| |
|
A Memorable Experience |
|
|
Two years ago, my sister Tina married a Norwegian man and moved to Oslo, Norway.
Last June, she gave birth to their first child, and my mother and I went to
Norway to take care of her. It was one of the most memorable experiences of the
past year for me.
Tina's husband Walker picked us up at the airport, and when we arrived at their
apartment, Tina was eager to greet us. It had been a long time since she had
seen us. We went to the nursery to look at the baby, Sally. She looked so
fragile and cute, and it was the first time my mother and I had seen our
grandchild. I was already imagining taking her to the toy shop, the zoo, and the
fun fair.
My mother and I did our best to help Tina recover, and we found our way to Asian
grocery stores to buy herbs and ingredients for Mother's cooking. It was
heartwarming to have three generations of our family in Tina's apartment in
Oslo. I remembered the time when Tina and I were growing up, and she used to
recruit me to play pranks on our father. She was a tomboy who played softball
with the neighborhood boys. Now she is a mother, raising her own family, and it
was hard for me to reconcile the two images of her. But, our closeness had not
changed, and we shared laughs, like we used to.
During our stay in Oslo, Walker and Tina took us around for sightseeing, and we
enjoyed going to the lovely lake and parks. I also realized how hard it was for
Tina to start a new life in a different country, with no friends and family
around her, and she had to learn the language and adjust to a different kind of
weather and culture. I admired her for her strength in adjusting to her new
environment.
As our three weeks came to an end, Tina promised to make a trip home next year.
The time spent in Norway made me realize how precious my family is to me. It
does not matter that Tina and Sally live thousands of miles away from us. We
will always remain together as a family. Visiting Tina and Sally in Oslo was
truly a memorable experience. |
|
|
|
|
