In Cantonese, the name for your grandfather on your mother’s side is “Goong Goong”. When I was growing up, I never referred to my granddad as Goong Goong around my friends. They all called their granddad’s “Grandpa” or “Pop”, and I felt silly talking about my Goong Goong. I even went so far as trying to call him “Grandpa” to his face. He just went on referring to himself as Goong Goong in third person. Eventually, I realised I was being stupid and Goong Goong would always be Goong Goong.
About a month ago whilst I was in Asia, Goong Goong fell very ill and was admitted to hospital. I booked the soonest flight I could to come over to New Zealand and see him, but he sadly passed away before I could make it back. Although the last few weeks have been tough, they have given me time to reflect on how lucky I was to call this kind, generous man my grandfather. Without realising it, he taught me some valuable life lessons that have really been driven home with his passing. Too often, I think these can go overlooked or forgotten, and sometimes we need a reminder about what is most important to us.
Enjoy the company of others without needing to say anything
Goong Goong was a man of few words. He wasn’t the type of person you would sit and chat for hours with. But he was also the sort of person that you didn’t need to. Time with him would more likely be spent working in the garden, feeding his fish and turtles, walking along Otaki beach, or sitting and reading the newspaper together. We got to know each other by simply being together. In a world where everyone always has something to say, I think the beauty of enjoying another person’s company is being forgotten. Silence isn’t always awkward. You don’t always need to say or do something to be happy to spend time with someone.
Actions speak louder than words
Despite never saying a whole lot, Goong Goong had so many friends and relatives that admired and respected him. He was always going out of his way to help others without expecting anything in return. As a market gardener, he would bring down fresh fruit and veggies for his relatives to make sure they’d be well fed. To him, it was far more important to show people you cared about them by doing things for them, rather than just talking about it.
Work hard
Goong Goong lived through the wartime in China, and when he moved back to New Zealand, he started his market gardening business from scratch. He worked long hours not only to grow produce, but sell it at the market and run a shop in town. He worked relentlessly to give his family a better upbringing than he’d had, and so they never would have to go without. This is something I seriously take for granted, and am prone to laziness and procrastination instead of getting to work. But I know if I buckle down and work hard, I can create the kind of future that would make Goong Goong proud.
Enjoy the simple things in life
Goong Goong enjoyed the simple things in life. It was one of the most important things I’ve learnt from him. Eating fresh fruit hand-picked from a tree in his garden; going for long walks along Otaki beach; dropping in for afternoon tea with old friends; enjoying the presence of one another’s company without needing to say or do anything, just being together. They’re some of life’s most precious moments that can too often go overlooked. In country New Zealand, time seems to slow down. Life is stripped back to the simpler things. We get a chance to live and breathe in these moments, moments that can be snatched away all too quickly.
For all the people in your life that you care about, call them, see them, talk to them. Spend what time you can with them. Too often, we take tomorrow for granted. Life is short and, sometimes, we can forget what matters most.
If my backpack could talk, it sure would have some stories to tell.
“Steff, do you really need a kilo of lemon biscuits? It’s just because we’re in Italy and you want them with your coffee isn’t it?”
“Okay, this is the last time I travel alone with you for 5 days, even if it is in island paradise. I’m made for carrying snacks and not your dirty laundry, that’s what the other bag is for!”
“Steff…we’re not really going to climb this mountain in this thunderstorm, are we? What would mum say?!”
“Listen here miss! You already have the baguette and the mille feuille, you do not need the chocolate croissant and the almond bread as well! Nope of course, don’t listen to me, I’m just the one who’ll have to carry it all day.”
Lucky for backpack, I didn’t make us climb this mountain. Tongariro National Park | New Zealand
Alas, the poor soul cannot talk so I will be the one conveying our adventures. Our first trip together was a four-month-long stint in Europe back in 2015 (check out the places I visited here). I’d travelled a number of times before: having one set of grandparents in New Zealand and the other in Hong Kong meant fairly frequent visits; I went on a school exchange trip to Germany, and a volunteer trip to Thailand and Cambodia; and plenty of interstate trips, including a month in Northern Australia. But this was my first time away from home for such a long time, and traveling most of it solo. I’ll admit, I did have my apprehensions about it. Being a young, solo, female traveller, I was paranoid that I’d have my gear stolen, or worse…my organs. Turns out, it was the best thing I could have ever done. I had become well and truly infected by the travel bug. Diseased, contagious, and inspired – I couldn’t stop raving about it and had already begun to think about where to go next…
Our next big adventure was 7 weeks in Vietnam in 2016. Despite being a completely different ball game to backpacking in Europe, I absolutely loved it. I ended up doing things I could never have imagined, such as climbing the highest peak in Indochina in a thunderstorm, that my dearest backpack was so concerned about. Between then and now, I went on a few trips to New Zealand and that brings me to why I’ve now decided to start this blog.
Exploring the rice terraces of Sapa, Vietnam.
Why now?
The first thing my mum said to me when I told her I wanted to start a travel blog was “You should’ve done that two years ago when you were in Europe.” Thanks mum. Okay, yes I’m a little late to the party, but I still have so many untold stories that still haven’t seen the light of day! Besides, travel is basically inevitable for me, so even if I’m posting about two years of my life retrospectively, there are still so many more stories that are yet to be come! Plus I’m also pretty sold on the idea of going to Asia this year in August, so I want to have my blog up and running just in case 😉
Why the backpack?
It’s a little more than just loving my backpack to bits. Whilst I generally consider myself a backpacker, staying in hostels and being on a budget, that’s not why I chose this name for my blog. A backpack to me is the start of an adventure. It’s going to carry you through thick and thin, and you’re going to get to the other side with more than what you left with. A little more inspired, a greater appreciation for the small things in life, a different perspective…and rather tight pants if you’re anything like me, since my backpack also tends to be full of snacks 😛
That one time I packed way too many bakery items for one person…and then ate them all whilst admiring the view. Saint-Clair-du-Rhône | France
A few things you should know about me
Crazy foodie
Aside from travel, I’m obsessed with food…I mean, I’m sure that much is obvious from the name of my blog and the imaginary conversations I have with my backpack…but I mean REALLY obsessed with food. Some people just eat because their bodies need fuel. This is a concept that I just can’t fathom. For me, food is one of the most simple yet greatest joys in life. Anyone who’s spent a decent enough amount of meal time with me knows that I will frequently sit in silent, devoted happiness savouring my food whilst conversation goes on around me. When I’m travelling, one of my favourite things is trying local dishes and eating delicacies that aren’t the same at home. Whilst in Europe, I quickly figured out that the days I was most happiest were when I had delicious food with good company and a great view. And I know there are heaps of people like me out there! I want to share my food experiences so that every meal is a good one and you never have any food regrets.
My face whenever I find good food xD Hanoi | Vietnam
Salsera y bachatera
Another thing I’m really passionate about is street Latin dancing: salsa and bachata! If you don’t know what they are, hit up some YouTube videos and maybe you’ll get an idea why. I’ve been dancing for about four years and it’s unexplainably fun, not to mention extremely addictive. If you’ve never tried it, I’d highly recommend checking out some local salsa classes! Other than being a great physical and mental workout, it’s the best place to meet people and make new friends. One thing I love about it is that it’s a universal language. You don’t need to be able to speak to dance! Also as a traveller, it’s a really cool way to meet locals in the city you’re visiting! A lot of friends I’ve made through dancing have showed me around, given me recommendations, and even let me crash with them. There’ll probably be a few posts and recommendations for places I’ve been dancing, so get practicing now so you’ll be ready to check them out 😉
Ex-palaeontology student
After throwing this into the mix, I must sound like I have the weirdest collection of interests. I recently finished my Honours thesis about whale palaeontology. It was something I fell into and never actually thought I’d wanted to study. Once I started though, I found it was the coolest thing you could study ever. I got to write about extinct species of baleen whales, tiny compared to the giant species we see today, getting chased by these gigantic raptorial predatory sperm whales, and I got to do some research about Megalodon, the largest shark that ever lived. Come on, that’s pretty much the coolest thing you could ever study in science! I’m not really sure what is going to happen next with it, whether I want to do further research or try and find work in that field, but there’s a chance I’ll nerd out and write about some fossil whales…or maybe dinosaurs if you’re lucky.
What are you guys interested in reading about in my next post? Comment below or send me an email!
HEY THERE!
I’m Steff, a part-time traveller and full-time foodie from Melbourne, Australia. I want to make sure you never get hungry or suffer from massive food-regret on your next adventure!
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