next month, it will be 6 years since my father died. although physically absent, i often find myself thinking how much like him i am - a traveler, organiser, people-needy and always hungering for a new experience. his little habits and idiosyncrasies still haunt me - his qi gong at lake gardens, walking around the garden doing his breathing exercises, his frequent use of (lake club) napkins and his beloved radio.
for as long as i can remember, papa had his shortwave radio by his side - in the house, in the car, on the bog. you name it. his station of choice was the bbc- world service. we listened to 'Just a Minute' with Derek Nimmo and Kenneth Williams with glee, trying to catch a repetition, hesitation or deviation. however as we grew up, we dismissed his choice of entertainment, prefering Smash Hits and Top of the Pops. pretty soon, we tuned out the constant drone of his trusty black sony radio.
so i find it quite ironic that i have now adopted my dad's radio habit. Not with a short wave radio, but with my beloved ipod and the podcasts i have become addicted to. From Slate's Explainer to NPR's Brini Maxwell's Hint's for Gracious Living, and of course BBC Radio's NewsPod. Guess you're laughing at me now, huh, pops.
well happy anniversary, hope you know that we all miss you loads (hope your BBC radio signal is loud and clear). [click on the picture to see my dad - the only chinese there]