Hummer Family 2017 Christmas Vacation Trip - Hummer Mower Associates

Hummer Family 2017 Christmas Vacation Trip
by Philip Hummer

Merry Christmas in Singapore 2017

Early last year, Lynn thought we should plan to take a cruise in Malaysia,
culminating with Christmas dinner in Singapore, instead of at home as usual.
The plan was enthusiastically endorsed by all.

On December 14, all eleven of us convened at the Shangri-la Hotel in Singapore:
daughters Helen, Elizabeth, Brooke and husband, Grove, and grandchildren
Charlie, Harriet, Willy, Chapin and Ned. Our evening meal was a sumptuous
buffet—every kind of Asian food, sushi, mussels, oysters, dumplings, prawns,
whitefish, sauces, beef dishes, pork, desserts, cheeses and Christmas cookies.

We were fascinated by the elaborate Christmas
decorations, including snow sleighs, Santa Claus and
a full choir singing Christmas carols in the lobby.

On Saturday, we assembled on the Windstar cruise
ship that would be home for the next week. We
learned there are six decks, 150 crew members and
195 passengers aboard the 440-foot ship. Throughout
the voyage, we were impressed by the friendly and
professional performance of the crew members.

On Sunday, we anchored at Malacca, a World
Heritage site. A state of 870,000, British, Dutch and
Portuguese colonial forces made imprints on the
multi-racial Muslim country. Our capable guide, Ali,
showed us the sights, including the cemetery and
Hindu temple, in addition to interpreting complex
cultural and historical influences.

Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia and its largest
city with a population of 1.7 million. It is a stable
political system; dating from 1957, a new Sultan is
elected every five years. The Petronas Twin Towers,
designed by Cesar Pelli with Japanese and Korean
contractors, was the world’s tallest until surpassed
by the Khalifa tower in Dubai. The building’s retail
complex rivals anything in the West. A big tourist
attraction is the Batu Caves, a vast 100-year old
Hindu temple featuring idols and statues erected
inside the main caves.

Penang was shaped by British colonialism beginning
with the acquisition of Penang Island in 1786. The

state was liberated from Japanese occupation in 1945
and merged with Malaya in 1957, which became the
present-day Malaysia in 1963. We toured the Kek
Lok Si Temple, a large Buddhist temple, impressively
situated on a hilltop, accessed by a trolley, featuring
an enormous statue of the Goddess of Mercy, as well
as more gardens and temples.

Phuket is an island province of Thailand connected
to the mainland by a causeway. We had lunch at an
excellent restaurant, fine Asian food, and all local
patrons except us. We enjoyed strolling and shopping
in the old town.

Back on the boat, the chef prepared and presented an
elaborate Barbeque.

Langkawi is an archipelago off the coast of Malaysia,
which was transformed into a tourist resort and now
receives three million tourists a year. Our Windstar
Legend docked on the main island Thursday morning,
and we had a taxi take us to a place on the beach
where we rented a fast outboard. We landed on the
sandy beach of an uninhabited island, accompanied
by monkeys in the trees, where we lunched and
swam. Afterward, a taxi took us to a beach restaurant
where we enjoyed beer and pizza while the boys went
for a spin on jet skis. Later, we returned to the boat,
had a good meal on deck followed by an entertaining
variety show by the staff.

On Friday, the boat was at sea heading back to
Singapore, where we checked back in to the Shangri-

la Hotel. On Saturday, we had bus and guide take us
on a tour of the city.

The defining figure in the remarkable story of the
success of the modern Singapore is Lee Kuan Yew.
The Japanese surrendered in 1945. He was involved
in the first government and was appointed Prime
Minister in 1959, a post he held for three decades.
Under his strict control, Singapore evolved from a
stagnant British colony into one of the world’s most
prosperous countries and an international financial
hub. The tiny nation of 5.3 million occupies an area of
278 speared miles.

After the tour, family members were divided between
shopping, walking in neighborhoods and relaxing
around the hotel’s beautiful pool. Lizzie and I went to
the National Museum of Singapore, a treasure of the
city’s history and culture.

Our Christmas dinner was at the hotel’s elegant
Shang Palace restaurant, which featured many
courses of delicious Cantonese dishes. We exchanged
gifts bought on the trip. On the first day, we each
drew one name to receive a gift costing $25, and
the results were greatly enjoyed. The grandchildren
individually spoke in praise of their grandmother,
“Gigi,” and what their memories of good times with
her meant.

On Christmas Day, Lynn and I went to a Roman
Catholic mass conducted in English, attended by a
large and devoted local congregation in a beautiful

church. Later, we all took taxis to the Botanic Garden,
an expansive garden and pride of Singapore, home of
the largest number of orchids in the world.

Our last meal together was at the pool restaurant.
Departures to the airport started then, and we were
all headed to our different destinations by the next
morning, with memories of a once in a lifetime family
experience.