Babel School in Taiwan

For the past few years we've been spending one month a year on skis. It all started four years ago with Zosia going for a ski racing training camp in Nozawa, Japan. There were only 6 kids chosen to attend that camp. I joined the group as a helper. Back then Zosia was in 5th grade (11 years old), other kids were also around that age. Every day they trained going through gates from morning till evening. At night they trained with Japanese kids in bitter cold temperatures. Zosia did not enjoy the camp much, but she did learn quite a bit. The following year we followed our long time friend, Nozomi, to Myoko. We stayed there only for a wee, but fell in live with the small Japanese village and the skiing conditions which it offered. That's why two years ago we spent a whole month in Myoko. We were lucky enough to have a whole pension all to ourselves. Of course this meant that we needed to shovel the snow twice a day just to get in and out of the house. Throughout the whole month w

Only in Taiwan (and maybe other small countries) can normal kids get a chance to appear on TV. I know that some of you may say that my kids have been on TV quite often and their faces are recognisable, but when they started their TV adventure they were ... just a couple of young homeschooled children, without any experience in front of the camera. How did it all start? Few years ago, when Zosia was 9 and Jas 4 years old we met by chance the Public TV team filming a popular children's program 下課花路米 Follow me, go! . Tim talked for a few minutes to the director and gave him his contact number. Few days later TV called back asking some more questions about our homeschooling adventure. And that's how it all started ... Later there were interviews, more interviews, never ending interviews ... Two and a half years ago kids were asked to take part in another Public TV children's program: In the beginning of 2012, after Zosia and her friends made a short documen

  We've never made any New Year's resolutions before, but this year I talked to the kids about it and here is what they came up with: - Zosia wants to: spend more time editing her films learn how to snowboard better learn to ski well in powder snow spend less time searching Internet for silly stuff write her blog more often post more photos to Flickr take one photo a week for the Flickr photo challenge - Jas wants to: read at least one book a week write one postcard a month to the Grandparents make dinner for the family at least twice a month  learn how to type (in Chinese) And how about me? I just hope to have more patience and time for the kids, play more board games with them, read more (by myself and to the kids) and do some more scrapbooking and cross-stitching. I guess all this means I need to manage my TIME better (sleep less?).