Family time in the USA

Mike took advantage of his lack of responsibilities here in Suriname to go visit his family back in the midwest for a couple of weeks in February/March 2012.  Since leaving the states last May, Mike had yet to meet his new niece, of course he wanted to visit his 2 year old niece.  While those 2 reasons were huge, parents and a sister and brother-in-law were major draws as well. 

Traveling through New York’s LaGuardia airport was a glimpse of minor reverse culture shock.  While all of the people I asked questions of were extremely nice and helpful, everyone in that airport was moving so fast!  That is quite different from Suriname, especially Tutubuka.

Hanging out with my sister and her family in Chicago was a blast.  We got to do lots of fun stuff, like:
(go to the SkyDeck platform in the building formerly known as the Sears Tower. Claire showed absolutely no fear or hesitation walking out onto the platform, which is a clear glass box extended out of the 103rd floor, 1,353 feet above the streets:)

 
(sideview of the SkyDeck)

(Mike, Claire, Alice, and Amy looking out over Chicago)

(and we even got to practice milking cows!)

It was really nice to visit with my parents back in Des Moines, too.  I was able to take some pictures of snow to show Tutubuku-onians.  Even with the pictures and with Jill’s Saramaccan explanations, they don’t believe that snow’s a phase of water, that it falls from the sky, and that it melts when it gets hot.  Basically they still don’t believe in snow.


(the climate in the midwest, while mild for the midwest in Feb/March, was quite a change from Suriname)