routine or rut?
a few minutes ago charles and i were figuring out how to spend the afternoon.
he: i know you are busy reading right now
me: yes, i am busy (putting down book with martyr like air)
he: but later this afternoon i was thinking we could take the kids to the boat club for a swim and really tire them out.
me: or we could go to the beach.
he: (puts on uncomfortable face)
me: or we could go to an outlying island, have a bit of a walk, and have dinner at a seafood restuarant and catch the ferry home
he: (in a voice that yes, must be called challenging) which island?
me: (knowing this was coming, prepared) cheng chau
he: would they walk?
me: it's not 10k, we could just walk awhile, even through the village which is fascinating
he: i just think the boat club is a good idea because it would really tire them out and they do need to sleep.
this is a very accurate statement. the kids DO need a good night's sleep if the whinginess is anything to go by. and my darling chuck is only trying to make the kids more human.
HOWEVER – this is where charles and i differ. he likes the idea of a sunday routine. church, homework, boatclub, dinner. a nice routine.
tess on the other hand, sees this wash rinse repeat sunday lifestyle as more of a rut than a routine. surely we are more creative than this?
dont get me wrong. the boatclub is fantastic. but so is hong kong and i love family adventures (excepting disneyland). the boatclub is safe, predictable and all that sort of thing, but i want my kids to see more.
charles grew up in a club going family, and today, his dad and one of his sisters are very much involved in club activities. the club is where the family gathers for events. don't get me wrong, they don't sip mimosa's around the pool, in fact they rarely use the f&b outlets, they have a boat, which means they often get away from the premises themselves as well…but still, the club is important to them. the club lifestyle is part of charles' heritage, and lets face it, the community you get is fantastic. i love the people i have met through the boat club here in hk and the easy way of life. LOVE IT. and the lending library.,..hooray!
HOWEVER…i do want to balance that out.
yesterday i took the girls with me to the wetmarket. they could have stayed playing, but wetmarkets are fascinating. i want them to see and explore it. they hated the smell and despaired of the fishes flopping around once they were relieved of their heads, but…this is their city! THIS IS THEIR HERITAGE! it's all about balance.
i might not be giving charles as much credit as he deserves on this blog and topic, and forgive me.
update: we let the kids decide what we would do this afternoon and the sodding boat club won. now i will have to give in gracefully. wish me luck.
