Anneliese and Carlo appeared in my house yesterday. Well, I came home to find bags, and a note to meet them down the street at a Bia Hoi. Either way, I was excited to have my visitors back. The power was cut in my area of the city for a couple hours last night, so being in the dark with friends is a lot better than being in the dark alone! Since it is storm season right now, Hanoi experiences monster thunderstorms just about every evening (although sometimes they take place at 4am and they are absolutely impossible to sleep through...). Last night Anneliese, Carlo and myself went up on to my roof to watch a storm roll in. It was amazing feeling the hot air blown by us as we were hit with cool gusts as the storm got nearer. The lightening was fantastic, and it was an excellent experience watching the fast-approaching storm spread over the city... rather than listen to it from inside my apartment. It's also quite the blessing to get heavy rains, as it cools down the weather and drops the humidity factor a bit. My motorbike ride to work this morning was a welcome cool breeze the entire way (compared to driving through what feels like exhaust from a drying machine).
My students took their first year-end exam today (a self-written Science/Sose test), but the real heavy-duty English testing begins Monday. The timing is rather unfortunate, since I have heaps of work and two friends visiting, and a third friend arriving tomorrow. Definitely have been exerting a lot of self-control when it comes to staying in and going to bed early. Even better, a high fever is spreading like wildfire through my Year 3 classes; I've already had 3 kids leave early and 3 more not show up for 2+ days. Since I'm starting to feel like I'm getting something myself, Anneliese and Carlo are making the wise choice to go stay at my friend Flip's house for a couple days. Traveling on a bus down the coast of Vietnam with a high fever.... not the greatest experience. I'm sure the two of them will enjoy having a room to themselves, rather than crashing on a mattress pad on my living room floor every night.
Well, I have to grade 40 papers and prepare even more exams, so I should get going....
Chi Marchie means Miss Marchie in Vietnamese, has a rather nice ring to it, doesn't it? I'm currently a teacher in Hanoi, and, due to pressure from family and friends, have made the attempt to chronicle my experience living and working in Viet Nam.
Little Things
- Great advice: Don't let the construction workers by your house know that you can communicate in Vietnamese (however limited...). I made that mistake and now have to politely chat every time I see them, which is at least 3 times a day. Sometimes, it's better to play the ignorant foreigner card.
- The city of Ha Noi is officially named, Thang Long Ha Noi, which roughly translates to "The Soaring Dragon City Ha Noi"
- I thought having a rooster start crowing at 5am was the worst it could get, but I have a neighbor with some intense emphysema- waking up to a hacking cough early in the morning (every morning) is definitely worse...
- "Chi la co giao My".... the phrase "I am an American teacher" is my go to if I have no clue what someone is saying... which is a majority of the time
- The way people deal with trash here is truly remarkable. Basically, throw your garbage on the side of the road and wait for the garbage ladies to come by and pick it up. They come once a day, around 5pm, so the streets get pretty messy at night.
- The best way to wake up in the morning is driving in rush hour in 100 degree heat. It's impossible to make it through alive if you are not alert, so it definitely does the trick.
- Always avoid the dried squid sellers, they stink to high heaven
- Apparently, if it has a heartbeat, you can eat it. And if it doesn't, you can still eat it. What I'm trying to say is that in Vietnam, you can eat whatever the hell you want. Ech.
- Green Papaya Salad Recipe: papaya, carrot, lime, sugar, salt, mint, spicy peppers, roasted peanuts, pork, shrimp.... mix. Simple and delicious
- I've learned to only accept ice that is round with a hole in the middle. Anything else has been made in a dirty warehouse, transported on a dirty motorbike, and chopped up on a dirty street side. Obviously, this sort of ice would prove disastrous if ingested.
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