Love, Mama Lin

So the new assistant deigned to point out my ties at work today. I like to wear a smart tie with a well ironed shirt and good fitting trousers. It’s a smart look and I like to look smart. To brighten my look, I wear lots of different coloured ties. And the assistant noticed. I would not mind this so much if she was not trying to hard to appear interested. “It’s so cool!” “It’s so bright!” “It’s so snazzy.” I donated the ‘snazzy’ tie to charity. Nothing I own will ever be ‘snazzy’. I aim for sophisticated and stylish. Perhaps the deadpan stare I gave the new assistant will prevent any further comments from her on my attire. I know that it would be inappropriate of me to comment on her clothing, so why does she feel the need to comment on mine? I did have a small thought that she might be trying to get to know me better. On the one hand, this would promote working cohesion. But equally, I am not keen on small talk with the young female. I will see how this progresses. ...

There is nothing quite like returning home from a long stressful day at work to find your son in an equally as foul mood as your boss. I have yet to discover the source of my boss’s aggravation, but my son’s turned out to be a lot easier to work out. Primarily because it did not take any working out. He greeted me with a disgruntled complaint about this blog. Yes, readers, my son has found this blog. He has asked me to refrain from writing any further about my “completely fictional account of his love life” and to tell you all that “he has no interest in the girl”. I find this behaviour somewhat out of character if the truth is to be told. Normally, if I partook in something he disagreed with, my son would roll his eyes and ignore me. Even if my actions affected him. So he cares enough about this to actually make comment. His actions hardly support his statements… But I suppose it is natural to become embarrassed around such topics. Although I know he struggles with emotion,...

I will share something with you, readers, I hate shopping. Recently, my son and I took a few personal days to go sightseeing and enjoy ourselves in the city.  He commented on my attire, saying that I should dress more casually on my days off.  He suggested we go into a store and buy jeans. I was not too keen on the idea, but I relented nonetheless, and followed my son into a store. I began to look at the selection of jeans that the store had, but I noticed a trend.  Many young girls, it seemed, were buying “mom jeans”.  “Mom jeans”, it seems, are high-waisted, straight-leg jeans that are rolled up at the legs.  Seeing these, I was appalled. Why would you wear “mom jeans” if you aren’t a mom? “Mom jeans” are designed for the mom at work and play.  They are designed for practicality, not fashion! I don’t think I will ever understand trends… Love, Lynn

“Tea began as a medicine and grew into a beverage. In China, in the eighth century, it entered the realm of poetry as one of the polite amusements.  The fifteenth century saw Japan ennoble it into a religion of aestheticism, -- Teaism.” -Kakuzo Okakura, The Book of Tea Today, in times of convenience stores and fast food restaurants, it seems that some things have lost their value to the modern person.  One of these things, I believe, is the sacred art of preparing tea.  Growing up, I was taught to make tea by my grandmother, who treated the beverage as a sacred art.  Now, I find that most of my tea is made from a bag of cheap leaves, and steeped in too hot water from an electric kettle at work.  The new assistant sometimes attempts to make tea from leaves, but her technique is inadequate. I felt as though it was time for a change. I immediately began researching traditional tea rooms in Japan, hoping to find a place to visit with my son for a taste (literal...

Last post, if you read closely you may have noticed that I mentioned my son meeting a girl at his school.  As a mother, I find myself almost terrified of the responsibility that I have to raise a son that is respectful and kind, in a world where men are expected to misbehave.  Boys will not be boys, I say.  But how does one raise a prince in this world of disrespectful men?  I want to share some tips for relating the importance of being respectful in a world where chivalry is dead. Teach him manners. Manners are not only important to raising a polite son, but are also an important step in raising a boy who is conscious of boundaries and social norms.  I will be the first to say that I have had trouble with Noll in this area.  He still slips up sometimes! And by sometimes, I mean a lot. From my understanding, the girl he met at school is quite well aware of his lapses in manners.  It sounds like I am not the only person to berate him on this matter....

In response to my first blog post (which you can read here ) I received many comments about how my son and I live in Japan. “Why did you move there?” “I am so jealous!” “I wish I lived in Japan…” 1.) The move was work-related and partly for my son’s education. The company opened a new branch in Tokyo, and as one of the few existing employees that could speak business level Japanese, I offered to go. Despite my complaints, I do work well with my new boss, and the head of the company recognises that fact. I also think getting a wider perspective of the world will help my son broaden his horizons. In England, where we used to live, he spent a lot of time alone in his room reading books and studying. Since he can not read Japanese for the most part, he is now forced to open up, even if just a little. The selection of English books in the bookshops here is limited and mostly fictional, which my son has little interest in. Ordering books from abroad takes money, of which I still have cont...