My Parents Are Coming

My parents are braving the 18-hour-flight and visiting us in Singapore! They will be here May 9th to May 23rd, just about two weeks. I absolutely adore my parents and am so excited because 1. I get to see them; 2. they get to see little R (they LOVE her); 3. they have never been to southeast Asia or Singapore, and will get to see what our lives here are like and 4. it's a good excuse to do many fun things with my favorite people! (And free babysitting and childcare help is pretty nice...)

Beloved parents at Crater Lake

I have big plans to show them everything Singapore has to offer, but am trying not to get too ambitious. They are interested in Singapore of course, but a major reason for their visit is to spend time with R, so I know they will be happy just taking her to the park. I will have to make an effort to strike a good balance between being a good host and providing grandchild access. Luckily my parents are really considerate and flexible, and will go along with whatever I feel like doing.

Me in Kowloon back in 2007

During that time we will be visiting Hong Kong together for four days (three nights). We will be staying on Lamma Island at the Concerto Inn. People not familiar with Hong Kong may not realize this, but "Hong Kong" is actually a collection of islands.

Some are crazily busy and urban, with towering skyscrapers and huge crowds of people (what people usually think of), others contain just a few villages, inhabited by fishermen who still make their living from the sea as they have for hundreds of years. The only way to get to these islands is by ferry or boat, so there are no cars allowed (making for many good walking opportunities).

Lamma is one such island. I visited a different one (Cheung Chau) last time I was in Hong Kong, and loved it (B was ready to move there!), but I've never been to Lamma. Even though it feels remote, it's still in Hong Kong, which means the ride to the center of things takes only half an hour. My mom and I will still be able to get in lots of shopping (Hong Kong is the best place I have ever been for this).

We are also going to Malacca for the weekend (three days). It is another historic city, very similar to George Town in Penang, but far older (the original Sinbad the sailor visited it in the early 1400s, for instance). While Penang is now a major industrial center, modern economic progress has largely passed Malacca by (meaning it is more touristy, but also more preserved). I am excited to see it!