Your Asian mom

People often ask me, sometimes with genuine curiosity and sometimes with disbelief, how I’ve managed to maintain my body the way it was years ago. I hear things like, “You must have good genes ,” or “You’re just naturally like that.” The truth? That would be a lie. There is nothing effortless about it. My body, like anyone else’s, is capable of gaining weight, losing firmness, and showing signs of ageing. My face, my skin, my shape — none of it is immune to time. What you see today is not luck or magic. It is the result of years of discipline , sacrifice, and showing up even when I don’t feel like it. Most mornings, I wake up at 5am — not because I’m naturally energetic, but because I force myself to. I rarely get a full eight hours of sleep. The air is cold, my body feels heavy, and my mind constantly whispers, “Just stay in bed.” And sometimes, I think about how others are still asleep, wrapped in warm blankets, lost in comfortable dreams… while I’m outside, pushing my body to run. ...

  She has finished primary school . Just like that. My daughter is 12, turning 13 — standing at the doorway of secondary school , with a confidence that surprises me and a gentleness that still feels familiar.  I teared up thinking about the years it took to get here: the sleepless nights, the scraped knees, the lunches packed in a rush, the conversations before bedtime that stretched longer than planned.  Somehow, all of that shaped her into this beautiful young lady. There are moments when I wish she were still the baby I once held so closely. Moments when I wish I were still the mother she always needed — the center of her small universe.  But when I watch her laugh with her friends, fully present in their companionship, I understand that her world has expanded. She has new priorities now, and that is exactly how it should be. Secondary school awaits her, and I know it will be demanding — packed schedules, new expectations, new pressures.  Im growing as well....

Daughter is turning 6 in few more weeks. It was another memorable period spent with her to see how she grows from total dependent to partial independent kid. COGNITIVE  The first six years are indeed a crucial period for parents to instill what is right or wrong, the house principle and etc.  I am glad that my girl has the idea that drink a lot of water, avoid sugary, vegetables and fruits are good for your health, always wash hands, and sleep boost her immune system.  Another thing is we do let her know about environmental especially on the issue of single-use plastic killed marine life such as turtles.  As she is already attending preschool, it is undeniable that she gets influenced by her friends and teachers on certain beliefs...and the way they speak (which is not necessarily positive) . But, I keep on reinforce the right value, although it may or may not register on her mind. After all, the kid spends 8 hours a day at school for five day...