Seattle, Washington

I went to the space needle in Seattle, Washington, USA!

Minions are my friends!

The minions in Penang, Malaysia are my friends! 

I'm a dragon rider!

I'm riding a dragon boat on Cheung Chau island! 

Pierre Goes to Cambodia

Hi Everyone!

We went to the country of Cambodia over the Christmas school break. Cambodia is also on the continent of Asia. It is south (which means down) from China on the map. It's neighbors are Vietnam, Thailand, and Laos.

Cambodia is a very poor country, most families live on less than $1 everyday! That means that they only spend $1 a day on food, water, and everything else they need. Look around your grocery store and see what you can find that is less than $1.00. Many kids don't have shoes. In Cambodia, many homes do not have water faucets, toilets, showers, or bathtubs. People wash their bodies outside in ponds. Most people don't have cars either. They ride bikes, horses, and even cows!

It made me very thankful for all the things I have a home. And I wonder to myself, "What can I do to help other people in the world?"

People are selling food out of their carts in the top picture. Some sell meat and bread, and others sell pancakes with chocolate and bananas!

The best part of Cambodia is how friendly everyone is. Everyone smiles and says "hello" to each other. When we were walking around, kids wanted to say "hi" to me too! They thought it was really fun to give us high fives too. One little boy even gave Heather a pink flower. It made her really happy.


Did I mention that people eat bugs and spiders in Cambodia? It's true! They actually taste pretty good too. I ate a fried tarantula. It was like a garlic chip; very crunchy and a little spicy.

There sure are a lot of cool things to learn about the world!

Shanghai, China

"Knee how!" That is "hello" in Mandarin. Most people in China speak Mandarin. This weekend was my first trip to mainland China. China is a very big country, almost the same size as America! But it has even more people! We flew to a city called Shanghai. Get out your map! It is on the east coast, or right side, of China, closer to the top of the country than the bottom.

Shanghai is a big city that it built around a river. 

There are some very tall buildings. Some of the tallest buildings in the world are in Shanghai!

There is some very delicious tasting food in China too! It's not just rice and chow mein noodles. There are many vegetables, soups, and different meats. We even ate noodles and stew for breakfast one morning! 

We tried some new food like chicken feet, fish head, and tripe. Chicken feet are, well, chicken feet cooked and served with a very yummy sauce.

Tripe is the stomach of a cow, also served in a very tasty sauce. It's important to remember that people eat different things all around the world. Just because you don't eat it where you live, doesn't mean it's not good. There are many people in the world who have never eaten a hamburger or fries. Do you think they should try it? Would they like it? 

You will never believe what I rode on in Shanghai! A lion! I even have a picture to prove it too! 

Okay, it wasn't a real lion but it was still fun! 

Here's a few more pictures from around the city.

What do you see that is similar to where you live? 

Interesting Macau

Have you ever eaten the outside peel of an orange, or lemon? Did you just say, "No way!"? Not so fast! Maybe you should try a bite! 

 I hadn't eaten them either, until I moved to Macau. Here, they are left in the sun to dry, then they are eaten! The peels of citrus fruits, like lemons, limes, and oranges are used as medicine in China. They are used to help your stomach feel better. You can dry them yourself, or buy them in the store! 

On our way to the movies we also passed this temple with many statues. 

I don't know very much about what they mean but I am going to find out more by asking some of my teachers and friends. Maybe they will will know! If not, I will ask the librarian or look on the internet. I am curious! 

I am going to say good-bye in an alley today! An alley is a small and narrow pathway. This alley is so small only people and bikes can fit! 

Bye friends! 

I went to Hong Kong today!

I've been busy in the K3 Joy classroom the last few weeks. I really like Kindergarten. The kids are 5 years old and really nice. They are so excited to be at school and they love learning! 

Yesterday we took the ferry over to Hong Kong. The last time I was there was when I moved to Macau in July. Do you remember how to say good morning in Cantonese?

                Look! I'm in a taxi! 

I am in the Hong Kong Museum of History. We learned all about how the city started as a tiny little fishing village and grew into an international city. International means that there are people and foods from all over the world in Hing Kong. 

Now Heather and I are on the subway. It's like an underground train. I didn't see any worms out the windows though!

Many stores in Hong Kong are outside on the streets. Look closely, what do you see? 

Oh yum! I am from Belgium and have missed waffles so much since I have left. We stopped for a special treat. Adams had whipped cream and strawberries on top!

Weeee!!! This is fun but please don't drop me! Hong Kong is made up of many islands. Here I am looking across the bay to Kowloon. The lights are awesome at night! 

What did you do this weekend? 

The biggest city I've ever been to!

Sa-wa-dee-kaa! That is 'hello' in Thai.

We just spent 2 days in Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. Pull out your map and see if you can find it. I'll give you a clue, it's not by the ocean.

Bangkok is a BIG city with many people. There is a lot of traffic because there are so many cars, motor bikes, buses, and tuk-tuk's. What is a tuk-tuk you ask? It is a motor bike that also has a cart for people to sit in; a little like a horse and carriage! I rode in a tuk-tuk and it was pretty fun.

I'm in a tuk tuk! 

Now a bus!

And a boat!

We visited some temples, which are like churches for different religions. 

Bangkoks smells, sounds, and sights were very different from other places I've been before. What do you smell, hear, and see when you go outside?