Grandparents hold a very special place in our hearts, and it’s only natural for us to want to pamper them when we grow older.
One Russian TikToker managed to do so in the best way possible by fulfilling her grandfather’s dream trip to Singapore.
She also acted as his tour guide, bringing him to various landmarks such as the Singapore Zoo and Marina Bay Sands (MBS).
Posting to TikTok, Sóphie Lyuik shared that it was her grandfather’s dream to travel abroad to Singapore, among other locations.
The video starts with him arriving at Changi Airport and both of them embracing each other.
Source: TikTok
They then proceeded to embark on their trip around the island.
Framed by moored yachts in the marina, Sóphie’s grandfather waves excitedly at the camera.
The duo also visited the Marina Bay area, where they took in the iconic building’s skyline.
Source: TikTok
Not to be outdone by the public sculptures in the area, he stood for pictures with them as well — with incredibly iconic poses, we must admit.
Source: TikTok
The 82-year-old even got to try out a local restaurant, scooping up food with chopsticks and smiling for the camera.
Source: TikTok
At the S.E.A Aquarium in Sentosa, the elderly man appeared spellbound by the variety of marine wildlife on display.
Source: TikTok
Posing happily with the fishes, it’s fair to say that the aquarium has gained a new fan.
Source: TikTok
He also seemed to have a good time at the Singapore Zoo, befriending a lemur at an exhibit and waving at a passing crocodile.
The most adorable moments of the video, though, have got to be his interactions with the robots around the island.
Source: TikTok
He follows one around in a restaurant and even salutes another in a show of impressive respect.
Source: TikTok
Apart from his trail around Singapore, he also visited the twin Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Source: TikTok
According to Sóphie, she had previously lived in Malaysia before moving to Singapore.
Speaking to MS News, she shared that her grandfather took the vacation seriously and months before it, trained himself on eating with chopsticks.
In local restaurants, he was able to use his newfound skills, refusing to eat with a fork.
Her grandfather also taught himself to pronounce English words properly, making a little vocabulary of sorts.
Furthermore, he read a few books on Singapore history and did morning warm ups to prepare himself for long walks.
His efforts paid off, as Sóphie’s grandfather managed to enjoy his vacation to Singapore.
He was impressed by Singapore’s cleanliness and beauty and “fell in love” with locals who would smile and try to help him out.
“He was amazed by the local food as well! His favorite places to eat were Din Tai Fung, Crystal Jade, Old Chang Kee, and Korean BBQ,” Sóphie said.
Egg yolk sauce everything, wasabi shrimps and spicy kimchi are now forever on his top.
What made this holiday even more special for Sóphie and her grandfather was that it was his first time travelling abroad.
He had been unable to travel earlier because he took care of Sóphie’s grandmother. After her passing, Sóphie made his travel documents.
“Unfortunately, it was at the beginning of 2020… we had to wait for a long 3 years to make everything happen,” she said.
In a country plagued by stories of the elderly left abandoned, it is heartwarming to witness the love and respect a granddaughter has for her grandfather.
Kudos to Sóphie, and may the duo continue to have many such blessed trips ahead of them.
Hopefully, this will also encourage us to spend more time with our grandparents.
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Featured image adapted from TikTok.
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