New Experiences

We are now in a country that is south of the one we live in.  The culture seems so different from that of our home, don't know if it is just because it is a different country or if it also has to do with the climate being warmer.  I have heard before that warmer climates tend to have a different kind of culture than colder.  We also do not speak any of the local language here, other than hello and thank you, and so our understanding of the culture and people is almost non-existent.  With all that said, I am definitely enjoying many of the things that I see and have experienced in the past couple weeks.  A few examples:

* People are super friendly.  Everywhere we go, people seem to be smiling and often say hello and talk to people they don't know.  I have lost track of the number of times people have helped me get the stroller up stairs, have opened a door for me and the kids, or have just stepped aside and made room in a tight spot.

*Traffic is organized.  Cars drive on the left side, that is taking some time to get used to, they also stay off of the sidewalks and yield to pedestrians at cross-walks.  Our family has not used a cross-walk in years, something we are trying to get used to.  

*I have yet to see someone spit, or pee in a public place.  Streets, parks, grass, everything feels clean (at least for an extremely large city).   The only disadvantage, now we have to find public restrooms whenever we are out and kids need one. 

*I have not once been given any advice, other than a couple ideas at doctor appointments last week.  This may partly be because of the language barrier, although it seems people are so much more laid back about things.  For example: At restaurants, my kids are served cold, and often iced, drinks.  Something we definitely would not experience up north, because it is considered not healthy.

This week we are at the end of the majority of the doctor appointments kids and I are are beginning a bit of a routine, including homeschool, potty training, and lots of outside play.  And, we will definitely be going out and about and see what else we can discover about this place where we get the spend the next month+.

Here is the one picture I took this past week.  Camera didn't come out during doctor visits :).