Kristoffer posing in front of the Temples

I have always taken Kristoffer with me whenever I travelled, whether it be local United States destinations or on my frequent jaunts to Manila, and when he was a young boy, to Germany to see his relatives in Dusseldorf.  He enjoyed trying to speak Deutsch, struggled with Tagalog, and eventually, was able to decipher phrases and words from both cultures.   At age 13, he travelled solo to Spain to meet up with his German cousins and travelled to Barcelona, Spain, and Portofino, Italy with them.  He has also been to Austria which he enjoyed especially when he recognized the mountain range that he has seen in the movie the "Sound of Music," and was enthralled by the castles and monasteries we stopped to tour along the way, as we travelled the autobahn to get from Dusseldorf to the old Bavarian countryside, and finally to Beethoven's small town in Austria.  

 In the Philippines, Kristoffer has played golf and danced with the Igorots in Baguio, compared his towering 6-foot frame with the Negritos of Subic, sampled the original "sisig" (sizzling hotplate of chopped pig's ears, onions and chiles) in Pampanga, swam the beaches of Mactan Island in Cebu, and has completely immersed himself in the Manileno's lifestyle of concerts, night life and golf, while admiring the natural beauty and grace of the native "Pinays."  With frequent trips to the home country, Kristoffer has grown to appreciate his Filipino roots and has even made an authentic effort to try and speak Tagalog. He loved it so much that he can cook adobo, menudo, sinigang and "paksiw na pata" (pigs knuckles cooked in soy and vinegar), and looks forward to an occasional Pinoy breakfast of "Tapsilog" (tapa or fried marinated beef with garlic rice and egg), "Longsilog" (longanisa or pork sausages with garlic rice and egg) and "Paka-plog" (Pandesal or native bread with coffee and egg). 

The positive impact of travelling is not lost on Kristoffer either.  As a teen, after having met his cousins in both countries, the Philippines and Germany, my son is now hanging out with an ethnically diverse group of friends, among them a Thai, Korean, Vietnamese, Chinese, Malaysian, Mexican, and of course, a Filipino and an American. He proudly wears "Ako'y Pinoy" (I am Filipino) T-shirts, has participated recently in an Independence Day re-enactment of the Battle of Mactan, courtesy of PHILIPPINE WEEKLY publisher, ORLY BERNARDINO, where Kristoffer played Magellan, his Thai friend, Danny played the Spanish friar, and his Mexican friend Brandon played a Spanish guard.   Last Christmas, my son had patiently lined up with his Dad, WOLFGANG, at the KRISTKINDLEMARKET at the Daley Plaza in 20-degree weather, to get a taste of "Gluckwine,"  a hot red wine toddy served in a ceramic boot with Bavarian markings, and freshly grilled German bratwurst smeared with tangy yellow mustard.  He enjoys what both cultures, Filipino and German, has taught him, and continues to explore and appreciate what it means to be a product and a son of both environments.

At a club in Phuket - (L-R) ock Ricca, Lisa Traimas,  Kristoffer Wildoer, Danny Traimas, Pheem.

Kristoffer is still young, at the cusp of his manhood, poised to tackle life's journey on his own.  He is learning about true friendships, the highs and lows of relationships, and the importance of a good education.  He now has his own dreams and ambitions, of being a hotelier like his father, of  possibly owning and managing his own restaurant, or partnering with a friend to open one, of travelling to exotic places to learn more about culinary cultures, and of many more wonderful experiences that could enrich him in ways that only first-hand interaction could bring, and to live life to the fullest, while being aware of the surprises and possible disappointments that may also come across in his travel, and his life.  Lost baggage and lost friends, wrong directions and wrong decisions, bad weather and bad timing, in travel or in life's journey, the good may come with the bad, and it is up to us to decide to keep moving forward to reach our destination, or to abandon ship and abort the mission.  Hopefully, my son will opt for the former and realize that giving up, or abandoning ship, may lead to dead ends and dead ambitions.   Sure, this was only a two week trip to Bangkok, but already, Kristoffer has renewed visions of a Thai fusion themed bistro and has already started experimenting with the flavor of the dishes he remembered. He lost 15 pounds from meatless menus which he gave up for seafood and fresh vegetables, for freshly prepared chili mango salads and phad thais heaped with pepper flakes that burst in his mouth like fireworks on the beach of Phuket.  He hiked, he swam, he danced, he drank, he felt good living the night life, but also appreciated the blessing of a Buddhist Monk in one of the temples, keeping a string bracelet given to him by the monk as one of his prized possessions, to be reminded of what the monk said to him about staying positive to give out positive energy, and to meditate to invoke calm, peace, and a deeper connection to the universe.  Yes, it may be temporary, but then again, it may be one of those profound experiences that can also stay with him as part of an event in his life that may have an impact on him which will be manifested in the future.  The point is, Kristoffer went to Bangkok to have a good time, and came away with more than just a drunken memory of his Thai experience. 

Now with "wanderlust" firmly stamped in his DNA, Kristoffer has now started to explore on his own, this Thailand trip being the first of many international trips that I hope he will be taking, and ultimately, sharing with his own family in the future. 

Please enjoy my son's pictures as I have...after all, our snapshots are frozen memories of a time in our lives when we know we are truly living life.