Have I ever mentioned my mom-in-law? I don't think so. My husband was away in Hong Kong for some training his company sent him. He was gone for all of 5 days. In the 5 days that he was gone, my m-i-l didn't call to check if I needed help or if I was ok. The fact that I'm a first-time mom taking care of her grandson who will be carrying the family name (which is a very big deal in Chinese culture and traditions) didn't seem to have any effect on her at all.

No, it's not that I want the attention, but it would have been a nice gesture to find out how I was coping alone at home with a baby..., after all I am the mother of her grandson.

Well, I guess that's her...... being herself. When I married Kelvin, I married his whole family - that's how it is here in Asia. The new family that I got "married" to was not so warm nor caring towards each other... I mean they do try and I'm sure that they love each other very much but they just don't seem to know how to be civil to each other for very long. Gatherings usually end up in arguements, and over the 'silliest' reasons too!

I always wondered why they acted the way they did and slowly I found out that they were just brought up that way..... by the matriach, my m-i-l. Anyway, to make a long story short, she wasn't modelled after the 'Stepford wives'. She's more of a "I'm always right and you're not" person. She tried dominating our marriage but thankfully I managed to reason with Kelvin that it is OUR marriage after all and not hers. Our relationship wasn't actually wonderful in the beginning but I tried to be civil for Kelvin's sake. Didn't want to put him in a difficult spot. Sometimes I wonder why I try so hard........