Drifting

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4 weeks into the school year and I'm already counting the days til Christmas break. One obvious reason, I thought I would never be back in school, even if I am the teacher. The second and more important reason is that my mom will be visiting me over Christmas break! I feel so fortunate to be able to help my mom come visit and show her a little bit of the world, and of course the Holidays won’t be so bad away from home! Hoping and planning our near 3 week trek over SE Asia. General itinerary will be to Fly down to Singapore. From there travel our way back to Hanoi, stopping in Malaysia for Christmas, Thailand for New Years and possibly Cambodia before we make it back to the south of Vietnam. Some major beach time is a must!



I actually have one week off in October. I am a little strapped for cash at the moment, due to the fact that if you rent in Vietnam, you have to pay 3 months’ rent at one time! So instead of going out of country, I think a more suitable way to spend this vacay is climbing to the roof of Indochina! It’s in Sapa, which is a popular place to travel to from Hanoi, but not many people have the time or ambition to climb this behemoth mountain. I have to start training now!



I posted on FB a quote from Lao Tzu saying that "If you're depressed, you're living in the past. If you're anxious, you're living in the future. If you're at peace, then you're living in the present."



Recently I have felt like I am just drifting through each day here. I want to really revel in the culture, soak it all in. I want to learn a language. I want to appreciate everything and absorb life around me. And I haven't... yet. I didn't feel like this in Hai Phong, but I was so relaxed there. I think I'm just so wound up with nothing to help relieve the stress. Well, I can’t say there's nothing to relieve the stress but ... I don't even feel stressed per say but just like everything is passing me by. It's very strange.



Besides this melancholy feeling, life here has taken on some kind of normality. I have a clean house, a roommate who is out of town 4 days out of the week, I go to work, I come home, I meet friends, I party on the weekends, and most importantly, I learned how to download unlimited tv shows and movies from pirate bay (thanx Cormac)! The part of town I moved to is the White people part of town, so I feel very little Vietnamese culture in day to day life. Especially compared to Hai Phong, there's no comparison. It sometimes feels like I'm just in another city in the states but without my family or friends. Well, I'm being dramatic, but you get the point.



As for school, my class is finally settling in and getting used to a routine. Sometimes I just have so much compassion for these little ones. Most are not native English speakers, and most are not Vietnamese. Imagine being thrust into a school for the first time, not understanding much, plus the fact that you’re not even in your home country! Must be overwhelming...but seriously sometimes they get on my nerves! haha. What do you expect with 2 and 3 year olds. Its actually really bazar to know that I am actually responsible for their learning! They develop so much at this age, and to think that I'm the one responsible for facilitating that and shaping their lives... I wouldn't hire me. Just kidding. When I am filling out the communication books that get sent home (with updates and art work and all that jazz), I think back to all the stuff my mom saved from my schooling. One day my picture and hand writing will be someone’s memento of their preschool education in Hanoi, Vietnam. CRAZY.



As always I forget many things but here are the weird things I have learned since last blog:



- Vietnamese people don’t use mattresses in the summer time. They just sleep on the wooden slate of the bed.



- Vietnamese are obsessed with turtles, or maybe it's just Hanoi. They are good luck and there is a story of some turtle with a sword in the lake.



- The building attendant guy downstairs I think hates us and tried to tell us that we couldn’t have people over past 11pm. HAHA we are not Vietnamese women..



- If you want to catch a taxi during rush hour, be prepared for the taxi driver thats lounging on the side of the road to tell you no. Actually, lots of Vietnamese people tell us no. If you walk into their boutique at the market, they might just look at you and say no. Or if you go to buy groceries and they don’t have cream cheese because they don’t have back stalk rooms, your just plain shit out-a-luck.



- Men try and do everything for you. Sierra's motor bike NEVER starts right away but we know how to use the kick start and blah blah blah. Every time no matter what some random guy comes up and literally like pushes us out the way. Apparently women don’t know how to do anything for themselves here. It's even worse than when I was on crutches in Costa Rica



- Everything is negotiable.

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Photos

turtle and egret
think its supposed to bring you good luck if you touch it... at the temple of literature on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Hanoi

gardens
at the temple of literature

one pillar pagoda
right next to the HCM Museum. very pretty place that is a tourist attraction but locals still use it everyday for their prayers

grand entrence
The beginning of the HCM Museum. it had very artsy displays and exhibits. I was quite surprised. Also a great hall about how Laos and Vietnam are inseparable friends. very interesting.

new apt
the spacious and comfortable living room and kitchen of our new place. also have a lovely view from the huge windows!

Comments

[Ajay]

Education
Thanks for your grateful Education blogs informations.

[CWG]

hello!
Your welcome Ajay =] Are you working in Vietnam?