Marina Bay Sands Treat for My Mom and My Sister

Marina Bay Sands Treat for My Mom and My Sister

(click the title above to see 80 photos of the trip)

I have no regrets when I lost my late dad 3 years ago, as I know we’ve done our best to take care of him and believe that he has rest peacefully in heaven. But if there’s one thing I wish I could do better is: to take him travel more to see the bigger world. Too bad his health condition prevented us to do that.

My parents are real hardworkers. They earn money and save every penny to make sure that their children get better education for a better life. As they both are senior high school graduates, they simply wished that at least we get diploma so that we don’t have to work in a restaurant for the rest of our lives (like my dad did).

And we made their dream come true. Their first daughter Rina Kusuma is now taking scholarship for master degree in UK. Their middle daughter, i.e. myself Nuniek Tirta Sari is now taking master degree in Jakarta. And their last daugher Leny Jevelmihezka has completed her bachelor degree. Yes, we all make a living with our own career path and get better life.

I remember taking my mom and dad to stay in a hotel for the very first time in their lives in October 2005. They were 53 years old at that time. Just the 3 of us in Marbella Anyer Resort room, they got easily happy with the facilities. It was also their first staycation outside Jakarta other than for “mudik” or family visit.

My mom, she doesn’t like to go to malls. Everything seems so pricey to her. She never goes to beauty salon either, coz as she said “If I spend money to beauty salon then we wouldn’t have money to pay your school fee”. Sometimes we find it hard to treat her, because she often think it’s just a “waste of money”.

That’s why when I and hubby Natali Ardianto asked her and my sister to come with us to Singapore, she initially refused. She thought that we’d better save our money because we have taken her to Singapore 5 years ago, and it’s better be my sister’s turn because she hasn’t visited Singapore before.

I told her that’s not the point. My sister is on productive age and she can find her own way to travel. The point is to make my mom happy without thinking about money. It’s now her turn to stay in Marina Bay Sands, as we had also treat hubby’s parents and brother to fly and stay at the same hotel last year. (In 2013 I also spent some nights with hubby and in 2014 with hubby and kids).

We didn’t tell her that we booked the luxurious room just for her and my sister. She thought that she’d just stay where hubby and I would stay, and the cost would be at hubby company’s. She was impressed with the spacious 97 sqm Orchid Suite with Gardens by the Bay view that is way bigger than her home.

When she finally found out that we actually stayed at different room and we personally pay for her room, her reaction was exactly the same as I thought: “Sayang2 uangnya, pasti mahal banget… Berapa tuh semalemnya?” (Translated: “Oh no, it must be expensive… How much is it?”) That, I wouldn’t have to answer.

What she needs to know is that we have special budget for that, and she just have to enjoy without thinking too much. That it’s no longer her responsibility to think about money. That the time to save money for the sake of her children’s education is over. That it’s never be a waste of money to make her happy.

At the end of the day, I’m so happy to see her happy. And to hear her said thank you to my husband for everything, with a sincere prayer that we’ll get a lot more fortune in return, is priceless. Now let’s pray hard to get the chance to take her and hubby’s parents to USA one day soon. Amen!

Friday, 04 March 2016 (the date of my late dad’s 64th birthday)
Nuniek Tirta Ardianto