Cross-Generational Love as it Should Be

Walter (Papou as Irini now knows him) isn't much for self-touting, but as luck would have it he was, in many ways, the star of the show. Irini loved being around him (as did her parents!) and seemed to show complete and utter support in everything he did. Peel and apple and Irini would turn, say "papou?", take a piece and hand it over to him. Open a jar of cookies or a sandwich and it was the same thing. We didn't have to worry about him, because we knew that he holds a special VIP status in the eyes, mind and heart of our little one. It was delightful to see how she treated him, and he her. It doesn't take long to realize just how close the connection is when they sit together at the table, piece of paper on the table top, a pen or marker in each hand, and both of them waving their hands wildly - he with controlled precision and she with wild abandon - putting their finishing touches on an artistic creation of greatness.

Irini would ask to see him as soon as she woke up, and go to give him a goodnight kiss just before heading for bed, rubbing her eyes. In between, they chatted away (he's the only one in the gang to "speak" her language) and giggled effortlessly. She pointed out the moon, even during the daytime, and he watched her play and run and laugh. They baaaaaaed their way by fields of sheep herds and mooooooed their way through cow sheds. It is cross-generational love of the best kind. Without judgment, simple and complete.

Mother-Daughter Time

The beautiful thing about trips and vacations is the family time, the time so hard to find during the routine of daily chores and work and responsibility. In New Zealand we were able to forget about all that, and to take the time, between wows and jaw-dropping moments, to focus on each other. As amazing as New Zealand was, with its spectacular vistas and natural splendor, it was really the combination of that and our time together which made this quite the unforgettable trip.

Of particular note was the time that Natalia had with Irini. Usually Irini seeks out daddy during the course of a day, but not this time. This trip allowed her to move from mommy to daddy, and on to papou (Greek for grandfather for those needing clarification) with ease. She was a delight, as always. Natalia and Irini were seen on many occassions walking down the beach, across the brook, talking to each other about this and that, and drawing together at the table. Irini helped out with the set up for dinner (often cooked at 'home') and was happy to be part of the action for such long stretches of time. We were happy too! It was heart-warming to see the mother-daughter moments; those moments that allowed for the sharing of love and life; the moments when no one was watching but which tell a thousand tales; the moments we all hope to fill our lives with. It was touching. It was loving. It was perfect.

Natural Splendor.

If you ever want to feel the juxtaposition of life's cultures, styles and landscapes, just fly from Singapore to Christchurch. Getting on the plane was a normal day in a large, somewhat overcrowded (in downtown tourist areas anyway) city experience. A taxi ride to the airport through highways and intersections, passing by large apartment blocks along the way. An unloading of luggage and such in a massive departures hall. A moseying around an airport that is as beautiful as it is filled with things to do....

... and you get off in a land of "slooooowwww", deliberate, beautiful, natural, content, "I have time for you" country. New Zealand's second city, Christchurch, felt like a small friendly town coming from Singapore. Funny. Just two weeks later, after traveling around one lane highways - through mountain passes, glaciers and across spectacular vistas with snow capped mountains overlooking crystal clear lakes - it seemed like quite the metropolis! Strange how life's experiences often dictates the way you perceive the same place.

In between our first entry into New Zealand (including the amazing Southern Alps and Mount Cook peeping out from the blanket of the white clouds below) and our departure there were two weeks of complete exhilaration, relaxation, amazement and the pure joy found in discovery and opportunities taken. What a land of contrasts? Yet it seems that each contrast has a place beside the other. One minute you are driving a long a coastal road marveling the fur seals lounging on the rocks, and the next you are driving through the rolling hills of vineyards. One minute you are overlooking a beautiful wilderness and the next you are driving or walking through an enchanted forrest whose sole purpose seems to be brigning you nothing but a day's worth of fresh air and a mind's worth of silent anticipation of what you might find next. It was no wonder that, on the night of the first day of 2010, as we sat at a playground, Irini expressing her giggling satisfaction with the swings, we saw something orange poking it's face from across the water. We watched in amazement as the moon slowly lifted its face to greet us and, as if there just for us, it gave us a show that was worthy of royalty in lives past. In all ways natural, New Zealand stole our hearts away.

More to come...

The Storm Before the Calm

The 'winter' vacation (we mean, how cold can it really be in the tropics - 34 degrees celsius?) began smoothly, with a trip to action-packed Singapore. After a 5 1/2 hour bus ride (with appropriate stops at the Malaysian and Singaporean border) we arrived in the hub of Asian business, where shopping is king and visitors and locals alike are found "ahhing" and "ohhing" as they make their way down Orchard Road. One can't help but be overwhelmed by the masses, the lights, the colors, the multitudes of prospective buyers in an successful capitalist city.

We walked, bussed, trained, taxied our way around town, down to the Singapore Zoo (where we met up with Zamarit, Dean, Sabrina and Laila!) Clarke Quay, to the Merlion, over to the Botanical Garden and Orchard Garden, to Little India and China Town. We did a whole lot in just three days, before heading to Changi Airport and boarding a plane to the land of enchantment and natural splendor....