Joanna is only 20 months old, so she's years away from being able to swim. But there's no doubt that she loves the water. When we get to the Pegasus pool, she starts smiling incessantly and she'll excitedly babble Vietnamese and English. She seems uncharacteristically at ease there, strolling along the edge of the pool near the deep end like it's no big deal. Of course, we're right on top of her making sure she's safe, but Joanna acts disinterested in our presence. Even her social demeanor changes somewhat. She is more relaxed and natural with strangers and other children at the pool. I guess she's found her niche.
This past Wednesday, Phuong went in the water with Joanna because of my motorbike wounds and ear issues (we've bought earplugs and a cap, and my crash cuts are healing, so I'll be back in the water next week). Phuong is so good (and accommodating) to Joanna, that the Peanut was even more comfortable in the water. I yelled "kick" and Joanna would kick ... and laugh. I yelled "use your arms" and Joanna would splash with her arms ... and laugh. Then Joanna would climb out of the pool and reach for mommy to go back in the water. Phuong suggested I gently toss Joanna into the water, so she would go under and come up and reach for mommy. I was a little nervous about the whole deal, but I tossed Joanna into the water. She went under, of course, and came up into mommy's arms. This routine continued, but the last time my Joanna toss was a little wide left. She went under all the way to the three- or four-foot bottom. I was quite nervous, but Phuong started saying in a playful manner, "Where's Joanna? Where's Joanna" like it's a game of hide and seek. Well, Joanna kicked her way to the top, and in typical Joanna fashion, acted like it was no big deal when she surfaced. She really loves the water.
Raising a child is such a joy, especially because I'm in a situation where I can be there almost all of the time. I know women's lives can be difficult, but in most cultures it's the women who raise the child and help that child grow, learn and develop. That's a reward like no other.
* I have some distressing news to report. Phuong has won two out of our last three tennis matches. On Tuesday, she whipped me 2-6. I want to use the motorbike accident as an excuse, but it really wasn't a factor. My eyes had some difficulties adjusting to our new court, but Phuong was on the same court, and adjusted quite well. In short, her ground strokes were deeper and more accurate than mine, her strategy was more ingenious than mine, and her serve, which I helped improve, was much ... well, much improved.
* Joanna says both Vietnamese and English words, but uses English almost exclusively around me. "It's me .... a bee ... eyes ...." and so on. She'll say things like "ga" for chicken "ca" for fish and "troi oi" for "oh my God!" when she's around Phuong's family.
* It's been 95 to 98 degrees fahrenheit here for the past five or six days. Luckily, the humidity has been in the mid 80s -- ugh!. Still better than Poland because I see the sun here and I'm with my wife and daughter. I miss a lot of the people I met in Poland, though, and I miss a lot of the food. But I also really miss people in Peru and I especially miss my family and friends in the U.S.
* I welcomed a new private student on Saturday. He got lost trying to find our house. Seems simple enough to me: left on D12, right on N14. But this really baffles the taxi drivers here (they're easily baffled) and anyone else trying to find our house.
* I want to thank the people from Italy who have accounted for hundreds of hits on my blog lately. Not sure why readership has picked up there. Maybe it's because Fabio Fognini is my favorite tennis player. Maybe it has something to do with my short stint in Poland. No idea, really. I want to thank anyone who reads this blog. By the way, I printed more copies of my "book" so I can burden my friends with more junk. A second "book" is in the works. Don't say the White Monkey didn't warn you.
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