Sebastian wins a pennant!

Sebastian is in his second year of rugby. In the last month Seb has come over the crest of the hill in terms of motivation and skill. Last year he hardly understood the sport, often making him hesitant to engage in play. A few weeks ago he participated in a tournament where he played four games (he was supposed to play three games but at the last minute substituted for another player) and impressed is coaches quite a bit. Halfway through the first game his coach (Kate) said, “Sebastian, you’re tackling like a demon!” At the end of the game Kate was full of praise for Sebastian and said to me, “Sebastian is on fire today!” The following week when the coaches handed out pennants (Hong Kong rugby equivalent of Most Valuable Players) Kate had arranged for Seb to receive one. Sebastian was so shocked that he walked quite tentatively to the head coach, as can be seen in the video below.

Barnaby Bear

This week Barnaby Bear came home from Sebastian’s class for an overnight visit. Barnaby visited each member of Sebastian’s class for the past six weeks – even before the extra long holiday thanks to the bad flu circulating Hong Kong just before Easter. Each host then writes about Barnaby’s visit to their home that are placed into a binder that captures  Barnaby’s travels.  Wednesday when Barnaby came home to our place, Tess broke out the camera. Afterwards Tess and I downloaded the photos that I arranged into a collage. The next morning I took one last photo when Sebastian returned to school with Barnaby.

Thursday night Seb’s homework involved writing descriptions for the collage and the story of Barnaby’s visit. I had a business dinner that night followed by a conference call lasting until 1:30 AM. When I returned home about 2 AM I quickly pulled out Sebastian’s completed  homework. I was so impressed that I scanned the written portion. Sebastian also wrote next to the pictures but to maintain picture quality I used text here instead of re-scanning the pictures. Below is the description of the afternoon and evening. (Click to enlarge images.) What do you think?

Sebastian’s Birthday Party

Tess wrote about Sebastian’s birthday party held at the Aberdeen Boat Club Middle Island on November 17 and now I am posting some pictures from the party. The first set shows some of the kids wrapped up like zombies in toilet paper. That party trick was quite a success. From left: Carys, Jasper, Olivia (friend of Seb’s) and Tess with the birthday boy.

The kids also played "balloon stomp" that was much more successful and fun than I expected. Remarkably there were no tears accompanying that game! We taped a balloon to the foot of each little guest. Since it was Sebastian’s birthday he got a balloon on each foot. Picutred here are Sebastian, Adam and Ian as the last ones stomping. The second photo shows the kids admiring Sebastian’s cake. Superman had a bad case of "the melts" that day… we told the kids, "this is what happens when Superman is exposed to kryptonite." However, the adults had a high politically incorrect interpretation of their own… can you guess what it was?

Finally the party was over and everyone headed back to Hong Kong Island on the ABC ferry. The last two pictures… Jasper kicking back while I assemble some of the party bag toys. The Superman cake first thing in the morning pre-kryptonite. I think the party was a success and fun was had by all. We certainly had a gorgeous day with plenty of sunshine. Finally, below is a terrific picture of the kids from a birthday party they attended in our building last June…

Sebastian “hi-YA!”

Today Tess and I met with Sebastian’s teacher to review his progress. Overall I would say that the visit went well. We heard where he was doing well and where he needed to improve. The improvement areas were not surprises, in fact less of an issue than we thought. Afterwards we went down to where Sebastian had his karate lesson. This is always a challenge as the class is large and with all of Sebastian’s friends, easy for him to be distracted.  He was s little distracted this week, but we did have quite a special moment when the instructor taught the kids to karate chop think wooden boards. I think that the picture speaks for itself – Sebastian successfully karate chopped the board in half on first try as his proud parents watched. The camera caught the chop just at the right moment.

Staying with the Sebastian category – every Sunday he has been taking rugby lessons. This is a sport that, as my friend Paul says, contains an excess of testosterone and aggression. Wow, did I ever get to see that this past Sunday. Instead of regular practices at the nearby Stanley Ho facilities in Sandy Bay, Pokfulam, we made the trek to Kowloon (along with Adam and Adam’s dad, Chad) for a Hong Kong-wide, little kids rugby tournament. Early in the morning as I stood in line for a coffee, two five year olds tried to pull down the tent that covered the beverage stand. An hour later Seb and I walked along the side of one of the pitches while waiting to be assigned to a team. Sebastian drifted too close to the sideline just as a swarm of kids – already playing in another game – chased the ball on the other side of the line. Seb stepped the wrong way, thereby accidentally and unexpectedly experiencing a full on National Hockey League body-check from the players. “Hey,” I thought, “we’re here to play rugby, not hockey!” Sebastian was very upset, taking a good 30 – 40 minutes to calm down from the collision. However, he pulled himself together enough to play 2.5 games (he subbed for one of the games.) Overall he did okay – ran with the pack, chased the ball or anybody who had the ball. All combined, when you’re almost six years old that in itself makes for good defense. Everyone in the tourney, regardless of how well their team did, received a medal: effort rewarded. Afterwards the four of us dined at McDonald’s then returned to Pokfulam for further playing and a birthday party in the playground. FYI… last week I was in India, this week in Hong Kong, next week back in India, following week in Shanghai and then get to make a trip to the US. Somewhere in there my father visits us.

The Lark & the Cycle of Life

Parents will know the Cycle of Life moments, when an instant in time with your child parallels a moment in one’s own childhood. I had such a moment on Monday. Each day when Sebastian goes to school, we drive his friend Adam, too. Sometimes Tess comes along because she needs to be dropped off in Central, or is reading for Sebastian’s class, or going to the triplets’ school. If I am in Hong Kong (as opposed to traveling) this means the car is FULL. We had such an occasion this past Monday. Our eight seat Renault Espace was full. The easiest thing to do was have Seb sit in Tess’ lap in the front seat for the five minute ride to Kennedy School. You are welcome to condemn us for this action and I know that it is illegal in Canada, but sometimes things are done a little differently here in Hong Kong. Everyone buckled in and we drove off. Thirty seconds into the trip Sebastian reached down to touch the automatic gear shift. I politely but firmly said, “Please don’t touch that, Sebastian.” He promptly recoiled, knowing that sitting in the front was a privilege and duffing it up would result in no future invitations next time the car swelled at the seams.

Right at that moment, the Cycle of Life happened. I remember sitting in the back seat of our family’s car, the same age as Sebastian, and marveling at the instrumentation of the car. I knew that the power – as in supremacy not physical power – lay in the steering wheel, brakes, accelerator and gear shift. This moment on Monday really affected me and I thought long and hard about those childhood times in that car. We had a late 50s/early 60s Studebaker Lark Wagon similar to the one pictured above, except I seem to remember ours was brown. Via e-mail I queried my dad about the Lark who reported back to me that unfortunately we didn’t have any pictures of the Lark. He added, “In the summer of ’62, when you were born, we camped in the Hi-Lite at Lake Simcoe at the end of June or the beginning of July. Mommy used the Hi-Lite (ed: expandable camping trailer) and I slept in the wagon. We had a full Home Delivery Kit with us just in case.” Don’t be alarmed, as a doctor my dad would have known exactly what to do with that kit. "Ah yes," I thought, "the period year for the movie American Graffiti… with the slogan where were you in ’62?" This brings us to the second picture: the Studebaker Wagonaire. The next wagon model after the Lark was a car with a roof that opened. I thought the picture apropos. While we only ever had the fixed-roof Lark, the forest scene pictured here might have been similar to that June/July, with my sisters about 6/7 years old, mother and father nearby.

Studebaker cars were a Canadian success story. After World War II ended, there was great need for automobiles in the country.  Studebaker Canada required larger and more modern facilities. An old anti-aircraft gun plant on the property of Otis-Fensom Elevator was acquired from the government in 1946, and on August 18, 1948, the first Studebaker built in Hamilton, Ontario rolled off the line. The plant had 320,000 square feet of space.  By 1949 the plant produced about 70 cars per day, five days a week. In 1954, the parent company, Studebaker of USA merged with the Packard Motor Car Company. The amalgamation included Studebaker Canada (now Studebaker-Packard of Canada Limited). Hamilton was again selected as the headquarters of the new Canadian organization.  This plant was a great success and produced many models including the Scotsman and Lark.

Unfortunately, Studebaker USA did not share the Canadian company’s profitability. Studebaker of USA ceased car production in December of 1963. In March 4, 1966 it was announced that the Hamilton plant was closing, having produced 179,325 cars and trucks in its 18 year history. The final Studebaker car, a V8-powered Cruiser four-door sedan, rolled off the Hamilton assembly line on March 16, 1966. Now fully restored, it is on display at the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, Indiana. Internet sites suggest that Studebaker-Packard of Canada Limited still makes trucks for the Canadian military but I’ve been unable to verify this factoid. As I surfed various sites, including the one where I found the above information, I encountered similar Cycle of Life stories. Certainly makes one stop to think. Do you have any Cycle of Life memories to share?

Could it have gone better?

Recently, I had some dental work done. A crown was placed on a tooth after the tooth cracked a third of itself down the middle. I looked in my mouth and thought, “Oh my gosh, I’ve blown it… root canal here we come.” Fortunately I went straight to the dentist. He was able to save the tooth, crown it, and now it’s in very good shape. I have been going to this dentist – Dr. Thomas Tam in the United Centre, Admiralty, Hong Kong – since 1996 when I first arrived in Hong Kong. Of all the dentists I’ve had, he is by far the best. I have referred many people to him from general inquiries to business emergencies when visitors have been in town. He even has a cool Goggle Video Set that allows you to watch movies while having your mouth drilled and cleaned. The most recent round of work allowed me to watch the latest James Bond film in two sittings.

I’ve been telling Sebastian for months that soon he would go to the dentist. I am one of those people who procrastinate when it comes to dentists and maybe I delayed with Sebastian a bit, too.  Tess and I recently went out to dinner with friends and I asked one of them, “When did you first take your kids to the dentist?”

“When they were two and a half!” she piped back. “And where are you going on your month long holiday?” I quickly inquired to change the conversation.

I have been telling Sebastian for soooo long, and he has been repeatedly asking me about it for so long, that soon the visit would become an integrity issue: if I didn’t get Sebastian to the dentist by the start of his summer vacation, my name would be “mud” and the tooth fairy would arrange a root canal. Therefore, the day finally came, today. I nipped out of work for an early lunch and took Sebastian for his first dental visit. You’ve heard the stories of how he has a propensity to whine and whinge and get upset and not sit still. Do you think a dental visit would provoke that type of behavior? NOT AT ALL! Our little Sebastian was amazing – the epitome of best behavior. So much so, that I think those 45 – 55 minutes might have been the most mature thus far of his little life.

We walked in and as coached, Sebastian greeted the dentist, “Hello, Dr. Tam!” With indifference Sebastian shrugged off completing the “First Time Patient” form until I asked him to fill in the “Other Name” section. He did that willingly and perfectly. Dr. Tam walked Sebastian through every step of the session, explaining all the instruments and testing them on his skin or fingernails. Dr. Tam described how the air blower tickled and the water sprayer thing sprayed and the Captain Hook instrument helped clean his teeth. Turns out Sebastian had a slight chip off one of his molars, (better than his shoulder!) probably from one of his nasty falls that produced stitches. Left alone this slight indentation would eventually decay; therefore, Dr. Tam suggested a little etching and smoothing over of the imperfection with dental stuff. Including the cleaning and procedure, Sebastian was in the chair for about 50 minutes. Wow – I had never seen a more cooperative Seb! Throughout the procedure we were giving each other simulated high fives, thumbs ups, smiles and of course, both Dr. Tam and I praised Sebastian plenty because… he truly was really patient and wonderful. Every once in a while Sebastian winced or frowned with whatever was happening in his mouth, but he quickly rebounded. At the end of the session Dr. Tam gave Sebastian a dental balloon – a rubber glove blown up like a balloon.

I was so impressed with Sebastian that afterwards, without hesitation, I let him go to McDonald’s with De for lunch and ice cream after they dropped me back off at work. “But you have to brush your teeth when you get home if you have ice cream,” I instructed. Later in the afternoon Tess and I spoke on the phone. Tess described how in the middle of watching TV (on our new flat screen) while Tess packed a few feet away, Sebastian suddenly blurted out, “I have to go!”

“Where?” Tess asked in surprise.

“To brush my teeth,” Sebastian exclaimed with glee, “because I had ICE CRRREAM!” he said as he darted out of the room.

I don’t think Sebastian’s first dental visit could have gone any better.