He hopped on all fours, his face twitching ever so slightly. He was role-playing to be a lion, but honestly, he wouldn’t look out of place in a zombie flick. What happens when children turn into zombies and infect the adults around them? Why hasn’t anyone written that story yet?

But I digress. It is Chinese New Year season, and my boy has fallen in love so hard with the tradition of lion dancing that he is crawling on his limbs whenever he can. His baby sister has two pairs of shoes - just the perfect accessory to cover all his limbs and throw himself into his new identity with relish.

His newfound obsession has unravelled some of his skills. Last week, he gave his drawing of a rainbow-coloured lion to an unsuspecting lion troupe at the shopping mall near our house. I learnt that when he wants to do something, he will push away his shyness to get it done. And yes, I think the lion lady who received his drawing was rather amused.

This morning, I forbade him from bringing his sister’s shoes along when we went out for breakfast. No problem. He suggested bringing along his second pair of shoes. Guess where he put this pair? On his hands. So basically he twitched like a zombie outside the house, dancing to the imaginary music in his mind.

I now understand why Chinese New Year lasts for two weeks. It’s because small boys get engrossed with lion dancing and won’t let their obsession go.