The gifts that my parents gave me

Those who know me would probably start to realise that I have an interest to tour Singapore, almost like a tourist would. Travelling from places to places in Singapore to sightsee has remained interesting to me even though I have been doing so for years.

Reflecting, there are some people who have probably influenced me to start this interest of touring Singapore to get to know my own country.

My mother has been working as a chambermaid in one of the hotels in Singapore for a few decades. As a result of her work, she would have to clear all the left-behind tour brochures and pamphlets that the guests in the hotel whose room she is cleaning once they check out.

During my Upper Primary School years, I was involved in the Social Studies Club of the school. One of the requirements was to do certain projects so as to earn a specified number of points. Once I have accumulated a certain number of points, I could exchange the points for a badge of honour. A number of the projects would require me to read about places-of-interest in Singapore, and even the various monuments in Singapore. My dear mother was very kind and nice to help me collect brochures and even certain tour guides so that I can learn more about these topics.

At the same time, I remember I had often been requesting my father to take me to the places-of-interest that were mentioned in the tour-guides. In those days, my mother usually works on the weekends, and as a student, my younger brother and I were only available to visit those places-of-interest on weekends. In those days, my father usually do not work on weekends and he was the one whom I would ask to take us out. Reflecting, he was probably being very generous and kind to have accede to my requests almost every consecutive weekend. As a child back then, the cost of the admission, the travelling expenses and food expenses won't bother me. Then again, on hindsight, it would have probably cost my father quite a fair bit to have to take my brother and my younger brother out to one place-of-interest every weekend. Thanks to him, I have had the pleasure to visit the Haw Par Villa Theme Park, the zoo, the Bird-Park, the museums and many places-of-interest when I was younger.

To much extent, I have enjoyed visting those places, and reading about the various monuments and places-of-interest in Singapore when I was a child. I think this interest has further developed and grown over the years, and could have resulted in me having an interest in travelling about Singapore. In some ways, I could say that my parents have given me priceless gifts that would see me through for a very long time. Many thanks to my parents for these gifts. Perhaps thinking of these gifts would remind me that there are still some ways that I could connect with them.

Anyway, if you should like the blog posts that I write on my various visits to the many places in Singapore, then part of the credit shall possibly go to my parents for cultivating in me an interest in visiting places in Singapore.