Random thoughts

Yesterday, we went to the Back-to-School Night for the middle school a.k.a for Zey. He prepared a schedule for us to follow starting with his homeroom. Then we moved from building to building and many different rooms to meet different teachers. I knew what he meant when he first started there that bunch of students moved from class to class while getting lost. He quickly got a hang of it. Rob had a good sense of direction and I just followed Rob as I usually got lost as soon as I stepped out of a room. Zey’s home room teacher was very new agey and fun. We met teachers who taught Spanish, PE, Science, English, Design, Humanities, Art, Drama, Repair and reuse and Math. I saw 3D printers, tools he would use to build wooden products, a classroom where they repaired old things, a science room where they incubated some duck eggs. Anyone want a duck as a pet? Hope might go berserk if we brought one home.  We saw a library which was larger than our DC public library. We saw more s...

I went to two coffee events at my children school yesterday as if I needed that much coffee to stay alert. I had to leave the first one early and arrive the second coffee late because of overlap in schedule. Their school is a UN International School, one of the two schools in the world; the other one is in New York. Apparently, the UNIS in New York is one of the founding schools of International Baccalaureate (IB) program. I heard about IB program for the first time in Tokyo and wanted my children to experience it when possible. My first impression of the school is very warm and fuzzy. Elementary school has no homeworks. Yaay for Khin!! Not that she ever complained about homework back in DC. In fact, Rob and I have always been the lucky parents who did not have to battle with our kids to get the homework done. Recently someone commented that our kids are easy going because the parents are easy going. Imagine a big smile on my face! I take credits whenever possible even though all I...

People are often surprised when I tell them that I do not like hot weather. Just because I come from Yangon doesn’t mean that I must like the hot and humid weather. Many of them are perfectly happy to announce they hate cold weather because they are from Michigan or Minnesota. Well, I wouldn’t go to that extreme level of emotion to express my dislike for a particular type of temperature or season but of course I have a preference. I get super sweaty and smelly and perfume can’t hide it easily. I take multiple showers a day which may contribute to my ever increasing pile of laundry. No, thank you, if possible, to hot season. Anyway, I am back in South East Asia and it is mostly hot. Hey I will get used to it, no big deal. I will just complain for a bit until I have other things to complain about, like coughing a lot. Preference, no preference, it doesn’t matter when I have to follow my spouse. He is really, really nice by the way. He is not an alcoholic, a womanizer or a gambler an...

I arrived in Hanoi from Yangon one week ago. Somewhat surprisingly, I cried when I left Yangon. I always have strong affection for my mother and younger brother. Now that my younger brother is married and has a kid, who is super adorable and lovable, and my own kids are older and not wanting to cuddle, there is no surprise my niece gets my affection. And she has become super sweet (sometimes naughty) two year old who likes to play with me and my kids, wanting to be held, be entertained, and be cuddled. Zey loved her too. Khin, not sure what to do with her since she herself is in a stage of moodiness. Oh dear, she is only nine years old. At least, Hanoi and Yangon are closer than Washington, DC and Yangon. We can just fly there for a long weekend if we wanted. Yangon International airport has changed for the better as well. We can now check in then hang out with family until we need to go to immigration and additional security. There has never been a long line at immigration and ...