Parents in Disneyland
HOLIDAY TREAT
Their faces were a pot-pourri of expressions. It translated from joy, excitement to fear.
Watching those faces, we journeyed through a gamut of emotions that it was impossible to pick up the camera and capture the moment.
It was also a worry that while trying to switch the camera on, we would lose a precious moment. The entire melodrama lasted a few minutes and the aftermath, well, many months.
But, those few moments are etched in our memory for a lifetime.
They were the kids in Disneyland except that they were in their 60s. My parents and my parents-in-law, always loved to listen to tales of trips we had taken outside of India. They perhaps lived many of their fancied dreams listening to us.
Coming from the lower middle class and being the first generation of Indian middle class after independence, they had struggled to make a decent living. Their greatest gift to us was education so, we had to do our best to make their maiden trip abroad a memorable one.
It was in the year 2007 that we embarked on our ambitious project to take our parents on a trip to Europe. We had planned out the entire vacation and didn’t go through any travel agent. It was very tough but much fun too.
Taking your parents on a trip is not simple. With our four-year-old son along, I often joked that we had five kids to take care of. But over the trip, we learnt many lessons that I would like to share.
Here are some points that you should know if you are taking your parents abroad on their maiden trip:
Plan and speak to them about the trip in great detail. Elders, just like kids, don’t like too many surprises. However, if you do have surprises, unleash them at the right moment, says Prashanth Mohan, an IT professional who currently lives in Australia.
According to Prashanth, when his mother was visiting him for the first time, he took a Mercedes Benz car to receive her. Says Prashanth, “My mom’s thrill was worth every penny. I may sound childish, but I like to throw surprises that make her happy.”
Do a complete study of the weather conditions of the places you will visit and then, plan to buy appropriate clothing. Most websites offer weather forecasts for over a month. It is better to have clothes and footwear that will suit the weather.
Get all the reservations of hotels and all the tickets done on the net well before the trip. You don’t want to go looking for a hotel in a new country.
Introduce them to certain types of food before the trip so that they are not shocked to find strange food adorning the table. Food can be a big issue while travelling.
When Prashanth took him mother on a trip to New Zealand, he ate only in Indian restaurants. However, for most people, eating in Indian restaurants may not be a feasible option as they are special food and may cost well over the local cusine. Instead, carry certain food packets like you would if you were to take your kids.
It is better to carry some sealed food that are branded. Theplas and ready-to-eat curries are available in plenty and is a safe bet. Use it to your advantage. Carry things like puliyogere mix that can be mixed with rice and eaten.
Ask parents to carry identification and some local currency. Don’t forget to take some basic medicines along.
Plan a well spaced out trip. Do not pack back-to-back sight-seeing in the itinerary. “And if you do plan long distance travel, break the journey”, says Prashanth.
Be patient and learn to smile a lot. Parents tend to enjoy the simplest of things. I remember my parents were thrilled to bits to find a poster of Rajanikanth in an Indian populated area in Paris.
According to Kanika Chaganty, another IT professional who currently lives in London, her mother was excited just to visit the huge supermarket. So, it is important to understand that it is not always the flamboyant museums or dinner cruises that will bring a smile on your parents’ faces.
