We started of 2024 with Storm Henk dumping more than 150% of the usual rainfall and lashing the British isles with gale force winds. Winter was bleak and cold. Not the best start to the year having many unwritten essays AND the dissertation waiting to be written. Worse still, the landlord also dropped the bomb on us by informing us that we had to look for a new home by summer. Though he did promise he wouldn't evict us before my graduation, it was still a hard pill to swallow. Life had to go on and birthdays have to be celebrated because the kids will be sad if you don't. Those who are parents and/or with my birthdate will know. We devoured Colin the Caterpillar and drank bubbly pretend champagne! ​

Note: Because this post is really just highlighting the year's events, I won't go into the details because there are dedicated blog and social media posts about all our travels this year. They are free to access!

Januarys always feel a little sad for me because, December. You have all the wonderful gatherings, decorations, holiday seasons and celebrations in December and then it's back to the grind very abruptly. And this explains why I didn't sound excited describing my own birthday. I've never associated my birthday as something celebratory because it always falls on the first couple of days of the new school year. Though we follow a very different routine now, it is still hard to shake those feelings accumulated over 16 years as a student and 5 years as a school teacher.  

But part of us moving to the UK was about healing and exercising our freedom to choose how we should live. Therefore we chose to make homeschooling flexible, rigorous and interest driven at the same time. Despite all the challenges, it was a good year for homeschooling. 

We've got two very motivated students who have chosen a skill on their own accord and practice so that they could excel. We've also got two students who breezed their UK SATs that we just decided to administer on a random day. I feel that we are definitely on the right track in terms of ensuring our kids do not go through the same educational traumas we encountered. These traumas shape you as a person and it is very hard to undo them. 

So while Debra very valiantly held the fort for homeschooling and cooking, I was imprisoned to my chair and laptop for most of January till May. Most of the 19,000 words required that semester was penned in the bleak mid-winter. Gwyn became so accustomed to seeing me type on Microsoft word that she would sternly question me about the word count that barely moved. 

My chair imprisonment was only punctuated by a terrible flu and a surprise visit from the kid's favourite aunt. 

It was a really nice time together and we thought she'll probably visit again in a couple of years for another holiday. There were lots of tears while we travelled home from Heathrow that evening. 

All the travelling around gave us the momentum of seeing more places in February. In between trying to work on the major research paper, I fell into an absolute rabbit hole of wanting to see Scotland. We did try and visit Shakespeare's hometown to make up for it. That just made us want to see what the land of unicorns, whiskey, bagpipes and deep history had to offer. 

Still can't believe we drove a total of 12-13 hours for the return trip. It was a good couple of days in Edinburgh we are so glad we said yes to the adventure. 

Spring was a little disappointing because yeah the chair imprisonment! It was getting all consuming and anxiety inducing because the dateline was drawing close. Despite cracking my head over the ethics approvals and data analysis, we found time to walk off our anxieties along the seaside town of Skegness. We also managed to pop by an amazing brand new cafe in our community, watch the squirrels, enjoy the blooms, bring the kids for their first live concert.

I think it is worth highlighting that when went for the unveiling of the late Queen Elizabeth II's new statue, the kids told the reporters there were okay to be interviewed (and made it on the actual BBC News) with their friends. I don't know how they turned out so audacious and confident. I don't think Debra and I are good examples haha! 

At this point, the birth pangs of the dissertation baby was getting unbelievably unbearable. But I'm happy to announce that the dissertation baby was born successfully and I was released from my chair. Just in time, t-shirt weather and sunshine was upon us! So we made use of all the long sunshine hours and saw Cambridge as well as Hafren forest. It felt so freeing to be behind the steering wheel and not the laptop, on the camera trigger and not the word counter. 

We also got to yell the whole building down because Man United beat Man City to win the FA cup in the finals. To be honest, I completely lost faith by half time. The kids made the trophy that morning in faith and I was absolutely ashamed for feeling a fair bit of doubt. 

With summer in full swing and a window of good dry weather in sight, we were once again beset with the question "to go or not to go". I sprung the question on the family at an emergency meeting around our bed and the council voted 3-1 to do CORNWALL! We packed our luggage that afternoon and headed down for the ridiculously picturesque south west coast. 

This year we have been very fortunate to be visited by my entire family. They flew into the UK for more than 2 weeks to be with us and visit the place. We are also really fortunate to be given the right to vote in UK's General Election this year. These are things we don't take for granted at all. And to top it off our children have decided they would like to make their commitments to following Jesus. 

It was great showing the family the land we call home now. We traversed beautiful parks, museums and enjoyed meals and rode steam trains. It almost felt like the two weeks happened in a flash!

At no point of pursing this I dared expect to be conferred a Master's degree with distinction. Not even in my wildest dreams I would conceive the idea of topping my course. The majority of my Singaporean education has taught me that I'm never good enough. So I did doubt myself. Moreover, it was hard going back to school more than 10 years after undergraduate/post-grad teacher training. These are positive memories will help me say no to negativity for the years ahead.

With this chapter closed, we focused on enjoying the rest of summer and then addressing the elephant in the room. But first we decided to take the kids to the cinema for the first time in their lives. Yes tell me these kids grew up during Covid without telling me so. We throughly enjoyed The Minions but it made them talk gibberish for the next few days about bottoms. haha!

The rest of our summer was dominated by going for property viewings and hosting viewings for our landlord. We were anxious to move while there's sunshine and long daylight hours. This was punctuated by our little trips to Sheffield for the Monopoly Trail, the Black Country Museum as well as the seaside town of Skegness. 

When you know that the Earth is going to do its tilt in a couple months time and you won't get this much sunshine, we were naturally very motivated to make the best of summer. Our second Balloon Festival (even better than last year!), numerous meet ups with friends to enjoy the countryside, more Welsh mountains and the Royal Mint where we realised what could make our boy smile the widest....GOLD! 

As summer drew to a close, that also meant that it was Birthday season! Yummy cakes, family time and presents. Love their big smiles whenever there's cake ❤️

What made the kids smile even more was that their favourite aunt was going to be in the UK from Autumn semester for her studies!

But it was also around the beginning of Autumn that we received the 2 month notice to vacate our home. A lot of end September and October was a complete blur. We searched every major town in the county for a home because we didn't want to give up the community we've grown with for the past two years. I still call it our miracle because it is! One day, Debra suddenly received a call from a friend who just landed in Spain for her holiday, we were a little confused as to why she would call us while on a nice holiday! By the end of the call, our search for a home was ended. We were offered a property in the very village most of our community and friends live. 

So while the leaves were falling and storm season began again, we were now suddenly thrusted into a new direction. We had two months to pack all our belongings, plan and purchase all the furniture/appliances we needed for a partly furnished house and move in November. Before that we had to sell our beloved car and get a bigger car to do the moving ourselves and also accommodate anyone who visited us. 

​It was a month of madness.

I don't know how but we even managed to squeeze in an entire day at Legoland Windsor to surprise the kids. They really enjoyed the spooky theme for Halloween! As if we didn't have enough excitement in our lives, we took Gwyn on her first legit roller coaster ride and I was genuinely scared as an adult. ​

We were rewarded with one of the most beautiful displays of the Aurora Borealis right from our study's window. It's like the skies threw us a farewell lights show before the endless packing went on. Eventually, we did get there after 4 full car loads and many trips up and down the stairs of our old apartment. My watch recorded me climbing 61 floors on one of the days. 

We made it!!! After an entire week of unpacking, building numerous Ikea furniture, slogging it out in the garden, extracting carpets, my laptop no longer recognised my fingerprint. And we were absolutely shattered. Just in time, the kids got to enjoy this winter's first snow! (Yes, Gwyn scored a headshot 😂)

We visited Christmas markets, put up the Christmas tree and did our best to settle into the new home, surroundings and our new routines. We've been truly blessed considering how precarious it was just 2.5 months ago.

We were so excited to enjoy all the Christmas festivities in the village church and actually did manage to attend a few. We managed the yearly Christingle service, Carols by Candlelight, Kids Christmas party and trail with all the good people and friends! In the midst of all these, we were also acutely aware that my dad would be so happy to be part of this. 

We squeezed in a trip to Cambridge and before we knew it, it was Christmas Day! 
Opening presents was the first order of business before the best lunch of pigs in blanket and mouth-watering goose fat roast potatoes. As per our family tradition, we watched the King's Christmas speech (it was the Queen for many years). 

Sadly by late Christmas afternoon, Debra and I were completely down with high fever. Things ground to a halt. Over the next few days, the kids too developed high fever. A trip to the supermarket medicine aisle confirms that there's a massive spread of this horrible flu. 

We are all on the mend now and hope we can enjoy the last day of 2024 before we welcome 2025. This is how our year went. Huge challenges, more than sufficient grace. Time and time again, we have been reminded that miracles do happen! From all of us at Hiro & Jack, we pray that you'll experience that too and have a very joyful 2025! 

Hello 2024! This is our first blog post since our November 2023 post because of work submissions, plenty of storms, really short days and the Christmas season. Life just happens and that's how we ended up not hanging out for two years with the children's favourite aunt. The pandemic may be something we are eager to forget but so many of the social distancing rules literally tore families apart. Right after the restrictions were lifted, we travelled for 7 whole months and almost immediately moved to the UK. We were overjoyed that she wanted to visit and hang out with a weird bunch for 10 days haha!

As we share our story of reconnection and recharging, this 10 day itinerary could work for you too if you'd want to visit the UK with your family. It's a slow, mindful and relaxing trip around England and Wales. 
​

We met in the grandest of settings in Hintze Hall of the Natural History Museum in London. I thought finding each other under the blue whale skeleton named "hope" was really apt for our reunion. We spent a couple of hours exploring the rooms filled with dinosaur skeletons and animal taxidermy. I don't think the children gave their aunt's ears any break with their constant chatter. It was kind of a foreshadowing of the next 10 days. Haha! 

After a mandatory shop at the museum gift shop, we took a relaxing stroll to Hyde Park's serpentine in the windy, cold and gloomy weather of central London. We braced a sudden drizzle and the noisy geese and made our way towards our yummy rewards. 

After clocking more than 10,000 steps we were famished and so after a quick bite at Leon (a local fast-food chain with gluten-free options), we managed to find a space for 5 in the really crowded Italian Bear Chocolate - SOHO (London W1F 9QL). Call in to make a reservation because they are always full. ​The Italian hot chocolate looked really lush but our in-house chocolate connoisseurs thought its gravy-like texture didn't satisfy their chocoholic tastes. The cake however, did satisfy. It was gooey and fudge-like when served warm. Don't leave it out in room temperature for too long, the chocolate hardens!

After our dinner and dessert, we had our second dessert! Ice creams are great in hot weather but I think they are even better in cold weather! That's exactly what we had at Bilmonte (London W1D 7LW). They serve really really rich chocolate ice-cream (that taste a little like brownie batter) and their famous double pistachio ice-cream! 

Long walks, yummy food, lots of desserts and a jet-lagged aunty with two chatter box kiddos wasn't too bad a way to start the trip! We left Sasha for the next 24 hours in London while we headed back to Leicestershire that night. 

London is a bustling city very much like most major cities in the world. So if you'd like a relaxing time, we highly recommend getting a hotel room at any of the Hilton, Marriott, Sofitel or Holiday Inns at Heathrow airport itself. The Elizabeth Line now connects the airport to central London (Paddington) in less than 30 mins. You get to be away from all the sirens and crowds + lower hotel prices! 

Suggested relaxing things to do in London:
1. Museums (Natural History, National Portrait Gallery)
2. Parks/Garden (Hyde Park, Kew Gardens)
3. Stroll along the Thames or take the River Bus to see the major landmarks
(Canary Wharf to Embankment is quite a good route. You'll even get to sail under the Tower Bridge and London Bridge etc...)
4. Watch a play!
5. Desserts and Cafe hop. 

After some 400 miles (640km) in 48 hours on the motorways, we were now reunited in Leicestershire where we live. That meant we were all a little knackered from all the travelling. I think the worst mistake we can ever make when going on vacation is planning one that is so exhausting you'll need another vacation after that. 

We enjoyed a couple of really slow days where we just enjoyed each other's company. The kids bombarded their aunt with card games, board games and video games. Debra hung out in the kitchen with her sister and we enjoyed the simple meals. We've grown to appreciate just recharging with no agenda, just meals and company. 
​

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​HIGHLY RECOMMENDED ACTIVITY WHEN TRAVELLING: Take a stroll in a large local supermarket. Our visits to Tesco (a local supermarket chain) turned out to be surprisingly therapeutic for all of us. I've not come up with an explanation for that...do you have one?

Once we felt recharged and ready, we crossed the border over into our favourite place in the world: Wales. Dolgellau, Gwynedd was our mandatory stop and TH Roberts (LL40 1BD) is our compulsory lunch spot. (Gluten free options available!)

After filling our tummies, we picked Cregennan Lakes in Gwynedd and Llandudno's Marine drive as our day's agenda. We spent the time soaking in the countryside, fresh air, strong winds and amazing sunshine. It was a lot quieter when we were out in nature. I guess we can all agree, with views like that, words fail us. 

The day definitely felt like it was too short. It wasn't long before we watched the sunset and revelled in some crazy dance music on our ride home. ​

The countryside is like a balm to the soul. We always recommend visiting Wales because it is just so incredibly gorgeous. We've met the warmest, kindest and most helpful people in Wales. I think the perspective and calm of being around our natural environment helps make us better people. What better place to be when taking a break from the hustle?

We spent a couple more days having early nights when we felt tired and woke up later when we wanted. The kids started their mornings with games and chats in bed with their aunt. The grownups had evenings watching our favourite shows (and some Rick Astley, haha!) while enjoying a glass of wine. 

We also took time to explore our shared interests in space at the National Space Centre in Leicester and ancient history at Oxford's Ashmolean Museum. It was refreshing to be away from work, be with the people you care about and just enjoy each other. 

We spent the last bits of the 10 days in the Cotswolds exploring the treasures within the villages. Stow-on-the-wold's candy store and other small local produce shops were really interesting. Feast your eyes on beautiful architecture and then enjoy all the amazing cheese, wines and candies you'll find in the shops! What we all really enjoyed was The Old Bakery Tea Room (GL54 1BN). They serve the most delicious gluten-free scones and meals. It must have been years since we've had scones that didn't ruin our guts. The cream and jam (or jam and cream) just made our smiles wider. 

Just like how a pot of tea always finishes too quickly, the 10 days flew by. We found ourselves at Heathrow again saying our goodbyes this time but our hearts and tummies have been very very full. We'll meet again. 

We have had 3 very very different months this summer in terms of weather. June was the hottest June on record and July was 10th wettest on record. We saw storm Antoni and Betty along with a mix of rain as well as sunshine. What we've felt constantly however is a period of healing. A healing of body, mind and soul as we mindfully savour our adventures. 

If you haven't been able to follow our journeys, here's a quick list and some links you can visit:

JUNE
Post: Summer Bumper Post: We surrender
-Brighton Pier
-North Wales (South Stack lighthouse)
-North Wales (Great Orme)
-London Leicester Square

Post: Reduced to tears
-North Wales (Gwynedd - Dolgellau)
-North Wales (Gwynedd - Cregennan Lakes)

JULY
July was basically a very restful month because of the constant rain. We took the opportunity to continue school since the kids usually take a break in September when we celebrate their birthdays. We followed the Wimbledon, watched a lot of Bluey, attended Gwyn's first ballet concert and listened to Matt's live radio show weekly. It was apparently also loose teeth season and I've had to pluck two really loose ones in a day....

The wet weather slowed down our schedules and helped us become more mindful and present. We need to realise how special these ordinary days are. The seemingly ordinary days to us are our children's memory of their childhood. We take nothing for granted because the days may seem long but the years fly by really really quickly.

I think the quiet moments also made us appreciate the community around us a lot more. We've learnt to slow down and take our time to see people as people. We're incredibly grateful that people take time to make us feel at home and that we belong to the community. Little things like a light-hearted chat after service, picnics, tea time and lunches in a backyard feel really wholesome! 

Despite the rain, we did manage a farm shop visit in Market Harborough, a drive on the Gospel Pass (highest road pass in Wales), a stroll on a sandflat and Lavender farm in Norfolk. We've had to dodge some showers and drive in really wet conditions but it was all worthwhile. I've grown to love trips that subtly stimulate your senses and help form amazing memories. You hear the buzzing of the bees, smell the fragrance of the lavender, see the wild horses and feel the wind in your hair.

It is so easy to lose our ability to feel deeply and appreciate a moment. Doom scrolling and switching constantly from video to video have programmed our brains to be constantly demanding the next. We want entertainment that is stimulating and quick. We are never really in the moment nor have the time to appreciate what we are looking at. I cannot recommend being in the countryside more. After capturing the shots we need, we make an effort to put our devices away to stare, smell and feel. We come back refreshed. Every single time!

Healing also came in the form of food. Having to pay more than £10 for a loaf of Gluten-free bread back in Singapore is never far from our minds when we visit the supermarket and farm shops. For so many years, it was exceptionally difficult to listen to our bodies and eat food that doesn't ruin our guts and trigger allergy symptoms. It isn't just the affordability that we are grateful for, it is the labelling and ease of access that makes it much easier. 

AUGUST

August has been pretty packed compared to July. We are well aware that that we won't be getting as much daylight. At the end of June, the sun rose at 4.41am and set at 9.32pm. Days were long and we barely used our car's headlights in the height of summer. But by the end of August,  we will be losing as much as 3 hours and 40 minutes of daylight. The seasons really teach you to seize the moment. It is either now or next summer.

We wanted to maximise our time and resources and so we tried as much as possible to visit the countryside and attractions that don't require an entrance fee. We've also opted not to stay overnight for all of our trips. Hotels can cost between £60 to £100 a night for a "budget option". With two storms in a month, we gave up toying with the idea of camping.  

We wake up early and get on the road early from our home, spend the whole day at a place and leave by early evening to make it back in time for the kids' bedtime. It is a lot of miles but we managed to to visit London, Bristol, Eastbourne, Twycross, Coalville and Mam Tor in the Peak District. We've got to adapt to make these travels possible and it made us many core memories! 

-London
To be really honest, we didn't manage to enjoy the British Museum properly. The place was jam packed with tourists and school groups. If you don't like queues and crowds, don't come to London in August. Wait until the 2nd week of September when school holidays are over! It is also generally cooler by then and you won't have to be cooked alive in the older Underground lines.

We got a glimpse of the mummies that the kids have been learning about in their world history curriculum. It was an eerie but intriguing sight. Although I must admit looking at dead people was a rather peculiar choice for our 11th marriage anniversary...

​-Twycross Zoo, Leicestershire
This was the only significant ticketed attraction we paid for this summer. Paying for the day ticket entitled us to a year pass. This was a good investment because the kids never get sick of going to a zoo and we live in the same county as the zoo! Graffalo land (a walk through experience) was also included. What I liked the most about the zoo is that children get to interact with people instead of screens. They get an activity sheet that guides them to explore the zoo and look for stations where a staff member will ask questions and share interesting facts with them. It makes the Zoo experience less of a passive one. 

-Cattows Farm, Coalville
Gwyn decided she wanted to wear her bright pink dress that morning for no apparent reason. It was the dress her late-grandpa bought for her just 3 months before he passed on. It was a surprise because we didn't tell her our plans that day and we didn't know she could finally fit the dress. The blazing hot sun and clear blue skies made it a perfect day to roam the sunflower fields and take photographs that pop! 

-Bristol International Balloon Fiesta
I was just unwinding at the end of the day and looking at my socials before I saw an amazing video of hot air balloons glowing in the night sky. The next moment I was all over google maps looking for the best way to get to Bristol. The next day, we left home at 4pm after Matt's radio show and headed straight for Bristol. The weather was very very unpredictable. When we arrived and parked, it started POURING. Fortunately all of us came prepared with waterproofs and boots on. As with any large scale event with rain pouring down on the fields, it was a mud fest. Somehow the clear brolly became a really fascinating toy for the kids and they thoroughly enjoyed huddling under it. We did get a few breaks between downpours to enjoy some fish/nuggets and chips before the night glow. 

It was an amazing experience being in a crowd on a huge field singing to famous tunes in the rain. Keep calm and carry on indeed. We've learnt that if you are determined to have fun, not even the rain can stop you. The balloons were slowly inflated and started glowing to the rhythm of the music in the night sky. It was magic. 

This boy loved it so much he had tears in his eyes. He told me he wanted to do Glastonbury next year because he loved being at a festival. I knew it was a core memory created there. We can't really put a price tag on these things in life can we?

By the time we got home it was midnight and I spent the next two hours washing muddy boots and wiping down our picnic mat and waterproofs. It was exhausting but it was worth every ounce of energy. I'll do it all over again!  

-Seven Sisters, Eastbourne 
This was another re-visit of a spot we visited 10 years ago. It was winter and we didn't have enough daylight to properly explore the area. It looked absolutely stunning in the summer sun. 

This was one of the final spots we visited before leaving the country. I think we were seriously dreading that our holiday/honeymoon was coming to an end and we had a meeting to attend hours after our flight back. I don't think we could have ever imagined that we would be back here with two kids of our own. ​

After viewing the seven sisters cliff from this side, we took a short drive to the cliffs itself. The sheer height and drop is both terrifying and fascinating. Thanks to modern engineering, there was a strong and stable stairway that took us down to the pebble beach at the bottom of the cliffs. We laid our picnic mat and enjoyed the light sea breeze and comfortably warm sunshine. 

I know many people say that a beach without sand isn't a real beach but I absolutely adore pebble beaches. No cleaning up necessary with pebbles. In fact, they are a source of entertainment if you enjoy stacking pebbles! That was what the kids and I did while Debra did her painting on the beach. It wasn't just about being at a stunning location that made this trip really great. It was also being able to see her do what she loves. 

As the sun began to hover around the horizon over the English Channel, we soaked in the views on the white cliffs knowing it will be the last time we are seeing it this summer. We'll meet again. 

It felt so special and exciting to be on that tiny path along the mountain ridge. There was so much to see on either side. I took a couple wrong turns looking at a tiny topographic map on my phone trying to figure out which of the tiny paths to take. We did manage to eventually find the loop that took us down on the side of the mountain through the vegetation down into the valley. We met some sheep, birds and very prickly plants before dodging landslides and mud. That was a highlight for all of us! The abundance of ferns made the little ones think they were time-travelling. They were looking out for prehistoric creatures and naming dinosaurs I have absolutely no idea existed.

We stopped near the end of our hike at a bench overlooking the valley and enjoyed some snacks and PB&J sandwiches. Debra managed to do a quick paint where the kids ran around time-travelling again. 

I think this concludes any major adventure for the summer of 2023. 
I won't miss cleaning a million dead bugs off the car, hearing alarming cries for help to capture bugs at home or having difficulty sleeping because of the warm muggy nights. I'll surely miss the holidays, festivals, long days and lush greenery. 

10 years ago, Vincent and Debra were on their honeymoon. Vincent was also on a quest to show Debra the home of his heart, mind and soul.  He decided that visiting a sleepy Welsh town called Dolgellau was a great idea. He didn't even know how to pronounce the name correctly. It was a rather peculiar plan for a honeymoon considering it was in the middle of a cold dark and windy winter. There was nothing to do and only a really expensive Chinese take-out was open by 4pm. If you consider all these factors and Debra's deep disdain of the wind, Dolgellau is a poor choice. 

To make up for that, Vincent took Debra on a drive down a path with many sheep and....field gates that she had to open by exiting the comforts of the car's warm heated seats. I bet she wasn't too impressed. As the windy path got really narrow and steep, Vincent fiddled with the manual gears of his rented Citroen wishing it was an automatic. At this point it could have really just ended with them not finding anything worth looking at and grumbling their way back to the hotel. It could have been one of those wasted trips that they would put behind them...

What they chanced upon at the end of the path was Cregennan Lakes. It was magical. In an instance, both Vincent and Debra fell deeply in love with the land. Apart from the wind and drizzle that cut short that magical moment, work was filling up their emails and it was time to head back to their daily grind on the equator. Ready at the gate for their 13.5 hour flight back, they were surprised that British Airways had upgraded them to business class. The bigger surprise was they were now three instead of two. 

The years that follow were hectic. Debra and Vincent pushed themselves far beyond what most people would consider sane. They built a family and a business but a deep subconscious yearning for that place they can feel at home remained. Vincent would always tell Debra, "I miss home". But that didn't make sense. He had a loving home. When Vincent's dad suddenly went home to be with the Lord, nothing made sense anymore. What is home? 

They embarked on a grand tour that would help them learn more about themselves, their children and what they were going to do with their lives...

7 months of travel later, they published a book, and this was one of the pages. They continued to dream of the land they would call home.

"It's been 10 years, just give up already..."
"Know when it is time to give up!"

These voices got louder and louder and it became immensely difficult to dream again. 

But here is Vincent, Debra, Matthias and Gwyneth in Dolgellau. It took 10 years but here they are.

Eateries, shops and the town felt alive. 4 of them felt alive! Especially with the delicious cheese cakes and full English that filled their tummies. 

Just like the previous time, Vincent wrangled a little Citroen up the really steep hills and tiny country roads. And as the lakes came into view, he played the Welsh hymn that has been playing all week at home. As Calon Lân ​played on the car stereo, there was silence in the car...

English translation:

I don't ask for a luxurious life,
the world's gold or its fine pearls,
I ask for a happy heart,
an honest heart, a pure heart.

A pure heart full of goodness
Is fairer than the pretty lily,
None but a pure heart can sing,
Sing in the day and sing in the night.

If I wished for worldly wealth,
It would swiftly go to seed;
The riches of a virtuous, pure heart
Will bear eternal profit.

Evening and morning, my wish
Rising to heaven on the wing of song
For God, for the sake of my Saviour,
To give me a pure heart.

As Vincent parked the car in the exact spot he parked 10 years ago, nobody moved. The stillness and silence in the car was in fact a guise to the fact that Debra and Vincent were both reduced to tears looking out of the window. The stillness did not reflect the immeasurable deluge of emotions. Both of them were suddenly and unexpectedly hit with the feeling of homecoming at that moment. Without saying a word to each other, they both felt the same incredible emotions. It took a really long time, but it finally felt right and complete. 

Having explored the place for themselves, the kids surprised their parents by asking them to take them there every day. 

"It takes a long time to drive here you know..."
"You can look for a house and we can stay here!"

They have all found their happy place. May this be their happily ever after...

An extraordinary afternoon later, they travelled down to the estuary that Vincent chanced upon while exploring the area via Google street view. The place looked strangely familiar. 

They drank in remembrance of their beloved dad and grandad.

This is our story of homecoming.
What's yours?

Our first British Summer is finally here. We've been out and about making the best of the dry weather and long days. Britain is GORGEOUS in summer! We hope you'll enjoy the 60 plus photos that'll come up in this bumper post. More than that I'd like to share a little of why we are surrendering. We are putting up the white flag.

SURRENDER 1.1 
Finally after 6 months, we have touched the sea again. We surrendered to the lure of the sea and being able to dress in shorts/t-shirt again. I think more than that is the fact we are back at a place we visited 10 years ago and were disappointed because it was closed. This is a recurring theme that I'll talk about in detail later. 

Brighton beach is my kind of beach. Instead of the regular sand, there are pebbles instead. No messy cleanups. Just strolling down the beach and enjoying the sea breeze brought smiles to all our faces. The pier is also an amazing place if you enjoy bumper cars and old school roller-coasters. The British seaside charm is a very unique experience that you can only fully experience in summer. It comes alive in summer and hibernates in winter. 

A short drive away down the Marine Parade was a series of white cliffs. The famed cliffs that inspired the song "The White Cliffs of Dover". Although this isn't dover,  it still evoked a moment of deep reflection. This was one of the last things we saw before Debra and I left the UK on our honeymoon 10 years ago. ​It was so stunning we were speechless. 

SURRENDER 1.2
With the dry weather going strong, we planned another trip a few days after returning from the South Coast. With our snack bag and lunch packs done up, we booked tickets to a museum in London and punched in the address on google maps. 1 hour into the drive, we hit the first of several traffic jams on the motorway. A quick time check made us realise that we can't take the kids to the play area and museum anymore. "Plan B then!" I thought to myself. We parked the car and realised that the cable-car station we planned to go to wasn't where we thought it was. It was a 20 minute walk away and we decided against picking a fight with the blazing hot sun. We surrendered. We quickly consulted google maps again and decided to take the river bus down the thames towards the most central areas of London. We were ALL thrilled with the speed and power of the boat as well as the awesome views. It was a special perspective to see the city from the Thames itself. 

You may be thinking...the UK can't be hotter than the tropics? Thing is, a lot of British homes and  public transport aren't built to deal with the heat. At 27 celcius it can feel like you are suffocating. Fans and air-conditioners DO NOT come standard in houses, buses and Underground trains. It can be a pretty miserable experience if you are in a packed train on the London Underground without air-conditioning. House windows usually come with very small openings. It is mostly a small narrow opening at the top. So we've been flying the white flag lately hoping for the colder days to come back. Life can be SO ironic isn't it?

On this trip, we have also surrendered our money at the Leicester Square Lego store. The selection at the store is massive. If you love Lego, you'll be amazed at the Aston Martin, London bus and Harry Potter themed life sized displays. We decided to get the kids very early birthday presents. Debra got a custom Lego figure that is seriously her alter-ego. Maybe when the kids are grown up, I'll be hanging out with a wife with neon pink hair at the beach. (Scroll down for example...)

The ride back to our car on the Elizabeth Line was a lot quieter and air-conditioned. We were greeted by a mesmerising sunset. 

SURRENDER 1.3
I think this is the biggest and most significant part of our surrender. Earlier, I spoke about the recurring theme of surrendering. At some point, one will realise how brutal life can be. There are moments that will completely wreck havoc in our lives. Just like a traffic jam or sudden closure, it can upset our plans. 10 years ago when Debra and I felt the disappointment of not being able to see Brighton Pier and South Stack Light house, I don't think we realised 10 very hard years were before us. 

Whether you call it God's plans, fate or just life, it takes a certain level of surrender to keep going. We need to realise that quite often, not everything can be planned or controlled. We dreamt and we planned in search of a homeland we would find wholesome for a family but the search was long and fruitless. The pandemic and my dad's passing rocked us real hard. The only way we could stay sane was when we surrendered and took one day at a time. 

Being back in North Wales at the South Stack Lighthouse was a very special moment. 

​We would never imagine that we will be here 10 years later with two children. It is extra special because after our trip here 10 years ago, we found out we were pregnant with Matthias. The beauty of Wales made such a huge impact that 3 years after that, I decided name my daughter Gwyneth which is the anglicised spelling of Gwynedd. Gwynedd is the Welsh county where Snowdonia is. That's also where our love affair with mountains began. How our lives are panning out now is beyond our wildest imagination. I believe in surrendering now. This surrender can bring a lot of peace. Putting away the pride and having faith that one day, things will work for our good keeps us going. 
​

The sea bashes the rocks and the winds assault the cliffs but seabird colonies continue to thrive. The rain lashes out but the flowers still bloom. The resilience in nature and its staggering beauty of remind us that out of the immense pressures something good will emerge! If you're facing a difficult time, don't give up.

​We ended our time in Wales around Great Orme in Llandudno. Gwyn enjoyed the views so much that she asked Debra and I if we could buy a house there so she can enjoy the views every day. Perhaps darling...perhaps. 

We'll see you guys round the corner for the next adventure!

It has been WARM, DRY and SUNNY! These 3 words are enough to help anyone living across the British isles break out a little smile. After a dark cold winter, we had a gloomy wet spring and now summer is finally upon us. Daytime temperatures are around 16 to 22 celcius which means we've packed away all our winter gear. It is now nice enough to head out in shorts and t-shirt. Best of all, it is still possible to enjoy the outdoors without soaking our clothes in sweat. 

We've clocked several hundred miles and travelled across the Yorkshire Dales, Lake District and Brecon Beacons. We've found ourselves exclaiming in immense joy and awe as we drive along tiny country roads. It is a feeling we haven't felt since we left Sapa, Vietnam and Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. Click here to read about all our other travels!

Now let's get to the fun parts!

SOUTH WALES (The Big Pit Coal Mine)

We drove over 2 hours before we got to South Wales. I was telling the kids that we had entered another country in the same country. We had crossed borders without our passports! It is a very unique union we've got here in Britain. The drive into the hilly parts strained our car's little 1 litre engine and there were many sections where we had to get down to gear 2 before we could make progress. 

We had never gone down a mine shaft before and we definitely knew nothing about mining. The Big pit is an amazing destination that's both educational, reflective and enjoyable. We got our free underground tickets before we headed to a waiting area. 

Our guides greeted us and brought us to a room to get kitted out with a special mining headlamp. The battery was strapped to our bodies and we had to wear a hard hat too. I was pleasantly surprised that they had equipment that fit children. They do weigh quite a few KGs but it was manageable even for Matt and Gwyn. We had to surrender ALL battery operated items because they can cause a spark and set off certain gases that the remaining coal may give off. All watches, car keys, mobile phones and cameras had to be put away on the surface before we took the "cage" down the shaft. 

We got down 90m underground and was led through various tunnels, shown the equipment used and told about the dangers miners faced. It was both a fascinating experience and a really reflective one. At one point, the guide instructed us to all turn off our lamps and try to see our palms in front of us to illustrate the darkness miners experienced in Victorian times. Women, children and men who couldn't afford candles (yes they had to buy their own to work the mines) worked in absolute darkness. Horses that were used to pull carts stayed underground for the rest of their lives once they entered the mine. The immense hardship and dangers they faced in that darkness is absolutely shocking. 

Out of these "dark satanic mills", homes were warmed, trains had steam and ships sailed across oceans. The dirty coal as we call it today advanced civilisation. I applaud the Welsh government for preserving the coal mine and funding the museum. It is completely free to visit and I think that helps us put things into perspective. Yes, we need to care for our environment and use cleaner fuels but we also need to remember the sacrifices of those who came before us too. 

We also got to ask many questions along the way and Gwyn asked the guide if she could try the tool that miners used to shovel coal into the cart. She got what she asked for! Her response was most hilarious "OH IT IS SO HEAVY! I don't think I can work here". I asked the guide how people did their "business" underground...he said "ANYWHERE!" and "sometimes they put a pile on the conveyor belts carrying coal up to the surface as a joke". Oh gosh....

We headed off to the mining simulator after we got back up to the surface. It was a light and sound show where machines from different eras come to life as miners shared their stories. A quick lunch later we headed off to scale the highest peak in South Wales. 

Pen y Fan

Measuring 886m above sea level, we thought it wouldn't be that tough to scale because our starting point was somewhere around 500m above sea level. The sun was out and the place looked absolutely gorgeous. 

10 minutes into the hike the burn in our quads and calves became pretty real. The incline was pretty punishing for amateur hikers like us. The sun felt pretty hot but the wind was intense and cold. It wasn't the most pleasant of climbs but we pressed on. Along the way we met the real champions: the sheep. They scale the peaks in search of the best tasting grass and hang around with their friends on perilously steep sides of the mountain. Unaffected by the wind, they graze leisurely while we huffed and puffed our way up. 

At around 780m just shy of the summit, the wind became very intense and the clouds blocked off the sunshine. Our muscles were crying out for a break. The children were increasingly whiny and it became clear we've reach our limit for the climb. We popped a few sandwiches into our tummies in that crazy wind and headed back down. The view was absolutely liberating. 

My ankles were sore and unstable for a few days after this climb and I realised that my boots didn't provide sufficient support. Wear proper hiking books with ankle support if you intend to climb here! The downhill is especially punishing on the joints because it very uneven and rocky on portions of the trail. 

We decided the next trip was to be a little more leisurely before we attempt anything like the Scafell pike (Highest point in England)...

Ribblehead Viaduct

Once we had recovered and stopped aching, we found our way to the Lake District via the Yorkshire Dales. The Ribblehead Viaduct is one of those scenic places that you can't miss in this area! Built between 1870 and 1874, this iconic viaduct cost more than 100 men their lives to build. It is still being used today!

I mean just look at it. It is AMAZING! You don't have to pay an entrance fee to enjoy it and the kids aren't fussing about sweating buckets. If the day ended here, it would have been pretty satisfying already. Then we saw a sign "Boats, Kayaks and Paddle-boards for rent". I looked at Debra in the eye and we both agreed without a single spoken word that WE HAD TO GO ON THE LAKE IN A BOAT! I headed straight to the rental booth and asked if I needed a boat license to drive and they said I didn't need one. It was GAME ON. 

We paid £40 for an hour and they fitted us with life jackets of the right size before briefing us about the health and safety rules. 

The kids were a little terrified in the beginning because it was their first time on an open top boat driven by their father haha! The kids were absolutely thrilled as we cruised along the lake. We kept checking with them if they were enjoying the activity and they said they were! They even suggested I buy a boat so we can do this again...ermm....

We didn't plan to do a boat ride because we didn't know we had this option but it turned out to be one of the best change of plans ever. We manage to catch a glimpse of the Wray Castle and the beautiful hills surrounding the picturesque lake. 

What are your plans this summer?

​Let us know in the comments what would be fun for the kids. We are always open to new ideas! We are happy to connect via chat and social media channels too!