In our travels, we have seen our fair share of unexpected and we have smelled more than our fair share of surprising. Recently, we were walking through a food market in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, when my oldest daughter (age six) conveyed a most profound understanding:
I know you are curious – many of you have left me sweet notes and comments to let me know how just how curious you are. This post is for you.
In the last two months our family has spent time in six different countries, visiting parks in every location. I have a growing theory that the casual observer can learn something about the culture from paying attention to the types of equipment in a playground and watching the ways that equipment is used by the children and the adults they are with.
My sampling of playgrounds from the countries in the title of this post (plus, the post I wrote a few weeks ago about parks in Japan) is very small, and I’m sure does not provide a clear overview of playgrounds across that country. Still, I enjoy reflecting on our experiences in these parks and wondering what conclusions I can draw given my very limited experience. (more…)