We just returned yesterday from a brief visit to Kenya. The first part was a mini-holiday at the Rondo Retreat, a beautiful garden with cottages in the middle of the Kakamega Rain Forest. The second part was spent at Tenwek Hospital having check ups. Here are some things we learned during that trip.
-Driving in Kenya is very dangerous due to rough roads, speedy drivers who have no awareness outside of their own vehicle, narrow roads, pedestrians and animals on shoulders, or a combination of all the above.
-In spite of very bumpy roads with lots of speed bumps, a hungry three year old boy's state of exhaustion may make him fall asleep in his car seat while holding his lunch in his hands. When said lunch is covertly removed, he may awaken.
-Lush green tea farms in the highlands of Kenya are beautiful to see, but not so pleasant to smell, especially when one is the owner of a bionic nose due to pregnancy.
-The famous resident Blue Turaco bird is an expert at hiding whenever we are at Rondo.
-Our healthy singular baby is an expert at hiding gender when an ultrasound machine is present.
-Trying to make a corrupt person see the light of day is an exercise in futility.
-Being patient when a situation is beyond my control, even if I think I could control it better than the person in control, is still beyond my grasp.
-It takes more than one parent to handle two children receiving vaccinations when one of the children is held in the grips of terror, and is terrorizing her sibling, all waiting patients, and all seven shocked observing nurses.
-Children should not be strapped immobile into car seats for hours following a vaccination in the thigh. The result of this action is that they will cry or at least limp when movement is required for a period of more than 24 hours - even in their sleep, and will be unable to go to school.
-Email and laundry multiply exponentially when we are away from home.
-Rich red Kenyan soil does not easily wash out of said laundry.
-The seemingly small amount of items in a shopping cart in Kenya do not necessarily fit into the refrigerator/freezer/cabinet in Tanzania.
Thank you to Rondo for the relaxation, Tenwek for the good health care, Nakumatt for the shopping, and God for all the above plus safety on the roads.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
On the Road...Again
We just returned from a weekend visit with friends who live about two and a half hours away. Dusty drove, so I got to write down a few more observations of roadside life.
-a welder wearing knock-off designer sunglasses for critical eye protection
-flocks of school kids in uniforms walking home for lunch
-a motorbike taxi driver wearing a boater's life vest to meet the new standard for wearing fluorescent/reflective driver identification vests
-a boy on a bike carrying a bike on his bike
-smoking fires set by farmers to prepare the soil for the next crop
-mosques
-massive piles of rolling cabbages as we drove through one village
-pairs of men holding each others' hands, a common practice
-lathered bathers in small brown streams
-children and women doing laundry among purple water hyacinths covering the surface of the water
-mango trees absolutely dripping with green mangoes
-spiky sisal plants planted as natural fencing and boundaries
-mountains of rice drying in their husks which look like construction piles of sand
-As we drove past the Serengeti, we saw wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and baboons.
And our favorite - Spiderman! Or, at least a young boy in Spidey pajamas. We occasionally see adults and children wearing pajamas that come from the Western world and are mistaken for regular clothing.
I wish I had photos to go along with all the sightings, but at 100km/hr the camera just can't get it all well. You'll just have to come out and see for yourself!
-a welder wearing knock-off designer sunglasses for critical eye protection
-flocks of school kids in uniforms walking home for lunch
-a motorbike taxi driver wearing a boater's life vest to meet the new standard for wearing fluorescent/reflective driver identification vests
-a boy on a bike carrying a bike on his bike
-smoking fires set by farmers to prepare the soil for the next crop
-mosques
-massive piles of rolling cabbages as we drove through one village
-pairs of men holding each others' hands, a common practice
-lathered bathers in small brown streams
-children and women doing laundry among purple water hyacinths covering the surface of the water
-mango trees absolutely dripping with green mangoes
-spiky sisal plants planted as natural fencing and boundaries
-mountains of rice drying in their husks which look like construction piles of sand
-As we drove past the Serengeti, we saw wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, and baboons.
And our favorite - Spiderman! Or, at least a young boy in Spidey pajamas. We occasionally see adults and children wearing pajamas that come from the Western world and are mistaken for regular clothing.
I wish I had photos to go along with all the sightings, but at 100km/hr the camera just can't get it all well. You'll just have to come out and see for yourself!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
On the road through town
Although we moved here six years ago, I still find myself having moments of acute awareness of my surroundings, and how different things are here than in America. Of course there are similarities as well, but I'll just list a few things I saw the last time I drove through town.
-a bicyclist carrying a mattress on the back of the bike
-three jeeps full of standing officers with red berets
-signs of the coming election on Sunday the 31st - people wearing ball caps in their party's colors, flags attached to motorbikes, posters, etc.
-motorbike taxis - "boda boda"s with 2 adults and a child not being uncommon
-a woman driving a motorbike - quite unusual
-a teen boy on a bicycle wearing a pink and white striped sweater vest. Pink has no gender-related meaning here.
-Lake Victoria appearing as a field of green crops. Apparently the wind has blown in a lot of biological debris which is clogging our section of the lake and making our water extremely stinky. I'm ready for the wind to change direction!
-healthy goats and cows, and scrappy dogs - all meandering around and over the paved (and busy) road
-a young boy on an adult bike who was not tall enough to reach the seat and therefore bounces from side to side over the middle bar as he tries to reach his destination
-jacaranda trees laden with beautiful purple flowers and bougainvillea dripping with tropical colors
-a man pulling a kokoteli (large two-wheeled carts) loaded with over-stuffed furniture
-produce vendors on the side of the road selling mangoes, bananas, avocados, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers among other fruits and vegetables
-people buying sugar cane from men on bikes
-a man walking with two fresh tilapia fish hanging from a rope by his side
-ladies and children with basins full of all sorts of items balanced perfectly on their heads
Although there are many, many more interesting observations to make, these were the ones I could remember once I got home and found paper and a pen. I hope it gives you just a written glimpse of our town Musoma, and our surroundings here in Tanzania.
-a bicyclist carrying a mattress on the back of the bike
-three jeeps full of standing officers with red berets
-signs of the coming election on Sunday the 31st - people wearing ball caps in their party's colors, flags attached to motorbikes, posters, etc.
-motorbike taxis - "boda boda"s with 2 adults and a child not being uncommon
-a woman driving a motorbike - quite unusual
-a teen boy on a bicycle wearing a pink and white striped sweater vest. Pink has no gender-related meaning here.
-Lake Victoria appearing as a field of green crops. Apparently the wind has blown in a lot of biological debris which is clogging our section of the lake and making our water extremely stinky. I'm ready for the wind to change direction!
-healthy goats and cows, and scrappy dogs - all meandering around and over the paved (and busy) road
-a young boy on an adult bike who was not tall enough to reach the seat and therefore bounces from side to side over the middle bar as he tries to reach his destination
-jacaranda trees laden with beautiful purple flowers and bougainvillea dripping with tropical colors
-a man pulling a kokoteli (large two-wheeled carts) loaded with over-stuffed furniture
-produce vendors on the side of the road selling mangoes, bananas, avocados, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers among other fruits and vegetables
-people buying sugar cane from men on bikes
-a man walking with two fresh tilapia fish hanging from a rope by his side
-ladies and children with basins full of all sorts of items balanced perfectly on their heads
Although there are many, many more interesting observations to make, these were the ones I could remember once I got home and found paper and a pen. I hope it gives you just a written glimpse of our town Musoma, and our surroundings here in Tanzania.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
A Day in the Life
How is our life in Tanzania different than yours? How is it the same? Let's take a look at what a typical day here might hold, and you can see for yourself.
Breakfast. We occasionally have guests come to help us with some aspect of the project. It's nice when a guest stays at our house, as our friend Leila did recently. She took this picture of us at breakfast. Jack was upset because he had knocked his knee and was being consoled by his Mama and Blankie. Tessa wears her princess crown almost daily. On this day she is holding bean sprouts that she and Jack grew from 2 lone beans. They planted them later on in the afternoon. In this photo Dusty is recovering from a black eye he received from an accidental elbow to the face during the weekly Sunday afternoon soccer game.
Dusty takes his "piki piki" to the office, which is about 4km down a dirt road.
After Dusty leaves, I hit the trail with Ellie for some fresh air and exercise. The fresh air bit can be a challenge since the farmers are daily burning off dead grasses and residue these days, and the air is frequently smokey.
We try to do something interesting in the mornings. Here the kids are enjoying water balloons before tossing them at each other, which they loved.
Another example of a morning activity - we made grape juice! We've never seen grapes in Musoma till the past few weeks when they've shown up at the market. Because the skins are a bit tough, and the grapes have seeds, I decided it would be easier to enjoy them as juice. The kids plucked them, threw them in the blender, and then strained them. I boiled the skins, added a bit of sugar, and strained it again, and now we have fresh grape juice for the first time ever. Great!
After lunch is Jack's nap time, "Mama Time," and "Tessa Time." While Jack sleeps, Tessa does a bit of coloring, a craft, looks at her books, and enjoys her imagination while I get a few things done (guess what time it is right now?). Yesterday's rest time was interrupted by a mighty crash and screaming. While trying to get some photographs to look at, Tessa inadvertently pulled a six foot tall bookshelf down on top of herself, but miraculously escaped unscathed. To say we were relieved would be a vast understatement. I prefer rest time without drama.
While he's at the office, Dusty is currently supervising the beginning stages of constructing the new translation building. Here are two workers grinding rocks (to mix for concrete). The team is also clearing the area for the building and making concrete blocks for the walls.
Dusty is also supervising the literacy team, and we're in the middle of four weeks of literacy workshops. Here he is holding a meeting in Swahili with some members of the team to clarify some details for the workshop.
Back at the house, and after rest time, I get some afternoon chores done like taking down the laundry. We are very blessed to have both a washer and a dryer, but unless it is raining, or the trees are dropping seed balls full of gook, we hang the laundry outside the kitchen window like in the "good old days."
A fun afternoon activity, when the weather is not too hot or wet, is reading books in the hammock with the kids before the pre-dinner frenzy begins.
Our evenings are generally more mundane (dinner, bath-time, etc.), but who wants to read about the mundane on a blog? So instead I'm giving you a glimpse of an evening we had out recently when a few of the missionaries were invited to the home of a colleague from work. Nashon is a pastor, but he also helps out at the office with several tasks. His wife and family prepared a lovely dinner for us in the home they are building. Traditionally the guests bring a gift for the host like bananas or sugar, but we all pitched in for a less traditional gift: much-needed bags of cement to help with the construction.
Mama Grace (Nashon's wife) pulled out all the stops by cooking rice, beans, fish, meat stew, cucumbers, pasta, cabbage with carrots, and pilau - all cooked outside over a small coal stove. It was an amazing spread in the home of a family full of generosity.
After the meal, Tessa and Jack played with the neighborhood children. The evening's big game for the kids was jumping off a large rock. We made it back to our house a bit before dark, and after brushing teeth, a good-night story, prayer, and bedtime songs, the kids collapsed in their beds, under their mosquito nets exhausted from...just another day of our lives in Tanzania..
Breakfast. We occasionally have guests come to help us with some aspect of the project. It's nice when a guest stays at our house, as our friend Leila did recently. She took this picture of us at breakfast. Jack was upset because he had knocked his knee and was being consoled by his Mama and Blankie. Tessa wears her princess crown almost daily. On this day she is holding bean sprouts that she and Jack grew from 2 lone beans. They planted them later on in the afternoon. In this photo Dusty is recovering from a black eye he received from an accidental elbow to the face during the weekly Sunday afternoon soccer game.
Dusty takes his "piki piki" to the office, which is about 4km down a dirt road.
After Dusty leaves, I hit the trail with Ellie for some fresh air and exercise. The fresh air bit can be a challenge since the farmers are daily burning off dead grasses and residue these days, and the air is frequently smokey.
We try to do something interesting in the mornings. Here the kids are enjoying water balloons before tossing them at each other, which they loved.
Another example of a morning activity - we made grape juice! We've never seen grapes in Musoma till the past few weeks when they've shown up at the market. Because the skins are a bit tough, and the grapes have seeds, I decided it would be easier to enjoy them as juice. The kids plucked them, threw them in the blender, and then strained them. I boiled the skins, added a bit of sugar, and strained it again, and now we have fresh grape juice for the first time ever. Great!
After lunch is Jack's nap time, "Mama Time," and "Tessa Time." While Jack sleeps, Tessa does a bit of coloring, a craft, looks at her books, and enjoys her imagination while I get a few things done (guess what time it is right now?). Yesterday's rest time was interrupted by a mighty crash and screaming. While trying to get some photographs to look at, Tessa inadvertently pulled a six foot tall bookshelf down on top of herself, but miraculously escaped unscathed. To say we were relieved would be a vast understatement. I prefer rest time without drama. 
While he's at the office, Dusty is currently supervising the beginning stages of constructing the new translation building. Here are two workers grinding rocks (to mix for concrete). The team is also clearing the area for the building and making concrete blocks for the walls.
Dusty is also supervising the literacy team, and we're in the middle of four weeks of literacy workshops. Here he is holding a meeting in Swahili with some members of the team to clarify some details for the workshop.
Back at the house, and after rest time, I get some afternoon chores done like taking down the laundry. We are very blessed to have both a washer and a dryer, but unless it is raining, or the trees are dropping seed balls full of gook, we hang the laundry outside the kitchen window like in the "good old days." 
A fun afternoon activity, when the weather is not too hot or wet, is reading books in the hammock with the kids before the pre-dinner frenzy begins.
Our evenings are generally more mundane (dinner, bath-time, etc.), but who wants to read about the mundane on a blog? So instead I'm giving you a glimpse of an evening we had out recently when a few of the missionaries were invited to the home of a colleague from work. Nashon is a pastor, but he also helps out at the office with several tasks. His wife and family prepared a lovely dinner for us in the home they are building. Traditionally the guests bring a gift for the host like bananas or sugar, but we all pitched in for a less traditional gift: much-needed bags of cement to help with the construction.
Mama Grace (Nashon's wife) pulled out all the stops by cooking rice, beans, fish, meat stew, cucumbers, pasta, cabbage with carrots, and pilau - all cooked outside over a small coal stove. It was an amazing spread in the home of a family full of generosity.
After the meal, Tessa and Jack played with the neighborhood children. The evening's big game for the kids was jumping off a large rock. We made it back to our house a bit before dark, and after brushing teeth, a good-night story, prayer, and bedtime songs, the kids collapsed in their beds, under their mosquito nets exhausted from...just another day of our lives in Tanzania..
Monday, September 6, 2010
Come walking with me
Well, since you can't come walking with me, at least you can see some of the sights I see when I go on my morning walks/runs. I am hoping this will give you a better sense of what it looks like out here where we live - at least how it looks in the dry season.
I took my camera with me today for the first time, and God really made it worthwhile by bringing everyone out for a picture, beginning with:
Three Crested Cranes! I've never seen them in Musoma, so this was a real treat. I was actually taking a picture of a rock when I heard a shriek that startled me greatly - I expected it to be someone protesting my being there with a camera, but fortunately it was these three gorgeous visitors.
Here they are again in front of the aforementioned rock, which from the other side looks like a hand with a finger pointing to God - at least that's what I see when I look at it.
Musoma has many interesting rock formations. This one has two magnificent trees growing from it, and is frequented by mongooses, rock hyrax, and monkeys - all of whom Ellie (our small Rottweiler) loves to chase.
This sad looking hibiscus bush is why I brought my camera. The last time I passed it I thought about how pathetic it looked - beaten by the wind and sun, but especially destroyed by the mouse-birds who eat all its leaves. Yet in spite of very difficult circumstances, it has managed to still bloom every day.
Here are two of its beautiful pink, white, and red blooms. It made me think of how when we are in dry and difficult situations, the Lord can still produce goodness and beauty in our lives. What a great encouragement from a simple bush.
Occasionally on my walks and runs I get to see monkeys, so this morning I was delighted to see this little guy way up on top of a rock. After the glory of the cranes I figured my wildlife sightings were over, so the monkey was a nice surprise. If you look hard enough, you'll see him. Or her. It is a vervet monkey.
And the wildlife kept on coming as I passed this tiny tortoise making its way down the trail. We see them frequently, and I never tire of them.
Another interesting rock formation forming the background of the nearest cemetery. I occasionally see people here tending the graves of their loved ones. I imagine the graves are very difficult to dig in this site with all the rocky soil.
I'm usually on the trail about 45 minutes, and because it is a small trail I usually pass between 7 - 15 people. Usually at least one of them is on a bicycle carrying a burden to town. Today there were two cyclists - this man with a wide load of sticks, and another young fellow with a massive bag of cassava, which is used to make the staple for all Tanzanian meals, ugali.
Because the trail goes through farmers' fields, I often pass ladies and children carrying loads of produce on their heads. Today was no exception. Every time I pass someone, Swahili greetings are offered by all.
After passing the three ladies, Ellie and I ran into a group of about 25 goats and two small shepherd boys. I longed to take their photo but rarely do because that action can very easily be offensive to Tanzanians (thus the former two shots of people from the back). I passed straight through the goats while Ellie avoided them entirely before we ran headfirst into three cows followed by two more older boys.
The above picture is of Lake Victoria as I approach our compound's gate.
Finally, I make it to our house after enjoying a nice long walk in a sunny and dry land. Thanks for joining me!
I took my camera with me today for the first time, and God really made it worthwhile by bringing everyone out for a picture, beginning with:
Three Crested Cranes! I've never seen them in Musoma, so this was a real treat. I was actually taking a picture of a rock when I heard a shriek that startled me greatly - I expected it to be someone protesting my being there with a camera, but fortunately it was these three gorgeous visitors.
Here they are again in front of the aforementioned rock, which from the other side looks like a hand with a finger pointing to God - at least that's what I see when I look at it.
Musoma has many interesting rock formations. This one has two magnificent trees growing from it, and is frequented by mongooses, rock hyrax, and monkeys - all of whom Ellie (our small Rottweiler) loves to chase.
This sad looking hibiscus bush is why I brought my camera. The last time I passed it I thought about how pathetic it looked - beaten by the wind and sun, but especially destroyed by the mouse-birds who eat all its leaves. Yet in spite of very difficult circumstances, it has managed to still bloom every day.
Here are two of its beautiful pink, white, and red blooms. It made me think of how when we are in dry and difficult situations, the Lord can still produce goodness and beauty in our lives. What a great encouragement from a simple bush. 
Occasionally on my walks and runs I get to see monkeys, so this morning I was delighted to see this little guy way up on top of a rock. After the glory of the cranes I figured my wildlife sightings were over, so the monkey was a nice surprise. If you look hard enough, you'll see him. Or her. It is a vervet monkey.
And the wildlife kept on coming as I passed this tiny tortoise making its way down the trail. We see them frequently, and I never tire of them.
Another interesting rock formation forming the background of the nearest cemetery. I occasionally see people here tending the graves of their loved ones. I imagine the graves are very difficult to dig in this site with all the rocky soil. 
I'm usually on the trail about 45 minutes, and because it is a small trail I usually pass between 7 - 15 people. Usually at least one of them is on a bicycle carrying a burden to town. Today there were two cyclists - this man with a wide load of sticks, and another young fellow with a massive bag of cassava, which is used to make the staple for all Tanzanian meals, ugali.
Because the trail goes through farmers' fields, I often pass ladies and children carrying loads of produce on their heads. Today was no exception. Every time I pass someone, Swahili greetings are offered by all.
After passing the three ladies, Ellie and I ran into a group of about 25 goats and two small shepherd boys. I longed to take their photo but rarely do because that action can very easily be offensive to Tanzanians (thus the former two shots of people from the back). I passed straight through the goats while Ellie avoided them entirely before we ran headfirst into three cows followed by two more older boys. The above picture is of Lake Victoria as I approach our compound's gate.
Finally, I make it to our house after enjoying a nice long walk in a sunny and dry land. Thanks for joining me!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Tanzanian Perks
Occasionally someone will post something of Facebook that will remind me of a benefit of living in Tanzania. These little reminders help me keep a positive perspective about life here. So let me see if I can list a few here for you.
1. Kids have a wider circle of roaming safely since everyone knows who the two white kids belong to, and kidnapping is not an issue here.
2. We have an amazing garden and view of Lake Victoria that would add an astronomical price to any house in the USA, but here it's not even a factor in the rent. Trivia point: Lake Victoria is approximately the same size as Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg all together.
A view from our backyard. The smoke is actually a cloud of lakeflies.
3. Fresh produce! Our avocado tree has great fruit right now on it (and yes, avocados are considered fruit here), and the local market is only 1/2 mile away where I can get fresh produce as often as I like. Local pineapple, mango, bananas, tomatoes, etc! No need to remind any Tanzanian to "Eat Local."
Here's one day's take of fruit from our garden this spring: passion fruit, oranges, and guavas.
4. Oh, this one's great! I don't have to pick up after my dog when I take her walking/running! People would think I was absolutely insane if I picked up after her. I can only imagine what they would think I would do with her poop after picking it up. Plus she can be off leash all the time.
5. No need for heaters or air conditioners. The windows are open almost all the time.
6. No traffic here in Musoma. Dirt roads take care of that.
7. You never know when you'll spot a fun critter outside: hedgehogs, monitor lizards, tropical birds, monkeys, mongooses, and chameleons to name a few. In the effort to remain positive I'll not mention the MANY unfun critters.
Me with a chameleon on the end of a stick.
8. Only one season of clothes to wear, so no cycling wardrobes in and out, and we never have to deal with dressing ourselves or kids in mittens, socks, boots, coats, warm hats, etc.
9. The simple life. Need a haircut? Meet me on the back porch with the scissors or clippers. Want some fresh flowers? Grab the snippers and step outside. Entertainment? Family game night. Home repairs? Get Dusty and his toolbox.
10. No need for the zoo; we have:
1. Kids have a wider circle of roaming safely since everyone knows who the two white kids belong to, and kidnapping is not an issue here.
2. We have an amazing garden and view of Lake Victoria that would add an astronomical price to any house in the USA, but here it's not even a factor in the rent. Trivia point: Lake Victoria is approximately the same size as Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg all together.
A view from our backyard. The smoke is actually a cloud of lakeflies.3. Fresh produce! Our avocado tree has great fruit right now on it (and yes, avocados are considered fruit here), and the local market is only 1/2 mile away where I can get fresh produce as often as I like. Local pineapple, mango, bananas, tomatoes, etc! No need to remind any Tanzanian to "Eat Local."
Here's one day's take of fruit from our garden this spring: passion fruit, oranges, and guavas.4. Oh, this one's great! I don't have to pick up after my dog when I take her walking/running! People would think I was absolutely insane if I picked up after her. I can only imagine what they would think I would do with her poop after picking it up. Plus she can be off leash all the time.
5. No need for heaters or air conditioners. The windows are open almost all the time.
6. No traffic here in Musoma. Dirt roads take care of that.
7. You never know when you'll spot a fun critter outside: hedgehogs, monitor lizards, tropical birds, monkeys, mongooses, and chameleons to name a few. In the effort to remain positive I'll not mention the MANY unfun critters.
Me with a chameleon on the end of a stick.8. Only one season of clothes to wear, so no cycling wardrobes in and out, and we never have to deal with dressing ourselves or kids in mittens, socks, boots, coats, warm hats, etc.
9. The simple life. Need a haircut? Meet me on the back porch with the scissors or clippers. Want some fresh flowers? Grab the snippers and step outside. Entertainment? Family game night. Home repairs? Get Dusty and his toolbox.
10. No need for the zoo; we have:
Monday, May 31, 2010
Being foreign again
At an outdoor Swiss museum with all kinds of old houses and traditional demonstrations.
At a restaurant/hotel over a lake near Brienz, before an amazing hike to a huge waterfall.
In the gondola on the way up to see the Matterhorn, which was topped by clouds most of the day.
Playgrounds everywhere! With amazing views and gorgeous weather! Wow - we really miss playgrounds in TZ.
Jungfrau - a very tall mountain. The kids got to play in the snow, and had a blast till their hands got too cold.We're blessed to have parents who have taken us on a family holiday to Switzerland. My parents helped send us here, and Dusty's parents are spoiling us here. It's fantastic to be with his family again and to have a real vacation surrounded by the amazing beauty of Switzerland.
It's funny to notice and experience:
-straight hair because the dry Swiss air has zapped our Tanzanian curls, even though it's been rainy every day.
-everything happening on time - the trains leave exactly when they say they will, and everything else is beautifully efficient.
-cold weather, fog, drizzle, snow. The cold air was a challenge for our packing since we barely have any clothes or shoes for cool climates.
-summer light - it's 9:00pm here, but feels like it's 6:30 because the sun sets so much later here, therefore we keep forgetting to get the kids in bed on time because it seems so early.
-clean water!! We can drink from the tap - wow! Bath water in the kids' mouths? No problem!
-we look like everyone else here, which feels great, except that they keep speaking German to us.
-mountains, snow, glacial lakes, waterfalls, cows and sheep with ringing bells.
-glorious cheese, yogurt, turkey meat, strawberries, grapes, and I could go on and on. Dusty would add all kinds of beef and pork too. Suffice it to say that we are thrilled with real grocery stores and all kinds of restaurants. It is odd, though, to shop in a grocery store and not be able to read any of the labels.
-all kinds of transportation. We've been in quick, smooth, and fun airplanes, boats, gondolas, cable cars, and buses (not so fun on curvy mountain roads). The kids rode a zipline - does that count?
Jack's in train-heaven, coincidentally matching this one.Kidisms:
-Tessa looking at a woman in high heels, "She has nice shoes. They have sticks on them."
-Tessa at 7:00pm, "But it's not bedtime! It's morning."
-Jack, "Where's our home now?"
-Tessa, watching a bear and her cubs, "I'd like to have a cub. Ellie could play with it." (Ellie is our dog.)
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