Reply #21: We always used to travel with little wrapped candies for the children in any park we went to... [View All]

[Radio_Lady]

I can't remember whether we did this in France because we haven't been there since the early 1980s. Most of our travel has been to Mexico and Spain over holiday weekends.

In Mexico, at Christmas time, those little treats would break the ice with parents and children. Now, of course, with all kinds of fear of strangers and predators, we haven't tried it much. We don't speak much of any language except English, but we will try at your suggestion to get at least some French phrases down pat before we alight. I know this will be a frustration for me, because I'm right on the edge of understanding a bunch of French words, but can't get into speaking without getting hung up. My husband has much less language knowledge than I do -- studied Spanish years ago and didn't do well. He doesn't attempt to speak and we do a lot of gesticulating and pointing.

In China, the children of more rural Canton (Guangzhou?) at the main zoo were afraid of us. Some ran away or hid behind their parents. Others came right up to us and thrust out their hand and thanked us. We were probably the first "round-eyed" people they had ever seen.

GoS, nice to meet-chu on the DU! I'm putting you on my buddy list.

Now, don't talk to me any more... we have to pack!