Cindy Wang Brandt

Just finished the book The Blue Sweater by Jacqueline Novogratz. Because we have decided to invest both finances and heart towards an organization fighting global poverty (one days wages), I’ve been trying to read up on the subject. I enjoyed this one although some parts were hard to get through. Here are some of my…

Quoted from my six year old daughter. With a bit of depression in our family history, I anxiously asked her why? Her answer: “because when I die, I can go to heaven!” I’m not quite sure what her ideas of heaven are, but probably some version of a Disney-like fairyland. Already at six years old,…

I just got an email from a supporter asking us exactly what we are doing in Taiwan. I realize perhaps we haven’t been very clear in our correspondence (newsletter and blogging). Then I realized perhaps we haven’t been very clear because we ourselves haven’t been clear. After all, our whole reason for leaving China was…

I read this story on NPR today: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112727679 And it really resonated with me. Every mother can probably relate to this: after giving birth to children, all the news stories, victims of tragedies that involve children, hits harder on the heart. When we experience the immense love we have for our kids, we can also…

Went to school with Hayden this morning and observed another cultural difference. I figure I better document all this for all my expat friends who might eventually consider sending their children to Chinese local schools. I remember last year at Lizzy’s International school, they had a Sports Day. There were several activities, potato sacks, relays,…

It’s deja vu. Three years ago, we sent Lizzy to Chinese preschool in Tianjin. It was a completely local, Montessori preschool just like the one Hayden is going to now. At that time, our plan was to send Lizzy straight through the local system until perhaps 2 or 3rd grade so she can have a…

When we moved out of our home in Tianjin, we felt like we packed and packed and packed and there were still more stuff. This week, we moved into our new place in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, and we unpacked and unpacked and unpacked and still there were more. Conclusion: we have too much stuff. This week…

I spent about seven years (college and seminary) in America as first an International student, and then an “alien” spouse. (why oh why do they use that word to describe non natives?) Then we relocated to China for five and a half years as definite foreigners. Finally, we’ve moved to a place where I was…

Between the two of us, Jason is the bigger treehugger. I’m always a bit uncomfortable when he talks about recycling and how he induces paranoia in our daughter when it comes to leaving lights on in the house. Mainly because I fear being labeled a crazy liberal environmentalist. But our reasons for recycling are really…