Khanh lives with her husband and their daughter Hoa in the Southwest of Hanoi, a residential area far away from the busy and touristic city centre. Khan works as an english-vietnames translator, a job which leaves her enough sparetime to take care of her daughter after school. Her family is a typical Hanoian family, living in the area since generations, while her husband’s parents are from the central region of Vietnam. Nam, her husband, works as a cameraman for a national TV station and has long working hours, sometimes even during the weekends. He met Khan through a cousin when she was an university student. Today, they are married for over 9 years and have a beautiful 7 year old daughter called Hoa. Hoa was named after a doctor who saved her live. When Khan was 2 month pregnant, she suffered from Rubella virus and the doctors in the public hospital pushed her to have an abortion. Luckily, one doctor named Hoa advised her, after a complete medical check, not to do that. Thanks to this competent doctor, the baby girl was born healthy and named after the doctor.

How does your typical family day looks like?

Normally, my husband and I have breakfast near our companies, but my daughter has breakfast at home so I get up early to prepare her breakfast. My husband or I take her to school which is close to our house. We have lunch at our work and we take turns to pick up our daughter from school depending on our schedule. Usually we cook dinner at home and sometimes eat out for a change or on special occasions. After dinner, I help my daughter with her homework. At weekends, we normally go out to a nice cafe or park near our home to spend the day with friends.

How do you spend your free time as a family?

My husband usually works one of the two days of weekends. When he doesn’t work we spend the week-end together and usually take our daughter to a splayground or a park.  Sometimes we go to my husbands hometown in the countryside to visit his family and relatives. There is a very nice beach called Cửa Lò. 

As a parent, how do you see your children in 15/20 years? What do you wish for them?

As a mother, I really want my daughter to have a good education both at home and at school. Particularly, I wish her to live a healthy life and be strong. Therefore, I usually take her to the swimming pool in summer and find modern dance class for her in winter. I hope she will become a kind person with a good heart. I also wish she would go to University to get a good job in the future. The university education is not free in Vietnam, but it is reasonable/affordable for most of people. For poor family, they can get loans from the Government for university education with lower interests.

Tell me more about the food in your region/country. Who is preparing the food? What is the typical dish in your country/city?

In terms of food, every region has its own speciality. My husband comes from Nghe An, a province in the central of Vietnam while I am from Hanoi, in the north of Vietnam. Food in these 2 regions are very different. My husband likes salty food, fish sauce, spicy, fried food while I like steamed food, vegetables, beef. Our daughter is a fussy eater, I always have to cook special dish for her like salmon, beef without spicy, and she usually eats before my husband and I as she spends hours before finishing her dish. Therefore, in my family’s dish, we have many kinds of different food. I am not always the cook in the family, sometimes my husband cooks too when he does not go to work.

In western countries, we have to learn our kids to reduce screen time. Kids today have easily access to smartphones, computers and TVs. How is this in your country?

It’s similar in Vietnam now.  Many kids use smartphones, computers and TVs. My daughter used to spend hours watching youtube on Ipad, She was really addicted to it. So we decided to set some rules to control her screen time. Sometimes when she has good marks, I will let her access to the Ipad for limited time.

Now, my daughter plays more with her toys and we spend a lot of time outside. It is really important to reduce screen time for kids. I think this is a global problem as all this gadgets are now available everywhere.

By the way, we have a nice game which kids usually play, it’s called Ô ăn quan. It is a traditional Vietnamese children’s board game enhancing calculating ability. My daughter also loves drawing and painting. She sticks her works all over the walls in our house. 

How does a normal couple live and share work/life? Are they both working? If yes, is there any maternity leave? How long?

There is still a separation in work life and family life. Nowadays in Vietnam, it is normal that both work to generate income to support the family. But when it comes to family life, women have still do the housework.

We have 6 months of maternity leave, this is only for women. I heard that in some countries they also have a paternity leave which we don’t have here in Vietnam.

Can you recommend us some good food places in Hanoi?

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. As travellers, when exploring Vietnam, you should enjoy the local ways and and street food is a great place to experience it. If you stay in the old quarter of Hanoi, there are a few places that you can go for street food: bun cha (grilled pork with rice noodles) at Bún chả Đắc Kim, egg coffee at Giang Cafe, phơ at Phở Lý Quốc Sư… At a higher level, you can try a big menu of food at Quán ăn ngon, or Hanoi specialty “cha cá” at Chả cá Thăng Long…

We ask each family we interview to share a typical recipe of her region/country. Find below Khanh’s recipe for Nem Dan:

What are the nicest places to visit in Hanoi?

Basically, in terms of architecture, Hanoi can be divided into 4 areas: the Old Quarter, the Citadel Area, French Quarter and Newer Area. Normally tourists stay in the Old Quarters, the center of Hanoi’s old town where the most attractions are situated. These are nice places near the Old Quarter you can visit when in Hanoi: Hoan Kiem Lake, the Saint Joseph Cathedral, the Opera House, Hoa Lo Prision, Temple of Literature, Train Track Street. It is very nice just walking through the small narrow streets of the Old Quarter or visit the weekend night market. Outside the Old Quarter you can find the Museum of Ethnology where the different ethnic groups of Vietnamare are displayed and explained. If you are into arts, the Museum of Fine Arts is a good place to go.

Hanoi is definitely a nice place to discover and a good start when you travel through Vietnam.

It would take a lifetime to get to know every facet of Tokyo. The Japanese capital is a fascinating city of opposites, floating between the latest technology and traditional arts, overfull stations and quiet backstreets and parks. No one leaves Tokyo indifferently, but with a mixed feeling of just having scratched the surface.

Big cities are fascinating and have a mysterious side but are also full of clichés, especially Tokyo. Is the story of the ever-working Japanese true? Images of full commuter trains, people working long hours in the office with little time for family life? We asked Ryohei who works for l’OREAL Japan and lives in the heart of Tokyo with his wife and 2 kids:

Ryohei (34), his wife Nanako and their beautiful girls Yuka (5) and Chihiro (2) live near the Meguro river, in a quiet neighborhood where in spring, hundreds of beautiful cherry blossoms bloom along the Meguro. Ryohei met his wife during College time just after he came back from a 8 years stay in the USA. They decided to settle down in the Meguro neighborhood, on the edge of the hypercentre. This neighborhood attracts Tokyo employees, families and artists whose common point is the love of calm and the subtle charm of this district. Organic coffees, renowned izakayas, vintage shops and unforgettable bookshops make this area a cool place to live .

RYOHEI, CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR TYPICAL DAY?

On week-days, we all wake up around 7 am, have breakfast together and prepare for the day. The morning is the only time I can spend with the girls. I usually get back very late from work and the girls are already in bed.

HOW DO YOU SPEND THE WEEK-ENDS IN TOKYO AS A FAMILY?

I usually work on Saturday morning and very often it is difficult to wake up. Not only because I have to work but normally Friday nights, I go out with friends and work mates for diner and some drinks. So my week-end start Saturday after lunch and then it’s all about family. I love cooking with my older daughter Yuka. We decide the menu together and cook all meals for the week-end.  Yuka is learning to ride the bicycle. She also loves to swim, so we have a lot of fun going to the indoor swimming pool. Normally I am the teacher and my wife and Chihiro are the coaches watching and advising from the stands.

Every once in a while, we visit Hakone to enjoy the nature and the hot springs. It’s only a 1.5 hours drive from where we live and we can dive into another landscape and rebalance ourselves from the busy city life. Hakone is a onsen town with great views of Mount Fuji and it’s also known for its old hiking paths lined with 400 year old cedar trees. Hakone is also a hive for arts. Numerous museums are scattered all over the region taking advantage of its already poetic scenery (check out our Hakone tips in the map below).

TELL US ABOUT THE FOOD IN TOKYO. CAN YOU RECOMMEND US SOME RESTAURANTS IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Everything is delicious in Tokyo, not only the Japanese food but also the Italian, French or Chinese food are of a very good quality. Since we are surrounded by sea, the seafood is absolutely amazing and with the four seasons, the freshness of fruits and vegetables are incomparable. Here is a list of restaurants we visit often and I can recommend highly. Nothing fancy or expensive but with fresh and delicious food nearby Meguro.

Kushiwakamaru  (yakitori) | 1-19-2 Kamimeguro, Meguro, Tokyo | Phone +81 3-3715-9292

Kawasemi (soba) | 2-17-23 Shimo Meguro, Meguro, Tokyo | Phone +81 3-3490-5959

Iki (sushi) | 3-1-1 Kamiosaki | 1f, Shinagawa 141-0021 Tokyo |  Phone +81 3-5437-1228

IS THERE ANY SPECIAL FOOD OR DESERT THE KIDS LOVE IN TOKYO (LIKE LES CREPES IN FRANCE)?

Foodwise, the kids usually love sushi. For desert, my girls like all kind of desert, of course. But to pick one very special “Japanese” one, I would say “TAIYAKI”. Taiyaki (literally “baked sea bream”) is a Japanese fish-shaped cake. It imitates the shape of the Tai (Japanese red seabream). The most common filling is red bean paste, made from sweetened azuki beans. Other common fillings are custard, chocolate, cheese, or sweet potato.

Naniwaya Cafe | 1-8-14 Azabujuban | 2f, Minato 106-0045, Tokyo

With each Portraits we ask the family  to give us a typical recipe from their region or country. Below you can download Ryohei’s favourite Taiyaki recipe:

TELL US ABOUT SOME GREAT PLACES TO GO WITH KIDS IN TOKYO?

Tokyo, known as one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world, has beautiful parks. This city is always busy and can get very stressful and the parks are like green calm islands. Many of them are huge and a perfect place to spend some quiet time with friends and family. The Rinshinomori Park is only 10min walk from our place. I can also recommend the Arisugawa Park where my daughter’s cousins live. Those are the two places we visit very often on week-ends.

What was your reaction when you heard the news about the confinement and how did you explain it to your kids?

To be honest, I wasn’t too surprised when the lockdown was announced. It was to be expected. We already follow the situation in Italy for days or weeks.

For my kids, the whole situation is difficult to understand although they are happy to stay at home. We had talked a lot about the Corona Virus before the lockdown and they are informed that it is transferred to people via hands or while sneezing. The most exhausting thing for us parents was to remind them of the hygiene in the metro, again and again, i.e. don’t touch this & that and don’t put your fingers in your mouth.

How is the situation today in your country?

We are a Swiss family living in Barcelona. The situation in Spain will soon be as tragic as in Italy. We have been in absolute quarantine for 10 days now. The highlight of the week is the way to the grocery store and the waste container. It is forbidden to walk, cycle, drive to the beach or in the near nature reserves (no more than one person in the car is allowed in the car).

More than ever, we appreciate having a garden. This makes the quarantine time bearable and the kids can play outside.

Working from home with kids, is it possible? How do you handle it?

Oh yes, that’s a challenge. My husband is an entrepreneur and is currently extremely busy at work. I started my own blog a few weeks ago. But since the lockdown, I hardly have the time to work on my things. It is now the 10th day at home and we still have to get used to it and find a good way to deal with the situation. I am currently spending my time almost entirely to the children and the household. It is important to us that our children can remember this strange time with some good memories.

Do you have an activity to keep your kids occupied for 1 -2 hours? Any DIY tips or movies to recommend?

We designed a weekly schedule right from the start. I try to plan activities such as arithmetic, writing letters or paint for the grand-parents. We all sit at the same table and so I can be with them and at the same time work for an hour. My children love DIY and I often give them tasks like cutting letters or numbers or making a collage.

Of course, we are not anti-media, especially if they have so much “free time”. I have discovered great apps where their imaginations are stimulated and they are busy for an hour. Our favorites are Book Creator, where you can use your iPad to create your digital book. Lingokids and LÜK are great apps for learning English in a fun way.

But I also enjoy the moments when we can simply bake or cook together without time pressure. The quarantine time allows us to spend more time together which is finally a beautiful thing in this horrible moment.

Any Instagram Accounts to follow right now?

Ohh, there are many. But to be honest, I try to spend as little time as possible on social media in this quarantine time.

Do you think this situation will change the world permanently and how?

Good question. I am sure that the world will never be the same as it was before the Corona crisis. I believe that these restrictions will accompany us for a while in our daily life, in our freedom.

I can’t currently imagine that in Summer, we can just fly around the world, enjoy the sea or the lake again as nothing happened. This crisis will last longer and it is difficult to say in what form our world will change. But I could imagine that people will work more from home, fly less and spend more time with the family and loved ones.

PLAY & PAINT & DIY IDEAS