A vacation really lets you get to the bottom of people. Even in a family, we lead our own lives, being out almost the whole day, never really spend time with each other except for some conversations in a car ride or over dinner. We do not even have dinner as a whole family, except for the occasional family outings during the weekends.
So this vacation has been quite a challenge where relations are concerned. The last time we had a family vacation was back in February 2005, when we went to Chiang Mai. Even then, it was a package tour and only for five days. Plus, we, or rather, my brothers, were younger then so they took whatever that came.
This time round, they have their own moolah, so was rather resentful of having to stay in budget accommodations and eating economical meals. All of us have differing opinions on what to do, where to go. For my parents, their purpose of going on a vacation is to explore the place as much as possible. So they rather spend on the sight-seeing and guided tours than the accommodation and food. To them, as long as they get a bed and fill their stomachs, anything will suffice.
For me, the purpose of going on a tour is to relax, chill out and explore the place as thoroughly as possible. So I spend on the tour, the sight-seeing and guided tours to explore. I have no qualms sourcing for the cheapest airline or taking economy (heck, I have never even sniffed a Business, let alone a First Class, seat in any airplane!), as long as the plane takes me to my destination.
But I do choose which place to stay in. A plane trip is the same, except some airlines do give better seats than others, but other than that, how different can a plane trip be? But living accommodations are different. There is a difference between being in comfortable lodgings and being downright uncomfortable. To me, I like my own space and not need to wait in queues to use the washroom or the kitchen. That is just me. As I said, I do not need hotels, but a cosy service apartment or motel will do.
Also, I like to experience the culture, but New Zealand has only two main cultures – the Caucasian culture and the Maori culture. Caucasian culture is no different from Australia or England, both which I have experienced, so the food is about the same as well. And we got to experience a bit of Maori culture too. So I have no qualms over the food, although I do wish I had the chance (and money) to indulge more.
For my first brother, he was unhappy over the lodgings and food. To him, going on a vacation means being comfortable, so he needs to stay in comfortable lodgings and partaking good food. He rather cut down on the sights, as he says they look all the same (like the mountains, valleys and sea) and indulge in better comfort. To him, as long as he has a comfortable bed and able to have internet access that is all that matters (which makes me wonder why he needs to go away to do all these in the first place).
For my youngest brother, it is a mix. He was unhappy over the accommodation, but he did not show it. He has no qualms over the food, as to him, as long as it is eatable, anything will suffice. But he did enjoy all the wind in his face and air, and the cool breeze blowing through him. He enjoys communing with nature, so after consensus, he much rather enjoy the sights and spend on the sight-seeing and cut down on accommodation.
Being in such close proximity with each other for more than two weeks really make me realize just how different each of us are, how impatient we can be even to the people closest to us, how intolerant of things we can be. No wonder a lot of couples split up after going on a vacation together, because being in close proximity together only serves to make them closer or tear them apart.
Honestly, this trip makes me realize who I can be close to and whom I have misjudged, even among my own family members. But being a family, we have to stick together no matter what happens. We cannot possibly just go our separate ways because we still live together under one roof. It is debatable whether any of us will want to go on a full family trip again, but despite everything, we, at least I, had fun and really enjoyed myself! At times we just have to take the bad with the good together!
So this vacation has been quite a challenge where relations are concerned. The last time we had a family vacation was back in February 2005, when we went to Chiang Mai. Even then, it was a package tour and only for five days. Plus, we, or rather, my brothers, were younger then so they took whatever that came.
This time round, they have their own moolah, so was rather resentful of having to stay in budget accommodations and eating economical meals. All of us have differing opinions on what to do, where to go. For my parents, their purpose of going on a vacation is to explore the place as much as possible. So they rather spend on the sight-seeing and guided tours than the accommodation and food. To them, as long as they get a bed and fill their stomachs, anything will suffice.
For me, the purpose of going on a tour is to relax, chill out and explore the place as thoroughly as possible. So I spend on the tour, the sight-seeing and guided tours to explore. I have no qualms sourcing for the cheapest airline or taking economy (heck, I have never even sniffed a Business, let alone a First Class, seat in any airplane!), as long as the plane takes me to my destination.
But I do choose which place to stay in. A plane trip is the same, except some airlines do give better seats than others, but other than that, how different can a plane trip be? But living accommodations are different. There is a difference between being in comfortable lodgings and being downright uncomfortable. To me, I like my own space and not need to wait in queues to use the washroom or the kitchen. That is just me. As I said, I do not need hotels, but a cosy service apartment or motel will do.
Also, I like to experience the culture, but New Zealand has only two main cultures – the Caucasian culture and the Maori culture. Caucasian culture is no different from Australia or England, both which I have experienced, so the food is about the same as well. And we got to experience a bit of Maori culture too. So I have no qualms over the food, although I do wish I had the chance (and money) to indulge more.
For my first brother, he was unhappy over the lodgings and food. To him, going on a vacation means being comfortable, so he needs to stay in comfortable lodgings and partaking good food. He rather cut down on the sights, as he says they look all the same (like the mountains, valleys and sea) and indulge in better comfort. To him, as long as he has a comfortable bed and able to have internet access that is all that matters (which makes me wonder why he needs to go away to do all these in the first place).
For my youngest brother, it is a mix. He was unhappy over the accommodation, but he did not show it. He has no qualms over the food, as to him, as long as it is eatable, anything will suffice. But he did enjoy all the wind in his face and air, and the cool breeze blowing through him. He enjoys communing with nature, so after consensus, he much rather enjoy the sights and spend on the sight-seeing and cut down on accommodation.
Being in such close proximity with each other for more than two weeks really make me realize just how different each of us are, how impatient we can be even to the people closest to us, how intolerant of things we can be. No wonder a lot of couples split up after going on a vacation together, because being in close proximity together only serves to make them closer or tear them apart.
Honestly, this trip makes me realize who I can be close to and whom I have misjudged, even among my own family members. But being a family, we have to stick together no matter what happens. We cannot possibly just go our separate ways because we still live together under one roof. It is debatable whether any of us will want to go on a full family trip again, but despite everything, we, at least I, had fun and really enjoyed myself! At times we just have to take the bad with the good together!
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