Here in the unreal world

Ex-pat life is so not like real life anyway--every child has two parents in the home, every kid at school has a coat and shoes, about 90 percent of the people you meet have college degrees and probably at least 50 percent have advanced graduate level degrees as well. Add to that statements like, "We'll look for some next time we're at a castle" as an answer to your child's question about marble staircases, and it's just not normal.

But it also lulls you into this false sense that we're all just one big happy global family now. I had lunch today in Japantown with a group of sixteen women who came from Singapore, China, Japan, Korea, Austria, Germany, England, Russia and the US. Haven't all of us been in some kind of war with one another at some time? And now we sit and laugh at lunch together. It seems like I know someone from every little corner of the globe and at least have a glimpse into that culture. And then, something like the disaster in Myanamar happens and not only do none of us know anyone who lives there, who has ever worked there or even vacationed there, but we're not even allowed to do anything to help. The one-big-happy-family idea kind of falls apart.

I will have to say I had a good time today explaining to a Brit and a woman from Singapore (a Singaporean?) who are both moving to the states exactly what a garbage disposal is. One said she was familiar with them as she saw one in a scene from the movie Stuart Little. They also were not aware that in the US we have refrigerator/freezers that dispense ice and water directly from the door into your glass.


Tonight is Maddie's big sleep over party. She is so excited about it. I went all the way into downtown Duesseldorf to get Dunkin Donuts for the kids to have for breakfast in the morning. Don't see too many folks on the train here with a big box of donuts. Tonight all the girls are going to make their own pizzas. Will be happy when Saturday afternoon arrives!