What's Up?

Our broadband has been down for the past 2 days. The cause is being investigated, pending which our whole family is left high and dry. How dependent we have grown to be on the internet! That feeling of disconnectedness and loss .... I am sure you know what I mean.

Who will feed the pets? How to return emails? What's happening in the world? How to complete my mission?

So here I am, together with Son No 1, crouched in a little corner in his room, hijacking bandwidth from my unsuspecting neighbour...

So what's up? Son No 2's final exam has taken up most of my free time. When I am not coaching him, I am preparing papers for him to try. Son No 2 is a cooperative student. He has worked really hard. Tomorrow is the last day of his long-drawn exam and we will do something together to celebrate. We deserve it.

As for Son No 1, he has met with one of the biggest trials of his life. How he handles it will help shape his character, I hope.

Yesterday, I brought Son No 1 for his haircut and the hairstylist has cut it somewhat significantly shorter than normal. OK, it's almost a crew cut. Well, it's not really a disaster, but in his eyes, it's close enough. He is even thinking of changing schools. When mom says no, he is now resorting to eating more proteins (of which hair is made) so that his hair will grow faster. I told him the best way out really is to find the gene that determines hair growth and seeks to manipulate it so that hair doesn't grow - static - then we all need not be at the mercy of hairstylists. Wonderful idea, isn't it? The rest of mankind, who all have hair problems, will thank him for it. Maybe except David Beckham.

The happiest child is still Son No 3. He attended a schoolmate's birthday party last Sunday and laughed loudly at the clown's jokes. The jokes were really lame, believe me, but the 5- and 6-year-olds thought the clown was the funniest man on earth. Son No 2 who tagged along won a prize for one of the games and declared "My dream came true!" because his prize was a box filled with all types of candies and chocolates (see picture).

Ah, to be young again...