My Lil’ Saigon

First off, Dutiful is a word. I checked.

Wow, The last 9 days have easily been the best days I’ve had in Vietnam. Only 2 days in Nha Trang, and 2 days in Da Lat, but the amazing relief of pressure they brought was amazing. Couple that in with Ly’s mother cracking her iron curtain and finally meeting me (and accepting me quite well I must say) have brought an upturn to my current situation. I don’t want to write about every detail (I must save that for conversation over beer or dinner), but I will give you a little recap on things of the past week, pictures partially included.

Ly’s Mother: She’s been a thorn in my side for 6 months, but it was like she was in a place I couldn’t reach. Most of that has changed now… but it will be slow progress.

She met me on her birthday (Dec 14th) and I gave her my (rather expensive) gifts. She loved the shoes (the cheap gift, of $12 or so) but seemed rather indifferent at the sight of the nice handbag I had also bought her. She accepted me into the house and it was all good. The next day I left for Nha Trang. When I returned I was invited for one of my favorite meals at her house. Spring Rolls. While those that you can get in the restaurant are good, these take it to a whole new level. Ly’s mother (Mẹ Lý) is a good cook, and she has her own special recipe’s for many of the traditional foods. I feasted on the spring rolls.

Apparently Ly’s mother is surprised at my demeanor. She told Ly that I don’t behave, speak, or look anything like she expected. I’m not sure if she thought that I was going to be some backpacker hippy jerk who was there to take Ly and their money back to the States or what. No offense to traveling expat’s, but they really have a bad reputation among many of the traditional local folks. That is for a different post however…

And now the fun stuff,

Nha Trang: Pictures
What can I say. Amazing is a good place to start. I am certainly more impressed than many others about Nha Trang. After being in HCM for 6 months straight (save a day or 2), I’m pretty sure that anyplace that didn’t smell like exhaust and didn’t have garbage piled up would have looked like heaven. Anyway you put it, the beach was a great get away. Not very expensive either other than the sailing club. I spent most of my time at the sailing club. I know I didn’t see many things that are better, cheaper, and more interesting than the sailing club, but….. I just wanted to relax and you cant’ get much more relaxing than sitting next to the beach enjoying a comfy chair and a tasty drink.

Da Lat: (Pictures forthcoming)

Wonderful, Lovely, Beautiful, Chilly. After sweltering in the 30 degree heat (Americans: learn some global measurements, if you are lazy 30C = quite warm) for 6 months, the 10-12C temperatures of Da Lat felt like the frozen tundra, and judging by the parka’s and ushanka’s that they were wearing, it might as well have been. I only took a couple thin sweater’s up with me (I don’t actually have anything warmer with me) and I got quite cold at night while driving our rented motorbike’s. Da Lat is Vietnamese wine country. The landscape is great, and there are a couple day’s worth of flower lined tourist attractions. I suggest that everyone visits this place.

Da Lat reminded me of Wisconsin a little bit, but it reminded me of Italy a lot. The hilly terrain, the houses (some differences there actually), the way the roads are, the style of life (coffee, hot drinks, slower pace). I like it up there, sadly there are few jobs outside of tourism. I’d like to think I could find a nice 3-6 month job for teaching hotel and resort staff hospitality English, but alas, I’m sure that it wouldn’t pay what I would like. (Expats: You know of anything like this?)

I could write much more, for my family to read of course, but I’m already getting long winded. Expect some further information on these places at a future time.

-Brian

9:30pm I board a bus that departs for the beach. Yes. I am going on vacation. Sweet sweet vacation. 2 days at Nha Trang, then back to HCM to move houses (yes I know I posted that I was moving last Sunday, but things change you know), and then maybe a day trip out to the chu chi tunnels, and a day in the Mekong Delta and then a weekend in Da Lat.

I’m so excited I just hope I don’t die of happiness. Seriously. I may also update my pictures here sometime. Who knows!

I’m moving!

Apparently we are moving houses tomorrow. The move will take me a lot closer to my school at night, but farther from both my afternoon school and my Vietnamese classes. I’m not sure how it will all work out, but at least I know we won’t be moving for a while once we get in that house so I can finally settle in.

Maybe I’ll take soem time to post some pictures. I don’t know what to expect at the moment, the house is older and “well lived” but still nice (from what I’ve heard). It is owned by my current roommate’s parents, so hopefully we won’t have any sort of landlord issues like we have here.

I am moving to a road that is much more busy than this one, which I am not happy about, but hopefully the noise and pollution won’t be a problem. Also I’m hoping for a nice rooftop patio so I can have a bbq or 2.

*note*
Hopefully updating some pictures soon.

After the last couple of long months, I’ve been thinking that teaching english is fine for some people, but not for me. I do not seriously think I can teach for a living. I can do it as a side job, sure, but I just can’t do it as a main job, I don’t feel like I have a purpose. I’m mostly teaching business skills to kids who have affluence already. This does not appeal to me. If I were teaching science, I might say something different.

I am hoping that these thoughts will stay with me and I make the commitment to actually get down and dirty and do some damn (Today’s post is brought to you buy the letter “d”) environmental work.

To all those who are reading this that are part of the expat community in HCMC, I would very much welcome some suggestions to do so. I am open to spending some time in remote locations, very interested may be more accurate.

On another note, I wish safe travels to my South African amigo’s, No comments