rushing through the holidays

the holidays have been very busy for me that i've missed my christmas post. even if i've taken days off from work, there were still lots of things to get busy about. well, with my parents visiting, i had a full-week agenda all-ready for their stay, though most of it were changed cuz of the nonstop pouring.

it's been a rainy christmas in singapore. there wasn't much outdoor sight seeing that we could do. i was thinking of bringing my parents to the bird park, for the sole reason that i haven't been to the place. but we weren't able to do that cuz of the weather. i was just glad that there was a garden festival held in singapore during their visit. at least there's one thing that i'm definitely sure my mother would enjoy and no rain can stop that.

the garden festival show-cased amazing flora from different countries, awesome flower arrangements, and breath-taking themed gardens. my mother's exuberance from seeing all those wonderful displays was simply contaminating. i've been growing up around flowers, plants and gardens, being my mother's favourite hobby, but i never got a bit of her green thumb. on the other hand, father was simply being himself. whatever mother wants, he makes sure she gets. such a spoiler, my father is. i guess that's how he makes up with not being with the family most of his time.

i treated my parents for a seafood dinner during christmas eve. good thing the chili crab and cereal prawns were as delicious as i remembered. ;) we then attended the evening mass right after dinner, and then called up the rest of the family back home. we then got a surprise call from my dear younger brother whom i thought have forgotten about his family already. christmas is really different if it's not spent with family.

my parents and i then took a two day trip to malaysia after christmas. the trip was almost cancelled because mother got sick. however, i wouldn't allow that to happen and urged her to go despite her condition. i know that was so inconsiderate of me, but all i could think of then was that i've made reservations and plans already. but eventually, i paid the price for my behavior. mother was really grumpy all through out the travel. the guilt was overwhelming for having forced my parents for a vacation that i just wanted for myself. i've learned a huge lesson during that trip. never plan vacations for parents that consists of lots of walking, bus or boat travel. they're not as young as you think they were. as people get older, a vacation might consist of something that's really, really laid back like stay at a hotel room for the whole day.

anyhow, things turned out for the better after my parents took the rest they badly needed. we stayed at one of the mountain resorts of berjaya hills, the colmar tropical. it's french-inspired hotel, and i felt like i was living in a theme park. the resort was quite unique, and we had this two story hotel room. however, the food wasn't all worth fussing about. good thing they had this japanese garden at the mountain top. we were like transported into different worlds by a portal in the form of the shuttle bus. the cool breeze at the top of the mountain made us appreciate and enjoy our stay more. i guess the strain for dragging my parents along to this vacation paid off. well, we took great pictures ;) (to post later).

good thing it wasn't raining in KL during our short stay. i guess that contributed to the success of my planned vacation. however, it was continuously pouring in singapore when we got back. my parents wasn't able to do some last minute shopping as planned, and i was stuck with my study-plan preparations and EP related problems.

now that my parents got back to cebu already, i had to settly my own problems. i had my EP cancelled as it already expired. currently, i'm on social visit status. that means, no visa interview for me until i get my new EP approved. that means, all plans are on hold, and i'm back to the waiting game of how my future will unfold.

just to get these problems off my head, i've indulged myself to lots of cleaning. like cleaning the house could sort some of the mess that my life is in right now. as long as i get myself busy, the wait won't be this excruciating. good thing tomorrow's new year eve already. and all i could think about this new year is my new adventure.