EVERY week since starting this column, I share my collected insights about parenting. I enjoy relating experiences, their context and my own take and conclusions regarding specific subjects. In short, I have been my usual serious self. In lieu of “Flipping Summers” (my column on April 19), I hope to switch things up a bit.
My journey as a writer began when I started my first diary in Grade 5. I still remember the green-and-brown notebook with a flap. I think I still have it lying around somewhere. I don’t journal as much anymore. But there are days that come which merits some ink. Most of these moments come from my reflections as a working mom, especially when I travel. I hope to share some of these experiences once a month.
My first entry goes back to the same period last year. My son was on summer break and about to turn 7. My daughter had a few weeks left for school. Meanwhile, my husband was about to celebrate his birthday in a matter of weeks.
We were lucky a friend of my sister got us to tag along a trip to Balesin for a weekend. The place was divided into different cultural themes. Each theme had its own cluster of villas, swimming area and cuisine. I liked the Greek and Spanish food the most. It was a great time to bond with my dad, my sister and Marcus. I enjoy these times when my kids can spend quiet time with my dad. When I was a kid, we had a lot of trips to beaches. At night, after dinner, my dad would share his adventures in learning the ropes of business. When I was 12, we went to Boracay and he shared how he dislocated his shoulder when the owner jeep he was riding tumbled. I think he was a salesman at that time.
After coming back from Balesin, it was back to work. In a few more weeks, we were off to celebrate my son’s seventh birthday. When my kids hit that age, we chose to travel with them. It’s the local practice here to throw a big party when a kid turns 7. Since my son loved his Yokai Watch and characters a lot, he asked if we could go to Tokyo. We said yes and told him we would need to sacrifice our weekend Starbucks drinks if he wanted more shopping money.
We stayed at an Airbnb at the Nishishinjuku area. It was quite convenient because it was right across the subway. There was a 7-Eleven at the building next door, so we could buy and cook our breakfast every day. I also learned that you could buy tickets to Tokyo Disneyland inside 7-Eleven.
We had a “Toy Day” for Marcus. First stop was Kiddyland at Harajuku. Kiddyland is the most known toy chain in Japan. The Harajuku branch was not very near but it was the biggest near us. There was plenty of Sanrio and Star Wars items but not a lot of Yokai. It was a treat for Meagan, as well, because Harajuku was and remains to be a fashion hub. You see the latest in youth street fashion with the added bonus of seeing teenagers walking by in costumes. Then it was off to Ginza, the shopping district in Tokyo. We were hoping to find more Yokai in the department stores, like Mitsukoshi. We finally found a big toy store right at the end of Ginza, called Hakuhinkan Toy Park. This toy store has all the Yokai you can imagine. When we visited, the store even had a giant magnetic car racetrack where multiple players could just join in.
Then there was a “Foodie Day”. Our first stop was Shake Shack in Roppongi. My husband and I consider Shake Shack as our favorite burger restaurant, which originated in New York. We wanted to share the experience with our kids. The wait was an hour and a half but it was all worth it. Marcus said it was the best burger he ever tasted. Then we headed to Roponggi Hills to walk around. We found an interesting Elle Café. We had health juices in unique glass bottles and a dark-chocolate snack with pistachio and gold leaf bits. For dinner, we celebrated Vinson’s birthday and indulged Meagan’s love for steak. My best friend was able to make a reservation at Misono, the originator of teppanyaki in Tokyo. Meagan said her two most favorite steaks are Misono’s and Ruth Chris’s.
We also spent a day in Tokyo Disneyland, which is very different from Hong Kong. The attractions are bigger and more unique. Vinson took the kids to the more scary rides. Of course, the trip didn’t leave out dad and mom. We went with Vinson to Tokyo Wheels to see his favorite brand of bike accessories, Assos. I indulged myself with the stationery section of Tokyu Hands with Frixion pens and Campus notebooks.
At the end of the trip, it was good to talk to the kids about gratitude. Till the next adventure….