Growing up as a child in Singapore has taught me the importance of family. I was provided an idyllic life. I was raised in a home filled with love, support, peace, and happiness. This can be attributed to four objects in my life.
Gathering for daily tea time as a family demonstrates how I was raised, while growing up in Singapore. The dining table was always adorned with freshly baked desserts made by a member of the family and it was unfailingly served alongside a fragrant pot of English tea, with spoonfuls of carnation milk and heaped tablespoons of sugar swirled into it. It has been a family tradition to come together at around four-thirty in the afternoon, to enjoy each other’s presence and discuss the various issues going on in our daily
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Having grandparents in Malaysia facilitated many family road trips because it gave us a reason to drive up to Malaysia. I recall spending five hours on the road during the weekends, where we prayed the rosary, jammed out to songs on the radio, watched movies on the 7-inch screen, while we sat on the pastel-patterned mattress that fit snugly on top of the back seats, conveniently placed to keep us comfortable throughout our journey. We would also plan annual vacation trips to places such as the tropical island of Thailand and the shopping paradise known as Hong Kong. Traveling as a family comes with a list of benefits. Firstly, my mother and father were both diligent lawyers who had to tend to five young children over and above their hectic work schedules. The burden was no laughing matter and these trips would be used to help them break away from the stress of their daily lives. Just being able to let loose and get a tan by the chlorine- scented pool or enjoy a relaxing massage in the spa thirty feet from the sea, while soaking in the sun in the exotic island of Phuket, Thailand, or engaging in hours of shopping along the streets of Hong Kong, also known as The City That Never Sleeps, where we would literally shop until we dropped. These trips were great ways for us to gain new experiences and create many memories together. I attribute our constant traveling to our willingness to emigrate to the United States. Had my parents been opposed to stepping out of their comfort zone, creating new memories, and starting a new life, I might not be fortunate enough to be living and thriving in this country of opportunities, and benefiting from an American education, while simultaneously exploring its bountiful privileges. My parents have provided me and my siblings with copious amounts of opportunities through their constant years of sacrifice and adventurous spirits. They set aside their comfort to explore a new