By Edward So Kua
The stories I collected over the months are now finally going to be told through my column. From our experience and skills that we thought we never had were unlocked were finally shared. The recipes we have been wanting to cook are finally tried.
Pre-pandemic, I often take my kids for a holiday break or getaway as this is our way of beating the humdrum of our daily grind and an opportune time for me to be with my family sans my workload concerns.
Just like any parent, I always want our bonding to be hassle-free, and that is the reason I planned for everything very well. From the target destination, accommodation, flight schedule, food and incidental expenses, but of course, it must be within our budget.
I know the reality of what to expect — that different place offers a different experience. At one point, I start getting questions and comments from my kids such as “Why is our room like this? The previous hotel is much better than this”.
Hearing all these grumblings, I realized that they’re still young, and yet they have their own set of standards in their minds based on their previous experience. And this struck me, and I said to myself that apparently, luxury is now becoming their standard and basis of happiness. Sigh.
The lockdown is a wake-up call for me and my family. Our business really suffered, we are doing everything to keep our business afloat as many people depend on us especially our workers and their families.
For several months, we got stuck in the comfort of our home and this never happened before. As days turn to weeks and weeks turn to months, we are doing all our best to keep sanity especially for our young kids by making everyone busy and be entertained in the four concerns of my well. Everyone is trying to learn skills. Different recipes that my wife painstakingly developed, piano and TikTok for my kids and what surprised me, I found out that I have the talent to be a handyman and have done many household repairs, installations, and cleanings. Perhaps, it was just that I didn’t have much time to do it, or I was not keen on doing it.
Quite honestly, there is one thing I appreciate about the lockdown, at least in my personal experience with my family. It made us closer and made our life simpler. Sharing a meal three times a day together is becoming normal. Unlike pre-pandemic, since I have some social and business obligations to fulfill, not to mention my column, I never had this golden opportunity that I am enjoying now which is sharing meals with my family three times a day. Then after our dinner, we watch a movie at night and that is our routine.
Our life is literally evolved into eating, sleeping, and playing together, and that is true on the following day. We all experienced the varying lockdowns —from Enhanced Community Quarantine, then later on to a more relaxed General Community Quarantine and uncertain what will happen thereafter.
I told myself that taking my kids out of the four corners of our house would help their mental health and beat the inevitable cabin fever. So without them knowing what my plan was except for my wife, I prepared all the necessary requirements like the travel permit and also prepared the Toyota Fortuner, just enough for this short trip with my family and all the things we need for the overnight will fit. I was excited, and I knew in my mind that they will all shout for joy and even giggle once they found out about my plan.
Complying with the IATF guidelines and requirements, we managed to drive my kids to a friend’s house in Lipa, Batangas just for an overnight. Like animals who were set free from their cage, it’s total freedom for them. A totally different environment from what they have gotten used to. A place that is not luxurious nor expensive but everything was provided for free, plus the place and experience they had were fun and they admitted it.
In hindsight, I realized that a day is not just enough for us.
As we planned for our next destination, we turned to Airbnb. We thought that the hotels were either crowded and risky, and most of them aren’t operating because of the pandemic. We were looking at our possible options and we were keener on renting a whole place, a private villa, a farm, a beach house, or something that we will be exclusive to our family. And when we didn’t find one that is when the idea of camping came in.
I love driving, I love exploring, I love offroad and I love the beach. So I surprised my kids again and decided to use our Toyota Hilux pick-up so we put behind all the stuff we need for our trip in the cargo bed so all of us will be comfortably sitting inside the pick-up and enjoy our ride together.
Funny, no one knows about the surprise out-of-town trip except for my wife. So as I drove along, my kids were clueless until we arrived at our destination.
When my kids saw the place, they were not happy. They were a bit perplexed as to where they were in the world. Because I brought them to the countryside and hope that they would enjoy the place and be one with nature nestled at a peaceful, rural and laidback place, and I hoped they would appreciate it.
However, seeing their reactions made me feel bad as a father. They didn’t look happy because my kids are used to staying in hotels with washroom, air-condition, soft beds and pillows with matching comforters and other amenities offered in a hotel. However, those amenities were not available, so our first camping was a total disaster. We only have 1 tent that fits only 3 people but we are 5 in the family. To get by the night, we tried to squeeze 4 in the tent and forced me with to stay outside the tent like a guard using a camping chair while the mosquitoes feasted on me. I was tempted to sleep inside the empty cargo bed of my pickup or inside the car to be more comfortable. But I didn’t think about my comfort. I realized that it was a necessary sacrifice I had to make for them to realize that even in the most difficult time, we have to stay together as a family and as a father, it was the simple thing I can do to show my love for my children and my wife by setting a good example of sticking up together through thick and thin.
In retrospect, the agony of my children could have been abated because I brought an airbed for us. Unfortunately, I forgot to bring the pump for our airbed leaving my kids sleeping on the rocky ground. As inevitable, my wife was complaining because our kids are crying, and me heartbroken, I realized that my plan just didn’t work as I thought it would!
So I promised my kids that their agony about the first outing will not happen again. So I planned for our 2nd camping trip, but this time we all came prepared. I even made sure that the Toyota Hilux Vigo pick-up was in good condition and was mindful of how I will load everything in the bed cargo We brought 2 tents that fit 3 people in each, 2 air beds, and the pump for the airbed. I prepared a checklist and ensured that the unpleasant experience of my family will never happen again.
So we drove to our destination at Cabongaon Beach, Burgos, Pangasinan. It was a 5-6 hour trip from Makati. There is no need to take a plane. We have access to a very basic toilet and a manual pump for freshwater. What the accommodation fell short of was compensated by the crystal clear water and those fine white sands! What can be enjoyed by us was amplified by the presence of the good company of friends, and relatives who obliged to join us when I invited them.
After our 3 days and 2 nights trip, we are finally home. But what soothed my tiredness is when I heard from my kids these three simple words — “Best day ever!” Interestingly, I did not hear a single grumbling from any of them and much more from my wallet.
As I was ruminating about that memorable outing we had, I realized that life need not have to be complicated, and that experience gave satisfaction and joy to my children. I said to myself, the BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE.
Free from complicated life. Free from setting a luxurious standard of living our life, and lastly, free to explore the beauty of our country and nature created by God for everyone to enjoy while it is there.