Vietnam
-Commercial explosion: the economy is not in decline here - in just four years people have become significantly more affluent. Every brand can be found at malls and brand name storefronts.
-Still the most beautiful place on earth as far as I'm concerned.
-The interport lecturer took us out to dinner with his daughter and son - what a relief to know that all children are the same! Amazingly, even though our kids couldn't communicate with words, play bridges every language barrier - they had a good time.
-The interport lecturer also told us Vietnam is not communist - we asked what it was - he said, "well, I don't know yet." I think this perfectly characterized the amazing transformation this country has gone through. PBS series "Commanding the Heights" adds a lot to this conversation, if you are interested in a good documentary:)
-BEST. FOOD. EVER. Night market outdoor restaurant - "Food Countryside" - the seafood is so amazingly fresh. The flavors are so balanced. How amazing that food can be so rich without being heavy with cream, fat, oil, etc.
China
-Hong Kong seemed very similar in comparison to our visit in 2004. It was a nice place to be with kids, very easy to navigate. The weather was beautiful and spring-like, which was welcome after all the heat!
-Shanghai had changed drastically - it is quickly becoming a prominent international city. Construction of new buildings, parks, and roads made the port we visited just 5 years prior completely unrecognizable. I would love to come back in 5 or 10 years more - it is transforming in such interesting ways.
Japan
-Homestay with a family - I have never seen such efficiency in the home. Someday, I will have a bathtub with a computer-regulated thermostat and a toilet with buttons and a heated seat. The kitchen at the apartment we visited was a thing of beauty...if you are into organization. I almost took pictures for those of you whom I thought would appreciate this kind of beauty, but didn't quite know how to explain the purpose.
-Ate squid, raw fish of many varieties, octopus, pickled seaweed...maybe, things that look at you...and every bit of it was perfectly wonderful!
-Abi rolled sushi like a pro - she really did a great job and talks about it frequently. We visited a zoo and had a picnic. I bought bento boxes and spent way more money than any parent ever should on school lunch boxes.
-We met with our friend Dan who is teaching English in Japan - he made us postcards from the pictures we had put on Facebook, and brought us stamps! What a thoughtful gift!
Hawaii
-We ate American style. I had a hangover from all that American goodness coursing through my veins. Seriously, I woke up and still felt all buzzy from the massive plate of quesadillas, 1/2 of a pulled pork sandwich, and a ridiculously rich chocolate dessert. I'm currently on a Dr. Pepper binge.
-Hawaii is beautiful. I would like to go back. Without the children. Grandparents...any takers??
-Spent time with Steve (from Fall 04 voyage) and his beautiful future wife! They took us on a beautiful tour of Oahu and gave us 1/2 lb. hamburgers. They are great with our kids, and Abi really wanted to stay with them I think.
Family
Lily has also grown up since the last post. She now says woof, mama, dada, baby, moo, and ball. She is standing up on her own for a few seconds at a time, power crawling all over the place, and becoming such a personality!
Luke is wrapping up job interview stuff and will know very soon where we are going next. We'll keep you updated.
I am completely ready to be home, but completely neurotic about assembling our little lives back together once we get there. I keep telling myself that everything will work out...but my body doesn't always listen to my mind. All I can think about is moving trucks, 15 year mortgages, preschools, and plane ticket prices. So, in front of all that I am trying to imagine myself tooling around Salem on my little bike, going to the grocery store and taking care of the few responsibilities we will have this summer: feeding our kids, and making sure they don't break anything!
Now we only have two weeks left on the MV Explorer with one port left to visit - Guatemala. Packing, keeping in contact with new friends, and getting in our last seaside sunsets are in order!
