Setting off on a trip for the family travelling Australia to USA/Canada/Mexico for 5 weeks then 2 of us travelling on around the world and the other 3 meeting up again later in 2008 for some more travel has taken quite some planning. Last group activity was a visit to the medical center for the appropriate vaccinations. Adult male had just returned from Iraq so no need to update anything -think only thing left for him to get maybe something for radiation sickness from ordinance residuals (attempt at humour here). For the rest of us though it was full on.
Updates for childhood vaccinations for me and K (17) the 10 yrold (J) ok with these. Hep B also ok for us all but Hep A, typhis, etc all needed. $500 for the vaccines and $200 for the visit a bit hefty though. Nothing rebatable from the prrivate health insurances either. What price health care in the US though?
Found a cheap family travel insurance cover. Also brought over the counter medications for the usual dysintery, diarhoea, an anti biotic and anti malarial. As 2 of us are trvelling on and still water differences do affect our digestive systems and not willing to take risks with such a tight trip. Did not get Japanese encephalitist (it is winter) or rabies shots. Just gave a very scary talk to kids about animal contacts - sheer terror can work OK as first line rabies prevention!
Healthrisks now managed to an acceptable level.
As the first 3 set 0500am off on christmas eve we had christmas on the night of the 23rd. It did not diminish the joy of sharing gifts. With eldest (20) off at boyfriends family for christmas this had a greater impact on our family. All a bit sad at her absence. A phone call just isn't the same for her sisters to give her a hug and share the joy of an exchanged gift.
I will join the other 2 children in early January. They have some dad and daughter time til then. Make up a little for him (L) missing out on Ks graduation and planned New Zealand trip.
Dad and K&J will arrive early am christmas eve in Los Angeles. They are carrying only a backpack each with 3 spare undies each and deodorant and toothbrushes and togs (swimming costumes or bathers). They will hit Wallmart or similar and buy another set of clothes each for the west coast. They plan to spend christmas eve shopping in and around hollywood. This is to meet their wish to experience a christmas eve like on television -whilst a snow fall is usually included in many shows about christmas they are settling for being in hollywood where whilst no snow they will be at the epicentre of where it is usually made. (Heard yesterday about snowstorms in US killing several - hollywood snow is safer!)
They can connect to the way hollywood taps into the american dream (s)and portrays these in films.
They will be able to sit parrallel to the making of shows portraying national interests and aspirations - such as the heartmelting portrayals of christmas including props such as snow as a universal theme and also view the realty of daily life in hollywood the creator and peddler of such dreams. They plan on going to a basic diner in LA - in as poor a neighbourhod as they feel safe in and have a meal and call it christmas lunch. This also will tap into their psyches about all that is american while placing them alongside some of the more real elements of USA.
As a democracy often portrayed as the greatest country - poverty and social injustice - certainly inequality is something I expect them to learn about in these travels. The television america has few minorities, little poverty and blurs social and environmental issues.
For 5 weeks it is like taking a step through a looking glass into a giant television called USA. America through television informs so much in Australian society, indeed so many around the world - food, language, customs, politics, economics. Television portrays american way of life and icons and insinuates all that is american into our way of knowing. Certainly I am aware of it over the past 40 years. My children have no conscious level of understanding of this and an outcome I want from the trip is for them to bring aspects of this insidious informing and influencing onto a conscious level. I also want them to know what is similar and what is different to the images used. Whilst we do not get tochoose our culture we can observe it critique and understand it as a force through bringing it into our consciuosness.
30 years ago Australians went to England and parts of Europe as the GRAND TRIP.This was a connecting to the dominant culture that informed Australian culture then. Language, customs etc were firmly and clearly linked to Britain in particular. These days it is United states culture that has this influence and hence the attraction for our children to travel in this direction.
At first I resisted this and then I realised this was because of my world view, rooted as it is in the 60s and 70s. At 50 my view is so not NOW. Being a parent of young children I have adopted many trappings - the wild hair colours, the language, the technology, but not the inner roots of culture. I don't think I am expected to change these. As a parent I must understand and 'flex'with the way the world is for my children if I am to understand or share their understanding of it. I want my brain to be challenged and to grow. This will happen if I walk a mile in thier shoes I think.
I see the value in travel as a mechanism that clarifies reality and image, something that provides a lens through which to see future delivered things. It equips one to consider things in a more real context. It creates a critical consumer or at least a more informed one. It grows those who travel and those who are influenced by those who travel. Knowing who we are starts with kowing who we are not and how we are the same and how we are different to others. Understanding our identity is empowering and enriching.
If we bring our own culture to a conscious level we can also see others, and understand the power of the notion of culture and its forces in nationalism, militarism, socialism. These are forces that have shaped our world since the earth rock started cooling and the primates evolved.
I will observe with interest the inner journies of a 10 and a 17 year old as they acquire multidimensional views of American culture and hold it up against the litmus paper of the products of hollywood. I am both excited and curious.
I will also observe the journey of a 54 year old professional soldier and recent Iraq veteran as he gains a ground level view on the bigger picture of American ways of doing business around this issue and as it casts a hue over his 7 month experience in a multinational force. A role as a small minion in the coalition forces in an occupied country in a war by an ally who requested a treaty partner's attendance. I am very curious about this journey.
Right now I am finalising work and business things. Preparing things for the cyclone season as well as the absence. On Jan 4 2008 I fly out to Fiji for a break on the way to Atlanta where we will join up 3 more weeks on the east coast, then europe and asia. I am excited.
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