In Continuum.

New Bed for Grandma

Before anything starts on this new entry for the weekend,i think i should inform everybody that i do not have an issue with old people.It just so happens that this entry,as well as the "Prunes" entry before,focuses on how much headache old people causes me.My mother kept telling me,"I wonder how it is going to be like when i grow old...",and i keep telling her that,"Mom,it's different with you".Because really,it's different with you.

Anyway,so while i was on my way back to camp a couple of days ago my mother was telling me how my relatives are going to visit Singapore,again.Sometimes i wonder what is so God damn fascinating about this place that i live in.Seriously,there are only so many places you can go here,and they change and renovate the places once every millenia.So seriously,i dont get why they keep flocking to Singapore for.

I wasnt too surprised to hear them coming though,but the news that my grandmother is coming struck a chord.It's okay that she is coming,but the fact that she will be staying with US will be an issue for sure.My mother kept telling me that it is going to be a few days only,and that she's already near a hundred years old,and she's not going to see us a lot from now onwards.Well,that's true but that doesnt mean she needs to recide in our house dont you think?

It's this childhood phobia im quite sure,of my grandmother.She didnt abuse me or anything that's for sure,like so many old evil grandmothers you have read in children's storybooks.Instead,she was the kind of grandmother very much like the grandmother right now.I dont know her,i really dont know her.She's like this person i know of overseas,but havent got the chance to meet very often.It's sad to hear that im sure,but that's the way it is.Ever since my family moved to Singapore so long ago,my relatives have been limited to my sister and parents.The rest of the relatives exist,but not prominent enough.They are like celebrities you see on the television,though less glamorous,and more hypocritical.I think i have mentioned how much i despise my relatives,so i shant elaborate.In a nutshell,they are no more than strangers to me,back when i was a kid and now.

I said some bad things about my grandmother i admit,as i was on the car to camp.But then again,those were what i thought about everything,and the fact that my mother couldnt accept it was just too bad.It's not like we had a big ass argument about it of course,but she was obviously displeased.

Anyway,back to my childhood trauma.I remember i used to sprawl myself on the floor,banging G.I. Joes together with evil Transformer toys,making a racket out of doing so.I loved those toys,and created imaginary storylines as i played along,always climbing slowly to a climax,and with the peak of the story coming out my volume grew with every subsequent 'explosions'.You know how little boys play with their toys,they always involve big and loud artificial explosions and bangings against the wall.So one fine day i was minding my own business in my bedroom when the visiting grandmother came to my doorway and said something in hokkien that i did not exactly understand very well.But i guess it as much,that i was too noisy and i should lower my volume.

Nobody ever told me to do so back then,and i obediently obeyed.I played on with my toys,but with a long face and whispering explosions.I was pissed off then,i and i remember my nerves on the verge of an explosions,only this time it was more than just 'Ka-Boom'.

So,my grandmother has a low tolerance when it comes to noise.I understand that,but let's bring that back to present tense.I am still the same person when it comes to noise.But instead of kiddy-Kabooms i play loud music now.I sing in my bedroom,strum my guitar in the dining room and i blast my speakers till my door rattles literally.So how is my grandmother going to survive the noise?Or rather,how am i going to survive her stay here without me moving out into the streets below.

Another ridiculous thing my mother did was to buy a bed for my grandmother.Look,my grandmother sleeps on the floor in Taiwan,with just a thick blanket as the mattress.We've got my old bedroom spared,and she's using that as her temporary bedroom.That's okay,but buying a whole bed for a person who is going to stay here for five days is just plain stupid.You couldve bought a mattress,and that'd be just fine in my opinion.What are you going to do with this new bed after she leaves?Leave it in the room like that?That's plain dumb mother,really.

I know that she is the one who throws us a bunch of money every New Year,and according to my mother it is because we are living so far away from 'home',and we supposedly need more money than the rest of our relatives to 'survive'.But really,we dont need your charity.We are fine,and cant we just have one of those nice grandmother-grandson relationships without money being involved?I dont want to love ou because you throw us money,i dont want to bring myself that low and cheap.

My mother argued that she's been nice to us,and that is true too.But that doesnt mean whatever you say is ever going to change my opinion on anything.My opinions do not change just because you sweet talked,but rather i change by experiencing things myself.I wont change my mind and like the idea of her visit just because you want me to like the idea.I can tolerate her staying sure,but is she able to survive me?

Hope she loves Coldplay,John Mayer,Rachael Yamagata,Wolfmother and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.Okay,forget the last two.