Megan has turned one and it is time for the ultimate test - bring her on an overseas holiday trip.... Honestly, just thinking about it paralyse me in fear... but it has to be done...
This is also not some intensive travelling trip... We stayed at a local boutique resort in Bali called Villa Tandeg, recommended by Peter Kelly (again). A three bedroom villa cost US$275 nett daily. Its not because it is cheap that we flocked over... It is because Peter says each villa comes with a housekeeper, nanny and chef who look after you, your kid and cook for you when requested... did I hear ... nanny.... look after you, your kid.... ok ON.
This is how our 3 bedroom villa looks like - featuring living room and kitchen at the end...
Opposite side of the living room is the dinning pavilion where the chef cooks up a feast everytime we request for food... simple Balinese fare but oh so good. Rate includes daily breakfast and airport transfers but if you want the chef to cook dinner, just tell her what you want to eat and what time and pay her grocery and taxi fare... Eating like this sure beats going to a restaurant... plus v economical too.
Villa has big enough daybed which sits the whole family while Huiling facetimes her brother on the latest updates of her relaxing spa and show the exciting color of her toenails via ipad...
Bedrooms are great for playing NO ESCAPE with Megan... Everyone slept well except poor Megan who cannot adapt on her first day and cried and cried... Our attempts to make her fall asleep peacefully in this strange new place failed miserably... we were saved by the in laws.
Study converted into a spare bedroom for the Wenling and Xingyi.
Water pressure too low and has no thermostatic control... Gee... I am not trying to turn this stay into a resort assessment... But bathing Megan here was difficult... water is either too hot, too cold, too fast, or too slow.... and which luggage did we pack her shampoo???!!!
Patio was occupied by Megan and her feeding requirements... A safe place where she can see the action without getting into the action.
... but she also has a lot of action action one.
We have a fish pond to woo enthusiastic feeders...
And most importantly- a pool facing the rice fields to make us stay in rather than venturing out... Considering that this is the first time 8 out of 9 people have been to Bali, we can conclude that either we were very comfortable in our villa or we were very lazy...
There is a pattern to pool usage. The first day we swim like an average of a lap per person... then we play with floats and splash around. As the days go by, chilled coconuts start to make their apperances, then came coke, wine, beer....
Activity started to concentrate on the shallow side of the pool with bowls of kachang, chips, ice-cream.... no more splashing can be heard... only occasional moans of how fat peopke have become but the munching seem to continue...
Ah yes... the ugly black netting which appeared after a while -
Daddy stood there making a statement, "I think... this place must have monitor lizards, the netting is to prevent them coming here to swim..."
... "er daddy, we just requested them to childproof the pool from Megan an hour ago..."
We have been preparing for Megan to swim since she was a few months old... As a diver's daughter, Megan must love to swim- else I malu in front of other divers. To prep her for the colder waters of pools, seas, lakes etc in future, dad and me agreed to bath Megan with progressively near room temperature water instead of warm water that she was used to as a baby. We also progressively splash and pour water over her head during bath time to reduce her fear of water in her eyes...
Ken bought Megan an ultra cute mushroom float for her first attempt in the pool... who can resist going in!!??
...and all over herself!!!
1. Logistics
What to bring for check-in, cabin carry, handcarry... how long we need to be out, what she needs, who is freeat what time/place to look after Megan, any backup support... rotation of feeding/ washing/ sterilizing, etc.... Logistics of everything Megan is constantly on my mind and at times I saved the day while other times I over-reacted. Generally I am constantly distracted...
Support of my in laws saved the day... day to day... support of young kids too cannot be under estimated... I think Megan would not have such a great time without the great company of WenLing and XingYi.
3. The Environment
I just watched a documentary on Singapore kids who are fearful of sand, grass etc because they do not want to get dirty... It dawned on me in Bali that I am hesitant to bring Megan overseas because I myself pre-amp her resistance (and my difficulties) to new environments.
As I watch Megan unturn stones, pick up dead leaves, attack an ant and reach for spider webs... My reflex went " NO!!! dirty dirty!!!!" Luckily my Brain stopped me by immediately flashing me a sarcastic banner saying "crazy over reacting mother"
And so did we...Way to go!!!! Lets do it again...
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