A Day in the Life

Quite a few people have asked what Baba and I do while the kids are at school since we’re not currently working. Well, here’s an idea of what a typical day looks like for us in Taiwan. (Why do I feel like an influencer making this post? 😂)

6:45am: Wake up and make breakfast.

7:30am: Walk the kids to school. We’re lucky that we’re just a 5-minute walk away. School doesn’t officially start until 7:50am, but C likes getting there early.

8:00am: Baba studies Chinese at home. I either practice Chinese, read, or surf the internet. On Thursdays, Baba would be doing traffic control at school and I’d be volunteering at the school library.

9:30am: Buy groceries at the nearby traditional market or PX Mart, which is like a smaller version of a Safeway here. These are the two places where we shop for groceries the most.

10:00am: I attend Chinese class in Da’an. Some days, Baba and I may use this time to take a mid-morning nap. 😆

12:00pm: Pick up O from school and have lunch. C has school until 4pm for most days out of the week.

1:00pm: We help O complete his homework. (Yes, it takes two adults to do a 1st grader’s Chinese homework. 😂) Most of the time though, O has already completed a portion of his homework at school. Depending on the day, Baba may have Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class in Zhongshan district.

1:30pm: O plays by himself, we go to the library, or buy more groceries for dinner.

2:30pm: Swim at the sports center across the street. Again, we’re super lucky to be living so close to a pool!

3:45pm: Bring O back to school for his after school club. Depending on the day, he may have ping pong, STEM, in-line skating, taekwondo, or magic. C is already at school so he goes straight to his after school club.

4:00pm: I cook dinner. Baba practices more Chinese.

5:45pm: Pick up the kids from after school club.

6:00pm: Dinner and shower before C’s tutor comes. This is usually the most hectic time.

6:30pm: C’s tutor arrives and helps him with his homework.

8:00pm: Kids pack up for school the next day. Brush teeth, and get ready for bed.

8:30pm: Bedtime for the boys.

9:00pm: Garbage trucks come, and Baba and I take the garbage and recycling downstairs. The garbage disposal process in Taiwan is quite an experience! You can read about it here.

10:00pm: Bedtime for Baba and me.