Sometimes I wish I could say that my father has greatly influenced and guided me with wisdom and knowledge. My father did his best at what he knew about how to be a father to me. Growing up, I was always on the go, school, after school activities, you know a schedule that would seem normal with today's kids. My father would have to wait to pick me up after swimming class, piano class, violin, boy scouts. In this time, he would be on the side, in the back, just waiting for me to finish and get in the car to go home. I think all asian kids learn things like betting on dogs at the dog race, killing a chicken, grooming the roosters for cockfighting. One thing he never taught me was how to mow the lawn.
My father never helped me with my school work, frankly I didn't think he could read anything other than the dog race stat booklet from The Guam Greyhound and the daily newspaper. He and I had our own ways of doing things. I would say.. Take me here and he would. Buy me this and he sorta would. Actually I would do the price check, figure a way to procure the funds, then go buy it without hesitation and without the store pleading and whining dramatics. Sometimes I would be mesmerized by the new arrivals at Children's World or in the toy department at Town House. But a tantrum, that was something I would not do. I would have the tantrum at home like all other civilized spoiled brats, but never in the store where I would have to face the sales clerks later on. Of course, later on with me having a credit card at the age of 13, funding the shopping sprees was easier than having to save up or sell my stuff animals to my grandmother.
So off to the store we would go..to Sparkle/Bossini.. to Benetton.. to Townhouse.
