This and that, another few days in MCMC

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The past few days have been a blur - I suppose everything here is, really. I'm done with in class PELT (form of TESOL) certification, and now the rest is self-access...which means that I have to subject myself to watching 30+ hours of extrememly unstimulating DVDs. Let's just say I'm getting a slow start... In other news, I am now working six hours a week (sadly all on Saturday and Sunday mornings) at a really cool school called Cleverlearn. I't s one of the two leading ESL schools in Saigon, and the curriculum is meant to be very 'creativity' based. They encourage me to do lots of art projects with students and I have a lot of freedom in lesson planning. I've met some more cool people through the TESOL program, although I only had class with them last week... As I've probably mentioned, the city is quite stimulating, and I've really had the urge to start making artwork again. I've got a few leads on where to get materials, so I'll be looking into that this week. I'm actually battling a cold right now, so I'm going to let my captions do the talking. I'll write more later in the week.
Some highlights before I sign off: night ride around HCMC on Brian's xe may (he's a good driver), walking around listening to the iPod, went to the worst club ever!! (designed solely for old white men to get with young asian women...truley disgusting), purchsed 'Memoirs of a Geisha', learning how to play with spring/shuttle cock toy (people are all over the streets kicking them around like hacki-sacks), going to an AWESOME art gallery with Marta, exploring the world of cheap yet delicious street food, getting clothes tailor made.

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Photos

View in the Park
I walk through this park just about every day. Cleverlearn is on one side of it, and I came here on Sunday to toss around with a couple of dudes from the TESOL group. There's also a swimming pool here that I've gone to.

Beautiful trees
There are gorgeous trees all over the park I frequent - as you can see their root systems are quite intricate

more trees
the same. I really want to start making drawings from this stuff.

more trees
...

people's houses
there is a fence along one side of the park which separates small run-down homes from the park grounds.

Brian and the city
Brian has an extremely nice view from the top of his apartment. It wasn't until I went up there yesterday that I realized how expansive the city really is. It literally stetches out as far as the eye can see in every direction. It's like being in the middle of the ocean.

Pastels are the new grey
Seeing the city from above is also like looking into an Easter basket. Whoever designed these buildings was crazy about pastel!!

night in HCMC
Marta and I did some night time exploring in the posh part of the city!! I don't know what this building is.

Joe on a xe may
I attempted to document one of my many xe may (motorbike) rides. Here's Joe!! He looks a bit odd. During this ride his disposable camera fell out of his pocket and a V. man followed us on his xe may and gave it back!!! how nice!...and I thought this city was full of people who were trying to get the best of me!

Comments

[Logan]

Jon Heiman
The Joe guy looks sort of like Jon Heiman in that picture.