we've got rhythm

We are one third into our world trip now.   We left KL more than 5 weeks ago.  We’ve found a rhythm, with school in the morning and then visits in the afternoon and fairly early bedtimes.  Sometimes we work in a movie or play a game of Cluedo or Happy Family in the evening after dinner.  

The girls are very adaptable, and role playing is a big thing.  Sometimes they pretend they are travelling without their parents and sit at a table of their own.  Sometimes they are explorers on a mission.  They have lots of friends and horses and they speak many languages in their world.

They ask questions about geysers and blowholes, they want to know more about Emperor Puyi and are curious about imperialism in Japan.

We try to work in kids-friendly places and situations for them; visits to parks and playgrounds come after a visit to a museum or a temple.  In Tokyo, they spent half a day at Kidzania pretending to be flight attendants and vets.  We took them to the largest toy store in Tokyo as a treat.

Sometimes we need to be up at the crack of dawn to catch a train or a flight.  There are waiting times.  They have never complained, and find ways to keep occupied while waiting.  

They get teary thinking of their friends from time to time, and of their grandma and the home they left.  But they wake up excited and enthusiastic everyday.

JB has organized everything almost perfectly.  He has an amazing sense of direction and can find his way around anywhere (except in KL where we lived for ten years!).  He is really reveling in the role of teacher and full time hands-on dad.  

We are not found wanting, despite the minimum material things we have with us.  Believe it or not, I left with two pairs of shoes and have only bought one additional pair.  The only thing we are fighting over is the computer, and the limited access of internet in some places the only thing we really miss (besides the friends of course).