Dumplings, Houses and Marriage

That pretty much summed up my short holiday. Let me explain.

Since my family immigrated to NZ, we have gotten used to being on our own. We have always had a large, closely-knit family back home, with up to 20 relatives meeting up for dinner at my grandparents almost weekly. It was hard to adjust to the change. My mum, brother and I lived together, and dad came as frequently as he could, but medicine is one of those profession where vacation is both fleeting and scarce. With my departure to Aus, and my brother studying in South Island, mum had been on her own. So it became such a luxury to spend time with family, we sat down at the same dinner table for the first time in about a year.

Dad is a passionate self-taught cook and the keeper of family recipes. Besides golf, I spent my time this summer making dumplings. Making dough, hand-rolled with wooden rolling pin into little circular pastry dumpling skins, each dumpling is then made by hand. It is a fortunately complicated production that requires more than 2 people, and it was perfect for us to spend time together. While your hands are occupied, your mouth is freed up.

One of the things I did this summer was spend time with my family.

I met up with a close friend who had recently gotten married, one recently engaged, and another who is in a relationship where the wedding bell is about to toll. Naturally my state of freedom stands out and perhaps, cause of concern, because apart from mum's intention to introduce friends' daughters to me, my friends have joined the cause. It may be an interesting novelty, but these match-making efforts can hardly agree with me.

Just before meeting up with my newly-wed friend, I was reading a classics, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. I was quite indulged in the world of the childish worry-free ventures. When I met my friend however, we spent the morning talking about buying houses, investing in properties and all these genuine grown-up stuff. Things I have never put too much thought into, but rather, left to worry for the future. It was quite a contrast. Here I am still at school, reading novels, and worry about which cafe I shall try before leaving for Aus again; when he spends his time reading investment books, looking up properties, and worry about providing for his new bride and coming family.

I remember at some point during the breakfast, I took a silent moment to lament over the lost innocence, last I saw him, he was telling me about the new phone that he bought. I am also glad though, that at least some of us are maturing and taking on responsibility.