Just in case any of you think we're having a wonderful vacation, let me correct your thinking.
One day we went to the zoo with friends.
We have gone out to eat twice.
Today I told our driver we will need to get out to do some touristy type shopping before we get custody of B.
That is all we've done so far. Dean hasn't gotten to see much of Belgrade except while we drive back and forth to the institution (which is about 3 miles.) We buy groceries to eat at the apartment and can live very inexpensively that way!
There is a 50/50 chance that Dean will go home without me while I stay here to finish things up. We will know by the time you, at home, wake up on Friday morning if this will be the case. If I have to stay longer, that means more expenses in lodging and transportation for me, all the while loosing income at home. So, for now we are being very conservative with our funds. There have also been a couple of unexpected expenses at home that had to be dealt with.
It feels a bit disappointing to me to have the beautiful weather we do today and not be walking around Belgrade seeing stuff! I think after B's birthday party today we will walk up to St. Sava Cathedral because Dean really wants to see it. Then we can call our driver for a ride from there.
One day we went to the zoo with friends.
We have gone out to eat twice.
Today I told our driver we will need to get out to do some touristy type shopping before we get custody of B.
That is all we've done so far. Dean hasn't gotten to see much of Belgrade except while we drive back and forth to the institution (which is about 3 miles.) We buy groceries to eat at the apartment and can live very inexpensively that way!
There is a 50/50 chance that Dean will go home without me while I stay here to finish things up. We will know by the time you, at home, wake up on Friday morning if this will be the case. If I have to stay longer, that means more expenses in lodging and transportation for me, all the while loosing income at home. So, for now we are being very conservative with our funds. There have also been a couple of unexpected expenses at home that had to be dealt with.
It feels a bit disappointing to me to have the beautiful weather we do today and not be walking around Belgrade seeing stuff! I think after B's birthday party today we will walk up to St. Sava Cathedral because Dean really wants to see it. Then we can call our driver for a ride from there.
I really don't think doing touristy things in the country of your child is a "vacation". It's more like getting to know as much of the place, the customs, the city as possible. I think that is actually a very positive thing. Eating out and trying the local food--not TGIFriday's, McD and the such--is also something that can make parents understamnd their children's tastes and dislike of the weird food in their new countries better.
ReplyDeleteGood point Hevel. Dean pointed out something else: Our kids come from an institution, THAT is their culture. They aren't even eating cultural foods, or even foods with cultural flavors. They are eating gruel. Veggies boiled beyond recognition and we can only guess based on their color (like carrot that look like orange pudding.) and canned, mass volumes of institutional foods. Our kids didn't see the culture, at best only hearing some of the music if staff was nice enough to turn it on, and sometimes there is a TV with blurry picture going on the corner of the room.
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