Fathers who travel: 3 Diamond members on keeping in touch with family while abroad

Taking your children to their after-school activities, sitting down to a family meal, laughing at an in-joke: these are the small yet significant moments that make up a parent’s life. Such moments are all the more precious when you have work commitments that often take you away from your family. In honour of Father’s Day, we spotlight three dads (who are also Diamond members) who have learnt how to stay connected with their families while away on business.

Tech in touch

Diamond members Vijay Daswani, Keith Chan and Juan all agree on one thing: technology has made it easier than ever to connect. 

Daswani, who runs his own fashion business and travels seven months out of the year, keeps in touch with his wife, his three adult daughters and his son-in-law via WhatsApp. Even though his family members are spread across Hong Kong, Dubai and the United Kingdom, the family group chat keeps everyone close. 

“In the old days, long-distance phone calls were so expensive,” Daswani recalls. “You used to just say ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’ to hear the person’s voice. Now, it’s free and easy to connect. You could be thousands of miles away, but just pick up your phone and it’s as if you’re right there.”

Social media has also helped to bridge the distance. As Daswani says, “I don’t even need to call my daughters now; I can see what they’re doing on Instagram Stories!” 

Chan, who travels roughly every two months for his job in a construction material business, also uses WhatsApp to keep in touch with his wife and his two daughters, aged 12 and 10. “Whenever I pass by an interesting place or see something funny on my trip, I’ll take a photo and send it to them,” he says. “I often travel to Japan for work, and my eldest daughter loves to eat udon, so I’ll take photos of that for her.”

Sending snapshots is something that Juan, who works for a financial services firm, also likes to do. He has an 11-year-old daughter and two sons, aged nine and seven. “I share my experiences during my journey as a way of bringing my kids along with me,” he says. “I’ll take pictures of the destination placard at the airport gate, the plane, my hotel room, and interesting things I’m eating and looking at. 

“My kids really like a restaurant in Australia called Pancakes On The Rocks, so if I walk past one I’ll take a selfie and say, ‘Dad’s eating at your favourite restaurant’ to annoy them,” Juan says, chuckling. 

“Just because you’re physically not there doesn’t mean you can’t emotionally and mentally be there for your wife and your kids,” he says. “I think small connections go a long way.”

Jetting away with the family

Daswani makes the most of opportunities to combine his business trips with a family getaway. He has travelled far and wide for his job, from Brazil and Mexico to South Africa, and some of these places have become beloved holiday destinations for his family. “My kids’ favourite place is Cape Town, so if they know I’m going there for business, they’ll ask to come with me,” Daswani says. “My wife tells me that I pick the markets I operate in based on where I want to be!” 

Both Chan and Juan have revisited business trip locations with their families. “I took my kids to Seoul in May and they had a blast,” says Chan.

“I think it’s really nice taking my family back to the places where I’ve worked a lot, and showing them where I stayed and my favourite restaurants,” adds Juan. 

Making moments count

Business trips are unavoidable, but Chan tries to keep them short so he can spend more time at home. “I always try to have at least one meal a day with my kids when I’m back,” he says. “I also play video games with them, and I play golf with my eldest daughter. My younger daughter goes horse-riding with her mum. We have activities that we do together.”

For Juan, it’s a seamless transition from travelling for work to getting back into the family’s routine: “I’ll take a red-eye flight on Friday, land on Saturday morning, and then take my kids to swimming practice or music lessons.”

He thinks there’s a silver lining to travelling for work: “Business trips are often busy, but they provide an opportunity to spend a bit more time by yourself. It’s a little mental break so that when you come back, you’re a bit more refreshed and 100 per cent ready to be with your family again.”