The monsoon season continues to hang around, dumping quite a bit of rain on Bien Hoa, usually in the late afternoon. The rain can last anywhere from an hour to three or four hours, but we usually get the shorter version, which resembles something of a cloud burst. Maybe it's the wet, muggy weather that's gotten our family into a cycle of sickness. It's like a relay race ... Joanna passed her snot-nosed illness to me, and I've handed it off to Phuong, and the cycle has made its way back to me again. Since I'm the old fart of the bunch, I tend to get the sickest in our family. I'm really sick at the moment and can't really talk. A lot of people think that's a good thing. The young farts Phuong and Joanna shake this stuff off quicker than the old NWM. The latest virus started in my nose -- I couldn't breathe or sleep. It's now in my throat and lungs -- I can't breathe or sleep. Next stop ... ?
I'm so happy to report that Joanna is really thriving without TV and videos. Her whining has stopped. Period. Her interactions are more intelligent and decisive with almost no confrontation. The children in our neighborhood are quick to hit or push Joanna if she so much as walks toward them or puts one finger on them, or their toys. In fact, kids do quite a bit of hitting here, which doesn't shock me since I see parents whacking their kids quite a bit -- even in church. It's a very unsavory cycle, even worse than our sinus infections. But instead of crying or hitting back, Joanna pretty much ignores the aggressive kids, turning her back on them and amusing herself with another toy or a ball or whatever. The pushy kids are anywhere from 10 to 18 months older than Joanna. Some are 4, 5, or 6 years old, but Joanna certainly acts older than they do. I'm so damn proud of my daughter -- and my wife, too, for that matter, because that's who Joanna emulates. And Joanna is a really tall and sturdy girl, so those older whack-heads better be careful. What goes around ...
I figured out why Joanna always walks on her tiptoes -- it decreases the chances she'll step on a lego or wooden block or some other toy on the ground. She avoids causing great pain to her feet with her nimble walking, so Phuong and I have been practicing our tiptoe walking because I nearly ruined my right arch stepping on a rattle. I'm the NWM (New White Monkey), not the Young White Monkey I used to be.
Phuong and I are back on the tennis court, but we don't play against each other. Someone has to watch Joanna. So Phuong works on her game with Tai (my old partner), and I play a set or two against him. Our neighbor showed up with his two young sons last Sunday, and wanted to play me. I had already played a set with Tai, but agreed. My neighbor's kids yelled "Dragon ball" and other junk while I served and attempted to return serve. Needless to say, I was a little distracted and fell behind 0-3. I regrouped and trailed 4-5, but it was my serve so I was kind of excited. In other words, I battled to get "back on serve." At that moment, my opponent quit, saying he was too tired to finish the match. Whatever. Fifteen minutes later, he was back on the court with Tai hitting forehands. This same guy quit on me before under similar circumstances. At the old court where clowns walked across the court during my matches, some other guy quit as I rallied from a 2-5 deficit to tie our match 5-5. He was tired, too. Draw your own conclusions. "Dragon ball!"
Phuong and I walk to the park nightly since I'm almost finished with the language center -- I have about 3 classes remaining over the next three weeks. We enjoy the walks, but the litter everywhere is so disheartening. The park gets super trashy sometimes. The streets leading to the park are horrible, and the smelly canal (open sewer) that runs along the park is filled with garbage. And guys fish there. Catch of the day? This town has some potential, but trash, pollution and aggressive motorbike riders make it less than pleasant. I've gotten used to the staring and glaring, but I'll never accept the filthy environment and littering.
Joanna loves kicking a soccer ball and avoiding punches from neighborhood kids at the park. Other than the smell, trash and violence, it's a wonderful experience for all of us. Really. The other moms are sweet as pie and the other dads smile and give me a thumbs-up. I've said it before. There are some incredibly nice people here along with the ... other folk.
Phuong was rejected on her Canadian tourist visa, so I'm considering travel options with Joanna. We're super close and buddy-buddy these days, but I'm not sure Joanna could handle a trip across the really big pond without her mom. As always, we'll see how things shake out, since I'm not optimistic Phuong will ever be able to leave Vietnam.
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