Down Under

Sometime during our tenth wedding anniversary European trip last April, Big A claimed that would be "the last of our long haul travels for at least another year." But then the airline seat sales happened.

With so many Asian cities to discover and revisit, and so many local destinations we have yet to explore, I was simply thankful for the last two years' abundance of travel opportunities, and secretly glad to be done with the interminable paperwork required for the securing of visas. Our passports are well stamped, and our travel photo album covers three continents.

However, one day not long after our arrival from Europe Big A rang me at work. "G'day, mate! We're going to Australia!"

Apparently one of the local carriers has started flying direct to Sydney, and introductory ticket prices were cheaper than a flight to our beach islands. So last week, we went down under.

Three nights in Sydney and three in Melbourne in their wintertime gave us a good taste of both cities. Big A has definitely thrown his hat into the Melbourne camp, but I am still on the fence. Perhaps a few years from now, another trip to this southern continent (hopefully with Little A in tow!) will help make up my mind.

Superlatives

Last Friday, when I picked him up from school, Little A took my e-reader and typed "Look at the me. I superman". I read it to him and he was pleased as punch, and repeated the same words on different devices over the weekend.

Come Monday, after school, the same thing. I have not been able to get a chance to ask his teacher what this sentence is all about, but on our walls he has been writing "awesome", "good job", and tonight after brushing his teeth, "very proud". Always with a big smile when I read out the words.

He has started Grade 3, and sits right by the teacher in a class with 5 other boys and girls. These days I am discouraged from peeking into the classroom window and distracting him, but finally there is a parent-teacher communication notebook, so from time to time (twice so far in the first few weeks of school) I get a note on what they have been doing, or how his behavior has been.

This year, apart from their regular academic subjects, the students have sessions in the computer lab, where Little A has wowed the teacher with his prowess at typing and manipulating the mouse. They also have drama classes once a week, and a number of new extracurriculars are being offered.

I hope this year is a good one for Little A, socially, behaviourally, communicatively, and academically. Is that too much to hope for? We'll see.