Days of Our Lives

Sometime in our lives there come moments that we treasure forever. One of those moments in my life came when my family spent last summer's vacation in Singapore...

Actually, the trip materialized when I was not able to go back home this summer. Having some projects and side works to do in Singapore, Alice and I decided to just bring the kids there for a two-week rest from school and explore what Singapore has to offer for them. It practically was shooting two birds in one stone - me, doing what I needed to do there, and the rest of my family spending vacation with me there also... it really was a win-win situation for us...

We arrived at the same day in Singapore, I came straight from the Gulf and Alice - with the kids in tow - from the Philippines. Our flights arrived only a few hours from each other.

As I mentioned before, one of Alice's brothers had been working for seven years already in Singapore. It made it easier for us to plan our stay there, knowing that we would not have problems with our accomodation while we are there. Indeed, it was a glorious event for the family - the kids had their first taste of going to another country and exploring new environments and a new culture, while Alice and I had the chance of being close to them again even for just a short time after almost 9 months of constantly missing their company. It was indeed the best days of the lives of each one of us in a long time...

While at it, we really made it a point to enjoy our time with each other and also maximized our stay in that fabulous country by discovering what Singapore has to offer. We visited Sentosa and explored its offerings such as the Underwater World, the Songs of the Sea, and much more; we trekked the famous Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, and Jurong Bird Park; we spent a day discovering what's inside the Singapore Science Center, including the Snow City - where the kids really had a fun time playing on the snow; we were everywhere... savoring the sceneries and experiencing the best times.

Of course, while in Singapore one has to visit and see some of its most popular and busiest streets and malls. Thus, the kids had a fun time walking along the Clarke and Boat Quay with their busy restaurants dotting the bay... the Orchard Road and the Lucky Plaza full of "kabayans" and other expats and tourists... the Bugis Street with its popular street market as well as the Sim Lim Square and Tower where Alice and I bought some new electronic gadgets... the Chinatown where we bought some "pasalubongs" and we ate some authentic chinese cuisine... the kids also had some good experiences walking along the Parliament Road, visiting the Suntec City and the world-famous Fountain of Wealth - arguably the biggest fountain in the world, looking at the "durian"-inspired architecture of the Esplanade, and spending some time looking at the Merlion and posing for some pictures.

Well, good things or good times, for that matter, never last... so they say. After 14 days, the kids need to go back and continue their studies once again. As I need to finish other things there, I wasn't able to go back with them to the Philippines. Parting ways with your loved ones is always painful, that's a fact. And so, even if it broke our hearts to know that we'll be apart once more, I bid the kids goodbye after two weeks of spending the best times of my life with them. At least in our case, we are looking forward to a better times - and a better vacation - next year.

Hello River, Rain and Ash... daddy loves you very much!