Life just keeps throwing things at ya and you need to react and adjust. But one that I am set on is to be the best father and husband I can be. Some have noticed the struggle and pain I went through sticking it out in China for 2.5 years (even returning in March 2020 in the first place). Staying …
Rest in Peace, Uncle Bill
Got word from my dad that Uncle Bill has passed away – 9:45pm EST on Oct 18, 2022. 87 years old, and will live on in our minds and our hearts. I will take some previous blog posts and photos I’ve collected over the year and use this blog post as a reference for me, and anyone else, to remember …
Putting Thailand Life Back Together Again
So made it back to Chiang Mai, Thailand – took over 48 hours end to end to travel from Shenzhen, China to Chiang Mai, Thailand – pre-covid would have been about 6 to 8 hour travel time. But it is what it is – I am recovering from days of travel with a family – and we are here. Kids …
Arrival in Thailand (Allowed To Leave China)
Typing this up from a hotel lobby near the BKK airport, on the last day of the month of August 2022 – ready for a fresh start in Chiang Mai for the month of September and the rest of 2022. Still don’t want to reveal too much about the process of getting approval for my wife and children to leave …
Quick Informal Going Away Party from Shenzhen
1 year back in Shenzhen – and it is time to move on. Processing the visa for the wife and kids was a true nightmare – and something I will not even begin to explain until all 4 of us are approved to leave the exit border at China customs. So with just a couple days left – I invited …
Getting a Body and Heart Checkup
We are all under huge stress and pressure these last few years. Kids home from school 1+ week, constant changes in business and workflows, moving, the list goes on and on. Finally, I felt I had to pay attention to the pains in my chest and get it looked at (well Wendy is the one who insisted). Monday, July 4 …
Fathers Day 2022 – This is What Matters
And as a father of an 8 and 6 year old – this is what matters. The time I spend with them , support them, and encourage them to be good human beings. Maggie made a paper tie for me (in the photo) and insisted I wear it as soon as she returned home from school on Friday. Snapped a …
Proposal Party for Chris & Cindy ZhuZhu
It was a pleasure to be part of Chris Davey + Cindy “Zhuzhu”s wedding proposal party. Finally! After a few re-scheduling (I think mostly due to lockdown and COVID restrictions for the first half of 2022) it finally happened on Saturday June 11, 2022. Up in Mission Hills of Shenzhen (originally Huizhou but the rainy season changed that plan) – …
Our Family’s 2022 Living Situation (Visa/School)
Hi friend, I’m thinking why not just make it a blog post: So quite a few friends have been curious why am I still in China. And what is the plan. Last weekend the family took a trip to Huizhou city to look for options, but I think we need to step back and share the full story: July/ Aug …
Trip To HuiZhou (Hunt for Next Home)
On the hunt, again. Wendy and I want to stick in 1 place longer than a year – but covid and current events have made that close to impossible. We move down to Shenzhen from Shenyang the end of last summer (August 2021) to get our kids into school for the Fall Semester. Also I had gotten an opportunity to …
Where Were You When the Coronavirus Came? (Mike’s COVID-19 Story)
Two years have passed since the world learned of COVID-19. The question, “Where were you when it happened?” is a common one. Today, both in video and text form, I want to answer that question and document it here for all of you. While video form is much more entertaining, I’ll also recap it through text, and also link to …
Happy Chinese New Year 2022 – Tiger Time
We are entering Chinese New Year, and it is the year of the tiger coming up! Years keep passing by here as I am “semi-trapped” (well, can leave, but can’t come back!), and we just keep chugging along. The family and I went to Park Hyatt for a “small new year” celebration (Wendy said that a week before “big Chinese …
Converting the Home Studio to a Home School
The journey of being a parent overseas is becoming a common occurrence for more and more people; I being one of them. It is already a complex and dynamic experience, what with multiple cultures and languages. And when you throw COVID-19 on top of it all, it becomes pure insanity! The schools in Shenzhen closed on Monday due to a …
Ferris Wheel Family Day at Oh Bay
2022 has just come and we’re working harder than ever before, but we always remember to squeeze in some fun while working. The family, David Ho, and several friends went to the Oh Bay park in Bao An, Shenzhen last Saturday. This Ferris wheel is high-end! You barely feel like it is a Ferris wheel as you are fully enclosed …
Christmas in Shenzhen, China, 2021
Moving past 2021 and into the new year means passing through Christmas! Here in China you never really get the Christmas feel, but with kids it is unavoidable – ha! The school and kids pep them up and I felt a bit guilty this year not getting a big Christmas tree for our apartment. Eventually though, the kids finally accepted …