Every family has their own customs and traditions that they practice which makes their social unit different from the others. Through these practices, parents and their children progress their familial relationship into another level. They become closer and at the same time they create a bonding that will forever be embedded in their memories through out their lifetime.
In the case of Jimmy, he and his mother, Laura, have always made it a point to do something together, just the two of them. They are a family of four and Jimmy has a younger sister. Every weekend, they would set up an activity for the family to do but the catch is that there will be two separate activities for Jimmy and his mom and Jimmy’s sister and father. Last weekend, Jimmy and his mom decided to spend their whole Saturday exploring plants and animals at the San Diego Zoo. This place is a combination of a sanctuary for the many species of the animal and plant kingdom and a wildlife park that is filled with various amenities that livens up the visit of many park and zoo goers.
The night before their trip, Jimmy was very excited. He would finally see in real life the animals and plants that he saw in books and discussed in classes in school. He looked forward to personally interacting with cute furry animals and engaging with the rich flora of the gardens. More so, his anticipation influenced him to read a lot of books and to watch television shows such as the Animal Planet, Discovery Channel and National Geographic Channel.
He wanted to learn so that he could be able to identify all the things he will see in the zoo. He also played with his stuffed animals with his sister to act out the possible incidents that could transpire in his trip. Because of his excitement and enthusiasm, his sister felt a little bit of envy to the point that she wanted to come with Jimmy at the zoo. But Jimmy insisted that her trip with their father will be as adventurous as theirs and he would tell her everything about his visit at the zoo.
On the day of Jimmy’s trip to the zoo, he woke up very early. He even got off his bed before his mother could cook breakfast for the whole family. When he went down the kitchen, Jimmy immediately asked the time of their departure for the zoo. His mother replied that he must first eat a big breakfast so that he can be able to handle the big day ahead of him. By the time Jimmy was ready, he made sure that he brought all of his things. He carried a backpack that was filled with food, brochures of the zoo, map of the zoo and park and a camera to capture all the moments of his visit.
As Jimmy saw the entrance of the zoo, he was amazed of the vastness of the area. He was greeted by a large cut-out of a group of animals. Then, Jimmy immediately pulled his mom towards the monkey trail. Jimmy walked on the elevated pathway that was surrounded by a diverse assortment of trees and plants. Because of the backdrop, the visitors felt that they were really in a tropical forest somewhere in Asia or South America.
As he started walking around the trail, he saw different kinds of monkeys. He never saw so many varieties of monkeys. They all came in different sizes and colors. He became more elated when he saw these monkeys doing tricks like eating on their own or jumping up and down as if they were very happy to see a lot of people were there to visit them. His smile and glee continued to intensify when he saw the vibrant colors of the birds. He saw a lot of exotic birds from Africa but Jimmy did not even know these animals existed. It was his first time to get close with this kind of birds.
In fact, he did not even see these animals in books or in the television. He was just ecstatic that he was there and he was able to experience the beauty of nature. Later on along the trail, his cheerfulness seemed to have gradually faded when they reached the area of the reptiles. In this part of their walk, he held his mother’s hand tightly which signified his fear over the scary looking reptiles. When he saw the big scaly pythons and the humongous crocodiles, he hid behind the back of his mother, but his mom told him that there is nothing to be afraid about the animals. She explained to him that they may look scary but without them the ecosystem that humans live in would not function well. More so, she reminded him that some reptiles are dangerous and that handling of these animals should be left for the professionals.
To compensate for the worry of her son, Jimmy’s mother took him to ride the Skyfari wherein they got aboard a Sky Tram. Inside their car, Jimmy saw a different perspective of the whole zoo. He felt liked he was on top of the world. More so, his fright for the reptiles were completely forgotten when he got up in the air. During his stay at the tram, all he did was point his fingers to the amazing attractions and landscape that the zoo offers. He kept on insisting that they must visit all the exhibits and features of the zoo. It was really evident that he was enjoying his trip.
After the Skyfari, Jimmy’s mother took him to the Children’s Zoo where they were given the chance to interact with the animals. Initially, Jimmy was a little bit apprehensive to touch the wool of a sheep because it was simply foreign to him but when the zookeeper assured him that he would be fine, he gradually reached his hand and then he eventually stroked the sheep. Based on his grin facial expression, it can be concluded that Jimmy had a blast being in contact with the animals. When it was the goat’s turn to be petted by the visitors, Jimmy bravely touched the goat’s fluffy brown and white hair and he also fed the goat with a bunch of green leafy grass.
Because of his exciting experience with the goats and sheep, he incessantly asked him if they could buy one of each so that he could pet them at home. Instead of immediately rejecting his request, Jimmy’s mother dodged the question and asked him if he wanted to go to the Panda Research Station where they would see cuter and cuddlier animals. Jimmy instantly and enthusiastically agreed when he heard the word animals leaving his request to be temporarily disregarded.
As they navigated their way towards the Panda Research Station, Jimmy can not help himself to look in all every direction. He would occasionally get bumped by other people or trip up because he was constantly in wonder of all the elements present in the park. Luckily, his mother put a tight grip on him in order to prevent him from getting lost or getting hurt. When they arrived at their destination, they directly went to the exhibitions where giant pandas were being displayed in their natural habitat. In the research station, there were about 4 giant pandas. Some were from China while others were born inside the zoo.
These pandas can grow up to 4 feet and weigh between 150 to 200 pounds. For Jimmy, it was like seeing the stuffed toys sold in malls in action. He was so excited of how adorable the pandas looked. The furry coat of black and white of the pandas and their chubby appearance made them to appear like life-size huggable toys that can climb and hang on sturdy bamboo trees. By this time, aside from happiness and enjoyment that he felt, Jimmy sensed a yearning for food.
Because of their all-day walking and sightseeing, Jimmy’s energy level have subsided so his mother decided to bring him to the Treehouse Café. This was the place where they ate a scrumptious and filling meal that was further highlighted by the exquisite scenery at the top of the café. Since it was already closing time, Jimmy’s mother asked if he wanted to go home already but Jimmy negatively replied. He wanted to see the whole zoo.
As a compromise, his mother said that they would be back next weekend so that he could see the other attractions that they were not able to visit. In order to cheer up Jimmy, his mom took him to Treehouse Trader, a gift shop, to buy some souvenir and toys to give to his sister and father and also so that he can have something to remember his experience at the zoo. After their shopping, Jimmy was left a big smile on his face and a great sense of anticipation for his next visit to the zoo.
