Enjoy!

Last Sunday we were enjoying our first Sunday Brunch since moving back to Asia. Now, if you are not familiar with the concept, in Asia brunch isn’t simply eggs and bacon, pancakes and free flow of coffee; No! In Asia you go to five star hotels and enjoy anything under the sun to eat and free flow champagne to drink. 

We headed to Westin and their Bubbalicios, and as it was Halloween weekend – Spookylicious, brunch.

It was all so very familiar and took us back to the days when we did this quite frequently, i.e. BC – Before Children: the lobster, the sashimi, the make-your-own pasta counter, Indian food, “normal” breakfast fare (the best sausages and bacon ever according to the kids), dim sum, chocolate fountain and every other dessert imaginable; all accompanied by free flow of Moet & Chandon. Due to Halloween weekend we also had vampires walking around offering a taste of their own blood, mealworms, spiders and cockroaches on display, another vampire girl in a gigantic plastic bubble greeting us at the entrance, and a full game of Planet Vs. Zombies being put on in the one of the ballrooms in addition to the fully supervised and equipped play room. Everyone enjoyed themselves and ate and drank their hearts out.

Halfway into our meal, the kids were summoned to the ballroom for THE Planet Vs. Zombies game and excitedly they went. 10 minutes later they return: “Mom, it was soooo lame!” I think they both expected computers to be involved somehow, not a bunch of kids and grown-ups in paper masks throwing plastic fruit on each other. Still, you have to admire their ingeniousness.

The kids didn’t suffer though. There were tons of kids around and strengthened by ice-cream and candy they hit the play room and soon found friends and me and my husband could have a rare, quiet champagne moment alone.

Still, as we were sitting there in this wonderful restaurant enjoying all these extravagances, everyone having a wonderful time, I couldn’t help but think about my friend who last Tuesday had to do the unimaginable – she had to put her little girl to rest. Sweet Mia only got to live 400 days before a viral infection of her heart and lungs took her short life, unexpectedly, unexplained, very quickly and so very unfair. My heart is breaking for her parents and the rest of her family.

Life sure offers many ups and downs and trying to settle in in China is a real roller coaster. Still, we are so very lucky. We are all healthy and together and we have embarked on this adventure that will turn out fabulously. Sweet Mia, rest in peace, I wish there was more I could do for your mom and dad right now.