When my extended family—grandma, grandpa, aunt, uncle, and a squad of cousins—decided to go on a family trip to Zhangjiagang in Jiangsu, I knew it would be full of chaos, laughter, and a lot of food. It turns out I’m right!
Waking up early always seems like a destined start of every holiday trip. At 6 in the morning we drove towards our destination. After an 1.5 hour-drive we arrived at the Feng-Huang mountain, which is also referred as Phoenix mountain in Chinese. According to Baidu, the mountain is named for its appearance that looks like a flying phoenix (although neither my cousins and I could recognize the resemblance).
Climbing this mountain was challenging and tiring, but fun. During the journey my cousins and I were busy listening to gossip that the elders were busy discussing about. Something about a love triangle that included their neighbor… Everything went well until an invisible tree branch decided to manifest and introduce itself to my knee. 🙁 My grandma claimed it was my first “mountain baptism” while my cousins were exaggerating about my falling pose. Thank you so much, weirdly shaped tree branch!
After this small incident we kept on strolling through the lush greenery. We posed awkward poses for awkward family photos by ponds, and listened to Grandpa’s “back in my day” stories. My cousins and I sneaked off to watch a bug crawl on the rock while my aunt fretted about mud stains over her pants.
For the whole afternoon my cousins and I played video games and watched anime in the hotel room while the elders and adults were playing poker. Imagine the scene: Two children rolling on the bed, screaming “so close!” to a Nintendo Switch tournament; an older teenager playing both her computer and phone at the same time on the sofa; a young cousin watching cartoon on TV while eating chocolate. That’s exactly what happened in that afternoon in the hotel, only 10 times more chaotic. (PS: I’m the one screaming on the bed :-D)
Dinner became a fast-food apocalypse. At about 8 we had a fancy takeout dinner that includes everything from hamburgers and chips to noodles and beef. Although my mum could be very strict about food amounts at home, she showed absolute no mercy in ordering the takeouts. After everyone’s belly was filled at its fullest extend, there were still several hamburgers and bowls of noodles left. They were solemn survivors of our fierce attack.
Cousin Betty’s “sleepover” proposal seemed innocent… until she transformed into a blanket-grabbing machine. By 2 AM I clung to a small edge of bedsheet while she cocooned herself like a cocoon. I fully regretted agreeing to it when she begin to snore. It sure was a long night!
Between the food comas and Switch victories, there were quiet warm moments too—like watching sunset or taking a walk after dinner. I remembered a funny moment when grandma patted her hand over mine as she whispered, “Next time, teach me to play that Mario game.”
Now homeward-bound with a scraped knee, Switch achievements, and memories of Betty’s blanket tyranny, I realize family trips are perhaps, sometimes messy or full of chaos, but always filled with happy memories.
P.S. To my teacher reading this: I’ll finish the homework… after one more minute of Zelda… 🙂
(Now I have to do my homework AND face the wrath of my teachers!)