Traveling with A Toddler

Last June 4-7, 2010, my little family experienced a milestone…the first of many. It was our very first trip together abroad as a family. We went to Singapore. Though I’d been there a few times (I was there in 2000 to do research for my college thesis, and went back in 2006 with my immediate family), it was like seeing everything for the very first time, since I was looking at everything through the eyes of the ones I most love. It was my husband’s first time there, and our daughter’s first-ever plane ride.

Outside the Singapore National Museum (with the pretty giant seedlings)

Here are a few things I’ve noticed and appreciated even more:

* Singapore is such a clean and beautiful place, with disciplined people. I appreciated a lot about it even more when I saw that they actually have “parents’ rooms” in malls, next to the ladies’ room and men’s room…The parents’ room has it’s own sink, handdryer, changing table, lounging chair, and a dispenser for diapers and handsoap. What a convenience for parents traveling with their babies!

In the "parents' room" at the mall

* The food in Singapore is truly worth trying. We made sure our little girl had a taste of the local cuisine, and it was to our delight that she enjoyed the hokien mee noodles and milk tea. My hubby and I weren’t the only ones enjoying the food! We loved the Xiao Long Bao (the resto Din Tai Fung rocks! They serve the best rice everrr!), Roast Duck, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Banana Prata, Roast duck crepes, and so much more!

Taken at Din Tai Fung

Soy Chicken Rice, Roasted Duck

Oyster Omelette (my favorite!)

Hokien Mee

Hainanese Chicken Rice, Roast Duck Crepes

Banana Prata, Milk Tea

* While I enjoyed being in another country and savored the wonderful sights, I was able to appreciate Manila for a lot of reasons : our friendly and warm people, places like Bonifacio High Street, hygiene of Filipinos everywhere (I remember a fellow Pinoy friend of mine who remarked that Filipinos always smell like Safeguard! Heehee! Clean as can be! Most Filipinos, at least!), and the warmth and comfort of just being home.

My little girl saying "goodbye" to the big plane just after we landed back on Philippine shores