Day: April 19, 2024

Bangkok Trip With Alycia (15 – 18 April 2024) – Day 1

Hey peeps, I’m back from Bangkok!

Alycia and I survived our first DIY overseas trip without a guide and without her dad with us and I’m glad to say that everything went smoothly. Both our Air Asia flights were on time, despite warnings from my hubby, parents and other friends who had bad experiences of flight delays and cancellations with Air Asia. I thank God for blessing us with an enjoyable and trouble-free trip.

I’m also proud to say that Alycia is such a superb travel organizer. Her regular trips (local and overseas) with her uni mates have groomed her to be a travel-savvy and street smart girl. I just told her the dates that I wanted our trip to be, the time of our flights, where I wanted to visit, find a good and clean hotel and she did everything… with my credit card of course. She booked our hotel accommodation on booking.com. For our visits in Bangkok, purchase of Thailand SIM cards and transport cards, she booked them on Klook. She collected the SIM cards and transport cards at the Klook booth at the Bangkok airport.

We pre-paid our visit to the Mahanakhon SkyWalk and Royal Galaxy Chao Phraya river cruise via Klook. For our meals and shopping, Alycia googled for the most happening shopping malls and eateries and we covered at least 10 shopping malls in three days. We moved around mostly by Grab, BTS, Tuk Tuk car, and walked a lot under the scorching sun. I’m now a few shades tanner.

Alycia even wanted to try Grab motorbike but I was strongly against it for safety reasons. I thought that Sherilyn and Cass are dare devils who dare to try everything dangerous to get the adrenaline rush, but I discovered during this trip that my eldest is another fearless and daring young lady. She has transformed a lot from a timid and shy girl to an adventurous and sociable young lady ever since she went to university three years ago.

A day before our trip, Alycia found out that our dates in Bangkok coincided with the Songkran water festival. She warned me that we would get wet but I didn’t give much thought or worry to it. But I was wrong. We were both caught right smack in the middle of the festival and there was no way we could escape it as our hotel (Novotel Platinum) is located in a prime location, which was where the water fights would be held!

It was our very first time immersing in such a festival and we both had a culture shock. Everything that I had read from the news about Songkran in the past was now right in front of my eyes. We were both squirted with water and our faces were swiped with powder by strangers, who would target anyone with dry clothes and clean face. We had to cross an overhead bridge to get across to the other side where all the shopping malls were. The bridge was jam-packed with revellers and we could not even move. People were shooting water everywhere and at everyone. When we saw that the crowds were even bigger and more rowdy at the opposite side, we made a U-turn and returned to our hotel. We had our dinner at the hotel coffee house and then indulged in massage at the hotel.

To be continued…

Alycia collecting our SIM cards and transport cards at the Klook booth at the Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Revellers on a truck and tuk tuk cars shooting and splashing water on anyone that they see.

The crowd on the overhead bridge from our hotel to the other side. The crowd was even bigger towards the end of the bridge and on the opposite side.

Stalls outside our hotel.

The first thing that I bought in Bangkok – a 250ml bottle of pandan coconut water which cost about RM7. I soon discovered that nothing is cheap in Bangkok, no thanks to the depreciation of our currency.

We tried to cross the bridge again after dinner and massage at the hotel. The crowd had petered out a little but when we were approaching the shopping malls, both Alycia and I got swiped on our faces with powder. A young girl about 7 years old greeted me “ni hao” and then swiped my face with white powder. Then a young man did the same to me. I was shocked, culturally shocked.

The crowd outside a shopping mall opposite our hotel.

I bought this coconut candy (in Malaysia, it’s called dodol) at the Big C mall. It’s unique coz it’s wrapped in some kind of hard leaves, while our Malaysian dodol is wrapped in fresh pandan leaves.

Bic C is a supermarket where one can find a wide array of snacks. It’s a great place for tourists to shop for Thai snacks. But again, due to our currency depreciation, the things are not cheap at Big C. I’ve not seen anything that’s really cheap in Bangkok. Things are cheaper back home. Nonetheless, I bought a big bag of snacks and had to lug them back to KL on my hand-carry bag as some of the snacks are very fragile.

Our dinner at Novotel Platinum – Pad Thai and crab meat omelette. Yummy and expensive (slightly over RM100 for just two dishes).

I had a relaxing 60-minute back and shoulder massage while Alycia had foot massage, which she didn’t enjoy.

Our first meal upon arrival in Bangkok was McDonalds as we could not go anywhere due to the Songkran crowds. Alycia wanted to try the pork burger which her friend said was delicious but she didn’t really like it. After McD, we randomly entered this cafe called After You and ordered a pandan kaya and coconut cream bun, a signature dessert of the cafe.

According to Alycia who did a Google search on this dessert, Jay Chou (famous Taiwanese singer songwriter) ate this dessert too in Bangkok. It’s delicious but a tad cloying as the buns are slathered in a thick layer of coconut cream with a generous amount of thick aromatic pandan kaya on the inside. This dessert must be shared by at least three people.

Alycia’s all-time favorite strawberry bingsu, from After You Cafe too.

We both clocked in at least 17,000 steps every day.

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Tips for Reconnecting with Your Pre-Kids Self

Becoming a parent is one of life’s most profound changes. The demands of caring for little ones can completely transform your lifestyle and priorities. It’s easy to lose touch with the person you were before having children. Reconnecting with your pre-kids self is important for your mental health and happiness, and ultimately benefits your whole family. Here are some tips for rediscovering the hobbies, interests and personality traits that give you joy outside of parenting.

Make Time for Old Hobbies

When you have young children at home, finding time for yourself can seem impossible. But carving out even small windows to engage in hobbies you enjoyed before becoming a parent is vital. Don’t wait for the perfect chunk of free time – it won’t come! Instead, identify ways to incorporate past passions into the margins of your day. Even 15-20 minutes of making art, playing guitar or reading can help centre you. Share your interests with your kids as they grow older.

Socialise with Child-Free Friends

It’s common for new parents’ social circles to shrink and consist mostly of other families. Make an effort to maintain friendships with people who don’t have children. Plan occasional adult-only outings to restaurants, shows or events that remind you of your pre-kids lifestyle. Your friends without kids can provide perspective and a sense of normalcy beyond the world of parenting.

Revisit Old Fashion Choices

Becoming a mum or dad often means adopting a more practical, low-maintenance personal style. Make space in your routine to reconnect with the fashion sense or beauty rituals you enjoyed before having kids. Wear the types of clothes and makeup that make you feel most authentically yourself, when practical. Even symbolic gestures like putting on an old favourite accessory can awaken a sense of your identity beyond parenthood.

Indulge Nostalgic Entertainment

Your TV shows, movies, books and music tastes likely look much different than in your child-free days. Set aside time to rewatch, reread or relisten to old favourites from your youth or that you associate with the person you were before becoming a parent. Feed your soul with entertainment that resonates with your core self. Share beloved classics with kids as appropriate.

Pursue New Interests Too

Reconnecting with your past doesn’t mean you must remain stuck in it. Carve out time to experiment with new hobbies, fashion choices and entertainment as well. Look for classes or groups that align with untapped interests. Adding novelty to your life helps prevent the monotony than can come with the daily parental grind. Bring a beginner’s mindset of curiosity and fun.

Work with a Coach

If you feel overwhelmed about rediscovering who you are beyond a parent, consider working with a parenting coach from The People Practice Group. A parent coach provides structure, accountability and guidance in setting and achieving goals related to your personal growth and fulfilment. Parenting coaching help you honour the demanding role of parenthood while reconnecting with needs beyond caring for your kids. Many offer remote sessions by phone or video chat.

The transition to parenthood often means parts of your pre-kids self recede into the background. But you are still a multidimensional person with a unique spirit to nurture. Reawakening and expressing your whole self – not just the parental role – allows you to bring more joy, presence and creativity to your family. Your journey will benefit your children as much as yourself.

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HEALTH FREAK MOMMY