Visiting the Motherland

All of the fam successfully made it to China for our visit to the homeland! While the Yeh’s often get together, this is our first family vacation in 10 years (minus Richelle). We miss you!

Climbing the Great Wall of China was as amazing as expected. One of the fun perks of visiting the Mutianyu site was the option to toboggan to the bottom. Lots of fun! You can see the Great Wall in the background with the slide in the top right picture.

After visiting Beijing for 3 short days, I realized how little I know about Chinese history…and also how American I really am. The historical sites were neat (top left – Forbidden City, bottom left – Temple of Heaven, top right – summer palace) and I’m interested in learning more. We also had a chance to visit the Olympic Bird’s Nest national stadium (bottom right). As this is my first visit to China, I’ve been surprised by 1) how much less polluted Beijing was than I expected - Kampala and Manila are much worse! 2) how I really cannot understand the Beijing accent and 3) people here really DO have different “public habits” – slurping soup, blowing snot out of the nose, and yelling on their mobile phones.

Since we were in Beijing, we of course tried Peking duck (bottom left, top middle, top right). It was delicious! They carved the duck in front of you and created the perfect cut of skin, fat, and meat to create our own wraps. We also tried a local Hutong lunch (top left), hand cut noodle soup (bottom middle), and roasted lamb (bottom right).

We are now in Anhui province and will be visiting where my dad’s side of the family lived.

5 Countries in 5 Days

We concluded our incredible SE Asian journey with visits to five different countries!



As we left Chiang Khong on Monday, we were privileged to take a boat ride through the area affectionately known as the “Golden Triangle” where the borders of three countries intersect (Top Left graphic shows Laos in Pink, Myanmar in Green, and Thailand in Gold). Although we ran out of time to “officially” enter Myanmar on land, we were just a few meters from the border (Top Right). One of the more bizarre things we found during our short visit to a Laotian island is this snake-based liquor (Bottom Right).

Our short 2.5 days in Malaysia consisted of visits to Kuala Lumpur (the capital) and Penang (an island in the North).



One of the more fascinating things about Malaysia is its ethnic and religious diversity. It is a common occurrence to walk down the street and see Hindu temples, mosques, Christian churches, and Buddhist monasteries right next to one another. Some of our best food we’ve had was in Penang. A local place renown for duck rice (Top Middle Right) was my (Warren) favorite. Something called Taiwan roti was also a big winner (Top Right). This breakfast item consists of toast, peanut butter, sugar, peanuts, and probably some other magic elixir. The winner item for Melissa was a local dessert called Cendol (Bottom Right). This dessert features a coconut sauce with beans, ice, sugar, and green rice noodles. It tastes better than it sounds. Really.



The last stop was Singapore. What a change in environment! At many points we even forgot we were in South East Asia, since it was so modern and developed. We splurged for a five star hotel (Bottom right) and acted on a great recommendations for a nice Italian restaurant called “No Menu.” We hadn’t had Italian food for a long time and it was quite refreshing to have a Caprese Salad and fresh pasta (Top Left). We also enjoyed several versions of our local Malay favorite (Top Right) Char Kuay Teow – flat noodles in a sweet sauce with egg, bean sprouts and peanuts. We’re definitely sad to leave as we walked from our hotel to the subway station with our many bags (Right). Singapore was definitely one of our favorite cities was the perfect way to finish Southeast Asia.

Our remaining schedule:
3/27 – 3/29 Beijing, China
3/29 – 3/31 Huangshan, China
4/1 – 4/3 Shanghai, China
4/3 – 4/19 Taipei, Taiwan

Mel keeps getting a little sad that our trip is almost over – I have to remind her that we still have a good three weeks!

The Chiang Nobody's Heard Of.

Our 5 day stop in Chiang Khong (6 hours from the more famous Chiang Mai) was a rather drastic change from our previous travels as we visited my (Warren) extended family.



Uncle and Auntie Ma (second and third from left) are cousins of my stepmother – and have been missionaries in Thailand for over 30 years. We did our best to be good, unobtrusive, Chinese kids throughout the visit – but our stay was not without our missteps. We took out the electricity in our building TWICE due to mistimed showers. Also, a wild dog (as ascertained by the staff) stole one of my boots during the night.



We stayed on the “compound” which serves as a K-8 school, an orphanage, a dormitory, and a church. It was quite a distance from the nearest city (30 km.) and rural enough that everyone owns trucks. The most remarkable part of the visit was how the orphans and “dorm” kids were so well behaved. They wake up each morning at 5:30am and have exercise and individual Bible study (even the 8 year olds) before breakfast at 7:00am. They wash all their own clothes and dishes and help one another with chores and homework. Sometimes it was hard to believe what we were seeing!




We were given many opportunities to share our life stories, teach English classes, and play games with the 300+ children that come each week. As they were primarily Thai speakers, we needed a translator to communicate with them, but between playing soccer, watching Disney movies, and singing worship songs, there were plenty of chances to connect.

Our visit revealed a whole different side of Thailand – where those without much educational opportunity, or without a family at all, could join a loving community that seeks mental, physical, and spiritual health for all its members. They’re currently desperate for teachers and administrators. Anyone interested?

Next up: Kuala Lumpur and Penang!

M.Y. Chiang Mai

Besides liking the fun play on our names, we enjoyed this laid back city in northern Thailand.

We spent a full day "adopting" an elephant at Patara Family Farm. We learned how to feed, bathe (bottom middle pic), and check their health signs - including squeezing and smelling their dung. One interesting fact from the day is that elephants only sweat from their toenails. After the morning care routine, we rode our elephants (top right pic is one way to get on an elephant) to a nearby waterfall for them to drink some water. The ride was fun, but also important for the elephants to file their nails to avoid infections from ingrown toenails. I got matched with the youngest elephant who was very playful. Warren opted to take a swim with them as you can see from the top left pic.

The next day, we took a Thai cooking class at a local, organic farm. I chose to make yellow curry and spring rolls while Warren made green curry and pad thai. Thai people can really eat some spicy food. I was also surprised to see so many different types of rice (middle left pic) at the market. We can't wait to try some recipes when we get back to the States. I have a running log of dishes that I will try to adapt for my gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free elimination diet...haha. On our last day, we visited a forest temple called Wat Umong (right left pics). This temple was very different from the others. Rather than the typical gold and vibrant colors, Wat Umong blended into its surroundings and felt like a retreat center in the forest. I particularly liked these 2 pigeons who sat on elephant statues as if they were guards for the buddha.

We left Chiang Mai yesterday and are currently in Chiang Khong for our last few days in Thailand.

Honking and Halong Bay: Three Days in Vietnam

After considering a myriad of options, we decided to head over to Hanoi - our primary activity being a two day cruise in beautiful Halong Bay. We enjoyed luxury accommodations on Indochina Sails which slowly made its way around this special UNESCO World Heritage Site which certainly is deserving of the designation. The mountains seemed to rise straight out of the water. We were treated to a nice hike to the top of one of the hills (top left), a morning tai-chi lesson (bottom right), and a tour of a floating village where hundreds of people live on these floating vessels (bottom middle).

One of our regrets was not having enough time to spend in this beautiful country. We did, however, get to experience a few incredible meals -- a tasty grilled fish (right side), a streetside "kabob" sandwich (bottom left). Also, we observed an impressive display of culinary knife skills on the cruise ship. It's amazing what you can make from a tomato and slices of carrots (top left).

In addition, some of our memories we shall take away: the busy and energetic night market in the Old Quarter, the welcome 65 degree weather after two weeks in the 90's (Cambodia/Thailand), and the incessant honking that happens at all hours - and at all times.

It's always sad to leave another country (especially when it is so brief). But we had a nice "taste" of Vietnam... now it's on to Chiang Mai, Thailand!

Hanging with the Hong's

We visited the Hong family as our first stop in Cambodia. The top right picture is a group photo - Christina, Eulshik, daughter Annabel, and son Caleb.



The Hong’s recently moved from Boston to Phnom Penh to work at a social venture start up. We had a wonderful 4 days with everyone - going to church (top left - on Eulshik's moto, bottom right), swimming at the local sports club to cool off (bottom middle), and visiting the Russian market (bottom left). While we were in different social circles during our overlapping years at our church, we felt a familiar connection through our common faith / values and had a good time sharing and encouraging one another during our trip.

We decided to add an impromptu stop to Angkor Wat – the 8th wonder of the world and largest single religious structure in the world, which is a few hours north of Phnom Penh.



On the morning of our first full day, we woke up at 4:30 AM - I know most people wouldn’t believe that this is possible for me – to watch the sunrise (top left) and spent the rest of the morning wandering through Angkor Wat (bottom right). We also visited several temples in the area, including Ta Phrom (2nd top left, top right), where Tomb Raider was filmed. I thought it was really cool to see how the jungle trees grow on top and throughout the temples. Each site had a different feel and we could easily envision ourselves in the middle of an Indiana Jones movie.



We tried several local Khmer dishes, including an excellent tom yum soup (bottom right) from Hagar Restaurant. This restaurant is part of an organization called Hagar www.hagarcambodia.org, which works to restore and empower women who are victims of human rights abuse. It’s been really great to actually visit so many of places, organizations, and people that we’ve heard about while in the States. There were also a few other food highlights – mango salad and stir-fried morning glory (bottom left). For the most part, it left us missing the food from their neighbor, Thailand…haha. However, the fruits in Cambodia were amazing, always fresh and delicious (top 3 pictures). We ate lots of mangoes, pineapples, and dragon fruit!

Leaving today for Hanoi, Vietnam.
Tentative remaining jet-setting schedule
Mar 10-13: Hanoi, Vietnam
Mar 13-16: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Mar 16-21: Chiang Rai, Thailand
Mar 21-26: Singapore & Malaysia
Mar 26-Apr 3: China
Apr 3-19: Taipei, Taiwan

Bangkok Blitz

We arrived in Bangkok, Thailand and was greeted with balmy 85 degree weather as we stepped off the plane – which was quite a change from the rainy 60 degree Taipei. We checked into a modest hotel and made plans to obtain visas for China (No way for US Citizens to get a China Visa in Taiwan). Bangkok is a huge bustling city with a booming tourism industry and everything reflects that – from price-gouging taxis, to the large numbers of foreigners, to women working the streets and sidewalks.

Must-see items in Bangkok include the many temples which reflect the 95% Buddhist affiliation of its people.

Top Left: I’m hitting a Buddhist Gong (or pretending to)

Top Middle and Top Right: We visited the Golden Palace which is home of the Emerald Buddha

Lower Right: Temple of the Dawn (Wat Arun) at night

We signed up for a guided night bike tour which was a neat experience seeing the busy markets full of flowers and fruits and cycling across the lit bridges. The city looks pretty different in the evening.

No trip is complete without some food experiences, and (going left to right) we had this delicious street vendor fried rice served in plastic and newspaper; we stopped at a Red Mango; and had a delicious meal at the Oriental Hotel complete with smoothies, Pad Thai, and Mango Sticky Rice for dessert.

A fun, packed three days… now on to Cambodia and Phnom Penh!!!

Beware The Gangster!

One of the frustrations we have had is getting Taiwan Dollars via our US Bank Card. On our most recent visit to the ATM we were greeted with this odd message.

What might a gangster look like, you ask? Well more on that later.

We were invited to an overnight outing to MingChih Forest near Yi-Lan in Eastern Taiwan to see some ancient trees, breathe the crisp mountain air, and take in the scenery. Melissa and I enjoyed meeting the motley crew of folks we were with (ex-pats, church folks, and others) and the welcome change from the Urban Taipei setting to seeing the lush green-ness that characterizes most of Taiwan.

Left Column: We truly had some of the best food of our entire stay this past week. We now have a new favorite beef noodle soup place (containing fried dough and open 24hr a day no less), and had a quality green bean appetizer and possibly the best Shanghai dumplings of our lives at Kao Chi.

Right Side: There are a whole series of Night Markets across the city which sell clothes, food, shoes, knick knacks, and everything else you can imagine. Shilin Night Market is the largest one, and where we enjoyed the trendy Fried Chicken, saw these huge sausages, and shared some fresh fruit.

One of the classic activities in Taiwan is to go for a photo shoot in one of the many outlets throughout the city. They do several rounds of makeup and hair, dress you in multiple outfits, put you in hilarious poses, and then put together a nice album. Pictures ranged from the more normal (Bottom Right) to the cute and funny (Top Left) to just completely over the top (Middle). Didn’t you always want to be a Chinese Empress? This also helps you identify what an Asian Gangster might look like, albeit from the 40’s. The 1840’s, that is.

In a few minutes, we head to Bangkok. See you soon, Taipei!