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Little Moneybags

2012-02-04T20:24:53Z

After we opened a checking and savings account for Cici today I teased her that she is a moneybags now, which led to a discussion of the meaning of the word. She also took out her first loan, in her name only, so that she can begin building a credit history. This was done at our credit union, which has different rules than those that govern banks. As soon as she is enrolled in her first college courses they will even issue a credit card, also solely in her name with no guarantor.

Little steps toward an independent future. Big steps toward learning about money and managing credit and understanding interest rates. We are following the tried and true path that we used to establish a credit history for Ping.

I heard steady chopping in the kitchen about 4:30 this morning and gave up on sleeping. Ping worked all night again preparing food for a group of her friends who are here now visiting with her. They had a great time talking while they made dumplings with all the ingredients that Ping prepared last night. Cici and I were treated to the hot steamed dumplings along with a teenage Chinese girl who is a daughter of one of Ping's friends. She is a few years younger than Cici, but she is a nice, polite girl and they seem to be suited to become friends.

I am thinking some fresh fruit might be in order. Maybe if I cut some orange wedges and serve them to the ladies it will be a hit.

Scary Thought

2012-02-02T14:39:23Z

Papa, you don't know me that well, Cici teased at dinner earlier this week. We both laughed because we knew it was the shortened version of the old Flip Wilson routine where he dressed like a woman. A regular laugh line was something like "Don't touch me! Don't ever touch me! You don't know me that well."

Then a thought hit me. Sweetie, I said, do you realize that I know you better than anyone else in the world knows you? I know you even better than Mama knows you. Think about it, I said, and watched as the realization that what I said was true spread across her face.

We both sat there thinking about the implications of what we were discussing. Then with a sly smile she said, so you know I really love sports, right? We laughed, because we know she has no interest in sports. Nice try, I said, but you know that we have spent far more time together since you arrived than you have spent with Mama. You and I have talked more than you have talked with anyone. You and I have planned your education and your future.

Let's face it. There is not one person anywhere in the world who knows you as well as I know you. Scary thought, huh? Ping listened to the discussion and smiled. Papa is right, she said.

The Deed is Done

2012-01-29T14:56:48Z

Before posting about whether or not it made sense to keep this blog going when the hosting and blog contract ends, I had put the renewals in the cart at GoDaddy. This morning I had an email from GoDaddy reminding me that I hadn't completed the transaction, and offering a discount if I would complete it. I immediately took advantage of the offer and renewed everything, saving $133 in the process.

That means the stories about the girls will continue into college. Ping talked with me a few days ago about her plans to spend more time helping me in the office when Cici goes to college, but she will continue her English classes as well. And her dance exercise classes in the evening, though she is disappointed that the belly dancing classes have been discontinued in favor of other types of dance. She also has plans to get us involved in tai chi classes when we are no longer running Cici to and from school every day.

Ping also spends hours every day cultivating her plants around our home and in the large planters that she uses on our patio atrium. We recently had the floor to ceiling glass removed from two sides of the patio atrium and replaced them with double paned energy saving glass with screened windows that open at the bottom of each of the four panes of glass. Ping loves being able to keep those windows raised and having the air flowing freely in the house.

Yes, things are changing, but they just keep getting better, though it is sure going to be tough not having our little girl sleeping in her bed at home every night.

Apricot Seeds

2012-01-28T22:49:44Z

Does anyone know about the health benefits that come from eating apricot seeds? According to the American Medical Association, there are none. According to the empirical data on the Hunzas, the health benefits might put the entirety of the American Cancer industry out of business.

Ping accepts my research and recommendations about health completely, and I accept hers as well because she has proven that she knows traditional Chinese medicine quite well. It is interesting when our knowledge overlaps as it has with vitamin B-17. She doesn't know about the vitamin, but she knows the value of vegetables that contain its active ingredient.

I always wondered why Ping pushed for the inclusion of garbanzo beans any time she makes bean soup, just as I have wondered why she pushes us to eat mung bean soup every week. Now I have discovered that they are both high in vitamin B-17. At my urging, she has joined me in eating apricot seeds every day because they are the highest known source of vitamin B-17.

So what do the Hunzas have to do with this? Well, the wealth of a person in Hunza is not measure in money or cows; it is measured by how many apricot trees they own. The apricot is a primary source of food, and the apricot seed is treasured as the best part of the apricot. Because of this, according to scientists and chemists and even doctors when they take time to study the research (which almost happens in the U.S. because they would lose their license to practice medicine if they acted on what they learned), the vitamin B-17 in the apricot seeds is the reason that the Hunzas never have cancer.

Sound far fetched? I am convinced it is true. I guess we need to get Craig to weigh in on this because I know he reads a lot about natural health remedies.

Checking on You

2012-01-28T15:20:56Z

Papa, I heard the whisper as Cici walked through the darkened bedroom last night, did you brush your teeth? Yes, Sweetie, I replied. Okay, just checking on you, she said as she left the room.

I swear this child is always concerned about my health and she is determined to make sure that I am doing all the right things. Ping does the same thing, but I think Cici is even more diligent about it. I think this is part of the "payback" that she always tells me is coming to thank me for the things I do for her.

Ping has been watching Chinese operas and spring festival celebrations on her laptop all week. Apparently one of the most famous opera performers is a female impersonator, so Cici and I have been panning the performances. No, Ping insists, the female impersonators are always the best opera performers, but we give her a hard time anyway.

Speaking of checking on you, we are 1/12th of the way into the new year with not a peep from anyone. We have lots of visitors every day, but I am still wondering if it is worth renewing the blog hosting when it expires in early April.

And Then There Was One

2012-01-18T03:21:10Z

Ping bought some new golden eponymous plants for the few places along our front walk that didn't have a plant, but now those spaces have been filled in by this hard working lady. She did the planting in the dark this evening while Cici and I went for a walk through the neighborhood.

As we walked, Cici casually mentioned that she is now ranked second in her class. What? I couldn't believe how low-keyed she was about it. So now all you have left is to slip into first place this semester, I teased her. Impossible, she said. Not for you, I said. Papa, she protested, I can't be number 1, it would be too difficult. Just do your best, I said. Just as you always do. But I was bursting with pride.

About half way through our second trip through the neighborhood one of my feet started to develop a strain in the same place that I strained it last week. I think we should go back to the house, Sweetie, I said. What is wrong, Papa? Cici was immediately on guard and in protective mode. I am fine, I said, but my foot is feeling strained again. She turned me around, put her arm through mine to support me, and walked me back to the house. She didn't release me until I was safely back inside our house.

Cici told Ping what happened and Ping talked with me about it later in the kitchen. She may be your baby daughter, but she will always take care of you. I know, I said. She has already proved it to me. It makes you feel good, doesn't it? Ping asked. You bet it does, I said. She makes me feel very special.

The Texan

2012-01-14T15:41:56Z

Papa, everyone loved my boots, Cici told me last night. And I mean everyone, she said. I bet they also loved your Texans shirt, I teased her. Do you know that many people at my school had the exact same shirt? She said. Good, I said, then you fit right in with your classmates. Except for your boots, and the other girls were jealous about them, I continued. Oh Papa, Cici laughed. They just loved my boots.

With the Houston Texans going into their second ever playoff game this weekend, Cici's school allowed the students to wear jeans and Texans shirts on Friday instead of their school uniforms. I received an email from the school about the dress code on Thursday afternoon so I stopped at Academy on the way home and bought a Texans shirt for Cici because I didn't want her to be the only student at school in her uniform. The dress code was to either wear a Texans shirt or wear the school uniform.

The boots were one of the pairs that Ping and I bought for Cici for Christmas a year ago. The weather cooperated perfectly by delivering a cold day, so Cici bundled up for school with her boots and jeans and Texans shirt and a muffler around her neck above her jacket. The muffler hid part of her face and a person who didn't know her would probably have believed that there was a native Texas girl under all that clothing.

Remime Me

2012-01-12T20:29:00Z

I know, it isn't a word, but it works for what I will describe.

A couple of nights ago Cici was wearing a face mask. It was so white that I told her she looked like the phantom of the opera. Don't make me laugh, Papa, she said without moving her mouth. Okay, I said, right before I loudly hummed some of the more dramatic music from the movie. She knows the music because she and Ping love to watch the movie, and she instantly burst into laughter, which broke her face mask. Papa, she scolded, before she set about to make a new face mask.

I went to the master bathroom to brush my teeth and prepare for bed. Cici came in with her new mask on her face. It was a startling white color, just as before. She came to give me her usual bedtime instructions. She can't believe I take a shower each morning instead of each night the way she does, so she always says the same thing to me: wash face, wash hands, brush teeth.

Well, it was clear that she wanted to give me her usual set of instructions but she didn't want to break her face mask, so she stood there looking like and acting like a mime. She moved her hands up and down in front of her face. Then she rubbed ber hands together like she was cleaning them. Then she used an imaginary tooth brush without opening her lips. I got the point but didn't say anything to make her laugh. I didn't think she would get the joke anyway if I thanked her for "remiming" me what to do before bedtime.

Caucus with Me

2012-01-05T03:14:05Z

In just 4 days, Ping will be eligible to become a naturalized citizen of the U.S., but it looks like we will defer that event for about 8 more years. She will wait until her retirement and her medical care benefits vest in China before she becomes a U.S. citizen. I hadn't thought about it until just now but that is the same time that I will be fully vested, so we can celebrate together.

On the nights that Ping can't walk with us, I have been using my time with Cici to improve her vocabulary. I can usually guess when I use a word that she doesn't know, but I always ask to find out. Sometimes the word is mundane, and something that we don't even think about. Tonight for example, we talked about the meaning of "grocery store," and "groceries." We talked about "fluent" and "fluently," and also "department stores" and "auto parts stores" and "car dealers."

When a word can be used either as a noun or a verb, she always figures it out and says which is which and we use the word in a sentence or several sentences to reinforce her learning. One of her points of pride is that she has mastered the pronunciation of M & M's. Her tongue didn't want to cooperate when she tried to say the name quickly, so we practiced it over and over again while we walked.It was like the breakthrough point of learning to ride a bicycle when she could suddenly say M & M quickly and clearly.

Last night I stayed up late to watch the Iowa caucuses. Cici was curious about them and I spent some time explaining what was happening. It is what you and Mama and I do when we talk over things like college or travel or even where or what to eat. Little by little she is catching on to what is happening with the primaries, and she is ready to go with me to vote on March 6 in the Texas primary.

Education is a never ending process for the girls. It is amazing how long it takes to be exposed to a lifetime of learning that someone goes through when they are born in a particular country. When you change countries and cultures, you have to start all over again.

Change back from Christmas

2011-12-31T02:47:16Z

The girls and I just finished our nightly walk through the neighborhood. It has evolved considerably during the past three and a half years. At this point, Ping walks on my left holding my hand. Cici walks on my right with her hand firmly in the crook of my arm. We have interesting discussions and the girls are never without an opinion, even when we talk about the law firm and its business. It is your decision, they say, but this is what we think.

As we walked tonight Cici also said something that surprised me. It didn't feel like a festival this year, she said, because we didn't put up the Christmas tree. I thought you didn't really care about have a tree, I said, remembering how she showed a complete lack of interest the first year the girls were here. I missed the Christmas tree, Papa, and I think we should put one up every year from now on.

Cici has changed in so many ways as she has matured into a young lady. Today I sent her a text message asking if I needed to come to the mall to pay for her makeup, because I knew she was shopping for makeup with one of her girl friends. No, Mama will come and take care of it, she replied. But thank you for asking. How incredibly polite and proper she has become, I thought.

Then tonight when she returned from shopping she came to me with $40. This is left from the $100 you gave me for Christmas, she said. I had put it in one of the Chinese New Year red envelopes in the way that Chinese parents give cash gifts to their children for the New Year and she had gone shopping with it. No, Sweetie, I said. That was a gift for you, so you should keep it. I will keep $20 for my school lunches, she said, but you keep the rest. Mama paid for some of my makeup with her credit card.

How many teenagers would do this, I wondered. She is so unselfish and so appreciative.

After we finished walking, Ping and Cici did something that has become a new habit for them, and it is totally out of character for Cici. They went for a jog. Cici has always hated physical exercise, but suddenly she seems to enjoy it. She also seems to look forward to our walks each evening.

My little girl has grown up right before my eyes. She monitors my blood pressure and my eating habits, and doesn't hesitate to call me down if I stray from what is good for me. If she and Ping aren't home when I arrive, she comes to sit with me in our home office when they get home, and she talks with me to make sure everything is okay. We are going to miss her when she goes off to college, I keep telling Ping, who is still in denial about it. Just wait and see, I say. It is going to hit you hard one day when you look around and she is gone. Thank goodness she isn't going very far from home.

Text or Voice

2011-12-29T20:10:19Z

Wow, Niu bao, Ping said yesterday when she was using my cell phone to check for an address that Cici had sent to me by text message. You have so many text messages from Cici. I don't have any text messages from you, she said. Well, you have to send them to receive them, I replied. You and I always call each other, but Cici and I usually communicate with text messages. You know, because she and I are members of the younger generation.

Dream, Ping said with a laugh.

Yesterday Cici went to visit five Chinese friends and they made some hot pot to eat. Cici sent text messages to me periodically to tell me how much fun she was having. When she got home last night she said they ate hot pot for lunch and then kept eating it for the rest of the day. How about the cake that Mama and you prepared and you took with you, I asked. Oh, we ate all of the cake too, except one piece.

Aha, I said. This is how you will gain the famous freshman 15 pounds when you start to college. She laughed. I think I put on the senior (high school) 5 pounds today, she confessed. But I had so much fun! This is the first time she has ventured out on her own like this since coming to America, so I was glad to see her so happy.

Soup for One

2011-12-26T14:41:46Z

Ping noticed early on that my younger son loves hot and sour soup, but he eats none of the vegetables or other ingredients in the soup, so now she makes soup for one when he is in town. It is hot and sour soup with nothing but the soup and he loves it. He can take more time to eat a bowl of soup than anyone I know, as he carefully savors each bite.

He flew in from New York on Saturday and flew back to New York last night. It is all part of the price you pay to be an investment banker with one of the big firms in New York. But he seems to be thriving on the lifestyle. The girls admire what he has accomplished, and really cater to him when he comes to visit us. They made a cheesecake for him because they know that is another of his favorites, and they served up a huge piece of it for him to eat while he watched a basketball game on TV.

My son is a Dragon and next year is the Year of the Dragon, so the girls cautioned him to wear red every day during the year. It is dangerous if you don't wear red, they told him. You could even wear a red bracelet, Cici advised him. Or wear red underwear, Ping suggested.

That lead to a discussion about the animals in the zodiac, and Cici explained why the cat is not one of the animals. It is because the rat tricked the cat by telling it that the meeting would not be until the next day, so the cat was taking a nap when the meeting happened. And this is why cats hate mice, Cici explained.

You can get a lot done over a bowl of soup for one when you have a slow eater.

Add One

2011-12-24T20:33:05Z

I just filled out a voter registration application for Cici and asked her to sign it. She signed it, but asked why she needed to vote.

Because you are in a free country now and you should appreciate the fact that you have the right to vote. Have you been watching the people demonstrating in the streets in countries around the world, with thousands of them being killed? They are willing to die fighting for the right to be free, the right to vote, the right to elect who will lead their country. Okay, I got it, Papa, she said while patting me on the shoulder. I understand.

I also checked the rules for voting in Texas. I will be allowed to accompany her when she casts her first ballot as a U.S. citizen, because English is not her native language and she may need help, especially with propositions that will be on the ballot.

The right to vote in a free country. Now that is a pretty good Christmas gift for anyone.

iShop

2011-12-23T14:40:53Z

Guess where we are, Papa, Cici's text message said about mid-day yesterday. Eating without me again? I asked. No, we are at the outlet mall again, she replied. Have fun, I said.

Then about 7:00 last night I sent another text because the girls were not at home and neither of them answered their cell phone. A short time later Cici responded with a text. So busy shopping, she said. We are shopping at the Coach store for people in China. Poor Papa, I replied. Home alone. I think we will come home before you go to sleep, she responded.

So I read and finished a book I had been working on this week. And I waited. Finally, about 9:00 I heard the garage door opening. The girls came in with their hands full of shopping bags. The girls felt bad, or guilty, or something, because they had left me alone all evening. I will cook something for you to eat, Ping said, and went to work chopping vegetables immediately. Poor Papa, Cici said as she began to work on my shoulders with her hands and fists.

I love my new iPhone so much, Cici said as she worked on my shoulders. I am glad you like it, I said. It was a big surprise Christmas gift for her because we had talked about getting one for her as a graduation gift. I gave the iPhone to her after I bought it on Wednesday because Verizon moved her phone number from her Droid to the iPhone. She was shocked into silence when she took it out of her stocking. I thought it was perfume or something like that, she told me later. I never dreamed that the box held an iPhone.

Let me tell you how I used the iPhone while we shopped, Cici said. It made shopping for people in China so much easier. Mama would find purses and wallets in the Coach store that she thought someone in China might like. I took pictures of them with my iPhone and immediately sent them to China using QQ. The person in China, family member or friend, would look at their options and tell us which item to buy for them. We bought so many things this way, and it was a great time to do it. The prices were 50% off, plus an additional 30 percent off, plus an additional 10% off. It was amazing.

I bet Coach had no idea, and probably still has no idea, how the iPhone helped boast their sales to people in other countries. I doubt that Apple envisioned that use of the iPhone, but it sure works well for that purpose.

So what about you? I asked Cici. Did you find anything for you? Yes, she said excitedly, let me show you. She ran to get a red sweater and held it up for me to see. Do you like it? It was $60 but I bought it for $12, she said. Next she showed me a full length black dress that she loved. That is perfect for holiday parties or graduation or evening events, I told her. I know, Papa, and look at this. I also found a red one. It was a different style, but also a full length dress, and again I told her it was perfect. They look really good when I put them on, she said. Yes, Ping added, and she can wear the same shoes and purse with them.

Then we sat down to eat, but the girls were still excited about shopping. You are such an expensive girl, I teased Cici. She smiled. There will be payback, Papa, she promised. I understood what she was saying but Ping missed it. You should take care of Papa in the future because of everything he does for you, Ping told Cici. I will, Cici replied, and I already told him I will do that. You should also give Papa a hug, Ping said. I will do that, Cici said. She got up and put her arms around my neck and hugged me tight. Thank you Papa, she said.

It was worth waiting a few hours for the girls to get home.

And the Beast goes on ...

2011-12-17T13:35:43Z

When I dropped Cici off at school yesterday morning, the only thing on her schedule was to take the final exam in Spanish. As she walked away from the car she turned and mouthed the words "I am a beast" to me - emphasizing with a laugh that she was going to do well on the exam.

So about mid-morning when I knew she would be finished with the exam I sent her a text message, which resulted in the following exchange:

Were you a beast this morning?

I am always a beast.

LOL. And always modest.

U know me so well.

And so begins her semester break, leaving us with only one more semester of high school. I am so ready for college, she told me last week. I know that is true, but things will change so much when she goes off to college. Ping says she is looking forward to it because she won't have to pick Cici up after school every day, but I bet she will miss having Cici at home just as much as I will.

But we already have Cici prepped to talk with us in video chats when she gets to college. She is also very good about sending text messages, and she will be close enough that we will be able to see her often, so I guess we will survive.

Valley Girl?

2011-12-15T17:56:31Z

omg. i did so good. i am a beast for english.

This is the text message I received from Cici after her final exam in English yesterday morning. Later when I teased her about the message she said that she thinks she made a 100 on the exam, and added that she is a beast in calculus and Spanish as well. And so modest, just like me, I replied, and we shared a laugh.

Ping learned the word "brag" in her ESL classes so now she uses it against Cici and me when we are bragging about something. You are just like Papa, she told Cici. You are bragging. Well, when you learn a new word it helps to use it a lot so you can remember it, so I guess Cici and I are doing Ping a favor with all our bragging.

Cici settled in for a long night of studying last night, with finals in AP physics and AP calculus today. When I said good night to her she called me back to her room. Papa, she said, I forgot to tell you that you look amazing in your new glasses.

I was taken by surprise because when I bought the new glasses, I went for comfort and not looks. In fact, I tried on frames until I found a pair that was comfortable and told the lady helping me that I would purchase them. What? She said. You haven't even looked in the mirror! I'll take a chance on them anyway, I replied to her disbelief. I guess that worked out just fine.

The Fix it Girls

2011-12-14T14:01:23Z

The girls often work on a project together. This week they undertook a job that surprised me. When the carpet was installed in the two closets that parallel the entrance to the master bathroom from the bedroom, the installers removed the accordion style doors. When they replaced them, one of the four doors wasn't positioned properly and it was constantly jumping out of the upper track when it was opened and closed.

The door that wasn't working properly was on one of my closets so instead of fixing it immediately, I just opened it more carefully and guided it along the upper track. But the girls had to open that door to hang my clothes and it always jumped out of the track. Instead of waiting for me to fix it, or asking me to fix it, Ping got some tools and worked with Cici to remove, adjust, and reinstall the door. Now it works the way it was supposed to work.

The girls were rather proud of their work. Lazy Papa, Cici said with a laugh. Mama and I fixed the door for you. Good job, I said. Now I have another list of jobs for you and Mama since you are so good at fixing things. Dream! Cici replied. I am so busy I don't have time to fix anything else. Yes, I said, picking up on our running joke. You have so many jobs that I am surprised you haven't run away from home.

Lights Up

2011-12-10T13:05:52Z

Oh how the times have changed. I still remember the girls asking me what all the strings of lights in the garage were for. Those are lights that can be used on the trees and shrubs beside and in front of our home at Christmas time, I told them. They were also puzzled by the big box with the picture of a Christmas tree on its side.

That first Christmas I assembled the tree and put the decorations on it. The girls showed little interest, as they had never had a Christmas tree. They became more interested when gifts began appearing under the tree. Then Ping asked me about those lights in the garage. I don't think I will use them this year, I told her. But a few days later she took them out of the garage, figured out how to put the strings together, and lit up our house with Christmas lights.

Ping liked the lights so much that she has put them around the outside of our home each year, and she just put them up a couple of days ago for this coming Christmas. Now her question as we walk through the neighborhood at night is why more of our neighbors don't put up Christmas lights. She and Cici have also taken on the role of putting up the Christmas tree each year. It didn't take long before putting up the tree became a tradition for them.

The girls have also learned which houses and which neighborhoods have the best Christmas lights each year and they enjoy driving through those neighborhoods at night. There is one house about a mile from our home that is famous for its fantastic Christmas decorations. I have never seen a more impressive display of lights. The girls are itching for us to go check it out tonight to see if the lights are up. I am betting they are. If you are going to put up a display that takes weeks to finish, I think you want to have it up for the entire holiday season.

In the meantime, our lights are up. Oh yes, and the stockings? Ping keeps them hanging over the fireplace all year because she likes them so much.

Walkin in my Shoes

2011-12-07T18:38:30Z

I have a pair of house slippers that look like they should be very comfortable, with adjustable straps across the top of the top of the foot, and some kind of soft material, but looks can be deceiving.

Why don't you wear these shoes, Papa, Cici asked me last week. Because they aren't comfortable, I replied. But they look very comfortable, she said. Yes, but there is a hard rim around the part of the shoe where I walk, and it is not comfortable for me. I showed her the part of the shoe that was causing the problem.

Let me try them, Cici said, slipping them on her feet. These feel great, she said with a smile as she walked across the room. That is because they are too big for you, and your feet don't touch the hard rim that causes problems for my feet, I pointed out.

Since this incident, the slippers have become Cici's favorites to wear in our home. They are always parked at the entrance of whatever room she is in at the time, waiting to comfort her feet as she moves through the house. She looks like a child who is walking in her parent's shoes, but that doesn't bother her. She also wears my Burberry scarf around her neck on cold days and keeps it with her clothes when she is not wearing it. I think ownership of the shoes and scarf have passed to Cici. I wouldn't be surprised if they go off to college with her.

Family Meeting

2011-12-04T14:11:01Z

Not long after the girls arrived we bought two chickens that look like they are made of Lenox china. They are a solid ivory color and are maybe 4 inches tall with fat bodies. Their necks are stretched forward and they look like they are having a conversation when they are placed facing each other.

Recently I found something on my desk with a note from Ping attached. Dear Duck, your two chickens are very happy. Your ji baos finally found Niu Bao. Welcome home! The girls had found an ox that was the exact same design and color and material as the two chickens. They placed the ox facing the chickens so there is now the appearance of a three way conversation among them.

These are our Chinese zodiac figures and they stand within the watchful eye of Ping's father's photo, next to which she keeps food available for him. In fact, she served one of the turkey wing tips to him on Thanksgiving, and lit some incense sticks that she stands in a bowl of uncooked rice while they burn. Fresh apples and nuts are always available nearby, as is a glass of wine. This is a Chinese traditional way of honoring deceased ancestors.