So this is it, Dora and I finally became bona fide 'Empty Nestors'. Andrea's lease was coming up for renewal, Jess was exploring the option to live on her own, a real estate investment opportunity came up and putting all the considerations under one roof we (yes .... Dora, Andrea, Jess and myself .... ) decided to buy a property in Happy Valley as co-owners. It was a timely move, I believe we already made a few dollars in value since. The best thing that comes out of this is, the girls have to contribute to the monthly mortgage as parity partners which is a much needed lesson in life that they have yet to learn.
Terri's room has become an extension of my home office - my 2nd domain next to my kitchen - while Andrea's room is now Dora's study. Looking into Jess' vacated room takes a bit of getting used to though. Regardless of how one justifies it, watching the last of the pack leave home sends intense mixed emotions as all parents who experienced it would attest.
The girls are jubilant as they can design their new pad whichever way they like which includes a swing chair, a hammock and monkey bars. It reminds me of a colleage dormitory room, albeit an up-market version.
' ... Let a caged bird out, let it fly and make it free, if it belongs to you it will always come back ....' Andrea & Jess, you are now free, but you will always have a home to come back to, and Mom I will always be here, patiently awaiting!
I remember our first CDS show Alegria in Hong Kong which must be the early 1990s. I do not know whether it was the novelty or what but that first show casted a deep inpact on me, I still play the CD regularly. When I hear that first 4 bars in the introduction it was magic, and that magical moment with Dora and the girls would pop right back again. Fast forward to 2010 we must have watched 2-3 other CDS shows but I must say the concept is slowly failing off its tracks. We were in Macau for Dora's birthday in July and watched Zaia at the Venetian. What a major big disappointment! The cast was not charismatic anymore, the content mediocre, the presentation lacklustre, the music extremely dull and midway through the show they had to stop because of technical problems. Imagine that? It is a classic example of an axiom in our competitive environment today ie 'if you do not move forward, you might as well be out ... in fact you are out'.
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