Summer vacation of 2023 took place in Southeast Asia and it went well. In fact, if there was an objective way to compare vacations, this was possibly the best trip our family has ever taken. Trip Overview We flew into Bangkok and stayed there for four days. Then we took an overnight train to Chiang
Project Vibrant Sword – A Homemade Lightsaber Experiment
Since Ramnant Sword‘s success, I’ve been itching to make more swords. Because I couldn’t quite figure out how to mold a Fei Xue, the female companion to Can Jian, I pivoted to forge a Lightsaber instead. I have never been much of a Star Wars fan, and am barely knowledgeable of its lore, but Lightsaber
Project Remnant Sword – 殘劍 Can Jian
Last winter break, I joined the kids in making the Leviathan Axe and Blades of Chaos from God of War. It was incredibly fun and we enjoyed the end result. I kept a few photos on my phone to show people. I have enjoyed crafts all my life, but there’s something special about doing it
Obsessing Over That Half Marathon
Since my last actuarial exam 15 years ago, I hadn’t worked so hard toward a single event until signing up for the Bay Bridge Half Marathon. I’m still feeling the runner’s high a week later. The Eve Although Oakland was only 25 miles from home, the thought of having to cross a whole bay to
Bay Bridge Half Marathon
I just ran the Bay Bridge Half Marathon. As my very first race at age 41, this was a total midlife crisis. To understand how big of a deal it was, though, we gotta go way back… The Hou Family Legend My family’s lack of athletic inclination and ability is legendary, something we joke about
PF 2023 (10/10) – Bora Bora: The Ocean
I don’t care much for vacationing in Hawaii, and destinations such as Cancun are lower on my bucket list than many people’s. And yet, I much looked forward to Bora Bora. What’s the difference? A coworker asked when I mentioned our spring break plans. I thought it should’ve been obvious, but started second guessing when
PF 2023 (9/10) – Bora Bora: Bora Bora Water World
When planning our trip to Bora Bora, a few businesses were constantly in our face on Google Maps. Among them were several excursions, of which the Bora Bora Water World seemed feasible for the family. To be clear, we weren’t looking for excursions and would have been perfectly fine just hanging out at the resort.
PF 2023 (8/10) – Bora Bora: Vaitape
Vaitape is the town on the main island of Bora Bora. In this part of the world where most of development is owned by major hotel groups, Vaitape is pretty much the only public place a tourist can visit. While still definitely not cheap, the restaurants and shops here are far more wallet-friendly than their
PF 2023 (7/10) – Bora Bora: Food at the Resort
Dining at Conrad Bora Bora Nui was a tale of two meals… breakfast, and non-breakfast. I’ll start with the latter. Lunch or Dinner Although we came mentally prepared for the high price tags, it was still difficult to order $30 California rolls or $49 cheeseburgers with a straight face. It didn’t matter that there was
PF 2023 (6/10) – Bora Bora: The Bungalow
With a vacation at a fancy resort in a tropical paradise, it’s impossible to pinpoint a single best thing. That said, this entire trip originated from the desire to stay in an over-water bungalow. I’m happy to report that it more than beat expectations. Booking this particular bungalow was a slippery-slope decision making experience. It