Pannacotta Warriors

The thing we just can't get over as far as the children are concerned is their normal behaviour. All in all, they seem to be the same, just like at home. After having fallen asleep a couple of times with their heads on the table, they got over the jet lag quicker than us. They are pleasantly surprised by the interest they generate in the locals but every now and again they complain about somebody who goes too far hugging them without permission to take a photo.
They eat more or less anything, baozi and Gong Bao chicken becaming their favourites, but given the chance they still prefer to go to McDonald's and sometimes we give in and take them there. After one of the first days, when coming back from the Great Wall we had to get off a bus in an unknown suburb of Beijing and strip Sara in the middle of the road with -5C because she couldn't keep it in anymore. They are learning not only to eat but even to go to the toilet when possible rather than when they'd like to. In general, they have learned to exercise patience because in this kind of situation, often they can't satisfy a need when it arises the same way they would at home. They walk for kilometres in the cold and the rain, they don't complain about the limited wardrobe, asking to change their vest only when it smells of Pringles.
Whenever we go out in busy cities, they latch onto our hands and don't let go until we get back to our hotel. For now they seem happy enough with our company and don't look for their friends, even if they have already sent a few emails and written a couple of blog entries for their classes. Nina acquired a passion for flea markets and haggling, Sara still prefers big department stores. They do their homework, they read Harry Potter and the Famous Five, they play with their Nintendo DSs and bicker, like at home. They are curious and interested in the new things they see, but they are more concerned with what they'll have for dessert, exactly like at home.