My dad died March 22. I rushed back from Vietnam but didn't quite make it in time. I arrived about 10 hours after he passed. Even though I knew I had missed him, I was driving on adrenalin and got from Dulles to Wilmington, Del., in about 1 hour, 50 minutes. My brother told my dad I was on my way, but I think my dad had already decided it was time to move on. Ninety-eight is a long life. The viewing, mass, funeral, all went well .... as well as those kinds of things go. Saw all my kids and a lot of family, and that was good.
Moving on ....
I guess Vietnam is just about halfway around the world, because I've flown there twice and have gone two routes -- across the Pacific, and across the Atlantic. Either way, it's 23 hours or so in the air. Taking the east to west route I stopped in Doha, Qatar, and enjoyed the airport for a seven-hour layover. No alcohol, but there is a smoking room. The smoking room was like the bar scene in Star Wars -- I sat between an Italian and a really tall, blonde Russian girl. There were Filippinos, Vietnamese, Brits, Germans and everyone in-between. Ah, smoking ... the universal language. The smoking room was extra unhealthy because there were no fans or vents operating, and it was so smoke-filled you literally had trouble seeing across the 12-foot room. If that room doesn't turn you off to smoking, nothing will. I've only had one cigarette since I've been in there. I'm still trying to decompress.
It's great to be back in Vietnam, even if it was close to 100 and unbearably humid on Sunday. (It was cold and it snowed when I was back in Delaware.) But in Bien Hoa, the hotel ladies gave me a warm welcome, the smoothie youngsters were clearly happy to see me, and my boss gave me my schedule. Back to work tomorrow, which is a good thing. Teaching these students, just like the students in Peru, isn't like work at all. This is fun, so I'll enjoy it while I can.
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Xin chao ... uh ... hello
I'm slowly getting settled in here. Bien Hoa is clearly off the beaten track. It's an industrial city about 20 miles from Ho Chi Ming City, but it certainly doesn't feel like HCMC. There are really no tourist attractions here. In fact, I'm probably the biggest (in every sense of the word) tourist attraction for the locals. They all stare at me when I walk the streets or eat out, but unlike other places I've been, I usually get a big smile and HELL-O. Kids follow me along the street like I'm the Pied Piper. The people are a big plus here. They're very welcoming. Everyone wants me to sit down, even if I've been sitting all day. Service is excellent, whether it's the restaurants, or coffee shops (of which there are millions), or department stores. The only time I've encountered attitude is when people are on their scooters. There are billions of scooters -- everyone has one, including teens. I thought about getting a scooter, but that would be like going on suicide watch. Crossing the street on foot is plenty dangerous because there is always heavy duty traffic. And no one slows down when they're on their scooter.
Communication is a struggle. No one speaks English here. They know numbers so you can pay them when you buy stuff, but otherwise it's charades. American charades must be different as well, because I've had a heck of a time getting my points across. Vietnamese is a tough language. They use our letters, but don't pronounce them the same, so the written word isn't a whole lot of help. Pitch is crucial to the language, and I've never been able to pitch. I'm trying to learn, but failing so far.
The food is awesome, and very cheap. A long loaf of French bread that costs $2.25 in the U.S., goes for 6,700 dong here or about 33 cents. Packaged dinners/lunches at the super market are 18,000 dong, or about $1.50, and they include pork, noodles, and some vegetables. Good stuff. The tastes are surprising as well .... a vegetable soup has a sweet aftertaste, or there's a spicy finish to chicken, which is dirt cheap here. I've just begun to scratch the surface when it comes to the food.
Teaching is fine. The students are great. Very friendly and hard-working. I only have one day off a week, which is sort of OK, because other days I may only teach a class or two. The bosses are great, and they're determined to make sure I have a good experience here. Cheers to that.
Speaking of cheers, the Vietnamese like to go bottoms-up when drinking, which basically means you're chugging beer. Don't like that custom. Local beer is watery lagers, and there's Heineken. Bottoms up!
Coffee is a bit of a problem for me. Haven't found drip coffee yet. It's expresso with sweetened condensed milk. Cheap, to be sure, but it ain't Dunkin Donuts or Dinos. Cigarettes are super cheap as well -- about 95 cents a pack. Picked the wrong country to quit smoking, but I'll keep it on my to-do list.
Miss family and friends in the U.S., and I miss my favorite students and other fine folk in Peru.
Communication is a struggle. No one speaks English here. They know numbers so you can pay them when you buy stuff, but otherwise it's charades. American charades must be different as well, because I've had a heck of a time getting my points across. Vietnamese is a tough language. They use our letters, but don't pronounce them the same, so the written word isn't a whole lot of help. Pitch is crucial to the language, and I've never been able to pitch. I'm trying to learn, but failing so far.
The food is awesome, and very cheap. A long loaf of French bread that costs $2.25 in the U.S., goes for 6,700 dong here or about 33 cents. Packaged dinners/lunches at the super market are 18,000 dong, or about $1.50, and they include pork, noodles, and some vegetables. Good stuff. The tastes are surprising as well .... a vegetable soup has a sweet aftertaste, or there's a spicy finish to chicken, which is dirt cheap here. I've just begun to scratch the surface when it comes to the food.
Teaching is fine. The students are great. Very friendly and hard-working. I only have one day off a week, which is sort of OK, because other days I may only teach a class or two. The bosses are great, and they're determined to make sure I have a good experience here. Cheers to that.
Speaking of cheers, the Vietnamese like to go bottoms-up when drinking, which basically means you're chugging beer. Don't like that custom. Local beer is watery lagers, and there's Heineken. Bottoms up!
Coffee is a bit of a problem for me. Haven't found drip coffee yet. It's expresso with sweetened condensed milk. Cheap, to be sure, but it ain't Dunkin Donuts or Dinos. Cigarettes are super cheap as well -- about 95 cents a pack. Picked the wrong country to quit smoking, but I'll keep it on my to-do list.
Miss family and friends in the U.S., and I miss my favorite students and other fine folk in Peru.
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