My dad. Well, I can't describe it. He's the best.
I don't know why, but ever since I was in high school, I've always preferred Dad as the better company. Probably because he tells me stuff that I don't know. But it's something that interests me. Last time he tells me trivia about Star Wars and he'd boast about being able to wear a pair of Calvin Klein jeans when he was in his early twenties.
Whenever we go out to a mall, it is normal to part ways. One would go boutique-hopping, the other would be anywhere. Outside Bukit Bintang, Sungei Wang, bookstore. I remember when I was in high school, I was not pressured to wear the latest trend. I think I liked wearing Giordano shirts. That was my favorite brand.
When my aunt got me a Momoe jacket, one of my friend was saying how lucky I was to have something from Momoe. But to me, it was just a jacket with awesome beady pattern at the back. I know, I was not so fashion-conscious at that time.
I felt like I was not really into feminine wear at that time. I did not fancy wearing dresses, instead I liked wearing loose pants and just a normal blouse. Because I've been hanging out with my dad a lot, I was not familiar with what's in or what's out. When I'm with him, we'd check out computer games at Sungei Wang. He'd take me into this lorong where we could buy DVDs. He knows all the nooks and crooks behind Sungei Wang and Lot 10.
We'd also go to the bookstores or magazine stores that sells old magazine issues at cheaper price. This was after high school, when I started getting to know how awesome Teen Vogue, Seventeen and Nylon was. I think if it wasn't for Kristen Stewart being on the cover of Teen Vogue, I wouldn't have loved reading the magazine.
Anyway, my dad likes checking out computer games. I don't know how many dads still play computer games, but I love boasting that my dad plays Starcraft and Dawn of War. When he heard about Diablo 3, he'd look around Summit to see if there's any pirated copy for a Mac! He's into strategy games, that's why he likes Starcraft. And might I be proud to say that he taught me how to play Ages of Empires and Starcraft 1. Don't ask me to play SC2 because I'm already rusty at playing computer games.
And I don't have the heart to push my laptop to play this heavily graphic computer game.
Another thing about my dad is that growing up in Taiping, he loves Taiping kueh teow. In some mornings, he'd take me out for one for breakfast at USJ 2. Sometimes he goes to Sisters Char Kueh Teow at USJ 16.
In the family, he's the better cook. Don't get me wrong, Mom can cook, but Dad cooks better. He has the guts to turn a spaghetti into a fried spaghetti with dark sauce and pepper and egg. He cooks great char kueh teow (but someone prohibited cooking it because of [ahem] something about "oil" and "fattening"). When some friends say they miss their mother's cooking, I'd say, "I miss my kakak's cooking. And my dad's fried rice.
There are times when he gets on my nerves. Like being raised the traditional way, he doesn't like it when I rebel against him, saying that he's wrong. No man would like to admit he's wrong so he usually puts the "don't talk to Daddy like that" card. Very rare we see him blow his top off, but when he blows off, he's dangerous. Until to the extent he said that he could kill someone if he's really pissed. So sometimes he can be scary. Mom may be the occasional dragon in the house. But I think that Dad is capable of being worse than Mom. It's just that we don't want to see it.
He's also the man that cried watching The Last Song. Even I cried when the show reaches its climax. I knew why he cried because he went through the same thing that Ronnie did. And it's unbearable to imagine what he had went through at that time. So when I think about that show, I think about my dad and the pain that he and his family went through. I don't care how bad people think the show is, but eventually, I know it's about forgiving and for not taking our loved ones for granted.
So whenever any of my friends see my dad and express how my dad looks so bloody young, I'd beam, give a smile, raised my shoulders a bit and say in a serious tone, "I have no idea. God knows how he and my mom managed to look young. All I know is that it's probably in the genes."
Daddy, I love you. Thank you for being the greatest dad. Thank you for driving me and my sister to school every day since Standard One. I remembered that at one point when I was 9, I saw you in a green uniform (I laughed when my friends thought you were a cop) standing at the bicycle shed near the entrance of the gate. I ran to you in excitement until the stupid roller bag knocked me down and fell onto the assembly floor, injuring my knee. That showed how much I look forward to seeing you and holding your hand and going into the old, battered Nissan Sunny that was deemed by Top Gear "the worst car".
Happy Fathers' Day.
PS: I cried writing this post.
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