Let's Go Fly A Kite!

Elsbeth writing…

TGIF like you would not believe! My first weekend off in 19 days! Finally a break. I slept in late Saturday morning and moseyed around trying to plan the itinerary for my trip with mom in April and May.

The International Kite Festival has come to Vung Tau this year and thousands of people (more tourists than usual on the weekend) thronged Back Beach, which is only three blocks from our house to watch the many elaborate kites float weightlessly in the air. I met friends Saturday evening at the Beach Club (our usual hang out) to catch my first glimpse of the kites. The main festivities were going on right out on the beach from the bar. Even in the dark they were flying their huge kites shaped like teddy bears, sharks, and squid. I walked along the beach for a bit and later had dinner at a nearby seafood restaurant with a friend as we watch the kites shining through spotlights in the dark. There was some sort of Vietnamese celebration going on at the restaurant and the karaoke was deafening, considering that the people inside insisted on opening the windows. Later I joined the other girls for a movie under Kaidian’s cupcake pink mosquito netting.

On Sunday morning I woke up early—7 a.m.! That’s way early for me and drove out to Back Beach again to watch the kites being set up and lifted off. I walked down the beach and then sat in the sand while I watch the largest ones being teased into the air. They’re beautiful and there were so many Vietnamese people out swimming in the cool of the morning. It’s a nice event for families. Kids were running up and down the beach with their own little kites. I took lots of pictures and once I get them Photoshoped I’ll post them on Shutterfly. It’s so nice to get up early and have the whole day before you. I should really try this more often. I was falling asleep by 11 a.m., though, yet I never got a nap in. I talked with the parental units for three hours! Then I went to the Essentials Grocery Store where I bought some food and made myself lunch at home.

Then later that evening we met other teachers at ILA and drove to the dog restaurant nearby. Yes, I said dog restaurant. We...um…I don’t know how to put this for all you dog lovers out there (myself included)…we ate dog. Yes, I admit that I tried a bit of those poor, poor dogs. I didn’t think I could do it, but I plugged my nose a tried a bit of almost every dog meat dish they put in front of us. It tasted like beef…. I’M SORRY WOOLY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I don’t know how you can….I have betrayed you and your dog kind. Never again. When we came in they had two roasted dogs (thank goodness there were no heads) ready to be chopped up on the cutting board. To make it worse there was a dog nonchalantly sleeping in the corner while his pals cooked in the steaming vats behind him. I feel like such a traitor and a cannibal in a twisted sense, but it was all for the experience…right? They try to justify eating dogs by saying that they would eat me if they had the chance and that they only kill the stupid dogs. Still….

Well, aside from that disturbing news, I have some other interesting news for you. Ellyn and I have decided to move to Hanoi. We originally wanted to move up there when we took the job with ILA, because we wanted to experience both halves of the country. Although I still love this town and it’s peaceful, laidback lifestyle, it’s also a dead-end town where old Aussies and Oilies congregate to chase after young bar girls. There isn’t much here for 20-something women…well, women in general. When all the tourists have left after the weekend, it’s a man’s town, plain and simple. I love teaching, my students, the other teachers, and the staff at school, so I'll miss them.

It’ll be very sad to leave my friends here. We’ve had some good times. But, a lot of people are leaving at the same time—some of them going to Hanoi as well, so that makes leaving better. After all, we’re young! As the song says “Take a chance, make a change.”

So that’s where we are now. I have so much to do this next month to prepare for leaving and for my mom to come, so I may not have much time to update this blog. Wish me good luck! I hope all is well at home!