Friday, 15 May 2010
The commute from my apartment in Trung Son to school is about 2.5 miles. When I arrived I found a fleet of xe-om drivers to use. Mr. Hung is my regular- he's 46 and single and has an extra little nubbin on his left thumb. That may be how I came to recognize him. He's quiet, which at times can be an extra special quality of xe-om drivers, especially when I am tired and not really in the mood to chat in a second language that I only speak so-so. He also knows exactly where I need to go, most of the time, so it's easy. He gave me his phone number so I can just call him anytime I need a ride. This is one of the most humorous parts of the xe-om experience, and something that Jonathan and I handle differently, especially when it comes to Mr. Hung.
Quite often when I call Mr. Hung, I am making a plan to go somewhere in the not-too-distant future. It usually goes something like this:
Hung: A-lo? (sleepy, like you-just-woke-me-up sleepy..doesn't matter what time of day it is)
Lisa: Hi Mr. Hung. It's Lisa. Can you come meet me at 6:30 and go to Phu My Hung?
Hung: OK! OK! OK! OK! (Has to be said in a gruff "monster" voice cuz that's how Hung says it)
Jonathan, on the other hand, calls Hung right when he is needed and Hung shows up a moment or 2 later. Because I usually give Hung a time, his question is always- when?
My commute leaves our "quiet" neighborhood, goes up to a BIG 10-lane highway, across the inlet on a big red bridge, and into Phu My Hung. The highway doesn't have much traffic on it most of the time. It does, however, have vendors along the sides of the road selling EVERYTHING you might possibly need, like:
*Fresh live crabs for dinner (or Kindergarten science exploration)
*A new pair of jeans (why you would need jeans in the tropics is still one I can't figure out)
*A new motorcycle helmet (in case yours fell off and broke or you are taking on a new passenger)
*Your morning newspaper, coffee/coconut, and bun (noodle) breakfast (all for take-away),
*Guinea pigs or bunnies (pet or dinner?)
*Fresh fruit!
It was this last one that stopped me on my way home Thursday afternoon. A truck was stopped on the side of the road. When I looked to see what they had, I saw durian (an acquired taste, let's say). No thanks. But then I saw the mangosteens. If you have never had these, you owe it to yourself to try them sometime. They are delicious! They are little round purple fruit about the size of a raquetball ball. The purple is actually just the peel or skin. It is about 1/4 inch thick. The delicious edible part is a small white juicy segmented fruit that sometimes has a seed in it. (or maybe it always does and sometimes they are so small or chewy that I end up eating them!)
On this particular day I was riding my bike. I always wear my helmet, so I look stranger than normal since no one on a bike wears a helmet. I pulled off the road and cruised over to the truck. The vendor, a young man, looked at me with a bit of trepidation on his face. (uh-oh. Foreigner..What does she want? How will I be able to help her?)
When he looked over, I asked (in Vietnamese): "Fruit mangosteen- how much?"
He smiled. (whew! She speaks Vietnamese! or maybe it was because my Vietnamese was so terrible!) "25,000 for 1 kilo." (a great price for mangosteens!! They must be in season!)
Lisa: "Oh, good price. I want 1 kilo."
(Vendor yells to the woman in the truck to get 1 kilo of the delectable fruit. Yum!)
Meanwhile, he has a big goofy grin on his face that probably mirrors my big goofy grin. We go on to chat about how delicious mangosteens are and how these are the most delicious mangosteens, right? Then, when I pull out my money and find that I don't have 25,ooo exactly but rather 50,000, I ask for not 1 but 2 kilos! She continues gathering the fruit into a bag, he continues grinning, I continue grinning (I'm getting mangosteens! I love mangosteens!). We finish the transaction and I ride away feeling like I'm on cloud 9.
I get down the road a bit and bust out laughing. What they must think of foreigners. Silly foreigners- they don't argue that the price is too much- we're going to take them to the cleaners! Silly foreigners, they don't pick out their own fruit! The vendor-lady probably gave me all the worst ones and here I am thinking "I am so lucky and I am so cool. I'm buying mangosteens!" Well, even if they ARE all the worst ones, I paid.. $2.50 for 2 kilos of their wonderfulness. That, and those silly foreigners always have the goofiest, wide-eyed, tooth-filled grins on their faces. I can't even begin to figure out what they might be thinking about that.
Guess what, she didn't give me the lame ones and, yes, they WERE wonderful!!
Oh, I forgot to mention..It had rained so there was a lot of nasty puddles and road grime. I had run to school and, in order to avoid all the nastiness of the road, had to put on my smelly running clothes to ride home in..Not only did I look like an alien in my biking garb, but I was standing there reeking in my 8-hour old sweat and nasty funk from the morning..maybe it wasn't a grin at all but an Oh-my-god-you-stink-so-bad-my-eyes-are-tearing-and-I'm-gonna-puke grimace. Hmm.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Spring Break
28 March 2010
Being a teacher in Southeast Asia has its ups and downs. One of the perks is Spring Break. While Spring Break is a fantastic concept wherever you are, in Southeast Asia it's kind of fun- there are so many amazing places that are an easy flight away! Lucky for us, that is so.
Our initial plan was to go to Manila for the break. 3 days before our departure, I discovered that the tickets I thought we had secured already were merely reservations that would expire..oops! did expire. When we tried in vain to find the same affordable tix, they were gone. So we came up with a Plan B- Thailand.
We left Saturday evening along with a few other teachers from my school. First, I must say that I don't think I like evening flights. I guess when you stop to think about the convenience of a quick weekend jaunt to Thailand, leaving Friday after school and returning Sunday evening before school is back on Monday, the idea is pretty nice. But for a longer trip, evening flights are a bit frustrating. You know that you are leaving, and sometimes it feels like I am just trying to fill the day with things I need to do when my mind is already on the future and where I will be..
Anyway, we arrived 25 minutes early! I've never heard of a flight being THAT early. I was not really feeling well and so the flight was kind of miserable. Immigration in Thailand took what seemed like an eternity..but again, I think that was aggravated by the constant threat of vomiting- I was acutely aware of the location of the bathrooms and how long the line was and how slowly it was moving.
We made it to our hotel with no problems, and woke up to a lovely beach with no waves. We went for a long walk and I think we were both kind of expecting something different, like white sand and clear blue water. Later that day, as the sun made its way up the sky, the water did become a beautiful blue and the sand: soft, fine, and lovely white. Our hotel was a bit north of the main town, which made it a lot more peaceful. There were still lots of other tourists, but nothing like a few weeks ago when it was high season, according to some of the "local" Bhutanese or Nepalese tailors. (Oddity- this town, Kamala, had oodles of tailors, most of whom came from either Bhutan, Nepal, or India..none actually from Thailand!)
We spent a lot of time hanging at the beach, but we also did some exploring. One tour that we did was a guided bike trip on one of the nearby islands. Amazing! The riding was fun, albeit hot, and we got to visit a great little island. Another excursion was to a different island where we did some snorkeling. We also rented a motorbike and drove around the southern part of Phuket..we got lost, and managed to find the Butterfly and Insect Garden, which was not even on our list of must-sees, but a good thing to do!
View of the beach at low tide our first morning there. Hmmm.
I have no idea what this says! It was on a sign in front of a school and I just liked it!
A gate to the schoolyard.
The beach where we stayed. During the day it looks so vivid and more like what I envision when I think of Thailand.
Sunset at almost the same spot where the morning long-tail photo was taken. It was common for us to go for a "sundowner" each evening at a hut/bar on the beach where this was the view.
Being a teacher in Southeast Asia has its ups and downs. One of the perks is Spring Break. While Spring Break is a fantastic concept wherever you are, in Southeast Asia it's kind of fun- there are so many amazing places that are an easy flight away! Lucky for us, that is so.
Our initial plan was to go to Manila for the break. 3 days before our departure, I discovered that the tickets I thought we had secured already were merely reservations that would expire..oops! did expire. When we tried in vain to find the same affordable tix, they were gone. So we came up with a Plan B- Thailand.
We left Saturday evening along with a few other teachers from my school. First, I must say that I don't think I like evening flights. I guess when you stop to think about the convenience of a quick weekend jaunt to Thailand, leaving Friday after school and returning Sunday evening before school is back on Monday, the idea is pretty nice. But for a longer trip, evening flights are a bit frustrating. You know that you are leaving, and sometimes it feels like I am just trying to fill the day with things I need to do when my mind is already on the future and where I will be..
Anyway, we arrived 25 minutes early! I've never heard of a flight being THAT early. I was not really feeling well and so the flight was kind of miserable. Immigration in Thailand took what seemed like an eternity..but again, I think that was aggravated by the constant threat of vomiting- I was acutely aware of the location of the bathrooms and how long the line was and how slowly it was moving.
We made it to our hotel with no problems, and woke up to a lovely beach with no waves. We went for a long walk and I think we were both kind of expecting something different, like white sand and clear blue water. Later that day, as the sun made its way up the sky, the water did become a beautiful blue and the sand: soft, fine, and lovely white. Our hotel was a bit north of the main town, which made it a lot more peaceful. There were still lots of other tourists, but nothing like a few weeks ago when it was high season, according to some of the "local" Bhutanese or Nepalese tailors. (Oddity- this town, Kamala, had oodles of tailors, most of whom came from either Bhutan, Nepal, or India..none actually from Thailand!)
We spent a lot of time hanging at the beach, but we also did some exploring. One tour that we did was a guided bike trip on one of the nearby islands. Amazing! The riding was fun, albeit hot, and we got to visit a great little island. Another excursion was to a different island where we did some snorkeling. We also rented a motorbike and drove around the southern part of Phuket..we got lost, and managed to find the Butterfly and Insect Garden, which was not even on our list of must-sees, but a good thing to do!
View of the beach at low tide our first morning there. Hmmm.
I have no idea what this says! It was on a sign in front of a school and I just liked it!
A gate to the schoolyard.
The beach where we stayed. During the day it looks so vivid and more like what I envision when I think of Thailand.
Sunset at almost the same spot where the morning long-tail photo was taken. It was common for us to go for a "sundowner" each evening at a hut/bar on the beach where this was the view.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Professional Development
14 March 2010
One of the coolest things about living in Vietnam, being a teacher in Vietnam, is the network of teachers in the entire Southeast Asian region. These networks (there are several) make for some pretty amazing opportunities for professional development...in some pretty incredible places! Last weekend I accompanied 3 teammates and our assistant principal to (get this) Singapore! for a workshop on the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching. Not only was the workshop phenomenal, but the location was fantastic!
Singapore. When I think of it, Johnny Depp's pirate voice comes to mind: "Clearly you've never been to Singapore." I can imagine that the Singapore of old was quite a spectacle. The Singapore of today is a modern, clean (hyper-clean), orderly city with loads of high-rise buildings, wide streets, CARS, and shopping. We did lots of walking and shopping. It's hard not to! Everywhere you turn there is another giant shopping center! We had lots of tasty food and yummy non-lager beer (wheat beers, stouts, IPAs, the list goes on- not quite as long as Boulder's list of frothy deliciousness, but it's definitely longer than the meager one provided by most locales in Saigon: Tiger, 333, Saigon, Zorok...all essentially the same. But honestly, it IS the tropics! I can't even fathom a heavy, full-bodied brew most days!)
I chose to take our last morning in to visit a lil place you might have heard of..The Singapore Zoo. We have heard amazing things about the zoo. It is second to none! It's beautiful with large, enriching enclosures for the animals. They are a bit on the showy side with presentations of animals who appear to be trained to come from their platforms in the trees to come eat and pose for photos with visitors, but it is really quite an amazing place. I HIGHLY recommend it if you are ever in the area!
Clarke Quay (pronounced "key") is a cool little waterfront shopping/eating place that feels kind of like Disneyland. Each restaurant has a different theme: Mexican, Spanish, Irish, hospital. Yes, it is true, one restaurant has wheelchairs painted gold sitting at tables, stainless steel stools at tables of the same where you can enjoy a tasty beverage presented as an IV.
Check this out! These 2 old buildings behind the Cricket pitch (British colony), with this modern building in the background that looks just like a UFO!
Wide, clean boulevards where people drive on the left side of the road. Always interesting when you are trained to cross the street in a right-side world.
This waterfront strip was kind of cool. The buildings are reminiscent of the Chinese influence in Singapore.
Just a bunch of primates hangin' around!
One of the coolest things about living in Vietnam, being a teacher in Vietnam, is the network of teachers in the entire Southeast Asian region. These networks (there are several) make for some pretty amazing opportunities for professional development...in some pretty incredible places! Last weekend I accompanied 3 teammates and our assistant principal to (get this) Singapore! for a workshop on the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching. Not only was the workshop phenomenal, but the location was fantastic!
Singapore. When I think of it, Johnny Depp's pirate voice comes to mind: "Clearly you've never been to Singapore." I can imagine that the Singapore of old was quite a spectacle. The Singapore of today is a modern, clean (hyper-clean), orderly city with loads of high-rise buildings, wide streets, CARS, and shopping. We did lots of walking and shopping. It's hard not to! Everywhere you turn there is another giant shopping center! We had lots of tasty food and yummy non-lager beer (wheat beers, stouts, IPAs, the list goes on- not quite as long as Boulder's list of frothy deliciousness, but it's definitely longer than the meager one provided by most locales in Saigon: Tiger, 333, Saigon, Zorok...all essentially the same. But honestly, it IS the tropics! I can't even fathom a heavy, full-bodied brew most days!)
I chose to take our last morning in to visit a lil place you might have heard of..The Singapore Zoo. We have heard amazing things about the zoo. It is second to none! It's beautiful with large, enriching enclosures for the animals. They are a bit on the showy side with presentations of animals who appear to be trained to come from their platforms in the trees to come eat and pose for photos with visitors, but it is really quite an amazing place. I HIGHLY recommend it if you are ever in the area!
Clarke Quay (pronounced "key") is a cool little waterfront shopping/eating place that feels kind of like Disneyland. Each restaurant has a different theme: Mexican, Spanish, Irish, hospital. Yes, it is true, one restaurant has wheelchairs painted gold sitting at tables, stainless steel stools at tables of the same where you can enjoy a tasty beverage presented as an IV.
Check this out! These 2 old buildings behind the Cricket pitch (British colony), with this modern building in the background that looks just like a UFO!
Wide, clean boulevards where people drive on the left side of the road. Always interesting when you are trained to cross the street in a right-side world.
This waterfront strip was kind of cool. The buildings are reminiscent of the Chinese influence in Singapore.
Just a bunch of primates hangin' around!
School Lunch
1 March 2010
Every day my kids come in from recess at 12:00, wash their hands, and sit down to lunch. Not unusual for a full-day kindergarten class. Some kids bring lunch from home, while others order a school lunch. Also not unusual. Around 11:45, there is a wave of adults, usually women, who bring freshly made lunches for the kids. These women are usually kids' moms or housekeepers/nannies and this is not a phenomenon that happens only for kindergarten kiddos. One day I decided to take a photo of the lunches my kids eat. Bon appetit!
Kids have a choice of Asian or Western food from school. Above is the Asian entree, and below is the Western entree. These little blue trays are not just for schools! All over town restaurants advertise Office Lunches for very cheap. Around 11:30, it is not uncommon to see motorbikes piled high with these trays- Delivery Service!
These little lunch boxes are so cool! They come with a thermos for rice, and then 2 containers. This student always brings some kind of soup and a meat that he scoops into the rice one bite at a time!
This is the lunch that started this whole wave of photos. Isn't this cute! A closer look is below!
Every day my kids come in from recess at 12:00, wash their hands, and sit down to lunch. Not unusual for a full-day kindergarten class. Some kids bring lunch from home, while others order a school lunch. Also not unusual. Around 11:45, there is a wave of adults, usually women, who bring freshly made lunches for the kids. These women are usually kids' moms or housekeepers/nannies and this is not a phenomenon that happens only for kindergarten kiddos. One day I decided to take a photo of the lunches my kids eat. Bon appetit!
Kids have a choice of Asian or Western food from school. Above is the Asian entree, and below is the Western entree. These little blue trays are not just for schools! All over town restaurants advertise Office Lunches for very cheap. Around 11:30, it is not uncommon to see motorbikes piled high with these trays- Delivery Service!
These little lunch boxes are so cool! They come with a thermos for rice, and then 2 containers. This student always brings some kind of soup and a meat that he scoops into the rice one bite at a time!
This is the lunch that started this whole wave of photos. Isn't this cute! A closer look is below!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Tet in The Big City
20 February 2010
New Year's Eve- daytime
Tet is the Vietnamese equivalent of Chinese New Year. It happens on the new moon of the first month of the lunar new year. That happened to be 14 February this year. (Valentine's Day!) New Year's Eve was on Saturday and I had heard a lot about New Year's Eve and the Tet celebrations, so I had to find out for myself.
On Saturday morning I went into the city to check out the scene. I went to the Backpacker area and a market that is lots of fun. The market was packed and the traffic was crazy! Loads of impromptu stalls set up selling flowers, Tet charms, and fruit especially for the big celebrations were everywhere!
New Year's Eve-nighttime
At about 11:30, I decided that I was awake and curious enough to check out the BIG Tet festivities downtown. I had heard that there would be fireworks and flowers and displays. Would I be able to find them? Are you kidding? I took a taxi from the house over to District 1 and got as close as I could to the river, where the fireworks would be set off. I say "as close as" because I could only get about 6 blocks away..the roads were packed solid! I got out and walked the rest of the way towards a road that goes right up to the river.
Following the fireworks, I decided to stick around for a bit and see what the decorations and stuff were. On LeLoi street there were tons of beautiful lights and displays. Down on Nguyen Hue street there were amazing flower displays, but I stopped a little ways down once I realized I had lost my small camera case. Bummer.
New Year's Day
I woke up kind of early on Sunday and went for my usual bike ride. The traffic was thin, even for Sunday at 6 a.m. I did a couple of laps around the Industrial park, which sounds much worse than it is, and then made my way through District 4 and into District 1. I stopped at the flowers display on Nguyen Hue, and then rode through the traffic circle at Ben Thanh (woohoo!) over to Sozo for breakfast. It was a great way to spend my first morning of the Year of the Tiger! Grrr!
New Year's Eve- daytime
Tet is the Vietnamese equivalent of Chinese New Year. It happens on the new moon of the first month of the lunar new year. That happened to be 14 February this year. (Valentine's Day!) New Year's Eve was on Saturday and I had heard a lot about New Year's Eve and the Tet celebrations, so I had to find out for myself.
On Saturday morning I went into the city to check out the scene. I went to the Backpacker area and a market that is lots of fun. The market was packed and the traffic was crazy! Loads of impromptu stalls set up selling flowers, Tet charms, and fruit especially for the big celebrations were everywhere!
New Year's Eve-nighttime
At about 11:30, I decided that I was awake and curious enough to check out the BIG Tet festivities downtown. I had heard that there would be fireworks and flowers and displays. Would I be able to find them? Are you kidding? I took a taxi from the house over to District 1 and got as close as I could to the river, where the fireworks would be set off. I say "as close as" because I could only get about 6 blocks away..the roads were packed solid! I got out and walked the rest of the way towards a road that goes right up to the river.
Following the fireworks, I decided to stick around for a bit and see what the decorations and stuff were. On LeLoi street there were tons of beautiful lights and displays. Down on Nguyen Hue street there were amazing flower displays, but I stopped a little ways down once I realized I had lost my small camera case. Bummer.
New Year's Day
I woke up kind of early on Sunday and went for my usual bike ride. The traffic was thin, even for Sunday at 6 a.m. I did a couple of laps around the Industrial park, which sounds much worse than it is, and then made my way through District 4 and into District 1. I stopped at the flowers display on Nguyen Hue, and then rode through the traffic circle at Ben Thanh (woohoo!) over to Sozo for breakfast. It was a great way to spend my first morning of the Year of the Tiger! Grrr!
Tet in the Forest
20 February 2010
Food for Thought
I just got back from spending a few days in Cat Tien with Jonathan. It makes me sad to admit this, but until this week, I hadn't been back to Cat Tien since May!! I was due for a visit! I took the big orange bus to Tan Phu, where Jonathan picked me up on his motorbike. We had a great ride back to the river, where we caught the boat across to the park. With it being Tet, there were lots of tourists visiting (myself included!). I was starving so we went to the restaurant for some lunch, where we got invited to join in lunchtime Tet toasts. 3-4 shots of rice wine later and I was ready for a nap! When we awoke, we stopped by to visit the bears, and had a nice dinner at the Bamboo Cantina with Silvia and Carla.
In Ho Chi Minh City I end up eating lots of strange, non-Vietnamese foods, like salad. In preparation for almost any trip, our conversation inevitably revolves around foods that we will get to enjoy. This was no different. I was excited to eat the homemade chips, the stir-fried noodles with tofu, and the egg sandwiches. When in Cat Tien, my question to Jonathan is always: "When is our next meal?" I think it is mostly out of boredom rather than an insatiable appetite for so-so foods I never choose to fix for myself.
The oddity in this whole scenario is how our roles are reversed in the city. When Jonathan comes in for a visit, he can't go an hour without a meal. "What do you want to have for lunch?" "Are you hungry yet?" "Do you want a snack?" My answer is usually "no" or "I don't know". In the same way that I eat everything in sight (which isn't very much in the forest since pickin's are slim) Jonathan does the same- pizza, gnocchi, sandwiches, cheesecake, and the list goes on. I am so glad that he is also excited about eating salad when he comes for a visit!
The Nam Cat Tien Market..we were late and it was during Tet. It's usually pretty hopping around 6:00 a.m.
A Refreshing Hike
Aside from seeing how the new Forest Floor Lodge is coming, and catching up with friends, one of the highlights was our morning hike on Wednesday. We woke up early- about 6, so that we could hear the gibbons singing. They usually begin around 6:30. We made coffee and I was in my usual spot out at the stone table watching the sun and listening when we decided to go for a walk. Coffee in hand, we headed out the trail that Jonathan takes every morning to get to his "research site". This was the first time I had gone into the forest and wasn't covered head-to-toe with my REI Field Gear, Leech Socks, and Hat.
One thing I have discovered about myself is that I have a cautious love of the outdoors. While I enjoy going for a hike, it is the moments when I "get naked" so to speak when I have one of those earth-shattering moments of true love- not just for the outdoors, but for myself and my silliness and bravery. I wear all the gear to create a false sense of safety and separation. It's like sleeping in a tent. That thin piece of nylon is like a security blanket: bear-proof, insect-proof, sleep-inducing...but in reality it's just a thin piece of material.
Just strolling, coffee in hand, long-sleeve shirt but no bra, sequinned Fit-flops on feet...I had the best time hiking and listening to WILD gibbons sing. Yes, we could hear the gibbons at the rescue center, but we could distinguish those from the ones up on the Birdhouse/hill trails a few kilometers away. I had some realizations: of bravery, of "oh my gosh you are so silly", and of WE'RE "TRACKING WILD GIBBONS!!
Coming across the river..
Ready, Set, Shoot
As we sat at the Bamboo Cantina working on syncing our calendars for the upcoming months, a Vietnamese family came up to a table nearby. We looked over and noticed that the son had a pellet gun! He was shooting it at the squirrel eating the jackfruit in a tree not 2 meters from me! There were some macaques moving about in the bamboo just past the jackfruit tree and the family noticed them. The son got up to get a closer look/shot at them. WHAT??! Are you kidding me??! I politely told him that he needed to stop. He did. But then his dad came over and was about to start. Jonathan and I both were shaking with rage. In our shattered and stuttering Vietnamese (I am shaking now as I type this..) we told him that he was in a national park and that the animals were protected. He stopped. No one ever said anything to us. I am not sure if anyone would. We spent the next day and a half analyzing our actions. Should we have said something? Was that someone important? Did we offend someone? Any time something like this happens in Vietnam, or in other parts of the world ,but especially in Vietnam, our question is always WWBD: What would Bert do? Bert is Jonathan's advisor and the coolest cucumber in the salad. He always seems to do the right thing with a calm, level head that would only bring people together rather than alienate.
After all the brooding, I kind of decided that despite the fact that I was shaking on the inside, my voice was calm, and I don't care if he was someone important (even bigger shame on him- he should know better!). If the situation were to happen again, I would act the same way. WWBD? Hmm. Don't really know. I do know that I have to do what I deem is right and trust myself with that choice.
Food for Thought
I just got back from spending a few days in Cat Tien with Jonathan. It makes me sad to admit this, but until this week, I hadn't been back to Cat Tien since May!! I was due for a visit! I took the big orange bus to Tan Phu, where Jonathan picked me up on his motorbike. We had a great ride back to the river, where we caught the boat across to the park. With it being Tet, there were lots of tourists visiting (myself included!). I was starving so we went to the restaurant for some lunch, where we got invited to join in lunchtime Tet toasts. 3-4 shots of rice wine later and I was ready for a nap! When we awoke, we stopped by to visit the bears, and had a nice dinner at the Bamboo Cantina with Silvia and Carla.
In Ho Chi Minh City I end up eating lots of strange, non-Vietnamese foods, like salad. In preparation for almost any trip, our conversation inevitably revolves around foods that we will get to enjoy. This was no different. I was excited to eat the homemade chips, the stir-fried noodles with tofu, and the egg sandwiches. When in Cat Tien, my question to Jonathan is always: "When is our next meal?" I think it is mostly out of boredom rather than an insatiable appetite for so-so foods I never choose to fix for myself.
The oddity in this whole scenario is how our roles are reversed in the city. When Jonathan comes in for a visit, he can't go an hour without a meal. "What do you want to have for lunch?" "Are you hungry yet?" "Do you want a snack?" My answer is usually "no" or "I don't know". In the same way that I eat everything in sight (which isn't very much in the forest since pickin's are slim) Jonathan does the same- pizza, gnocchi, sandwiches, cheesecake, and the list goes on. I am so glad that he is also excited about eating salad when he comes for a visit!
The Nam Cat Tien Market..we were late and it was during Tet. It's usually pretty hopping around 6:00 a.m.A Refreshing Hike
Aside from seeing how the new Forest Floor Lodge is coming, and catching up with friends, one of the highlights was our morning hike on Wednesday. We woke up early- about 6, so that we could hear the gibbons singing. They usually begin around 6:30. We made coffee and I was in my usual spot out at the stone table watching the sun and listening when we decided to go for a walk. Coffee in hand, we headed out the trail that Jonathan takes every morning to get to his "research site". This was the first time I had gone into the forest and wasn't covered head-to-toe with my REI Field Gear, Leech Socks, and Hat.
One thing I have discovered about myself is that I have a cautious love of the outdoors. While I enjoy going for a hike, it is the moments when I "get naked" so to speak when I have one of those earth-shattering moments of true love- not just for the outdoors, but for myself and my silliness and bravery. I wear all the gear to create a false sense of safety and separation. It's like sleeping in a tent. That thin piece of nylon is like a security blanket: bear-proof, insect-proof, sleep-inducing...but in reality it's just a thin piece of material.
Just strolling, coffee in hand, long-sleeve shirt but no bra, sequinned Fit-flops on feet...I had the best time hiking and listening to WILD gibbons sing. Yes, we could hear the gibbons at the rescue center, but we could distinguish those from the ones up on the Birdhouse/hill trails a few kilometers away. I had some realizations: of bravery, of "oh my gosh you are so silly", and of WE'RE "TRACKING WILD GIBBONS!!
Coming across the river..
Ready, Set, Shoot
As we sat at the Bamboo Cantina working on syncing our calendars for the upcoming months, a Vietnamese family came up to a table nearby. We looked over and noticed that the son had a pellet gun! He was shooting it at the squirrel eating the jackfruit in a tree not 2 meters from me! There were some macaques moving about in the bamboo just past the jackfruit tree and the family noticed them. The son got up to get a closer look/shot at them. WHAT??! Are you kidding me??! I politely told him that he needed to stop. He did. But then his dad came over and was about to start. Jonathan and I both were shaking with rage. In our shattered and stuttering Vietnamese (I am shaking now as I type this..) we told him that he was in a national park and that the animals were protected. He stopped. No one ever said anything to us. I am not sure if anyone would. We spent the next day and a half analyzing our actions. Should we have said something? Was that someone important? Did we offend someone? Any time something like this happens in Vietnam, or in other parts of the world ,but especially in Vietnam, our question is always WWBD: What would Bert do? Bert is Jonathan's advisor and the coolest cucumber in the salad. He always seems to do the right thing with a calm, level head that would only bring people together rather than alienate.
After all the brooding, I kind of decided that despite the fact that I was shaking on the inside, my voice was calm, and I don't care if he was someone important (even bigger shame on him- he should know better!). If the situation were to happen again, I would act the same way. WWBD? Hmm. Don't really know. I do know that I have to do what I deem is right and trust myself with that choice.
Teaching Kindergarten
20 February 2010
I have been teaching Kindergarten for 6 months now and every day is an adventure! I have 21 students and one assistant, along with a "unique aide" who is there to help keep one student on track. It's lots of fun, sometimes stressful, a learning experience, an exercise is patience, and just plain silly some days. Although I have taught preschool and worked with young children, most of my teaching experience has been with older students and in small group. So being THE classroom teacher was new to me. I have really learned a lot about myself and about working with kiddos. I have a few mantras that keep me going when the stress is higher than normal or something really zany happens...
(when they are off-task) What's the task?
They're only 5.
It's Kindergarten.
Breathe.
If at first you don't succeed, try, and try, and try again.
And when those don't work..a pause, a deep breath, a big-belly laugh, and the Tooty-Ta.
Here are some photos of my students. Enjoy!
Making Reading Bugs for Reading Week.
Reading books to our Reading Bugs.
Holiday concert. Ms. Nhi made a great fireplace. The kids wore nice clothes and their Holiday Non La hats that they made in Art.
Singing at the Holiday Concert.
Our field trip to Dam Sen Park and the Ice Castle for our Weather unit. We had to wear these coats because it was SOOO cold! The kids are standing on an ice sculpture of the 1-Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi.
I have been teaching Kindergarten for 6 months now and every day is an adventure! I have 21 students and one assistant, along with a "unique aide" who is there to help keep one student on track. It's lots of fun, sometimes stressful, a learning experience, an exercise is patience, and just plain silly some days. Although I have taught preschool and worked with young children, most of my teaching experience has been with older students and in small group. So being THE classroom teacher was new to me. I have really learned a lot about myself and about working with kiddos. I have a few mantras that keep me going when the stress is higher than normal or something really zany happens...
(when they are off-task) What's the task?
They're only 5.
It's Kindergarten.
Breathe.
If at first you don't succeed, try, and try, and try again.
And when those don't work..a pause, a deep breath, a big-belly laugh, and the Tooty-Ta.
Here are some photos of my students. Enjoy!
Making Reading Bugs for Reading Week.
Reading books to our Reading Bugs.
Holiday concert. Ms. Nhi made a great fireplace. The kids wore nice clothes and their Holiday Non La hats that they made in Art.
Singing at the Holiday Concert.
Our field trip to Dam Sen Park and the Ice Castle for our Weather unit. We had to wear these coats because it was SOOO cold! The kids are standing on an ice sculpture of the 1-Pillar Pagoda in Hanoi.
Angkor Wat 1/2 Marathon, Take 2
6 December 2009
Following the whirlwind tour to MuiNe and to Cat Tien (I could not go with the family to CTNP- had to get back to my students..but I heard it was great fun!!) we put my family on a plane and took them to Siem Reap, Cambodia for a weekend of AMAZING ruins and a fun run..one of the most fun, in fact.
The ruins were beautiful, as always. It was odd being a 2nd time visitor-lots of things had changed since our visit last year. Mostly it was at one of the ruins where things have been left in its natural state..they are having to close off certain parts of the complex, rerouting visitors down different paths, and renovating other areas due to safety.
The run was good fun! Jonathan ran as the gibbon again and my brother ran as the gaur. I might someday run in a costume, but I just have fun running support for the animals! My friends, Amina and Gianmarco, ran the half-marathon! So did my friend, Karen. I think, in all, the overwhelming opinion of Cambodia is: We love it!
Our guesthouse where we stayed:
Here's one of our tuk-tuks. My parents loved the driver..and for the life of me, I can't remember his name! Ha-Ha! His name was Sook-Ti. It was painted on the side of his Tuk-tuk!
Ta-dah!!
Peek-a-boo! It's Sher!
Here we are trying to avoid the heat at one of the ruins.
That's very thoughtful. Thank you.
Dave, this is for you.
Sunday morning. Sunrise as we get ready for the race.
J, a la Gibbon, after the race.
J getting interviewed by a radio station in Phnom Penh.
The whole family. Dave (a.k.a. the Gaur) was really as tired as he looks here.
The whole animal gang with the amazing Pisei.
Karen and the Gibbon-Gaur duo after the run. So, the gaur costume managed to rub Dave's nose raw within the first kilometer. At one point he took of the head and there was blood everywhere.
Following the whirlwind tour to MuiNe and to Cat Tien (I could not go with the family to CTNP- had to get back to my students..but I heard it was great fun!!) we put my family on a plane and took them to Siem Reap, Cambodia for a weekend of AMAZING ruins and a fun run..one of the most fun, in fact.
The ruins were beautiful, as always. It was odd being a 2nd time visitor-lots of things had changed since our visit last year. Mostly it was at one of the ruins where things have been left in its natural state..they are having to close off certain parts of the complex, rerouting visitors down different paths, and renovating other areas due to safety.
The run was good fun! Jonathan ran as the gibbon again and my brother ran as the gaur. I might someday run in a costume, but I just have fun running support for the animals! My friends, Amina and Gianmarco, ran the half-marathon! So did my friend, Karen. I think, in all, the overwhelming opinion of Cambodia is: We love it!
Our guesthouse where we stayed:
Here's one of our tuk-tuks. My parents loved the driver..and for the life of me, I can't remember his name! Ha-Ha! His name was Sook-Ti. It was painted on the side of his Tuk-tuk!
Ta-dah!!
Peek-a-boo! It's Sher!
Here we are trying to avoid the heat at one of the ruins.
That's very thoughtful. Thank you.
Dave, this is for you.
Sunday morning. Sunrise as we get ready for the race.
J, a la Gibbon, after the race.
J getting interviewed by a radio station in Phnom Penh.
The whole family. Dave (a.k.a. the Gaur) was really as tired as he looks here.
The whole animal gang with the amazing Pisei.
Karen and the Gibbon-Gaur duo after the run. So, the gaur costume managed to rub Dave's nose raw within the first kilometer. At one point he took of the head and there was blood everywhere.
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