Welcome to Rice Whine: the official blog of the
Speiser-Sawatzky travel extravaganza. In
six days we depart. First
stop—Paris. In time we will see France,
Germany, Singapore, Thailand, Myanmar, Indonesia and hopefully a few more
countries in south east Asia depending on time and money.
FAQ:
Why this combination of Europe and Asia?
Greg’s brother and sister-in-law
(Russ and Marg) have lived in Paris for many years and we have never made it
there as a family. My brother and his
family (Rob, Anjali and Fischer) are living in Singapore until 2014. We thought we could combine these
destinations into one amazing trip.
Why Sept-January?
Greg, a high school teacher, was
able to get a semester off from work and thus we are taking off during the
first school semester.
Are you going to home school the boys?
Yes, we
are going to “home school” the boys.
(Emphasis on quotation marks!)
Are you ready?
Ha ha
ha…
My hopes:
- Many adventurous and “wow” moments seeing completely foreign things
- We connect and have fun as a family.
- We eat good food.
- Thomas (the 8 year old picky eater) eats food other than rice and bananas.
- Boys learn things.
- I get to read and listen to music and learn to play chess and get better at scrabble…
- That I forget about work within a few days.
My fears:
- Serious illness/injury
- More stress than fun
- Boys get skinny
- We often wish we had just stayed home and not gone at all.
- Messy diarrhea
- Bed bugs
- Constipation from eating only rice and beans.
- Rabies (we did get the shots!)
- My colleagues discover many instances of gross medical negligence among my patients.
The next few days will be full and also very critical. I find myself stressing over things that I
know are inconsequential (what size shampoo container do I take…it is four
months but a big bottle is too big…) because I have this feeling like I should
be stressing over something. Preparing
for this type of trip is all very new and challenging.
It’s really hard to believe this is really going to happen
soon.-
-cynthia
Hi! I'm new to the NMC family but I can't resist a good travel story .
ReplyDeleteGood luck and happy travels! I spent a year traveling southeast Asia and I can say I ate all foods without discrimination (including "street food"), without issue, and went to all jungle-y environments without issue. The concerns are less prevalent then you imagine.
Lastly, if you may endulge me, my most memorable place was Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia. I imagine you came across this when researching. I wish I could have taken my son there (maybe someday) - if you have time (ha!) consider this.
Look forward to hearing about the adventure!
Cheers,
Ben Storie
Thanks, Ben.
DeleteAngor Wat is definitely on our list.
I'm sure your doing a great job at school, BTW.
I also excited for you guys. Can't wait to hear about your adventures!
ReplyDeleteOops doomed by autocorrect to sound illiterate!
ReplyDeleteOk....ready to live vicariously through you guys!!
ReplyDeleteRemember to have a "yes" day here and there....take a chance and always remember, "today, I don't have to make lunches for the boys".
Ah, but we *do* have to make lunches for the boys, just in a different country.
DeleteThanks again guys for your help.
Looking forward to hearing all of your adventures. Take lots of pictures!!
ReplyDeleteReally?
ReplyDeleteIt kind of reminds me of the trip we took in 89. We left in Sept and I returned in January just like this time. Man last time I was in Germany the wall was still up!
DeleteYeah! You will be here tomorrow! Then to the beaches of Normandy... Can't wait to see you!
ReplyDeleteGreg... I'm getting my camera ready:)
ReplyDeleteWe're so looking forward to seeing you guys TOMORROW! At least here in France we definitely can offer more than rice & beans... :-) Oh, and I checked, and you definitely can buy shampoo here.
ReplyDeleteRuss
I can't help but pine for the brief, wine-soaked idea that was a Petkau-Speiser-Sawatzsky Family-Buddy Adventure together in Paris...alas, we shall keep the home fires burning for you, and wish you an adventure filled with blog-worthy tales. We also promise not to pull pranks on your house-sitter. Well, maybe just a couple to keep us entertained while you're away. Bon Voyage, Pals!
ReplyDeleteHi guys. Hope you are having a good time. All is well here. Wuzzy is doing fine, and we are enjoying having him here. Joe and Charlie send a special hello to Thomas and Max. Take care and keep in touch.
ReplyDeleteR and I
PS: Ingrid wants to know if you have found a good boot camp yet.
On behalf of Thomas:
ReplyDeleteWuzzy looks cute when you give him a stick thingy. Thanks for taking care of him.