Yesterday I gave my first EVER voice lesson. My student is an 8 year old girl named Lucy, who attends the American International School. Of course, I feel like I have no idea what I'm doing, but then again that's pretty much how I feel with teaching across the board. Learn fast, and never show how fraudulent you actually feel. Besides my feelings of inadequacy, I actually had a good time teaching voice, and I think the age-old adage 'learn by teaching' is true in respect to my vocal technique. We'll see how it goes. I will also have a short-term student after Tet, the music teacher at AIS. While he has a degree in music education, he is eager to learn vocal technique and pedagogy, as his concentration was in clarinet.
This afternoon I went to the Chu bar to meet Chinh in order to try to obtain a piece of mail (pattern?). Maikhoi and some other friends were there, and after our greetings, she said 'Liz, you are getting fat!'. Really? REALLY?! Now, I must say I find honesty as refreshing as anyone, but seriously. She goes on to ask me if I'm hungry. 'um, no, not after that comment.' Still trying to get used to this culture where it's totally socially acceptable to say things like that to someone. Jesus. We had a nice conversation about her daily abs routine, and how I should try it. I let her now I 'd just joined a gym, and was doing yoga and running. She went on to inform me that you don't get skinny by doing yoga. Thank you, Maikhoi.
Perfect timing, as I DID just join a gym. I'm a part of a group of other teachers from Apollo, so it's a discounted rate. $35/month gets me access to cardio and weight machines, multiple classes in yoga and other things, pool access, and a locker room complete with steam room and sauna. I feel fine about the situation, especially because it is a great place to while away the hours of my 3 week staycation, and apparently I'm getting fat (in an adorable attempt at backtracking, Maikhoi said 'no, I meant you are GETTING fat, not that you are fat'). Star Fitness is located in a monstrous residential complex, which could be its own town, and may well have its own zip code, except they don't have those here. It takes about 3-5 minutes to get there from where I live, and I can't walk, which means its a bit of a pain in the ass. But, I finally get to start running again, and I couldn't be more thrilled.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Cons and a few Pros
My friend Akiko told me that in order to stay sane, one must leave HCM City at least once every 3 months. She also gave me a heads up that every expat goes through multiple "I hate Vietnam" phases. I don't think I've hit a big hump like that yet (aside from my holiday weep-fest), but there sure are some things I miss from America, including but not limited to:
-a real milkshake. Most people who know me know of my undying love affair with milkshakes. In Vietnam, you can get thick and frothy smoothies, which are quite tasty and sometimes totally work in place of a proper shake. The 'milkshakes' they have here are thin and not at all frothy. It's like they left a carton of ice cream out for half an hour and poured it into a glass. Not the same thing. Shouldn't even be allowed to call itself a milkshake.
-good ol' American BBQ. Of course, they have BBQ of some sort in most areas of the globe, and SE Asia is no exception. I have tasted myriad BBQ'd carcasses here, and they are all pretty darn good. My thing is, I miss the sauce, as well as rib and pulled varieties of meat. I could do with some Slows, or my Daddy's AMAZING ribs with Montgomery Inn sauce. Just sayin'.
-Being able to walk down the street without being gawked at, catcalled/yelled at, or asked if I need a damn motorbike ride. Sometimes you don't want to interact with people, especially on those days you may or may not have neglected to brush your teeth, let alone showered. Considering going dark-haired so I don't stand out as much.
-bookstores with legitimately good books in English. I have found NOWHERE that carries David Sedaris' new book, or any book that is not a 19th century classic or Dan Brown's newest work. Or stereotypical 'backpacker' books in the Pham Ngu Lau area.
-diet sody pop. I can literally hear Peg's voice praising God that I don't drink 7 diet cokes a day, but I am none the happier. I don't know what they do to their aspartame in Vietnam, but it just doesn't taste of home. Coke Light is NOT the same as Diet Coke. It doesn't even compare.
-Having a landlord who understands the concept of personal space, and doesn't randomly throw things away or send randomly picked items of clothing to be cleaned. Or enter my room without knocking and my being in all states of undress.
-having decent internet access, where facebook isn't blocked by the government. I know I harp on this all the time, but you really don't know how much time you spend procrastinating on the damn website until you can't get on it anymore.
OK, sorry to be such a Debby Downer. Basically, I need structure in my life. Despite the fact that it isn't really in my funds, I plan on joining a gym tomorrow, so I can stop gaining weight, and have a place to spend several hours a day being both selfish AND productive. Yoga classes and the pool are included. It seems to me like a decent decision. Who needs to pay rent when you can sleep on the locker room floor?
I started taking Vietnamese lessons courtesy of Chinh on Monday. All I have to say is, tonal languages are hard. The word 'ma' has 6 different meanings, depending on the tonality. Good lord. On the upside, my attempts at the language provide endless mirth to all around to hear it. I'm also learning about different accents, karma, and looking forward to a lesson in VN law enforcement and its court system.
I'm making new friends! Had a chill bar night with Dana, a girl from Michigan who works at Apollo and went to Emerson for writing. It's nice to find a fellow (pale!) arts kid to talk to. I went to ladies night at Lush with Tracy, who also works at Apollo. Just getting to know her, but she seems fascinating-spent a year as a professional poker player, managed a factory, lived in China, and runs Apollo's charity organizations. It's nice to have some balance, and not spend ALL of my time with old Vietnamese men and their various groups of friends.
I'm still not used to being a commodity here. Sometimes it's easy to forget the fact that people find you so attractive merely because you are white. It's a nice ego boost, but I think oftentimes I'm more a representation of western attractiveness, or a symbol to admirers, rather than an actual individual person. It would probably really piss me off if I were in the market for a relationship, but luckily that's not so much on my radar, so I guess the attention is flattering if you keep it completely surface-y. On the upside, most places and events I go to let me sing a song or two, and I'm pretty sure it's just because I'm a little white girl. I'll take it.
HMMMM, what else?
-I may have mentioned this previously, but one of the best things IN THE WORLD is a cafe called Bobby Brewer's, which has a movie theater and new release films FOR FREE for customers. It's really nice.
-Saigon is BEAUTIFUL around Tet. Completely covered in the symbolic yellow flower, Hoa Mai. On the less-stunning but more-fun side, there are a ton of huge Tet-themed vignettes all over the city, obviously with copious amounts of glitter and day-glo colors. I can't wait to bring my camera out some evening and take a long reel of pictures with myself inserted into the scenes.
-I have a one-year-old next door neighbor who is adorable, and every time she sees me she blows me kisses. It might have something to do with the fact that her mom tells her to do it, but I taught her how to high five, and she seems to enjoy it. I don't generally LOVE kids (disregard my current job status), but she just makes me want to snatch her.
-I get to be a full-time teacher beginning Feb. 22. So, that's only 1 month of little to no work, and only about 1 1/2 months until I get a small stipend on which to live. 2 1/2 months until I can really start livin' the high life. I'll take it. I don't really have another choice.
-a real milkshake. Most people who know me know of my undying love affair with milkshakes. In Vietnam, you can get thick and frothy smoothies, which are quite tasty and sometimes totally work in place of a proper shake. The 'milkshakes' they have here are thin and not at all frothy. It's like they left a carton of ice cream out for half an hour and poured it into a glass. Not the same thing. Shouldn't even be allowed to call itself a milkshake.
-good ol' American BBQ. Of course, they have BBQ of some sort in most areas of the globe, and SE Asia is no exception. I have tasted myriad BBQ'd carcasses here, and they are all pretty darn good. My thing is, I miss the sauce, as well as rib and pulled varieties of meat. I could do with some Slows, or my Daddy's AMAZING ribs with Montgomery Inn sauce. Just sayin'.
-Being able to walk down the street without being gawked at, catcalled/yelled at, or asked if I need a damn motorbike ride. Sometimes you don't want to interact with people, especially on those days you may or may not have neglected to brush your teeth, let alone showered. Considering going dark-haired so I don't stand out as much.
-bookstores with legitimately good books in English. I have found NOWHERE that carries David Sedaris' new book, or any book that is not a 19th century classic or Dan Brown's newest work. Or stereotypical 'backpacker' books in the Pham Ngu Lau area.
-diet sody pop. I can literally hear Peg's voice praising God that I don't drink 7 diet cokes a day, but I am none the happier. I don't know what they do to their aspartame in Vietnam, but it just doesn't taste of home. Coke Light is NOT the same as Diet Coke. It doesn't even compare.
-Having a landlord who understands the concept of personal space, and doesn't randomly throw things away or send randomly picked items of clothing to be cleaned. Or enter my room without knocking and my being in all states of undress.
-having decent internet access, where facebook isn't blocked by the government. I know I harp on this all the time, but you really don't know how much time you spend procrastinating on the damn website until you can't get on it anymore.
OK, sorry to be such a Debby Downer. Basically, I need structure in my life. Despite the fact that it isn't really in my funds, I plan on joining a gym tomorrow, so I can stop gaining weight, and have a place to spend several hours a day being both selfish AND productive. Yoga classes and the pool are included. It seems to me like a decent decision. Who needs to pay rent when you can sleep on the locker room floor?
I started taking Vietnamese lessons courtesy of Chinh on Monday. All I have to say is, tonal languages are hard. The word 'ma' has 6 different meanings, depending on the tonality. Good lord. On the upside, my attempts at the language provide endless mirth to all around to hear it. I'm also learning about different accents, karma, and looking forward to a lesson in VN law enforcement and its court system.
I'm making new friends! Had a chill bar night with Dana, a girl from Michigan who works at Apollo and went to Emerson for writing. It's nice to find a fellow (pale!) arts kid to talk to. I went to ladies night at Lush with Tracy, who also works at Apollo. Just getting to know her, but she seems fascinating-spent a year as a professional poker player, managed a factory, lived in China, and runs Apollo's charity organizations. It's nice to have some balance, and not spend ALL of my time with old Vietnamese men and their various groups of friends.
I'm still not used to being a commodity here. Sometimes it's easy to forget the fact that people find you so attractive merely because you are white. It's a nice ego boost, but I think oftentimes I'm more a representation of western attractiveness, or a symbol to admirers, rather than an actual individual person. It would probably really piss me off if I were in the market for a relationship, but luckily that's not so much on my radar, so I guess the attention is flattering if you keep it completely surface-y. On the upside, most places and events I go to let me sing a song or two, and I'm pretty sure it's just because I'm a little white girl. I'll take it.
HMMMM, what else?
-I may have mentioned this previously, but one of the best things IN THE WORLD is a cafe called Bobby Brewer's, which has a movie theater and new release films FOR FREE for customers. It's really nice.
-Saigon is BEAUTIFUL around Tet. Completely covered in the symbolic yellow flower, Hoa Mai. On the less-stunning but more-fun side, there are a ton of huge Tet-themed vignettes all over the city, obviously with copious amounts of glitter and day-glo colors. I can't wait to bring my camera out some evening and take a long reel of pictures with myself inserted into the scenes.
-I have a one-year-old next door neighbor who is adorable, and every time she sees me she blows me kisses. It might have something to do with the fact that her mom tells her to do it, but I taught her how to high five, and she seems to enjoy it. I don't generally LOVE kids (disregard my current job status), but she just makes me want to snatch her.
-I get to be a full-time teacher beginning Feb. 22. So, that's only 1 month of little to no work, and only about 1 1/2 months until I get a small stipend on which to live. 2 1/2 months until I can really start livin' the high life. I'll take it. I don't really have another choice.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Air force evening
I'm officially on vacation for the Tet holiday. Apollo only gives teachers 1 week of holiday, but since I only work at partnership schools, I have 3 weeks off. This situation would be fantastic were it not for the fact that I have no money with which to celebrate my incredible 21 days of freedom from screaming children. My current status is that of a poor person. In all honesty, I would rather work (a lot) more, and actually have some sort of monetary fundage. That's not a word, but it sounds fine to me. I feel like such an American, having a staycation out of necessity, mandatory leave from work, a lot of time on my hands but with no money to actually do anything cool. Nevertheless, I have been doing some pretty interesting things.
I've had some amazingly interesting conversations with multiple Vietnamese people about the government. Overwhelmingly, they are unhappy with it, and hope for political reform in the years to come. Some currently live in the US, some live here, but all have problems with the current regime, and are eager to share their views with me, which I find to be pretty amazing.
Last night I had dinner with Chinh's old Air force Squadron. One of the lieutenants who currently lives in DC came back for a visit, and so the 5 men got together for a celebratory meal. It was the first time that some had seen each other in 40 years. I have no idea why they were ok with the presence of a random white chick during their catch-up time, but I must say it was a fascinating night. They let me be an honorary fighter pilot and part of the squadron for the night. It felt good, and my ego got the pilot boost.
As I said before, Chinh was a fighter pilot for the South of Vietnam during the war. All five men spent time in re-education camps, one having lost 8 years of his life to the prisons. It's amazing to see how (at least seemingly) resilient these men are. All have careers in various areas, have families, and intact senses of humor. Throughout the night, there were copious jokes and fond reminiscences of their time in the air force. They explained to me that because they were young, they didn't let the danger of their reality hinder their happiness. Chinh said it was one of the best times of his life, even though they worked 365 days a year, and half of the pilots died. It sounded to me like they had all been crazy at the time, especially when they busted out stories of using their guns on each other.
The conversation was full of crazy stories and lude jokes, but also some very insightful discussions. For instance, Suon, the man who currently resides in DC, spoke of going to the US Civil War museum. There are more pictures and memorabilia of Gen. Robert E. Lee than there are of Gen. Grant, who as we all know was the leader of the winning side. He pointed out that with the communists in power, there is only one side of the story told. No voices of S. Vietnam are heard when speaking of the American War. I guess history is written by the victors, so that shouldn't be too surprising. Still, I find it so interesting to be privy to stories of the side that has been all but forgotten. It definitely makes one think about the war in a different way. I'm not saying AT ALL that I agree with America's decision to go into Vietnam, but for some reason I always thought of it as simply the Americans fighting the Vietnamese, who were communists, instead of helping the non-communist South.
Suon told me that often times the North would infiltrate their radio systems and bombard them with anti-South propaganda, telling them they were merely pawns of the American government. Once he called in to argue with them, saying "I'm no pawn of the American government. Fuck Richard Nixon." He went on to ask the communist North if they would say anything like that about the USSR leader. Point taken.
On our way back from dinner, Chinh gave me a bit of a historical tour of Saigon. Saying that he disliked the new highrise buildings and commercialism, he explained that many old buildings had been bulldozed in favor of these new monstrosities. He showed me the new building that was where his parents' old house had been; the central roundabout currently filled with neon signs and cafe's and shops that had been strictly residential pre-communism, and the shopping mall that had been To's (another member of the squadron) family's property before communism. Insane. Being a true history nerd, I found the lesson to be fascinating, but am truly torn by the two sides. I can't imagine having everything belonging to my family being taken away by the government. It must have been terrible and rage-inducing. Yet when I saw the huge plots of land that had previously been single-family dwellings, it seemed so unfair and disproportionate considering the sheer magnitude of destitute Vietnamese. Had the communist regime done anything to help these poor people, I might actually have agreed with them.
Heavy topic of conversation.
Also this week:
-I went to a CD debut performance on Thursday. The young woman, who composed her music, is a friend of Chinh's, who was the emcee of the event. There were cameras and media people in attendance, and it took place at quite an interesting bar.
-I may start giving voice lessons. I made sure the prospective students were beginners, because otherwise I would feel like a FRAUD.
-the clubs here are insane. Overpriced, and insane. I'm talking pole-dancing competitions crazy. And I haven't even been to the infamous Apocalypse Now club yet.
-Went to a restaurant owned by the wife of the vice-prime minister in the '60s. She's friends with Chinh (i'm telling you, the man knows EVERYONE), and I got to meet her. All I have to say is, I hope I look half as good when I get to be 71.
-I will start learning Vietnamese tomorrow. I really need to get some sort of grasp on the language, though it is a crazy difficult language. More on that later.
I've had some amazingly interesting conversations with multiple Vietnamese people about the government. Overwhelmingly, they are unhappy with it, and hope for political reform in the years to come. Some currently live in the US, some live here, but all have problems with the current regime, and are eager to share their views with me, which I find to be pretty amazing.
Last night I had dinner with Chinh's old Air force Squadron. One of the lieutenants who currently lives in DC came back for a visit, and so the 5 men got together for a celebratory meal. It was the first time that some had seen each other in 40 years. I have no idea why they were ok with the presence of a random white chick during their catch-up time, but I must say it was a fascinating night. They let me be an honorary fighter pilot and part of the squadron for the night. It felt good, and my ego got the pilot boost.
As I said before, Chinh was a fighter pilot for the South of Vietnam during the war. All five men spent time in re-education camps, one having lost 8 years of his life to the prisons. It's amazing to see how (at least seemingly) resilient these men are. All have careers in various areas, have families, and intact senses of humor. Throughout the night, there were copious jokes and fond reminiscences of their time in the air force. They explained to me that because they were young, they didn't let the danger of their reality hinder their happiness. Chinh said it was one of the best times of his life, even though they worked 365 days a year, and half of the pilots died. It sounded to me like they had all been crazy at the time, especially when they busted out stories of using their guns on each other.
The conversation was full of crazy stories and lude jokes, but also some very insightful discussions. For instance, Suon, the man who currently resides in DC, spoke of going to the US Civil War museum. There are more pictures and memorabilia of Gen. Robert E. Lee than there are of Gen. Grant, who as we all know was the leader of the winning side. He pointed out that with the communists in power, there is only one side of the story told. No voices of S. Vietnam are heard when speaking of the American War. I guess history is written by the victors, so that shouldn't be too surprising. Still, I find it so interesting to be privy to stories of the side that has been all but forgotten. It definitely makes one think about the war in a different way. I'm not saying AT ALL that I agree with America's decision to go into Vietnam, but for some reason I always thought of it as simply the Americans fighting the Vietnamese, who were communists, instead of helping the non-communist South.
Suon told me that often times the North would infiltrate their radio systems and bombard them with anti-South propaganda, telling them they were merely pawns of the American government. Once he called in to argue with them, saying "I'm no pawn of the American government. Fuck Richard Nixon." He went on to ask the communist North if they would say anything like that about the USSR leader. Point taken.
On our way back from dinner, Chinh gave me a bit of a historical tour of Saigon. Saying that he disliked the new highrise buildings and commercialism, he explained that many old buildings had been bulldozed in favor of these new monstrosities. He showed me the new building that was where his parents' old house had been; the central roundabout currently filled with neon signs and cafe's and shops that had been strictly residential pre-communism, and the shopping mall that had been To's (another member of the squadron) family's property before communism. Insane. Being a true history nerd, I found the lesson to be fascinating, but am truly torn by the two sides. I can't imagine having everything belonging to my family being taken away by the government. It must have been terrible and rage-inducing. Yet when I saw the huge plots of land that had previously been single-family dwellings, it seemed so unfair and disproportionate considering the sheer magnitude of destitute Vietnamese. Had the communist regime done anything to help these poor people, I might actually have agreed with them.
Heavy topic of conversation.
Also this week:
-I went to a CD debut performance on Thursday. The young woman, who composed her music, is a friend of Chinh's, who was the emcee of the event. There were cameras and media people in attendance, and it took place at quite an interesting bar.
-I may start giving voice lessons. I made sure the prospective students were beginners, because otherwise I would feel like a FRAUD.
-the clubs here are insane. Overpriced, and insane. I'm talking pole-dancing competitions crazy. And I haven't even been to the infamous Apocalypse Now club yet.
-Went to a restaurant owned by the wife of the vice-prime minister in the '60s. She's friends with Chinh (i'm telling you, the man knows EVERYONE), and I got to meet her. All I have to say is, I hope I look half as good when I get to be 71.
-I will start learning Vietnamese tomorrow. I really need to get some sort of grasp on the language, though it is a crazy difficult language. More on that later.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Guns & food
I've just spent the better part of an hour trying to figure out a way to get around the facebook block, using all kinds of proxies, and nothing is working! I suppose that is a very miniscule effect of the Communist regime, but it sure is affecting my life negatively. Good grief. Basically, the government doesn't allow facebook because a lot of activists use it to organize anti-government communities and demonstrations and such. The article I posted last week is such an interesting look into the underbelly of Vietnam. It's strange that a person can lead a totally normal and unaffected life in the midst of so much social unrest and such an oppressive government. In day-to-day life, I don't see brutality or oppression by the communist regime. Most of what I see is a lot of people in various police uniforms sitting around on the street doing absolutely nothing. Seriously, in any given city block you walk by at least 5 uniformed men either standing with their rifles on their backs (usually outside of consulates or other government buildings) or sitting in plastic lawn chairs, sometimes in groups, and checking out all of the people passing by. They are everywhere, and as far as I can tell, they do nothing. I guess it's nice that they have jobs...
Last night Apollo had a work function for the new teachers at a Czech bar near the school. I know what you're thinking-Czech food in HCM City?! In their defense, they brew their own beer which isn't at all bad, and on the menu they have not only slivovice, but becherovka! In case anyone was wondering. Those are Czech liquors. We drank a lot of becherovka while I studied in Prague. Sadly, they didn't have gulas, so I was a bit upset. It was my first outing with my new colleagues, and even though there are 3 or 4 new teachers, I was the only one who came. People seem pretty cool, most of them are from the US or England, and it's nice to have a night out with people who are completely fluent in English. Made plans for a Wednesday night out to go to a bar which is both ladies night AND 80's night, so I'm pretty pumped about that. Still a bit wary of male english teachers, but some of them seem ok. SOME of them. I may join the Apollo little sisters program, where I would get paired up with a kid who has HIV and hang out with her once a week. We'll see how that goes. Apparently, the people in the program really like it.
more things...
-Fran's boyfriend just moved here. He got in on Friday. On Saturday, we went to a Mexican restaurant called Gringo's which actually had some pretty amazing fish tacos. haha. They just left for a 2 week trip to Cambodia, so I am officially back to square 1 in terms of expat friends for the time being. Luckily, I'm starting to make friends at work.
-brunch on Saturday came with an all-you-can-eat chocolate fountain. So glad my parents weren't around to witness my complete lack of class with that fountain.
-saying I come from a city near Detroit tends to give me way more street cred than I deserve. sometimes I play it up just for kicks. I don't know how anyone would believe I'm a badass not to be messed with on the streets, but throw in a few random facts about Michigan's gun laws, accompanied by the fact that summer camp (just don't tell them it was a family Michigan Alumni camp) teaches riflery from the age of 7, and some people are willing to believe ANYthing.
Last night Apollo had a work function for the new teachers at a Czech bar near the school. I know what you're thinking-Czech food in HCM City?! In their defense, they brew their own beer which isn't at all bad, and on the menu they have not only slivovice, but becherovka! In case anyone was wondering. Those are Czech liquors. We drank a lot of becherovka while I studied in Prague. Sadly, they didn't have gulas, so I was a bit upset. It was my first outing with my new colleagues, and even though there are 3 or 4 new teachers, I was the only one who came. People seem pretty cool, most of them are from the US or England, and it's nice to have a night out with people who are completely fluent in English. Made plans for a Wednesday night out to go to a bar which is both ladies night AND 80's night, so I'm pretty pumped about that. Still a bit wary of male english teachers, but some of them seem ok. SOME of them. I may join the Apollo little sisters program, where I would get paired up with a kid who has HIV and hang out with her once a week. We'll see how that goes. Apparently, the people in the program really like it.
more things...
-Fran's boyfriend just moved here. He got in on Friday. On Saturday, we went to a Mexican restaurant called Gringo's which actually had some pretty amazing fish tacos. haha. They just left for a 2 week trip to Cambodia, so I am officially back to square 1 in terms of expat friends for the time being. Luckily, I'm starting to make friends at work.
-brunch on Saturday came with an all-you-can-eat chocolate fountain. So glad my parents weren't around to witness my complete lack of class with that fountain.
-saying I come from a city near Detroit tends to give me way more street cred than I deserve. sometimes I play it up just for kicks. I don't know how anyone would believe I'm a badass not to be messed with on the streets, but throw in a few random facts about Michigan's gun laws, accompanied by the fact that summer camp (just don't tell them it was a family Michigan Alumni camp) teaches riflery from the age of 7, and some people are willing to believe ANYthing.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Updates galore
I have officially been in VN for 2 months. I can't decide whether it has flown by or crept so slowly that it might as well have been 2 years. I get the impression many people feel that way about HCM City. It's an indescribably strange place, full of insane contradictions and extremes. Constant construction and new skyscraping buildings next to dilapidated hovels, intimidating traffic, peaceful parks, beggars (both real-life and career), and a group of amazingly wealthy people who feel the cultural need to display their wealth in ostentatious and slightly sickening ways. Not to mention the smells. I've never encountered such a scent-filled place, both good and bad. Hundreds of street food stalls fill the humid and smoggy air, along with some less-than-pleasant smells I wont describe at this point.
My friend Akiko advised me to make sure I get out of the city at least once every 3 months, or I will risk either going crazy or hating Saigon. Though I've only been here for 2 months, I completely agree. I sure do love the perks of being in a big city (amazing restaurants of almost every ethnicity-had THE BEST Thai food ever last night, english speaking people, so much to explore, etc), but I get the feeling it gets old after a while.
I just got another teaching day at work, at a school we just signed. I'm the only english teacher who goes, and there are only 90 students in the entire school. Because the classes are large, I get not only a TA from Apollo, but the general education teacher as well. It is so much easier to teach when you have 2 other disciplinarians who can actually speak the language. The other school where I teach is not nearly as sweet a deal. On Wednesday several of my 1st grade kids started playing with the sink, and ended up clogging it and getting themselves soaking wet. Since I'm the only teacher there and don't speak the language, I just had to act like a total bitch to the entire class. I really suck at disciplining students. My new 5th grade class on Tuesday is full of pre-adolescent assholes who think they are just the coolest kids ever. They spent the first 10 minutes of class asking me personal questions (I got 'do you have a boyfriend?' about 7 times, and after saying 'no' to an especially sour girl, she put on a particularly attractive smirk and asked 'do you have a girlfriend?' since when is it ok to inquire about a teacher's sexual orientation?). I hope my teaching experience will teach me patience, but I think it's just more likely to work as an amazing birth control.
On Monday Fran and I had a meeting with this guy who does charity work for the Children's Cancer Hospital here. The government is real screwed up, and basically shut down most of their operation because they didn't understand the concept of doing something for another person in a nonprofit sense. Such a screwed up government. Anyway, they are focusing most of their efforts on raising enough money to buy ambulances in order to transport children from the country to the hospital, as well as from the hospital to their homes in order to die at home. Not morbid enough for you yet? The ambulances will also be used to transport the dead bodies of the children so they can be buried at home. At present, most people haven't got the money to transport the bodies back to be buried, and often resort to putting them on the back of trucks in order to get home to be buried. I learned an amazing amount about the Vietnamese health system (or lack thereof) during the 1 1/2 hour meeting with Paul (in charge of the organization). Basically, because of the lasting effects of Agent Orange (it gets into your DNA and is passed on to children, from generation to generation), there are just an overwhelming amount of children with deformities, disabilities, and cancer. Paul is from Australia, and said that given the scope of the health problem, even 1st world countries like Australia wouldn't be able to handle it. Take the fact that Vietnam is such a poor country and many children still die of things like TB and the flu, and there is just no way in hell that even a portion of people in need will get the treatment they should get. There is also the problem of volunteer tourism, which is basically people paying to come over and help these people in need. The bad thing is, most of these organizations take the money for profit, as it is necessary to make sure the children look as destitute as possible, or people will stop coming and paying money to help them. Definitely something to think about next time you are looking for a helpful way to travel. At any rate, we have decided to try to raise money to buy these ambulances, and hopefully we will be able to pull off a dinner fundraiser using all of the connections to insanely wealthy people we have made here so far.
Basically, I've been spending a lot of time hanging out with our Vietnamese friends, mostly with Chinh. He takes us to cafes and parties, as well as to dinner. Having literally no money (I only have part time work until after Tet, and only get paid once a month), Fran and I have resorted to just hanging out with friends who include us in their communal eating experiences. I''m not used to living like this, but it sure beats pb&j 3 meals a day. Chinh is an unendingly fascinating individual. He wont tell us his actual age, though I would guess mid 60s. Born in Vietnam, he participated in multiple bands during his youth, as a bass player. He joined the air force for South Vietnam during the American War (what we call the Vietnam War), but before he went off to drop huge bombs on his own country, he spent time living in San Francisco in 1969. After fighting on the losing side of his country's civil war, he spent six years in prison, delightfully called a 're-education camp'. Apparently, upon being sent to the camps, one had to fill out a confession form detailing all actions committed during the war. When asked how many people he had killed, he responded that he had no idea. When the police wouldn't buy it, he explained that he was in the air force, and dropped bombs weighing hundreds of kilos, which could potentially kill thousands of people in one foul swoop. He was told that he would be in prison for a minimum of 6 years. Upon release from prison, Chinh spent years in America, where he studied with the FBI, learning to be an illegal drug officer, though he only spent 6 months actually catching drug traffickers in VN. He has been married 3 times, and now resides in Saigon, owning his bar and chasing after women of all ages. Apparently, he is friends with both the police and the mob, and is often the go-between for the two parties. He knows everyone in the city, but spends most of his free time hanging with the bohemian and artsy crowd. Though I must say, there sure are a lot of high powered Vietnamese businessmen in his bar. Not complaining on that front, since most of the time they are quite friendly, and often buy us drinks. All in all, I've met some very interesting people here so far. This is just the tip of the iceburg.
A few more interesting things:
-Tet starts at the beginning of February. It's the biggest holiday in Vietnam, and is the Vietnamese version of the Chinese Lunar New Year. We get a week off work, and apparently the whole city shuts down. I'm excited to learn more about Tet, and look forward to the special food and traditions (especially the one where older people give younger people money...)
-I just started tutoring a businessman in English, both spoken and musical-pronunciation wise. He owns several beachtown resorts, and invited us to come stay there sometime. Really hoping that works out for us.
-Saigon has a ton of ladies' nights at their bars. We have taken to going to a bar at the swanky Caravelle Hotel on Tuesday nights. Free mojitos all night for ladies, as well as a really fun Latin band, complete with dancing and a super fun band guy who dances with everyone. Good times.
-After purveying most of the top hotels' gym/spa options, I've come to the conclusion that the Park Hyatt has the best facilities. Though I have yet to check out the Caravelle, or the Rex.
-still trying to figure out a way to sing on the side. I've been sick the past few weeks (me?! Crazy, I know. I think it's mostly due to the gross pollution, though could also be because of my piss-poor immune system, or maybe some weird psycho-somatic(sp?) symptoms), so it's been a bit difficult.
-I read this article in the expat magazine 'the word' from a young white female perspective. She was bitching about how we are at the bottom of the dating food chain here, and how she feels like a giant oaf compared to all of the teeny-tiny Vietnamese women, and can't find clothes to fit her. While I admit she has a bit of a point, I haven't found meeting interested men a problem (the problem is that I'm not really attracted to 90% of them), and though I have no money at this point to buy clothes, I don't think it will be a problem with the abundance of stores here, as well as dirt-cheap tailors who will make your clothes for you.
-AJ let me know that the title of my blog is lackluster, unless it is supposed to be ironic. If anyone has any catchy ideas, let me know. If not, then I totally meant it to be ironic.
I didn't even get to the loaded article I posted on Tuesday! Fodder for another soon-to-be post.
My friend Akiko advised me to make sure I get out of the city at least once every 3 months, or I will risk either going crazy or hating Saigon. Though I've only been here for 2 months, I completely agree. I sure do love the perks of being in a big city (amazing restaurants of almost every ethnicity-had THE BEST Thai food ever last night, english speaking people, so much to explore, etc), but I get the feeling it gets old after a while.
I just got another teaching day at work, at a school we just signed. I'm the only english teacher who goes, and there are only 90 students in the entire school. Because the classes are large, I get not only a TA from Apollo, but the general education teacher as well. It is so much easier to teach when you have 2 other disciplinarians who can actually speak the language. The other school where I teach is not nearly as sweet a deal. On Wednesday several of my 1st grade kids started playing with the sink, and ended up clogging it and getting themselves soaking wet. Since I'm the only teacher there and don't speak the language, I just had to act like a total bitch to the entire class. I really suck at disciplining students. My new 5th grade class on Tuesday is full of pre-adolescent assholes who think they are just the coolest kids ever. They spent the first 10 minutes of class asking me personal questions (I got 'do you have a boyfriend?' about 7 times, and after saying 'no' to an especially sour girl, she put on a particularly attractive smirk and asked 'do you have a girlfriend?' since when is it ok to inquire about a teacher's sexual orientation?). I hope my teaching experience will teach me patience, but I think it's just more likely to work as an amazing birth control.
On Monday Fran and I had a meeting with this guy who does charity work for the Children's Cancer Hospital here. The government is real screwed up, and basically shut down most of their operation because they didn't understand the concept of doing something for another person in a nonprofit sense. Such a screwed up government. Anyway, they are focusing most of their efforts on raising enough money to buy ambulances in order to transport children from the country to the hospital, as well as from the hospital to their homes in order to die at home. Not morbid enough for you yet? The ambulances will also be used to transport the dead bodies of the children so they can be buried at home. At present, most people haven't got the money to transport the bodies back to be buried, and often resort to putting them on the back of trucks in order to get home to be buried. I learned an amazing amount about the Vietnamese health system (or lack thereof) during the 1 1/2 hour meeting with Paul (in charge of the organization). Basically, because of the lasting effects of Agent Orange (it gets into your DNA and is passed on to children, from generation to generation), there are just an overwhelming amount of children with deformities, disabilities, and cancer. Paul is from Australia, and said that given the scope of the health problem, even 1st world countries like Australia wouldn't be able to handle it. Take the fact that Vietnam is such a poor country and many children still die of things like TB and the flu, and there is just no way in hell that even a portion of people in need will get the treatment they should get. There is also the problem of volunteer tourism, which is basically people paying to come over and help these people in need. The bad thing is, most of these organizations take the money for profit, as it is necessary to make sure the children look as destitute as possible, or people will stop coming and paying money to help them. Definitely something to think about next time you are looking for a helpful way to travel. At any rate, we have decided to try to raise money to buy these ambulances, and hopefully we will be able to pull off a dinner fundraiser using all of the connections to insanely wealthy people we have made here so far.
Basically, I've been spending a lot of time hanging out with our Vietnamese friends, mostly with Chinh. He takes us to cafes and parties, as well as to dinner. Having literally no money (I only have part time work until after Tet, and only get paid once a month), Fran and I have resorted to just hanging out with friends who include us in their communal eating experiences. I''m not used to living like this, but it sure beats pb&j 3 meals a day. Chinh is an unendingly fascinating individual. He wont tell us his actual age, though I would guess mid 60s. Born in Vietnam, he participated in multiple bands during his youth, as a bass player. He joined the air force for South Vietnam during the American War (what we call the Vietnam War), but before he went off to drop huge bombs on his own country, he spent time living in San Francisco in 1969. After fighting on the losing side of his country's civil war, he spent six years in prison, delightfully called a 're-education camp'. Apparently, upon being sent to the camps, one had to fill out a confession form detailing all actions committed during the war. When asked how many people he had killed, he responded that he had no idea. When the police wouldn't buy it, he explained that he was in the air force, and dropped bombs weighing hundreds of kilos, which could potentially kill thousands of people in one foul swoop. He was told that he would be in prison for a minimum of 6 years. Upon release from prison, Chinh spent years in America, where he studied with the FBI, learning to be an illegal drug officer, though he only spent 6 months actually catching drug traffickers in VN. He has been married 3 times, and now resides in Saigon, owning his bar and chasing after women of all ages. Apparently, he is friends with both the police and the mob, and is often the go-between for the two parties. He knows everyone in the city, but spends most of his free time hanging with the bohemian and artsy crowd. Though I must say, there sure are a lot of high powered Vietnamese businessmen in his bar. Not complaining on that front, since most of the time they are quite friendly, and often buy us drinks. All in all, I've met some very interesting people here so far. This is just the tip of the iceburg.
A few more interesting things:
-Tet starts at the beginning of February. It's the biggest holiday in Vietnam, and is the Vietnamese version of the Chinese Lunar New Year. We get a week off work, and apparently the whole city shuts down. I'm excited to learn more about Tet, and look forward to the special food and traditions (especially the one where older people give younger people money...)
-I just started tutoring a businessman in English, both spoken and musical-pronunciation wise. He owns several beachtown resorts, and invited us to come stay there sometime. Really hoping that works out for us.
-Saigon has a ton of ladies' nights at their bars. We have taken to going to a bar at the swanky Caravelle Hotel on Tuesday nights. Free mojitos all night for ladies, as well as a really fun Latin band, complete with dancing and a super fun band guy who dances with everyone. Good times.
-After purveying most of the top hotels' gym/spa options, I've come to the conclusion that the Park Hyatt has the best facilities. Though I have yet to check out the Caravelle, or the Rex.
-still trying to figure out a way to sing on the side. I've been sick the past few weeks (me?! Crazy, I know. I think it's mostly due to the gross pollution, though could also be because of my piss-poor immune system, or maybe some weird psycho-somatic(sp?) symptoms), so it's been a bit difficult.
-I read this article in the expat magazine 'the word' from a young white female perspective. She was bitching about how we are at the bottom of the dating food chain here, and how she feels like a giant oaf compared to all of the teeny-tiny Vietnamese women, and can't find clothes to fit her. While I admit she has a bit of a point, I haven't found meeting interested men a problem (the problem is that I'm not really attracted to 90% of them), and though I have no money at this point to buy clothes, I don't think it will be a problem with the abundance of stores here, as well as dirt-cheap tailors who will make your clothes for you.
-AJ let me know that the title of my blog is lackluster, unless it is supposed to be ironic. If anyone has any catchy ideas, let me know. If not, then I totally meant it to be ironic.
I didn't even get to the loaded article I posted on Tuesday! Fodder for another soon-to-be post.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
interesting link
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/10/vietnam-cracks-down-online-critics
So many things to say about this one...will have to wait until I'm finished lesson planning.
So many things to say about this one...will have to wait until I'm finished lesson planning.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Cynicism on a lazy Sunday afternoon
Apparently, I have been here almost 2 months. Which is weird, because I still feel so new and foreign. I suppose it isn't a surprise at all that the past 2 months have flown by without my realizing it, and not because rohypnol is all the rage here these days. Thinking back to my previous experiences acclimating to new living surroundings, I feel like I should have so much more of a sense of 'belonging'. Maybe that has something to do with the intensity of the culture shock here, or maybe it's because I've never moved somewhere for an indefinite period of time. With no set plan or timeline, one tends to feel less secure. I don't completely mind it; it's giving me some interesting insight into myself, and there is a certain sense of freedom. I feel less defined by what I do, or the labels that are usually given to people here (aside from the whole 'white person' or 'American chick' thing, which is made painfully obvious in Vietnamese circles or just walking down the street).
After Wednesday, I had a bit of a freak-out in terms of the whole teaching thing. It was hard, I had to yell over classrooms full of kids, and I wasn't sure at the end of the day whether I had actually taught the students anything. There were definitely moments of feeling fraudulent, but then I remembered back to basically any job I have ever held in my life, and I just felt super normal. Talking to some other teachers helped as well; apparently everyone hates the partnership schools at first, but I'm told things get better.
I think because my first month had such a rigid schedule, I felt a bit lost and back to square one when the CELTA course was finished. I am still trying to meet new people and make new friends, which I don't think will be too difficult. The big problem is with whom to make friends. I vowed when I came here to not be one of those ESL teachers who comes over and lives a completely insular life void of any contact with actual Vietnamese people aside from the times you are actually teaching them how to speak your mother tongue. So far, I have done super well on that front. Most of my social gatherings are made up of Vietnamese people and are decently non-western. The issue with hanging out with people from VN is most conversation revolves around small talk due to the language barrier. Obviously I'm not trying to insult their english; I speak exactly 2 phrases in Vietnamese (thank you, and 'one two three cheers') so it's actually more my fault than theirs, but it is sometimes exhausting and frustrating.
When we are feeling like meeting some english speaking people, or attempting to find some music that doesn't make your ears bleed or your soul die, we try some of the myriad expat bars or clubs. You can really meet some interesting people there, and the diversity is staggering. Not only are there other Americans, but also British people and even Australians on occasion. Crazy. Problem is, once you meet them, you realize they typically are exactly the type of expat you don't want to be-they hang out with their other expat friends almost exclusively, and live in ritzy fully serviced high rise apartments, conveniently located in the center of town where there are a decent amount of other white faces (I'm kind of kidding here, obviously accusing entire groups of people I don't know of being racist isn't a smart or logical move). To give them props, most of these types aren't nearly as bad as the male english teachers who move here to find themselves a nice subservient Vietnamese girlfriend/wife who isn't bothered by the insane power dynamics. My friend Akiko calls these men 'LBH' or 'loser back home'. It sounds harsh, but if you saw and/or talked to these guys for 5 minutes, you would agree. whole heartedly. Am I in a cheerful mood or WHAT?
Most of the Vietnamese people I spend time with I really have no business hanging out with. They tend to be very rich and/or important, and Fran and I are baffled by the fact that they continue to invite us to their gatherings. It's the whole westerner thing. It's really crazy. Going to a professional singer's birthday party and singing on the stage with her? Being invited to a dinner party at an art gallery holding Vietnamese national treasures and drinking deer antler-blood liquor? Practicing with a band at a house with its own sound-proof recording studio and elevator? It's all very confusing and fun. The westerner status makes us a kind of commodity, an interesting addition to the other company consisting of big deal businessmen, top artists and other bohemian types. It's so strange, because as far as I'm concerned, I'm just a recent college graduate looking for direction by lolling about in south Vietnam. Obviously, I'm soaking up every minute of it, learning as much as I can, and trying to make friends.
I could probably go on for a long time about the westerner status and its repercussions, and most surely will in another post. The whole thing is fascinating and also a little troubling. For now I will leave you with these tidbits:
-Someone at a bar on Friday told me I was the most sarcastic woman he'd ever met. I took it as a compliment.
-it is quite difficult to handle meniere's disease in Asia with no kitchen. I've been eating a lot of yogurt and granola.
-given my westerner status, I have so far been able to get into hotel gyms/pools to exercise until I can actually afford a gym membership. You just walk in, and most times you don't get a second glance. Though knowing my luck, acknowledging that fact in a public forum will jinx me forever.
-A few weeks ago, I finished reading a memoir about a young woman who lived in China in the 90's. I feel like there are a ton of parallels between current VN and China in the 90's. Regardless of the nuances, or perhaps because of them, I think living in Saigon at this time is amazingly interesting and I'm really pleased I made this decision.
After Wednesday, I had a bit of a freak-out in terms of the whole teaching thing. It was hard, I had to yell over classrooms full of kids, and I wasn't sure at the end of the day whether I had actually taught the students anything. There were definitely moments of feeling fraudulent, but then I remembered back to basically any job I have ever held in my life, and I just felt super normal. Talking to some other teachers helped as well; apparently everyone hates the partnership schools at first, but I'm told things get better.
I think because my first month had such a rigid schedule, I felt a bit lost and back to square one when the CELTA course was finished. I am still trying to meet new people and make new friends, which I don't think will be too difficult. The big problem is with whom to make friends. I vowed when I came here to not be one of those ESL teachers who comes over and lives a completely insular life void of any contact with actual Vietnamese people aside from the times you are actually teaching them how to speak your mother tongue. So far, I have done super well on that front. Most of my social gatherings are made up of Vietnamese people and are decently non-western. The issue with hanging out with people from VN is most conversation revolves around small talk due to the language barrier. Obviously I'm not trying to insult their english; I speak exactly 2 phrases in Vietnamese (thank you, and 'one two three cheers') so it's actually more my fault than theirs, but it is sometimes exhausting and frustrating.
When we are feeling like meeting some english speaking people, or attempting to find some music that doesn't make your ears bleed or your soul die, we try some of the myriad expat bars or clubs. You can really meet some interesting people there, and the diversity is staggering. Not only are there other Americans, but also British people and even Australians on occasion. Crazy. Problem is, once you meet them, you realize they typically are exactly the type of expat you don't want to be-they hang out with their other expat friends almost exclusively, and live in ritzy fully serviced high rise apartments, conveniently located in the center of town where there are a decent amount of other white faces (I'm kind of kidding here, obviously accusing entire groups of people I don't know of being racist isn't a smart or logical move). To give them props, most of these types aren't nearly as bad as the male english teachers who move here to find themselves a nice subservient Vietnamese girlfriend/wife who isn't bothered by the insane power dynamics. My friend Akiko calls these men 'LBH' or 'loser back home'. It sounds harsh, but if you saw and/or talked to these guys for 5 minutes, you would agree. whole heartedly. Am I in a cheerful mood or WHAT?
Most of the Vietnamese people I spend time with I really have no business hanging out with. They tend to be very rich and/or important, and Fran and I are baffled by the fact that they continue to invite us to their gatherings. It's the whole westerner thing. It's really crazy. Going to a professional singer's birthday party and singing on the stage with her? Being invited to a dinner party at an art gallery holding Vietnamese national treasures and drinking deer antler-blood liquor? Practicing with a band at a house with its own sound-proof recording studio and elevator? It's all very confusing and fun. The westerner status makes us a kind of commodity, an interesting addition to the other company consisting of big deal businessmen, top artists and other bohemian types. It's so strange, because as far as I'm concerned, I'm just a recent college graduate looking for direction by lolling about in south Vietnam. Obviously, I'm soaking up every minute of it, learning as much as I can, and trying to make friends.
I could probably go on for a long time about the westerner status and its repercussions, and most surely will in another post. The whole thing is fascinating and also a little troubling. For now I will leave you with these tidbits:
-Someone at a bar on Friday told me I was the most sarcastic woman he'd ever met. I took it as a compliment.
-it is quite difficult to handle meniere's disease in Asia with no kitchen. I've been eating a lot of yogurt and granola.
-given my westerner status, I have so far been able to get into hotel gyms/pools to exercise until I can actually afford a gym membership. You just walk in, and most times you don't get a second glance. Though knowing my luck, acknowledging that fact in a public forum will jinx me forever.
-A few weeks ago, I finished reading a memoir about a young woman who lived in China in the 90's. I feel like there are a ton of parallels between current VN and China in the 90's. Regardless of the nuances, or perhaps because of them, I think living in Saigon at this time is amazingly interesting and I'm really pleased I made this decision.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Wearing the Hello Kitty Backpack with pride
Today was my first official day of work. I taught 5 35-minute english classes to students ranging from grades 1-4. All I have to say is, CELTA never prepared me to teach large groups of children. Focused on teaching english to adults, we had only one 1-hour session devoted to teaching kids in general, and basically no time at all on discipline. Now, maybe this is a mass over-generalization, but I always figured controlling a class full of adorable little Asian children would be far easier than a group of their American peers. I don't have any experience teaching American kids so comparison isn't possible, but it was far from easy for me to keep my students in line. We are technically supposed to have TAs for each partnership class (their actual teachers), but for some reason I had not one single teacher present, leaving it up to me to discipline 25 kids at a time, none of whom speak english. I'm probably making it sound way worse than it actually was; a lot of the kids were super sweet and really excited to play the games and participate. About half of them were either totally uninterested, or just spent the whole time talking and/or fighting with each other. I feel like karma has really come back to bite me in the ass.
On a different note, I had some very interesting conversations today that made me think about my identity as a westerner. I am fully aware of how cliche this sounds, but I have never really identified with my socialization as both an American and a westerner until recently. I have always seen myself as more of an individual, or 'outsider' if we want to tap into that deeply buried and embarrassing teen angst that still lives on in most of us on some level. Especially with living in Australia at the delicious age of 13, when I really got an outsider's look at America, and have never really saw myself as completely a part of the American collective since. Of course, all of my long-term travel experiences have been western until now. And, in an appropriately ironic way, this feeling of alienation and 'difference' is a part of one of the most western concepts: individualism.
As much as I love the idea of really digging into Vietnamese culture head first, I am becoming increasingly aware of the fact that no matter how I try, I will always value my privacy and 'me time' too much to really become a part of the Vietnamese fabric. Take my living situation. I rent a room in the house of an old Vietnamese woman who speaks no english at all. You really can't beat the price, especially considering I live in the downtown area of a big city. That does not make up for the fact that in addition to dealing with living in someone else's house (waking people up when I come home late, having to take off my shoes before I enter the house, etc), I am basically living with a nosy grandmother, only this one doesn't speak the same language. In her defense, she is very sweet, and housekeeping comes with the deal (for any people who have ever lived with me, you know how amazing that really is). However, she knocks on the door at all hours to have long mime-based conversations, if she knocks at all. I also share my bathroom with another person, so it's not unlike a dorm in that sense. My point here is not to write several paragraphs bitching about my living situation, but to illustrate the differences in personal space.
There are really some beautiful things to the idea of living as a collective; eating is seen as a group activity, and everything is served family style. I have eaten many a VN home-cooked meal, thanks to my good friend Chinh and all of his delightful friends. This eating style is based on the enjoyment of good food with good company, and fosters a wonderful sense of sharing, something we are not always good at. I know I usually feel entitled to my own milkshake. My neighborhood is such a collective; every day you see the same people sitting outside together, chatting and/or eating. Though I get stares literally everywhere I go (kind of stand out here...), after a while they recognized me and now just greet me like anyone else. It's a really nice feeling.
Francesca and I have had some previous conversations about the cynicism inherent in our respective cultures; in my experience, it's kind of lame to be happy and non-judgmental growing up in America. With so many people dealing with depression, feeling like outsiders, or just acknowledging the despicable underbelly of our culture, that is a totally logical way of thinking. I also think it has a lot to do with our sense of individualism versus collective thinking. In all honesty, it's rather refreshing to see teens proudly sporting Hello Kitty and Disney labels here, completely free of irony. In fact, I don't think irony is a huge thing here in general. Obviously, once you get to know people on a deeper level I don't actually think they are more innocent or anything (though I do love being patronizing), but people here are free to embrace things we would denote as childish or lame, and not worry about never again being taken seriously by their friends and peers.
I say all this with an insane interest in how these things will change over the next decade or so. With the frenzy of capitalism and influx of western culture, I wonder how long such things will last. With capitalism comes an abundance of product, comes high demand for material wealth, comes a larger sense of possession, etc. I haven't had time to fully flesh out my feelings or complete thoughts on the topic, but it has definitely given me a good deal to contemplate. And we all know how important random brooding is to my sense of self.
Other interesting tidbits:
-I have now met 5 other people working here from Michigan. I can't even count the number of midwesterners I've met here. This is clearly an choice escape destination for all of us sick of cold weather, gray skys, and an economy in the toilet.
-I have a meeting with the director of the Children's Cancer center to hopefully get involved in volunteering/fundraising. It's a super interesting situation, since the after effects of Agent Orange have created a huge number of pediatric cancer cases, yet since it's hard to actually pinpoint the cause of one specific person's cancer, these cases are largely ignored. Agent Orange: America's gift to Vietnam that just keeps giving.
-My basic cable package includes HBO. I'm tickled pink.
-Attempting to find a side job singing in a club or bar. hopefully that will pan out, seeing as I'm currently only working part time as a teacher.
On a different note, I had some very interesting conversations today that made me think about my identity as a westerner. I am fully aware of how cliche this sounds, but I have never really identified with my socialization as both an American and a westerner until recently. I have always seen myself as more of an individual, or 'outsider' if we want to tap into that deeply buried and embarrassing teen angst that still lives on in most of us on some level. Especially with living in Australia at the delicious age of 13, when I really got an outsider's look at America, and have never really saw myself as completely a part of the American collective since. Of course, all of my long-term travel experiences have been western until now. And, in an appropriately ironic way, this feeling of alienation and 'difference' is a part of one of the most western concepts: individualism.
As much as I love the idea of really digging into Vietnamese culture head first, I am becoming increasingly aware of the fact that no matter how I try, I will always value my privacy and 'me time' too much to really become a part of the Vietnamese fabric. Take my living situation. I rent a room in the house of an old Vietnamese woman who speaks no english at all. You really can't beat the price, especially considering I live in the downtown area of a big city. That does not make up for the fact that in addition to dealing with living in someone else's house (waking people up when I come home late, having to take off my shoes before I enter the house, etc), I am basically living with a nosy grandmother, only this one doesn't speak the same language. In her defense, she is very sweet, and housekeeping comes with the deal (for any people who have ever lived with me, you know how amazing that really is). However, she knocks on the door at all hours to have long mime-based conversations, if she knocks at all. I also share my bathroom with another person, so it's not unlike a dorm in that sense. My point here is not to write several paragraphs bitching about my living situation, but to illustrate the differences in personal space.
There are really some beautiful things to the idea of living as a collective; eating is seen as a group activity, and everything is served family style. I have eaten many a VN home-cooked meal, thanks to my good friend Chinh and all of his delightful friends. This eating style is based on the enjoyment of good food with good company, and fosters a wonderful sense of sharing, something we are not always good at. I know I usually feel entitled to my own milkshake. My neighborhood is such a collective; every day you see the same people sitting outside together, chatting and/or eating. Though I get stares literally everywhere I go (kind of stand out here...), after a while they recognized me and now just greet me like anyone else. It's a really nice feeling.
Francesca and I have had some previous conversations about the cynicism inherent in our respective cultures; in my experience, it's kind of lame to be happy and non-judgmental growing up in America. With so many people dealing with depression, feeling like outsiders, or just acknowledging the despicable underbelly of our culture, that is a totally logical way of thinking. I also think it has a lot to do with our sense of individualism versus collective thinking. In all honesty, it's rather refreshing to see teens proudly sporting Hello Kitty and Disney labels here, completely free of irony. In fact, I don't think irony is a huge thing here in general. Obviously, once you get to know people on a deeper level I don't actually think they are more innocent or anything (though I do love being patronizing), but people here are free to embrace things we would denote as childish or lame, and not worry about never again being taken seriously by their friends and peers.
I say all this with an insane interest in how these things will change over the next decade or so. With the frenzy of capitalism and influx of western culture, I wonder how long such things will last. With capitalism comes an abundance of product, comes high demand for material wealth, comes a larger sense of possession, etc. I haven't had time to fully flesh out my feelings or complete thoughts on the topic, but it has definitely given me a good deal to contemplate. And we all know how important random brooding is to my sense of self.
Other interesting tidbits:
-I have now met 5 other people working here from Michigan. I can't even count the number of midwesterners I've met here. This is clearly an choice escape destination for all of us sick of cold weather, gray skys, and an economy in the toilet.
-I have a meeting with the director of the Children's Cancer center to hopefully get involved in volunteering/fundraising. It's a super interesting situation, since the after effects of Agent Orange have created a huge number of pediatric cancer cases, yet since it's hard to actually pinpoint the cause of one specific person's cancer, these cases are largely ignored. Agent Orange: America's gift to Vietnam that just keeps giving.
-My basic cable package includes HBO. I'm tickled pink.
-Attempting to find a side job singing in a club or bar. hopefully that will pan out, seeing as I'm currently only working part time as a teacher.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Advisory: Customs & Taboos
My first day of teaching is Wednesday, and I am a little bit freaking out. Having never taught kids before, especially kids with no english abilities whatsoever, it is a daunting prospect and I fully expect to have a few 'oh shit now what do I do?' moments. On the plus side, this will make for some excellent blog posts. Everyone enjoys the mishaps of a clueless foreigner traipsing about a random country making a fool of herself.
As part of my young learners and teaching induction, I was given a huge coursepack (in college terms) with all kinds of info in it. It is appropriately named "Apollo Induction Guide for New Teachers". My current favorite part is the section on Vietnamese Cultural Customs and Taboos. A few gems from the list:
-apparently picking your nose is totally socially acceptable in VN. Makes me super happy about shaking hands with new acquaintances. However, don't even think about picking your teeth in public, as THAT is considered obscene. One must be polite and cover their mouth while using a toothpick.
-Vietnamese women 'rarely drink or smoke'. As a western woman, I am advised to not do either of these things in front of 'certain people', as it may 'lower my status in their eyes'. Now, I have seen a good deal of women drinking and smoking around here, but then again I have been running with a more Bohemian crowd these days. I've heard similar things from other people, though in my experience it hasn't been a big deal. Oh, gender roles and stereotypes. truly one of my favorite topics to get on my high horse about, so get excited for a long and ranting post about this sometime soon. So many things to look forward to!
-Ho Chi Minh is a national hero, so we are advised to either show respect or avoid the topic completely. As I have not done much research on him as an individual, I opt for the latter for now.
-'Don't photograph military installations'. Pretty straightforward. It is also a taboo to photograph ethnic groups without permission. I'm not really sure which ethnic groups they are talking about, and it seems to me that everyone is in some sort of ethnic group, but then that's probably just me being a pain in the ass.
-crossing your fingers is a very offensive gesture here. Luckily, though, the same is not true for the middle finger.
-It is completely acceptable to ask relative strangers super personal info, like their age, etc. This one is actually true, as I have had several conversations with people I barely know about weight. A new friend named Hoa spent our second meeting discussing her sister's weight in terms of her being 'big' (turns out she is about my height and weighs around 130lb; when I told her what I weigh, she put on a shocked face and said 'but you look so small!').
I think a lot of these rules are from more traditional times. These days, with the younger generations being bombarded with all manner of cultural jewels from the US (KFC, the Disney Channel, the Bachelor, Facebook when it works, and of course some extremely bad pop music), the rules are less strict.
One last Vietnam custom, one with the most bizarre consequences:
Children's heads are seen as sacred, and are not to be touched. Don't pat kids on the head, or let them wear helmets on motorbikes. True story-everyone here rides motorbikes instead of cars (reasoning being that there are no cars manufactured in VN, and the import tax is 200%, so motorbikes are practical), and I have seen families of 4 routinely riding one motorbike together. Once an individual is 18, they are required to wear a helmet on a motorbike. Youngsters under 18 have no such law, due to the sacred nature of little heads. It makes perfect sense to me. It's like 'survival of the most sacred heads'- those that are less sacred are weeded out by closed head injuries due to motorbike accidents. Or, you could think of it as sacrificial.
As part of my young learners and teaching induction, I was given a huge coursepack (in college terms) with all kinds of info in it. It is appropriately named "Apollo Induction Guide for New Teachers". My current favorite part is the section on Vietnamese Cultural Customs and Taboos. A few gems from the list:
-apparently picking your nose is totally socially acceptable in VN. Makes me super happy about shaking hands with new acquaintances. However, don't even think about picking your teeth in public, as THAT is considered obscene. One must be polite and cover their mouth while using a toothpick.
-Vietnamese women 'rarely drink or smoke'. As a western woman, I am advised to not do either of these things in front of 'certain people', as it may 'lower my status in their eyes'. Now, I have seen a good deal of women drinking and smoking around here, but then again I have been running with a more Bohemian crowd these days. I've heard similar things from other people, though in my experience it hasn't been a big deal. Oh, gender roles and stereotypes. truly one of my favorite topics to get on my high horse about, so get excited for a long and ranting post about this sometime soon. So many things to look forward to!
-Ho Chi Minh is a national hero, so we are advised to either show respect or avoid the topic completely. As I have not done much research on him as an individual, I opt for the latter for now.
-'Don't photograph military installations'. Pretty straightforward. It is also a taboo to photograph ethnic groups without permission. I'm not really sure which ethnic groups they are talking about, and it seems to me that everyone is in some sort of ethnic group, but then that's probably just me being a pain in the ass.
-crossing your fingers is a very offensive gesture here. Luckily, though, the same is not true for the middle finger.
-It is completely acceptable to ask relative strangers super personal info, like their age, etc. This one is actually true, as I have had several conversations with people I barely know about weight. A new friend named Hoa spent our second meeting discussing her sister's weight in terms of her being 'big' (turns out she is about my height and weighs around 130lb; when I told her what I weigh, she put on a shocked face and said 'but you look so small!').
I think a lot of these rules are from more traditional times. These days, with the younger generations being bombarded with all manner of cultural jewels from the US (KFC, the Disney Channel, the Bachelor, Facebook when it works, and of course some extremely bad pop music), the rules are less strict.
One last Vietnam custom, one with the most bizarre consequences:
Children's heads are seen as sacred, and are not to be touched. Don't pat kids on the head, or let them wear helmets on motorbikes. True story-everyone here rides motorbikes instead of cars (reasoning being that there are no cars manufactured in VN, and the import tax is 200%, so motorbikes are practical), and I have seen families of 4 routinely riding one motorbike together. Once an individual is 18, they are required to wear a helmet on a motorbike. Youngsters under 18 have no such law, due to the sacred nature of little heads. It makes perfect sense to me. It's like 'survival of the most sacred heads'- those that are less sacred are weeded out by closed head injuries due to motorbike accidents. Or, you could think of it as sacrificial.
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