Today (Sunday) is Elsbeth's birthday! Wish her a happy birthday! Shall be a great day! We are off to the beach to celebrate this glorious day when Elsbeth was born! :)
Saturday, October 25, 2008
How to Maneuver through Vietnamese Roads...method to the madness
Ellyn Writing...
A couple weeks ago I bought a little pink bicycle so I could get around Vung Tau more quickly. I didn't want to make the dive and buy a motorbike quite yet because it is more expensive and I would rather get a bit of exercise while getting around town (Vung Tau is pretty small and easy to get around on bike). So on my little pink bicycle I have had the opportunity to learn the workings of traffic in Vietnam, granted it is a bit different than Ho Chi Mihn City or Hanoi, but the idea is the same.
Guidelines while driving in Vietnam:
1. First and foremost the directions are the same as in the US...drive on the right side of the road, however there are several exceptions to this...
a. you are just starting up and need to get onto the right hand side
b. you are taking a left (simple merge all the way over to the left and take a left turn, then when its most convenient, move back over to the right side of the road
c. if its more convenient to drive on the left side of the road because you are just going up the street a little ways
2. When driving on the wrong side (left) of the road you must be all the way over to the left side never have a bike in between you and the curb.
3. You must have a horn or a bell on your bike and you must use it or you will be considered impolite (this is one I do not adhere to because I have yet to buy a bell for my bike.
4. Learn the tones of the different horn signals...different tones and lengths all have different meanings. Most important one to pay attention to is the loud, never ending horn, this one means that the driver will not move and will most likely run you over if you do not get out of the way
5. While on a bicycle do not wear a skirt, this may sound fairly self-explanatory but when your late to work its just easier to wear the skirt...however, this is only distraction to you and other drivers.
6. When you come to a stop light
a. stop if its red
b. go if its green
unless....its night just honk and go through
7. When coming to an intersection honk and go through...if you don't want to slow down at all for the intersection, simply honk louder and longer
8. Helmets are the law for motorbikes, unless you are 14 years of age or younger. yep..thats right don't worry about the kids, no need for helmets.
9. Bikes stay on the far right, then motorbikes to their left and then cars to their left.
10. Slower drivers move to the right.
11. If you are a foreigner you must concentrate all of your attention on the road, only Vietnamese can use their phones on the road.
12. Whenever crossing a one way always look both ways there are probably people coming from both ways.
13. Never hesitate
15. All rules are more like guidelines, just always pay attention and as a foreigner realize that you are NEVER a better driver than a Vietnamese person
A couple weeks ago I bought a little pink bicycle so I could get around Vung Tau more quickly. I didn't want to make the dive and buy a motorbike quite yet because it is more expensive and I would rather get a bit of exercise while getting around town (Vung Tau is pretty small and easy to get around on bike). So on my little pink bicycle I have had the opportunity to learn the workings of traffic in Vietnam, granted it is a bit different than Ho Chi Mihn City or Hanoi, but the idea is the same.
Guidelines while driving in Vietnam:
1. First and foremost the directions are the same as in the US...drive on the right side of the road, however there are several exceptions to this...
a. you are just starting up and need to get onto the right hand side
b. you are taking a left (simple merge all the way over to the left and take a left turn, then when its most convenient, move back over to the right side of the road
c. if its more convenient to drive on the left side of the road because you are just going up the street a little ways
2. When driving on the wrong side (left) of the road you must be all the way over to the left side never have a bike in between you and the curb.
3. You must have a horn or a bell on your bike and you must use it or you will be considered impolite (this is one I do not adhere to because I have yet to buy a bell for my bike.
4. Learn the tones of the different horn signals...different tones and lengths all have different meanings. Most important one to pay attention to is the loud, never ending horn, this one means that the driver will not move and will most likely run you over if you do not get out of the way
5. While on a bicycle do not wear a skirt, this may sound fairly self-explanatory but when your late to work its just easier to wear the skirt...however, this is only distraction to you and other drivers.
6. When you come to a stop light
a. stop if its red
b. go if its green
unless....its night just honk and go through
7. When coming to an intersection honk and go through...if you don't want to slow down at all for the intersection, simply honk louder and longer
8. Helmets are the law for motorbikes, unless you are 14 years of age or younger. yep..thats right don't worry about the kids, no need for helmets.
9. Bikes stay on the far right, then motorbikes to their left and then cars to their left.
10. Slower drivers move to the right.
11. If you are a foreigner you must concentrate all of your attention on the road, only Vietnamese can use their phones on the road.
12. Whenever crossing a one way always look both ways there are probably people coming from both ways.
13. Never hesitate
15. All rules are more like guidelines, just always pay attention and as a foreigner realize that you are NEVER a better driver than a Vietnamese person
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
How to get fed (guide for Vietnamese...a new way to beg)
Ellyn writing...
1. Find a clueless foreigner who obviously speaks no Vietnamese
2. Sit down across from her and smile
3. Say something in Vietnamese and smile (she will have no idea what you said so you can say anything,..just has to sounds like Vietnamese.
4. Stare at her while she eats and every once and a while when she looks up and you smile (she will return the smile because she wants to try to be friendly).
5. Point to her food and gesture to her that she needs more greens in her soup (she might not need more but this will just further confuse her).
6. Point at her food and the kitchen a lot
7. Keep speaking Vietnamese (say anything and everything just to confuse her).
8. Smile
9. Order yourself what she is having
10. Eat and smile
11. When she is done eating point to your food and her food and gesture towards the kitchen
12. Finally gesture at both dishes and ask for 40,000 dong which she can finally deduce that you want her to pay for both meals (she will be happy to pay for the meal and will love to tell the story in the future!)
1. Find a clueless foreigner who obviously speaks no Vietnamese
2. Sit down across from her and smile
3. Say something in Vietnamese and smile (she will have no idea what you said so you can say anything,..just has to sounds like Vietnamese.
4. Stare at her while she eats and every once and a while when she looks up and you smile (she will return the smile because she wants to try to be friendly).
5. Point to her food and gesture to her that she needs more greens in her soup (she might not need more but this will just further confuse her).
6. Point at her food and the kitchen a lot
7. Keep speaking Vietnamese (say anything and everything just to confuse her).
8. Smile
9. Order yourself what she is having
10. Eat and smile
11. When she is done eating point to your food and her food and gesture towards the kitchen
12. Finally gesture at both dishes and ask for 40,000 dong which she can finally deduce that you want her to pay for both meals (she will be happy to pay for the meal and will love to tell the story in the future!)
Monday, October 13, 2008
Bummin' and Hangin' with the Locals
Elsbeth writing...
Here we are in Vung Tau as you know. We’ve officially been here one week and are antsy waiting to start work. Vung Tau is beautiful and relaxing, but too relaxing for me right now. I need a schedule. On Wednesday we started our inductions; however, our manager had to go to HCMC on Thursday and Friday so we don’t have our second day until Monday. We’re also having troubles with our internet, which makes it extra frustrating. As I’m typing this as we’re sitting in a food court with no power outlets, before this we were in a café, and the internet barely works in either place. Don’t even ask about the WiFi in our hotel. We’ve asked them time and again for them to fix it, but no results. So we’ll see when I can actually post this blog.
All week we’ve been exploring. We’ve been scouting around for other hotels that have working WiFi, cheap street restaurants, and basic amenities. There’s no shortage of the amenities here which is a good thing. Steve showed us two amazing grocery stores that have American/Western products. We should try to stay away from those though, it’s too expensive anyway. Otherwise, not much has happened besides putzing around. I’ve been reading a lot, fixing pictures (I’m even more frustrated that I can’t get those up now), and watching CNN. I borrowed a book—Why the Caged Bird Sings—from an ex-pat restaurant. That made me excited. There aren’t book sellers here with English novels bombarding you in restaurants like there was on Bui Vien. I was afraid I’d have nothing to read.
Okay, I’m adding on to this blog from Saturday the 11th. I finally found a good connection in a café not far from our hotel, but I have to get going. We’re switching rooms today and we have to go in for our second day of inductions, so I have to get back soon. Yesterday (Sunday) Ellyn, Steve, and I went biking around town. Ellyn bought a bike the other day and Steve and I road the double bike our hotel has to take for free. We went in search of a beach that is two kilometers out of town; however, town extends forever, so we eventually gave up and turned back. We went the other way back around Vung Tau and stopped at one of the beaches along the resort strip part of town. We sat down on some of the beach chairs hoping to be charged less than 100,000 dong; however, it was 160,000. Way too much. One Vietnamese guy who was with a group next to us invited us to join them. While Steve and Ellyn went swimming for a bit I sat and talked to them for awhile. They were really nice and their English was very good. They also gave us so much food. Including some processed pork—many of you know my bad experiences with processed meat. I had to choke it down in a baguette. We also had fresh shrimp and crab along with small shots of whiskey. The seafood was absolutely amazing and fresh. Later we went swimming a bit in the ocean. I was swimming underwater when something stung me across the face. My first reaction was that it was a jellyfish. My face really stung, but I didn’t have any marks. Eventually the pain went away. I don’t think I’ll be swimming in the sea very much from now on. I’ve had too many bad experiences swimming here already. What’s next? An actual jellyfish or something worse? There’s plenty of pools to cool off in and do laps anyway. So our day turned out to be quite interesting. We had a true, laidback Vietnamese experience. It was great!
Here we are in Vung Tau as you know. We’ve officially been here one week and are antsy waiting to start work. Vung Tau is beautiful and relaxing, but too relaxing for me right now. I need a schedule. On Wednesday we started our inductions; however, our manager had to go to HCMC on Thursday and Friday so we don’t have our second day until Monday. We’re also having troubles with our internet, which makes it extra frustrating. As I’m typing this as we’re sitting in a food court with no power outlets, before this we were in a café, and the internet barely works in either place. Don’t even ask about the WiFi in our hotel. We’ve asked them time and again for them to fix it, but no results. So we’ll see when I can actually post this blog.
All week we’ve been exploring. We’ve been scouting around for other hotels that have working WiFi, cheap street restaurants, and basic amenities. There’s no shortage of the amenities here which is a good thing. Steve showed us two amazing grocery stores that have American/Western products. We should try to stay away from those though, it’s too expensive anyway. Otherwise, not much has happened besides putzing around. I’ve been reading a lot, fixing pictures (I’m even more frustrated that I can’t get those up now), and watching CNN. I borrowed a book—Why the Caged Bird Sings—from an ex-pat restaurant. That made me excited. There aren’t book sellers here with English novels bombarding you in restaurants like there was on Bui Vien. I was afraid I’d have nothing to read.
Okay, I’m adding on to this blog from Saturday the 11th. I finally found a good connection in a café not far from our hotel, but I have to get going. We’re switching rooms today and we have to go in for our second day of inductions, so I have to get back soon. Yesterday (Sunday) Ellyn, Steve, and I went biking around town. Ellyn bought a bike the other day and Steve and I road the double bike our hotel has to take for free. We went in search of a beach that is two kilometers out of town; however, town extends forever, so we eventually gave up and turned back. We went the other way back around Vung Tau and stopped at one of the beaches along the resort strip part of town. We sat down on some of the beach chairs hoping to be charged less than 100,000 dong; however, it was 160,000. Way too much. One Vietnamese guy who was with a group next to us invited us to join them. While Steve and Ellyn went swimming for a bit I sat and talked to them for awhile. They were really nice and their English was very good. They also gave us so much food. Including some processed pork—many of you know my bad experiences with processed meat. I had to choke it down in a baguette. We also had fresh shrimp and crab along with small shots of whiskey. The seafood was absolutely amazing and fresh. Later we went swimming a bit in the ocean. I was swimming underwater when something stung me across the face. My first reaction was that it was a jellyfish. My face really stung, but I didn’t have any marks. Eventually the pain went away. I don’t think I’ll be swimming in the sea very much from now on. I’ve had too many bad experiences swimming here already. What’s next? An actual jellyfish or something worse? There’s plenty of pools to cool off in and do laps anyway. So our day turned out to be quite interesting. We had a true, laidback Vietnamese experience. It was great!
Monday, October 6, 2008
Home Sweet Home
Ellyn writing...
So hopefully we have internet for good now...it has been nice catching up with people, here's a couple random stories written yesterday (Monday).
Yesterday we went out and found some dinner and then went on a mission to find ourselves some oil, matches and salt to go with the popcorn that I had bought in HCMC. I had a stove underneath my sink and we thought maybe we could figure it out enough to make some popcorn. We found our supplies pretty easily and came back to see if we could get the stove working. My job was to get the pan from the front desk so I went down to ask for a pan, which after about five minutes of talking about the internet (she thought I was coming to complain about that again, which subsequently still doesn’t work) so I drew a pan for her and she finally came back with huge pan! Perfect for popcorn! Steve came over to start the stove (his job) and away we went with the popcorn…This story may be boring for many of you…popcorn no big deal right? Wrong...First of all us Roaches live on popcorn in Minnesota and anywhere I go I end up being the popcorn maker ask anyone from my home in Moorhead or Malta. Therefore, me being able to make popcorn makes Vung Tau my new home. So I am now here at my home sweet home!
Elsbeth went for dinner along the boardwalk today which is apparently where all the rich people go for dinner….good thing it was good! So after dinner we went for a walk along the boardwalk. The storms were coming…I could feel it earlier in the day but we went out anyways. The air was much cooler and cleaner and it was just wonderful being out without being burnt to a crisp while sweat streams out of your body. The rains began and it was absolutely lovely. The feeling of rain after a couple VERY hot days is beautiful. We walked back, well I kind of waddled like a duck because my shoes were so slippery. So lovely! I will love this place once we are settled into the job and meet new people!
We start our first induction tomorrow (Wednesday) and will be doing some observations and such this week. Our first classes will be next Monday. We will be real teachers!
So hopefully we have internet for good now...it has been nice catching up with people, here's a couple random stories written yesterday (Monday).
Yesterday we went out and found some dinner and then went on a mission to find ourselves some oil, matches and salt to go with the popcorn that I had bought in HCMC. I had a stove underneath my sink and we thought maybe we could figure it out enough to make some popcorn. We found our supplies pretty easily and came back to see if we could get the stove working. My job was to get the pan from the front desk so I went down to ask for a pan, which after about five minutes of talking about the internet (she thought I was coming to complain about that again, which subsequently still doesn’t work) so I drew a pan for her and she finally came back with huge pan! Perfect for popcorn! Steve came over to start the stove (his job) and away we went with the popcorn…This story may be boring for many of you…popcorn no big deal right? Wrong...First of all us Roaches live on popcorn in Minnesota and anywhere I go I end up being the popcorn maker ask anyone from my home in Moorhead or Malta. Therefore, me being able to make popcorn makes Vung Tau my new home. So I am now here at my home sweet home!
Elsbeth went for dinner along the boardwalk today which is apparently where all the rich people go for dinner….good thing it was good! So after dinner we went for a walk along the boardwalk. The storms were coming…I could feel it earlier in the day but we went out anyways. The air was much cooler and cleaner and it was just wonderful being out without being burnt to a crisp while sweat streams out of your body. The rains began and it was absolutely lovely. The feeling of rain after a couple VERY hot days is beautiful. We walked back, well I kind of waddled like a duck because my shoes were so slippery. So lovely! I will love this place once we are settled into the job and meet new people!
We start our first induction tomorrow (Wednesday) and will be doing some observations and such this week. Our first classes will be next Monday. We will be real teachers!
Vung Tau here we are!
Ellyn Writing…
Finally have internet for a couple minutes...
Couple quick random stories then where we are now…
Cat story:
One night we hear another weird noise…I think nothing of it because there are always weird noises, then a little later Elsbeth tells me that there is a cat outside our window. I come over and find that yes indeed there is a cat on the roof above. Then a little later it walks right past our window. We think it’s a little creepy but just go to bed. The next night we discover that its outside our window again and now its getting louder and more obnoxious. We, however, just go to bed again. Morning comes around and now the cat is really loud and continuously meowing outside our window. Some girls from another window try to give it water but they can’t reach it because there is a ledge there. Now we are really close and could probably save the cat, but someone had recently told me that when you get rabies you basically die foaming at the mouth, the thought of this has kept me from animals since, so I guess I was about to let this cat die right outside my window. Anyways the other girls get it over as close to their window as possible and then grab it. So here is this girl holding onto the cat by the head so it would drop down a couple stories into an alleyway and trying to get it in between these tiny bars. Finally the cat is in and saved! No thanks to our selfishness!
Our next 6 months were planned for us when Apollo told us Friday that they were unsure about the openings available for us in Haiphong. We called ILA up immediately and formally accepted our positions in Vung Tau. We were a bit disappointed in the beginning because we had our hearts set on moving up north (a bit cooler and a new environment) but we realized the positions we accepted were pretty much identical to the ones we were turned away from. So here I am sitting in my own free room in Vung Tau an hour and a half away from Ho Chi Minh City. We will stay in this guest house/hotel for free for the next week (ILA pays your first 7 days). From there we have to decide whether to stay or find an apartment. The place is pretty nice and we will probably end up staying either here or in another guest house because we would have to make a 3-month down payment for an apartment or house….which we could save and spend on things that we need right now…such as loans payments, transportation, and food. We took the Hydrofoil down here yesterday and took a taxi that jipped us and went the long way to our hotel….but we didn’t want to argue so we just paid up. We came in and met up with a fellow CELTA trainee, Steve, who is the one other person who ended up in Vung Tau with us, had a game of cards, some dinner of delicious pho, and went for a walk along the boardwalk. As the vacation spot for many Vietnamese, the boardwalk was full, wall-to-wall of Vietnamese people. The expat community is very small which is exciting because it forces us out into the local community. After a lovely night I was woken up at 7:30 by the maids right outside my door. They knocked at 7:45 because they wanted to clean….good thing I didn’t want to sleep in! I was planning on running anyways. Here are a just a few comparisons between running along the boardwalk in Vung Tau as compared to Malta.
Similarities:
Watch your step the ground is not flat
Its hot on the equator--sweat will be pouring out before you get 5 minutes into it, really you should just insert an IV and strap it on your back
The sun is strong; by the time you get home after one run you will have a watch tanline
If you are a 5’7 woman running you will never fit in…even if you think you don’t look very different from the locals.
If you pretend you can’t hear anyone because you are listening to music, people will eventually leave you alone.
There are no bathrooms…go before you leave!
If you have to cross a street…just go, people will go around you unless they are absolutely blaring your horn, then be careful
The sea is an extremely great escape from traffic and the bustle on the streets, it doesn’t matter how crappy the beach is
I’m a fast runner…I actually pass people when running in Vietnam and Malta
Running remains to be the best way to discover a new place…slow enough to see things, fast enough to get around before midday when the sun is blaring
Differences...Vung Tau I learn
Green trees, bluffs, and grass do exist in this world.
Look out for human feces as supposed to dog feces.
If you’re tan with dark hair, luckily you are not attractive to Vietnamese men, white people are more attractive (you can find whitening in the stores if you would like) so you will only be bothered by people who want to sell you something (choose your poison)
There aren’t that many people along the boardwalk at 8:00 am…they must get up earlier?
Here's a bit about what I have learned so far in
Vietnam
1. A normal American is 5 inches too tall and 50 lbs too heavy.
2. Vietnamese have perfect hair (stick straight, no fuzz) so they can wear it long and down without going crazy in this deathly hot, humid environment
3. It’s hot…good luck going back to Minnesota after this you will die there if the heat doesn’t take you now
4. In the city you are breathing in pure exhaust with a bit of water
5. In the country you are breathing in pure water
6. Cheese, popcorn, good gum, diet pop, and wheat are hard to come by (oh and mom you were right, I should have brought more chocolates)
7. On the other hand cheap pho, exotic fruits, rice, stir-fry, bakery treats, teas, and coffee are splendid and I can’t go without them for 2 days.
8. Western food is disgusting and I feel like a fat pig when I eat it next to a Vietnamese person eating rice.
9. It’s ok to wear pajamas in public…they just have to be silk and look nice.
10. Wedding dresses are beautiful and pretty easy to come by around here (maybe I will elope here just for the dress ☺)
11. The stereotype of crazy Asian tourists still exists in Asia, but in Vietnam it becomes crazy Chinese and Korean tourists
12. To my surprise, not only are Americans fat but they are also loud; they say men are worse but this may only be because they were talking to an American woman (me).
13. Futbol remains to be one of the best ways to relate to people anywhere in the world
14. You can carry absolutely everything on a motorbike (I have seen naked manikins, loads of wood, a wooden chair with a baby sitting in the seat, and families of 5 all on one bike)
15. While traveling I just have to embrace my fellow roaches
16. Cats are too cute not to pet, even if they might have rabies
17. Though the cats and dogs on the streets look like strays they probably live with a family
18. Jesus looks better with a neon halo above him
19. For every customer in any store or restaurant, there must be at least 3 workers to take care of his/her every need (this may be uncomfortable at first because you have 4 people staring at you when you eat, but you will soon get used to it and when there is only one person to help you, you will comment “What TERRIBLE service!”)
20. Vietnamese work all the time and never seem to sleep--up by 5:30 to bed around 12…I think they take naps when no one’s looking…sometime they do lay on the side of a street on their bike and sleep for a while
Finally have internet for a couple minutes...
Couple quick random stories then where we are now…
Cat story:
One night we hear another weird noise…I think nothing of it because there are always weird noises, then a little later Elsbeth tells me that there is a cat outside our window. I come over and find that yes indeed there is a cat on the roof above. Then a little later it walks right past our window. We think it’s a little creepy but just go to bed. The next night we discover that its outside our window again and now its getting louder and more obnoxious. We, however, just go to bed again. Morning comes around and now the cat is really loud and continuously meowing outside our window. Some girls from another window try to give it water but they can’t reach it because there is a ledge there. Now we are really close and could probably save the cat, but someone had recently told me that when you get rabies you basically die foaming at the mouth, the thought of this has kept me from animals since, so I guess I was about to let this cat die right outside my window. Anyways the other girls get it over as close to their window as possible and then grab it. So here is this girl holding onto the cat by the head so it would drop down a couple stories into an alleyway and trying to get it in between these tiny bars. Finally the cat is in and saved! No thanks to our selfishness!
Our next 6 months were planned for us when Apollo told us Friday that they were unsure about the openings available for us in Haiphong. We called ILA up immediately and formally accepted our positions in Vung Tau. We were a bit disappointed in the beginning because we had our hearts set on moving up north (a bit cooler and a new environment) but we realized the positions we accepted were pretty much identical to the ones we were turned away from. So here I am sitting in my own free room in Vung Tau an hour and a half away from Ho Chi Minh City. We will stay in this guest house/hotel for free for the next week (ILA pays your first 7 days). From there we have to decide whether to stay or find an apartment. The place is pretty nice and we will probably end up staying either here or in another guest house because we would have to make a 3-month down payment for an apartment or house….which we could save and spend on things that we need right now…such as loans payments, transportation, and food. We took the Hydrofoil down here yesterday and took a taxi that jipped us and went the long way to our hotel….but we didn’t want to argue so we just paid up. We came in and met up with a fellow CELTA trainee, Steve, who is the one other person who ended up in Vung Tau with us, had a game of cards, some dinner of delicious pho, and went for a walk along the boardwalk. As the vacation spot for many Vietnamese, the boardwalk was full, wall-to-wall of Vietnamese people. The expat community is very small which is exciting because it forces us out into the local community. After a lovely night I was woken up at 7:30 by the maids right outside my door. They knocked at 7:45 because they wanted to clean….good thing I didn’t want to sleep in! I was planning on running anyways. Here are a just a few comparisons between running along the boardwalk in Vung Tau as compared to Malta.
Similarities:
Watch your step the ground is not flat
Its hot on the equator--sweat will be pouring out before you get 5 minutes into it, really you should just insert an IV and strap it on your back
The sun is strong; by the time you get home after one run you will have a watch tanline
If you are a 5’7 woman running you will never fit in…even if you think you don’t look very different from the locals.
If you pretend you can’t hear anyone because you are listening to music, people will eventually leave you alone.
There are no bathrooms…go before you leave!
If you have to cross a street…just go, people will go around you unless they are absolutely blaring your horn, then be careful
The sea is an extremely great escape from traffic and the bustle on the streets, it doesn’t matter how crappy the beach is
I’m a fast runner…I actually pass people when running in Vietnam and Malta
Running remains to be the best way to discover a new place…slow enough to see things, fast enough to get around before midday when the sun is blaring
Differences...Vung Tau I learn
Green trees, bluffs, and grass do exist in this world.
Look out for human feces as supposed to dog feces.
If you’re tan with dark hair, luckily you are not attractive to Vietnamese men, white people are more attractive (you can find whitening in the stores if you would like) so you will only be bothered by people who want to sell you something (choose your poison)
There aren’t that many people along the boardwalk at 8:00 am…they must get up earlier?
Here's a bit about what I have learned so far in
Vietnam
1. A normal American is 5 inches too tall and 50 lbs too heavy.
2. Vietnamese have perfect hair (stick straight, no fuzz) so they can wear it long and down without going crazy in this deathly hot, humid environment
3. It’s hot…good luck going back to Minnesota after this you will die there if the heat doesn’t take you now
4. In the city you are breathing in pure exhaust with a bit of water
5. In the country you are breathing in pure water
6. Cheese, popcorn, good gum, diet pop, and wheat are hard to come by (oh and mom you were right, I should have brought more chocolates)
7. On the other hand cheap pho, exotic fruits, rice, stir-fry, bakery treats, teas, and coffee are splendid and I can’t go without them for 2 days.
8. Western food is disgusting and I feel like a fat pig when I eat it next to a Vietnamese person eating rice.
9. It’s ok to wear pajamas in public…they just have to be silk and look nice.
10. Wedding dresses are beautiful and pretty easy to come by around here (maybe I will elope here just for the dress ☺)
11. The stereotype of crazy Asian tourists still exists in Asia, but in Vietnam it becomes crazy Chinese and Korean tourists
12. To my surprise, not only are Americans fat but they are also loud; they say men are worse but this may only be because they were talking to an American woman (me).
13. Futbol remains to be one of the best ways to relate to people anywhere in the world
14. You can carry absolutely everything on a motorbike (I have seen naked manikins, loads of wood, a wooden chair with a baby sitting in the seat, and families of 5 all on one bike)
15. While traveling I just have to embrace my fellow roaches
16. Cats are too cute not to pet, even if they might have rabies
17. Though the cats and dogs on the streets look like strays they probably live with a family
18. Jesus looks better with a neon halo above him
19. For every customer in any store or restaurant, there must be at least 3 workers to take care of his/her every need (this may be uncomfortable at first because you have 4 people staring at you when you eat, but you will soon get used to it and when there is only one person to help you, you will comment “What TERRIBLE service!”)
20. Vietnamese work all the time and never seem to sleep--up by 5:30 to bed around 12…I think they take naps when no one’s looking…sometime they do lay on the side of a street on their bike and sleep for a while
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Lions, Tigers, and White, Western Women, Oh My!
Elsbeth writing…
Time for another update. No, we don’t have any job news yet. The school we are looking at is incredibly slow about getting back to us, but we have to make a decision by high noon tomorrow. So we’ll see. It’s a waiting game. I’m not too perturbed about it, but I know Ellyn is really antsy to leave.
Well, yesterday, I went to the botanical gardens and zoo with two ladies from our class. It was a great day. We first took a taxi to this Vietnamese restaurant. I had rice noodles wrapped in beef, lettuce, and some peanuty thing. It was good, but I was a little worried about the hygiene of the place after one of the workers sneezed into her hand and kept making the food (and eating it herself). That wasn’t surprising though, I’ve seen food workers come out of the bathroom without washing their hands. Street vendors are a whole ‘nother story. Yep, the FDA would have a field day in Vietnam. But I haven’t gotten too sick yet. I’m just building up immunity :-).
Anyway, after that we went to the gardens and zoo. I had that Simon and Garfunkel song in my head all day. It was a really nice place (you’d like it there, mom). According to Fodor’s, the botanical gardens were founded by the French botanist Jean-Batiste Louis Pierre in 1864. After the war, however, they went into decline and haven’t yet returned to their former glory. The gardens were still beautiful, but the animals were the main attraction for us. I think this is the closest I’ve been to the animals—especially the big, dangerous ones—at a zoo. If you really wanted to, you could reach your hand into the tiger and lion cages. The male lion freaked me out. I was going to take a picture of him (no flash) and he came running towards me. He must not like cameras. Then we saw elephants—yes, elephants Sarah! And we even fed them carrots. Pretty sweet, but unfortunately they weren’t wild elephants yet. We also saw giraffes and had some good pictures taken with dinosaurs. They were supposed to be Vietnamese-speaking dinosaurs, but they just stood there and didn’t move. We also took a Choo-Choo tractor-train ride around the park. We had been trying to catch that thing all did and we finally did just before we left. But what was the funniest part of our day was how we as three white, Western women were more of an attraction to the Vietnamese than the animals themselves. One group of business men asked to take pictures with us and one guy with his family was taking a video of me. Others just stared at us. It’s not as creepy as it sounds. They were friendly, but apparently they don’t see many Westerners.
After the zoo we went to Dong Khoi, this high-end street with expensive stores and restaurants, and ate at a cute, little French restaurant. Jenn wanted mashed potatoes because she’d been sick and they had real ones there with milk and butter, not pork fat. So we all got potatoes of some sort—many of you know how I’m obsessed with potatoes. It turned out to be an expensive dinner, but we got our money’s worth by sitting and talking there for four hours.
Today, Ellyn, Jenn, and I went to the oddest art museum ever. It was like an old haunted house. The building itself was this beautiful, golden-yellow French structure. The art was interesting, because much of it had to do with the Vietnam War. I noticed how it was already cracking and fading because there was no air conditioning and all the windows were open to let in the heat and humidity. But what was even more interesting was the dark, creepy corners in the museum that we explored. There weren’t many people there so we could sneak around. What made it even more surreal and scary was that a big monsoon storm had blown in heavy rains with lightening and thunder.
Well, that’s a relatively quick update on my lazy life these past two days. Hopefully we’ll have some real news tomorrow…we’ll see. Otherwise tomorrow I may go with one of the guys from our class to this German National Holiday celebration. He’s originally from Germany, so I may have a chance to speak German with people and get free food! Sehr toll.
Time for another update. No, we don’t have any job news yet. The school we are looking at is incredibly slow about getting back to us, but we have to make a decision by high noon tomorrow. So we’ll see. It’s a waiting game. I’m not too perturbed about it, but I know Ellyn is really antsy to leave.
Well, yesterday, I went to the botanical gardens and zoo with two ladies from our class. It was a great day. We first took a taxi to this Vietnamese restaurant. I had rice noodles wrapped in beef, lettuce, and some peanuty thing. It was good, but I was a little worried about the hygiene of the place after one of the workers sneezed into her hand and kept making the food (and eating it herself). That wasn’t surprising though, I’ve seen food workers come out of the bathroom without washing their hands. Street vendors are a whole ‘nother story. Yep, the FDA would have a field day in Vietnam. But I haven’t gotten too sick yet. I’m just building up immunity :-).
Anyway, after that we went to the gardens and zoo. I had that Simon and Garfunkel song in my head all day. It was a really nice place (you’d like it there, mom). According to Fodor’s, the botanical gardens were founded by the French botanist Jean-Batiste Louis Pierre in 1864. After the war, however, they went into decline and haven’t yet returned to their former glory. The gardens were still beautiful, but the animals were the main attraction for us. I think this is the closest I’ve been to the animals—especially the big, dangerous ones—at a zoo. If you really wanted to, you could reach your hand into the tiger and lion cages. The male lion freaked me out. I was going to take a picture of him (no flash) and he came running towards me. He must not like cameras. Then we saw elephants—yes, elephants Sarah! And we even fed them carrots. Pretty sweet, but unfortunately they weren’t wild elephants yet. We also saw giraffes and had some good pictures taken with dinosaurs. They were supposed to be Vietnamese-speaking dinosaurs, but they just stood there and didn’t move. We also took a Choo-Choo tractor-train ride around the park. We had been trying to catch that thing all did and we finally did just before we left. But what was the funniest part of our day was how we as three white, Western women were more of an attraction to the Vietnamese than the animals themselves. One group of business men asked to take pictures with us and one guy with his family was taking a video of me. Others just stared at us. It’s not as creepy as it sounds. They were friendly, but apparently they don’t see many Westerners.
After the zoo we went to Dong Khoi, this high-end street with expensive stores and restaurants, and ate at a cute, little French restaurant. Jenn wanted mashed potatoes because she’d been sick and they had real ones there with milk and butter, not pork fat. So we all got potatoes of some sort—many of you know how I’m obsessed with potatoes. It turned out to be an expensive dinner, but we got our money’s worth by sitting and talking there for four hours.
Today, Ellyn, Jenn, and I went to the oddest art museum ever. It was like an old haunted house. The building itself was this beautiful, golden-yellow French structure. The art was interesting, because much of it had to do with the Vietnam War. I noticed how it was already cracking and fading because there was no air conditioning and all the windows were open to let in the heat and humidity. But what was even more interesting was the dark, creepy corners in the museum that we explored. There weren’t many people there so we could sneak around. What made it even more surreal and scary was that a big monsoon storm had blown in heavy rains with lightening and thunder.
Well, that’s a relatively quick update on my lazy life these past two days. Hopefully we’ll have some real news tomorrow…we’ll see. Otherwise tomorrow I may go with one of the guys from our class to this German National Holiday celebration. He’s originally from Germany, so I may have a chance to speak German with people and get free food! Sehr toll.
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