My 10-year-old daughter recently enjoyed a home school field trip to the NOAA Weather Station in Guam. Since we moved to Guam, she has been attending a distance education program through Laurel Springs School. Her Laurel Springs teacher allowed her to substitute part of her science assignment for the week with a written summary of her experiences. … More Weather Balloon Launch Field Trip
My daughters, ages 10 and 13, recently got certified to scuba dive here in Guam, and they absolutely love it. Diving with my kids has been one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever shared with them. They’re naturals in the water, effortlessly maintaining neutral buoyancy and hovering over the reef to study everything they see. My … More Scuba Diving with My Kids
Japan is an incredibly interesting and beautiful country, and Kyoto is perhaps its most historically significant city. We recently spent a weekend in Kyoto, Japan’s former capital. There wasn’t enough time to see and do everything, but we managed to hit several of the highlights. Kyoto is easy to get around by subway, bus, and … More Kyoto, Japan with Kids
For Labor Day weekend, we enjoyed a few days in Kyoto, Japan. We chose to stay at the Westin Miyako Kyoto hotel. In retrospect, we wish we had booked a traditional Japanese ryokan. While the rooms at the Westin were clean and comfortable and the location within walking distance to a train station and several things … More Travel Review: Westin Miyako Kyoto Hotel
We recently grew our first pineapple using the top of an ordinary pineapple we bought at the grocery store. This is a simple process anyone can do, and it’s a great project for kids. We simply cut off the top, ate the rest of the pineapple, and stuck the top in soil in a large … More Growing a Pineapple
I recently had the pleasure of spending a few days in Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido, Japan. I traveled with a friend who was an ideal travel companion, and we made the most of our time each day exploring the city. Although it’s covered in snow for many months of the year, the summer weather … More Sapporo, Japan
A few people have asked me recently about my experience obtaining a Chinese visa from Hong Kong. We found it fairly simple to obtain Chinese travel visas during a visit to Hong Kong a few months ago, and we got the new 10-year tourist visas. My notes on the process are detailed below. Where: China … More How to Get a Chinese Visa in Hong Kong
