Apologies for the lack of updates over the past week! As usual, I've been swamped with writing assignments and running errands, and things have been even more hectic since Maria, our part-time helper, is expecting and hasn't been feeling well. She hasn't come in the past week, and with my mother-in-law back from England, there's been a hive of activities in the kitchen again. She loves cooking, which means even more work for me. She cooks, and I clean up.
Unfortunately, all this extra workload isn’t doing my right hand any favors, as the pain from my Tennis Elbow has gotten worse. I first developed it back in April, after my trip to Bangkok with Alycia. It's been five months now with no sign of improvement. Every movement with my right-hand hurts so much that even lifting a blanket to fold it is a challenge. Getting out of bed is pure torture, and I've had to rely on my stomach muscles just to sit up. My bed for the past five months has been unkempt with an unfolded blanket. Even brushing my teeth a little harder hurts my right hand.
Alycia and Sherilyn, on the other hand, are thoroughly enjoying their semester breaks. Alycia just returned from Taiwan on Tuesday, and in a month, she’ll be off to South Korea with another friend. Sherilyn has been keeping herself busy with dancing and just finished competing in the Get The Beat dance competition yesterday, where she won gold in the Hip Hop category for her age group and Double Platinum in the Contemporary category. This Saturday, she’ll be competing in the Asia Open Dance Championship. She’s a bundle of energy, always on the go and thriving in competitions. I’m amazed by how much joy she finds in staying active and pushing herself.
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| Sherilyn at the Get The Beat dance competition on 11 Sept 2024. |
As for Cass, her school holidays begin this Saturday, which, to be honest, is a bit of bad news for me. She’s another one who can’t stay at home with nothing to do, so I expect she’ll be spending most of her week-long holiday at the skating rink, which I’m perfectly fine with. At least I’ll get some very, very much-needed peace at home!
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| Traveling on the train from Taipei to Tainan. |
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| Some of the streets in Taiwan look similar to those in Japan. |
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| In Tainan |