I cannot believe it's halfway through March. I have no idea how the time has flown so quickly. Probably has something to do with the fact that I now have more to do every day than eat knockoff oreos in bed, watching really bad American TV and fiddling with the AC incessantly. At any rate, most of my time is spent in a classroom with crazy children, which is alternately super fun and the most exasperating thing you have ever encountered.
I moved last Tuesday, which started out very irritating, and ended up quite well. My previous digs were located down a very narrow alley, which would not allow for a taxi. So, I found myself dragging 5 bags in various shapes and sizes down a long and heavily populated alley. My next door neighbor took pity on me, and helped. It turned out fine, because my apartment is really quite nice, although not as nice as it could be, as our maid doesn't begin until tomorrow. Thats right, we have a maid. She comes 3 times a week, does cleaning and even laundry and ironing. Price tag: 1 million VND, or roughly $50 per month. Split 3 ways. I feel kind of guilty (thank you agnostic Catholic upbringing), but also TELL me you would not go for that if given the opportunity.
My roommates are great, the apartment is spacious and bright, and our fishtank is full of painted fish. Yes, we have a fishtank AND fish, and they are painted nonetheless. They keep dying; we think it might have to do with the paint. at any rate, it looks pretty badass. The kitchen is in existence, which in and of itself beats my past housing situation. It is quite attractive, and we may get a little toaster oven! NO one has ovens in this country, probably due to the insanely hot weather.
Doing some charity work, finally. Had my first meeting with my little sister, a disadvantaged teen I was matched with through the Apollo Little Sisters program. We will meet once a wee and do various things, giving us time to hang out. Trying to get involved in some other stuff; this Thursday a group of teachers will go paint and decorate the new house being built for a poor family afflicted with HIV. Small things, but glad I'm at least doing something.
Basically getting used to the new schedule, the strain on my voice, the new apartment. Legitimate social life to follow, though I have some plans to take VN cooking lessons, and we may be starting a music group at Apollo for some kids at a shelter. AND free VN lessons courtesy of Apollo start this Thursday. Added to my voice lesson-giving ( I have 2 students! and feel like a complete fraud, as I can't even play chopsticks. by a long shot.) I think I'll have a decently full schedule.
Pictures to come. Its pretty insane, we live in a really nice, almost western apartment, and literally a stone's throw away is a row of shoddy riverside shacks. Will make for some really depressing photographs. Tracey and I went exploring our neighborhood a bit today, and we found so many interesting things. It's just so Asian. Shop after shop of semi-outdoor stores, mostly selling mass produced knockoffs, but with knockoff prices. street vendors selling fruit or banh mi (VN sandwiches), cafes sprawling out into the streets, people on bicycles and motorbikes swerving around the pedestrians, though there are fewer of us than might be expected. Quick note on our stereotype of Asian drivers: after you've lived here for a bit, you see that though they technically have driving laws and regulations, they are very rarely enforced, with the exception of the occasional need for bribery. People just kind of move with the other fish in the sea, and take things like traffic lights more like guidelines rather than actual rules. At any rate, I totally get how one learning to drive in this environment would make just the worst driver in the history of the world. Not an excuse, just an observation.
We have a little grocery store on our ground floor. It's really tiny, but super cheap. Doesn't sell everything ( though I did buy supplies for my first-ever stir fry cooking in Vietnam), but I must say the selection of Asian ice cream bars is excellent. Those ice creams are enough for one of those 'sometimes I love Asia' moments. I have a lot of opposite moments as well, and several 'Whoa, I'm sitting in a traffic jam on a street swarming with motorbikes in the middle of Saigon' moments, which can lead to some really deep moments.
Alright, time to go to bed, as I teach partnership at 7:30 tomorrow. Thank god it's not my 1st graders, or someone might die.
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