Serenity in Chiang Mai

Chinese law grants newly married couples three days leave. As a result Jun and I found ourselves with an extra three days off. And when we tied it with our weekend we ended up with five days. We decided to go to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. We left late on a Saturday afternoon and…Read more Serenity in Chiang Mai

New Zealand Nuptials

The National Holiday in China brought big changes for Jun and me. Earlier this year we got engaged while in Indonesia, and over the summer we decided that we would get married in New Zealand over the holiday in October. We were both excited for it, but first we had to overcome a lot of…Read more New Zealand Nuptials

Mid-Autumn Festival in Huangyao

After an exhausting summer where I had to work overtime more times than desired, I was able to wheedle out of my boss a Friday off for the Mid-Autumn Festival. As a result I ended up with a nice four day weekend. Jun and I decided to leave Guangzhou and go to a village in…Read more Mid-Autumn Festival in Huangyao

Recharging in Hong Kong

My boss took pity on me and granted me a few days leave. You have to understand that I had been covering classes all through the summer—well for most of the year really. And I had been getting a lot of overtime, but by the end of the summer I wanted some days off. My…Read more Recharging in Hong Kong

Baishui Fairy Waterfall

The Dragon Boat Festival this year gave Jun and I an opportunity to spend the rare day off together. We decided to go to a waterfall in northeastern Guangzhou for the day to see it. Our friends Brianne and Walt also decided to go with us, which made the trip even more fun. The waterfall…Read more Baishui Fairy Waterfall

Traversing Taipei

I was recently offered a job in Taipei, Taiwan, that would start later this year. It’s a wonderful opportunity and could do wonders for my career. I’ve been a little hesitant about accepting this job for a number of reasons. One of which was I had never been to Taiwan; I was unsure what it…Read more Traversing Taipei

Hanoi Discoveries

At the end of April, Jun and I went to Hanoi, Vietnam. We had heard a lot of great things about the city, from the architecture to the food. What we experienced did not do justice to what we read and heard about the city. Hanoi is an old city with a lot of character to…Read more Hanoi Discoveries

Langtou Village

The start of April brought spring rains and Qingming, or Tomb Sweeping Day. It’s a traditional Chinese holiday to remember and honor ancestors. For this year’s holiday, Jun and I decided to visit a village in northwestern Guangzhou called Langtou. The village is renowned for its ancient buildings and surrounding greenery. The village was founded…Read more Langtou Village

Nansha Wetland Park

After a hectic few weeks on my return from Indonesia, I decided I needed to escape the hustle and bustle of central Guangzhou and go somewhere quieter. After thinking about it, I chose to go to the Nansha Wetland Park at the southernmost area of Guangzhou. Jun and I knew that getting there would require…Read more Nansha Wetland Park

Yogyakarta Joy

The Spring Festival finally came! Over two weeks of vacation to do as we wanted. To take a break from winter, we decided to travel to Indonesia for the break. We decided first to go to Yogyakarta on the island of Java. The area has a lot of historic sites in and around it. We…Read more Yogyakarta Joy