Every once in a while on our trip, I'll be taken aback and have to do a double take.
There was that time in Myanmar. We were traveling between Bagan and Kalaw, on a VIP bus. The seats were quite wide. There were three seats per row. There was a stewardess who came by to give us cold wet cloths and a bottle of cool water when we boarded. On the back of each seat there was a TV screen with three channels, each playing movies.
At one point during the bus ride, I looked out of the window. We were driving through peaceful rural countryside which was full of farms and the ruins of centuries old Hindu and Buddhist temples. As we were whizzing past the beautiful ancient temples, I was sitting on a fancy air-conditioned tourist bus watching a comedic science fiction movie starring Bruce Willis - really! How surreal is that?!
I had another moment like that a couple of weeks ago. I had been in Finland when Rob, Maya, and Mira left Asia and flew to Australia. When I rejoined the family, Mira filled me in on the adventures she had had while we were apart. She told me that she really liked being in Australia. When I asked her why, she said it was because everyone spoke English and the labels on packaged foods in the grocery store were all in English (so she knew what everything was). I hadn't even noticed but yes, life is in fact easier when you can read (and understand) labels and warning signs. And indeed, everyone speaks English here!
I am grateful to be traveling with my daughters. They keep me paying attention. They remind me to notice things. They keep me in the now.
Nadia
There was that time in Myanmar. We were traveling between Bagan and Kalaw, on a VIP bus. The seats were quite wide. There were three seats per row. There was a stewardess who came by to give us cold wet cloths and a bottle of cool water when we boarded. On the back of each seat there was a TV screen with three channels, each playing movies.
At one point during the bus ride, I looked out of the window. We were driving through peaceful rural countryside which was full of farms and the ruins of centuries old Hindu and Buddhist temples. As we were whizzing past the beautiful ancient temples, I was sitting on a fancy air-conditioned tourist bus watching a comedic science fiction movie starring Bruce Willis - really! How surreal is that?!
I had another moment like that a couple of weeks ago. I had been in Finland when Rob, Maya, and Mira left Asia and flew to Australia. When I rejoined the family, Mira filled me in on the adventures she had had while we were apart. She told me that she really liked being in Australia. When I asked her why, she said it was because everyone spoke English and the labels on packaged foods in the grocery store were all in English (so she knew what everything was). I hadn't even noticed but yes, life is in fact easier when you can read (and understand) labels and warning signs. And indeed, everyone speaks English here!
I am grateful to be traveling with my daughters. They keep me paying attention. They remind me to notice things. They keep me in the now.
Nadia
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