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Do you bring your parents on overseas travel?
Here in Malaysia, there is an expectation for grown children to bring their parents on at least one overseas holiday. And for a typical Malaysian family context - Singapore Brunei and Thailand does not count as "overseas". The "overseas" must be somewhere at least 4 hours' flight away.
People lways say bringing your parents overseas is a practical test of your patience and how to be chill without exposing your intrusive thoughts of wanting to abandon them and go your own way.
It's true! And this was what I experienced:
- HOT WATER: They cannot live without hot water. They must bring a thermos and have hot water with them or they'll feel insecure.
- RICE / NOODLES: When I brought my mum to Sydney, I planned a long list of cafes and restaurants to visit. We plan to have some pizza here, some yeeros, good old fish and chips, some good ciabatta sandwiches, pies, and many more. Just 2nd day into the trip, my mum insisted of wanting to eat some rice because in her own words: "Which lunatic eats bread every day?"
- SPICY FOOD: They can't go a day without spicy food. Brought them to a McDonald's and they complained why the McDonald's do not have a hot / chilli sauce.
- UNWANTED ITEMS IN THE LUGGAGE: When you bring your parents overseas, always check what they pack. Asian parent holiday starter pack: electric kettle, instant ramen, knife (for cutting fruits), and traditional medicinal patches, oinments, etc.
- SHOPPING LIST: You bring your parents wanting to have a great day sightseeing, they come with a long shopping list of things their friends asked them to buy. Neighbour next door asked to buy some vitamins, friend's sister's daughter's friend's momma asked to buy some kangaroo jerky, neighbour's sister-in-law's good friend's sister asked to buy a specific size and design of shoes.
- WEIRD BELIEFS/WANTS: Mum insists of eating at somewhere with al fresco seating, near a beach, and has certain types of cake because that's the vibe she saw on TikTok and she got hooked to it; Dad insists on wanting to buy overpriced, touristy things at Fremantle Market in Perth because of its vibes
- THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS: They text and call their friends every day telling them where they're at now, what they're going to do now. We're in a crowded train and my dad called his best friend telling him we're now squeezed in a train!
I have brought my parents on overseas travel a few times. First two days are fine, but from 3rd day onwards you'll start to lose patience and by the end of the trip its just holding back from the urge of wanting to abandon them!
But is it worth it? Well, yes. The thing I realised is that it may just be a trip, but its a lot to them, and they remember it fondly! And the joys on their faces are really priceless.
Will I bring them again? Of course!
#travel
source
Here in Malaysia, there is an expectation for grown children to bring their parents on at least one overseas holiday. And for a typical Malaysian family context - Singapore Brunei and Thailand does not count as "overseas". The "overseas" must be somewhere at least 4 hours' flight away.
People lways say bringing your parents overseas is a practical test of your patience and how to be chill without exposing your intrusive thoughts of wanting to abandon them and go your own way.
It's true! And this was what I experienced:
- HOT WATER: They cannot live without hot water. They must bring a thermos and have hot water with them or they'll feel insecure.
- RICE / NOODLES: When I brought my mum to Sydney, I planned a long list of cafes and restaurants to visit. We plan to have some pizza here, some yeeros, good old fish and chips, some good ciabatta sandwiches, pies, and many more. Just 2nd day into the trip, my mum insisted of wanting to eat some rice because in her own words: "Which lunatic eats bread every day?"
- SPICY FOOD: They can't go a day without spicy food. Brought them to a McDonald's and they complained why the McDonald's do not have a hot / chilli sauce.
- UNWANTED ITEMS IN THE LUGGAGE: When you bring your parents overseas, always check what they pack. Asian parent holiday starter pack: electric kettle, instant ramen, knife (for cutting fruits), and traditional medicinal patches, oinments, etc.
- SHOPPING LIST: You bring your parents wanting to have a great day sightseeing, they come with a long shopping list of things their friends asked them to buy. Neighbour next door asked to buy some vitamins, friend's sister's daughter's friend's momma asked to buy some kangaroo jerky, neighbour's sister-in-law's good friend's sister asked to buy a specific size and design of shoes.
- WEIRD BELIEFS/WANTS: Mum insists of eating at somewhere with al fresco seating, near a beach, and has certain types of cake because that's the vibe she saw on TikTok and she got hooked to it; Dad insists on wanting to buy overpriced, touristy things at Fremantle Market in Perth because of its vibes
- THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS: They text and call their friends every day telling them where they're at now, what they're going to do now. We're in a crowded train and my dad called his best friend telling him we're now squeezed in a train!
I have brought my parents on overseas travel a few times. First two days are fine, but from 3rd day onwards you'll start to lose patience and by the end of the trip its just holding back from the urge of wanting to abandon them!
But is it worth it? Well, yes. The thing I realised is that it may just be a trip, but its a lot to them, and they remember it fondly! And the joys on their faces are really priceless.
Will I bring them again? Of course!
#travel
source
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