My trip to the frigid and snowy USA was wonderful. I visited family (my superkids Jessica, Caroline, Jack and Alec) and friends while trashing a rental car and picking up a speeding ticket along the way. I spent a lot of money, mostly on medical stuff for which I have no insurance. Come to think of it, I don't really have any insurance -- or brain. But believe it or not, it's good to be back in Vietnam and see VMG staffers, students, teacher Joy and town folk. They're good people who seem to enjoy seeing the "white monkey" living outside his natural habitat. People in the U.S. were very hospitable -- the Sturms (great people), Ron Whiteside (the cat whisperer who is one good dude), my ex-wife Lynda, Tom Eleutario and Becky, Andy and Jane Vincent, and Dunkin' Donuts, where I set an unofficial record for cappuccinos drunk in five weeks. And in the U.S., only one chucklehead cut in line. I did quite a bit of walking in Glen Helen in Yellow Springs, and I also walked my ex-wife's dog.
I got my motorbike back from Mr. Tu, and immediately entered the insanely busy pre-Tet traffic of Bien Hoa. It looks like prices rise before Tet as well, and one tradition is to give out "lucky money" to everyone. Tet is kind of like Christmas and New Year's rolled into one, and it's somehow tied to the moon. I haven't done my research. I'm still struggling with the language so I have other issues. It was great to bump into some old students, who I hope to teach in February. I miss those guys. It was also great to get a head massage. My empty head feels wonderful. I'm back at the hotel and it's fine for now. I visited friends Oanh and Vila, who work at a local restaurant. I won't teach until Feb. 10, so I may go to Cambodia and spend more money.
I was lucky to get out of the U.S. because snowmaggedon had arrived in Virginia and a car flipped over on the highway leading to Dulles airport, making travel problematic. Snow cancelled my flight to Newark, N.J., so the nice lady at the airport got me on a flight to Tokyo, where I spent a little bit of time because I missed my connection to Vietnam. I made it to Ho Chi Minh City, where I was greeted by friendly VMG staffer Thien. The folk in Vietnam astutely observed -- and promptly told me -- that I've gotten fat. Nothing like home cooking. I've been sleeping and kicking around Bien Hoa. I've got to be careful. I could get used to this lifestyle. However, I can't wait to start teaching and see the students again. Sometimes, life can be OK, even for a fat white monkey.
Friday, January 24, 2014
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
Leaving wonderful Vietnam soon
I am winding down my time in Vietnam, visiting the usual places I go to, and trying to say goodbye to people who don't understand anything I say, including hello and goodbye. My plan is to return, but you know how plans are. Doctors and others will determine what happens next. Who knows? Who cares?
I want to single out some extra wonderful people I've met here. If I spell the names wrong, I don't care. My name gets messed up all the time, too. Here are the folk who were special to me.
-- All the students. Even the unruly ones and the ones who hated Mr. John. They made my time in Vietnam wonderful and occasionally challenging. I loved it.These guys are the future, and I'm happy about that. Some of them even learned a little English along the way. Maybe. And remember, students: Ladies first.
-- Win (Nguyen), Chin (Chinh) and the other nice staffers at VMG. They have been helpful throughout, even with my whining and complaining.
--Mr. Tu, the security guard. He watched my bike, and slept next to me after my accident. And he bummed countless cigarettes from me, which reduced my smoking. He's a quality man. Really. (And there's also Joy, who calls me Sunshine, and is really a great teacher and mentor.)
.-- Phuong Duc, the HSBC lady who keeps my money right. She's very pleasant and helpful.
-- The lady who runs the coffee shop next to VMG. Her prices are great. She accepts my tip with a smile (and deserves it) and she says THANK YOU (in Vietnamese, of course, but it's still thank you). And I've never seen her pick her nose.
-- The staff at the Khanh Dang hotel. Great folk. A rat, yes, a rat, ran across my foot at my old apartment/hot box (my fault because the front door was open due to the oppressive heat). That would never happen at the Khanh Dang (I hope). I am told that rats are pretty common, sometimes, and like to visit Americans.
-- The girls who massage my head. They're nice and they do a good job. My brainless head feels fine, especially after the massage.
-- The ladies at the little stand where I get greasy chicken and fish squares. All deep-fried, of course.
-- All the strangers who were nice to me (of course, I like them). And the nice people at ABC bakery, where I would get a taste of home once a week.
-- If I forgot you, it's because I'm brainless, but I still want to say thanks to you and everyone.
Now for the good stuff -- the things I won't miss when I return to the United States.
-- The really quick way people say NO. Some people will say NO before you finish your request. People say no and what I want is right behind them, three feet away. The double hand-shaking by the head to say NO can be rough at first for the foreigner, who doesn't always understand it.
-- The SARS masks. It's a personal thing. I just don't like them, although they do serve a purpose. I saw a woman wearing a SARS mask inside her car with the windows rolled up.
-- Fish oil. It's everywhere and served with everything, even meat and chicken and eggs. And it smells like ... fish.
-- The beef and lack of quality sharp cheese. On the plus side, the lack of these items keeps your weight down.
-- The heat and humidity. But that's not anybody's fault. It's just geography.
-- Cell phones and talking in the movie theaters. (Wait, that happens in the U.S. all the time).
See, that wasn't too bad. The time here has been well-spent, even with the little -- and expensive -- motorbike mishap. It turns out my skull wasn't fractured (a look at the records show), but I did have some internal bleeding. At least I think that's the case. Who knows? Who cares? I've come to understand the motorbike and how traffic works here, so that's neither good nor bad. It's just how it is.
The people here are honest and direct and very good-hearted. Those are three qualities I admire in any culture.
I want to single out some extra wonderful people I've met here. If I spell the names wrong, I don't care. My name gets messed up all the time, too. Here are the folk who were special to me.
-- All the students. Even the unruly ones and the ones who hated Mr. John. They made my time in Vietnam wonderful and occasionally challenging. I loved it.These guys are the future, and I'm happy about that. Some of them even learned a little English along the way. Maybe. And remember, students: Ladies first.
-- Win (Nguyen), Chin (Chinh) and the other nice staffers at VMG. They have been helpful throughout, even with my whining and complaining.
--Mr. Tu, the security guard. He watched my bike, and slept next to me after my accident. And he bummed countless cigarettes from me, which reduced my smoking. He's a quality man. Really. (And there's also Joy, who calls me Sunshine, and is really a great teacher and mentor.)
.-- Phuong Duc, the HSBC lady who keeps my money right. She's very pleasant and helpful.
-- The lady who runs the coffee shop next to VMG. Her prices are great. She accepts my tip with a smile (and deserves it) and she says THANK YOU (in Vietnamese, of course, but it's still thank you). And I've never seen her pick her nose.
-- The staff at the Khanh Dang hotel. Great folk. A rat, yes, a rat, ran across my foot at my old apartment/hot box (my fault because the front door was open due to the oppressive heat). That would never happen at the Khanh Dang (I hope). I am told that rats are pretty common, sometimes, and like to visit Americans.
-- The girls who massage my head. They're nice and they do a good job. My brainless head feels fine, especially after the massage.
-- The ladies at the little stand where I get greasy chicken and fish squares. All deep-fried, of course.
-- All the strangers who were nice to me (of course, I like them). And the nice people at ABC bakery, where I would get a taste of home once a week.
-- If I forgot you, it's because I'm brainless, but I still want to say thanks to you and everyone.
Now for the good stuff -- the things I won't miss when I return to the United States.
-- The really quick way people say NO. Some people will say NO before you finish your request. People say no and what I want is right behind them, three feet away. The double hand-shaking by the head to say NO can be rough at first for the foreigner, who doesn't always understand it.
-- The SARS masks. It's a personal thing. I just don't like them, although they do serve a purpose. I saw a woman wearing a SARS mask inside her car with the windows rolled up.
-- Fish oil. It's everywhere and served with everything, even meat and chicken and eggs. And it smells like ... fish.
-- The beef and lack of quality sharp cheese. On the plus side, the lack of these items keeps your weight down.
-- The heat and humidity. But that's not anybody's fault. It's just geography.
-- Cell phones and talking in the movie theaters. (Wait, that happens in the U.S. all the time).
See, that wasn't too bad. The time here has been well-spent, even with the little -- and expensive -- motorbike mishap. It turns out my skull wasn't fractured (a look at the records show), but I did have some internal bleeding. At least I think that's the case. Who knows? Who cares? I've come to understand the motorbike and how traffic works here, so that's neither good nor bad. It's just how it is.
The people here are honest and direct and very good-hearted. Those are three qualities I admire in any culture.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
A great day for teachers
Teachers' day in Vietnam is a big deal. In fact, teachers are a pretty big deal here. Nov. 20 is Teachers' day, and students bring flowers, food and gifts for all the teachers. Even the ones with no brains from the United States. I was the beneficiary of this kindness Tuesday. One class, which I just started teaching, brought me three roses. My second class of the evening, which I've taught for a while, brought me a cake, statue and incredible flower arrangement. I love these guys. They said they were also celebrating my upcoming birthday. Actually, I think they were celebrating the fact I'm going back to the USA in early December. I ruined the celebration by telling the students I was coming back to Vietnam in January. Seriously, I think we genuinely like each other (or at least I like them.) They're relatively new to English but they're catching on fast. We enjoyed the cake and soda and each other's company. I think they wanted to go sing karaoke after class but I don't really like to sing.. Karaoke is hugely popular here. There are karaoke parlors on every corner and they're packed. Kind of like "clubs" and discos in the U.S. in the early 80's. All Vietnamese women believe they can sing, and they sound pretty good really -- compared to me. Fingernails on a chalkboard sound good compared to me as well. You almost have to be able to sing to speak this language -- in my opinion.
I've booked my flight to the U.S., of course, and my ex-wife told me the airline I'm flying to the U.S. is dreadful. Luckily, it's only 21-plus hours in the air. I'm very much looking forward to seeing my children. I can't wait to see friends and a couple of doctors as well.
We had a very nice Teachers' day party at VMG school with awards and food. I think I was voted the teacher with the smallest brain. Winning is everything to an American :).
The hot rainy season is slowing down, and the hot hot season is kicking in.
I left the apartment/hot box I was living in and moved to the Khanh Dang Hotel nearby. It's the hotel with dynamite air conditioning, so life is good now. I had three "minor" motorbike accidents while moving. A guy pushed his bike in front of me as I was going down the street and I took off his fender. Since it was his fault, I waived ... and took off. A guy wasn't paying attention on my side street and broad-sided me. Just a bruise, so I waived ... and took off. I nicked the side of a bike in my alley (all my fault) and the family came running outside to see what happened. Man, did I get the evil eye. But one guy was really cool, and helped load all the crap back on my bike, and then said no worries. So I waived ... and took off. My camera was taken in the move as well. I go through cameras like tissues.
As much as I can't wait to get back to the U.S. for a while, I'll really miss the students here and I'll really miss teaching. I wish I had gone into teaching earlier, like 35 years ago, but there's a whole bunch of stuff I wish I could change. So what's the point.
I've booked my flight to the U.S., of course, and my ex-wife told me the airline I'm flying to the U.S. is dreadful. Luckily, it's only 21-plus hours in the air. I'm very much looking forward to seeing my children. I can't wait to see friends and a couple of doctors as well.
We had a very nice Teachers' day party at VMG school with awards and food. I think I was voted the teacher with the smallest brain. Winning is everything to an American :).
The hot rainy season is slowing down, and the hot hot season is kicking in.
I left the apartment/hot box I was living in and moved to the Khanh Dang Hotel nearby. It's the hotel with dynamite air conditioning, so life is good now. I had three "minor" motorbike accidents while moving. A guy pushed his bike in front of me as I was going down the street and I took off his fender. Since it was his fault, I waived ... and took off. A guy wasn't paying attention on my side street and broad-sided me. Just a bruise, so I waived ... and took off. I nicked the side of a bike in my alley (all my fault) and the family came running outside to see what happened. Man, did I get the evil eye. But one guy was really cool, and helped load all the crap back on my bike, and then said no worries. So I waived ... and took off. My camera was taken in the move as well. I go through cameras like tissues.
As much as I can't wait to get back to the U.S. for a while, I'll really miss the students here and I'll really miss teaching. I wish I had gone into teaching earlier, like 35 years ago, but there's a whole bunch of stuff I wish I could change. So what's the point.
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
What's the difference?
Anyone from the West planning to visit or teach English in Vietnam really should be aware of the cultural differences. The thing is: The differences are ever-shifting. Workers (that's what employed people call themselves here) at some coffee shops or chicken stands view a tip as an insult. In fact, they won't accept extra money. But moments earlier, they reached into your wallet to make sure you paid the proper amount. If your tip is accepted, which it is sometimes, a handful of workers then expect a tip all the time from you and become indignant when you don't tip. And I'm a regular at these places.
Money is something of an obsession here, which is understandable in a country where there isn't a lot of money floating around. When I've met people, they've asked on quite a few occasions: ''How are you? Where do you live? How much is the rent? Where do you teach? How much do you make? I like your haircut; how much did you pay for it?" I guarantee you'll get these questions. But the people here are very nice, and incredibly helpful and generous. So I dance around the tough questions and change the subject. "Sure is hot today," I'll say. Weather is usually free. After a short game of dodge ball, they'll get the idea that I'm not talking money. These are wonderful, decent people.
Expect brutal honesty here. I'll bring my beloved students a treat, and they'll complain it's not chocolate, or that they wanted something salty, not sweet. Usually I can wear them down and they'll take it, but some students stick to their principles and refuse my offer. I try to use this as a teaching moment, and tell the students that when someone offers them a treat, they should say thanks, take it, and then give it away or toss it if they don't like it. I don't know, maybe the students are right.
I'm doing my best to introduce "ladies first" -- something my mom drilled into me -- and I've actually had some success. I make sure girls get the first pick of crayons, and that they get to leave the classroom first. It wasn't easy because line-cutting is a way of life here. No one has ever really yielded to me, or given me the right of way, on the motorbike. It's dog eat dog (and people really do eat dog here).
At one time, I planned to leave Vietnam and quit my job at VMG. But that's not going to happen ... I hope. VMG has been very good to me and Vietnam kind of gets under your skin in a good way. And the students are absolutely awesome. Really. The kids learn lightning-fast, the teens are, well, cool teens, the university students are extraordinarily bright, and the adult students are very serious about improving their English. There's going to be cultural bumps along the way. After all, I'm a pasty-white, stubborn American. But I'm learning the culture here better. I hope the students are learning some English.
I'm returning to the U.S. for much of December and January to see family and friends. Then I'll return to Vietnam and VMG to hopefully resume teaching. Sounds like a plan.
Money is something of an obsession here, which is understandable in a country where there isn't a lot of money floating around. When I've met people, they've asked on quite a few occasions: ''How are you? Where do you live? How much is the rent? Where do you teach? How much do you make? I like your haircut; how much did you pay for it?" I guarantee you'll get these questions. But the people here are very nice, and incredibly helpful and generous. So I dance around the tough questions and change the subject. "Sure is hot today," I'll say. Weather is usually free. After a short game of dodge ball, they'll get the idea that I'm not talking money. These are wonderful, decent people.
Expect brutal honesty here. I'll bring my beloved students a treat, and they'll complain it's not chocolate, or that they wanted something salty, not sweet. Usually I can wear them down and they'll take it, but some students stick to their principles and refuse my offer. I try to use this as a teaching moment, and tell the students that when someone offers them a treat, they should say thanks, take it, and then give it away or toss it if they don't like it. I don't know, maybe the students are right.
I'm doing my best to introduce "ladies first" -- something my mom drilled into me -- and I've actually had some success. I make sure girls get the first pick of crayons, and that they get to leave the classroom first. It wasn't easy because line-cutting is a way of life here. No one has ever really yielded to me, or given me the right of way, on the motorbike. It's dog eat dog (and people really do eat dog here).
At one time, I planned to leave Vietnam and quit my job at VMG. But that's not going to happen ... I hope. VMG has been very good to me and Vietnam kind of gets under your skin in a good way. And the students are absolutely awesome. Really. The kids learn lightning-fast, the teens are, well, cool teens, the university students are extraordinarily bright, and the adult students are very serious about improving their English. There's going to be cultural bumps along the way. After all, I'm a pasty-white, stubborn American. But I'm learning the culture here better. I hope the students are learning some English.
I'm returning to the U.S. for much of December and January to see family and friends. Then I'll return to Vietnam and VMG to hopefully resume teaching. Sounds like a plan.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Making headway
It's been a while since I've blogged. This is more from general laziness and being busy than anything else. I am just about completely recovered from my motorbike wreck other than a good-sized bump on the back of my head and an occasional headache. I go to a massage parlor twice a week and get a head massage. It's awesome. The girl spends close to an hour shampooing my head and rubbing my temples of doom, slapping my face, and twisting my neck. All for under $3 U.S. Since I want nothing but my head rubbed, the girls are very attentive and appreciative. It's the proverbial "win-win."
Classes have returned to normal, and I have wonderful, wonderful classes and students. One student named Jack tells me I'm boring, and I tell him that my son, who is also named Jack, also thinks I'm boring. So student Jack and I get along fine. I taught a couple of classes at a local high school. I can't believe how respectful and well-behaved the students were. Give 'em a few more classes with me and that'll fade. Actually, I don't think so. The students here seem to really respect teachers. I'm OK with that. I really respect the students, who work hard and enjoy themselves at the same time. Some of the older students try to do the cell-phone thing (which I don't allow in class). Welcome to the 21st century.
Language remains the big issue for me. I tried to buy shoelaces and the girl working in the store sent me to bra section. So I bought a bra. It's a little tight.
I got new glasses. That was a struggle as well. People here, when they want your attention, yell (and I mean yell) HEY YOU!!!. There's no "excuse me" or Vietnamese equivalent. It's HEY YOU -- take it or leave it. I see lots of younger people (and older people, for that matter), picking their noses. I don't really care, except when one of those people brings me my coffee. Also, the air here reminds me of Bakersfield air.
I haven't touched alcohol -- beer or anything -- since the accident. Doctors said it would be a bad idea to drink after a head injury like I had (and I only had 2 beers with dinner the night of the wreck). I still smoke cigarettes, but that'll stop one of these days. I'm back on the motorbike with an improved helmet. No brain.
I know I'm OK physically because I started sweating again like crazy. Right after the wreck I wasn't sweating, and I know that's not right. So I'm back to 2-3 showers a day, and hating the heat here. And this is rainy season. In Vietnam, locals say there are two seasons -- wet and dry. I say there are two as well -- hot wet and hot dry.
I miss the crisp autumn weather in the states, but most of all I miss my children -- Jessica, Caroline, Jack and Alec. I'll be looking to do some couch surfing this March.
Classes have returned to normal, and I have wonderful, wonderful classes and students. One student named Jack tells me I'm boring, and I tell him that my son, who is also named Jack, also thinks I'm boring. So student Jack and I get along fine. I taught a couple of classes at a local high school. I can't believe how respectful and well-behaved the students were. Give 'em a few more classes with me and that'll fade. Actually, I don't think so. The students here seem to really respect teachers. I'm OK with that. I really respect the students, who work hard and enjoy themselves at the same time. Some of the older students try to do the cell-phone thing (which I don't allow in class). Welcome to the 21st century.
Language remains the big issue for me. I tried to buy shoelaces and the girl working in the store sent me to bra section. So I bought a bra. It's a little tight.
I got new glasses. That was a struggle as well. People here, when they want your attention, yell (and I mean yell) HEY YOU!!!. There's no "excuse me" or Vietnamese equivalent. It's HEY YOU -- take it or leave it. I see lots of younger people (and older people, for that matter), picking their noses. I don't really care, except when one of those people brings me my coffee. Also, the air here reminds me of Bakersfield air.
I haven't touched alcohol -- beer or anything -- since the accident. Doctors said it would be a bad idea to drink after a head injury like I had (and I only had 2 beers with dinner the night of the wreck). I still smoke cigarettes, but that'll stop one of these days. I'm back on the motorbike with an improved helmet. No brain.
I know I'm OK physically because I started sweating again like crazy. Right after the wreck I wasn't sweating, and I know that's not right. So I'm back to 2-3 showers a day, and hating the heat here. And this is rainy season. In Vietnam, locals say there are two seasons -- wet and dry. I say there are two as well -- hot wet and hot dry.
I miss the crisp autumn weather in the states, but most of all I miss my children -- Jessica, Caroline, Jack and Alec. I'll be looking to do some couch surfing this March.
Sunday, September 29, 2013
If I only had a brain
Do you need a brain to write a blog? Right here is proof you don't. I had a thunderous motorcycle crash a couple of weeks ago, and fractured my skull in three places. Internal bleeding. Unconscious for some time. The whole package. A guy named Al pulled me off the street. Since then, several other people have claimed responsibility for my rescue, but Al is the real deal. I was out for a couple of days and went from Bien Hoa, to Ho Chi Minh, and finally to Bangkok, where they woke me up every couple of hours to make sure I went No. 1 and No. 2. There was no operation, most likely because they couldn't find a brain to be damaged. I was dizzy and had a headache and body ache for a few days, but I quickly returned to Bien Hoa and resumed teaching a mere 10 days or so after the crash. You do need a brain to teach, unfortunately, so that's been a little bit of struggle for me, but I'm happy to be back in the classroom. The students are awesome.
I want to first and foremost thank my ex-wife Lynda, who flew to Bangkok with my son Alec to be at my bedside and listen to my jibberish. I whined about no cigarettes and coffee, and didn't get any, but Lynda and Alec stayed with me. The ex- in ex-wife Lynda stands for excellent. And Alec is the man, even if he made off with my camera. I recovered so quickly and so well because of their visit. I know it.
I want to thank VMG for rushing to my side as well. They've been great through the whole process and were more than happy to put me back to work. Thanks, ladies and gentlemen. And Mr. Tu slept alongside me to make sure I remained among the living. Here's to you, Mr. Tu, and your fantastic snoring. Sometimes it takes something disastrous, like a bike wreck and head injury, to make you realize how wonderful people can truly be. And how much you truly love your family.
And let me say another thing. Hospitals aren't good places. They do good things, but they're, well, not good places. They're full of sick and hurt people, for one thing, they wake you up a lot, for another, and the food really is wretched. I don't think I really ate for a week or so, which means I look like a normal person now. Co-worker Joy is trying to fatten me up with lasagna and duck and chicken and ham and cheese and other goodies. I think it's working.
Fatigue seems to be the only side-effect so far, but I'm always tired anyway. No brain, no problems (except in the classroom). Obviously, it hasn't affected the blog any.
Thanks to all of my other friends as well for their support. I'll pay you guys the money I owe you as soon as I get it. Later.
I want to first and foremost thank my ex-wife Lynda, who flew to Bangkok with my son Alec to be at my bedside and listen to my jibberish. I whined about no cigarettes and coffee, and didn't get any, but Lynda and Alec stayed with me. The ex- in ex-wife Lynda stands for excellent. And Alec is the man, even if he made off with my camera. I recovered so quickly and so well because of their visit. I know it.
I want to thank VMG for rushing to my side as well. They've been great through the whole process and were more than happy to put me back to work. Thanks, ladies and gentlemen. And Mr. Tu slept alongside me to make sure I remained among the living. Here's to you, Mr. Tu, and your fantastic snoring. Sometimes it takes something disastrous, like a bike wreck and head injury, to make you realize how wonderful people can truly be. And how much you truly love your family.
And let me say another thing. Hospitals aren't good places. They do good things, but they're, well, not good places. They're full of sick and hurt people, for one thing, they wake you up a lot, for another, and the food really is wretched. I don't think I really ate for a week or so, which means I look like a normal person now. Co-worker Joy is trying to fatten me up with lasagna and duck and chicken and ham and cheese and other goodies. I think it's working.
Fatigue seems to be the only side-effect so far, but I'm always tired anyway. No brain, no problems (except in the classroom). Obviously, it hasn't affected the blog any.
Thanks to all of my other friends as well for their support. I'll pay you guys the money I owe you as soon as I get it. Later.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Happy days
My son Jack came to visit, and it was the best nine days I've had in Vietnam. We didn't do a whole lot -- ate seafood, drank a few beers, ate some more seafood, ate some beef, drank a few more beers. We checked out some of the local Bien Hoa markets and sang a little karaoke.We talked a lot. Like I said, it was a great visit. While visiting, Jack got accepted into NYU law school. It was kind of a last-minute thing because he was set to attend Georgetown. I was there when it all went down with New York University and I was pretty excited. Not as excited as Jack, of course, but when you're an old fart, you want the good things to happen to your children and you don't care so much about yourself. Given my lifestyle, I guess I've never really cared about myself.
I'm street legal now. I have a motorbike license and three accidents to my credit. The accidents were pretty minor, and they serve as a great reminder that there are plenty of morons on the road, including a big, dopey white guy. But only one of the mishaps was really my fault, and everyone just continued on their way anyway.
Jack and I found an interesting coffee shop where the service is extra special. The coffee isn't bad, either, so we did some time there. But we only sampled the coffee.
The line cutting drives me crazy. People do it in the stores, on their bikes, in wheelchairs. It doesn't matter how long you've been waiting. No one cares. The locals are worse with each other than they are with me -- almost. I was sitting on my bike today and a guy behind me rode over my foot while I waited for a parking space to clear. Then he took the parking space. It was all I could do not to clock him, but I realized this is just business as usual here. People just bang into you when you're walking in a market or store. Just like Peru. Now that I think about it, the line cutting was awful in Peru as well. I guess I really miss the line etiquette in the U.S.
The rain has been pretty relentless lately. Yesterday, there was a two-hour downpour followed by three hours of steady rain. It's raining now. The Vietnamese get really worked up about the rain. They scurry and ride their bikes like crazy so they don't get wet. It rains nearly every day, so you'd think they'd be used to it. Not so.
My skin problems continue, but like cutting in line, I think it's just a fact of life here for me because of the heat and my penchant for sweating. Bummer.
Classes are going very well, and I'm getting to know the students. The younger students, ages 6 to 12, are fantastic. And their English is better than most of the adults. We have a good time in class as well. The older students are wonderful too, so there are no complaints about the job part of life here.
Life is good, even with the line cutting.
I'm picking up a tiny bit of Vietnamese, and I just ignore the locals when they laugh at my pronunciation. Ha ha ha. Ban dep.
I'm street legal now. I have a motorbike license and three accidents to my credit. The accidents were pretty minor, and they serve as a great reminder that there are plenty of morons on the road, including a big, dopey white guy. But only one of the mishaps was really my fault, and everyone just continued on their way anyway.
Jack and I found an interesting coffee shop where the service is extra special. The coffee isn't bad, either, so we did some time there. But we only sampled the coffee.
The line cutting drives me crazy. People do it in the stores, on their bikes, in wheelchairs. It doesn't matter how long you've been waiting. No one cares. The locals are worse with each other than they are with me -- almost. I was sitting on my bike today and a guy behind me rode over my foot while I waited for a parking space to clear. Then he took the parking space. It was all I could do not to clock him, but I realized this is just business as usual here. People just bang into you when you're walking in a market or store. Just like Peru. Now that I think about it, the line cutting was awful in Peru as well. I guess I really miss the line etiquette in the U.S.
The rain has been pretty relentless lately. Yesterday, there was a two-hour downpour followed by three hours of steady rain. It's raining now. The Vietnamese get really worked up about the rain. They scurry and ride their bikes like crazy so they don't get wet. It rains nearly every day, so you'd think they'd be used to it. Not so.
My skin problems continue, but like cutting in line, I think it's just a fact of life here for me because of the heat and my penchant for sweating. Bummer.
Classes are going very well, and I'm getting to know the students. The younger students, ages 6 to 12, are fantastic. And their English is better than most of the adults. We have a good time in class as well. The older students are wonderful too, so there are no complaints about the job part of life here.
Life is good, even with the line cutting.
I'm picking up a tiny bit of Vietnamese, and I just ignore the locals when they laugh at my pronunciation. Ha ha ha. Ban dep.
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