Big Boy Already!

Yesterday was my brother's birthday. He is twenty this year, which will make me 24! (But my birthday was just over in November, so it still counts as just turning 23, right? Still young, still young.... *denial*)


Can't believe that my baby bro is twenty now! Big boy already! :D




We all remember the story my mum always tells us about when he was born. She says he was the quickest of the three of us to um, exit her womb, so to speak. (I know I tortured my mum for fourteen hours before I did! @.@) And he was also the fattest baby of the lot, weighing over 3kg :) My mum said that when he was born, in the early hours of the morning that day in 1992, firecrackers were heard, as if celebrating his birth!


(It was actually the first day of Chinese New Year then, so the firecrackers weren't really for him. But I guess some would consider it an auspicious sign, nonetheless. :P)

That's him (circled). Cute? :P
Know which one's me? (You have a 50/50 chance--
there are only 2 girls in this picture!)


He was skinny when he was younger. Almost too skinny. And I think he was the cutest of us all, what with his coconut hair style that he never needed to comb! He was naughty, oh yes. And I remember he used to have problems with his syllables. I actually have this vivid memory of me kneeling in front of him, trying to teach him new words. I told him to repeat after me: "Pocket," while pointing to the pockets on the pants he was wearing. "Pocket," I said. "Ko-pek," he said. "Chicken," I said. "Ki-chen," he'd say. Here I was, trying to be the good big sister and teach him some new words, and he's all messed up. Yes, you'd say he was adorable, but it was so frustrating for me! >.< haha~


As he grew up, we discovered he had a knack for games. Card games, video games. He could play any of these rather well. He was also very musically-inclined. Although both he and I took piano lessons, he seems to be able to play much better than I can! He has a very good ear for these kinds of things. He can listen to a contemporary song, and figure out the chords on the piano to play it himself. Sometimes, his playing sounds exactly like how it does on the track. Sometimes, he comes up with chords that sound better than the original. Here's a video of him playing Adele's "Turning Tables" that he objected to me putting up on Youtube, but which I insisted on. I thought he sounded really good, so why be ashamed about it? He also likes writing, like me. Although I have more practice with short stories. He has an interest in it too, though he doesn't write much nowadays. He complains about how dead his blog is! xD He does extremely well in his studies too, getting As in all his subjects in Form 6. And not just barely-As. Strong As, like in the 90+ region! I mean, who still gets marks like that in FORM SIX??!!!! (I know I didn't >.<)




He is currently on his longgggggg 9-month break after surviving the terrifying STPM. From the way he studied for it, it was like he died and came back to life just to sit for the exam--he worked so hard! We had to even tell him to take it easy a little, cos his eyes looked frighteningly lifeless when you talked to him when he was studying. @.@


I watch him struggle with what he plans to do in the future. Even after completing his STPM, he is still stumped with what he wants to do with his life. I know some people think, "What? Still haven't decided?" But I, for one, know how stressful and difficult this decision is. You're deciding the rest of your life, a decision you cannot take lightly. It is because a lot of young people take this lightly, or choose something that their parents want, their girlfriends/boyfriends want, that most of their friends are also doing, that many end up hating what they do. No one wants to feel regret.



Many think that he should pursue music as a career. Which isn't completely unreasonable--he's talented, and good at it. So why not? Yes, it's unconventional, it may not be as lucrative, but we've been blessed with parents who are all for "doing what you want" rather than "what society expects of you".


Yet, he is also good in Physics, and does well in it. Maybe a career in Engineering? But which one? Chemical? Mechanical? Electrical and Electronics? Tough life, tough work. Can he handle the pressure? Does he want to?




Why am I talking about my brother's dilemma?


I worry about him, I do. He's the baby in the family. Although he does get a lot of privileges I didn't get when I was his age (handphone, going out with friends unchaperoned etc.), I would say he has lived a pretty sheltered life. How is he going to cope without us, our family?


But I believe that he can do, and be, anything he wants to. Anything :D


I hope he'll be able to work out what he wants to do, soon. All I can do is pray for him. :)


Happy 20th birthday, Kit!

Comments

Charlie said…
Good looking siblings ^_^
Liz said…
Thanks Nath! Ahaha, well, the old photo is not just of me and my siblings. It includes my cousins as well. I have two younger brothers :)
shandye. said…
OMG.
you guys looks a lot like each other!
eh... kejap.
of course-lah. you guys kan adik beradik...

#facepalm

hehe...
Liz said…
>>shandye
A lot of people say that! But you're right. Duhhh. We're siblings! Ain't that normal??? xD

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