The Vietnam heat has been relentless. It has been 36 to 37 degrees Celsius every day (about 98 or 99 Farenheit). The humidity is probably in the 60s and 70s. Luckily, I haven't been working a ton of hours, but when I do teach, I drip sweat on papers, on my computer, but never on my students. I'm careful about that. But the students grab the air conditioner remote before I get in the classroom and set the temperature to 29 degrees Celsius, which is a sticky 84 F. Teaching in those conditions is miserable for the White Monkey, but the students are chilly (the girls should wear more clothes). Only two things annoy me more: When students say "What the f$%^@" for no reason or when they immediately ask me to "Play game teacher?" But my classes are going quite well and work is a highlight at the moment. The students are great.
The big reminder of my motorbike accident is persistent pain in my right ankle. The doctor mentioned something about a tiny fracture, but said nothing more after that. I continue my daily walks with my cane and I do tai chi in the sometimes trashy, smelly park. My tai chi isn't very good at the moment with the bad ankle.
Litter in the park makes me sad because the park has real potential. But so many people here just don't get it. Littering in Bien Hoa is as natural as staring at foreigners. Adults throw crap out of trucks and off motorbikes -- and laugh about it, students throw trash on the floor at my school (and I make them pick it up, which they hate), and little kids buy candy and immediately throw the wrappers in the street. Happy Earth Day (April 22) everyone! One of my Vietnamese students had a great line last year about Earth Day: "Earth Day is when people in Bien Hoa turn off their lights and go outside and throw trash in the street." Some of the kids are starting to get it, but it's going take a little time.
There was a wedding outside our house on Saturday, which means the
street closes and people sing wretched karaoke. It's quite fun, really.
One of my facebook friends mentioned that in my pose with the cane I looked like I was going to cross check someone (a nasty ice hockey maneuver). I haven't had to go to that extreme yet on the walk, although sidewalk motorbike riders and corner cutters have banged into my cane on several occasions. I don't flinch and in the NHL I might have picked up a slashing penalty or two, but the refs here would probably say play on. When guys and girls are on the motorbike in Bien Hoa, they only care about themselves. That's why the cane is invaluable. I'll use the cane even if my ankle gets better.
The best thing to come out my accident is that I haven't had a cigarette in over a month. Phuong is thrilled, and the slight, lingering discomfort in my right lung from the wreck serves as an incentive to not smoke. I don't even care if I put on weight. Besides, I'm married now anyway.
Phuong got jealous of my cooking and cleaning, and we've been competing to do chores. It's kind of fun because we'll play "rock, scissors, paper" to do dishes and such. Problem is, Phuong never, ever loses ... so I've become chore boy again.
Phuong's visit to the hospital in Ho Chi Minh City went well and the doctor gave us a due date of July 4. That means nothing here. The baby is a little bigger than average. Everyone asks if we're having a boy or girl, and of course we say we don't care, which is true. We don't. We just hope and pray for a healthy, normal baby.
My son Alec will be here in a few days. Awesome. Really miss all of my children.
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