Little Luke "Skywalker"

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

Routine Check!!

When you live in the city long enough, your life starts to fall into a typical routine. Do you feel it? From the moment you wake up, till the moment you go to bed at night. Before you go to sleep, you start to think back and wonder, “What did I do today?", "Is it any different from yesterday? Or the day before?”.

Well, let me tell you this. If you continue to go down that path, that when you start going nuts. Eventually, you might end up in Tanjung Rambutan with a big question mark stamped on your forehead saying, “Why am I here?”.

Let me tell you something about my routine...

Before Marriage

My routine begins with waking up at 7am in the morning, chasing a lousy, air polluting and noisy bus to work. Normally I would arrive way before the official office hour so that I can have around 20 minutes to have my breakfast.

I have my breakfast at the same store for two years, eating more or less the same food. My diet was consistent enough that the store owner started to bring me food as soon as I sit down on a table, without me asking. Before I know it, I am eating whatever food that she prefers to serve.

My lunch was taken at another restaurant, which is consistent as well. They served different dishes for each day in a week, and repeated the same routine the following week. Due to this nature, I made myself different combination on different day of the week, but the same combination for each day. That’s another routine for me.

After work, I went home (still living at my parents’ back then), watch some news and TV programs for the rest of the evening. Before I go to sleep, give my dear wife-to-be a call to ask about her day, say goodnight and off to bed.

The next day will be a repeat of the same routine all over again...

After Marriage

We (notice the change from I to we) wake up at 6.30am in the morning, then I drive J to work on my way to my office. I still arrive with time to have my breakfast.

I changed my “breakfast-place” for some reason, and got myself a new set of breakfast menu. The owner got used to my “menu” within a week, and also started to serve me food without me ordering. As you might have guessed, I am eating off everything that she served again. Sigh!

My previous lunch spot was quite a walk and I was beginning to get bored with the same food, so I switch to another spot. My gang and I went to another place, which is nearer, and I get to choose between rice and mee. As the days passed, I slowly got stucked with two dishes in an alternate day manner again.

After work, I ~~was forced to~~ fetch J on my way back. On the way to her office, I will get stuck in traffic, and even worst during rainy season. Sometimes we eat at our parents’ (upon their request only) or stop by some restaurant to pick up some food before reaching home.

We will watch Astro or my DVDs collection while eating in front of the big screen. We “go to bed” around 9-10pm since we need to wake up early the next morning.

The next day will be a repeat of the same routine all over again...

After Little Skywalker

J wake up at 5.30am for her bath and she wake me up at 5.45am for my bath, while Little Skywalker sleeps on. We leave our house at 6.15am to my parents’ place. We leave Little Skywalker with his babysitters and headed to work. I still drop J off on the way in order to save extra petrol on another car (my mother’s car is not used by anyone).

For breakfast, I changed my spot again. This time is alternate between a malay stall (who serves me nasi lemak) and a mamak stall (who serves me smaller pack of nasi lemak, teh tarik, half boiled eggs and roti canai). (Oops… did I mention I am a big eater too?) As usual, both the store owners got used to my routine again and started to bring me food again without my permission. This makes it even harder for me to eat at the stalls next to them because they will shout my orders as soon as they see me walking towards. Sigh!

My “lunch-gang” grew bigger and we switched places again. This time we choose between a malay “fried” store or a Chinese “fried” store, since I prefer my food to be cooked right before I eat it. Both store owners managed to play into my routine soon and I enjoy the “special treatment” from them as well. Most of the time, I would just need to say “biasa” or “照旧” and my food will be ready in no time.

After work, I get stucked in the jam as usual. Need to fetch J from her office on the way to my parents’ place. We eat at my parents’ to save time and money, pick up Little Skywalker and head back home.

With Little Skywalker in our lives, our evening routines are no longer routine anymore. Everything we do (except for the usual chores) are based on his mood and likings. If he have his nap through the whole night, J and I would sit and watch TV. However, when he is awake, there are countless of things that we ought to do in order to please the “King of the House”. If he wants to play, we have to play with him. If he wants to walk up the stairs, one of us has to accompany him. If he gets tired of everything, we need to switch on the theme song from “Friends” to keep him from destroying everything in his path.

Even our bed time is at his mercy and grace. Sometimes he might sleep through the whole evening and into the night when he is extremely tired. Sometimes he might sleep around 10pm like his parents. But most of the time, his sleeping times are erratic. We need to switch off all the lights and hold him to his mother’s nipples in order to nurse him to bed. On some occasions, he will turn over to my side of the bed and kick me because his mother was already asleep while he is still sucking. Due to Little Skywalker’s crazy nature, his parents normally wakes up with panda’s eyes and backache all over.

The next day will be a repeat of the same routine (except the evening) all over again...

Phew! Didn’t know I could write so much on something that is so ~~boring~~ routine. Heck! I am going to make this into a MEME and start tagging people!!

The poor souls I am going to tag with this will be:

James (a working dad like me)
Twinsmom (a SAHM to twins)
Suzette (a working mum, pregnant, and born with some lazy bones)
Shiaulin (a SAHM living in Beijing currently)
Jason (a MMU male student who mumbles a lot)
Milly (a TAR college female student who writes too much into her diary, and currently pak-tohing)
Any poor souls who "happened" to stumbled on this curse...