Mr Phong

Yup, that's my dad. Mr Phong Nam Kew. Today, I feel like blogging about my dad. Why? I don't know. Perhaps it's because it suddenly dawned on me that I take my family for granted. The time we spend together as a family, is becoming insignificant. We hardly get the chance to sit down and have a decent conversation anymore. In fact, I can't remember the last time I had a proper chat with my dad, ever since he took on this huge renovation project at New Park Hotel.

Before that, when i was still at my previous job, my dad would always drive me to work (the pic above was taken on one of those occasions, when I just got my 7610). Sometimes, we'd chat about anything under the sun. Sometimes the 20+ min drive would be a quiet one, or rather, I was quiet while he was busy answering phone calls regarding work. No matter what, it was a good 20 minutes spent alone with my dad to start off the day. Which I don't get to enjoy anymore.

And for about 2 to 3 times a week, I'd make it a point to have dinner with my dad (i usually bring my food to the living room and have my dinner while watching TV). The meal would usually stretch to a chit chat session where my dad would share with me his work, 'gossip' about my relatives, my mum, etc, and i'd sit there and listen to him. That 30min chat may not seem like a big deal when it happened, but now, I suddenly missed it. Because he's hardly back for dinner anymore.

My dad has been working late nights for the past few months, so much so that I hardly get to see him, much less talk to him. Except for the greeting "老爸" when he gets home around 12 midnight, just before I hit the bed, or every morning, just before I leave home for work, i'd pop by his room and shout out "老爸, 起来了！我走了ah!" He'd murmur a 'uhmmmmm" before I step out of the house.

So, perhaps that's the reason I'm doing this. A blog entry about my dad. A thought process that allows me to view my dad not just as a father figure, but also as a normal person, just like you and me, a person whom I love, a person whom I'm proud to call "老爸".

Now, my dad leaves a big impression on my friends who have met him. There are basically 3 traits that strike those who meet him for the 1st time:

1. His jovial nature
My dad is a natural born social animal. He makes friends everywhere he goes. Just visit him at New Park Hotel and you can see for yourself. From the bellboy to the GM, he greets everyone by name and can stop for a brief chat anytime. Give him a Martell VSOP and he can be friends with you instantly.

2. His drinking
Remember my blog entry last month about me and mr fox having dinner at New Park Hotel and that was the 1st time mr fox's mum met my dad? Well, the first question mr Fox's mum and sis asked me (when my dad stepped out for a smoke) was: "Wah, does your dad always drink like that?"

I don't blame them for asking. You'd took, if you saw how my dad asked the waitress (whom he knew well of cos) to bring up his bottle of hard liquor from the hotel's lounge, and then proceed to drink as fast as I consume my cup of tea. Oh, did I mention that he was already drinking before the dinner, and AFTER the dinner, mr Fox and I actually joined him for MORE drinks at the hotel lounge.

My dad is truly a good drinker. I have not seen someone who can meet his match. Alcohol to him is like water. There were a few occasions where he got drunk of course, but that was after many many many rounds of drinking, and I bet if you guys challenge him, you'd surrender soon. In some ways, I'm glad I inherited a bit of his good drinking trait. I can't say I'm a fantastic drinker, but perhaps, a fairly good one. hehe.

3. Smoking
Another vice. My dad is a heavy smoker. His smoker's cough has become his signature. The first thing he does in the morning as he gets up from his bed is to light a cigarette. Then he'd proceed to do his 'business', have breakfast, light another stick, feed his fish before preparing to go to work. And as he walks to his SHINING lorry, he'd light another stick again. You can imagine what it's like for the rest of his day. I shudder.

Now, many would ask me or my family why we do not control his lifestyle. Well, firstly, you have to know that my dad is a very stubborn man. It takes us so long to even get him to go for a check up. And he did heed the doctor's advice to cut down on smoking and drinking, for about a month. Before he declared that the doctor said "try to cut down" and not "you should stop".

My dad is at his happiest when he has a drink with him. And miserable when he has none. So for now, although we all know what these vices can do to his health (and he knows too), there's no stopping him. In fact, while I am typing this right now, he may be sipping his Martell on the rocks while 'supervising' the renovation works at New Park. With a smile on his face of course.