We are 3 months done with this trip and we have had a blast. We have learned so much in so little time it is amazing. The 7th grade this year is learning about ancient Asia and ancient Europe. Instead of answering questions about Taoism we can go to a museum and see what their gods looked like and what their purposes were. We also get to explore places and so far I am not regretting the decision of doing the trip. We also have experiences I would not have expected that we have learned from. For example, never would I have been able to order anything off any menu at a hole in the wall restaurant in Beijing.
I think one of the hardest things for me on this trip is not having a daily routine. I miss going to soccer games on the weekends and taking a run whenever I want to. We have visited parks to play soccer and have run two races. I realized though that I would rather go river rafting in Bali or go hiking in Borneo than play soccer on the weekends.
Whenever we meet up with somebody on this trip they ask us the same question "What's been your favorite thing on this trip?" I then reply usually with a disappointing answer of "I don't know" or "Everything". Everyday is fun and amazing in it's different ways. Yes there are some days that are better than others so my top three things have been: #3, visiting the Green School in Bali, #2 watching the Boston Red Sox win the World Series in a little bar in a Chinese Hutong in Beijing, and by far #1 watching the Hanshin Tigers baseball game in Osaka. I left out many things like rafting in Bali and eating Yang's Dumplings in Shanghai. The list could go on forever.
Of course my mom and dad would have never done this if they thought we wouldn't learn. I have learned 3 major things on this trip so far:
1) Try new things. Yes, this is kind of cheesy but it's true.
2) Never say No! I have learned that if you want to have fun experiences on this trip you have to always say yes. Yes we could take a plane but why not take an overnight sleeper train.
3) The last big thing I have learned on this trip is that bonding is both good and bad. I have gotten to know both my parents and my sister really well. I have learned new things about everybody on this trip, some I probably didn't want to know! We are with each other 24/7 making it sometimes unpleasant. Almost every conversation that my parents have had has been interrupted with one of us saying, "What?" or "What are you talking about?". Although we have all enjoyed each other's company, I think we would all like to go home and have a night with none of the others around.
I think that this will also change the way I look at the world. I will have more interest in the world news and whats happening across the globe. For example, there will be uprisings or economic crashes in various places, tell me more, I went there. I also might look at somebody of a different culture than mine and see them doing what I consider strange things. Before this trip I would look at them, and be confused. I would usually walk away. After this trip I think I might be able to realize that whatever seems strange to me probably isn't strange to them. I think I will have a different perspective on life and the way I judge people when I come back.
So far I think that this trip has been the time of my life. I might not enjoy the homeschooling part and the constant togetherness part of the trip but besides that I think that this trip has been filled with happiness, learning different cultures, and most of all taking a year to explore.
One of my favorite quotes is from Ferris Buehler in Ferris Buehler's Day Off which I think applies to our trip. At the start he says "Life moves fast, if you don't stop and look around for a while you might just miss it." Well said, Ferris.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Review of the Last Three Months (by: Jacob)
We are three months into our RTW adventure. I have been amazed about what I have learned and what I have seen and observed in such a small amount of time. For example, my friends back home are learning about medieval Europe and Asia, but we are learning about these places by visiting them. My parents hope that we will be more interested in the world when we visit the places we learn about.
The observations started pretty quickly. On our first day in Japan we saw kids walking to school, kids from 6-10 were walking by themselves in a huge city. I have also observed in poorer communities like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, the kids don't have full days of school. They go home and have lunch and then some have to do work in the fields and sometimes sell stuff on the streets to support their family. In places like Indonesia, they might spend the afternoon learning the different aspects of their culture. Also, some of the public schools cost money, unlike the public schools in America. I observed in Cambodia and Vietnam that if a family has very little or no money, some are not going to send their kids to school, but instead they are going to make them work to get money so the family can eat. I am really lucky that my family doesn't have to make those hard choices.
This trip as changed my look on the world. For example, before this trip I thought China would be a scary place and the people that live there would be mean and aggressive, because that is what I have heard. When I was there it was the same yet different from what I heard. For example, when people try to get on the subway they push their way on and they push their way into lines. However, we also found that people were friendly and helpful all over China.
I have learned so much on this trip about Asia. I have learned some upsetting things on the trip like Hiroshima and the atomic bomb that the United States dropped there during World War II. In Hiroshima we saw pictures of what the bomb did to the city and it's people. I felt sad and guilty to think that the place where I come from did something that bad. In Indonesia we learned about rice and how important it is to their culture. I also learned that people eat dog, but I didn't actually believe it until I saw it in a market in Sapa, Vietnam. When I saw the dog, I thought, "I just saw a dead dog for sale at a market." I was really taken by the fact that people eat dog - it is really upsetting, but I have to remember that it is normal in another culture.
Another thing I learned about was the Vietnam War. We went to a museum about at the place where Northern Vietnam, at the time held the American P.O.W. At the museum they wanted to show the visitors that it was fun there, but we all know it was not. This shows me that each country has its own way to show their history, and that there are always at least 2 sides to every story.
On my next review post, I will tell you more about how I feel about being gone from home and traveling with my family for so long.
The observations started pretty quickly. On our first day in Japan we saw kids walking to school, kids from 6-10 were walking by themselves in a huge city. I have also observed in poorer communities like Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam, the kids don't have full days of school. They go home and have lunch and then some have to do work in the fields and sometimes sell stuff on the streets to support their family. In places like Indonesia, they might spend the afternoon learning the different aspects of their culture. Also, some of the public schools cost money, unlike the public schools in America. I observed in Cambodia and Vietnam that if a family has very little or no money, some are not going to send their kids to school, but instead they are going to make them work to get money so the family can eat. I am really lucky that my family doesn't have to make those hard choices.
This trip as changed my look on the world. For example, before this trip I thought China would be a scary place and the people that live there would be mean and aggressive, because that is what I have heard. When I was there it was the same yet different from what I heard. For example, when people try to get on the subway they push their way on and they push their way into lines. However, we also found that people were friendly and helpful all over China.
I have learned so much on this trip about Asia. I have learned some upsetting things on the trip like Hiroshima and the atomic bomb that the United States dropped there during World War II. In Hiroshima we saw pictures of what the bomb did to the city and it's people. I felt sad and guilty to think that the place where I come from did something that bad. In Indonesia we learned about rice and how important it is to their culture. I also learned that people eat dog, but I didn't actually believe it until I saw it in a market in Sapa, Vietnam. When I saw the dog, I thought, "I just saw a dead dog for sale at a market." I was really taken by the fact that people eat dog - it is really upsetting, but I have to remember that it is normal in another culture.
Another thing I learned about was the Vietnam War. We went to a museum about at the place where Northern Vietnam, at the time held the American P.O.W. At the museum they wanted to show the visitors that it was fun there, but we all know it was not. This shows me that each country has its own way to show their history, and that there are always at least 2 sides to every story.
On my next review post, I will tell you more about how I feel about being gone from home and traveling with my family for so long.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Eight Things I've Learned on This Trip (by Maggie)
1. There are so many more mopeds than cars in Asia because some families can't afford cars since cars are more expensive and the gas would be too expensive. And who needs cars when you can fit your whole family on a moped. The most I've seen is 5 people on one!!
2. Sometimes I would try to imagine what places would look like, but when we got there, they were not what I was expecting. For example, in the Black H'mong village, I thought that the houses would all be in a row, like the blocks we have at home. Instead, they had houses spread out all over the mountains. I found that very surprising.
3. The kids have a lot more freedom in some places than America. Two examples are 1) In Japan, we saw little kids younger than me taking the subway home all by themselves and 2) In the H'mong village, there were children under the age of 6 running up and down hills back from school by themselves! I thought it was really funny that they let the kids run home although there was a big cliff!
4. Overnight trains. Before this trip, I had no idea there was such thing as an overnight train.In the train there are little boxes with 4 beds called sleeper cars.I know you might think that sounds miserable but it isn't that bad we usually just sit around relax and sleep. The one part that i don't like about the trains is that the beds aren't that big and it is usually a pretty bumpy ride(especially on the Vietnamese trains).
5. Traveling. Traveling is hard stuff when you have two bags, one big one on the back and a small but heavy one on the front. Whether it is walking a few blocks or rushing to catch a train or something crazy like that, I often ask my mom" why didn't we bring rolling suitcases?"
6. Family. Sometimes it is hard to only have two boys to play with, no friends, no cousins. I think we get along most of the time. Now that we have been gone for three months I am getting use to two boys to play with only but sometimes I wish that I had a girl to play with.
7. Americas history. Most of the places that we are going to are allies with the United states. Although a lot of the places that we have been to talk about what America has done in the past for example drop bombs on Hiroshima or the vietnam war. I don't now if I was upset with America but looking at the pictures made me a little upset.
8. Poverty. I never realized how lucky I am that I get to go to school. Right now I am in Cambodia and there are so many kids trying to sell us stuff out on the streets. A lot of them don't even have the money for food, for school, or for shoes. We learned not to buy from the kids because the kids should be in school learning, and if we buy from them, their parents will think "ok, people are buying stuff from them, lets keep having them sell instead of going to school." Some families don't even have enough money to buy clothes for their babies.
2. Sometimes I would try to imagine what places would look like, but when we got there, they were not what I was expecting. For example, in the Black H'mong village, I thought that the houses would all be in a row, like the blocks we have at home. Instead, they had houses spread out all over the mountains. I found that very surprising.
3. The kids have a lot more freedom in some places than America. Two examples are 1) In Japan, we saw little kids younger than me taking the subway home all by themselves and 2) In the H'mong village, there were children under the age of 6 running up and down hills back from school by themselves! I thought it was really funny that they let the kids run home although there was a big cliff!
4. Overnight trains. Before this trip, I had no idea there was such thing as an overnight train.In the train there are little boxes with 4 beds called sleeper cars.I know you might think that sounds miserable but it isn't that bad we usually just sit around relax and sleep. The one part that i don't like about the trains is that the beds aren't that big and it is usually a pretty bumpy ride(especially on the Vietnamese trains).
5. Traveling. Traveling is hard stuff when you have two bags, one big one on the back and a small but heavy one on the front. Whether it is walking a few blocks or rushing to catch a train or something crazy like that, I often ask my mom" why didn't we bring rolling suitcases?"
6. Family. Sometimes it is hard to only have two boys to play with, no friends, no cousins. I think we get along most of the time. Now that we have been gone for three months I am getting use to two boys to play with only but sometimes I wish that I had a girl to play with.
7. Americas history. Most of the places that we are going to are allies with the United states. Although a lot of the places that we have been to talk about what America has done in the past for example drop bombs on Hiroshima or the vietnam war. I don't now if I was upset with America but looking at the pictures made me a little upset.
8. Poverty. I never realized how lucky I am that I get to go to school. Right now I am in Cambodia and there are so many kids trying to sell us stuff out on the streets. A lot of them don't even have the money for food, for school, or for shoes. We learned not to buy from the kids because the kids should be in school learning, and if we buy from them, their parents will think "ok, people are buying stuff from them, lets keep having them sell instead of going to school." Some families don't even have enough money to buy clothes for their babies.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Visiting Uncle Ho (by Maggie)
When we went to see him, we were in a long line that took only 10 minutes because it moves very quickly. There were lots of guards making sure you didn't have a hat on, shorts on or have your hands in your pocket. Also you were not allowed to talk. All we could do was walk and look around. It seemed like it was a maze but finally we were inside the mausoleum where they keep Uncle Ho. A mausoleum is a building like an aboveground grave. When we got the room that Uncle Ho's body is in we walked very slowly around and got to see three different angles of him. When we were in Beijing we got to see Mao Tse Tung's body in a similar building. The difference between the two is that Mao did not look as real as Ho Chi Minh and when we saw Mao we had to walk through pretty quickly but when we saw Ho CHi Minh we got to walk slowly instead.
After seeing Ho Chi Minh we looked at the houses that he used to live in. We saw where he slept, where he worked and the cars that he got driven around in. He had two houses that he used to live in while he was the leader. One was a very small house built on stilts and the other one was a little bigger and more modern. Unlike the houses of some of the other leaders we have seen on our trip, Uncle Ho's houses were very small.
I hope you liked learning about Uncle Ho!
After seeing Ho Chi Minh we looked at the houses that he used to live in. We saw where he slept, where he worked and the cars that he got driven around in. He had two houses that he used to live in while he was the leader. One was a very small house built on stilts and the other one was a little bigger and more modern. Unlike the houses of some of the other leaders we have seen on our trip, Uncle Ho's houses were very small.
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| The Stilt House |
I hope you liked learning about Uncle Ho!
Overnight Boat (Luke)
For the past two days we have had no internet, no electronics, and almost no land. We were on a two three day boat ride in Halong Bay and Bitu Long Bay. It was one of the most beautiful places in the world. There are so many karsts which are huge pieces of limestone some a half kilometer high in the air. There are hundreds of them and the karsts look amazing with all the green on them compared to the blue and green waters of the bay.
The boat was also amazing. Our favorite part was either the 7 huge amazing dishes we got each meal or that the boat had a 3rd deck but we didn't get to use it much due to the fact that it was rainy almost always for the couple of days we were on it. We went kayaking the first day which was really cool. We got to kayak through a fishing village and waved to the little kids that we saw playing. The houses we noticed might have been 6 ft wide 8 ft long and 6 ft long but the view was worth a million dollars. There houses were on boats! We realized that there whole life was on the boat. We later socialized with the others on the boat followed by an amazing dinner.
The first morning I woke up wondering " Where the heck am I?" as I looked out the window I realized we were in one of the most beautiful places in the world. We spent this day on the little White Dolphin (our boat's name) and first visited a beach. We immediately got the soccer ball and started playing soccer on the beach. We learned we had to take a short hike so we went up but only got a quarter way due to a cage of 8 monkeys. They would play a game with this bucket and one of them we called Dizzy because he would look dizzy all the time and kept dancing against the cage in front of us.
We later went back to the beach and it basically ended in Jacob and I roughhousing. We got back on the boat and ate a gigantic lunch and then went kayaking again. We went through a cave that led to a lake covered by karsts in all directions. We admired the karsts and took in the view. While we were kayaking Daddy and Maggie spotted a tiny jellyfish that we followed around for the next couple of minutes until it was time to go back to the boat. I probably will always remember when we kayaked in Halong Bay. We got on the boat only to jump off it moments later from the 2nd deck which caused the idea of a jump shot. Unfortunately the jump shot of us didn't work out so we wrapped ourselves in towels and hopped in the hot shower. We soon returned back to the Big White Dolphin and rested.
The next morning I woke up out of bed and opened the curtains. I stuck my head out the window and gazed at the beauty of this place. After filling ourselves up for the cave that ended the boat ride we got on a little boat and soon later arrived at the entrance to the cave. We had to wait in line for a good 30 minutes just to get started because apparently every other tour boat in Halong Bay was here too. The cave was beautiful with a lot of craters on the ceiling making it look like the moon. Like every other cave in the world it had it's fair share of stalactites and stalagmites. Our tour guide showed us how some of the rocks at a perspective look like an animal's head or a Buddha. Once we got out Mommy took out her camera and took plenty of pictures from 100 ft high looking out on this beautiful view before us. We soon left the cave and spent our last hour and a half on the boat loading ourselves on Brunch and doing card tricks with some Australians. We got off the boat and waited for what seemed forever to leave on a 3 hour car ride to our hotel again. We looked out the window and looked back one last time to one of the most beautiful places I will see in my life.
The first morning I woke up wondering " Where the heck am I?" as I looked out the window I realized we were in one of the most beautiful places in the world. We spent this day on the little White Dolphin (our boat's name) and first visited a beach. We immediately got the soccer ball and started playing soccer on the beach. We learned we had to take a short hike so we went up but only got a quarter way due to a cage of 8 monkeys. They would play a game with this bucket and one of them we called Dizzy because he would look dizzy all the time and kept dancing against the cage in front of us.
Hoa Lo Prison (by Jacob)
Today we went to a prison called Hoa Lo. It was built in 1896 by the French, because at that time the French had colonized Hanoi. It was built because the Vietnamese people were tring to rebel against the French government. It was later used for the American P.O.W.s in the Vietnam War.
The French used the prison from about 1900 to about 1955. The prison you see now is about a fifth the size it was before, because they built big buildings over the other part of the prison. There were rooms inside the prison where people's legs were locked into a bar and they just sit and can't move. There is also a dungeon for people that had broken the prison rules. The prisoners' legs were also strapped in just like the other area but the worst part is that the floor in the cages are sloped so if they tried to lay down the blood rushed to their heads. Later on in the prison museum they showed a way people die at the prison. The way they do it makes me want to vomit, it was called the guillotine. The way it works is that they lay someone down and put the prisoner's head through the hole, then the guards brought down a blade and cut the person's head off. The head would fall into a bucket!
Later on in a different part of the museum they talked about what the prison was used for during the Vietnam War. The prison held US Air Force pilots that were shot down by North Vietnam. The most famous Air Force pilot that was kept in the prison was Jon McCain after he got shot down and crashed into Truc Bach Lake, in Hanoi. One thing that was interesting was the way they portrayed prison life. The museum showed us how much fun it was to be there. For example, they showed the prisoners playing volleyball, basketball, and pool, but we know that is not really what life was like there. After we left the museum, we had a big talk on how differently the Vietnamese portray prison life than the Americans who were soldiers there describe it, which was awful and full of torture!
The French used the prison from about 1900 to about 1955. The prison you see now is about a fifth the size it was before, because they built big buildings over the other part of the prison. There were rooms inside the prison where people's legs were locked into a bar and they just sit and can't move. There is also a dungeon for people that had broken the prison rules. The prisoners' legs were also strapped in just like the other area but the worst part is that the floor in the cages are sloped so if they tried to lay down the blood rushed to their heads. Later on in the prison museum they showed a way people die at the prison. The way they do it makes me want to vomit, it was called the guillotine. The way it works is that they lay someone down and put the prisoner's head through the hole, then the guards brought down a blade and cut the person's head off. The head would fall into a bucket!
Later on in a different part of the museum they talked about what the prison was used for during the Vietnam War. The prison held US Air Force pilots that were shot down by North Vietnam. The most famous Air Force pilot that was kept in the prison was Jon McCain after he got shot down and crashed into Truc Bach Lake, in Hanoi. One thing that was interesting was the way they portrayed prison life. The museum showed us how much fun it was to be there. For example, they showed the prisoners playing volleyball, basketball, and pool, but we know that is not really what life was like there. After we left the museum, we had a big talk on how differently the Vietnamese portray prison life than the Americans who were soldiers there describe it, which was awful and full of torture!
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