New Blog Marilyn's Travel Service.

 I have started a new blog that focuses on my travels.  I would love it if you would come follow my new blog. 

https://marilynstravelservice.blogspot.com/2021/02/ka-waa-luau-at-aulani-disney-resort-spa.html

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Goodbye's

Written in June:

My oldest has said his goodbyes and is already back in the USA at a 3 week camp.  My youngest and I will leave in one week and my husband the week after.  We will return in August to pack up and head back home.  This leaves us in an odd place.  Many people we will not see again but some will be here when we return for two weeks.  It is so hard to say goodbye.  We have started getting goodbye gifts which makes it  all too real.   Friendships are developed quickly and deeply.  I have made friends that I feel as close to in less than 2 years, than those that it took 5 years to develop at home.  I hope to see them all again but realistically, I will never see most of them again.  My youngest is having the hardest time with the goodbyes and has definitively said he does not want to ever become a professional expat.  He believes it is just too hard to say goodbye to friends again and again.  Sometimes I agree with him.  There are days I wish I never left my hometown and still was close friends with my friends from the past but I know that is an illusion.  Even those who have stayed in town and are still friends with the same people have changed and grown.  We all move on in our own way.  I have lost many friends through time but always figured I would see them again in the years to come at reunions, trips home, or just randomly.  I have lost touch with friends that live in the same city but somehow this is much easier as it happens over time and without a big farewell.  So I think in many ways it is better to have this definitive goodbye so I can tell my friends what their friendship has meant to me, something I did not do with so many over the years as we simply have lost touch.  The leaving date has given me the opportunity to ensure people know what mark they have made in my life.  We may see each other again or not, but they will stay in my heart.  This has inspired me to try to find some friends from the past and make sure they know what their friendship meant to me.  I also hope to tell people what they mean to me without saying goodbye.  I think that is my greatest life lesson from this experience.  I need to tell all my friends and family how much they mean to me.

Are you going to be here next year?

This is the time of year that many people are finding out if they will be staying in their current location, moving to a new location or returning home.  It is stressful for me during this time as not only do we not know what is happening with us, many of our friends in India are also unsure.  The one thing that is certain is that we will definitely be saying goodbye to some new and dear friends.

We were told this morning to plan as if we are returning to Austin this summer and it made me realize how much I was hoping to stay just one more year.  Nothing is absolutely certain yet but this does seem the most likely outcome right now. I will miss the school my children attend as it has been a place where they have both felt at home and have done well.  I will miss my new friends who have helped me see things from different perspectives.  I am thankful for all the blessings in my life that I now see more clearly.  I will treasure the opportunities we have been able to take advantage of, most especially the travel.  We figured out that in the last 20 months that we have been in 10 countries.  We have been to the Taj Mahal, The Great Wall of China, Stonehenge, seen the Terracotta Warriors, the Eifel Tower, several museums, temples,and mosques. and been to every Disney not on American soil and so much more.  We could have saved more money for college but I firmly believe the experiences have been worth every penny we have spent.

I will NOT miss the disorganization of India, the daily(sometimes hourly) power cuts, the trash in Bangalore, rats, cobras, insane driving and seeing people peeing on the side of the street.

We have lived where we are in the minority in just about every way. We have met people who think the USA is the best place in the world and people who think Americans are absolutely insane.  I now have a good idea of how people from various places view our nation.  I now have friends to visit in many nations and my children are already planning who they want to visit next summer.  One wants to go the Australia and Hong Kong while the other wants to head to Sweden and London.   Hopefully with all the social media we will be able to keep in touch with these friends for a lifetime.

Friendship is the most precious thing I take away from this experience.  It is what makes a temporary assignment so difficult.  When the time comes to return home you are both happy and sad at the same time.  Happy to reunite with friends from the past and sad to leave the very deep friendships that are formed in the expat world.

When I return to the USA, I know it will feel as if everything has changed but I know it is really me that has changed.  My world view will never be the same.  It will take me a while to reintegrate into American society and I will need to remember to be gentle with myself and my family during the transition.  That will be my job during this uncertain time.  I will try to help us all reintegrate without stressing out too much.  I just need to remember to breath and of course, schedule a massage.  

Religious Freedom

There is a lot of talk about religious freedom on Facebook lately and I thought I would share what is happening in our International school that epitomizes what I think religious freedom should look like.  Below are two assignments sent home from school over the last two month. I underlined or circled the parts that struck me the most.  

The first assignment is for my son who is in 7th grade. This is the slip sent home for a field trip.  

The field trip sounded wonderful to me.  The children went to each place of worship and talked to a leader in the religion.  They arrived at the Mosque just before prayers so a Muslim boy went inside for the prayer while the other children patiently waited for the prayers to end to go inside.  The children were each given an English copy of the Quran. N read part of it on the way home and thought it was quite interesting.  I was surprised the church did not give everyone a bible but each religious establishment was allowed to give a book if they wanted.  The project for the unit is each student must research a lesser known religion (not their own) and present it to the class.  N was deciding between Unitarian and Mormon and decided on Unitarian.  This is what I call religious freedom.  Each religion is allowed to be discussed and studied and everyone is given respect.  This unit of study would be denounced in many places in the USA.  

Next is the unit of study for the 5th grade child. 

In this unit they covered Big Bang Theory, Christian, Greek, Hindu, Native American, Norse and more.  They covered them all as creation stories from different cultures.  Then each student made their own creation story.  B's favorite story was the Greek creation story.  I don't know that many places in the USA would allow these discussions to take place. Teachers get sued for even talking about the creation of the universe from different points of view.  I much prefer my child understand opposing views and trust that I have raised them well.   This is one of the things I truly love about the school my children attend. 

Trip to Beijing and Xi'an

Ken is working off and on in China and so we decided to take a week and visit Beijing.

 The first thing to know, is to bring a mask.  The pollution is horrible and a mask is a necessity unless you want to get a respiratory infection.  The second thing you need to know if you are taking this trip is to be sure you have your hotel's name and direction written in Mandarin before you land.  You will need this for the cab driver.

After 12 hours in transit we arrived at the Beijing airport and went to grab a cab.  Along the way we had several people ask if we need a cab.  Do NOT ever go with these people.  They will take you to their car which is technically a limo service.  They will charge you 4-8 times the cost of a regular cab.  If you follow the directions for a taxi you will arrive at an area that has two different lines.  One is the regular taxi line and the other is for "special" cars that you will need to negotiate your price.  Again, this second line will cost you considerably more. Make sure you know which line you are in before hand.  We got to the hotel and went to dinner with a coworker of Ken's.

Saturday we went on a full day tour.  We started the day at the Great Wall where we took a long walk and then went down to the bottom on a toboggan.  After lunch we went to the Forbidden City and an acrobats show.

Part of the toboggan ride

Chairlift to The Great Wall

On the wall with Ken's coworkers

They were filming scenes for a movie.  Rumor is it was for Transformers.  I liked this because there is a Texas longhorns emblem on some of the equipment. 

 When we went to the Forbidden city we stopped out front to take a picture.  EVERYONE got out their cameras to take this picture.  At least 20 people had their camera's out taking pictures of the crazy people.

Sunday was our one pollution free day in Beijing.  We went to the park across from the Forbidden city for a great view of the Forbidden City then we went to Silk Street. Ken and I were in Beijing in 1999 and the silk street market was extremely different.  When we first went to Silk Street is was a bunch of stalls along the street.  This time it was more like a permanent fleamarket inside a 5 story building.  Just not the same feel as before.

 We did some general touring of Beijing and a friend of a friend took me to several places the local expats go.  We found a few items we can not get in India and brought back a suitcase full of goodies.  It was a completely different experience going on a trip to China and knowing someone who is living there versus simply touring the city.  With such a large network of expat friends, I think I will have more trips where I will know a person in the city or at least a friend of a friend, and in expat circles, that makes you a friend.

McDonalds across from the Silk Street Market  

 Ken and I did not see the Terra Cotta Warriors when we toured in 1999 so we decided on Tuesday to book a trip to Xian.  We booked the overnight sleeper train for Thursday evening, toured Xian on Friday and took the overnight sleeper train back Friday night for a flight back to Bangalore on Saturday afternoon.  It was a whirlwind trip that was fantastic.  Ken and the boys all say the Terra Cotta Warriors were the highlight of the entire trip to China.

 After seeing the Terra Cotta Warriors, we went to the city center of Xi'an and rode around the top of the original city wall.  It took us just over an hour to complete the circuit without a break.  Ken and I decide to ride a two person bike.

After the day in Xi'an we rode the sleeper train back to Beijing.  The next day the three of us left Beijing leaving Ken for one more week.  It is definitely a place I highly recommend visiting but I don't think I could ever live there with all the pollution. 

Golden Triangle Visit (Taj Mahal and more)

We were invited to a wedding in Agra and decided this would be a great opportunity to visit The Golden Triangle.  The Golden Triangle consist of Delhi, Agra (Taj Mahal) and Jaipur.  We invited our friend Catie to come along with us since she was in India for a community service project that ended just as we started our trip.

On Saturday we started the trip in Delhi and took the express way to Agra.

On Sunday we got up early the next morning and we were at the Taj Mahal for sunrise.  It was a great time to visit.  The crowd level was low and the view was spectacular.  The only down side was the water was drained from the pools.

You can see the reflection even with the water drained

The extra person is a friend from the USA

If you pay the foreign price it includes these to put over your shoes instead of removing your shoes.  I guess after Slumdog Millionaire people did not want to leave their shoes. 

No gas powered cars are allowed near the Taj Mahal so we got to ride this electric vehicle.

After the Taj, we went back to the hotel for breakfast.  Then we went to the Agra Fort and shopping. We have not purchased very many items from India to keep as "forever" souvenirs and this trip we decided to look for some of those types of items.  N really liked a marble chess set so we decided to get that as an item he can keep in his life forever.  B decided he really wanted a rug for his room so we purchased a small handmade rug made of yak's wool.  No, I did not pick out the rug. B was set on this particular rug and loves having it in his room.

I don't have a picture of the rug.  Will try to update it later.

We needed to return to the hotel in time to shower and change for the wedding that evening.  We all dressed in our best Indian outfits to dance in the street for 90 mins as we walked to the wedding venue.  The boys had a great time.  Unfortunately, the wedding was late and by the time we reached the wedding venue B was exhausted and wanted to go back to the hotel.  He was hungry so I stopped by McDonald's, in my sari, to pick up some food.  I am use to being stared at in India but this was a whole new level. Every head turned as I approached and I swear I think I saw a jaw drop.  As I was waiting for the food, two girls in their early 20's came up to me and said that I looked very Indian. It was a very unique experience.  Ken and my other son stayed at the wedding until midnight and had a great time.   I don't have any pictures at this time but I will try to add them later. 

Monday we went to Jaipur, the pink city. We settled in for the night at the Marriott in Jaipur.  We really enjoyed the Marriott, the breakfast and dinner buffets were both excellent.  I highly recommend this hotel.

Tuesday we took an elephant ride to the top of the Red Fort.   It was not a good experience.  One of the elephants was very slow and the handler hit the elephant to the point of bleeding.

I think our guide was not very knowledgable about the Red Fort and the elephant incident was not pleasant.  Others I know have thought the Red Fort was better than the Taj Mahal but not for us.

Afterwards, we stopped to look at the Red Fort from a distance and we had a surprise celebration unfold.  A group of about 20 teenagers got out of a truck and started throwing colored powder, dancing and singing.  After about 5 mins they took and Idol and submerged it in the river.

We also went to an observatory.  It was one of my favorite places on this trip.  It has a working sun dial that is accurate to within 3 minutes.  It was huge.  I don't remember when it was built but well before North America was discovered by Europeans.  

  We also visited an open air Mosque.  Normally women are not allowed inside a Mosque but since it is open air they make an exception sometimes.  They will inspect you to ensure you are properly covered before entering.  Notice the drape over B's legs and our friend is completely covered.  I think I barely made it through with my 3/4 sleeves and capri pants.  This is a group of men from Kashmir who had never seen a white person.

 We then visited Delhi.  We visited many places but it was a let down overall.  I liked the Lotus Temple and the Gandi museum.  Nothing else is a must see in my opinion.  There is plenty that will keep you busy but nothing that I would go out of my way to see.  I do wish we would have been able to make it to Toilet museum.  I know that sounds strange but I was told it is very interesting by many but it is not near anything else we wanted to do so we had to miss it.  If we head back up that way will will have to see it.

Lotus Temple

General Update

It has been a crazy few months and the end is not in sight.  To give you a quick recap:

In September, Ken returned from a 3 week trip to the US with an "Exotic Fever", likely dengue fever and was sick for a solid month. There are a few hundred cases of dengue in Texas each year and Ken was lucky enough to pick it up while he was in Austin.   Just as he was recovering, he received word that work wants him to work in China for much of the last 3 months of the year.  We already had plans to attend a wedding in Agra, see the Taj Mahal and tour other sights in north India.  We had invited a friend to come with us on the trip and the 5 of us had a great time on the week long trip.  (that will be a separate post).  We returned from the trip on a Saturday and on Monday Ken flew to Mumbai to apply for our Visas to China.  He received the Visa on Saturday, 12 hours before his flight was scheduled to leave.  There was a school function that night so the two of us went to the party and went straight from the party to the airport.  6 days later, the boys and I attended a Diwali celebration then went straight to the airport for our trip to China.  We met Ken in Beijing for an 8 day trip.  We visited The Great Wall, Tiananman Square, The Forbidden City and a few other places in Beijing.  Ken needed to work part of the time we were there but he took a vacation day so we could take the overnight train to Xian to see the Terra Cotta Warriors.  I will post more on that trip also.  Ken will return in two days but he will need to leave again in two weeks, for 2 weeks, then he will be back for 5 days and then we are all off for a trip to Singapore.

In the middle of all of this, my medication (that needs to stay cool) was stuck in customs for over two weeks. After many emails and extra paperwork, it was finally delivered while I was in China.  Thankfully, I had people willing to help ensure it was kept safe when it was delivered.

I have declared that we shall avoid all unnecessary travel in the months of January and February.  We are all exhausted.  If the trip to Singapore had not already been booked and paid for I would cancel that trip.  It has been wonderful traveling and seeing so many wondrous things, but at some point your body just wants to stay in the same time zone and take a break.   We figured out that in the last 5 month (one of which Ken was home very sick) Ken has spent at least one night in at least 15 cities, in 5 countries, on 3 Continents.  We also figured out that in the last 9 months that Ken has been away from the rest of us for at least 12 weeks. In the past 4 weeks alone we have all been in 6 cities in 2 countries, seen 2 of the wonders of the world, taken planes, trains, and automobiles (and bus) and Ken has been in several additional cities.   Did I mention we are all exhausted and need some quiet family time at home?  

As I write this a memory has surfaced.  I remember when I was a child in a small town and we were relatively poor. Our big vacation most years was to stay in a tent at the state park at the beach.   I went to college on loans and grants not for the needy but for the "very needy".  I dreamt that one day I would get to visit Russia.  Not your typical place to dream of visiting but I wanted to see somewhere that was very different from where I was living.  During my childhood, Russia was suppose to be the opposite of the USA so it seemed very exotic to me.  Today, I live somewhere that is very different from my home town and I have the opportunity to travel to many exotic locations.  In my wildest dreams, I never imagined I would be able to travel to this extent.  I also never imagined I would ever travel to the point that I needed a break from traveling.   I have not made it to Russia yet, but who knows what tomorrow will bring.

I will try to post more details about the trips (with pictures) but for now I just wanted to let everyone know what we have been up to in general and that I have not forgotten about everyone.  We have simply not been home to call anyone.  I hope to keep in touch better in the future.