Quality of life

I'm finally getting the visiting children situation under control. The entrance way in my house, where I park my bike, is now the kids' zone. There are puzzles, crayons, a game or two, and clay. To enter, you have be 7 or older. And kids can't come past the couch into my kitchen or beyond without special written consent. A couple of real little guys were wandering in, and it made me uncomfortable. They're banned. The visitors are wonderful. They cheered when I rather quickly cut a carrot down to size for stew. The only parent I have met is Huong's mom, a nice lady who suggested English lessons for Huong. I tried to tell mom that Huong comes over to play with the toys and watch some TV, and that she wasn't interested in having English lessons. Huong, who's 7, is remarkably well-behaved and fun-loving. She's one of the awesome neighbors I have. Clearly, along with the students, my neighbors are one of the highlights of living in Bien Hoa. They give me food and drinks, and they're always willing to help. Phuong and her family have improved my quality of life, although I do spend lots of money at their store. It's worth it.
Actually, many people want English lessons from the White Monkey.  Or they want a freebie now and then. I don't mind chatting with the "now and then" crowd if we have a coffee or something, but I don't give formal lessons. With my job, I don't think I can. I don't want to anyway. The job is great and it keeps me pretty busy. Best of all, VMG has been good to me.
I'm glad I found my supermarket, which carries tons of food I recognize. It's a taste of home. I'll be honest: I'm not enamored with the local cuisine. The street food in Peru was much better. But to be fair, I'm still learning my way around here, and I've had a few fantastic local dishes lately -- the neighbors made some great pho and passion fruit juice. My problem: I don't care for rice and I don't like real chewy seafood.
The mix of cars and motorbikes here isn't a good one. People drive cars like they're on a motorbike. They rarely signal, cut you off in a heartbeat, and pull out on you like you're not there. It adds a whole new dimension to defensive driving. No wonder I'm so happy in the classroom.
Booked a flight back to the U.S. and I'll be there over Thanksgiving. Really looking forward to seeing my family, especially my children -- Jessica, Caroline, Jack and Alec. Can't wait to see some old friends as well.