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THE ODD LIFE BLOG

Travel, Homeschooling and the odd life

We celebrate a decade + Farewell Saigon

8/9/2022

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Anniversaries and birthdays tend to remind me to consider my mortality. It teaches me to number my days and savour the moments. Do you feel this way too?

I spent my last 7 years being a stay home dad, homeschool teacher and entrepreneur. I have had a lot more time with my wife and children compared to most people. But it still feels like the time flashed by. The babies I carried in my arms are now running around, talking back and will probably be off to college before I know it.

The studio shoot
The best way to keep memories in my opinion is to photograph and write about them. It is ironic that as a photographer, the last thing that I'd do is pay someone to take photographs of me and edit them. It is like an occupational hazard. Well, that's where you need a better half. Debra was the one who suggested taking studio photos and I reluctantly agreed. 
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The photos turned out really nice although the process of taking them were rather exhausting. If we got paid for asking Gwyn to look at the Camera, we'd be rich by now. She even put up a strike nearing the end of the shoot. Nothing some Haribo gummy bribe couldn't do....

The whole cost including the clothes, make up, studio and photographer was about 2 million Dong ($118 SGD). This would have cost us $500 bucks in Singapore...
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​When we got back to the hotel, we flipped through our iPhoto albums to compare the pictures for fun. Oh, we laughed till our tummies hurt. Unlike most people who accumulate wealth, we accumulated fats, white hair and wrinkles. haha!

If you missed out on our epic 10 year journey story, read it here!
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When we looked way better....
Our time in Saigon
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We didn't do very much in Saigon. We visited Saigon Central Post Office and had the intention to visit the Notre Dame Cathedral of Saigon but it is currently being refurbished. We also took the Saigon River bus to catch a glimpse of the Landmark 81 building (2nd tallest in South East Asia).

Saigon (Ho Chi Minh city) is really the up and coming economic power in South East Asia. The amount of foreign direct investments is very apparent when you travel through the city
. In fact, Singapore is the biggest foreign direct investor in Vietnam. You'll find tall buildings occupied by Keppel and Mapletree. There is even a mall in town that is named Vivocity. You'll also find NTUC Fairprice's joint venture supermarkets and Cheers convenience shops across the city. We were surprised to find that the bread wrapped ice-cream/ice-cream wafer got exported there too!

It is a HUGE contrast to what you'll find in Hanoi and other smaller cities. The subway system in Saigon is also near completion. 
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We are spoilt Singaporeans

We've enjoyed a good 6 weeks being in Vietnam seeing the most epic mountains, learning about the cultural heritage of the tribes, understand the war from the Vietnamese perspective and savouring some tasty Vietnamese dishes. But to be very honest, we are starting feel a little weary. There are things we just cannot get used to.

We are in no way criticising the Vietnamese and their way of life. It is just not something we are comfortable living with. Our biggest struggle as a family is the food in Vietnam. I know of people who absolutely enjoy the Vietnamese cuisine. We do like a few dishes ourselves. But we are so SPOILT by the wide (and VERY affordable) selection in Singapore and Malaysia. We also miss the taste of spice in our food. 

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You can eat at a local eatery like this and have a Bahn Mi (Baguette sandwich) for a low as 15,000 Dong (0.88 SGD). You can also get a range of dishes and rice and a family meal will cost between 150,000 to 250,000 Dong. (9-15SGD). There are however many flavours and smells that we find very strange.

We spent almost an entire month in a mountain station town called Sapa. Eateries sold mainly local food. Even the local cup noodles were odd to us. We ate most of our meals at this restaurant called Ladybird restaurant. They sold a mix of western and asian dishes that tasted more familiar. But an average meal for the family here would easily cost 500,000 to 600,000 Dong (29-35 SGD). We were so grateful to have found this place in Sapa!
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When we left the small town for the sprawling metropolis in Saigon, we found more food we are familiar with. But they can cost MORE than you'll pay in Singapore/Malaysia.    

Another thing that we are very uncomfortable with is the noise in Vietnam. The very loud talking (sounds like yelling to us) all across Vietnam is something we never got used to. In hotels that more locals visit, you'll often be woken up by locals who all seem to be early risers. They would yell across the corridor to speak with their friends or family in another room at 5am in the morning.

We had to move hotel because we just got so sick of being woken up by yelling. The hotel breakfast was catered more to the local tastebuds too. 

Although we are no longer startled by the incessant honking, it is still something we can't drone out and ignore. A good number of people have little concept of personal space (especially the older folks) and queue cutting is also something we find unpleasant. 


Our celebration!

​Since it was our 10th Anniversary weekend, we took the opportunity to celebrate it at our favourite brand of hotels. We've been to Sofitel Heathrow, KL Damansara and now Sofitel Saigon Plaza. Guaranteed an awesome bed, a comfortable room and a great breakfast. 
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Gwyneth REJOICED when she found cereal and milk again at a hotel breakfast buffet. We took it for granted that it will always be possible to go to a local supermarket and find breakfast cereal, we were so wrong. The more local supermarkets in less touristy areas often don't carry cereals. Those that do sell them at a premium. 

We still think that Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) is a great place to spend a short vacation. You can find 5 star hotels that charge a fraction of what Singapore hotels charge. You will find many well stocked shopping malls with a wide array of good food. Grab rides are cheaper than Hanoi and the cars are of better quality. It just isn't a place we will base ourselves out of to get our books, art and photography done. 
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The kids got their first taste of boarding from a remote stand.
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Up the stairs we go...

We decided to slow down and give ourselves more time to create our work in a place with the comforts of familiar food. We were extremely apprehensive given how the last two visits to KL gave us anxiety attacks. We were very lucky to find an apartment right smack in the CBD and very affordable too. We hopped on a VietJet (Vietnamese budget airlines) flight to KLIA. We are so thankful that everything went smoothly other than a 45 minute delay on the tarmac due to a technical fault that needed fixing.

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Farewell Vietnam! 
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KLIA
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Look at that satisfied face
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YUMS
ALL OF US were so grateful to be back in Malaysia. When Gwyn realised she was going to Malaysia halfway through the flight she thanked Debra so loudly a few rows of ppl looked at her HAHA! It felt like we were going back to a 2nd home. The immigration officers greeted us and smiled at us. We had lunch at the airport and we never smiled so much. FRIED RICEEEEEEEEEE and SAMBALLLLLLLLLL. Yes we are hopeless spoilt Singaporeans.....

We took a grab car to our accommodation. (Costs 70.50RM including toll) The ride was so peaceful. No honking and no dangerous manoeuvres. Grateful and relieved that the apartment is clean, comfortable and offers a gorgeous view!
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We've already got a line up of posts prepared for August. We have planned a list of places in KL to visit. This time we are visiting places on public transport! We are also working hard to expanding our Tees range, stickers, Art cards range as well as brand new book launch. Stay tuned!

​Before we go, let us know in the comments what are things you can't live without when you're overseas? 
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Exploring Cat Cat Village+How you can avoid scam tactics!

7/20/2022

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We have stationed ourselves 1500m above sea level for the past couple of weeks and briefly spent a day at 3142m last week. (Read it here) Although it isn't as hot as Hanoi or London at this moment, it still feels like 30 celcius when the sun is out while you're hiking up a mountain. The evenings have been generally cool (around 18-22 celcius) and  it is the best time to take long walks or hang out in the town square. 

​I think being in a more rural area has taught us to look up and around more. We've learnt to pause and appreciate the flora and fauna around us, watch the sunset and savour the cold breeze. It is as if God the artist decides to magically transform the same scene on the canvas differently every day. 
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Bright sunny days can be very different too! The clouds reveal or hide the mountain's features depending on where they are in the sky. Sometimes it is FULL of clouds, sometimes there are none.
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The sunset colours are mind boggling here. You get hues of pink, orange, yellow, blue and purple.
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It is hard to get sick of this view outside your window when the scene is never the same everyday!
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On a clear night, you'll get stars and see lights of the town nearby
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Some days it is a complete white out when the clouds decide to descend.
Having caught up with school work, sleep and blogging we decided to head out for a good hike yesterday. We walked a total of about 7km with climbed down 245m and made 200m of elevation gain. We are super proud of the two kids because this is not something we do a lot. In fact, Gwyneth spent half of her life growing up indoors. I'm not sure if there's a correlation, but both kids are EXTREMELY afraid of insects and animals. They instantly panic when they see dogs or cats move in their general direction. I'm thankful that the majority of free roaming dogs in Vietnam are very calm and mind their own business. In fact they are so well behaved that they put to shame many of the out-of-control, leash tugging and aggressive pet dogs in Singapore. This has helped so much with positive reinforcement that not all creatures are out to harm them. 
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The views as we hiked towards Cat Cat Village
EXPLORING CAT CAT VILLAGE

We decided to visit Cat Cat Village that is about 3km from the Sapa town centre in Lao Cai province, northern Vietnam. We walked all the way from the town centre and was a little sweaty. The inclines are quite challenging and you get ALOT of traffic zooming past you. It can get quite muddy if you've had a downpour as the erosion flows onto the road. 

The village is a kind of a living replica tourist village that shows the H'mong people's culture and traditions. I know of many reviews that talk about how this isn't an "authentic" home of the H'mong people and it is just a tourist trap. I think that regardless whether you visit the hill tribes at their "real" home or not, the experience will be curated. All places that cater to tourism will alter themselves to meet tourist needs in one way or another. There is no need for us to be too critical about it. After all, the operation of this village benefits the H'mong people financially, provides jobs and bring attention to their art and way of life.  

We enjoyed ourselves seeing the beautiful architecture nestled in the hills. Summer is the best time to see the really enchanting rice terraces. The waterfalls and river adds beauty to an already picturesque location.  

Do note that the entire village is in the mountains so you'll have to climb MANY steps. Prams and Wheelchairs won't work here. 
If you suffer from mobility issues, you may want to pay for a taxi or electric buggy to take you to Cat Cat Village and back. They tend to not run their meters for this destination. This is one of the ways you'll get scammed! We'll touch on some how we can avoid these scam tactics in habit! 
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90,000 Dong for adults and 50,000 Dong for kids!
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Most of the stalls around sell the SAME things.
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The rice paddies are in a very beautiful shade of green! They look amazing this time of year!
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This is the touristy bit haha!
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Drinks and rest area
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Very beautiful terraces and behind that I believe is a lot of hard physical labour.
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It is amazing how their handmade structures are so sturdy.
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Bamboo is a very important material in their constructions!
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The main village situated in the valley where the river flows.
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Water fall!
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Here in the village you'll find shops renting out traditional costumes for tourists to get dressed up and take photos. You'll also find the H'mong people at work creating their traditional fabrics and handicraft. There are functional waterwheels, and a dried up bank of the river that allows you to get close to the water to get more pictures!

Pretty idyllic eh? Do check out this hilarious reel we made about the reality of the country side: 
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https://www.instagram.com/reel/CgMRl_oA1g5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
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You descend into the valley, you'll climb up to get out of it.
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A very shaky bridge that takes you out of the village.
Now this was when it got difficult. The sun was setting and shining in our faces, we've already walked for at least 3 hours. It was uphill all the way back to the town centre. The cabs, buggies and motorcycles are scamming tourists between 150,000 to 250,000 dong for a 10 minute ride back to town. (The usual price is about 75,000-85,000 for that distance). Drinks cost more at the exit because you are thirsty and you need the drinks.

We bit the bullet and climbed uphill for a while before we found another taxi that agreed to take us back to our accommodation at a regular price. 


HOW TO AVOID SCAM TACTICS WHILE TRAVELLING

When you are travelling there is no escape from meeting taxi drivers, food establishments and shops that will try to scam you. It is however possible to avoid being scammed! Here are 3 simple points to help you game these scammers and make your trip a lot more memorable for the right reasons!

1. BE PREPARED
Scammers thrive on our knowledge gaps and attack in our moments of vulnerability. Being prepared is the best way to avoid this. How can I be prepared?

- Read up on your destination 
E.g. Scammers pretend to tell you that the destination is closed and want to transport you to visit another place for "free". They can pretend to be officials asking for additional fees to enter the attraction etc...

- Pack water and some emergency snacks 
Far too many shops don't put on price tags on their items in tourist areas. They WILL sell you items at exorbitant prices. 

- Get small change by using your big notes at safer establishments like in the airport or convenience shops. 
Taxi driver and shop keepers like to use this tactic to cheat! You hand them a big note and they will pretend that they have no change. 

- Take photos and videos of the condition of vehicles/equipment you rent BEFORE LEAVING
​"Sir, madam you damage the car/jetski or motorbike! Pay money!". This is a very common tactic to extort money from you. Always film or photograph an item before you begin the rental. Most reputable rental companies provide a checking form where the rental agent will do a walk around with you and mark the existing damages before the rental begins. If it really boils down to getting the police involved, having evidence is always better than having none. 


2. AGREE ON A PRICE FIRST
Scammers like to deliver services and goods without clear indication of prices. Once you've consumed the items or used their services, they will extort as much money as they wish

-Transport/Taxi
If you need a taxi or other forms of taxis, tell the driver your destination, agree on a price or insist they use a meter. Never hop on and hope for for the best price. 


-Food establishements
Always check the prices of items you purchase. Note down what you consumed! Make them weigh items in front of you. 


3. WALK AWAY

-Agreed on price but still try to extort more 
It isn't fool proof even if you have agreed on a price. Transport or service providers may still try to extort you with additional fees, surcharges or whatever ridiculous charges they can think of.  Learn to pay the agreed amount and to walk off!

​If you have luggage in the taxi/transport, the escape plan is to ask him to open the boot before you settle the payment. One person unloads, next person just gives the agreed amount and then politely say no more money and walk off into the hotel or mall. 


​If you are buying something and the price drastically increases at point of payment despite negotiation, learn to walk away. You don't have to buy from someone who wants to scam you. 

-Don't have exact change and person refuses to return change
Sometimes we have to learn to cut our losses. If it really doesn't cost us much, don't risk fighting over change. Just let it go and walk away. You are in a foreign place and you won't know if they might pull a knife or gun on you. 

-Ignore touts/people who pester you to buy things on streets

Ignore them and walk away. The more you engage them, the more chance you'll give them to manipulate, scam, rob or pickpocket. Sometimes I do feel like it is something rude to do but that is actually the best way to protect yourself. 

Travel safe!
​Always remember don't fly, soar!
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We hit the top of indochina + Our greatest fear now

7/15/2022

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13 weeks ago, we took on a Grand Tour in search of healing, peace and a new way of life.

We chose to pack our things away, leave the comforts of home and took that step of faith. We knew we wanted to travel and experience life to the fullest in honour of my late father whom we all still miss terribly. Travelling slowly has given us time to work through our grief individually and as a family. We know it is a privilege and we are thankful for it. 

When we set aside Hiro & Jack Co's range of products to travel extensively, we also put away 6 years worth of sweat, tears and sleepless nights. It means that we put ourselves in a position of financial uncertainty trying to build a new way of life. We've never been this excited to do what we do now. You know people say you should find a job that you love doing so you won't ever need a vacation from it. We've found it in this! 

As you know Debra is our chief illustrator and designer. She creates designs for apparel because she's inspired by them. She draws and enjoys drawing it. She also manages the product lifecycle while feeding the family and being there for the kids. She has just added the kids range and here are two of the latest designs!



I've never been happier doing photography and writing up blog posts, social media posts and creating reels. I do this while homeschooling two of the kids and managing the travel itinerary. 

Our end goal is to create an attractive apparel range with our original designs and publish a range of children's books exploring issues we discuss on this blog. 

Read our previous post about our struggle for the past 10 years on the issue of race here

OUR GREATEST FEAR NOW 
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We are being very honest and transparent here because we think that this project cannot take off without you. With every project, growing an audience and making sufficient sales keeps it afloat. It also takes time to create a series of books while we travel, school the children and run the blog. 

We hope that you'll help us by sharing our posts, engaging us in the comments because that is how our content gets showed! Share your suggestions via chat to help us improve our product range and content!

If you need a new t-shirt or decals stickers for your devices or crafts, please support us by shopping at
https://www.hirojack.com/store/c1/Featured_Products.html​ !

If you see meaning in our project and wish to support us in financially, emotionally or in any form, we are happy to connect via the red chat button, any of our social media messaging systems and our email at contact@hirojack.com!

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We've established early in our journey that the mountains exudes that energy that brings our the best in us. We just love being in, on and around mountains!

​WE HIT THE TOP OF INDOCHINA
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​We've been telling the kids how fortunate we are to be able to even begin on this project. We've given up a lot to be here. It is days like the one I'm attempting to describe that makes the sacrifices worth while.

Sapa is a key base for many hikers, climbers and travellers to access the Fansipan Mountain. Measuring 3143m (10312ft), Fansipan is the highest mountain in Indochina (Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia). Even though it is situated in South East Asia, there's snowfall at altitude in the winter months. 

The peak is a 6 hour hike (one-way) for fit hikers. We are glad that back in 2018, the entire system of funiculars and cable-cars were built for families/travellers like us who would otherwise not be able to reach its summit. 

We spent about 2.7 million Vietnamese dong (S$160++) for two paying adults and one child ticket. The staff were kind enough to consider Gwyneth small enough (100cm or under) to qualify for free entry. Expect to spend at least an entire afternoon here! We started our trip at 11am and returned at 5pm. 
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The trip starts here at this magnificent building that is both the Sapa Funicular station and also the Hotel de la Coupole!
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Grab your tickets here
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The amount of zeros are just....
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Equipment by the Austrian giant Doppelmayr and Garaventa! Some of it are Manufactured by the Swiss.
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Great views of the valleys and mountains around the Sapa area while you ascend
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Plantation workers taking a mid-day break!
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Reached mid-mountain to catch the Cable Car!
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Photography exhibition, my cup of tea!
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Google: Sapa/Fansipan + Snow. THERE'S SNOW TO BE FOUND IN SOUTH EAST ASIA!!!
We saw many videos on Youtube commenting on the cost and how they think it isn't worth spending the money on the cable car and upper funicular since the views from the lower funicular was good enough. I was apprehensive at first but I remembered that my dad paid more than S$200 PER PERSON for us to ride the funicular and trains up to Jungfraujoch in Switzerland. If you put that in context, this mountain is also 3000+m and you only pay S$200 for a family of 4. 

​I've lost count of the times we said "wow", "omg" "EPIC!!!" and "this is so beautiful". Feast your eyes on how epic this place is. 
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You will climb about 1410m in the Cable car. There were moments we experienced a complete whiteout when we went through the clouds. The distance between the pylons on this cable car system is so long you sometimes wonder if you are just floating. Once you arrive at the station, you're now at about 2900m above sea level. 

At 3000m above sea level, you are experiencing 30% less oxygen available in the air. Some people experience severe lethargy, headaches, vomiting and rapid heart rates. Debra and I felt a little tired initially but quickly acclimatised to the lack of oxygen. I kept sick bags in my backpack incase the little ones got sick. Lo and behold, the two little ones became hyper excited. We were pleasantly surprised that the altitude did not affect them until a little later when we had to climb some stairs around to explore the area. Other than panting and aching a whole lot the next day, we thoroughly enjoyed the 15 celcius (probably about 10-12 if you consider the wind chill). No snow for us because it is summer but we loved it so much.

We love the fresh air, cold wind and peace that comes with being at altitude so much that Debra and I are dreaming on Fansipan of being able to afford a home in a mountain somewhere in a country that will take us in. If you know a place like that, please call us immediately. haha! 

You'll find a massive magnificent buddha statue and some impressive architecture housing the different gods that the Vietnamese worship. The architecture reminded the kids of scenes from the Kungfu Panda movie. Don't mind their hilarious poses!
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The artist, designer and product manager in her own sweater testing it out at 3000m above sea level!
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You can explore the buddha statues, temples and architecture either before or after you hit the roof of Indochina. We did half of the exploration first and headed up the second funicular to the summit so that we give ourselves some time to acclimatise to the altitude. You can watch our latest reel for the whole journey in videos here

The mountain top experience reached its climax as we laid our hands on the summit markers. 3143m above sea level. It is the highest we've been for the entire Grand Tour. Although we didn't physically climb the mountain, it still felt like an achievement to be there. Perhaps we'll be able to climb something in future when the kids are a little older. Have you done that before? We really want to know how it feels like!
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We started the trip off with beautiful sunshine from Sapa and went through some thick clouds, and rain. Upon reaching the 2900m it was nice and sunny again. We went up to the summit and it remained foggy throughout the time we were there. We caught the giant buddha from afar in glorious sunlight but soon after we descended to where the statue is, a thick fog came and never left. What you get to catch that day is completely weather dependent. But that is what makes the views so special.

The weather on mountains are very unpredictable. We 
experienced sunny weather, cloudy skies, thick fog, cold heavy rains and relentless wind. Bring your ponchos and weather protection for your camera is they are not waterproof. We got ourselves a little wet when a sudden downpour came upon us. We were fortunate to be near the cafe and relaxed there over a drink. 

We definitely recommend visiting Sapa and Fansipan and its surrounding attractions if you are planning to spend about 8-10 days around North Vietnam/Hanoi/Halong Bay.

This mountain top experience is truly a highlight of our 13 week trip. ALL of us cannot stop scrolling through our pictures of this incredible place. We hope we will have more opportunities to ascend more summits and peaks soon! 


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10 year struggle + We love sapa

7/12/2022

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WE LOVE SAPA
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We are back in the Mountains again! This time we’ve taken a comfy van from Hanoi to Sapa in Vietnam. The transport agent, homestay we booked and the hotel we checked out from all expressed a little concern that we were to spend the rest of the month here in Sapa. We just didn’t tell them we spent almost 2 months in another mountain recently…

The journey took about 5.5hrs including two 15 minute stops. The kids took it on like champions! We’ve unintentionally trained for that by climbing and descending mountains more than 10 times over the past two months. To our surprise, 95% of the roads were good! There were only two patchy parts due to ongoing construction but I must say Vietnam has some decent roads! 

Sapa is a mountain station/town that is just 23km from China’s border in the far north of Vietnam. This mountainous region is home to the Hmong, Tay and Dao hill tribes. It is about 1500m above sea level (4900ft).
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Hyundais and other Korean brands are a hit here in Vietnam.
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Comfy recliners with massage function! Not bad at all.
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Coach rest stops
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Reminds me of the coach rest stops 20 years ago in Malaysia
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Rice terraces!
Here are the main highlights:
  1. Epic mountain views (they call it the Swiss alps of Asia)
  2. Epic hikes
  3. Epic rice terraces carved into the mountains
  4. Cooling all year round with snow in the winter (in South East Asia)
  5. Steamboat 
  6. Cultural experience with the hill tribes 

We’ve been taking it really slowly! Despite diligent hand washing and mask wearing, we all caught a flu in Hanoi. All of us are well after 3 days so we are back catching up on school work and exploring. The climate here has been so inviting, we don’t even mind walking a total of 4km to town and back! We don’t miss the killer heat in Hanoi! We look out on our balcony and this is the view that greets us….


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The most beautiful sunset we've seen!
We chose to live a little out of town to avoid the noise and traffic. Like Genting and Cameron Highlands, there is a significant amount of domestic tourists who visit for the weekend to relax or escape the heat. You’ll find a beautiful lake, a church and a huge town square where people hang out.
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A lake in a Swiss town?
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The Hôtel de la Coupole - MGallery is an architectural attraction in itself right smack in the middle of town. With Swiss-alps-like mountains as a backdrop, being in the vicinity of this 5 star hotel feels like you are in Europe
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A 10 minute walk from town, you’ll find the local market. You’ll find live poultry, Salmon and Sturgeons. There is a sort of wholesale area that deals ethnic clothing, toys, herbs, tea and other local delicacies. It gave us great insight into the local life here.
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Live Salmon!?
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Live turkey!
The town centre is a vibrant place full of hotpot restaurants and other restaurants serving local delicacies. Food is hasn’t been cheap for us because we aren’t able to fully enjoy the local cuisine. (It is still way cheaper for an equivalent meal in Singapore for sure) 
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Something we are familiar with!
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Curry cooked in coconut. This MINDBLOWING. You have to try it!
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Comfort food...

​A TRAVELLNG LIFE ISN’T ALL HUNKY DORY

We can’t find ourselves a decently priced + acceptably furnished Airbnb in Sapa and so we are in a sort of homestay/Bed and breakfast kind of place. There is A LOT of adjustment we have to make. A major one would be food! Sure, we do enjoy the coffee, Bahn Mi and Pho here but that’s really only a small selection of what locals eat. The cleanliness of food prep, the way food is stored, amount of flies, the cuts of meat and flavours are very different from what we are used to. Travelling with two younger kids also mean that we need to find food that is a little more familiar. It is already a challenge to get them to eat when we were back in Singapore…travelling augments your daily struggles X10!

In fact, we’ve had to adjust quite a bit in Sapa. We mentioned how helpful the Grab app was in Hanoi but it is literally useless here. No Grab food, no grab cars or taxi. This is a more rural area so less locals speak English. Debra is ethnically Tamil so everyone automatically assumes she doesn’t speak Vietnamese. I seem to have a pan-south east asian face that Malaysians, Thais and Vietnamese people think I’m local.  

A regular day at a shop: Debra goes and asks about an item in English and the shop keeper immediately points at me and her item and speaks in Vietnamese. I just show a stunned face and say no no, English please? *Shop keeper scratches his/her head and whips out her phone/calculator…

Outdated information plagues Google maps in this part of the world. The best way to research is to walk the streets and ask the shop keeper. But that isn’t easy here because we can’t get our own transport in Vietnam. Most car rental companies offer cars WITH drivers and information about foreigners driving in Vietnam is rather sketchy. There is also a lot of conflicting information about driving on an international driving license. Although it is quite common to rent a motorbike with no license, I wouldn’t take the risk considering the traffic situation in Vietnam. You get no insurance coverage and legal recourse if anything happens too. Not having our own transpor
t has cut off a vital source of our adventures. It has limited where we can go and when we can go. 
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OUR 10 YEAR STRUGGLE THAT GOES ON…

Debra and I will celebrate our 10th marriage anniversary in 3 weeks. It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever done. I’m sure Debra will concur how crazy it is to be married to me.
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One of the biggest struggle we’ve faced is the issue of race in Singapore. 

This week, an experience in Vietnam has inspired us to write about this. 
A shop keeper points at Debra “you and…” ….*points at me, “different eh?”, “different!”. 
I understand the language barrier could have made it difficult for the shop keeper to express herself. Inter-racial marriages are less common here in Vietnam too. There’s room for growth here for sure. 

We’ve been fortunate that we never had to feel different or less because of our race in most of our travels across the world. It has become almost an escape for us from the harsh struggle. The struggle is really the denial of the existence of racism, casual racism and insensitivity. It gives you the feeling you never really belong. These are things that we struggle with right from the first day we started dating. I hate to think that my children will ever have to feel this way in future. 
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Some of the most disturbing incidents we’ve experienced in Singapore…

  1. Debra and I were queuing in a fast food joint. The kid aged about 4 in front of us was carried by her mom. She started pointing and exclaiming aloud “Apu neh neh, apu neh neh”. Never mind the child, the parent did NOTHING to correct the child.

  2. From the day we started dating, it is common for us to be stared at. It just got worse when we had kids. There are now 4 “weird” people to stare at now. We’ve been stared at for extended periods like we are some exhibit. People walk around the pram on purpose for a second look at the “product” we created.

  3. Debra has been slighted/ignored many times by service staff in Singapore because she doesn’t speak mandarin. It’s the worst thing I have to witness because Singapore isn’t a Chinese country. It belongs to everyone. Service staff openly serve Chinese speaking customers more food right before our eyes. 

  4. We also got our fair share of people saying my kids should learn Chinese and not their “mother’s language”. Must raise them in the Chinese culture and stop them from getting any Indian cultural influence. (This is by a complete stranger)

  5. “The skin so dark hor?”, “Aiyo skin like you better”, “Wah lucky look more Chinese”.
    Tell me how are these comments okay in the 21st century in a supposedly first-world country?


  6. “What you all eat at home ah?” “Food wise very difficult right?”.
    Seriously!? Do people think of marrying a person of a different race like marrying a different species or something?


  7. “You from India?” “which part of India are you from?” OMG. We don’t go around asking other ethnically Chinese people which part of china they are from right? 

What we’ve experienced is nothing compared to what a polytechnic lecturer did to a mixed raced couple. But these incidents really begs the question: Don’t you think that an affluent, educated, well-travelled global city can do better? A lot better?

Look at us. Other than our skin colours and facial features, how is our love any different? How are we that different? Love is love!

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Here's how we had fun in Hanoi

7/9/2022

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Hanoi's summer heat really hit the roof and we've been drenched in sweat! The real feel temperature was hitting 48 celcius (humidity close to 100%) and it is absolutely unbearable. There are still ways you can make it an enjoyable adventure around this charming city in the north of Vietnam. 

Here is how we still had fun in Hanoi travelling with two young children in summer!

1. Plan your schedule around the temperature

If you are planning to explore the outdoor attractions like the Sword Lake or West Lake, go early in the morning between 7-10am. The heat isn't that intense yet at that time. You can also plan a trip to a mall or indoor attraction during the hottest hours of the day (between 12pm-4pm). 

Notable shopping malls to escape the heat while visiting Hanoi:
-Vincom Mega Mall Royal City (
Ice skating rink and many BBQ restaurants)
-Vincom Mega Mall Times City (Bowling and Aquarium inside)
-Lotte Centre (Very upscale departmental store)


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Enter the hotel entrance and catch the lift to the 36th floor for a Tim Ho Wan meal with a view!
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A little further away from old quarter but this is our favourite mall!
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Very massive mall. Great groceries at the Winmart
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We escaped to the aquarium in Vincom Times City when it was boiling hot AND raining cats and dogs.
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What do they feed the fish man...
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These penguins are a lucky bunch, no need to sweat!
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All smiles because we got to enjoy looking at the beautiful creatures (some hideous...)
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You decide if he's handsome or not...not even a sea creature!
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Erm....I don't like them.
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We did some bowling too at Vincom Times City! Costs less than $3 a game.

2. Hydration and breaks keep you alive
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Hydrate yourself and take breaks! Heatstroke risks are real in this kind of heat and humidity. We survived by hopping from cafe to cafe between our walks around the city. You won't have a problem finding cafes serving great coffee, tea, juices and beer because they are EVERYWHERE in Hanoi.

​(Beer is quite often cheaper than a fancy coffee! A 330ml bottle costs between SGD 1 to 2, USD 0.70 to 1.40)
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The kids got a bit jealous that we both really enjoyed the beer. Sorry guys...when you are 18 we can enjoy it together.
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You don't need to spend a bomb on drinks here in Vietnam.

3. Grab a ride

Walking is healthy and Google maps tell you its only 1.2km away, how bad can it be right? All 4 of us were absolutely exhausted and drenched in our own sweat after 10 minutes into the 1.2km. ​I love long walks, just not in the extreme summer heat. 

If the walking distance is more than 1km, use your Grab/Gojek apps and get a Grab car/Taxi. It was noon time and we wanted to have lunch so we took a Grab car from the hotel to the restaurant. After we've eaten, we took another Grab car to our next destination. Total distance of 3.27km in two cabs costing only 62,000 Dong (S$3.71, US$2.65). This journey was done during the hottest time of the day and it would have been miserable without catching a Grab car. 
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We arrived at the museum around 310pm and visited all the indoor exhibits before seeing the outdoor ones only around 4pm. (The museum closes around 430pm). It made the experience a lot more pleasant because we catch a comfortable ride at an affordable price. 

We were able to learn about the horrors of war and to reflect on the fact that peace is fragile and we must never take it for granted. There's nothing glorious about killing for power and killing to decide who is right. Wars don't determine who is right, they just determine who's left. 
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4. Be a vampire (just the nocturnal part okay?)

​Come out only after the sun sets. Like most asian cities, Hanoi's retail as well as F&B​ operate till late. Most shops don't close until 930-10pm. Food opens late and beer places operate into the wee hours. 

5. Bring and wear protection

​There is nothing beautiful about having your skin burnt bright red. Unprotected exposure to harmful UV rays risks hyperpigmentation and skin cancer. Too much harmful UV rays can harm your eyes too. Bring shades, caps/hats, cooling clothes and put on sun protection on your skin. Wear a good pair of sneakers and bring along a poncho in case it pours. 

What's next?
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After 8 enjoyable days in Hanoi, we decided it was time to see another part of Vietnam! You can see the first instalment of our Hanoi adventures here if you missed it! We have embarked on an epic journey to a place that's just overwhelmingly beautiful. Please stay tuned! 

Lastly, we want to express our thanks to those of you kind souls who have privately messaged us and chat with us about missing our quality handcrafted baby shoes. We are also very thankful for others who have mentioned that you enjoy reading our blog posts. Others have supported our work by shopping our travel inspired products that we are working hard to add on to! 

Till the next post....live your life to the fullest, be grateful!
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