Happy Recessional

One of the more touching moments of our trip to Singapore recently for XGG (Aunt Catherine) and WZ Shu-Shu's wedding occurred at the end of the ceremony.

Once the marriage was officially declared, the music coordinator started blasting Pharrell Williams' hit "Happy" and the happy couple began leading the wedding party recessional, dancing down the aisle toward the exit. The flower girls, K-bao, C-bao and Cousin Elizabeth, were also supposed follow along.

Little sister C-bao, though, was unsure what to do. The wedding party was moving fast, and once some separation was created, she felt even more hesitant to move forward.

That's when K-bao sprang into action. Looking back, she motioned for C-bao to join. When that didn't work, she came back up the aisle part-way, and demonstrated more actively. Finally, seeing C-bao still rooted to the spot, she came all the way back, took her sister by the hand, and led her back to join the group.

Leave no sister behind!

XGG & S2

The bulk of K-bao's time in Taipei this trip was spent with the K-Grandfolks, Xiao Goo-Goo (Aunt Catherine, aka XGG) and Shu-Shu (Uncle James, aka S2).

Indeed, within 24 hours K-bao made clear she would rather spend her time with XGG and S2 - who appeared half as mean and twice as fun - than with her own parents.

Let's just say that that message (which sounded a whole lot like "Free babysitting!") was music to the ears of the fatigued K-folks.

On one of the first days in Taipei, XGG took K-bao and the family to her old workplace, Xue Xue Institute, a private non-profit entity working to foster greater creativity and intersection among the arts, philosophy, design, business and science.  There, K-bao assembled magnet houses, was filmed dancing to Gangnam Style while twirling a baton, and generally ran around creating a mess.

Meanwhile, Uncle James / S2 was strong-armed into playing chess, answering nonsensical questions, and sitting next to little K-bao whenever she had a meal. Indeed, instead of greeting K-Grandpops politely when she saw him in the morning, her first questions were invariably, "Where's Shu-Shu? Where's Xiao Goo-Goo?"

By the end of the trip, poor XGG and S2, who had indeed put in plenty of free babysitting time, appeared almost as worn out as the K-folks. As for K-bao?  Her usual refrain: "I'm never tired!"

.........

Here is little K-bao getting an impromptu live concert by the talented XGG and S2. Before long, K-bao was on her feet, dancing along to the music.