Crossing Streets

Every time we land in a new country we have to learn a few things quickly.

• Can we flush the toilet paper?
• Can we drink the water / how do we get drinking water?
• What can we eat? (Our diet changes completely every country. If you ever wanted to try an elimination diet, this is the way to do it.)
• Where do you buy toiletries… does anyone in the country use conditioner?!?

And then we have to learn how to cross the streets. This involves observation. In some countries, like Germany and Slovenia, everyone follows the rules. You cross at crosswalks and you wait for the light to turn green, even if you don’t need to. In Thailand, it was more of a ‘sprint when there is a break’ or ‘wait until the traffic backs up and you can weave through the cars.’

The advice given to us prior to arriving in Vietnam was to “walk slowly across streets at a steady pace without stopping suddenly while letting the motorcycles/scooters avoid you.” And true enough, Vietnam was the first country where we had to slow down to cross streets.

The videos below are of a small side street. We crossed many larger roads with multiple lanes full of scooters, however, I didn’t take videos because I didn’t want to be the idiot on You-Tube that filmed their family getting splattered (or smushed as Logan prefers).

A few countries back I completely stopped making sure the kids got across the street. Ethan gets mad if I get a block ahead and don’t notice he got trapped crossing, but it became apparent that if anyone were going to get smacked by a car, it would probably be me. Sometimes Logan gently holds my arm as we cross a street. I like to pretend she is looking for comfort while crossing a particularly busy road, but I am fairly she is trying to guide her less coordinated mother across the street.