{"id":245,"date":"2017-07-23T22:04:08","date_gmt":"2017-07-24T03:04:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/jared-kresge\/?p=245"},"modified":"2017-07-23T22:04:08","modified_gmt":"2017-07-24T03:04:08","slug":"cla-classroom-brake-for-chickens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/jared-kresge\/2017\/07\/23\/cla-classroom-brake-for-chickens\/","title":{"rendered":"CLA Classroom: Brake for Chickens"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the CLA Classroom! \u00a0These posts are designed to give an insider\u2019s perspective on CLA (Culture and Language Acquisition) in Asia-Pacific. \u00a0What does it feel like to be a foreigner in this country? \u00a0What new sights and sounds assail us every day? \u00a0How do people view us? \u00a0How do we react to cultural differences? \u00a0Be our guest and step with us into this jungle of new experiences!\u00a0<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

One of our biggest adjustments in Asia-Pacific has been driving…what’s allowed, what’s normal, what’s expected. \u00a0Rather than rules of the road, there are flexible guidelines and expectations from fellow drivers. \u00a0Most roads are painted with two lanes, but that by no means limits the actual number of “lanes” at any given moment. \u00a0This is a very practical culture, and on the road, we do what works. \u00a0Our worst mistake in driving can be assuming that our “space” actually belongs to us. \u00a0Driving in Asia-Pacific is a constant game of give-and-take.<\/p>\n

Most of the time, we putter along on motorbikes like everyone else and conveniently weave along with the stream of traffic. \u00a0On a few occasions, we’ve even managed to fit our family of five on a single 125cc Yamaha (without incident, but slightly to the detriment of the shocks). \u00a0You can imagine why we didn’t manage to get a picture of that.<\/p>\n

Bikes can be used to transport anything, from large bird cages to loads of groceries to sheets of plywood. \u00a0All you need is a friend sitting behind to hold it for you. \u00a0One day, I was driving home and passed by this sight from the photo above. \u00a0These men are apparently on their way to some type of construction work. \u00a0They have the tools for mixing cement, and, lacking a pickup truck, they are managing just fine by hanging onto the wheelbarrow from behind.<\/p>\n

On my way to pick up the boys from school last week, I noticed a young woman driving her motorbike\u00a0while texting<\/em>. \u00a0That brings texting and driving to a whole new level! \u00a0Thankfully, it’s not too common.<\/p>\n

We frequently have to brake for chickens that randomly run across the road. \u00a0I personally don’t brake out of any special love for the chickens, but rather because I don’t want to go down in local history as the tall foreign lady who killed a prize-winning egg-layer.<\/p>\n

In the States, our children were first-rate travelers and always napped well while driving. \u00a0They have some stiff competition here, though, as we often see children asleep, draped over the handlebars of their parents’ motorbikes.<\/p>\n

That’s today’s collection of moments “as seen in Asia-Pacific.” \u00a0It’s just another piece to the puzzle of the CLA Classroom.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Welcome to the CLA Classroom! \u00a0These posts are designed to give an insider\u2019s perspective on CLA (Culture and Language Acquisition) in Asia-Pacific. \u00a0What does it feel like to be a foreigner in this country? \u00a0What new sights and sounds assail us every day? \u00a0How do people view us? \u00a0How do we react to cultural differences? […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1082,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3,1],"tags":[448],"class_list":["post-245","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-family","category-uncategorized","tag-ethnos360","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/jared-kresge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/jared-kresge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/jared-kresge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/jared-kresge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1082"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/jared-kresge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/jared-kresge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/jared-kresge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/jared-kresge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ethnos360.org\/jared-kresge\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}