In Penang Northam Suites, 2004
At the entrance of Northam Suites
My Mum was not an avid traveller, during her working days, she would be content to be in Singapore while my father, Geoffrey, would make trips to Europe, particularly London which he regarded as his 'second home'. That was in the 70s and 80s. I had a chance to go to one such trip with my father in 1974, when I will still 11 years old. That was when the plane ticket cost still put me under the 'child' category.
I still have vivd memories and pictures of that trip some 36 years ago, having gone abroad to Europe for the first time of my life. Anyway that is another story for another blog.
In the 1970s, with the Singapore Swimming Club, my Mum would bring my brother John and me to swim in regional meets called the Sanya Samaki Cup pitting our swimming club against the likes of Penang Swimming Club, Royal Bangkok Swimming Club, Singapore Island Country Club, Indonesia's Swimming Club, and the Manila Royal Polo Club. Those were heady days of fun and revelry, and I shall post some pictures of those days when I was a swimmer and swim team captain too. We went to many regional meets, to Haadyai, Bangkok and Chiangmai (bus) in 1973 and 1977, to Penang in 1975, to Manila in 1976 and also in our home city Singapore in 1977. She would chaperone us both plus other boys and girls, oh we had alot of fun and camaderie both competing and then enjoying everyone's company preparing for the last night's presentation of of club's tokens and send off dinner.
In the 80s and 90s, we stopped traveling together, as I was busy doing the National Service and then studying at the NUS and then NTI for the Bachelor of Engineering degree. I did make 3 major travels abroad during the heady 80s each for a month long. The first being a USA 30 day backpack trip in 1984, the next being another 30 days trip all over Australia in 1985 and finally a 36 day trip to Europe in 1987, all sponsored by my wonderful parents. Thank you very much, Mum and Dad !!
After May and I got married in 1993, we were busy settling down with the young ones, Noel and Andrew, and my parents were still busy with their church and work activities. So my wife and I took our family to many places in Australia,Malaysia and Indonesia (Bintan mainly) over the 90s and early 2000+ years.
In 2000 to 2003, we went on several nearby trips with both my parents to Sentosa, and Bintan (twice I recall), to the Bintan Lagoon Resort and to the Club Med trips which I cherish and they really enjoyed the free flow of food, drink and activities. My son Andrew, was precocious 5 in 2002 and he was getting free crackers and junk food from all the holidaymakers in the ferry to Bintan, although my wife had firm instructions NOT to bring any junk food along !
I decided that since my business travels were short trips, I invited my mother along those trips and she agreed, altough she was concerned with my Dad's health, we had good domestic help. So we went to the following places in the early to mid 2000s, just my Mum and me.
In 2004 and 2005, she accompanied me to Penang, and Bangkok, both places she thoroughly enjoyed the eating and shopping. She made it a point to buy things back for her friends and for my Dad, such was her selflessness. In 2007, 2008 she accompanied me to Kuala Lumpur and Malacca, again she was a very independent minded person, going about doing her sightseeing and shopping without bothering me at all, we would meet up in the evening for dinner, and we had a memorable beef noodle dinner at Jalan Wong Ah Fook in KL in 2007.
Ah, those days with my Mum. I know she is in a better place with my Dad and at peace. May God bless you richly Mum !
