US East Coast (August to October 2018)

A Road Trip to Remember!

This is a record of the Lim Family's epic 40-day adventure along the East Coast of the United States of America. It's a journey in 5 legs - Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and Washington D.C., and you are invited to follow our daily updates at our Facebook page here.

Taking the controls at the Kennedy Space Center, Florida.

Florida

Journal Entry 1: Arrivals & Adventures
Journal Entry 2: Miami - [Flamingo Gardens] Animal Magic in "Magic City"
Journal Entry 3: Sarasota - [Marie Selby Botanical Gardens] One Enchanted Garden
Journal Entry 4: Tampa - [Madera Beach, Tarpon Springs, Heritage Village] Sun, Sand & the Deep Sea
Journal Entry 5: Tampa - [Glazer Children's Museum] Where Children Learn Through Play.
Journal Entry 6: Orlando - [Disneyworld] A Parent's Guide to Surviving Disney
Journal Entry 7: Orlando - [Kennedy Space Center] Space - the Next Frontier
Journal Entry 8: Orlando - [Universal Studios] Good 'Ol Movie-Making Magic
Journal Entry 9: Beauty in Nature - The Florida State Parks [Honeymoon Island State Park, Big Cypress National Preserve, Weedon Island Preserve, Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park]
Journal Entry 10: The Wind Blew Us - Hurricane Florence & Its Impact

A walk to remember. Anna Ruby Falls Trail, Georgia.

Georgia

Journal Entry 11: Thomasville - Of Chili Dogs & a Game of Darts
Journal Entry 12: Cairo - [Popes Store Museum] Good 'Ol Fashion Southern Hospitality.
Journal Entry 13: Warm Springs - FDR's Little White House
Journal Entry 14: Helen - A German Experience
Journal Entry 15: Duke's Creek Falls & Anna Ruby Falls - Deep Calls to Deep
Journal Entry 16: Sautee Nacoochee Cabin; Gem Mining - Of Hidden Pasts & Buried Treasure.
Journal Entry 17: Tallulah Gorge State Park - No Bridge Too High

Climbing Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina

North Carolina

Journal Entry 18: Banner Elk - Colours of Fall
Journal Entry 19: Blue Ridge Parkway/Orchard at Altapass - Of Sweet Lips N Bluegrass
Journal Entry 20: Blowing Rock/Valle Crucis/Mast General Store - Blown Away
Journal Entry 21: Grandfather Mountain - Chasing Grandfather
Journal Entry 22: Banner Elk - How Towns Are Created

Sunset at Shenandoah National Park

Virginia

Journal Entry 23: Buchanan - Just the Way Things Were
Journal Entry 24: Showalter's Orchard - Of Bushels & Pecks - An Adventure with Apples
Journal Entry 25: Civil War in Virginia: Harrisonburg to Port Republic - Tides of War
Journal Entry 26: Frontier Culture Museum - The American Dream
Journal Entry 27: The Appalachian Trail - Of Resilience & Fortitude
Journal Entry 28: Shenandoah National Park - O Shenandoah How I Love You!

An End to Inequality?
National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington D. C.

Washington D. C.

Journal Entry 29: Smithsonian - All Things Bright & Beautiful
Journal Entry 30: National Building Museum, Memorials - Sunset in Washington

Epilogue: An End But Also a Beginning

Comments

Malacca with the Kids: March 2015

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Setting Up a Finnish School in the Home

The issue of private tuition has again come to the forefront after a senior education official pronounced in parliament that the Singapore education system is "run on the basis that tuition is not necessary". Ms Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State for Education, added that schools provide "comprehensive levelling-up programmes" as well as remedial and supplementary classes to support weaker students. In the days that followed, mainstream and social media agencies were abuzz with reports from parents and students alike, many of whom disagreed with Ms Indranee's assessment of the education scene. They argued that private tuition is already a multi-million dollar industry, and that its very existence disputes notions that tuition is unnecessary. From the perspective of an educator in Singapore, I can understand the comments made by the Senior Minister of State, especially since it is the responsibility of the Education Ministry to teach our school childre...

"Monkeying Around": A Review of My Gym Singapore

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Schooling for Gold: a Parent Reflects on Singapore's First Olympic Gold Medallist

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Hong Kong for Kids: Our Dorsett Wanchai Experience

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A Safe Space: Adventures in Fostering

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The Father I Will Never Be

We recently went on a holiday to Fraser's Hill, one of the less-visited places in Malaysia. For Sue and I, this is a place that is filled with memories. It was, for her, a childhood oasis, a place where her family would visit year after year, and build many precious memories together. It was, for me, a special place where I visited with a band of dear brothers during our university days, and where we set a stake in the ground, to declare that we wanted to surrender all of our days to the glory of God. It was, for Sue and I, the location of our honeymoon, the place where we enjoyed our first few days of marital bliss; the place where we chiselled our marriage covenant and planned for our future as one. This is how I remember Fraser's Hill. Shrouded in mist and somewhat mysterious; a grand legacy of days gone by. I remember my first visit there as a single young man, not yet a quarter of a century old, but yet imbued with the desire to be the best father I could be sho...

The Insecurities of a Homeschooling Dad

Social media can be very deceiving. We scroll through the news feeds of people we know (or of celebrity bloggers and content experts), and assume that they are living perfect lives. With every holiday photo they post, every food picture presented, or every insightful article they write, we slip into social media envy and assume that our friends are enjoying the time of their lives. And many people assume that of me as well. They seem to think that I am living the dream life with a wonderful job and wonderful kids. And when I meet people at my various engagements, I seem to get the nod that I am the model citizen of social media society. A recent holiday in Disneyland. After long queues under the hot sun, we were quite the "model" family! There is some truth to this. At this moment, I can say that there is no other job I would rather do; to be my own boss and to conduct training workshops for others, sometimes with my wife; what more could a man ask for? And my kids? T...

Parenting Your Child for Marriage

It's not often that the Father of the Bride gets to speak at a wedding. Oftentimes, the only words are in response to the question, "Who presents this woman to be married to this man?" In that instance, it is normally a mild-mannered man, one who shuns the attention of the moment, who barely manages to whisper out the refrain, "I do." A precious photo of a very special couple. This was completely not what happened at a wedding I was at almost three weeks ago. In response to that question, the Father of the Bride seemed to have an entire speech prepared for the Groom, "I present to you the key to my daughter's heart, " he declared. "I have protected her heart all her life until this point, and now I am handing over this responsibility to you." And with a firm voice, he presented this solemn reminder: "Remember that you will not be able to do this on your own, but only with God's help, and by spending time with Him daily....

Of Yellow Ribbons & Fathers for Life - the Legacy of Jason Wong

Tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree It's been three long years Do ya still want me If I don't see a ribbon 'round the ole oak tree I'll stay on the bus Forget about us Put the blame on me If I don't see a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree The old folk song Tie A Yellow Ribbon is based on a delightful American story that tells of an ex-convict who returns home to his loved one after serving time in prison. Prior to his release, he had requested for her to tie a yellow ribbon around a tree outside of the town where she lived. And if there was no ribbon there, he would simply go on his way, understanding that she might never forgive him. However, when he passed by the tree, there were 100 yellow ribbons, symbolising that his sweetheart had forgiven him, and that he would be welcomed home. Learning to love and accept one another. The popular Yellow Ribbon Project is based on this premise. Founded in 2004 by Senior Prisons Of...

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