Today is my older brother's 39th birthday so I thought I would write down some random memories of him.
- In most of our early childhood photos, his arm is alway wrapped around me protectively. That's why I like the birth order of big brother and little sister. He is still pretty protective to this day.
This isn't one of those photos because I didn't have time to look.
I think he ordered a diet Coke with that sundae
He only likes babies. He loses interest in them
when they learn to talk back.
- In most of our early childhood photos, his arm is alway wrapped around me protectively. That's why I like the birth order of big brother and little sister. He is still pretty protective to this day.
This isn't one of those photos because I didn't have time to look.- He was a preemie when he was born. My mom used to be able to hold him in the palm of her hand.
My dad believed my mom was having a girl so he was really
depressed. When it turned out to be a boy, he went all out
and bought his son everything.
My favorite photo - his Thai nickname literally means No. 1
- He was definitely a challenge as a child, at least from what I remember my parents saying. When he was in the third grade in Catholic school, he announced that he wasn't going to learn about Catholicism because he was a Buddhist and proceeded to get a grade "D" in religion class.
- He used to draw really precise sports or military scenes during his early childhood. I don't know when it happened, but all of a sudden he just stopped drawing. I don't know if we even have any copies of his artwork.
- He always seemed to have a lot of friends while I was a loner as a child. Sometimes he would invite me to join his friends.
- When he was in the sixth grade, he started a side business selling nunchucks, throwing stars, etc. Of course he got caught. Luckily he didn't get suspended from school.
- Starting in junior high, he would wake up really early (before the rest of the family) and get ready. He would blast the radio and sing in the bathroom at 6am, despite the fact that we were all still sleeping. His sartorial style started around then. He went through a Gap, JCrew, Nautica, Lord and Taylor, and Saks Fifth Avenue phase. (At least he got it out of his system. Now he just wears shorts, a polo shirt, and crocs every day.)
- He had just started the rebellious teen phase when our father got sick. Overnight it seemed as if he became the ideal son. He took responsibility for me by taking me to school, and he was really nurturing of my father. Growing up, it was my father and I who were close but after he got sick, it was my brother who started taking care of him.
- I learned how to play tennis by reading about it in an encyclopedia. When I made the varsity tennis team in the 9th grade a few months later, he thought that I needed to train. He set up a gym in our basement and made me lift weights. I was just playing for fun so that kinda killed my interest in tennis.
- My cousin remembers him always cooking, but never offering anything to anyone else.
- I used to always think I was a lot smarter than him, until I found some of his grades (in filing folders with labels affixed). He actually got good standardized test scores!
- When I was in the first grade, I used to ask my mother to put him back in her stomach and give me a chimpanzee instead. After that, I would tell him that he was adopted. It was easy to promote that myth because he seemed so different from me and my parents.
- My mom would tell people that the big difference between him and me was what would happen if you left money sitting around. If my brother was around, the money would be gone in seconds. If I was around, the money would sit there forever.
- I like going to visit him and his wife Gai in Thailand because he always gives me an ATM card and I don't have to pay for anything. Of course, before I get there he emails me huge lists of things he wants me to bring. All of my big suitcases are filled with his stuff while my things are usually packed in the carry-on!
- He and Gai like to come to America to shop...at Walmart. They could spend hours there.
- Before Gabe and I went to Thailand together for the first time, he asked me if I was sure that I wanted to take Gabe there...because all the Thai girls are so pretty. Gabe and I always have a bet about how long it would take him to tell me how much weight I've gained. Apparently he's stopped because now I'm married and it doesn't matter anymore.
- He used to draw really precise sports or military scenes during his early childhood. I don't know when it happened, but all of a sudden he just stopped drawing. I don't know if we even have any copies of his artwork.
- He always seemed to have a lot of friends while I was a loner as a child. Sometimes he would invite me to join his friends.
- When he was in the sixth grade, he started a side business selling nunchucks, throwing stars, etc. Of course he got caught. Luckily he didn't get suspended from school.
- Starting in junior high, he would wake up really early (before the rest of the family) and get ready. He would blast the radio and sing in the bathroom at 6am, despite the fact that we were all still sleeping. His sartorial style started around then. He went through a Gap, JCrew, Nautica, Lord and Taylor, and Saks Fifth Avenue phase. (At least he got it out of his system. Now he just wears shorts, a polo shirt, and crocs every day.)
- He had just started the rebellious teen phase when our father got sick. Overnight it seemed as if he became the ideal son. He took responsibility for me by taking me to school, and he was really nurturing of my father. Growing up, it was my father and I who were close but after he got sick, it was my brother who started taking care of him.
- I learned how to play tennis by reading about it in an encyclopedia. When I made the varsity tennis team in the 9th grade a few months later, he thought that I needed to train. He set up a gym in our basement and made me lift weights. I was just playing for fun so that kinda killed my interest in tennis.
- My cousin remembers him always cooking, but never offering anything to anyone else.
- I used to always think I was a lot smarter than him, until I found some of his grades (in filing folders with labels affixed). He actually got good standardized test scores!
- When I was in the first grade, I used to ask my mother to put him back in her stomach and give me a chimpanzee instead. After that, I would tell him that he was adopted. It was easy to promote that myth because he seemed so different from me and my parents.
- My mom would tell people that the big difference between him and me was what would happen if you left money sitting around. If my brother was around, the money would be gone in seconds. If I was around, the money would sit there forever.
- I like going to visit him and his wife Gai in Thailand because he always gives me an ATM card and I don't have to pay for anything. Of course, before I get there he emails me huge lists of things he wants me to bring. All of my big suitcases are filled with his stuff while my things are usually packed in the carry-on!
- He and Gai like to come to America to shop...at Walmart. They could spend hours there.
- Before Gabe and I went to Thailand together for the first time, he asked me if I was sure that I wanted to take Gabe there...because all the Thai girls are so pretty. Gabe and I always have a bet about how long it would take him to tell me how much weight I've gained. Apparently he's stopped because now I'm married and it doesn't matter anymore.
My dad believed my mom was having a girl so he was reallydepressed. When it turned out to be a boy, he went all out
and bought his son everything.
My favorite photo - his Thai nickname literally means No. 1
I think he ordered a diet Coke with that sundae
He only likes babies. He loses interest in themwhen they learn to talk back.