REFLECTION 2

TRANSPORT:
By the time you read this we will be on our -12th and final plane trip and been in  5 countries since we left home. We have travelled on Thai, Swissair, Finnair, Lufthansa and now on our beloved Air New Zealand. We have travelled on 6 eurail trains between 4 European countries. And we have been on more tram and  S and U Bahn rides than we can remember. The travelling time has allowed us to sit and reflect on the new experiences and also read and do some sleep catch up. We have never missed a ride and have become adept at reading platform signs and underground  line routes as well as using pictures, numbers and arrows to aid our understanding.

ACCOMMODATION:
We have stayed in hotels and apartments and a cottage. We have realised that the same star rating does not mean you get the same level of accomodation. However all our places have had plusses. We have had 5 of us all in one room and we have been in two rooms. ATand KT have been gracious in sharing a double bed often even though one is more restless than the other. We have been lucky that all our accomodation has allowed us to access the sites easily. 

WEATHER:
We have been very lucky with the weather. We had snow on the day we arrived and snow on the day we left. We had snow in Zurich, Garmisch and Rovaniemi and we have experienced being in temperatures from -23C to 5 C. We had a few days of rain but we could get out everyday. I wonder if I limit myself due to the weather at times. People in Europe tolerate colder temperatures and it was very common for them to be standing outside having a drink at a bar in snow. Restaurant and cafe owners still had outdoor seating and they provided a sheepskin on the seat and a rug for your knees. With your big coat, scarf, hats, gloves and boots you can survive outside for a long time, although I must admit riding the snow mobile at 60 km in -23C temps was cold. The coldest Lapland has had apparently is -50C! However inside all the places are HOT! The heating within the places is amazing. You only need a T shirt or light top and often we would have to open the window to let in some cool air so we didn't expire

LANGUAGE:
We continue to be embarrassed that we only speak one language. Many Europeans are multilingual. English only speakers expect everyone else to make an effort to understand them. Lack of language  is a huge  barrier and it makes you realise how loaded each of our words are and how people have different meaning loaded into words. It also gives you an empathy for immigrants to New Zealand who have no option but to speak English to succeed at anything in their new environment. It is the different understandings that cause the misunderstandings. I have also understood how colloquially we speak and how we understand collocations ( children at the end of year 4 need to have good understanding of collocations - National Standards in Literacy) e.g. please inform the driver when you see a suspicious thing and a suspicious person ( on Japanese bus...we would say...see something or someone suspicious ) . Also when Ben asked for a Large serving they did 't have any only big! 

PEOPLE:
Whenever you travel it's the people who make it for you. The countless number of people who have served us graciously and always made an effort to try and understand our kiwi accent and language. People who have informed and entertained us as guides, freely giving of their knowledge and expertise and more often than not going out of their way to ensure we had a great experience. Thank you Thomas, Gary, Bernie, Walter and Curt and all the nameless others who helped us above and beyond at hotels, restaurants and train stations. Although we invited you to come and visit us down in little NZ we probably will not see you again but your kindnesses lives on in us all. The trip has enriched our lives and given us wonderful opportunities to live, albeit for a short time in  new environments and learn new things. We have learnt yet again how people are different - I now know it is rude to ask a Laplander how many reindeer he has...  Apparently that is like asking him how much he earns... and how people are the same - Lapland men like to leave their wives and go camping and have man time with their mates. And there is something great about returning to those who know and understand you as family, friends and culturally. Despite an amazing 4 weeks of travel experiences we are looking forward to home. As they say home is where the heart is and ours lies in NZ. JT

"If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay at home.” – James Michener

 “Travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.” – Miriam Beard

 “Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins