"We Are the World, We Are the Children..."

Allowed the girls to play hooky today so that we could attend "International Day" at The German's kids' school.  The event featured countless booths of traditional foods, as well as an Olympics-Opening-Ceremony-type procession on the soccer field, where the more than 50 countries from which the school has current students were individually acknowledged (act surprised: no Israel contingent!) (meanwhile, the crowd *roared* when Palestine was announced).  We cheered loudly for the U.S.A. and waved our Internet-printout-made American flags. Someone even asked if she could take a picture with Sushi and Screamer, who were decked out in their patriotic red, white, and blue-- proving once and for all that we Americans truly are a rarity around here!

These photos reflect some of the kids that I thought really embraced the spirit of the day (of course I am particularly fascinated by all the Palestine stuff).  I have to admit that when they broadcast "We Are the World" over the loudspeaker at the end of the parade-- see video clip above-- I maybe kinda got a little bit emotional.  I feel like I'm evolving from the kind of ex-pat whose instinct is to surround herself and her children with people of a familiar nationality to the kind of ex-pat who can actually appreciate this extreme melting pot for the unique opportunity that it is....