Macau, Kele Here to See You

Before the travelogue begins, let me, as a mom, get a little emotional.

Companionship is the longest declaration of love.

Kele, my little girl—Junior Class 3 of kindergarten.

Do you remember, your first day at kindergarten?

Filled with endless anticipation, curiosity, and imagination. You were excited, thrilled, and didn't even have time to wave goodbye to Mom and Dad before you skipped into the classroom with your teacher, full of energy. You didn't yet know that your first real life challenge had begun.

Here, you can't call for Mom, Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, or Nai Nai anytime you want. You will walk the path of growth alone, facing many people and many things—your teachers, classmates, and friends. You'll be happy, sad, shy, proud, surprised, and disappointed. That's okay, child. These unknown futures await you to discover and experience them. They will temper and shape your little body, slowly settling, quietly waiting. When the moment of convergence and eruption comes, you will grow stronger and stronger.

The challenge became tough and winding from the third day of kindergarten. Although Dad and I had mentally prepared ourselves in advance, when the moment came, we still felt caught off guard.

On the third day, when you figured out what kindergarten was all about, you started to refuse to go. You clung to Dad's leg with all your might, crying heart-wrenchingly, "I don't want to go to kindergarten! I don't want to go!" Dad's heart ached so much. He hugged you tightly and kept comforting you.

The teacher's appearance at that moment was like Ultraman, Superman, or Spider-Man—calmly taking you from us, moving quickly and steadily like a sprint, disappearing into the kindergarten gate. Other teachers standing by signaled us to leave, reassuring us.

We stood there, silently watching your retreating figure. My tears fell uncontrollably, drop after drop.

As first-time parents, please forgive our fragility at that time.

That phase of separation from our child was the first time we felt such helpless despair. No words could ease the pain. I can only say that in that moment, our hearts truly ached and hurt. Even though it wasn't really that serious, our state of mind at the time was so hard to calm.

We started a long road of crying and refusing to go to kindergarten. "I don't want to go! I don't want to go! I don't even want to stay for a minute!" This later escalated to refusing dance class, English class, and anywhere else—just wanting to stay at home. We hadn't expected this phase at all, and we had to outsmart her every day. We even wondered if she was being scolded or bullied at school, but that wasn't the case. It was simply pure avoidance—she wanted to be at home, with Grandpa, Grandma, Nai Nai, and Yeye always there to play with her.

Time is a great healer. Kele needed time to adapt and accept. Maybe her adjustment period was longer than other kids, but that was okay—we had enough patience to wait.

Of course, we didn't give up on various forms of guidance. After consulting many moms, teachers, and books, we continuously reflected on ourselves.

Finally, we saw the long-awaited smile as she entered kindergarten—so bright, so sunny. When she turned around and waved, saying, "Bye, Dad! Bye, Mom!" the knot that had been in our hearts every day finally loosened.

It took exactly 20 days, but our child finally walked into kindergarten with a smile on the first day.

You might laugh at us for being too serious, too concerned—"Just let her cry; she'll adapt eventually." But we wanted her to understand and accept it on her own.

So what? We're fussy. We care about every single day and every little thing about our child.

This is a travelogue, but also not a travelogue. Ever since our first trip, I decided to record everything—record our child, record us. Perhaps I'm just using the travelogue as an excuse to write down everything about this year and what I want to say to my child. I hope that when Kele grows up, and after we're gone, she can see not only photos of our travels but also our boundless love for her.

This year, we started enrolling Kele in interest classes, hoping she could discover her hobbies, find her passions, and be willing to learn and delve deeper. We also hoped she could adapt to the environment earlier. In this competitive world, we can't stay detached, but not blindly following, not being anxious, and not comparing—that's our consistent bottom line. It's really hard, especially for mom. I sometimes can't help checking out other kids, but I'm on the journey of effort, trying hard to control myself. Dad is much better at this than me; he has a very calm mindset. He truly doesn't compare or follow blindly. As long as our child is making progress, he's the happiest person.

Day by day, our child grows beside us. We accompany her, and she accompanies us. Quiet, small things make you feel that having her is the happiest thing in the world.

One day at lunch, Kele was watching cartoons on an iPad, giggling from time to time. Dad and I were chatting. I mentioned that my finger felt like it was being pricked by a needle for no reason. Dad said something might have pierced it and told me to check closely. Then we moved on to other trivial talk. Suddenly, she said she was done eating, jumped off the table, and started rummaging through cabinets and drawers at home. I thought she was looking for toys. Seeing the mess she was making made me dizzy and annoyed. I quickly said, "Stop rummaging! What are you looking for? You're going to break the cabinets!" Until she walked toward me holding a band-aid.

Oh my god, she was looking for a band-aid for me.

My heart—I'll spare ten thousand words—I was so mad at myself.

Adults always judge and blame children with our own perspective and mindset... Self-reflection.

My Kele is so considerate!

Dad loves drinking cola, so we nicknamed her Kele (Cola). Every day, Dad comes home last and eats last. The first thing Kele does after finishing her dinner is to get a can of cola and put it on the table for Dad. She persists every day, as long as there's cola at home.

Yes, that's how sweet and warm she is.

But she also has her tantrums. When learning becomes a task, she avoids and gets bored. Don't even get me started on adults—it's easy to say "persevere," but how many of us actually do it? So it's okay; not every day has to be the same.

This trip, we made a mistake in choosing flights. Kele's dad saw Spring Airlines' direct round-trip tickets to Macau for 2,900 RMB for three people and jumped on it. But then we realized the flight to Macau was an early morning one, departing at 7:30 AM. Oh my, what a big mistake! Even without kids, that time is brutal. Well, since we're here, we'll make the best of it. To avoid hassle, we spent another 600 RMB on a night at the Ramada Pudong Airport hotel. So everyone, be careful when you see cheap flight deals—pay attention to the flight times. Lesson learned. It added a lot of extra effort and expense.

You're probably a bit tired of all this rambling, so let's get back to the main topic. Before the travelogue starts, let me share a few photos of Macau through my eyes. It's been exactly ten years since my last visit to Macau. The most beautiful thing about Macau is still the night.

For hotel reservations, we chose the affordable Sheraton. Since it was May Day holiday, the usual price of around 400 RMB per night had tripled. Traveling off-peak is highly recommended. The next two days, the price dropped back, and we stayed at Studio City. Why two hotels? It was out of necessity—Kele's dad had bought a package deal for Studio City, but by the time we tried to book, it was too late; there were no rooms for the 3rd and 4th. I strongly advise against switching hotels; it's too much trouble, especially with kids. The Sheraton Macau Hotel is located at The Londoner, directly across from The Parisian—very nice. It's close to the Four Seasons shopping and The Venetian. The Sheraton's lower floors are also part of The Londoner's shopping mall, convenient for shopping.

The Sheraton is a bit dated; the bath towels and washcloths didn't match the brand's standard—especially the towels, which were very old. We were prepared for that, so we brought our own. Fortunately, the bed was very comfortable, with a mattress of just the right firmness—just how I like it. Its location is a big plus, very convenient and lively, much more so than Studio City just one street away.

The Sheraton lobby is very grand.

Studio City offers good value packages with dining vouchers. The rooms are average—newer than the Sheraton, but much less bustling. The pool is great, and the hotel has its own children's water park, though it wasn't open during our visit. It probably attracts many kids in summer. The best feature is the "8" figure Ferris wheel, which made our little one pester us to ride it again later. But she's still a child, and for now, she's no match for her mom—I tricked her with an ice cream.

Ten years on, Macau's old town hasn't changed much. When I came to Taipa back then, I only remembered The Venetian. Now there are many more hotels—big changes.

The Londoner is home to several hotels: The Londoner, Conrad, St. Regis—a gathering place for stars. The shopping environment is nice, not too crowded. There are some luxury brands and also jewelry stores like Chow Tai Fook and Luk Fook. You can walk directly to the Four Seasons shopping mall and The Venetian through the connecting corridors, so you won't get wet even if it rains.

Our little one is happy whenever she goes out, no matter where—she's super energetic, like she's on adrenaline.

Actually, with kids in Macau, there aren't many sights to visit—mainly hotel hopping, eating, drinking, and shopping. When it comes to food, you must go to Rua do Cunha.

My favorite is the durian ice cream from the Musang King shop—even celebrities come to eat it. I have it every time I go; never get tired of it. You must try it.

This street is packed with food stalls, and we had several meals here. There's a cafe called Wong Kei at the entrance—their pork chop bun is worth trying. It's a popular spot that even appeared on CCTV. Ha!

The century-old Wong Chi Kei.

The mochi here is also a trendy place with long lines, but personally, I found the taste average.

There are many pastry shops in Macau; we chose one that's also a century-old institution.

We ate a few meals at the hotel's downstairs mall—expensive indeed, but the taste was decent.

Not eating egg tarts in Macau is like never having visited.

We took out from a trendy shop; their beef rice was really delicious. Hei Lin.

The pool is still our child's favorite.

Kele never sits still even during meals.

Macau Country Park is nice for a leisurely stroll.

Our trip to Macau was short, and there's not much to say. It was mainly about eating and drinking. Dad didn't go to the casino this time because of Kele—a pity. Even a small bet would have been a fun indulgence.

I can't give much shopping advice either, mainly because I'm too poor... haha.

Overall, the trip to Macau was pleasant. Since our child was very happy, we felt it was worth it. After all, it's currently the only city we can visit outside the mainland.

We'll be heading off on our summer vacation in another month. I'll take photos seriously then. Stay tuned!