It’s 6:00 am, and I can’t sleep. But it’s because I’m excited – I get to see my dad today, who lives in Hong Kong and visits once a year every summer. Aaron & I are picking him up at the airport this morning. We even gave Tele a bath the night before and made sure she looked nice and pretty for his arrival. Oh, she’s coming with us. Because my dad loves dogs.

It wasn’t always this way. I don’t think he grew up with any pets, and we didn’t have a dog until we moved to America. And even then, my dad was like, eh. But of course, when you get a small little yappy Maltese like we did, what grown man is going to go gaga over it?

About 10 years ago, my parents found a homeless dog in Hong Kong. Most homeless dogs in Asia are hungry and uncertain around people (uncertain = potentially vicious), but not this one. It was a beautiful German Shepherd, very shy but unbearably curious. So my mom, who was now an avid dog lover after living in the States, decided to bring it home, much to the chagrin of my dad. But this dog was smart. So very smart. It never peed in the house, never barked. Just slept in the corner and was happy for a meal once a day. Always greeted my dad when he came home. And my dad fell in love – even though he denied it when we teased him about it.

Unfortunately, a few months later, this dog was hit by a bus, right in front of my dad. He had taken it for a walk in the mountains and was just about to put the leash on when the dog uncharacteristically ran into the road. You could hear his heart was broken over the phone, so my mom & I devised a plan. I would fly to Hong Kong for a week to cheer him up and keep hin company. But while I was there, I would also buy him a puppy. Not to replace his dog, but it was undeniable how the companionship of a pet did my dad good, no matter how much he downplayed it. So I found the cutest Golden Retriever puppy while I was there, brought it home, and watched as my dad stared at the new little ball of fur sleeping on his floor.

I don’t need another dog, he said. Okay, that’s fine. I retorted. Let’s just keep it for a week, and then after I leave, you can return it to the pet store. But in the meantime, I’m going to take it for a walk while you eat dinner. But of course, my dad insisted on coming with me. And I knew at that moment he would never return the puppy. And sure enough, by the time I woke up the next morning, he had already taken it out for its morning walk.

Romeo is now a hefty 80 lbs of fur. He’s loud, picky and completely too smart for his own good. And my dad loves him to pieces. After we got Tele, I was so excited for my dad to meet her. Because he has now become a dog lover. What grown man will you see play-wrestling with a dog on the floor? Yep, my dad is THAT guy. He even tries to wrestle with the cat while he’s here, much to Neo’s confusion. So I can already picture him wrestling on the floor with his grandchildren – and he’s got 2 coming his way this year. Our kids will probably be too young to remember their wrestling days with grandpa, but I won’t. I will remember.

This picture was taken back in 2007, the last time we were in Hong Kong. Every Sunday, my dad takes Romeo for a long hike in the mountains where there are plenty of mini-pools of water for him to play in. Usually, my dad will even get in the water with him, but I begged him not to while I was there. Let’s just say that their swimwear in Hong Kong leans more towards the European variety.

Happy Saturday!