Family's first overseas trip

I have always wanted to give our three precious gems more experiences.  Learning through personal experiences, they say.  The problem is 'Vitamin M'.  It costs an arm and a leg of us to fly somewhere, I reckon.  That has kept me from opening my mouth to suggest going on a trip.  Sigh...

Somehow, a stroke of luck has seen that we could finally fulfil my wish of taking the children on a trip!  We planned a little and decided that for the children, we shall go to a country with a Disneyland.  America's too far, Japan's too expensive, Europe's both...  that left us to Hong Kong.  So it was decided.  Here we come!

It was during the trip that I understood what my friends / acquiantances have always meant when they say 'bonding takes place on the trip'.  To me, that could always happen in Singapore if we do spare time for our children.  But I saw what they meant while I was there on the first night: there were no distractions (switched off my mobile, no Internet connection too), no one else that I knew there (except them!), no need to drive them and worry about road conditions...  I was completely involved in planning for their having fun and making sure they stay safe in the meantime.  Nothing else was there to take my attention from them!

I learnt more about our three jewels, starting from the plane ride from Changi.  They were naturally excited as it was their first ever plane ride though they had to be woken in the wee hours of the morning.

We visited Disneyland on the first day after arriving the resort a little after lunchtime.  Checked into the hotel after viewing fireworks.  Children were dead beat and slept soundly.  Think Disneyland is not too big and our children were not very enthusiastic about returning on the second day.  So we ventured out to Kowloon.  Went up the fourth tallest building in the world - Hong Kong's International Commerce Centre (ICC), or simply Sky100.

Spent some time there and went for late lunch.  Some more walking and shopping for Yen.  Transferred to hotel in Kowloon that night.

Went on the guided tour on the third day.  Visited a few places - Repulse Bay, a famous jeweller's, Aberdeen Harbour, took a cable car ride on Ngong Ping 360 to Lantau Island.  Ventured to Temple Street Night Market to do a little shopping.  Kayleen was crying the whole way on the cable car trip to Lantau Island.  I held her in my arms to soothe her.  I don't think she is afraid of heights; she probably just did not like the feeling of being high up.  She was better during the return trip to land on the cable car and even laughed along to her elder siblings when they played.

What's a trip to Hong Kong without visiting Ocean Park?  That was where we went on the last day.  Throughout the trip, Rachel gave us the least problems and dared to try out most rides.  She was the only one who took photographs with every mascot we stopped for pictures.  She posed willingly everytime and was a joy to have around.

It had been time well spent.  Think our children had a lot of fun!  Yen and I did not have to attend to anything but our precious children throughout the trip and we spent, not just quantity but, quality time with the children.  It was tremendous.  I look forward to the next family trip together, money and time permitting...