This year, I took the kids again to the Philippines so they can spend the rest of their summer vacation (2 months!) after our 10 days vacation in Japan. We started to let them stay with my parents starting from last year because they're better off there than being cooped up indoors in Dubai during … Continue reading Swimming with the whale sharks in Oslob, Cebu
Asia
Visiting the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka
Have you seen any Ghibli movies? You must have heard or watched some of it but never realized it's a "Ghibli" (pronounced, "jiburi" in Japanese) - Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away or My Neighbor Totoro. The delightful animated films of Studio Ghibli are full of magic and fairytales. They can be very simple, dark, fantastical, melancholy, ecstatic, … Continue reading Visiting the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka
Our trip to Japan, summer 2017
It's currently summer vacation for all of the kids in the UAE. It's actually over a month already since most of the schools have closed for the school year 2017. Since classes will start on September 10, that's about 12 weeks long of holidays! When I planned where to take the kids in summer and … Continue reading Our trip to Japan, summer 2017
Things to do in Japan: Visiting shrines and temples
Thinking about it, I'm frequently asked: "What are the top things to do in Japan?" I've lived there for more than ten years so people expect me to blurt out answers faster than Google. But actually, I always get stumped when asked that question. I tend to over-think things. So I ask back, so many … Continue reading Things to do in Japan: Visiting shrines and temples
Getting around the islands: Domestic flights in the Philippines
It may not look like it but the Philippines is composed of thousands of islands big and small, inhabited and uninhabited. There are 7,107 islands to be exact (though so many claim that number could change, depending on the tide). The main point of entry to the country from abroad is mainly from the capital … Continue reading Getting around the islands: Domestic flights in the Philippines
It’s been 7 years
Even the airport in my home town has changed. The kids and I are in the Philippines right now. It's been seven long years since I was here. More than the fact that I'd be travelling with two children, the youngest being just 3, alone, I was anxious of the unstable Philippine weather in July. … Continue reading It’s been 7 years
Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka
Showing the kids animals in the wild whenever possible has always been my plan in our trips, whether they're small birds or butterflies - it doesn't matter. They don't get to experience it in Dubai. Our trip to Sri Lanka was a perfect chance to see one of the magnificent animals - the elephants in … Continue reading Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in Sri Lanka
Train ride in Sri Lanka, to the mountains!
After our glorious five days at Sun Siyam Iru Fushi resort in the paradise that is the Maldives, we were ready to go back to reality (I mean we really have to, at some point). You know, see people around who aren't tourists in a small, secluded island, probably have some street food, get on … Continue reading Train ride in Sri Lanka, to the mountains!
Taiken nyuugaku: Experiencing local school in Japan
This has been a long overdue post but I really wanted to share this with you and most especially for families like ours, with mixed-race children. Pristine was born in Japan and she was only 3 years old when we moved to Dubai in 2007. She only spoke Japanese then but as our stay in … Continue reading Taiken nyuugaku: Experiencing local school in Japan
Week four in Japan
* We’re back to Dubai, this is just a recap of our trip to Japan. * On our last week in Japan, the older child asked, "why do we have to go back (to Dubai)"? I understand her plight - it's hard to say goodbye to days like this. She has a point. If we … Continue reading Week four in Japan
Finding Backroads 