Maegan's Holiday so far

So, what has little Maegan been up to since she's gotten here?

Well, almost everything you can think of. Seriously.

What has her dad been up to since little Maegan started her holiday? Almost everything you can think of as well, keeping up with little miss Maegan. An almost 10 month old baby girl trying to, literally, find her feet walking.

Since we've arrived, we've travelled from Auckland to Tauranga and spent the night at Mt Maunganui, a popular resort called The Mount. Absolutely beautiful and this is where Maegan came face to face with the beach and her little feet walking on sand for the first time. Can't think of a better place to start her beach experience than The Mount.

Travelling further west, the family travelled from The Mount to Te Puke where Maeagan's love affair with apples blossom with her first taste of freshly plucked apples from the apple tree. It was also here that she's had the chance to roll around and play on grass. Something we hardly, actually, never done in Singapore.

The whole family realised we entered Rotorua when everyone thought that Maegan farted. Really, the whole city does smell like Maegan's now famous farts.

It is at Rotorua Maegan had her first ride on the cable car, went under the rain, felt the chill of the south westerly wind, and come face to face with a Maori Warrior and Hakka. She had the chance to play with real life sheep, all the various breed actually.


She got the chance to touch them, play with the sheep dogs and even saw daddy flew.

She saw her first rainbow and wondered where the pot of gold was, saw a lake bigger than the size of Singapore and visited Gollum at Hobbiton.


And now, we're all back in Auckland where she gets into her element best. Shopping. The next few days, Maegan will do what she does best. Visiting shopping centres after shopping centres with her favourite shopping companion, mummy and grandma.

That's a lot for a 9 month old baby to do in the last few days isn't it? The funny thing, she had to come away to NZ before she played at the beach and rolled on the grass. I wonder why.

So while Maegan does all these fun stuff, what does daddy do?

Not sure actually. Daddy simply drove and drove and drove. The last mileage count ... 600Kms and still counting.

Maegan's on Holiday

It's been planned for quite a while.

Taking Maegan on a plane ride somewhere for a holiday was something Daphne and I always talked about doing. 10 hours flight however, wasn't what we had in mind.


But here we are, in the land of the long white cloud, Aoteaora, New Zealand where Daphne's parents, brother, us and Maegan all planning to have a ball of a time.

The next couple of posts will probably be about Maegan's time here in NZ and how Dapne and I will survive without our helper Nina.

By the way, just in case you are wondering, we did survive the 10 hour flight. But that's another story all together. :o)

Till then, enjoy the photos!

To visit the NZ holiday album, click here >>

Nights out not included?

Can a dad ever have a day out without feeling guilty?

Seriously. If you are a dad, do you often get that guilty feeling of having a rare boys night out? That feeling where you feel you should be home rather than enjoy the company of friends in a pub watching football.

That was me on Saturday.

It took me over a week to plan for Saturday. In the football calendar, Liverpool Football Club playing Manchester United Cricket Club at Anfield is probably one of the biggest fixtures and a match that every fan will make time to watch.

So almost a week ago, I started asking Daphne about our plans for the weekend and preparing her for the inevitable of losing her husband for a night to the boys. After the much expected fuss, "Visa" as my friends would call it was obtained.

And so I went.

It didn't help with Daphne's plans to meet friends being cancelled and all of a sudden, I'm seen as the neglecting husband and father leaving my wife and daughter behind to fend for themselves while I enjoy my pint of Kilkenny watching Liverpool play.

The constant thought of how they are doing kept popping up in my mind. Whether Daphne made any plans for dinner or if she's okay alone with Maegan and our helper Nina. Trust me, it gives me no peace of mind right through the night. (perhaps barring the 14 moments when Liverpool almost scored and the dreadful, inevitable moment when Man U did.)

Why did I feel this way? I truly wonder given the fact that it often happens when I have to work or be at the office and Daphne would take Maegan out for shopping or do stuff. So why is it only when I go out to enjoy myself, I feel guilty.

Does it come with the package for all dads like many of Maegan's toys where "night outs are not included"? That it's okay for a dad to work hard for the family but not enjoy a night without them on your side.


I think back on the many business trips that I needed to do leaving Daphne and Maegan in Singapore for 4 - 5 days stretch but I don't get that guilty feeling compared to Saturday. Hmmm... why does that happen?

Not sure really. Maybe it's a guy's thing. Daphne would once in a while have girls night out and seemingly feel ok about it. But when I do it, it's a different story.

The fact is that I really don't know. Can't quite figure it out but I do know that perhaps it's more self-inflicting than I realise. Perhaps it just how dads are. Wanting to know that they can provide for our family and the only time we will leave them behind is so as to bring home more bacon. Maybe it is truly a guys thing.

Either way, I would like to find out. I need to find out. So if you are an experienced dad out there, do share your secret as I need the answer urgently.

Because come Tuesday, Liverpool plays Barcelona and I have a sneaky feeling that I may be watching it without Daphne and Maegan. And unlike Saturday, I do feel that Liverpool will win and I want to enjoy that win.

So ... helpul hints, anyone? :o)