Some thoughts on America v Asia and other tidbits
- American Fast food is so fast. Unbelievable. We think in two years the quality of service and speed has really improved. And we just got fatter and fatter.
- speaking of food. We ate at an incredible mexican restaurant in Btown very often. Nothing can beat its' salsa and chimichangas.
- Driving: I would get so scared with the speed, how someone would speed up to a stop sign. But they would always stop. Where we live in Asia this would never happen. I had to adjust to not honking in these scenarios, and trust that most people driving in America really will follow the traffic laws. When we arrived back here I had to drive home from the airport and was quite timid. It is amazing how my propensity to drive just like everyone else (LOL)came right back, ie, becoming a law breaker again(for survival!).
- As noted before for Americans and the 'look' of an 'American' there is great diversity. When coming from a place where everyone has the same color skin, hair, and eyes, and we are constantly told how white we are, how tall, fat, etc. it was interesting to hear our kids take on Americans. Fun-ny, but not repeatable. Now we are back to sticking out like sore thumbs, something that in the airports on the way back caused some angst as the paparazzi would surround, and all our crankiness came out.
- Talking in terms of 'two years'. I would tear up towards the end of our stay when Sophia would say: 'I will see you when I am seven'. She kept talking in these terms, and it seemed so odd to me, and sad. So much goes on in a kids' life in two years. One day she asked: 'momma, will I not see my cousins again while I am five?' When I replied 'no', she was sad but okay, shrugged her shoulders and with a hopeful grin said: 'well, maybe I will.'
- We are really enjoying getting settled back in, getting back into routine, and preparing for the school year, which for everyone else is already 6 weeks in. The girls both start Chinese school tomorrow!!!
