Tuesday, 11 October 2011

Happy Birthday, Airplane Chan

Can we pretend that airplanes in the night sky are like shooting stars? ~ B.O.B

Happy birthday Dad!

Today you would have been 55...still a spring chicken!

I used to s-t-r-u-g-g-l-e to think of something to buy for you that wasn't socks or a tie but this year I think I would've nailed it.

I would've gotten you a really flash bottle of merlot and a big punnet of strawberries (even though they aren't really in season but I know how much you love strawberries with french vanilla icecream and [ick] milk).

{dad was a travel agent by trade and was affectionately known as "airplane chan" by his mates and clients}
{via weheartit}

...and a Semi Final Ticket. You would have been absolutely frothing at the mouth over the Rugby World Cup and probably placed a cheeky bet or two for the All Blacks just for luck.

I would have baked you a black forest cake (I can actually bake now - no more salty chocolate logs) and we would've gone out to dinner at Canton Cafe or that steak place you love out in West Auckland.

And you'd tell me off for procrastinating rather than studying.

{via weheartit}



We still celebrate your birthday, you know.  The steak place closed down a few years ago so we go to Canton and order that roast pork dish you like every year and when we visit you, we leave you a large cappucino with chocolate sprinkles.

{via weheartit}
I wonder how you are celebrating today?  I bet you'll be playing mahjong with grandma and aunty wendy.  Do you get to hang out with Michael Jackson at all?  Actually, I reckon you'd like chewing the fat with John Lennon more than MJ.

There's so much I want to ask you, big things like am I doing the right thing? Are you proud of who we've become? And little things too like what's Einstein like? Is Marilyn as pretty in person? Did Steve give everyone free iPads up there? 

Anyways, I will study now.  Just for you.

Love you, miss you, happy birthday babi.

{via weheartit}

8 comments:

  1. I lost my father 2 months ago. I am very sad.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hugs for you Ness. This is a beautiful post - I think your dad would have been very proud of you! Hope all is going well in Dunners! x

    ReplyDelete
  3. This is such a touching post! I also remember the loads of laughter we had at our dinner gatherings when we were young. Uncle Airplane Chan hope you are having a great old time up there in the sky~

    Nessie: I'm sure your dad will be very proud with what you have become and especially about how good your cooking is now!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a beautiful and touching tribute to you dad. Lovely.

    ReplyDelete
  5. hi nessie, i used to see you around uni and you were in two of my lectures as well. amazed to read you are doing med now especially when you were doing so well in law anyway. just wanted to say, i always secretly admired so i think your dad will be very proud of you :)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nessie, this is a really special post. I'm sure your dad is brimming with pride.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I used to call your dad Chan Tai Man, such a common name which was always been used in commercials in referring to a "human being". Just like Mr. ABC.....I still remember many many years ago I travelled in Germany in a tour. Chan knows my itinerary. He arranged a business trip for himself to Germany too and took several hours train to meet me at a city call Trier. Just for a beer and chatting for a night, a long way from home. That night I got drunk in the hotel and I lost him the next day. Just like the year he flied all the way to Toronto visiting me. We both got drunk on the last night before he left for home. I lost him again in the next year. You lost your dad too, forever.
    But someday you will see him again. I will see him too.
    Nessie, you are such a wonderful girl. Your dad is proud of you wherever he is.

    Treasure the memories, treasure the love.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you all so so much for all the love. Means so much to have blog-friends as wonderful as you all. Hugs x

    Anonymous 1: Thanks so much for sharing, anonymous. It must be all still be so raw and painful right now. Cherish your memories, the smiles, the hugs, the crazy xmas presents and funny sayings of his. There are some days, I miss my dad so much I can't breathe but you get better with living with the sadness. Sending my thoughts and prayers to ya xox

    treehousekitchen: Thanks heaps Mel! Dunners is great...still bloody freezing but it's exam time so not much going outdoors anyways :)

    Annie: I remember them too! Like when they would go to the kitchen and leave the mahjong set out in the lounge and we would go and build walls out of the tiles. And my dad and yours would get all red in the face and speak in english when they were drunk :) Happy memories.

    Lora: Thanks heaps Lora! Getting to share his story means so much coz it keeps him alive you know what I mean? xox

    Anonymous 2: Oh wow, thanks heaps law friend! I'm loving totally med but I do miss old Davis and hanging out in the law cafe with the little tea lady and her amazing chicken and avo sammies...noms! Hope things are all well with you!

    timeforalittlesomething: Thanks heaps Jem! xox

    Uncle Duncan: Thank you so much for sharing that memory...means so so much to know that his friends out there still have these great stories about him. We keep him alive in our hearts. I know how much you meant to him and how much he cherished your friendship. Hope I get to visit you sometime not too far away. Know you guys have had a tough year....thinking of you xox

    ReplyDelete

 

Copyright © 2010-2013 by Nessie Chan/Nessie Sharpe. All rights reserved.

Related Posts with Thumbnails