Thursday, July 15, 2004
Quality Time With Mum


Me and mum at the Hong Kong International Airport.

I knew that my mother wouldn't start work for more than a week after we got back from our trip, but I had no idea how bored she'd be sitting at home with nothing to do. One of our cars is in the shop and the other one is with my dad while he's gone at work. I can get out if I need to, on foot or by bus, but since my mother has refused to use public transit since we left Toronto, she's stuck at home all day. Hanging out with me.

She plopped herself down on the couch next to me while I was watching TV this morning.

Italics = Cantonese

Mum: What are you watching?
Me: A Baby Story.
Mum: Is that a real woman?
Me: Yeah.
Mum: What is she doing?
Me: Giving birth.
Mum: Is that a baby? Oh my god, it's a real baby! Coming out of that woman! Ai-ya!
Me: (Thinking: You've given birth before, right?) Mother, relax.

Too late. At this point, she's covered her eyes with her hands and buried her head in the pillows.

Mum: Ewwww! Ahhhh! Shirley! Why are you watching this?? Ai-yaaaaa!
Me: I think it's interesting! Mother, if it bothers you this much, stop watching it.
Mum: Aiii-yaaaaaah! I hated being pregnant, giving birth was the worst part! Eeeewww! My daughter is so brave to be watching this! Aaaahhh!
Me: Mother, just- stop- stop that.
Mum: Ai-yah! So gross!
Me: Sigh.

She whined and writhed on the couch for the remainder of the show, giggling and squealing into the pillows with her eyes closed. Later this afternoon, she came into my room as I was working on my not-yet-finished-actually,-barely-started-but-still-due-tomorrow essay on the Yanomamo.

She lies down on my bed and stretches. Stops. And just lays there.

Me: Yeeess?
Mum: Are you reading e-mail?
Me: No.
Mum: Hey, look at this.

She shows me her foot.

Me: What?
Mum: When we were in Vietnam and I bought those shoes, the cloth strap gave me this bump and look, there's a little dent by my toe now. Right beside the nail.
Me: Uh-huh.
Mum: And look, I can poke it with this pin and I can't feel anything!
Me: Mother!
Mum: What? Look, I'm poking it right into the hole and there's no feeling!
Me: That's disgusting. Get away from me!
Mum: LookLookLook! Come on! It's funny!
Me: Ewww!! Go away!

She laughs and runs out of my room.

Oh mother.