Vegetarian Yum Cha
Mum: So, we need to talk about everybody’s schedules this year. Your cousin’s very likely to win…
Brother: (Chuckles) Which one?! They’re both running!
Husband: (The only person sitting upright and taking Mum seriously) (Nodding, eyebrows, furrowing)
Mum: It doesn’t matter. Both sides of our families are on stand-by to get on stage that night. But it’s you two (points to Wifey and Brother) that are guaranteed on stage. You both have to clear your calendars, take annual leave, take a sabbatical from your career, do whatever you have to do. Clear those calendars. This is going to be a historic moment for Taiwan.
Husband: (Clears throat a little bit)
Mum: Oh, Common Name, will you be free around that time?
Husband: Yeah? I mean, sure. I would be.
Mum: Okay, you can join us on stage if you wish. But you don’t have to. No pressure. Up to you. If you have a tour or you’ve been invited to a fashion show in Paris or anything — don’t prioritise this, go do your thing!
Husband: (Smiles) No, I already told my whole team since ten years ago, I’m clearing my calendar for this.
Wifey & Brother: (Looking at each other, chuckling)
Sis-in-Law: (Sighs)
Husband: I’m excited! I’ve been following this race. It’s so impressive. I love it!
Everyone: (Laughing together)
Husband: I can’t believe it’s really happening. I didn’t know if this was going to be a real thing.
Brother: You didn’t think that you’d be marrying into the Taiwanese Kennedy’s — without all the tragedy of the real Kennedy’s?
Husband: (Laughing and pointing at Wifey) She told me but I didn’t take any of it seriously! I just thought she was imagining things, fiction for her blog!
Everyone: (Laughing more)
Sis-in-Law: It’s very real… even my family’s nervous and excited about this. They didn’t vote either. They didn’t feel it would be right. So we’re all neutral together.
Husband: The funniest thing to me is that — they are related! They are cousins of cousins! They are brothers! But the public barely knows this. It was just a couple of salacious tabloids that nobody respects, a bunch of Redditors making a big fuss that nobody listened to — it’s hilarious!!!
Wifey: (Patting him on the shoulders, stroking him down his back) Yes dear, it really is hilarious. And I wanted to write about it on the blog so you don’t feel blind-sided when we really had this conversation in real life ten years later. Because it’s happening… (LOL)
Husband: My family’s excited too. We never paid much attention to Taiwanese politics. But this election cycle has us on the edge of our seats! They’re betting amongst themselves who’s going to win. Just a little bit of money, not too much. But they’re having fun watching this. We were all so worried — before knowing this — we didn’t know what was going to happen in this region. This part of Asia. It was dicey…
Mum: It was decided a long, long time ago. This would be the best solution for peace in this region. Because they will argue, they will have differences of opinions, but at the end of the day — they are family. They’re going to keep the peace.
Virgo Sun Pisces Moon 