However, the one trait that I annoyingly possess and apparently inherited from the second youngest uncle in the family, is my sinus problem. I remember when I was in primary school and he was still living with grandma, he used to sneeze every morning upon waking up. And it's not just one minor sneeze; it's a series of sneezes, usually punctuated with imaginary commas that last for about 2 seconds each. I don't think it was the presence of dust, 'cos my grandma was (and still is) very meticulous about cleanliness. She made sure that each and every room in the house was sparkling clean. Uncle's room was not excluded, despite his many warnings to have his room left alone. (He kept a thousand and one pieces of junk, very much like me nowadays. Plus the verbal warnings, haha!)

Not enough with sneezing in the early part of the day before he left for work, the house would also be echoing with his sneezes at night. Thus, that would signify his presence in the house, the time that he returned from work each night, usually between the hours of 2300 and 0100. I knew because I was already very much a nocturnal creature even at that point in time, and used to stay awake, hearing for the familiar jingle of the keys, the click in the door, the switching on of the lights in his room and so on. Not forgetting the sneezes of course. The all-very-important sneezes, a sure-fire way of noticing his return.

There would be times when I would feel rebellious (it had been hiding and waiting to resurface, you see) and would sneak out from the room I shared with mam (on days that dad was away at sea, mam and me stayed at grandma's), only to make my way to uncle's room. I'd knock softly and peer inside into the semi-darkness, the only lights coming from the soft hues of the television set in the room. Uncle would be seated on the wooden floor, against the bedframe, hugging a bolster between his knees, his right hand plucking away at stray hairs on his chin with a tweezer. I'd ask for permission to stay in the room and watch the late-night Chinese serials with him. He would reply with sneezes and occasional sniffings. Those who never knew him might have thought that he was on crack, haha. I can assure you though, that uncle was and still is, as clean as a baby's butt. *grin*

Nowadays, I seem to have picked up the sneezing trait from him. We sound similar in the way we sneeze. Very very similar. Hardly anyone in has seen me sneeze the way I truly sneeze, because I have to be extremely delicate in public. Bleah. Only very close friends and family might have heard and seen me sneeze properly. It's not a pretty sight, I can tell you. Hahaha. I won't gross you out with the minute details, but I WILL say that I lose all signs of femininity when I sneeze. Heh. :p

Actually I can go on and on about the other traits that I've inherited from my closest relatives (albeit adopted), but then again...you wouldn't want to know about the similar ways in which third youngest uncle and me release gas, would you? 8-)