Little brother O (弟弟) started 3rd grade this year. We’re not too worried about O for a few reasons: 1) he’s been in Taiwan schools since 1st grade so he already has a solid foundation, 2) based on our experience with C, 3rd grade isn’t too stressful yet, and 3) thankfully, O was assigned a fairly relaxed teacher. He is known to organize a lot of field trips. Last week we went to a treasury/finance museum.
Homework is reasonable, on average 30-40 minutes a day. But O’s teacher has been giving more challenging homework than I remember C getting in 3rd grade — things like sentence composition and short essays. Thank goodness for ChatGPT! 😅
Starting this year, O has 3 long days of school a week, so I miss having the little guy around at home in the afternoons. For the last two years, he’d come home around noon, have lunch, finish his homework, and spend the rest of the afternoon on his hobbies. It felt so carefree. Now, on top of the longer school days, O has after-school activities everyday: Minecraft, swimming, and art — so we don’t see him until almost 6 pm on most days.
Outside of school, O practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, plays Minecraft, and loves to read — especially fantasy novels. He’s become hooked on the Harry Potter and Percy Jackson series! Recently, I’ve noticed his writing becoming more expressive and imaginative, so over the summer, I encouraged him to write his own book (since I have a little experience in that area 😏). He decided to write a story about overcoming the fear of trying new things, something he is still personally working through. The result is a cute story called Bowie the Brave, now available on Amazon!
We couldn’t be prouder of O. He used to be really hesitant about trying new things, but we’ve seen how much his confidence has grown. Recently, he read his book in front of his class — something that would’ve seemed unlikely not long ago. Although he was nervous at first, we’re so glad he pushed through and did it anyway. My SIL also shared his book with her school principal, who then invited O to give a presentation about his book to a group of 2nd graders in December. It will another big challenge, but O is willing to take it on!
Sometimes I miss the summer, when Baba and I could take on projects like these with the kids. During that time, the boys seemed their most creative: building fun Lego and cardboard creations, C experimenting in the kitchen, and O working on his book. We had time to slow down, to wonder and create together. Now that school is in full swing and schedules are packed with homework, there’s little time left for personal projects like these, and I can’t help but wonder if their creativity gets stifled a bit. Still, I’m grateful that Baba and I get to spend so much valuable time with them. Not every parent gets that opportunity, and I don’t take it for granted.
C and O have been back in school for over a month now, so I thought it’d be a good time to share a little recap. I’ll start with big brother C (哥哥) first.
In Taiwan, elementary students switch teachers and classmates every two years, a transition that can feel nerve-wracking for families. This year, both C and O had to change classes. Knowing this, Baba and I met with the Director of Academic Affairs to request a more “relaxed” teacher for C. Since he was already doing about 2 hours of homework in 4th grade everyday, we couldn’t imagine what it would be like for the next two years.
The Director assured us that teachers are randomly assigned (which we weren’t entirely convinced of but let go) and said we’d need to work directly with C’s teacher. In August, classroom assignments were released and C was placed with the most notoriously strict 5th-grade teacher 😆. And we knew she was strict because she mailed every family a 4-page letter outlining expectations and sent daily reminders all summer.
We reached out to the teacher share our situation. She asked if C could try completing all the homework for a month and then see if adjustments are needed. We replied that he will do the best he can within the time we allocated for him (~1 hour a day), with the condition that he wouldn’t have to stay in class during recess if he couldn’t finish (a common practice here).
I was nervous about how she’d respond. In Taiwan, homework and tests are the ultimate measures of success, and this teacher seemed stern and unyielding. But to my surprise, she’s been understanding. Even when C couldn’t finish his homework, she didn’t scold or embarrass him (though she still has to grade him fairly). Over time, C has grown to appreciate that she allows students to start homework in class, has a structured schedule, and even her humor while scolding students. I’m grateful he’s kept such a positive attitude through all these changes.
Left photo: C doing homework in class. Right photo: His nightly stack of homework books. 😯
This year has been a bit more challenging since we decided not to bring back our tutor. Combined with our limited schedule for C’s Chinese homework, it’s led to lower grades, which was something we expected. We keep reminding C that this choice is intentional: we want to prioritize his well-being and focus on what will benefit him in the long run. Of course, once we’re back in the US, homework can’t be left unfinished and grades matter more. I just hope he’s not going to think that skipping work or poor grades are acceptable… 😣
For extracurriculars, C is on the badminton team, Global Scholars Program, and an ambassador 小小外交 at school. He also had the opportunity to visit Kinmen 金門 (an outer island of Taiwan) for 3 days in September with classmates. Outside of school activities, C (and O) still practices Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, has gotten really interested in Minecraft and making Lego stop motion videos. Baba has also been working with the boys on simple engineering projects, while I’ve been focusing on reading and writing. It’s been busy in a good way!
After Japan, we flew to Australia, a destination that had long been on our travel wish list. Since it’s only about a 7.5-hour direct flight from Tokyo with just a 3-hour time difference, we couldn’t pass up the chance to visit while living in Asia.
Cairns. We took a direct flight from Tokyo to Cairns, landing at 4:30 a.m. We were exhausted. Unfortunately, our hotel room wasn’t ready, so we wandered between cafes, and eventually fell asleep on a couch at a mall looking more than a little disheveled. It was not our best moment. 😂
The next day, we rented a car to drive to Daintree Rainforest. I hadn’t driven in two years since moving to Taiwan, and now I had to do it on the opposite side of the road! 😬 I was white-knuckling the wheel for a good 10 minutes, but got so used to driving in Australia after awhile that I don’t even remember what it’s like driving on the right side anymore.
We hiked through the Daintree, spotted some wild turkeys (though the elusive cassowary remained out of sight!), and swam in a freezing cold water hole. Daintree is actually pretty huge and requires driving between different spots, but it was was a much appreciated peaceful break from our usual city life.
Later that day, we went on a boat ride to spot wild crocodiles at the Daintree River. We saw crocodiles of all sizes, from the massive dominant male to a 6-month-old baby.
But the main attraction in Cairns is, of course, the Great Barrier Reef. We booked a snorkeling tour with Passions of Paradise, which first required a two-hour drive out to the outer reef. The boat ride there was incredibly rocky, and several people got seasick, including C.
The Great Barrier Reef was truly a dream. The coral was huge, and full of diverse colors, intricate shapes and beauty. It’s fascinating to me that this underwater wonder was built by billions of tiny polyps over thousands of years. We didn’t see any unusual sea creatures (sea turtles, sharks, etc.) but we were surrounded by schools of dazzling colorful fish, and even spotted a humpback whale on our way back! Despite it being winter, the water was surprisingly warm and comfortable.
On our last day in Cairns, we were able to meet up with friends that happened to be in Australia at the same time. We took a ferry to Fitzroy Island, where we hiked and snorkeled at the stunning beach. It was the perfect way to end our stay in Cairns: sharing it with familiar faces Down Under!
The Outback. After Cairns, we flew to the Outback. Baba and I had debated whether to go here because for one thing, it’s very remote, and secondly, it’s expensive. The Outback’s remoteness makes everything — flights, hotels, food, gas — much more expensive than almost anywhere in the country. But the Outback is quintessentially Australian, and we felt it would be a really unique experience so we decided to go after all.
We flew into Alice Springs in the late afternoon and began the four-hour drive to Kings Canyon, knowing we’d arrive well after sunset. That alone felt like an adventure because driving after dark is considered one of the riskiest things you can do in the Outback. Kangaroos and other wildlife frequently dart across the road, and a collision could leave your car badly damaged. Out here, there’s no quick call to AAA and a tow truck comes to the rescue. You’d be stranded. In summer, the danger is even greater, with extreme heat turning a breakdown into a life-threatening situation. (Thankfully, we were traveling during Australia’s winter, when the weather was cool.)
The road to Kings Canyon was rough and uneven, and for nearly two hours we were tossed around, swaying side to side like balls rattling inside a machine. To make matters worse, we had rented the tiniest, dinkiest car, so we felt every jolt along the way. 😅 The road was full of obstacles too — huge puddles and herds of camels and cows blocking our path. After an eternity, we made it to Kings Canyon safely and had a good night’s sleep.
Kings Canyon is beautiful, with its bright red rock formations and dramatic, deep canyon. We hiked the popular Rim Trail, and the clear blue skies, crisp air, and breathtaking views made the trek enjoyable. Temperatures were chilly, ranging from the mid-30s to low 50s, and we quickly realized this would be the pattern throughout our Outback stay. No complaints, though…we actually prefer the cold!
After Kings Canyon, we drove to Uluru, the icon of the Outback. The rock is estimated to be 550 million years old and formed from sandstone. We did the Uluru Base Walk, a flat 6-mile walk around the sacred rock. The Aboriginal people of Uluru belong to one of the oldest continuous cultures in the world, with a history that goes back more than 50,000 years, even longer than the ancient civilizations of Egypt!
During our stay in Uluru, we saw the rock countless times. Honestly, at first I shrugged and thought, “Eh, it’s just a rock.” Despite knowing its deep cultural and historical significance, it didn’t strike me as particularly spectacular. But then we saw Uluru at sunset. As the sun sank lower, the dull brown surface changed into a fiery red, glowing as if lit from within. In that moment, it felt otherworldly. (Picture on the left is Uluru during sunset, and right is during sunrise.)
We also hiked the Valley of the Winds at Uluru, a beautiful trail that winds through towering red rock domes and offers sweeping views of the desert landscape. One of my favorite hikes in Australia!
The next day, we drove 5 hours from Uluru back to Alice Springs. (Yes, there was A LOT of driving in the Outback.) In Alice Springs, we visited the Alice Springs Desert Park, filled with animals native to the Outback. Honestly, it was a little underwhelming — many exhibits were empty and we saw very few animals. Tickets weren’t cheap either, about $26 USD per adult and $13 USD per kid.
On our last day in the Outback, we drove to the West MacDonnell Ranges, which is a huge mountain range spanning over 400 miles. There are popular multi-day treks there but we picked a half-day hike at Ormiston Pound. The trail was wonderfully varied — we walked through grasslands, scrambled over huge boulders, and even waded across a small pond.
Would I go back to the Outback? Probably not. It’s difficult to reach, the food was mediocre at best, and as I mentioned, it’s expensive. With so few restaurants, we found ourselves eating way too many protein bars on our hikes. The boys and I agreed we never want to see another one again. 😆Still, the Outback has its own quiet charm. Its vast, empty stretches make you feel like you’re the only person out there on this strange, wild landscape.
Sydney. After a week in the rugged, desolate Outback, we were more than ready to return to city life, and Sydney was the perfect contrast. With its blend of historic and modern architecture, diverse culture, lush parks, and waterfront setting, it reminded me of a mix between San Francisco and New York. Sydney is often rated as one of the most beautiful cities in the world and there’s no refuting that.
Sydney reminded me of why I sometimes miss living in the US. People were so friendly, not just in Sydney, but all across Australia. Taiwanese people are incredibly kind but reserved. Australians have this way of striking up a conversation as if you’ve been friends for years. Walking into a supermarket, I couldn’t help but linger over the ingredients I’ve long missed in Taiwan: all the cheese, beans, berries, and spices! Sydney is a very diverse city so of course we made sure to enjoy all the cuisines that are harder to find back in Taipei. (We thought the food in the Bay Area is slightly better, but still hit the spot!)
The kids absolutely love the beach, so we made our way to two of Sydney’s most famous ones: Bondi and Manly. Since it was winter, the water was cold and the waves were strong so wading in the water wasn’t an option. Still, the boys were perfectly happy spending hours playing in the sand. Living in Taipei, we don’t really have easy access to beaches, so I’m glad the boys had these special seaside moments.
We also took a day trip to the Blue Mountains, a national park about a 1.5 hour drive outside of Sydney. There, we hiked the Grand Canyon trail, which turned out to be stunning, full of lush greenery, canyons, and river crossings. Although the fog kept us from seeing some of the Blue Mountains’ more iconic viewpoints, the hike itself was so beautiful that it felt entirely worth the trip.
We spent 2.5 weeks in Australia and had an amazing time. Sydney, in particular, was one of those places that made us wonder, “Should we move here?” 😏 The trip felt perfectly balanced: we visited tropical Cairns, the rugged Outback, and vibrant Sydney. It was the kind of vacation that made it really hard to pack up and go home!
I honestly can’t remember what sparked the idea of climbing Fuji. What I do know is that when Baba and I started planning this trip, I wanted to go beyond the usual tourist stops. It wasn’t our first time in Japan after all. The boys love hiking – the more challenging, the better – and this felt like something unique our family can do together.
Source: Unsplash.com
Before you think I’d completely lost my mind, let me assure you: we weren’t the only ones with this idea. Kids as young as O’s age and hikers in their 70s-80s have made it to the top of Mt. Fuji. The mountain isn’t a stroll through the park, but it also isn’t a technical climb. With some determination and a decent level of fitness, even ordinary people like our family can do it!
The summer months are Mt. Fuji’s official climbing season. People can do the climb in one day (aka a “bullet climb”) but I wanted to stay overnight in a mountain hut to acclimate and rest. There are multiple huts at various parts of the mountain, the closer it is to the summit the more expensive and harder to reserve. I was able to snag a mountain hut at the 7.5th station at 3,200 meters high. (The highest hut you can book is at 8.5th station.) That would give us 2-3 hours to reach the summit the next day.
For reference, I booked the Miharashikan Hut on the Subashiri Trail. It cost about $340 USD for the four of us, which included a one night stay with basic facilities and two meals (dinner and breakfast).
We decided to hike Mt. Fuji on Friday, July 18, toward the end of our trip. In the days leading up to our climb, the mountain was hit with severe storms. The park even issued alerts prohibiting hiking and summiting, and many disappointed hikers shared online that their trips had been canceled. I kept checking the forecast for the 18th, which showed signs of clearing, but with mountain weather you can never be too sure…
But on July 18, the weather cleared. In fact, the weather was PERFECT. No rain, no wind, and not too hot or cold. We couldn’t have been any luckier with the weather. 🙏
For the hike, we packed plenty of snacks, water, and layers of clothing as the temperature changes rapidly as you ascend. We started out early in the morning, and traveled about 3 hours by train and shuttle bus to reach the 5th station of the Subashiri Trail.
Mt. Fuji has four main trails to the summit: Yoshida, Fujinomiya, Subashiri, and Gotemba. The Yoshida Trail is often considered the “easiest,” but it’s also the most crowded so we chose the Subashiri Trail instead. The other two routes were either too long and or had too much elevation gain.
Map of the Mt. Fuji trails
We arrived at the 5th station around 11am, about an hour later than planned since we missed the first shuttle bus. 😣 We spent the next hour there snacking, resting, and acclimating. Note: At 2,000 meters, the 5th station isn’t that high so most people really don’t need that much time to adjust, but we wanted to play it safe. We also bought matcha ice cream and a Fuji hiking stick while we were there.
Starting in 2025, all hikers on Mt. Fuji are required to purchase a $25 USD permit. The new system is designed to limit the number of climbers to about 4,000 per day, addressing the growing crowds. While booking a mountain hut was difficult, getting a permit was not.
We started our hike on the Subashiri Trail around noon. Our destination for that day was our mountain hut at the 7.5th station where we would spend the night. The trail began like many wooded paths, lined with trees that provided shade, big stone steps and exposed roots that we had to climb over. Thankfully, about every mile there were mountain huts where hikers could rest, buy water, and use the restroom.
Snacks and water are available for purchase at every station, though prices increase with elevation. By the 7th and 8th stations, a 0.5L bottle of water can cost around $4 USD. Toilets are also available at every station and cost about $1.50 USD per use. To my relief, they were Western-style, generally pretty clean, stocked with toilet paper, and some even had flushing capability!, an impressive feat on a 3,776-meter-high mountain. Leave it to the Japanese to make flushing toilets possible at that altitude.
Forgot to take a picture of the toilets, but here’s one pulled from the internet!
I’ll be honest, it was not easy for me to get up to our hut. 😅 Mt. Fuji is famous for its switchbacks, where the trails zigzag across the slopes instead of going straight up. While this makes the climb more manageable, it also made the uphill feel endless. I’ve hiked many steep trails before, but usually after a stretch of climbing you hit some flat ground to catch your breath. On Fuji, it’s steep the ENTIRE way, and the higher elevation makes every step even harder. I hiked up very slowly (probably a little too slowly) but thankfully Baba stayed with me for support.
The boys, on the other hand, found the hike to be a walk in the park. 😆 They often hiked far ahead, leaving me and Baba in the dust. C and I had planned to take turns carrying the backpack, but at one point, he ended up carrying it the whole way himself. I’m so grateful that my boys are so strong and easy going.
By around 6pm, we finally arrived at our mountain hut. It was extremely cold at this point. We were served a simple meal of curry with rice, vegetables and hot tea. I had a minor headache and no appetite (likely from the altitude) but Baba insisted we finish every bite, reminding us that our bodies needed the fuel. After taking an ibuprofen, I felt somewhat better.
Since most hikers wake up around 2am to catch the sunrise, the hut turns off the lights at 8pm. We slept in sleeping bags laid out in a large shared room, separated only by thin curtains for a bit of privacy. The space was clean, but you are literally sleeping shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers. Surprisingly, we all slept pretty well despite the cold and unfamiliar space.
We’ve seen many sunrises and never felt that it was worth getting up at 2-3am so we also skipped it on Fuji. While the other hikers in our hut left early, we got up at 5am and were the last to check out. Still, we were able to catch the sunrise from our hut and it was lovely. (Still not worth getting up early though. 😅)
After a quick breakfast of bread and juice at our hut, we set out for the summit. From there, it was estimated to take 2–3 hours to reach the top. As we climbed higher, the trail grew steeper and more challenging. To make matters worse, the path alternated between large boulders to scramble over and loose, slippery gravel that made every step feel like you were sliding backward – ugh!
Baba made sure I drank plenty of water and took a rest at every opportunity. (The boys, meanwhile, zoomed ahead on their own.) I took far longer to reach the summit than necessary, but finally, after one last grueling push, we all made it to the peak!! 🎉
Being the worrywart that I am, I had worried we wouldn’t make it to the top, or that something would go wrong and our plans would be canceled. So finally passing through the last gate to Mt. Fuji’s summit felt utterly surreal. I am so proud of us!
We spent about an hour at the summit, wandering around the crater. The boys mailed postcards – yes, there’s an actual post office on top of Mt. Fuji! Later, we discovered that there’s an even higher point along the crater called Kengamine, considered the true peak of Mt. Fuji. Descending from there was an adventure in itself. It was by far the steepest part of the hike. People were literally slipping and sliding down, and Baba and I had to cling to the side railing for dear life. The picture below doesn’t do it justice!
Around noon, we began our descent, which took much longer than expected. The trail down was super steep and covered in loose gravel, offering little grip and made me extremely nervous. The Subashiri Trail also has a “sand run” section, where people literally run or slide down. My boys found it fun, but I thought otherwise. It felt like skiing on volcanic sand!
Frankly, I found the descent even harder than the ascent. I was exhausted, drenched in sweat, and my ankles were painfully digging into my boots. I moved at a snail’s pace, my nerves only fueling my frustration. But we had to hurry back to the 5th station to catch the last shuttle and, luckily, we made it just in time!
Passed out on the shuttle.
Unfortunately, we still had to endure the 3-hour trek back to Tokyo. 😅 Once at our Airbnb, we quickly ate instant ramen (because most restaurants were closed at that point), took a much-needed shower, and finally, FINALLY, collapsed into a deep, well-deserved sleep.
We didn’t wake up until almost 10am the next day. We were all a bit sore and tired, but ecstatic we’d made it. A strange side effect of the hike though? C and I both ended up with huge swollen, sunburned lips! We hadn’t thought to put on lip balm, and the sun at that high elevation was merciless. Lesson learned: never forget your lip balm!
Someone once said, “A wise man climbs Mt. Fuji once; only a fool climbs it twice.” I couldn’t agree more. I’m so glad we did it, and it will always be a core memory, but once was definitely enough. 😆 Thanks for an unforgettable time, Fuji-san!
Over the summer, we went to Tokyo, Japan for 10 days (followed by Australia but more on that later). This would be my third time in Japan, so I wasn’t too keen on visiting again except for a few reasons:
We brought C to Japan when he was only a year old, and O has never been
DisneySea is often called the best Disney park in the world, so we thought it was the perfect place to take the boys for their first Disney experience
We wanted to climb Mt. Fuji
Japan is only a three hour flight from Taiwan – plus, no jet lag!
Japan has always been a favorite destination for many, particularly in the last few years to the point that it’s suffering from overtourism. To be honest, I never understood it. Japan is nice enough – safe, clean and affordable – but I didn’t think it was any more special than other countries. I never got the hype…until this trip.
First, the food. We didn’t seek out the most popular spots, yet even the little restaurants down the street were amazing. I don’t think we ever had a bad meal there, and everything was so affordable! (As you can tell from the pictures below, we ate a LOT of sushi.)
Next up: DisneySea. We’re not huge Disney fans, but could still appreciate their stunning visuals, immersive experiences, and attention to detail. DisneySea felt especially unique, with rides like Soaring Fantastic Flight and Journey to the Center of the Earth that we had never experienced before.
Tickets to DisneySea were about $70 USD for adults, and $60 USD for kids, which is a STEAL compared to the prices for Disneyland in Anaheim. We did splurge on fast passes for Soaring Fantastic Flight and Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey, at around $15 USD per person per ride. What would’ve been a 1.5 hour – 2 hour wait ended up being a 10-15 minute wait with the fast passes, so the splurge was worth it!
By the end of a full day at DisneySea, our feet were so sore and our wallets a little lighter, but we had an absolute blast. Disney sure knows how to make your experience there enjoyable!
On a less successful theme park note…
We had also planned to go to Legoland Japan for O’s birthday. We were careful to book tickets for Legoland Resort (the full theme park), not the Legoland Discovery Center (the smaller indoor version). The day before while checking the route, we realized it would take us THREE hours by train to get there. (Why we didn’t notice this earlier, I have no idea.) But since it was O’s birthday and we already had the tickets, we decided to make the trek anyway.
At the crack of dawn, we packed our bags and headed to the train station…only for Baba to discover that round-trip train tickets would cost us $700 USD!! 😱😱 We checked, re-checked, and triple-checked, but it was true. Since Legoland is in Nagoya, the only way to get there was the Shinkansen, and those tickets are pricey. (Planning ahead? Clearly not our strong suit.)
We had to cut our losses short. We gave up our Legoland tickets (about $150 USD) and faced the hardest part– telling the boys. Poor O burst into tears, heartbroken that his birthday trip to Legoland was canceled. My mama heart was crushed.
To soften the blow, we went to the Legoland Discovery Center instead (ironically, the very place we had been so careful not to book initially – ha!). Thankfully, it’s right in central Tokyo, and while it’s nowhere near as comprehensive as the full resort, it still had enough rides, games, and Lego builds to keep the boys entertained for most of the day.
We wrapped up by letting the birthday boy choose dinner — AYCE shabu shabu, which helped turn a disappointing start to a day that was still memorable and fun. Happy birthday O, we love you! ❤️
On our last day in Tokyo, we visited TeamLabs Planets, an immersive exhibit that combines art with technology. The boys and I had already been impressed by a TeamLabs exhibit in Taipei, but since Japan is where TeamLabs originated, we wanted to check it out.
The experience was nothing short of psychedelic and fully immersive, from bouncing among giant ceiling-to-floor spheres, to walking barefoot through water as digital fish swam around us! The “wow” factor never stopped. It was wildly creative, awe-inspiring from start to finish, and highly recommended for kids AND adults!
As you can tell, we didn’t exactly dive into Japan’s cultural side on this trip. 😏 Instead, it was mostly theme parks and art exhibits, but we still had a fantastic time.
As for our Mt. Fuji climb…this post is getting a bit long and I think that deserves a post all its own. So, stay tuned!
I know I complained about C’s homework load in my last post, but I want to acknowledge that our school offers amazing opportunities that teach valuable lessons beyond the classroom, some of which were not available to us in the U.S. (especially not in elementary school). Most opportunities are for 4th grade and up, so unfortunately O will have to wait his turn.
Little Diplomat. This year, C was selected to be a “Little Diplomat”. Occasionally, our school has visitors from other countries, and Little Diplomats are responsible for welcoming them, giving tours of the school, and presenting on different topics. C met people from Indonesia, Korea, Japan and the Kingdom of Eswatini. Being a Little Diplomat has allowed C to practice public speaking and learn how to interact with people from different cultures.
International Exchange. Early in the school year, C participated in a school trip to Penghu, one of Taiwan’s outer islands. He wrote about the experience here. Then last month, our school organized a trip to Korea for a week! Students even got to do a homestay for 1 night with a local family – how cool is that?! Hopefully C will be able to write a post about his Korean school trip sometime.
Beyond just having fun, C also learned a lot through this experience. Since he’s a native English speaker and comfortable speaking in front of others, the school often asks him to present or help translate between Taiwanese and Korean students. In the months leading up to the trip, students would also meet on a weekly basis to prepare – writing to Korean students, practicing performances, learning about Korean culture and language, etc.
Badminton Team. C has been on the badminton team since the beginning of the school year. I’ve always been a fan of kids playing sports – they learn about teamwork, get exercise, and develop grit. C absolutely loves playing badminton. And so much to his delight, his team has practices almost everyday, sometimes twice a day. Unlike the elementary school sports in the US, Taiwan school teams take practice very seriously (as with most other things 😅). Students have to run laps if they don’t do well during practices, and can get kicked off the team if they consistently perform poorly or have a bad attitude. It’s a bit harsh compared to U.S. standards but it definitely pushes the kids to work hard and take their responsibilities seriously.
Global Scholars Program. C isn’t part of this program yet, but will be applying for it. It’s a program for 5th and 6th graders that focuses on global issues – like reducing food waste – where students collaborate to develop solutions and create an action plan. They then present their action plan to other students from around the world participating in the same program.
The goal of this program aligns perfectly with what we’ve been encouraging our boys to do: identify a problem, come up with a solution, and take action. We hope this experience will help C build important skills like teamwork, communication, and leadership. To us, these skills are far more important than scoring well on a social studies exam. 😅
The programs I’ve mentioned are not available in every Taipei public school, so we really appreciate that our school has such an international and forward-thinking focus. That’s one of the great things about living on a small island like Taiwan – people are always looking outward and eager to learn from others around the world.
But it would be remiss not to mention C’s role in all of this. Despite a heavy homework load, he’s always excited to participate in activities. He definitely has a bit of FOMO – which, in his case, is a good thing – because he truly wants to make the most of every opportunity.
Oof. I haven’t had the motivation to write anything as of late. But with the school year is slipping away (less than 2 months to go!), I wanted to record our second-year experience at our school in Taiwan.
Students in elementary school have the same teacher, classmates, and schedule for two consecutive years, so there were no changes there. O is in 2nd grade, comes home at noon on most days, and homework is still about 20 minutes each day. This schedule is great because it allows him to relax and pursue his interests. For awhile he was into Rubik’s cube, and now he’s into reading (current favorite genre is fantasy) and coding.
Coding on Scratch.
O also participates in a lot of after-school activities like swimming, Lego, balloon modeling, and Go 圍棋. He enjoys Go so much that we signed him up for a competition outside of school and he won 2nd place in the beginner’s group!
We’ve also been able to tutor O in English and math more at home due to his relaxed schedule. He is progressing a lot faster than C in this regard.
On the contrary, 4th grade for C has been filled with homework, homework and more homework. Even though he has the same teacher as last year, the volume and difficulty has increased. It also doesn’t help that 4th graders have school until 4pm on most days, and then C has badminton team practices and after-school activities until 5:45pm everyday. By the time he eats dinner, showers, and finishes homework, it’s already time to go to bed. C doesn’t have a lot of free time to relax and just be a kid. If this is what school is like in 4th grade, I’m nervous about what’s to come in 5th and 6th. 😬
Surprisingly, C hasn’t complained much about the long hours of Chinese homework—or even when Baba and I try to squeeze in extra math and English. I’m grateful he’s so diligent, but we still wrestle with how to balance the endless grind of schoolwork with simply letting him be a kid.
We’ve had to postpone projects because he’s busy all the time. Most weeknights, there’s no time for reading or playing because he’s doing homework right up until bedtime. And when he does get a sliver of free time, I feel guilty asking him to do more. Sometimes, people just need the space to switch off.
We’ve considered working with his teacher to reduce homework, but C didn’t want to. He wants to complete every assignment, and do it as well as he possibly can. (Honestly, he spends more time than necessary perfecting every stroke and sentence!) And so we find ourselves stuck again: we don’t want to temper C’s desire to excel, but we also want to make sure he doesn’t burn himself out.
Going to school in Taiwan has undoubtedly been a life-changing experience for the boys, but sometimes I can’t help but wonder how much more carefree their lives might have been if we had stayed in the U.S. No homework, no midterms and finals, just free time to explore. In the end, we’re still trying to strike that everyday balance between homework and happiness.
The last leg of our month-long SE Asia trip was to Bangkok, Thailand. Since we had been bouncing around Vietnam and Cambodia the past few weeks, we decided to station ourselves in Bangkok for the remainder of our trip. Bangkok is one of my favorite cities in the world. There is a special vibe and energy that that’s both comforting and thrilling. There is just so much to do, see, and eat! This is my third time there, and my feelings about the Bangkok remain the same.
It would be negligent to visit Thailand and not eat to our heart’s content. 😊 We love Thai food but as with Vietnamese food, Taipei unfortunately doesn’t have a lot of authentic Thai restaurants and we sorely miss it.
We spent the week in Bangkok eating and eating and eating. Probably gained a few pounds from this trip but boy, was it worth it!
The food prices in Bangkok were not as cheap as Vietnam’s, but more on par with Taipei’s (about $25-$30 for a casual meal for family of four). However, you can also easily find street food that’s much cheaper.
Another “must” when visiting Thailand is getting a Thai massage. Since we didn’t have anyone to watch the boys, Baba stayed at the Airbnb with them while I went to get a 1.5 hour massage. It was a relaxing experience, but not as joint-cracking as I remembered (and hoped for) 😂. At $30, the massage was on the higher-end but still very reasonable compared to the US.
Sightseeing around Bangkok: Chinatown (incredibly chaotic but in a good way!), Icon Siam (the biggest, most fabulous mall in Bangkok), and Wat Arun Temple.
Around the second or third day into the trip, Baba started experiencing GI issues. (We suspect it may have been all that coconut cream from the mounds of Mango Sticky Rice he ate.) So, I decided to book a last-minute Thai cooking class with C, my boy who lives to eat.
We had a total blast!! The class started off at a local wet market, where our teacher showed what some common ingredients are in Thai cooking. We went back to the cooking school via tuk-tuk and cooked four amazing dishes: Tom Yum Goong, Pad Thai, Massaman Curry and Mango Sticky Rice. Every dish was restaurant-quality and surprisingly easy to make! Then again, not having to source ingredients and clean up after ourselves makes a huge difference too 😅.
As the week went on, C caught another stomach bug. 😣 (Or maybe he never fully healed from the last bug in Vietnam?) With two men down, O and I went sightseeing at the Grand Palace and Wat Pho (Reclining Buddha Temple) by ourselves. I remember seeing these grand, opulent temples for the first time 20 years ago and feeling my jaw drop to the floor. It was moving to see O reacting the same way when he laid eyes on the Grand Palace, and I was reminded why we take these trips with our kids.
And that completes our whirlwind trip in SE Asia! Thankfully, Baba and C recovered from their illnesses before we flew back to Taipei. We even got to sneak in some delicious food (but with extra caution) on our last day. We got back to Taipei in the evening and the boys had school the very next morning 😅. Even after a month-long vacation, they whined and wished they could stay in SE Asia a while longer. But you know what? I felt the same way.
After Vietnam, we took a bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Phnom Penh. When Baba suggested taking a bus instead of flying, I was skeptical. The ride would take 8-9 hours long, although Baba reasoned that flying (driving ~1 hour to the airport, checking in, waiting around for ~2+ hours, etc.) was just as much of a nuisance.
We took the Giant Ibis bus, a popular transportation company in SE Asia. And to my surprise, it was a great experience. The seats were large and comfortable, and the driver offered water and snacks. The bus stopped every 2 hours for restroom breaks so the ride didn’t feel long at all. C also caught a stomach bug that morning – vomiting a couple times before leaving HCMC 😓- so it was a relief that he could just rest on the bus. (Luckily his nausea stopped once we departed too.)
Pic taken from Google
Phnom Penh. Baba and I visited Cambodia 15+ years ago but only went to Siem Reap/Angkor Wat. Therefore, our memories of the capital are vague, but we definitely did not remember Phnom Penh being so modern and full of mainland Chinese! We later learned that a lot of mainlanders immigrated to Cambodia to invest in high-rises and casinos.
On our first day, we visited the Central Market, an art-deco market selling everything from fruits to seafood to fried tarantulas. A whirlwind of interesting sights, smells, and sounds, wet markets are one of our favorite things to see while traveling!
Two places I regrettably missed while visiting Cambodia many years ago were the Killing Fields and the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. From 1975-1979, the Khmer Rouge regime under Pol Pot committed a genocide that killed between 1.5 to 3 million Cambodians. Pol Pot’s goal was to create a completely agrarian, classless society. This led to forced labor, mass purges and executions. Yet, we never learned about the Cambodian Genocide in school and never heard much about it in the media. I always feel it’s important to learn about the history of the places we’re visiting, no matter how horrific it may be. Traveling is not only about luxury resorts and shopping malls.
The Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum was once a high school in the middle of Phnom Penh but under the Khmer Rouge regime, it turned into a torture prison. Inside the prison, you’ll see actual devices and tools that were used to torture people. The rows and rows of black and white photos of prisoners were particularly haunting. Out of the estimated 14,000 to 20,000 people imprisoned there, only 12 known survivors made it out alive. Because of the graphic nature of the museum, we didn’t bring the boys inside but briefly shared with them what we saw.
Many prisoners from torture prisons like Tuol Sleng were taken to the Killing Fields, where they were brutally executed. At a quick glance, the Killing Fields look like a nice, serene park but there, babies’ heads were smashed into trees (often in front of their mothers), and women and men were killed with blunt objects, slashed with knives, etc. in order to save bullets. We rented the audio guide, and it was absolutely gut-wrenching to hear what happened at the Killing Fields.
Many Cambodians today are still scarred by the genocide and you can see the pain in their eyes whenever Khmer Rouge is mentioned. Visiting both the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng in one day left me heavy-hearted, but I’m grateful we got this opportunity to learn about this important piece of Cambodia’s history.
Siem Reap. We traveled by bus from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap, which took about 6 hours. Siem Reap was no longer the run-down little town we remember from 15+ years ago. Today, it’s a trendy resort town with cafes, pizza shops, and modern hotels.
The food in Siem Reap (and Phnom Penh) was unfortunately not suited to our tastes. There wasn’t a ton of variety, and even the national dish – Fish Amok – was a hit and miss for us. We ended up mostly eating pizza in Siem Reap, which was surprisingly pretty good!
We did, however, stop by a local stall to try a popular local snack – BUGS!
There were beetles, grasshoppers, and worms. They were heavily spiced and deep fried so you won’t be able to taste the “natural” flavor of the bugs, but once I popped a worm into my mouth and felt its guts explode I was DONE. The boys and Baba enjoyed them though.
But like most tourists, our primary goal for visiting Cambodia was to see Angkor Wat. We booked a tuk-tuk to take us around Angkor Wat for a day. This was probably the boys’ favorite part of the trip. 😅
We skipped the sunrise this time (because I just cannot wake up at 4am anymore 😂) but still arrived early enough to avoid the crowds.
Angkor Wat will never not be amazing to me. Built in the 12th century, it’s the largest religious monument in the world, showcasing the incredible skill of the Khmer people. Walking through Angkor Wat feels like stepping back in time – its beauty and history leave you in awe.
Still, after visiting the main temples, you kind of get temple fatigue. There is absolutely no shade at Angkor Wat so we were burning up for most of the day, even though we went in the winter!
We left Cambodia after 7 days. Baba and I sometimes wonder how much the kids will remember from this adventure. But at least for Baba and me – we take with us memories of stunning temples, new experiences, and the joy of seeing it all through our kids’ eyes.
But I have an excuse. We had been traveling around SE Asia over the boys’ winter break, visiting 3 countries and 8 cities in 4 weeks. We had such an amazing time there, and surprisingly didn’t find the trip exhausting at all. SE Asia is one of my favorite regions in the world.
I’ve been wanting to visit Vietnam for some time. Baba and I both have connections there, with his parents and siblings being born in Vietnam and my family having lived there for many years. I’ve also been enticed by pictures on social media of the beautiful nature and landscapes around the country. But most of all, we absolutely love Vietnamese food and have been missing it since we moved to Taiwan (the Vietnamese food here is lackluster).
We visited Vietnam from north to south – first Hanoi, then Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Da Nang and finally Ho Chi Minh City.
Hanoi. Despite the terrible air pollution and nonsensical traffic, we loved Hanoi! I don’t know if it’s because Hanoi was the first place we visited, but the city has that old-world charm that makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time, with its narrow streets, cozy cafes and roadside restaurants complete with the quintessential small, plastic stools. We stayed in the Old Quarter; most things were within walking distance and every corner had something to be discovered.
The food in Hanoi was also amazing. People have told me northern Vietnamese food is pretty bland but we didn’t think that at all. I don’t think we had one bad meal there, and of course everything is so, so affordable. Our meals were usually around $8-$10 for a family of four. 😱
During our stay in Hanoi, we also booked a day trip to Ninh Binh, a city in the countryside with calm rivers flanked by stunning limestone mountains and caves. It was so scenic! After the boat tour, we hiked to Hang Mua Cave and climbed up the Ngoa Long (Lying Dragon Mountain). The hike was all stairs so it was definitely a work out!
Ha Long Bay. We left Hanoi and took a 2 hour bus ride to Cat Ba Island, a gateway to Ha Long Bay. Originally, we wanted to go on a 2-night cruise to Ha Long Bay but the atrocious prices and lukewarm reviews turned us off. So, Baba found a more economical alternative: stay in Cat Ba Island for 2 nights and book a day cruise to the bay. 🙂
There wasn’t much to do on Cat Ba Island (although the tourism department is trying to build it into a resort town) and the food was mediocre. But we had a wonderful day cruise around Ha Long Bay – the views were beautiful and we got a chance to do some water activities even though the water was freezing. Our tour operator was Cat Ba Express and they were great. They seamlessly organized the cruise and transportation to/from Hanoi.
Hoi An. After Ha Long Bay, we flew to central Vietnam which included Hoi An. Hoi An is an incredibly picturesque city and has become one of Vietnam’s most Instagram-able place.
Hoi An is a very small city so after one day of sightseeing, we were pretty much done. There were so many tourists in the main part of Hoi An that at times it felt like a commercialized tourist trap. The streets were lined with shops selling souvenirs or tourist “experiences” like the lantern release on the river (which we ended up doing anyway 😅).
Nonetheless, we ate some good comfort food in Hoi An like bánh mì (including the shop that Anthony Bourdain visited!), and dishes native to central Vietnam that we’ve never had before, like mì quảng and cao lầu.
Da Nang. Da Nang is just a one hour drive from Hoi An. We only stayed here for 2 nights, but wished we stayed longer because it turned out to be one of our favorite places in Vietnam.
There are two sides to Da Nang. We stayed at the “resort” side, which was next to a really nice beach and tourist-friendly shops and restaurants. The boys loved the beach here and kept wanting to stay. (Taipei has no nearby beaches so the boys miss it immensely.)
We thought that was all of Da Nang until we did a Google search and realized there’s another part to the city over the bridge. A part that is a bit grittier and more frenzied, but with much more authentic, delicious food and interesting sites. We loved this part of Da Nang the best and had some of the best bánh xèo of our lives here!
Before leaving Da Nang, we also spent a few hours visiting Marble Mountain, a cluster of five limestone and marble hills/caves. It was a nice break from the usual cityscape.
Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City is the most modern city in Vietnam, with wide boulevards, upscale shopping, and international cuisine. But HCMC is also incredibly vast and scattered. Even though we stayed in District 1 (where most tourists stay), it took us a long time to walk to places or we’d have to take a taxi, and many of the restaurants we wanted to visit were a 20-30 minute car ride away.
We heard that HCMC has the best food in Vietnam but thought the food was average (except for 1 or two dishes), at least compared to what we had in Hanoi and Da Nang. Maybe we went to the wrong places?
The highlight of our visit to HCMC was going to Cu Chi Tunnels and War Remnants Museum. We visited the museum one day, then booked a day tour to Cu Chi Tunnels the day after. They were the perfect complement for learning all about the Vietnam War. The Cu Chi Tunnels were a vast network of secret tunnels that the Vietcong soldiers used to combat the Americans. The living conditions for Vietcong soldiers during that time were terrible; many had to eat rats and snakes while in hiding, and had to live alongside dead bodies in the tunnels.
To accommodate tourists, the tunnels today are built three times larger than the original and equipped with lighting and air conditioning. This is crazy to me because I was already feeling hot and tired after a short trip through the tunnels. 😅 It was incredibly humbling to experience what people’s lives were like only 50 years ago. We discussed the war and Cu Chi Tunnels for days after – so much better than just learning about it in school!
We spent a total of 18 days in Vietnam. This was my first time there, but I strangely felt connected to the place. Perhaps it was the familiar smells, tastes and sounds that reminded me of my upbringing, which was heavily influenced by my parents’ time in Vietnam. For the first time, I wondered what my parents’ life was like there, and what our lives would be like if they never left.
I loved the craziness, familiarity, and of course the food in Vietnam. I can only hope to go back one day.
Hongs Abroad 