Looking through the photos from the recent trip my family took, I cannot help but feel a sense of envy. No doubt I have travelled a fair bit, but not as much as my parents. I also looked through the photos which my mum took when she went to Egypt a couple of years back. How wonderful to see the pyramids and the Sphinx in real life! Plus Madame Tussaud's and Chicago on Broadway in New York City, not to mention the Statue of Liberty, Niagara Falls, The White House, Liberty Bell at Philadelphia and Harvard University itself!
Come to think of it, when was the first time I went overseas? It must have been when I was still very young. The very first photos I saw of myself overseas was when my parents brought me to Genting Highlands. I was only two years old then, but according to my mum, before that they made a short trip to Jakarta, bringing me along to see my granduncle.
Then from my own photo albums, I saw myself at the beach in Malacca when I was three, Fraser's Hill when I was four, Tokyo and Kyoto (with a few days with my mum's relatives in Hong Kong where they brought me to Ocean Park) when I was six. As far as I can remember, ever since I started school, my parents have been bringing us for vacations almost every holiday!
I remember my parents went to Taiwan when I was eight. At that time, my dad was working at the Singapore office of my granduncle's company, and he needed to go Taiwan for business, so my mum followed him. I did not have the luck to go with them.
Nine years old, and we all went to Lake Toba and Medan. I remember when I was young, up to the age of ten, we used to travel with my extended family. There was once when my relatives from my dad and mum's side actually went on a tour together! I imagine that must have been a real big group! After that, as we grew older, we stopped touring together, except for once or twice when all of us wanted to get away at the same time.
Ten years old, and we went to Genting Highlands again. I could hardly remember what it was like from the last time I went. Eleven, my first trip to Sydney! I had a wonderful two weeks! We went there for Christmas, and came back just before the New Year. My cousins brought me around, we went to Bondi Beach, Sydney Opera House, Aquarium, Darling Harbour and The Rocks, took a day trip to Canberra to see the Parliament House, and the Science Centre. The rest of the vacation was spent helping my uncle tend the garden, walking around the streets, helping my aunt bake and cook, and interacting with my cousins. That was one of the best and most memorable vacation I ever had!
Twelve years old, we went to Cameron Highlands with my aunt's family. I only remembered the winding road up the mountain. Plus we took a train from Singapore to Malaysia, a loud, jerky train. Needless to say, I ended up with motion sickness during that trip. However coincidentally, I met a few school mates on the same trip as me.
Thirteen years old, and we went to Penang. I only remember the good food there. We had sumptuous buffet after buffet. I cannot remember if I took Penang Laksa though. Fourteen, and we went to Phuket. A sweltering place to go. The sun bore down on us, and although the beach was nice, it was so hot everywhere!
Fifteen I was not allowed to go anywhere due to the preparation of the 'O' levels. My parents went to Central Europe though, as my dad got his Masters degree that year and they had to go to England for the convocation. Then they toured England (they specially took a photo of Anne Hathaway's cottage at Stratford-upon-Avon just for me!), Scotland, France, Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland.
The following year, my parents made it up by bringing us to Genting Highlands (again!). The year I was seventeen, we took a trip to Fraser's Hill. My mum's company used to have a bungalow there, those cosy colonial type of bungalows, but now it had been torn down, so we went there before it was gone.
End of that year, my family went to Malacca. I was with my first ex and he did not want me to go along, as he preferred I go to his church camp instead. Then when I was eighteen, I had the best vacation of my life!
We went to the West Coast of America! I got to see Los Angeles, Universal Studios, Disneyland, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, went to Las Vegas, Grand Canyon at Arizona (a spectacular sight! It really took my breath away!), en route from Hoover Dam, then we went back up to San Francisco, where we explored the uphill and downhill streets, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge (why is it red in colour then?), went past Alcatraz and up to Yosemite Park.
It was a really good vacation! End of that year, my Australian cousins came, and we brought them up to Kuala Lumpur and Malacca. My mum's company also had a chalet in Malacca (as well as Sentosa), but now they have all made way for redevelopment, so that time we went to Malacca and stayed there for the last time before the chalets were gone.
Somehow, the older I get, the further we went. Perhaps my parents could afford more now, and also my mum could take more annual leave as compared to previous years. So she has been taking vacations three times a year for the past three years or so, each time would be away for more than a week.
Nineteen years old, and we went to Bangkok and Pattaya. Again the beach area, with my aunt's family. I tried hand-gliding at the Pattaya beach! So cool! Then we went shopping at the famous market in Bangkok (which I cannot recall the long Thai name).
Twenty years old I had a vacation job so missed out on a trip to Beijing with my family. Twenty-one, we went to Perth to check out the school which my parents sent my brother to. Twenty-two years old, we went to South Korea. We explored Seoul, Pusan and Cheju Island. It was autumn and the leaves were just turning red, a very beautiful sight. A pity it was not winter, otherwise could try my hand at skiing! And also, what a pity I went before "Winter Sonata" came out, otherwise we could then go on the Winter Sonata tour!
Twenty-three, I was settling in my career, so did not go anywhere, except the short trip I took to Bintan with my best friend and second ex. Twenty-four, we went to Sydney again, this time to attend my cousin's wedding. A Western wedding is really different! It is simple, yet classy and elegant. Of all the weddings I have attended, somehow this is one wedding that stuck in my mind, perhaps it was so different from the typical Chinese over-hyped celebration.
Twenty-five and twenty-six, we did not manage to go anywhere due to my work schedule, although my parents toured around Eastern Europe (Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia and Romania) and Egypt. The year I was twenty-seven, I made two trips - Chiang Mai at the beginning of the year, and Melbourne and Tasmania at the end of the year. Last year, I went to Hokkaido. This year, I am eyeing the Malta and Spain trip around the middle of the year.
So there, shall I say I am well-travelled? Not really, since I have not gone to every part of the world as yet. But I should say I am rather fortunate, as my parents both love travelling, and this is something I inherited from them. My mum's dream is to set foot in every part of the world before she dies, and so do I!
Come to think of it, when was the first time I went overseas? It must have been when I was still very young. The very first photos I saw of myself overseas was when my parents brought me to Genting Highlands. I was only two years old then, but according to my mum, before that they made a short trip to Jakarta, bringing me along to see my granduncle.
Then from my own photo albums, I saw myself at the beach in Malacca when I was three, Fraser's Hill when I was four, Tokyo and Kyoto (with a few days with my mum's relatives in Hong Kong where they brought me to Ocean Park) when I was six. As far as I can remember, ever since I started school, my parents have been bringing us for vacations almost every holiday!
I remember my parents went to Taiwan when I was eight. At that time, my dad was working at the Singapore office of my granduncle's company, and he needed to go Taiwan for business, so my mum followed him. I did not have the luck to go with them.
Nine years old, and we all went to Lake Toba and Medan. I remember when I was young, up to the age of ten, we used to travel with my extended family. There was once when my relatives from my dad and mum's side actually went on a tour together! I imagine that must have been a real big group! After that, as we grew older, we stopped touring together, except for once or twice when all of us wanted to get away at the same time.
Ten years old, and we went to Genting Highlands again. I could hardly remember what it was like from the last time I went. Eleven, my first trip to Sydney! I had a wonderful two weeks! We went there for Christmas, and came back just before the New Year. My cousins brought me around, we went to Bondi Beach, Sydney Opera House, Aquarium, Darling Harbour and The Rocks, took a day trip to Canberra to see the Parliament House, and the Science Centre. The rest of the vacation was spent helping my uncle tend the garden, walking around the streets, helping my aunt bake and cook, and interacting with my cousins. That was one of the best and most memorable vacation I ever had!
Twelve years old, we went to Cameron Highlands with my aunt's family. I only remembered the winding road up the mountain. Plus we took a train from Singapore to Malaysia, a loud, jerky train. Needless to say, I ended up with motion sickness during that trip. However coincidentally, I met a few school mates on the same trip as me.
Thirteen years old, and we went to Penang. I only remember the good food there. We had sumptuous buffet after buffet. I cannot remember if I took Penang Laksa though. Fourteen, and we went to Phuket. A sweltering place to go. The sun bore down on us, and although the beach was nice, it was so hot everywhere!
Fifteen I was not allowed to go anywhere due to the preparation of the 'O' levels. My parents went to Central Europe though, as my dad got his Masters degree that year and they had to go to England for the convocation. Then they toured England (they specially took a photo of Anne Hathaway's cottage at Stratford-upon-Avon just for me!), Scotland, France, Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland.
The following year, my parents made it up by bringing us to Genting Highlands (again!). The year I was seventeen, we took a trip to Fraser's Hill. My mum's company used to have a bungalow there, those cosy colonial type of bungalows, but now it had been torn down, so we went there before it was gone.
End of that year, my family went to Malacca. I was with my first ex and he did not want me to go along, as he preferred I go to his church camp instead. Then when I was eighteen, I had the best vacation of my life!
We went to the West Coast of America! I got to see Los Angeles, Universal Studios, Disneyland, Hollywood, Beverly Hills, went to Las Vegas, Grand Canyon at Arizona (a spectacular sight! It really took my breath away!), en route from Hoover Dam, then we went back up to San Francisco, where we explored the uphill and downhill streets, Chinatown, Fisherman's Wharf, Golden Gate Bridge (why is it red in colour then?), went past Alcatraz and up to Yosemite Park.
It was a really good vacation! End of that year, my Australian cousins came, and we brought them up to Kuala Lumpur and Malacca. My mum's company also had a chalet in Malacca (as well as Sentosa), but now they have all made way for redevelopment, so that time we went to Malacca and stayed there for the last time before the chalets were gone.
Somehow, the older I get, the further we went. Perhaps my parents could afford more now, and also my mum could take more annual leave as compared to previous years. So she has been taking vacations three times a year for the past three years or so, each time would be away for more than a week.
Nineteen years old, and we went to Bangkok and Pattaya. Again the beach area, with my aunt's family. I tried hand-gliding at the Pattaya beach! So cool! Then we went shopping at the famous market in Bangkok (which I cannot recall the long Thai name).
Twenty years old I had a vacation job so missed out on a trip to Beijing with my family. Twenty-one, we went to Perth to check out the school which my parents sent my brother to. Twenty-two years old, we went to South Korea. We explored Seoul, Pusan and Cheju Island. It was autumn and the leaves were just turning red, a very beautiful sight. A pity it was not winter, otherwise could try my hand at skiing! And also, what a pity I went before "Winter Sonata" came out, otherwise we could then go on the Winter Sonata tour!
Twenty-three, I was settling in my career, so did not go anywhere, except the short trip I took to Bintan with my best friend and second ex. Twenty-four, we went to Sydney again, this time to attend my cousin's wedding. A Western wedding is really different! It is simple, yet classy and elegant. Of all the weddings I have attended, somehow this is one wedding that stuck in my mind, perhaps it was so different from the typical Chinese over-hyped celebration.
Twenty-five and twenty-six, we did not manage to go anywhere due to my work schedule, although my parents toured around Eastern Europe (Germany, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Croatia, Slovenia and Romania) and Egypt. The year I was twenty-seven, I made two trips - Chiang Mai at the beginning of the year, and Melbourne and Tasmania at the end of the year. Last year, I went to Hokkaido. This year, I am eyeing the Malta and Spain trip around the middle of the year.
So there, shall I say I am well-travelled? Not really, since I have not gone to every part of the world as yet. But I should say I am rather fortunate, as my parents both love travelling, and this is something I inherited from them. My mum's dream is to set foot in every part of the world before she dies, and so do I!
3 comments:
Interesting travelogue, loved your travel adventures, thanks for sharing.
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Travelling with family is the best type of travelling.
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I love baking and cooking things. It just calms me down.
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