When they were young, one of them was told that she was so kind to her cousin, while another girl was self-centered and difficult.

Not too hard to guess......., the self-centered one, of course, was the writer of the blog you are visiting.





The girls did many things together.

They went to kindergarten together. They played together. They spent their time together.

Also, they fought and argued to each other.

They are my cousin, Yee, and me.

There are many stories of us. Some stories are our legends that we would be teased about them until we die.

Although we have been fighting for over 25 years since we're old enough to be able to fight,

although we are compared to each other by people around us and that sometimes make conflicts between us,

although I admit (well......., this is my first time to say this.) that I sometimes am jealous of her that she's more pretty, cute, attractive and better than me in many ways,

although there were times she hurt me and I paid back to her harder,

although there were times I was mean to her and she had no way to get away from my meanness,

(Somehow you see how cruel I am.)



we love each other much more than any words could describe.

I think I knew it, but I just didn't say words...






Yesterday, she posted on my Facebook... some sentences that remind me of time we spent together.


"I miss when you suddenly opened my roomdoor without asking for permission.

I miss when you baked cake and some times only your dog enjoyed it. (Thanks for telling everyone how good at cooking I am.......)

I miss when you fought with my mom for using the bathroom.

And I miss your yelling voice and your own medley when you sang while taking a shower."







I think I knew it.......

but I just never said anything....






I also think of her, although not so often.

I think of when we held hands and crossed the road.

I think of her pretty clothes which I often jealously looked at them since I realized that she was pretty in those while I looked terrible.

I think of when I held her in my arms while trying to calm her down, also still think about if there would be anyone to comfort her when she is in trouble.






I think I knew it.....

but I just kept it to myself.






I never let her know that I cried every times she had problem because I didn't want her to be that unhappy.






I think I knew it.....






It is the day I left my homecountry.

It is the first time I saw her cry to me.... and asked me not to go.






I think.....

I realize it.....






I think I know how much we love each other

and feel like something's missing when we're not together.



It is a part of us.







Just so you know,

I want to be near to you and help you fighting anything that hurt you.

I miss you, too,

Sis.

Zoo-y Room

Sometimes I really wonder what kind of place I am living.

Although it is a free standing house on 3100-square-feet land

with front and back yards and little stream in the back area,

but I am not sure what definition I should give to it.






It is chaos in the morning,

tiring in the afternoon,

and hectic in the evening.







From my experience,

during those time, the most peaceful place is my room.










Well.....

somehow I misunderstand....







After a disorderly day was over,

I walked into my room to find that it was turned to be.....





a zoo??

since I found an octopus in my laundry basket,

a snake in my closet,

a tiger on my desk,

a reindeer under my bed,

an alligator in my shower room,

a spider in my drawyer,

a pig on my rocking chair

and an elephant in my sneaker.

But those are not what made me stun as much as the thing I found this morning....

I have slept with this guy for the whole night....

What is it?

It is a (grilled cheese sandwhich) dinosaur.....

My Project

When I knew I would have chance to stay in the USA, I thought about what I want to do.

After spending some time staying in this big country, I launched a few projects to myself.





Project I : Quarter Collection


Somehow, now, you know why I prefer paying by cash than card. Beside getting use to paying by cash since we Thai usually use cash more than card, I try to get change in coins because I hope to get some new quarters to my collections.

So far, I think I did well. There are only 5 quarters I am looking for.







Project II : Wandering throughout NYC


Since it's only an hour away from NYC, I hope I would take a walk throughout the big city.

But, since there are too many things to see and finding that every times I go to NYC, I spend almost $100; I change the project to Wandering thoughout Central Park instead.

I have plan to go there again when autumn arrives.

Project III : Explore Darien

Dair....... ee....... an.........

I learned to pronounce the name of the town I live in from my 3-year-old-and-a-half host kid. It is a small town in Connecticut.

My project is to drive throughout Darien and take pictures of the town.

If you ask what there is in Darien.....



Well.....



Ummm.....



Starbucks?







I know that my projects sound nonsense.

But if you were me, you may see they are something since you have nothing to do in your free time and you prefer not shopping.

Optimistically, at least, I have something to do to entertain myself while I'm living my.........., well........, quiet life here.





During my time off today, I went out to work with my Darien project. Surprisingly, I've got one quarter for my Quarter project accidentally.

While thinking about when I would continue Central Park project, I got home in the evening to find an urgent project to be done........

It's to put away those toys tonight

just for kids to dump all of them again in the morning.

Languages I Speak

It is always that I spend some time to look back to things I have done and try repeating myself not to do anything that I feel regret with ever again.

Today, I've got an email from a friend. Once again, I look back to my past and have something to think over.

There's only one language I am fluent at. No wonder, obvioulsy, it is my mother language-- Thai.

Another language I have been learning to speak is English. Although I have been spending more than 20 years learning it, sadly, I still am not good at it.

Besides Thai and English, I never learn any other languages. But today, I found that, actually, there's another language I speak without knowing it.

It is Love.

This language, there's no grammar to correct, no vocabulary to remember,

but there're principles to concern.

Allow me repeat them and grade myself at the same time.

* Words of affirmation

The words "I love you," although it is hard to make me say them for the first time, but once I already mention them, prepare yourself to get bored. Because it is also hard to make me stop saying it.

For this girl, it didn't take me long to say the word "Love."

For now, I think I say them often enough to ensure the ones I love that I love them.

I give myself 8/10.

** Quality time

It says, watching TV is not quality time since focus point is not persons who are together but it is TV instead.

But I rarely watch TV. So....... watching movie is not quality time also?

We took a walk everyday when we were together.

Is eating together counted?

Well.... maybe not? Since I always pay attention to the food more than the one I am with.

I always spend time playing hide and seek with this guy.

Hmmm...... so........ looking back, I am not good at this principle.

OK............... 4/10, then.

*** Receiving gifts

Well....... it is not always that I give the ones I love gifts.

Last Christmas, I made him Santa Clause shirt.

Unfortunately, he seemed not like it.

I always think too much whenever I try to find them gifts.

Will he like this shirt? Is it really useful? Somehow he would think it's nonsense? Will he laugh at it?

Then, it often ends up with I'd better not get him that stuffs since he may not like them, but, maybe kissing him is enough?

6/10 is enough....

**** Acts of service

It is showing love by serving the one you love, for example, helping washing dish, or driving them to where they want to go.

This guy loves massage.

When we were together, I gave him massage at least twice a week.

Hmmm..... Is doing a favor called service?

How about...... 7/10?

Nope...., 6/10 is enough for me.

***** Physical touch

Nothing to say much, I rate myself 10/10!

Somehow, 10/10 is even too little?

"Hey....... be careful......" I often warned this guy.

"If you come too close, you're gonna been kissed!"

Alright,

so, my score is 34/50.

Is it C+ grade?

Well, surprisingly, looking back to what I have done, I thought I would get D or just C or something.

I have nothing to say much since Love is just like English-- it is not my mother language.

The way I learn English, to try to be good at it, I know I have to try out without concerning if the things I say correct or not. If you make mistake, you just be embarrased and laugh at it. Then you can try to correct it afterward.

But somehow Love is not like that? Once you make mistake, you may have no chance to redo it.

Then you fail and get a big red F grade stamped on your heart.

I've never got F and never want it.

Even though Thai is my native language, I still make mistakes sometimes.

I have been spending almost all my life learning English, but I still always make mistakes.

What about Love?

Do I have to spend all of my life to make it right?

HBD to Pleng

Last weekend, my friend, Aor, and I made a surprise to a friend, Pleng, to celebrate her early birthday.


Nothing much we could do, but we had Pleng made Thai dish for her own birthday without her realized.


What a plan for celebration, huh? :P

Thai dish to celebrate birthday

made by the birthday owner.

We tried to make it perfect....

But when I was putting the candles into birthday cake,

I found that I ruined the plan....

by celebrating retirement instead of birthday!

So I threw the wrong ones away.

There the (cup) cake(s) came....

Only HAPPY candle were enough.

For the rest, we let HBD song led the way.

Cheers!!

Wish you happy birthday,

happy with your life

and all the things turn great for you

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

PLENG!!

MOM

There's a woman I wish I could be like although it is a half of her.

She's the most hard worker, strong, calm, and reasonable person I ever met in my life.

Without her,

I might have turned to be a bad girl or stuck in bad situations forever.

Thank you for teaching me to be strong

and helping me lifting my wings up.







For all the love in the world,

I give it to you.

Love you,

mom.