Toilets!

I've learned that there are many different words used for "bathroom". People who live in the United States usually say "bathroom" or "restroom". People from other countries say "water closet", "washroom", and even just "toilet".

Bathrooms also look different in other countries too. Where we stayed in Asia, there was no bathtub or shower. There was just a shower on the wall next to the toilet. There wasn't a shower curtain or even hot water! I didn't know that many people in Asia take cold showers. We are so lucky to have hot water in our houses, especially when it's cold outside. 

Here's a picture of our bathroom in our hotel in Makassar, Indonesia. we only stayed here one night.  There is something missing and it's really strange! 

Do you know what it is? 

If you think it's the toilet paper, that would be a good guess but not everyone in the world uses toilet paper either. Do you see the little hose by the toilet? That is what is used instead of toilet paper.

Okay, I'll tell you what is missing... It is the sink! 

I sure do like visiting other countries because there are so many things that are different. 

We're on our way to a new country right now. I have been to 3 countries so far. Do you remember which ones? Get out your map and find them! Maybe you can guess where we are headed next! 

Scuba diving

Do you remember all the scuba diving gear Adam and Heather were packing when we were still in China? Well, I got to use it today when we went scuba diving. 

First, we walked through the water a little ways before we got on our yellow boat. Look what we saw right away! 

 Once we were on the boat I noticed there were some very important people waiting for us. There was a captain who drives the boat; a deck hand who helps the captain and a dive master who shows us where to go underwater. They thought it was really funny that I was on the boat with them, but they wanted me to tell all the kids who read this, "teri ma ka sea". That means 'thank you" in Indonesian. 

Adam and Heather held on to me tight when we jumped into the water. They didn't want me to sink because I don't know how to swim yet. 

Then we jumped right in. 

I was soaking wet but the water was really warm and clear. You can even see Adams fins underwater. They help him swim faster, especially when you see something really neat under there. Speaking of neat, we saw 15 blue spotted stingrays. Boy can they swim fast all on their own! We also saw 2 big turtles and hundreds of different fish and coral. Coral is really beautiful and very important for our oceans. It looks like colorful rocks or flowers underwater, but it's alive! Fish and other sea critters live in and around it, but It dies when people touch it, so be very careful! We want to take good care of our oceans! 

I really loved scuba diving because I got to see so many interesting things that live in the ocean. If you have time, look up Bunaken, Sulawesi. That's where we are! 

Kindergarten in Indonesia

Today we visited a kindergarten class on the island. I sat on a desk and watched the kids play for a little while and tried to listen to what the teacher was saying, but it was hard because I didn't understand what she was saying. The teacher was very nice and was happy to have us visit the school and her classroom.

The kids who live here only speak Indonesian and since I only speak English we couldn't really talk to each other. It was okay though because we could smile at each other and laugh. It's easy to be friends with anyone this way. They were curious about Adam, Heather, and I and wanted to shake our hands. I wanted to shake their hands too. 

I liked seeing the school because it was very different than the classrooms I have been in; but one thing is the same, the kids were happy to be at school learning with their friends! 

Riding on a motorbike

I did something adventurous today! I rode on a motorbike! 

There are no roads where we are staying. No one even has a car or a truck. People  either walk on a path to get to the village or ride on a motorbike. The village is a tiny city where about 500 people live. There are no stores or restaurants here so many people have a boat too. They can take their boat to other islands to get food and water. 

I rode on the motorbike with Willeke and Heather. 

After we picked up Willeke's daughter from school, I rode with her too! 

Don't worry! She didn't really drive. She's only four! 

I'm in...

We're in Indonesia! It is a country that is made up of thousands of islands. You have to count to 100 ten times to equal 1000. Now that's a lot of islands, and a lot of counting! 

It took us a very long time to get here but it's very beautiful and the people are very nice. 

We're also eating different foods than I am use to. Fish is what most people like to eat here but I've only eaten fish sticks before. I was surprised when dinner came out and it was a whole fish with his head still attached. I learned that this  is how most people around the world eat their fish. I tried it and guess what? It was good! Better than fish sticks any day! 

You should definitely try it this way. If you are a little nervous, or not sure, try dipping it in a little ketchup first. I'm sure you will like it!  

A night and morning in Malaysia.

Selamat pagi! That means 'good morning' in Malay. I'm in the country called Malaysia, but only for a few hours. We arrived way past my bedtime last night. 

We woke up this morning and went straight back to the airport. Would you believe that Adam ate noodles for breakfast? Instead of cereal, or eggs and toast, many people in Malaysia eat noodles with sauce, chicken, vegetables, and sometimes shrimp in the morning. 

Adam doesn't like to eat shrimp, but especially not for breakfast so he asked for 'no shrimp please'! 

Oh! Our next flight is boarding. That means it's time to get on the plane. 

I wonder what country we will go to next and what they eat for breakfast. 

I'm in China!

Jo sun! That means 'good morning' in Cantonese. I'm in China! Well, Macau, but it is a part of China. Have you looked at a globe or map lately? Find Hong Kong and then look just a little west (left). It's so far from America, almost 7000 miles away. 

We were on the plane for 14 hours. We watched movies and played a few games.

Here's my first look of Macau outside Adam and Heathers window. I'm on the 29th floor. It was a long elevator ride up!

Oh my! What is all this stuff and where are we going? Adam and Heather are packing their scuba diving equipment. Scuba diving is when you swim under water with special gear that lets you breath under there. They say there are great things to see. I hope I get to go underwater with them. 

Time to pack my things. We leave for the airport again in 2 hours. 

Where will I be next? 

Who is Pierre?

Bonjour! My name is Pierre. If you don't speak French you might not know what bonjour means, but it means Hello in English. I am from Brussels, Belgium. My friend Anne brought me to America as a gift for two boys named Gabe and Grady.

They decided they want me to go on an adventure so they packed my suitcase for vacation. I'm going to stay in Macau, China and go everywhere Adam and Heather go! We haven't left for China yet but I've already made some new friends at a place called the ranch. It's in a little town called Grass Valley, California. There were chickens, goats, and dogs at the ranch. I also met Xander, Justin, and Julia at the ranch.

Today I get to go on a big airplane in San Francisco, California and fly over the Pacific Ocean to a place called Hong Kong. I'm a little nervous because I don't know what it will be like when I get there, but Adam and Heather keep reminding me that it's natural to be nervous sometimes.

Off we go!