I don't think we're tourists anymore

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Day 160: six weeks in Saigon, six weeks backpacking through south Vietnam and almost two and a half months living in Da Nang. No, I don’t think we’re tourists anymore.

I pre-empt this entire posting by recognizing that yes, many of the photos here (and in future postings) show us doing tourist-y things, but I offer the following evidence to support my argument:

We’re employed -we’re still slugging away as teachers. Planning has decreased and pleasure has increased. Hooray!

We’re renting - we now occupy the top floor of a multi-family house in downtown Da Nang. A Vietnamese doctor and his wife live on the main floor, their daughter and her family live on the second floor and we live on the top floor. It’s a great pad, with lots of light and space, some retro furniture and a mahogany wood-paneled ceiling. It also has a massive covered patio. We’ve settled in quickly and nicely.

We own a motorbike - we’re no longer reliant on taxis or rented motorbikes, Marc’s description: a 100cc step-through Honda. My description: black, shiny and fun to ride around on.

We’ve had visitors - last month, my friend and MacEwan colleague Alison came to visit with her fiancé Dave. Dave just completed a 6-month teaching stint in Taiwan and he and Alison were wrapping up his Asian experience with some time in Vietnam and Thailand. It was so great to see and talk to people from home - we have a growing appreciation for a Canadian sense of humour, which Alison and Dave definitely brought. We had fun showing them around town, introducing them to the plethora of tailors in Hoi An and enjoying some great food together.
Yesterday, my younger brother Tyler and his girlfriend Jolene arrived. They’re going to stay for a couple weeks, which gives us lots of time for extended adventures and, of course, more shopping in Hoi An!

We’re learning Vietnamese - we’ve completed about 15 hours of Vietnamese lessons now and are slowly building our vocabulary (numbers, clothes, colours, family members) and grammar (greetings). We are far, far, far from any kind of fluency. With our lengthy trip home in July, it looks like we’ll have to start all over again in August. Oh well, we’ll be the best students in the class…for a while.

We’re going home for a visit - the countdown is on! We’re taking a holiday home from July 7-26. With two weddings (Carla and Drew’s and Warren and Kendle’s) and a short B.C. road trip planned we’ll have plenty to keep us busy, but we hope to catch up with as many people as possible. Can’t wait to see you all!

So, those are the tangible things, but it’s also the way we live day-to-day that has changed, too. We no longer sit back and watch - we look for opportunities to take part. We’ve become regulars at some local cafes and restaurants, have improved our haggling skills at the market, are experts at crossing busy streets and enjoy talking to the locals. However, we still have to pay different prices and get stared at all the time.

So, we may not be tourists, but we’re still foreigners, and nothing will ever change that. But we’ve come to realize that even with outsider status, as English teachers, we have a place here. We are part of this society and are making a valuable contribution. On most days, that alone makes me feel connected.

Enjoy the photos. We’ll see in July…
The Smiths

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Photos

Serenity
A lone beach chair on My Khe beach in Da Nang.

My Khe
A beautiful day at My Khe beach. Even from the outer limits of Da Nang it only takes about 10-15 minutes to get to the beach.

From the peninsula
View of Da Nang from the peninsula that juts out into the South China Sea. There are great views and seafood restaurants on the peninsula.

A busier beach
Much of the beach is lined with resorts and restaurants.

Infinity pool
The amazing infinity pool at the five-star Furama resort in Da Nang. When you're in the pool, it looks like the water connects directly to the ocean. We absolutely splurged on a tantalizing buffet breakfast ($15 each) and swim ($10 each) a few weeks ago.

Stranded...sort of
Marc waits while we get a flat tire on our rented motorbike repaired. We had this junky bike for three weeks and had four flat tires in the same period. Fortunately, there's a repairman on almost every corner in town so we never have to walk far or wait long to get it fixed. It costs less than a dollar to get it patched and just over two dollars for a brand new tire.

Gas station
There are large gas stations - like the ones at home - but there are also stations like this scattered throughout town.

New wheels
Marc proudly stands with our new motorbike. We took it for an extended trip through the Hai Van Pass to visit a national park.

Company pride
Sporting the company logo, I'm proud to wear my ILA helmet. We also got these sweet two person raincoats for riding the bike with the ILA logo across the front.

Pagoda
A pagoda sits atop the peninsula, where Marc does his usual part for scale...and humour.

At the pagoda
A large Buddha is being constructed on the peninsula, which stands out front of the pagoda.

Prawns
Da Nang has some of the most delectable seafood I've ever tasted. Every Sunday we meet up with the teachers from our school and splurge on seafood on the beach...jumbo prawns, baby lobsters, grilled clams, tamarind crab...mmmmm.

AG and me
Inside one of the caves at the Marble Mountains just outside Da Nang.

Marble Buddha
..and Marc.

Living space
Our new place - one long room with living area and dining table. There are two bedrooms off the right side.

Little people
Last month, I started teaching Kindergarten students, aged 4-6. Honestly, at first I really disliked it, but I am enjoying it more every weekend. I have two K classes, one with eight students and one with 15 students. Classes are two hours in length on Saturday and Sunday.

Gia Han
Gia Han is more interested in Marc and the camera than my version of "The Hungry Caterpillar," which I'm reading to students in the back corner.

Comments

[Isabelle]

locals!
Hi Krysta! Hi Marc! Good to hear from you! I like the new pad and the bike! Krysta...the little kinders are sooo cute! I love that age group...but I'm sure teaching them is not always easy! Marc and I are doing good. I have 12 working days left...I cannot wait to be done! We are also off to Africa in a couple of weeks!! I hope we have the chance to have a beer with you when we get back! Take care Isabelle :)