On Sunday I head to Toronto with my mom. My grandmother has lived in Canada for 28 years, and most of that time was spent in the house she lives in now located in the suburbs of the city. I spent many happy summer days in that house, with its attached garage and backyard full of strange Chinese vegetables and stunningly beautiful flowers. My grandfather was a Classically trained Chinese painter, whose preferred medium was watercolor on silk, and I imagine that the garden he created was a daily inspiration. I had aunts and uncles who entertained me and my brother during our childhood visits, and they spoiled us with the kind of fun that only the closeness of family can provide.
My mother comes from a family of nine children, and most of those nine grew up in a small Hong Kong apartment, so it is easy for me to see how the family developed the bond they share. My mother is also the family busy-body, which means that she is gregarious and gossipy, knows the scoop on everybody and she's good at it because everyone likes my mom and trusts her. So even though my mother's side of the family are scattered across Canada, I feel closer to them than people I know in New York.
Toronto itself was an attraction. Since New York is only 500 miles away, it was an easy family vacation destination when I was a kid, and did a lot of cool things with my family, like shoot pool, play bowling, tennis, mini golf, go carts, see Blue Jays games, go to amusement parks. These were all things I was never able to do much of as a sheltered kid in New York, and so I always looked forward to these trips.
This time, however, I'm going as a grown up. Recently I've felt pangs of guilt for not being more family oriented, and so to remedy the situation I booked a vacation with my mom. I can't remember the last time I went on a trip with her, so this will be a special opportunity for me to spend time with her without my dad or my brother around. My aunt from Winnipeg will be staying at my grandmother's house with us, and so I will be schlepping three Chinese ladies around in a small rental car for a whole week. Goodie!
