With washed purple hair, JESSIE (LATE-30’s) stands out amongst the flurry of Taiwanese passengers trying to get back home from the Taiwanese airport. Not being able to speaking the language, Jessie navigates her way to her hotel where she awaits her parents – SUSAN (70’s) and ALBERT (70’s) for their “family” vacation. Their “family” vacations use to include Jessie’s older brother and sister, but now that they have their own families, it’s just Jessie. Susan and Albert are quintessential American tourists (cargo pants, and Hawaiian shirts included). An embarrassingly boisterous couple, Susan and Albert want to know everything about the “locals” of each country they visit: what are their main imports and exports? How do the locals really feel about China? And most importantly – where to do the locals eat? Jessie arrives and Susan promptly gives her a printed itinerary which splits their time between visiting with her sister’s in-laws, and touring around with a private tour guide, while also leaving room for them to wander around on their own. It’s a packed week-long trip that can easily feel like an eternity to Jessie when it’s combined with sporadic bickering and a stubborn father who insists on taking the lead, but always gets lost (a sign of dementia that only he doesn’t recognize).  

It's their first day and Jessie and her parents meet up with her sister’s in-laws – GEORGE (70’s) and VIVIAN (70’s). They’re a traditionalist Taiwanese couple adorned in luxury brand clothing – a contrast to Susan’s tivas and Albert’s “Viva Brazil” t-shirt. The family squeezes in the back seat of a BMW convertible as George and Vivian take them around town to American Club – an exclusive tennis-club for Taiwanese locals where they offer a wide variety of gourmet food like pasta, burgers and sushi. George and Vivian are glowing, talking about their last son who’s set to be married last spring. Jessie sips on her sake, trying not to feel like a 5th wheel on this awkward elder parent-date. The conversation turns to Jessie but her career as a freelance designer is met with lukewarm responses from George and Vivian – prompting a self-conscious response from Susan ensuring the couple that her daughter is actually very talented and successful. But Albert can’t tell – he's enamored by George and Vivian, even when Vivian corrects Susan’s lack of understanding of the Mandarin language.

Day two rolls around and the family meets their tour guide for the first time – HANA, a youthful looking late-forty-year-old with a pixie cut and a broad smile. Albert gives her a hard handshake and immediately launches into a barrage of questions as if to test her mental capacity: what’s the city’s population? what do they manufacture locally? What is the status of the economy? Susan and Jessie try to get Albert to stop but Hana just laughs. As a local history professor and part-time tour guide, she’s not fazed by Albert challenging her knowledge of the city.

A mix of jet-lag and frustration at her father’s behavior, Jessie checks out of the conversation like an angsty teen annoyed at her parents. It doesn’t help that Hana keeps posing the family for snap shots at every stop of their tour – a complimentary service that allows their customers to enjoy the sights without worrying about capturing it.

The family stops at the Longshan Temple where Susan gives a small prayer to the matchmaking god, before walking through the Lin An Tai Historical House. Hana catches Jessie walking through a sun-lit corridor and asks her to stop for a photo. Reluctant, Jessie stoically poses. Afterward, Jessie checks the photo and it’s actually not bad. Hana is a talented photographer but never had the opportunity to pursue it as a career. Jessie and Hana begin a conversation about art, photography, and life. Hana also loves to travel but hasn’t had time lately. She tells Jessie that she’s lucky that she her parents can still travel because her parents can’t anymore so she stays home to take care of them since her siblings are busy with their own families. Jessie can sense her own parents getting older, and wonders the same for them sometimes.

It's the end of the tour and Hana drops the family off at a local night market and shows them how to take the train back to their hotel. But Albert invites Hana to join them, off-the clock, and buy her dinner for a great first day. Even though she’s not working, Hana can’t help but exuberantly talk about the history of the market and helps translate with the local shops. Jessie finally pulls out her own camera, and takes a few snaps of Hana and her parents. After they say their goodbyes, Susan and Albert turn in for the evening. Jessie on the other hand, walks around for a little bit longer, taking in the city lights.

We follow a montage of moments of Susan and Albert enamored with the sights, while Hana and Jessie grow closer – stealing photographs of each other, and a few looks here and there. Then, on days on their own, Susan has trouble translating with locals while Albert gets lost taking photographs of people without their permission. The family flags down a cab and Albert uses his navigation app to make sure that the driver is going the correct route (on speaker phone). They finally arrive to Beitou Hot Springs at a luxurious spa. Jessie enters her private room and undresses. Finally, it’s silent. She dips her naked body in the dark pool of warm spring water. Slowly, she massages her skin as the steam fogs up the tall windows. She closes her eyes and a few flashes of Hana comes into her mind – her smile, the back of her neck, her long delicate fingers. When suddenly – ding! Jessie’s eyes shoot wide open to see a text from her parents: a photo from the shoulders up with a message that reads “having a blast! :-)” Jessie sighs and puts her phone away.

The next day, Hana takes the family through the shopping districts, while Jessie distances herself. Albert is really interested in where the locals enjoy hanging out, and Hana mentions that there’s a good night life and sometimes the karaoke bars are busy on the weekends.

A mix of jet-lag and frustration at her father’s behavior, Jessie checks out of the conversation like an angsty teen annoyed at her parents. It doesn’t help that Hana keeps posing the family for snap shots at every stop of their tour – a complimentary service that allows their customers to enjoy the sights without worrying about capturing it.

The family stops at the Longshan Temple where Susan gives a small prayer to the matchmaking god, before walking through the Lin An Tai Historical House. Hana catches Jessie walking through a sun-lit corridor and asks her to stop for a photo. Reluctant, Jessie stoically poses. Afterward, Jessie checks the photo and it’s actually not bad. Hana is a talented photographer but never had the opportunity to pursue it as a career. Jessie and Hana begin a conversation about art, photography, and life. Hana also loves to travel but hasn’t had time lately. She tells Jessie that she’s lucky that she her parents can still travel because her parents can’t anymore so she stays home to take care of them since her siblings are busy with their own families. Jessie can sense her own parents getting older, and wonders the same for them sometimes.

It's the end of the tour and Hana drops the family off at a local night market and shows them how to take the train back to their hotel. But Albert invites Hana to join them, off-the clock, and buy her dinner for a great first day. Even though she’s not working, Hana can’t help but exuberantly talk about the history of the market and helps translate with the local shops. Jessie finally pulls out her own camera, and takes a few snaps of Hana and her parents. After they say their goodbyes, Susan and Albert turn in for the evening. Jessie on the other hand, walks around for a little bit longer, taking in the city lights.

We follow a montage of moments of Susan and Albert enamored with the sights, while Hana and Jessie grow closer – stealing photographs of each other, and a few looks here and there. Then, on days on their own, Susan has trouble translating with locals while Albert gets lost taking photographs of people without their permission. The family flags down a cab and Albert uses his navigation app to make sure that the driver is going the correct route (on speaker phone). They finally arrive to Beitou Hot Springs at a luxurious spa. Jessie enters her private room and undresses. Finally, it’s silent. She dips her naked body in the dark pool of warm spring water. Slowly, she massages her skin as the steam fogs up the tall windows. She closes her eyes and a few flashes of Hana comes into her mind – her smile, the back of her neck, her long delicate fingers. When suddenly – ding! Jessie’s eyes shoot wide open to see a text from her parents: a photo from the shoulders up with a message that reads “having a blast! :-)” Jessie sighs and puts her phone away.

The next day, Hana takes the family through the shopping districts, while Jessie distances herself. Albert is really interested in where the locals enjoy hanging out, and Hana mentions that there’s a good night life and sometimes the karaoke bars are busy on the weekends.

A mix of jet-lag and frustration at her father’s behavior, Jessie checks out of the conversation like an angsty teen annoyed at her parents. It doesn’t help that Hana keeps posing the family for snap shots at every stop of their tour – a complimentary service that allows their customers to enjoy the sights without worrying about capturing it.

The family stops at the Longshan Temple where Susan gives a small prayer to the matchmaking god, before walking through the Lin An Tai Historical House. Hana catches Jessie walking through a sun-lit corridor and asks her to stop for a photo. Reluctant, Jessie stoically poses. Afterward, Jessie checks the photo and it’s actually not bad. Hana is a talented photographer but never had the opportunity to pursue it as a career. Jessie and Hana begin a conversation about art, photography, and life. Hana also loves to travel but hasn’t had time lately. She tells Jessie that she’s lucky that she her parents can still travel because her parents can’t anymore so she stays home to take care of them since her siblings are busy with their own families. Jessie can sense her own parents getting older, and wonders the same for them sometimes.

It's the end of the tour and Hana drops the family off at a local night market and shows them how to take the train back to their hotel. But Albert invites Hana to join them, off-the clock, and buy her dinner for a great first day. Even though she’s not working, Hana can’t help but exuberantly talk about the history of the market and helps translate with the local shops. Jessie finally pulls out her own camera, and takes a few snaps of Hana and her parents. After they say their goodbyes, Susan and Albert turn in for the evening. Jessie on the other hand, walks around for a little bit longer, taking in the city lights.

We follow a montage of moments of Susan and Albert enamored with the sights, while Hana and Jessie grow closer – stealing photographs of each other, and a few looks here and there. Then, on days on their own, Susan has trouble translating with locals while Albert gets lost taking photographs of people without their permission. The family flags down a cab and Albert uses his navigation app to make sure that the driver is going the correct route (on speaker phone). They finally arrive to Beitou Hot Springs at a luxurious spa. Jessie enters her private room and undresses. Finally, it’s silent. She dips her naked body in the dark pool of warm spring water. Slowly, she massages her skin as the steam fogs up the tall windows. She closes her eyes and a few flashes of Hana comes into her mind – her smile, the back of her neck, her long delicate fingers. When suddenly – ding! Jessie’s eyes shoot wide open to see a text from her parents: a photo from the shoulders up with a message that reads “having a blast! :-)” Jessie sighs and puts her phone away.

The next day, Hana takes the family through the shopping districts, while Jessie distances herself. Albert is really interested in where the locals enjoy hanging out, and Hana mentions that there’s a good night life and sometimes the karaoke bars are busy on the weekends.