It was noon time. There were many people in the ward. The doctor had just done his check on the old man and was noting down his observation. The old man's daughter came in and spoke to the doctor, "Is there no other beds available? He can't stay here for another few days?" The doctor shook his head to the questions.

"Sigh, do we really have to bring him home today? It's the festival period!" exclaimed the daughter's husband, who had overheard his wife conversation with the doctor. She simply replied, "You heard the doctor. They can't keep him here because there isn't enough beds left."

All this while, the old man laid motionless on the bed. He could not tell what the people were talking about. He had not put on his hearing aid. However, he could tell from their expressions that the conversation was unpleasant.

The daughter moved towards the old man and said, "Father, we will bring you back home now to rest."

Within an hour, the old man was wheeled out of the hospital. On the way to the car, the old man had his hearing aid on and heard the following conversation between his daughter and son-in-law.

Son-in Law: "How long is your father staying with us?"
Old man's daughter: "I do not know."
Son-in Law: "Who is going to take care of him?"
Old man's daughter: "I do not know."
Son-in Law: "It will be expensive to get a maid for him. Sigh."
Old man's daughter: "... ..."

The couple stayed in a huge house. There was a huge pond that separated the main building and a small guest house. The old man was impressed and this was the first visit to the house since his daughter got married. The daughter wheeled the old man into the house for a rest.

Soon, it was dinner time. It seemed like a family gathering where the old man, the couple and the couple's two children were at the table, not forgetting the house cat. Everyone was enjoying the dinner and the old man wanted to try the vegetable dish. He reached for the dish on the table. As he lifted up the plate, his hand felt weak and began to tremble. Before the dish could reach the old man, it tilted sideway as the old man's hand trembled. Within seconds, the whole dish was spilled over the old man's plate.

"Aiyo, are our plates that heavy?" questioned the son-in-law. "There goes the dish of vegetables ... "

Before the son-in-law finished his sentences, the old man removed his hearing aid. The daughter did not respond to her husband. She just cleared the mess for her Father quietly. The children broke the awkwardness with their innocent laughter. The cat meowed in response.

Next day, the family again had their dinner together. This next time round, another incident occured. The old man wanted coffee and reached out for his cup of coffee. Before the cup touched his mouth, his hand went weak and trembled uncontrollably. Then, "CRASHED!" the cup dropped on the floor and broke into pieces. The coffee was spilled all over the floor mat.

"NOT AGAIN! ... Are our cups that heavy too? ... Gosh, if he does it everyday, how many floor mats do we have to change. They are not cheap too... ... " the son-in-law kept on grumbling.

The old man did not like what he heard. He took off the hearing aid again. The daughter was busy cleaning up the mess and there was not a single word to check on the old man. The children continued to laugh at their grandpa, oblivious to what had happened (or had been said).

The next few dinners were occupied with incidents involving the old man. He farted at the table, dropped a few more dishes and even peed on his sarong. On every occasion, the son-in-law would complain non-stop while the old man would also remove his hearing aid. The daughter would clear the mess disheartedly and the children would enjoyed the happening. So was the cat.

The final blow came two weeks after the old man had moved in with the family. The couple decided that the old man would have his dinner in the guest house across the main building. The dinning room was directly across the guest house and both places were clearly visible to one another.

The old had his dinner by himself. His utensils were changed. Those plastic plates and cups were unbreakable. They were exactly the ones used by the house cat! Except that they were bigger in sizes.

So, this continued on for months as the young family had their dinner in the main building while the old man sat lonely in the guest house.

One fine day, the couple returned from shopping and were calling out for their children. The children were playing 'house setting'. They were laying tables and chairs on the bridge above the pond. The couple walked to the children and asked what they were doing. The children replied,

"We are laying the tables and chairs."

"Yes! we are laying them for daddy and mummy."

The couple were curious and asked, "Why did you place them on the bridge?"

"Next time, daddy and mummy will have dinner here. We will have dinner in the big house. Just like how grandpa is having his dinner now."

Dumbfounded. The couple were ashamed. The daughter swiftly moved towards the guest house. The old man was resting on his chair. The daughter walked towards her Father and knelt down in front of him. She rested her head on his Father's hands and started to cry. She was remorseful and asked for her Father's forgiveness.

The old man said nothing. He just gently tap on his daughter's head.

The break is over and we are ending week 7 of Term 1. Let's have a look at the weekend homework.

In week 7, we have done many learning, especially in Mathematics and Science. Revise them well and be prepared for the class tests coming in week 9. Also, do not forget the importance of Total Defence - there is no one more responsible than ourselves to protect the country and our loved ones. As we have learnt, violence does not solve the problem. Think first before we act is something we must remember.

I shall end off here. Study well and rest well too. :>

Boys and girls, we are having a shorter school week (week 6) due to Chinese New Year. Let's have a look at your weekend homework for this week...


NO WEEKEND HOMEWORK!


Yes, there is no homework for this weekend. Please take this opportunity to have a good rest and for those celebrating Chinese New Year, have a great time meeting your relatives and collecting 'hongbao' (red packets)!

Before I end off, I would like to share some customs about Chinese New Year. Think before you look at the answers and see if you know the customs.


Q: Why must the amount of cash in the hongbao be even-numbered?

A: There is a Chinese saying that "good things come in pairs".


Q: Why are mandarin oranges exchanged during Chinese New Year?

A: The Mandarin word for mandarin oranges is ju, which sounds like ji, meaning good luck. Another version is that oranges are called kam in Cantonese, which sounds like the Cantonese word for gold.


Extracted from "Teens clueless about Chinese New Year customs, The Sunday Times, February 3rd 2008, p35".