Vietnam week--2

4/6/09 Monday -Week 2

Ah Monday! Today we practiced the processes from the last week and began to feel we were grasping a few of the concepts. Then to counteract our new found confidence, our afternoon period was a class in phonology. This subject is something I'm quite interested in. I always wondered what those funny characters were under words in the dictionary. I hope I can follow through with more study on this when I get back home. Today I again talked to Andy about TV job opportunities. Apparently they have a lot of TV stations but very little content. I switched on the TV once and could barely get through 1/2 hour of local programming. Very poor.

Tomorrow we have our beginning teaching practicum. A one on one with a Vietnamese student at a local school. I'm going to spend the evening prepping.

4/7/09 Tuesday

Got up early and headed out toward school. I wanted the egg sandwich I used to get by my old place, but realized I'd have to find a new "sandwich lady." As I meandered through the streets I came upon one of the larger street vendors nearby. "How much?" I asked. He said 10,000. That was 2000 more than usual. I told him that it was expensive. "He said 10,000." He spoke English well. After he gave me the mediocre sandwich, I said, "OK, I'm hungry and in a hurry, so I'll buy it this time. But I want you to know, I'm passing here every day, and I'm not buying from you again."

Once more I was the first to arrive at school and it was still closed. As usual I stood outside stewing in my own sweat. When everyone arrived we walked a block to the industrial training college. We were supposed to have 1 student each, but 16 showed up so some of us had to have 2. I volunteered for a duo and asked if could have a boy and girl. I was hoping to get some insights to the gender learning differences. It turns out this "girl" was 22 and the "boy"was 20. Honestly, they both seemed like 13 y.o. In the class work, however, they were quite advanced. We had a great time. After the class, the girl, (Mai) saying goodbye added "you happylucky." I think she meant I was Happy-go-lucky. Whatever, it was acompliment.

Back at school, our afternoon period was spent preparing for out next class at the same place.

My first 2 students Mai & Tung

4/8/09 Wednesday

Awake and jonesin' for the egg sandwich. Walked down the same street as the day before and saw "expensive sandwich man" on the left. I made eye contact with him and moved on to the corner were there was another sandwich lady. I had no idea what her price was, but I was determined that he see me buying from her. Ooops. Her price was 10,000 just like his. However, hers was 2 eggs with all kinds of great fixin's. It was a great sandwich! At last, a new "usual sandwich lady" had been found--and I was sticking it to "expensive sandwich man".

The new sandwich lady.

Once again I was the first in to school. After everyone arrived we quickly set out to the college. As I prepared to work with my 2 students a third student showed up. Just by his introduction I could tell he was not as advanced as my first two. Fortunately, Diêm decided to gave him to Darren which sure eased my burden.

My little instruction was great fun. I chose a reading that told the story of a N. Korean man getting to see his mother in S. Korea after 50 years. Unfortunately, it was quite moving and as my usual wimpy self, my eyes welled up. I quickly tried to move the lesson along but I think the girl caught it. I imagine her telling her parents, "Teacher was crying at the story today. It was weird." I did have to make use of a time filler in my lesson. For this I had developed a related exercise where I had pictures of famous international landmarks, and the students had to match them to a descriptive text. It was surprisingly difficult for them, but they were determined. Everyone had a great time.

Our return to school was followed by a class on appropriate language/subjects for when we teach a full classes. No discussions on Politic, religion or sex.

For lunch we went back to our usual "Rât Hue." It was today that we really began to get tired of the Kenny G Christmas CD. We vowed to buy them another CD. Somehow "Hark the Herald ..." played on soprano sax and piped in every day (April)can get quite annoying.

4/9/09 Thursday.

The day began as usual. Great sandwich and some Nestle instant mocha in my room. Got to School sweating as usual. I'm convinced the A/Cs in Vietnamese buildings are faux. Like those fake security cams in the US. I don't think I'll ever get accustomed to the heat. I didn't in Trinidad, have not in Florida, and see no chance in Vietnam.

Lunch was at Rât Hue again. Darren should get shares for bringing the class there. 5-9 people every day. They are quite appreciative with their smiles--but not with any freebies. On the way back to school we often pass handicapped people missing limbs. I keep forgetting that I would like to keep my really small bills handy to give them. A 500vnd is 3¢ USD. I was told by one of the American students, "Don't do it, they get taken care of by the government. If you give them money they'll never get a job!" I had to ask, "The guy is missing both legs and one arm, and rolls around on a board with wheels! What job can he get?" Minnesota boy turned out to be the "Ugly American"Phew!

We have been told that teachers in Vietnam are highly respected. I think this is in contrast to their status in the US. The best evidence of this so far is Tim. Apparently he told his landlord he was a teacher and they responded by dropping his rent and gave him the bigger room.

In the afternoon we were organized into teaching partnerships by picking from a bowl. I got Iris. As we began to plan the studying schedule, Tim was asked by his partner about working on Friday night. His response? I've been getting drunk every Friday since I'm sixteen, I'm not going to stop now. We can study on any other day. Ah, youth.

4/10/09 Friday.

So I've got my routine now. My morning instant mocha, tasty egg sandwich, and an always entertaining walk to school. It is nice preparation for the day to come. This Friday is class work review and prep for teaching on Monday. At lunch I decided to forgo Rât Hue and bought a soup from a nearby street stand. It was quite good but had a few of the gelatin-ized blood cubes. Yep, I still don't like that item.

After school we all went out again to drink at Andy's favorite place. My conversation with Andy was very interesting. He told me some Vietnamese history stories and the characters involved. There was Tran Hung Dao who defeated the Khans 3 times. There were two also sisters who led a revolution against the Chinese when they ruled Vietnam. This story has similarities to the story of Judith, but with two main protagonists. There is also a General who was the military brain behind the Vietnamese forces in the 5 most recent wars that they won. Apparently he is still alive at 102 y.o, or something like that. If I got it correct, he beat the Chinese in the early part of the last century, beat the French and then the Americans, the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, and again the Chinese. Unfortunately, not much of the pre-colonial history is available, and none of it in English. The later history is too propaganda-ish. Still, I think the story of the sisters would make great movie.

Eventually it was time for us to get some food. Colin led us to a place he liked that had a huge menu including western style foods like burritos, hamburgers etc. Mr Vu our Vietnamese language teacher came with us. There was a lot of beer drinking and we made a lot of NOISE. I could tell the other western patrons were miffed. After dinner we moved on to another bar where we met and African who had been living in Saigon for 6 years. It was quite something hearing Vietnamese with an African accent. This placed also seemed to be where all the "brothers" hung out. There were some yank hip-hoppers, but mostly a lot of Africans. There was also an Australian woman sitting close by. When Loren began speaking to her, her Brisbane country accent came back strong. Later we met some other foreigners, all of us sitting on the tiny chairs and table on the sidewalk. The group now included Eibin from Belgium, Danny form england, and Bri from Canada. These three work in the Philippines and were here on holiday. I was talking to Eibin and realized I'd made a mistake. I was mixing up Belgium with Switzerland. I apologized and told him I generally take pride in my knowledge of other peoples countries. He found that interesting "for an American" and decided to test me with his world geography questions. I acquitted myself quite well and he was impressed. That catholic school education at Maria Regina really paid off. Still, it was a good thing he didn't question me on the Soviet Union. That would have been my downfall, and with Artem there to correct everything a humbling experience.

Hanging out at "Grandma's bar."

Later Tommy came and joined us and some Dutch guys also stopped by. Everyone decided to met the next afternoon to play football as had been planned the previous week. I bowed out as I dared not risk screwing up my weak ankle at this point in the process. Overall, it was quite an evening,

4/11/09 Saturday

I got to sleep in today but really only did about a 1/2 hour more. I spent the day doing home work for the big Monday class. I was also prepping for my first solo class the on Tuesday. My context was "The music store and types of music." Yeah, how do you explain Bluegrass to Vietnamese kids? In the evening I Met Collin and Tim for dinner. We went back to the good restaurant with the 35 page menu of western food. Colin ordered the Burritos, Tim curried okra, me Vietnamese curried chicken. I figured I'd stick with the local fare and my choice seemed correct. The Vietnamese idea of a burrito was a tiny folded flour tortilla about 2"x 3" and 1/2" thick. Underwhelming to say the least. Later our favorite peddler girl came by selling nail clippers, and other "beauty" items etc. Colin bought nail clippers and I got new tweezers. She and I settled on a price of 18,000 ($1) but she conveniently didn't have enough change for the 20,000 I had. I laughed. I paid a total of $1.05) She is quite a character.

Tim and our favorite peddler.

4/12/09 Sunday

Today is Easter and lots of stuff is going on. This is probably the remnants of the French Catholic colonials. I actually live 1 block away from the cathedral. I decided to stay in and do more practice. I could hear lots of music coming from the park. It was really cheesy stuff as is most Vietnamese popular music. Think Air Supply, but poorly recorded with way to much reverb and chorus. Also, if it's a video, there are flowers everywhere and a boy and girl look longingly into each other's eyes. EVERY VIDEO! Very cheesy. Still, I really should have gone out and seen what was happening.

In the afternoon I called Marc about meeting for lunch. He said he'd been on a bender the previous night and was now waking up. We agreed to meet for dinner instead. Still hungry, I went walking to find some food and scout the silk clothing market. I find the traditional women's Áo Dài quite sexy, and thought I had a few friends who might like one.

Áo Dài woman's outfit. The traditional version is long sleeved.

Unfortunately, the average western woman is much larger than the sizes of the off the rack stuff. While in the clothing area I found some cheap food at a crappy restaurant. Other westerners were eating there so I figured I could. The food tasted great, but....well,... you know. On the walk back home I took some more casual pics. The painting of the Olsen twins still confuses me. Wow! Who would buy that?

In the evening I practiced our class lesson with Iris and then met Marc for the dinner. We again went the the temporary restaurant at Ben Thanh market. We ordered the whole BBQed snapper and a bunch of other stuff. God that food is great. One of Marc's friends joined us there, and she was another bright girl. She works for an Israeli furniture supplier and was traveling abroad the next day to check up on the factories.

After dinner Marc dropped me back home and I then went out to print my lesson materials. Not having my own printer is my biggest peeve here in Vietnam--after the heat of course.

Vietnam Week 1--School.

School:first week.

3/30/09 Monday.
This was to be my first day of school. I walked down to the building I scouted yesterday and the big gates were now open. The address I had said second floor, so I went up the stairs and walked the halls looking to the school. I could find it no where. Again the "you've been screwed" panic set it. Yep, I'd been scammed by an internet "school". Then I ran into a couple of other "Anglos" walking around with the same panic stricken confused look on their faces. We nodded tentatively, afraid to speak, and then kept going with faces stuck in pseudo-fear/confusion. At this point it occurred to me, that it was possible that Vietnam held to the floor naming conventions that everywhere but the US subscribes to. Ground floor, then 1st floor, 2nd floor..etc. I walked up the next flight of stairs (3rd FL in the US)and viola! The school. Eventually, everyone else found their way up and we all sat around the room with those tentative half smiles on our faces. At this point I got up an introduced myself to the one really white guy. What do you know, he was from Minnesota! How could I have known? From then on we all introduced ourselves and the tiny room was a little more comfortable.

We ended up with a total 9 students. Darren from England, Patrick from Ireland, Loren from Australia, Artem from Russia, and 5 of us from the US. Tim from Seattle, Collin from Niagara Falls, Iris from New York, Adam from Minnesota, and me. In the case of Artem the Russian, the school usually doesn't accept non-native English speakers. However, he was educated in an British boarding school and was quite fluent. It turns out that Darren is fluent in French, and speaks a little Italian and Spanish. Most importantly though, he he already speaks Vietnamese! This came in handy right away. At lunch time he was able to guide us when ordering and how much to pay.
Generally, the day was intended as an ice breaker, an introduction to the course, and meeting our two instructors. They are quite a pair. Diêm is a local teacher and quite amazing. She can out-English any one I know--except for some of her pronunciations. Andy is a jolly 30-something Brit who's been here for a while and is married to a local. Both the two are really funny, but in completely differently ways.

At the beginning they put us through a lot of memory games that on the surface seemed rather childish. However, at the end of it all we realized how difficult is was to try and remember things that were not innate to our normal language understanding. Lesson 1 learned.

3/31/09 Tuesday
Day 2. Today is the second day of school and I woke up pretty hungry. I figured I'd buy something on the way. In Asia they really don't have "breakfast food". They eat the same types of things for all meals. Noodles, rice, pork etc. Still, as a remnant of the French colonials in Vietnam, Baguettes with assorted fixin's are available. I stopped at side walk stand--and by sidewalk I MEAN sidewalk--to get one. The woman was literally sitting on the sidewalk cooking from a small pot on coals. I pointed at things that looked edible and she made me the sandwich. (It turned out it was pork meatballs.) It was pretty good, and all for the princely sum of 10,000 dong. (60cents) I actually paid her too much and she called me back for the change. A pleasant surprise.

For the morning period our class continued with the training and memory games. In the afternoon we had class with Nguyen Dinh Vũ. (Vũ is his first name.) His job was to teach our classes in Vietnamese. This was intended to give us some basics in the language, but also it this was to drive home to us the difficulty of language acquisition and pronunciation. Wow! Our ears and mouths were really strained. There was a lot of humour, especially when Aussie Loren was speaking. We left day 2 with an understanding of how difficult it would be for OUR students.

The baguette lady

4/01/09 Wednesday.
Day 3. Since I've been here I've been eating a lot less than I'm accustomed to. However, today I was really looking for a good breakfast. At my street corner I decided to try the lady who seemed to have the morning crowd. I was going to get a baguette but I really felt like some eggs were in order. She made me the Vietnamese egg sandwich which also included cucumbers, chilies, a patté and what I later learned was pickled parsnips. It was great. I've never had such a good egg sandwich, and for only 6,000 dong. (30cents) She became my daily breakfast meal.

At school, we again continued with our English training and began to delve into some English grammar. What a sight to see, it was just beautiful. A waif-ish Vietnamese woman in traditional attire, (Áo Dài) explaining to a bunch of English speakers the functions of their own grammar. And all of us, lost in ignorance of our own language. "Predicate, verb, past perfect......etc." I really should have listened to Sister Mary Margret in Grade school.

The period after our morning break was even more humbling. We had Kris from Hong Kong teach us Cantonese Chinese. She spoke only Cantonese to us and we were sinking fast. I left for a bathroom break and missed 5 minutes of the lesson. I never caught up. Eventually, when the class was over we realized she was a fluent English speaker, (even had a hint of a Brit accent) and this was another example for us to experience what it was like to learn a completely foreign language. Lesson learned.

In the afternoon Andy asked us about that session. Apparently we were supposed to get the class in Welsh, but the scheduling was wrong so we got the Cantonese instead. I think the Welsh would have been just as bad.

Oh, we also learned that the kids here start school at 6:30 and get out about 5:00pm! Hmmm. It means we also have to start at 6:30. Early mornings again. Can I really handle this.

4/02/09 Thursday.
The classes are getting serious now and were are doing a lot of teaching exercises. We worked at a lot of new stuff and it was time for lunch. Previously Darren had introduced us to Rat Hue (pronounced, Rut Way) restaurant, a nice place with good food and A/C, but today we decided do something different and go to Ben Thanh market. This place is the big market in town and is quite a tourist haunt. As we walked through I saw a German woman berating a local who tried to cheat her. Yep, the local was asking for like 3000% to much. Hey it only has to work once! At our chosen eating counter there were no seats. So the owners just chased off the current patrons so they could seat us. No one seemed to mind and I think it is because everyone realizes that when the fat foreigners come they'll make more money. We were convinced that they had two menus with different prices. One for locals and a more expensive one for the foreigners. It was nice detour but we decided that Rat Hue was to be our "usual" lunch place.

At break time in the afternoon another student introduced me to Cafe Sa-han coffee from a sidewalk stall. This is an iced coffee that is everywhere. You can get it as just black coffee on ice, or with condensed milk. Again, the hygiene of these vendors is always questionable and this one did a number on me. I was later informed by someone in the know that, "you should never get the condescend milk. That can remains open all day in the heat." Yep, that was the problem.

The crew at the Veggie restaurant

After class a group of us wandered through warren of alleys trying to find the Vegetarian restaurant for Iris and the Russian. The alleys were quite amazing. You are literally passing by everyone's living room/motorcycle parking. The Facebook pic of kids doing home work was from one such alley. We eventually found the Veggie restaurant and settled in for a meal. Everything was pretty good. The Irishman had missed the whole "vegetarian" thing, and was amazed that "the chicken wings have no bones." They had formed several items to look like the meat versions. Still, the "chicken wings" were really good even if they were of tofu and eggs. As I always say, If some one was cooking this kind of vegetarian fare for me I could easily convert.

After the meal we found ourselfs in the big park in the center of town. It is well kept and there are groups playing, dancing, working out etc. From traditional forms like Tai Chi, to aerobics using really cheesy pop songs. One of the most popular games is a version of hacky sack played with something like a badminton shuttlecock. It is everywhere and kids are selling the shuttlecock thing every two feet. We were all impressed with this vibrant night life.

My friend Collin told me that he had internet access in his room and other amenities for a mere $10 a month more than me. He lived one block away and I wanted to see what he was getting for that $10. When I saw his room I realized I needed to move. Not only did he have corded and wireless internet, he had a fridge that they fill with water and sometimes other stuff. We are still not sure if the stuff is actually intended for him, or if his landlord was just storing extra things in his fridge. Pretty funny.

4/03/09 Friday
Now I'm settled with my morning sandwich lady, I'm dreading losing her when I eventually move. Still, I'm confident I'll find another though I know the price will rise as I'll be in a more "upscale" neighborhood .
In class today we reviewed what we learned this week and had to perform it. We failed miserably. Who would have though simple games would be that hard to remember. The afternoon period was again on grammar and here once more we were quite weak. It is quite something to realize that a tiny Vietnamese woman knows so much more about your language than you will ever know.

With Andy et al at the Bar

After class we went to a bar with the Brit teacher Andy. He is a regular at this bar and they actually opened it up just for us as we were early. He is one of the few people who can run a tab here. That is pretty rare in Vietnam. However, we new faces had to pay for everything when it was delivered. Later a bunch of Andy's expat friends showed up to join us. A few of Brits, a Canadian, and a Jersey boy Tommy who sounds like he stepped out of "Good Fellas." He is a history teacher, football coach, and a character. As happens in any of these types of groups, the conversations hopped from topic to topic, teaching philosophy, football (soccer), Vietnamese history,.. etc. By the time it reached politics I was my usual sober self but most others were “loose.” I remained quiet.
Later that night it was decided that we would meet at 3pm the next day and go to district 7 where there was football field where we could play. I was reticent as I did not want to risk hurting my ankle again--and in Vietnam. Also, I had not played in 15 years. Still, I agreed to join them. Tommy the coach had a bruised rib and said he would miss it. Looking at the rest of the group we all figured that some of these guys were probably so bad that we would not be overshadowed that much.


4/4/09 Saturday.
Today in the morning I met Iris at her place as she said there was a room available. I took my antique laptop with me so I could check the internet service. Yep, I would have internet. Amazing how disconnected you can feel after a week with out it. The room was also a little better with a small couch, amoire, TV, and a FRIDGE. $275 a month, $300 including laundry service. (Based on my first laundry load they actually use detergent and I can smell it. Unlike the previous place) I agreed to take it and planed to move in at 8am on Sunday.
I went back to my current residence to get ready for football. On the walk to the meeting place I met Collin and Tim and we walked together. However, to our surprise only 2 of the Brits showed up. apparently Andy and the rest were so hung over they could not move. Nick then figured that cancellation was in order. By this time Artem and Iris had arrived so we just did a little sight seeing and then decided to stop for a smoothie. Ah yes, the shops sell anything people will buy. This one turned out to be a smoothie/sandwich/condom/cigarette shop. Oh, non-smokers, in Vietnam we just have to deal with it. Cigarettes are permitted everywhere.

While we were at the smoothie place I was talking about my new internet access and Tim said he was using the internet cafes. However, he was finding it pretty funny because at 3-4 am the places are filled with people watching porn. It really got me thinking. Later, when I went to an internet cafe to print some assignments I realized how filthy the computers were. I recognized the cigarette smoke residue but now I wonder what else might be there.

Marc and the girls

In the evening, I called Marc Spindler and he invited me to a botanical park with a work friend of his had her sister. The park is really nice and has a huge buffet. You pay an entrance fee 130,000vnd ($7) and get all you can eat of amazing food. Marc picked me up on his scooter and we headed out of town to meet the girls. After some zigging and zagging we met them and continued on to the park. The trip there was unbelievable. I could not stop laughing on the back of the scooter. Bicycles, scooters, carts, SUVs, all traveling on a narrow road barely wide enough for two fat men. Marc and his friend parked the scooters in the scooter lot while her sister and I made small talk. I remembered thinking, "jeez she is tiny." We paid our fee and entered the place. It really was well set up. Well made Tiki huts with chefs cooking different items were scattered about the area. There were also lots of low bamboo tables and chairs for everyone to sit and eat. A band with a Jimmy Hendrix looking Vietnamese guy was playing traditional music. He was playing some guitar like instrument. The singer a was woman who our friends said was quite good. It was hard to judge since the Vietnamese traditional music was foreign in more ways than one.
The only negative to this place is that you have to be a little pushy to get at the popular foods. The chicken and beef kabobs were gone in seconds. If you blinked you missed them. Also, it was the first time I saw Vietnamese taking more food than they could eat. It was the kind of wastage common in the West but not so much here. It was definitely a different economic class of Vietnamese.

Our hosts were delightful girls and spoke English well enough for good conversation. It was again apparent that they were much older that they looked yet there demeanor is much younger than they are. It will take a little getting used to. At this dinner I discovered the first 2 Vietnamese foods that I do not like. One is a gelatin-ized pig's blood similar to "black puddin'", but pretty bland and tasteless. At least with "black puddin'" the flavours make up for the content. The second item was truly awful. Marc said "you need to try this stuff, it is truly vile but you'll be able to tell people you ate Mắm tôm." (muck tum) I took a tiny bit and it put it on the side of my bowl. When I reached the table I realized it has slipped in to the broth and dissolved. I was determined not to waste food and proceeded to eat it. It was horrendous! I later asked Diêm what it was made from and she said like fish parts, rotten shrimp etc. Yes everyone, I have eaten Mắm tôm !

If I thought my trip to the park was harrowing, the trip back was threefold. It was now night and EVERY one was on the road. I was in hysterics laughing. The girls switched places as to who would drive, and since Marc's friend was wearing a skirt she rode side saddle on the back. It was so funny. Marc and I on one scooter, they on the other, and all of us amidst the vibrating jostling crowd of machines and people. We carried on conversations when we rode side by side then would drift aside to let a SUV or scooter go by and drift back together and continue the conversation. What a vision it was. When we were ready to split up the girls suggested a quicker route home for us and we took it. (They had a hour and a half ride to get to their home.) The new route included a trip on a Saigon freeway. This is where I got a little nervous--but still laughing. We were buzzing along with the scooter traffic while semis flew buy as fast as they could go. After we exited the freeway we turned on to a boulevard and I thought we were in Boca Raton. There were all the name brand shops, giant fancy high rises, people with fancier scooters and lots of SUVs, BMWs etc. It seemed so out of place. Oh, and the prices in this area are consistently Western.
It turned out to be quite a Saturday. Now to prepare for the move.

4/5/09 Sunday
Today I got up early so I could move. I was moving to Iris's building which was about the same distance from school as my current place. I was really looking forward to having internet access and a fridge. It was not far and I decided to walk the mile rolling my suitcases rather than using a taxi. I hate to deal with the bartering and possible cheating. (they can fix the meters when they use them) As I stepped out on the street a taxi was right in front of me. He offered his services and decided to do it. I told him the address verbally, and then showed him the Google map I created when I was in Florida. I wanted him to know I knew where I was going. They still try to drive around to build up the time. This guy did not, and the metered total was 12,000vnd (67¢) He helped me with the bags and I gave him $2, which was 3 times the price. I let him know it was because he did not try to cheat me. He smiled.
I spent the morning and afternoon using the net to catch up on the all the stuff I needed to check. Banking etc. Later, Loren called and said she was putting together a group to practice our home work stuff since we had done so badly on Friday. Her place was 2.5 miles away and I decide to walk it. Walking is really the only way to get a sense of this place. I walked the 2.5 miles in a light drizzle and it was fine as it made it quite cool. For some reason the street I was on was scooter dealership row. All brands right next to each other. I learned that in Saigon, products tend to be sold in areas. All the shoes stores on one street, all the computer stores on one street, and here a bunch of scooter stores.
It is through walking that you really get to see the comedy that is Vietnam. I saw a guy with his scooter so loaded with veggies that with the throttle wide open it would only go for a few feet. He had to use his feet Flintstones style to help keep it going. Ruuup, putt putt, kick run, kick run, ruuup, putt putt, kick run, kick run, all the way down the street--and in a drizzle. He did end up being slightly faster than my walking. But then again, I was sightseeing.
I also saw a couple guys carrying an 8' glass door vertically on their scooter. One riding, and the one on the back holding the door as they just barely missed the hanging telephone and power lines on every corner. What sights. I'm definitely going to buy a few copies of "Bikes of Burden" for people back home.

As I turned off scooter row and arrived on Loren's street I looked for her address which was #25. New lesson: Every address is numbered, but the property is not where you think they might be. I followed the numbers on the odd side 21, 23 25, 27..etc. Now normally you would expect to find 26 on the opposite side. Whaa? On the opposite side I found number 8? I was confused. I asked three different people and they gave me three different directions. I called Loren and she said she would wait out side her entrance for me. I continued walking and was in the 60s on the odd side when I saw her on the across the street. Yep, standing in front of her #25.

The study group arrived soon after but we decide to eat before we got to work. We walked the street trying to find a place the vegetarians could eat and were having difficulty. We came across a lot of interesting establishments. One turned out to be a famous bakery. We were starving, so Tim and I went in and got some baked goods. So good. We forged on and much much later found a vegetarian place. Good food but not worth the wasted time. As Tim put it, "this is why I travel alone." He had a point. By the time we got back to Loren's we were pretty beat, and the studying was cut a little short. All in all though, it was a good day and great week.

Hopefully I'll have time to put down the events of the coming weeks.

Leaving the US and Arrival in Vietnam

03/27/09

So I started my day going to meet Meghan for lunch at a Mexican restaurant in her neighborhood. After the meal I went to the bathroom to wash up and have a quick pee. As I flushed the toilet and brought my hand up from the handle, I knocked my glasses off my face and into the bowl they went. As they swirled around I plunged my hand into the water just in time to see them whoosh out of reach. I stood there with my hand dripping blue water and just burst out laughing. Maybe you had to be there to see the humor, but it seemed funny to me. Fortunately, we were the first customers and the restrooms had just been cleaned, so the sense of having plunged my hand into filth was small. At any rate, I washed and washed my arm and went back to the table. I told Meghan the story and let her know it was OK to laugh. She giggled a little. We then left to got to the MOCA. (Museum Of Contemporary Art) As it turned out, the museum itself was closed. However, while in the building, Meghan left her iPhone somewhere and it was not found by an honest citizen. Between us we lost about $800 that day.

Later that evening, it suddenly dawned on me that losing my glasses was really a big deal, I'd need to see in Vietnam. I now had one day to sort this out. Fortunately, there was an Optometrist very close to the house who accepted my insurance. Unfortunately, the insurance only pays when you go through their lab which takes 2 weeks. 1 day service means using the in-house lab, and paying full price. No choice here. Interestingly, the optometrist's office was staffed by several Vietnamese women who offered to teach me a few words in Vietnamese. Sin jao! While waiting for the glasses I went shopping for those strings to keep them from falling off. I knew I did not want to dive my hand into a Vietnamese outhouse.

03/28/09

I got on the plane (747) at LAX about 1am Friday. China Airlines, great service but the most uncomfortable seat I've ever been in. Ok, I'm carrying around a little extra weight, but my pelvis is a fixed size. That damn bone rubbed both sides of the seat. Part of the problem may have been that the seat arms held all the controls for the great amenities--video, radio, flight info, games etc. Still I would have given it all up for another ½” of space. I realized also, that as gijin were concerned, I was smaller than most on the plane. There were some really large people one board, one guy had to be a 7'. I can only imagine the suffering of he and the others experienced.

The flight was quite pleasant otherwise. I shared my row with an Indonesian Don Juan living in the states, and a California kid of Chinese extraction. We were served by over 15 beautiful flight attendants who looked like they moonlighted as a gymnastics team. Unison in every way, with their chorus of “Sorry excuse us, sorry excuse us” as they pushed the carts down the isle. My Chinese row-mate came in handy at meal time as he translated the menu for me. “scrambled eggs or Chinese rice porridge.” I liked my breakfast rice porridge with shrimp.

3/28/09 Taipei

The flight arrived in Taipei just in time to give me ½ hour rest before boarding for HCMC. At this point I WAS in Asia and everything was new to me, and really fast paced. My departure gate was listed as A6 and I was running to get there. As I arrived in the concourse an Asian businessman was screaming about “gate A6” to the airline help agent. I figured I'd listen in since A6 was my gate. I then realized we were actually standing UNDER the A6 sign while he was screaming that the sign was not good enough. Just to be sure I asked the agent, “this is A6?” As she pointed, I said, “I'll just follow the horrible angry man”. Another passenger said to me in English, “Hey, I wouldn't want to be on a flight with that guy”. He had a point. So I was in Asia 15 minutes and had learned that assholes are universal to all creeds.

The flight to HCMC (Saigon) was more comfortable as the seats were slightly bigger and the armrests hinged up. My row-mate was a Vietnamese who lived in the US. We did not speak till near the end of the flight. This was good as he really needed a breath mint--or some dental work. Still, he gave me advice on how to deal with the buying of a cell phone SIM, and told me where the intellectuals all go to meet in HCMC. I can't figure why he told me that, and I'm disappointed that I lost the piece of paper with the address that he gave me.

From the plane the Vietnam airport surroundings looks like any other tropical third world country. Farms, shacks, junk piles. This one however, had the remnants of the the US base and housed a lot of battered government helicopters. The arrivals building was quite the contrast. Built by Japanese contractors, it was the size of the Trinidad airport but much better built and tastefully designed. I understand it had its' share of corruption just like the one in T'n T, or Miami for that matter. Anyway, for being 2 years overdue they got a fine facility.

It seemed like forever before my bags came, but once they arrived, immigration and Customs was easy. My next step was to change some US to Vietnamese Dong and get a Taxi. I found the currency exchange/phone store/taxi dispatcher/ staffed by three young girls in traditional Vietnamese garb. They were very helpful. “You need phone SIM?” “How much?” Says I. “$8.” Well there was no beating that. After the exchange and SIM purchase I went outside to look for the taxis that were recommended to me. A "non standard" taxi driver offered his services for 650,000 Dong. I knew this was high (thanks to to Rick Steves) so I asked how much in US. He said $35. I knew the correct rate was $20, but I said I'll pay $25 right now. We went through the standard barter, but with me sticking to $25 and him working his was down to it in increments. When we reached 25/25 I got in the Taxi and my adventure really began. It is at this point I really got to see HCMC.

The Guest house.

Trying to find the “Guest House” where I am staying was again an experience. It is on Co Bac St. which is in the “Backpacker's area”. However, addresses in Vietnam are not simple matters as some numbers can repeat on the same street and many numbers are not exactly a property—as in my current address 171/1E Co Back St. One would expect to find a building at 171 but in fact it is an alley. The buildings are then on either side with the /# and letter designation. There are even more alleys within the system. It is good to have a driver who knows his way.

My guest house is four story building with a foot print 12' wide and about 40' long. The first floor is the living room/motorcycle parking and kitchen. The second floor is the owners living quarters and 2 rental rooms (mine included). I did not go any higher but I did see another Westerner coming down the steps. We gave each other the tepid nod that is sometimes given. What is says is, I recognize you as fat fish out of water like myself, but giving you this recognition with real interest would would mean that I see race. And that would be uncool.

My room is adequate. It is air conditioned, and has the standard shower/sink/toilet bathroom combination. I have TV with a lot of American cable, a somewhat desk, queen bed, (hard just the way I like it) and a rickety shelf that just might support my keys. I was wondering why the shower door was PVC. Then I realized it's because then there is nothing to rot or rust when showering. All toilet paper holders have a shield to prevent the shower wetting the paper. Mine is broken but it is not a problem as my “bathroom” is quite big and I can avoid that problem by showering in the opposite direction. The only thing I do not have here is Internet access. Other students do have it at similar prices and I might consider moving for that reason. Did I mention that the toilet paper here is not made for the Western ass? The sections are somewhat smaller and require a little more finesse.

The Neighborhood.

On Saturday I decide to take a walk to gauge the surroundings. It is here that the panic really set in. I remembered Lynette saying, “Asia is really foreign.” No shit! I started to wonder WTF have I gotten myself into? The streets are covered with tiny food stalls that most Vietnamese eat from. Some are setup on the sidewalks in front of bona fide restaurants! I decided to experience the life I'd need to jump right in. I stopped at a stall and pointed at something. “25,000” ($1.10)she said. I nodded and she made me the sandwich-y thing. Mmmm! Ok. I can do this. I have to say at this point, Germa-phobes should stay away from Vietnam. My early years in Trinidad gave me a little preparation for this, but even so, it has taken a lot of self-coaxing. The good advice is, “eat from the vendor where there's a crowds.”

After the light meal I went back to my room and to bed. The Thursday to Saturday travel day was beginning to taking its' toll.

I set myself up for an early rise Sunday morning. The plan was to find the school, and walk around to get my bearings. A good plan, but the sounds of Vietnam had not been considered. From my bed I heard a lot of night sounds that could be attributed to neither man nor beast. Fortunately, the strange symphony was always accompanied by 4-stroke scooter motors. I have come to call it the Honda Lullaby.

3/29/09

I walked all the way to the school building so I would know where it was. I completely missed it and reached all the way to the French inspired boulevards in a fancy part of town. Remember fancy is all relative. I stopped to ask directions to the school but had trouble--the English/Vietnamese thing. Eventually I pulled the address up on my phone to show the guys. Yep 1 block a way!

Now that I knew where I was to go the next day, and the the school building existed I was a little more relaxed. Still, the entrance was shuttered up and I still had the nagging fear that I may have been scammed and the school/program did not exist. I later learned that other students had the same fears.

Following this I did one of the first no-no's in traveling. Don't go walking and exploring in anew pair of shoes! Yep, those fancy waterproof sandals/shoes I got at REI in California ate my heel off. “My kingdom for a band-aid! Ok, take my watch!” Fortunately, I did not have to give up either. (thanks Danielle for the travel medical kit)

Overall, the walk was like a video overdose. So much to see and most of it moving. At this point I made it to the waterfront which was a lot slower. This gave me a breather and I got to see the statue of Tran Hung Dao. He was a famous 13^th century Vietnamese leader who defeated Kublia Kahn. Dao tricked the attacking war ships by enticing them onto bamboo stakes driven into the bottom just below the waterline. How come we never heard of this victory in our history classes? At this point, I began to make my way home with slight hop-and-drop due to the blisters.

Ben Thanh Market –Night.

On Sunday night I called Marc Spindler. He is the son of a friend of a friend of Katie's who lives here in HCMC. I had emailed him before I left and he was quite helpful. He offered to meet and pick me up for dinner. Just what I needed to help reduce my simmering panic. He arrived on his scooter. Ah, I would not have to walk. I got on the back, and he took me to the “best place in town.” Actually, the place does not exist in the day time. It is outside the Ben Thanh market in the street. At night they close off one side of the street and set up tents and a whole restaurant. It is something to see and experience.

When you arrive, you check in your scooter, and parking attendant gives you a parking receipt and writes a number in chalk on the scooter seat. If you're lucky (and we were) you'll get seated right away. In this temporary restaurant experienced waiters handle your order and pretty soon you are eating all manner of delicious unknown foods. We had numerous spring roll looking things, leaf wraps, and a main dish of a whole fried fish. The fish is served standing up between two skewers so you can access the morsels from both sides. Amazingly he was not greasy, but had some unrecognizable bits attached to him that were somewhat disconcerting. I had the Sapodilla smoothie to drink. All I can say again is Mmmmm! It was a pleasant introduction to the night life here, and I can say, the down town is a whole other city at night and really hums.

Transportation

Traveling here is amazing. It seems the traffic laws are merely weak suggestions. There is no real right way. If you feel like it you can head the wrong way into traffic. Those Hollywood movies that use this concept as action scenes all the time have no idea how people can really negotiate space and time. It really is like one of those nature shows that show schools of fish zigging and zagging in unison. (However, in a nod to safety, helmets are required by ALL riders in Vietnam.) Every surface here is considered pavement! Sidewalks, medians etc. Need to cross the road? Just step out into traffic and start walking, scooters and cars just avoid you as they wizz by. Initially I just stuck close to someone else to learn the crossing technique. Now I just do like the locals, walk into the raging traffic. You can tell the new tourists by their terrified faces as they stand on the sidewalk for 20 minutes waiting to cross.

In reality, nothing I write, nor even the pictures I take can really express the transport culture here. Thousands of men and women scooting on by: Grandmothers, office workers, everyone! The scooter parking lots, scooter washes, and dealerships. Every establishment is “...and scooters” I saw the nail salon /scooter repair, travel agency/scooter repair, and lots of restaurant/scooter repairs, etc, etc. It is unf*****g believable. One evening I happened to pass a school where students were getting out after exams. There were HUNDREDS of moms on scooters picking up the kids. Some had their babies in basket seats between their legs. There were moms in their office attire and heels, all picking up SEVERAL kids on their scooter. You can only understand it by seeing it. (Look for the picture book "Bikes of Burden) The fashion of scooter life is also something to see. Many women and a few men wear masks to protect themselves from, dust etc. Those masks have become a form of expression now. Hello Kitty, Coty, HD, etc. Same for the helmets. When the women are wearing skirts and are passengers on the scooters they ride side saddle. You have to see a mother riding side saddle with an infant in her arms, while granny negotiates the scooter one handed, the other is holding the cell phone, and all this amidst the chaotic traffic. (Yes granny can text baby!) It's all pretty amazing considering all those single occupant SUVs driving around in FL.

I'm still trying to figure out this blogger program. So until then I'll put all the pics up on Facebook.

If I ever get the time the next blog will be on the first week of school.