Memoirs of our Singapore trip: May to June 2011.

3 weeks.

Sounds like a really long time for a holiday, but yet, the time just seemed to speed on by. There's so much to be said, so much that it seems words are just insufficient.

So here's the down-low, in point form.



We arrived into the embrace of my mummy, sisters, brother and 2 cousins, who were up and out at midnight just to welcome us home.

We had lunch at my wai po's place, where great grandparents, grandma, grandaunt, and many aunts and uncles loved on the little one. He did his rounds and turned on the charm. Then promptly fell fast asleep in my arms when lunch time came. Lots of photos and bouncing around later, time to go. And photos popped up on Twitter, my cousins telling the world that they love their nephew.

We had dinner at home with mum in law. She was beyond happy to hang out with her grandson.

We had dinner at my parent's place the next night, with cousins and siblings around to love on my little one again. It was pretty magical. Cousin Zi'an took photos of my baby boy on his phone, and promptly set one as his wallpaper. Such a simple simple gesture, but such a lovely one. As they say, actions speak louder than words, and his actions said simply that he loves me and by extension, this little boy who he has never even met before.

Everything else was a blur from then on.

I hung out with my sisters and at home as much as I could.

Xander got his naps in most days.

Friends came over to hang out at our place, conceding to the constraints we faced with a little one on our hands. For that we are grateful.

We had a curfew of 7plus pm most days, so late nights were out of the question. Early mornings were more our scene.

Many friends we didn't get a chance to meet. It was tough, with everyone working and us only being able to meet them during the day. Weekends were reserved for family mostly.

One main purpose of our trip back - to appeal for the hub's SPR application. Waited in long hot humid queues to meet the MP. Kept our baby up way past his bedtime. Now we wait. Hopeful and with fingers crossed, we wait for a response from ICA.

I got to witness my eldest cousin brother Ziwen get married. It was quite a day.

My lovely sisters and mum planned a small gathering to celebrate my birthday in advance and Xander's half-birthday. It was incredible. Awkwardness abound, with people present who didn't really get along, but I chose to ignore the tension, and focus on the love. I chose to focus on the wonderful gift of familial love and friendship from those who took the time to attend the event.

With each passing day, I dreaded the coming of our impending departure. I dreaded having to take my boy away from all these people who have been showering him with unconditional love. I dreaded having to deprive all who I love of my little one. And me, I guess. I dreaded being far far apart from those I love, watching them live their lives without me, and with me as nothing more than a bystander with a blocked view, not knowing what is going on most of the time.

But I know that we're doing all we can to change this situation already. That we have set the wheel in motion, and we can only sit back and let the track unfold in front of us. I take heart in that I'm not passively waiting for things to change. That we're trying our best. That has to be enough.

My heart is sure that no matter the distance, the love will still be in abundance. And when we do meet again, it would be like time has never passed... with the only evidence of it passing being in the seemingly turbo-charged growth of my baby boy. It will be okay.