Week 17
Friday, July 4th
It's the Fourth of July! Yay! We head to Dalat International School to celebrate our American patriotism with other American expatriots! I'm thinking this will be a huge event! I'm thinking of all the awesome firework shows and celebrations I've been to on American bases in Germany and England. Americans abroad always have the best Fourth of July events. The fireworks shows are these awe-inspiring, choreographed-to-music spectacles. But you know? I really need to stop having preconceived ideas on anything.
It's actually a really small affair. So small that the security guard at Dalat doesn't even know it's going on, and he won't let us through! George and I are trying our best to come up with as many ways as we can to describe the event in a way that the guard might understand or remember (barbeque, picnic, 4th of July, American Independence Day celebration) and he's shaking his head 'no' and saying we can't come in. We're pointing at other families walking through in t-shirts saying "USA" in red, white, and blue, and he says, "what people?" We're telling him we were invited to an event, and he says there is only a children's event going on, and we say, yeah that's us, but he's not buying it because we don't have the Dalat sticker on our car. But finally, someone else comes to rescue us and clue in the oblivious guard.
It's actually a pot luck which we didn't know, so we show up totally empty handed. The fireworks, that the kids are anticipating all evening are more like sparkly little twirly things on the ground. But it's a nice little gathering and we see several people we know, such as the Millers (George's car pool buddy), and Brandy and Missy (from my playgroup) who are also there with their families.
That's Brandy there on the left holding Tyra who is a few months younger than Regin.
The two girls in front are Brandy's older daughters.
Regin meeting Brandy's dog, that's Tyra again (the little girl on the right.) She is dressed for the occasion in her stars and stripes and several others are similarly dressed. I am kind of sad that we haven't brought any wearable Americana with us to Penang.
The Millers.
Eric -- George's Car-pool buddy.
Round balls aren't the only kind Regin is obsessed with. Try as I might I can't distract him from this (American) football. He has to have it.
Mingling. That's Cory Miller in red on the left in the background, and further on the right, in the teal top is Missy.
Regin, true to form, is making friends everywhere he goes.
"Duck!"
Hot dogs and potato salad.
Our little picnic.
I am there too!
George and Eric have this crazy idea of playing frisbee in the dark. Ok, it isn't as dark as it appears here, but it is still very difficult to see!
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