Things I am loving so far in Japan

November 5, 2019

1. I love that Zach just assumes everyone speaks English and jumps right in with people asking his questions, and often answering his own questions when they stare at him blankly.

2. The smile on Melina’s face. She loves this place. I would not be surprised if this kid ends up back here or in New York. She is not bothered one bit by all the craziness.

3. Our established roles. After so much travel we have fallen into a groove of “roles.” I do the pre-planning as much as possible---airline tickets, hotels, advance tickets for tours/shows/activities. Bill deals with on the ground directions. This is interesting since he is by far the most directionally challenged in our house, but he is a wiz at technology so he and google can get us just about anywhere. And, he is our uber/lyft/grab connection. Zach is our questioner which is a perfect role for him. He will ask anyone, anything and any time. Obviously, this leads to some interesting situations, but we are pretty used to it by now, and are appreciative of his outgoing personality which will continue to serve him well in life. Melina is in charge of language/customs/culture. She is constantly reminding us how to say please, thank you, excuse me, walk on the left side (this is harder than it sounds), accept change with 2 hands, etc.

4. I am so happy that Melina seems to understand this transportation grid. I do not. Thankfully, between Melina and Bill, we have been able to get around just fine.