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Alex: So much. They are so young, but so smart. This past year has been a unique cultural experience for us. The students would tell us all about these things to look out for in the region. They also wanted us to try certain Korean dishes, so we sampled some of their recommendations before we got to Korea. Korean food is very diverse and is so much more than the Korean barbecue that everyone hears about. We really enjoyed that.

Q. How was the food at the athletes village?

Alex: The cafeteria was designed so that everyone could find something that they're comfortable eating. There were so many different offerings. And with the Games being in Korea, they had japchae and bibimbap stations. So I enjoyed some Korean meals there, but it was at the athletes village.

Maia: This Olympics was our fourth trip to Korea, so we have had a chance to enjoy Korean food before we got there. Definitely a fan of it.

Q. What childhood memory do you have of traveling with your family?

Alex: We grew up in Connecticut and would drive to New York and Boston. The first place we traveled internationally in a big way was to France for a junior international competition and it was beautiful. The first time we went to Asia was in late 2008. That was exciting because we went to Korea and it was our first competition in Asia. On the way back, we stopped in Japan, which was our first time there. Our parents were with us, so that was nice.

Maia: We went to Tokyo for a few days and were able to explore a bit and enjoy the city.

Alex: We went to the fish market and the electronics district. We saw temples. We did a lot of touristy things and it was a cool experience. Growing up, we were aware of our heritage, but to go (to Japan) for the first time was such a memorable experience.

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(Jae-Ha Kim is a New York Times bestselling author and travel writer. You can respond to this column by visiting her website at www.jaehakim.com. You may also follow "Go Away With..." on Twitter at @GoAwayWithJae where Jae-Ha Kim welcomes your questions and comments.)

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