Kyleigh's Story - Grandma's Gone

I love that she's being raised bilingual, with a deep appreciation for your culture. She's going to have such a wonderful history in her life.

It may take a few days for her to fully grasp that Grandma won't be around for a bit, but she has her parents!

thanks for sharing...

Cool story. I've always been fascinated by Eastern culture, too. Our Kali is still pretty clingy to her parents but I'm sure she'll grow greater independence before too long. Seems like they're so regimented (day care, school) these days, and need more freedom and outdoor time. Thanks for posting this and have a magical New Year!

I agree with what Heather said.

Thanks. I thought it is sad. Only if my mom lives closer.

yeah she'll adjust :)

awwwww!!!!

"Qi guai, mei you nei nei (Weird, there's no Grandma)."

You really need to come to some of the Chinese restaurants in my area to translate.

I was eating at a Chinese restaurant today and one of the waitresses snuck up from behind me scaring the ever living shit out of me me and said ' wang fumg su piang'

I said..."oh..what?"

She said....'" Young poo "

I replied " I think that the restroom is back of the restaurant, but you should know that since you work here"

She fired back ' Fand sang yeung '

Then I replied ' Yeah, alrighty then'

Tim - At least that probably means the food is authentic.... Maybe?

Tim - Sorry can't help ya. I have no idea what she said. Did you just made those up? It is just amazing if you can actually remember the sounds from a language you don't speak. Or maybe it's just me... I am not a quick learner and if someone says a new English word to me, I will not remember it at all. I have to look at the word on paper visually and look it up in the dictionary. :)

It must be a bit confusing for Kyleigh, since your mother has spent so much time in the states with you and then Kyleigh's long visit in Taiwan. I'm sure she'll miss your mom, especially after your inlaws depart as well. But that leaves more time for you and your husband to spend with her.

As for the bilinguicity, I wonder if she doesn't know Chinese better than English at this point. Again because you and your mother probably speak Chinese to her a lot so she can learn it (plus her time in Taiwan during a key language-building period). Obviously she'll be fluent in English since she lives in the US where schools and shops and life outside the home will be in English, but I like the idea of her keeping that connection to her culture.

I admit that my own gains in learning French over here have been modest at best. All official business is conducted in English since it is the common language for everyone in Europe. The places where I learn the most are "local" shops (i.e., those that cater to locals instead of to the tourist trade), so I've learned to communicate the I want my hair cut short at the barber and that I don't want a bag at the local grocery store. But my conversational skills are still essentially absent. This is my resolution for 2009...become conversational in French.

It might not make much sense to her right now, but maybe you could show her on a map or on a globe where she lives and where Grandma lives.

that is too cute! she will get to talk to her grandma on the phone, hopefully. :)

Thanks for posting on Getting to 3000 Together

It's so tough when Grandma leaves - share extra hugs with Kyleigh to make up for it :)

Thanks, all.

Karen - We have a globe and we point at both places. So I think she knows. :)

Hopefully she can see Grandma on the computer the way she saw you from Grandma's house?

" I have no idea what she said. Did you just made those up? "

Yep..I made them up. But I can say ' Hello ' ...Goodbye '....' Thank You ' and ' You're Welcome ' in Chinese. But don't ask me to spell them! LOL !

I hope she Adjusting better.