January 7 一月七日

January 8, 2012

JANUARY 7

January 7 was a big day yesterday with so many pieces of surprise good news, memories and so on. I started the day with an annual blood test in the morning with fasting right after getting out of bed. It was a big surprise for me to see the empty waiting room when I got into the lab so I was able to get it done in half an hour and then went home to have breakfast followed by a walk.
When I went out to have lunch with my husband he brought up the topic about my father’s death anniversary which was on the seventh instead of eighth as he thought. We argued about the day then he checked with the calendar and found out that I was right. We visited him in the hospital on Sunday afternoon and got the call about his death at around 3 am on Sunday morning in 2008. We were surprised in the calculation of the years which had been four. It was hard for me in the first two years when I felt it difficult to let go the feeling that he was gone but eventually the grief faded away with time. I am able to get out of it completely and move on with my daily life without him. January 7 was no longer that sad and miserable as before.
I turned on the computer in the morning but did not have enough time to read the email that my aunt from VN sent to me so I did it in the afternoon after I had done my food shopping. It was a very interesting piece of Chinese writing about the modification on other piece of writing “che ba mau” that the author read. “che ba mau” is a kind of Vietnamese desert with 3 different beans in the drink. The author used that kind of drink as metaphor to compare Chinese originates from VN and then settled down in the foreign countries. The Chinese was no longer a pure Chinese but became a mix of culture from different countries that he moved to. I found it very interesting.
Then I also got the two emails from my eldest sister from Toronto and youngest sister from LA reminding me that it was my father’s death anniversary. I would never forget the day with big grieving in my life. However I did appreciate for receiving their emails which showed their concern and care for me as family members who found it very hard to gather together as in the old days when they were young and grew up under one roof. There are so many sweet memories in the old days.
It was almost bed time when I got a very surprise call from my daughter who called me from Vancouver to let me know that she just engaged and was planning to get married in the summer of 2013. I was very excited and overwhelmed with joy talking to her on the phone. It was her boy friend’s father’s birthday. They were celebrating it in the restaurant where she was giving me the call. She had been dating for more than five years. It was time to tie up the knot when both of them working and having very stable income. I sincerely wish them all the best.
Sum all these up, it was my day with so many surprises yesterday. If every day will be like that it would be great and wonderful.

二零一二年一月八日

一月七日

昨天，一月七日，是一个非常难忘、遇到惊奇多多的一天。起床后，赶快到化验所去抽血，做年度的体检。到了化验所，把们推开的时候，看到房间里面空空的，感到很惊讶，同时也很开心，因为，不用花时间排队等待。半个小时之后，就可以离开，回家去吃早餐。然后，还可以到户外去散步。
中午，跟老公外出吃午饭。用饭期间，老公提及父亲离世的日子。他记得是八号，星期日。我告诉他是七号，星期一。我人生最悲伤的一天，怎样能够忘记。他不相信，打开手提电话去查看二零零八年的日历。那年的星期天，我们去医院看望父亲之后，当晚的凌晨三点钟，接到小弟和大哥来电话，告诉父亲离开的悲痛消息。父亲离去的头来两年，日子非常难过，经常都会想起父亲，难以接受父亲不存在的现实。时间，就是治疗悲伤的良药。慢慢地学会把牵挂放下，学会没有父亲在身边的日子。一月七日，对我来说，不再是一个满怀忧伤的日子。
昨天早上，打开电脑，看到舅母从越南寄来的电邮，但是，不够时间去阅读它。下午，买菜回来之后，打开来看，发现电邮附带文章的论点很有趣。作者，看了一篇有关“三色冰”的文章之后，才写那篇文章，并多加些补充的论点。“三色冰”是越南的一种甜品饮料。里面含有三种豆类 。 作者，用三色冰来形容，逃难到世界各地定居的越南华人。他们不再是地地道道的华人，而是混有不同文化的华人。那篇文章写得很好，描述华人的根在国外，慢慢地会给以当地的文化同化。
跟着，我又收到大姐从多伦多和小妹从加州，寄来的电邮。她们提醒我是父亲离世的纪念日。那悲伤的日子，我怎会忘记，但是，对她们的关心，表示感激。虽然，大家难以找到机会，聚在一块儿，过着好像年幼时期的欢乐日子，但是，大家心里还记得有姐妹之情的存在。过去的日子，一去不会，只有往事只能回味。
快要上床睡觉的时候，女儿从温哥华，打电话回来，告诉我们她刚订婚，打算明年夏天结婚。接到消息，感到很意外，但是，很兴奋和高兴。昨天，是她男友的父亲生日。他们正在餐厅吃晚饭庆祝。电话，是从那儿打来的。跟她聊了一下，感到很开心。他们认识已经有差不多六年的时间，该很深入地了解对方。一对恋人，都已经出来社会工作，有稳定的收入，该是时候结婚来结束爱情的长跑，进入人生的另一阶段。衷心地祝福他们。
昨天，一月七日，是一个充满喜悦、惊喜的日子。天天都是那样，会多好。