Family

A couple of friends recently com-mented that I come from a pretty close-knit family, just by judging from some of the photos I posted on Facebook. That's certainly true. The majority of my extended family, both paternal and maternal, all live in the Klang Valley, so we get together often.

My late father instilled in me, from childhood, to value family ties. At the onset of every year, I block my calendar for dinner with the extended familly during festivals and celebrations. I very rarely miss these occasions. Some of us go on holiday together every year, an annual ritual of sorts.

As some of you may already know, I just very recently returned from a trip to Hoi An and Danang in Vietnam. We were a group of fourteen; aunts, uncles and cousins. When travelling in a large group, some compromise is needed, and plenty of patience! Still, we had a good time as always.

Dinner upon arrival in Hoi An, Vietnam.

Hoi An

I've just returned from a holiday with the extended family. Six days we were in Hoi An and Danang in Vietnam. I've come back rested and with a nice tan.

Of the two, I prefer Hoi An. A quaint town it is, with Unesco World Heritage status to boot. I love the small shops, the cosy cafes and restaurants, particularly the ones located within the 'pedestrian and bicycle only' part of town.

The people of Hoi An are very much artistically inclined. Well known for its custom made attire and shoes, one will come across a custom tailor and shoe designer everywhere one turns. We were spoilt for choice indeed.

Beautiful lanterns in Hoi An, Vietnam.

Big Group

Going on a holiday with the extended family can both be an enthu-siastic as well as a stressful expe-rience. Last year, almost twenty of us 'balik kampung' to China to visit some of our relations at the family village. In a few months' time, about fifteen of us will be heading to Danang and Hoi An, in this year's edition of the extended family holiday.

I was initially undecided about whether to go this time round. But after some cajoling from my cousins plus a bit of tacit pressure from my Mum, I signed up. In fact, everyone else had already booked their flights much earlier. You could say 'better late than never' as I was the last one to confirm my participation.

Now that I have made up my mind to join the group, I am looking forward to the trip. I get along with those who are to be my travel companions for the six days, so it will be an enjoyable experience. Sure, there will be some stressful moments, something that is inevitable when traveling in a big group. But the positive experiences will more than outweigh the little hiccups.

My Malaysian cousins and I with our Chinese cousins in Nam Tong, China, last year.