When things suck, I cope by solving problems. I research and find solutions that might fit the bill. So here we go.
One of the earliest things that drew us to Vietnam was HAIS – Hoi An International School. It was so perfect for Skipper. The art classes, business classes, the whole-child approach. It felt like a school where she could finally shine in all her glory. And if I’m being honest, there’s a part of me that doesn’t want to do this at all if I can’t find her a school that will give her that same opportunity. It doesn’t have to be a clone – the classes/focus don’t have to match exactly. But it has to be a place where I feel like Skipper can be unapologetically herself. If we’re going to uproot her, I want it to be for an environment that can match her energy.
What kinds of schools do they have in Thailand? And in the Philippines? These are our top contenders now, so that’s where I’ll start.
But what really matters here? I want them to have art programs – it doesn’t have to be a HEAVY focus on art, but I want her to be able to explore her interests. I don’t want American curriculum – let’s face it. American schools…. kind of suck. Even the “good” ones. So we’ll have to narrow it down to either Cambridge or IB curriculum. I don’t want her to have to switch schools again, so it’s gotta be a school she can stay in until she’s 18. And they’ve got to teach mostly in English – I don’t want her set back by a language barrier when she is so damned smart.
Filtering by those criteria narrows the list down to…. about 45 schools in Thailand and around 30 in the Philippines. Holy cow, I’ve got my work cut out for me. There were only 3 we were considering initially in the Da Nang area, so this is a whole different beast.
I guess we might need to start by narrowing down what cities we would be interested in??? That feels like it will be a much shorter list lol. Ok, in the Philippines, the top cities are: Cebu, Tagaytay, Subic Bay, Clark, and Manila. Clark and Manila are consistently too hot for the Frenchies, so I think we can safely rule those out. Tagaytay is far cooler than any of the others which puts it at the top of my list for climate…. Ugh this is WAY too many pieces to weigh against each other. I need a better system.
I guess the best and most honest way to compare places is to take into account what ACTUALLY matters to each person involved.
Ken – Good infrastructure (hospitals, internet reliability, banking logistics), cost of living (how far does our runway actually stretch?), safety, lifestyle (pace, activities, rhythm), community (social connections, professional networking), comfort (climate, accessibility), and atmosphere (beach/mountain/city).
Mom & Dad – Healthcare access, cost of living (fixed incomes), comfort (climate, walkability, accessibility), safety, lifestyle (pace of life), community (social vs solitude), atmosphere (beach/mountain/city).
Me – Mostly the same as Ken’s criteria, though we would see different things as ideal. For example, the beach is a non-negotiable for me, while I think he would be willing to trade the beach for lower cost. I also prefer a slower pace than he does, and I’m not terribly worried about professional networking because I can’t actually do work with locals under the visa requirements.
Skipper – Art opportunities (opportunities to create not just view), culture (museums, heritage, traditions), stability (are the people rooted or more transient), fun factor (activities for kids), comfort (climate, accessibility), novelty (new and exciting experiences), belonging (does it feel connected to her).
What’s interesting is most of us have similar things we are concerned about, though we would likely all weight them differently or view different things within the categories as ideal. This led me to develop a “family rating system” that will account for each of our individual wants/needs/preferences. Because it is a LOT of work to research so many places and schools. But… if I do it right? I can load the rating system for each person into AI, along with a list of options, and ask AI to help us score each option – thus beginning the process of narrowing down a long list into a manageable one. GREAT SCOTT, I THINK WE’VE GOT IT!!
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