Cutting toenails and wearing underwear outside

Since people live rather close together here, privacy is not a real priority like it is in other countries --  the United States, for example. In Bien Hoa, I've seen people stop their bike, get off and pee on the side of a road. Sunday, an 18-year-old girl who lives across the street from me was cutting her toenails on her front steps. A lot of men on my street walk around with no shirts, shorts that look like underwear, and flip-flops. Men and women do each others' hair sitting outside. I plead guilty to some of this behavior as well -- although I wash my hair in the shower, and I swear I don't cut my toenails or pee outside, unless it's a real emergency. The minimal clothing makes sense given the persistent heat. I get more weird looks when I dress up in a shirt and tie than I do when I sit on my front steps in my underwear having a smoke. I admit, I like the underwear-shorts thing because it's so hot and doesn't seem to matter to anyone.
This week, I posted a picture on facebook that I took of Erawan shrine in Bangkok when Phuong and I visited Thailand in February. I didn't post to show off after Monday's bombing. I was just struck at how someone's life could be ended or horrifically altered by grim circumstances. I guess fate can be cruel that way -- we visit and no worries, but if we go to the same place at the wrong time, our lives could be so tragically different, if not ended. I don't know, it just kind of rattled me that a place I recently enjoyed so much with Phuong became the scene of carnage for reasons I'll never understand.
Phuong and I were set to move into a new house, but the owners backed out of the deal more or less at the last minute. No shock, really. Everything seems a bit complicated here -- see past blogs about visas and tennis and language and shopping and riding a motorbike.
The more I teach, the more I learn about teaching. That's why I like the job so much. I've realized that students have bad days just like teachers, and when students are having a bad day, the teacher can't or shouldn't let that affect his/her performance. I know this isn't a news flash for anyone, but for me it means so much more to experience it, and to do the right thing in response. Or at least try to do the right thing. I'm still learning and I am sure I'll always be learning. When I go back to the U.S. in November, I hope my teacher-mentor Laurie Maravetz will listen to my whining for just a little bit. She's an amazing teacher.
Phuong's cooking is unbelievable ... really. She combines Vietnamese with U.S. flavors and creates a masterpiece every night. And she's not afraid to experiment, always with fantastic results. Pork and cow burger get mixed and put into spaghetti with tomatoes (not sauce), garlic, onions and other stuff I've never seen before. Awesome. Her fish soup is fantastic. I cook pulled pork on Thursdays, and I copy Phuong and my meals have been OK ... certainly better than they used to be. I'm getting a little chubby, but that's no concern. I'm getting old, too.
My motorbike tip of the week: You can't have any ego when you ride a bike here. If you do, you'll get really pissed off or go crazy trying to seek revenge. A no-win scenario.