Trouble

Today I'm having trouble getting my blog published, so this is a test to see if its my laptop, or something else. So as this is working, it seems its something to do with the word doc that I use to write my journal before I copy and paste in here. Recently, Word keeps shutting down and telling me there's a problem but this never happened before.

Anyway, my news is that I went and got a bike! And it makes me so happy to have the freedom to come and go as I please, even in a small way. So I'll just add some pics and hope this problem gets resolved. I'll tap for that! Although I may have to get it looked at!!

I just had to ride over to show off to Michael on my way back from the shop! Its a mountain bike with 18 gears and heavy duty tyres, much better than the ordinary ones that seem very heavy to me. Riding along with a breeze to keep me cool is just so good! However, when I stopped the sweat just poured off me and I had to spend 5 minutes under a cold shower. Good exercise.

Minor frustrations

Monday 10^th November 2008

According to Michael, see: http://gymnastmike.blogspot.com I didn’t miss much in the trip to Cambodia. Casinos and Motorbike accidents I can do without! And we had a really good day here yesterday, all things considered.

Today I taught two private students, young men of 19, while Mark took a nap because he’s always up early and late to bed. No sooner had they left than two girls from one of my classes at KTV came to visit, both on one bicycle! They are both resident at a local college of education, where they study business and tourism. Anyway, they invited me to take a coach trip with them and a small group from their college to the National Park some way from here on Saturday. My schedule showed that I was down for only one-half class on Saturday afternoon, so naturally I said I’d be delighted to go with them. However, when I got to KTV and spoke to Miss Yen, who organises the teaching schedule, she insisted that she’d told me she had a class for me to take on Sat! That’s because the class I’m scheduled for tomorrow night has been given to another teacher who won’t be here on Saturday!

Oh no, Miss Yen, you didn’t tell me that! I’m going on this trip, come rain or shine!!!

Tuesday, 11^th November 2008

It’s been a strange day, one way or another. I woke at 7.0’clock with the idea of going for an early morning walk with Mark, but he was busy getting lesson plans ready for his private class and I got fed up at the prospect of being here all day with nothing to do but prepare my lessons. I was feeling quite upset and let Mark know about it. Then he got upset because he’s overstretched and underpaid and not feeling a hundred percent anyway.

In fact if I didn’t have my laptop to vent my frustrations in my blog, I could be really upset! In most ways, it’s great here. The house is really nice, even though it doesn’t have AC, but I sometimes feel trapped because I don’t have any transport apart from Mark and Michael. Even though we’re now in what passes for winter, it’s just too hot to walk far and there’s really nowhere to walk to anyway. I’ve been toying with the idea of getting a bike, but I don’t want to spend too much money as I won’t be here long enough for it to be worthwhile. On the other hand, if I did have a bike I could visit Michael and the others at Co Mai’s and maybe even go as far as the Supermarket and possibly KTV, though I’d be very hot and sweaty by the time I got there.

Apart from all that, Michael has also been getting hot under the collar about an incident at school a few days ago. In fact, he was so upset that he gave me one of his classes tonight because he just wanted to go and to cool off with something alcoholic. No, dear Michael is not alcoholic, and I know how he feels! I did enjoy teaching his class however, and it makes up for the class that was taken off me! Now I feel better!!!

Sunday

Sunday 9^th November 2008

One of Mark’s top level classes finished last night. Although there were only five left out of the original class, as students left to go to university or had progressed enough, they are a very dedicated group. So much so, that at the end of every class they never seemed to want to leave but would hang around for another half an hour or so. And not only that, they all talk to each other in English! That’s wonderful!

This morning I was teaching two half classes of young children from 7.45 to 9.30. This means that for 45 minutes I’m with a Vietnamese teacher in one class teaching 6 to 7 year olds phrases to do with food, then after break with another class, learning about the traditions of other countries. Except that they seemed to have no idea what the English words mean and at that age, the pictures in their books convey little when they have no experience of ‘Carnival’ or ‘Parade’. So there I am, miming putting on masks and costumes and dancing to the music of trumpets and drums. (They must think I'm mad!) They do however know about Christmas as most of these children come from catholic families and they also celebrate Chinese New Year, when children are given money in special red envelopes.

When I’d finished, I went into the library to hear a talk by a visiting speaker. All I knew was that Mr Thom had invited an American who writes about food. Because he’d started at 9.00 I came in halfway, but he had a good audience of about thirty or so, including higher level students and some teachers. I discovered that Richard Stirling is a journalist, (he writes for the Lonely Planet) who combines a passionate interest in all aspects of cuisine with his many and varied travel experiences. Two months ago he moved to Saigon since he visits here so frequently, having first come to VN at the very end of the war.

However, his talk was really about the art of writing and was most interesting. When he’d finished, there were many insightful questions from both students and teachers. Later, Mark and I joined him, Mr Thom and Marcus (from London) at a very nice restaurant not far from where we live, where the food was really good (and expensive I think, but we weren’t paying). Apart from the beer, which we usually drink at restaurants with loads of ice, Marcus brought out a large bottle of Beefeater Gin and tins of Tonic. Suffice to say that by the time we left, the bottle was empty! Only Mark refused a second generous helping and I’m glad he did as he was driving. I can only say that a good time was had by all and when we came home I was glad to retire for a long afternoon nap!

Home views

Friday 7^th November 2008

These are views from our house, front, back and side. Everything looks unfinished.

It was very hot last night and in the middle of the night I awoke feeling a crawling sensation on my sweaty skin. Switching on the light I saw mites on my skin and in my bed; only a few, but enough to wake me. They are so tiny I can only see them when they move. I first encountered them at the Sao Mai Hotel, where they periodically swarmed over my desk. They’re attracted by anything from sweetness to sweat apparently! We had a swarm of them in the kitchen yesterday and had to thoroughly clean the work surfaces and spray with the highly toxic RAID that will probably kill us first. Judy calls them ants and tells me that they bite! Maybe that’s what was biting me at Co Mai’s, as my bed was on the floor. I’ve had the odd bite since moving here, but nothing like I was getting there.

Anyway, I managed to get rid of the ones I could see and slept fitfully till morning. Then I was up early to shower, strip the bed and get all the bedding washed. When I lived at the Hotel, my sheets were changed every day, so maybe I’ve not been washing them here frequently enough. I’ll certainly be more particular in future! Even though I may be getting used to the heat, I do sweat a lot. Yes, I know; horses sweat, gentlemen perspire and ladies glow! I do glow profusely.

A missed opportunity

Thursday 6^th November 2008

Some of the kids I teach at weekend, at a school Birthday Party.

Andy, one of the teenage students at KTV, has become very friendly with Michael, and his mother who is also a friend of Co Mai, has ‘adopted’ him into her family. Mark and I have an invitation to lunch next Sunday along with Michael and some others. I was talking to her last night as she waited for her youngest son, to take him home. Actually she understands only a little English and I understand no Vietnamese, but I thought I understood her to say that after lunch on Sunday she’s booked a minibus to take a group to Kampuchea. How far is it to Cambodia? I must have misunderstood so I waited for an interpreter, who turned out to be little Michael.

Yes, that’s the plan. Apparently it’s only a couple of hours travelling to visit a special temple just over the border. “But my Visa is for single entry only. I can’t leave Viet Nam or they may not let me in again!” I tried to make them understand. I really don’t want to be stranded in another country before its time to leave! “Oh what a pity” Co Oan kept saying. I’m so sick! I haven’t been anywhere really special yet and this would have been a wonderful opportunity. Oh well, ce’st la vie! Maybe another time... !

I’ve come to a decision about my travelling plans. Mark can’t afford to take time off work just yet as the school will be closing for two weeks in late January. Everyone takes time off for Tet, their New Year celebrations and that’s the best time for him to go travelling with Michael, probably on their bikes! I really don’t want to be traipsing around Asia alone, so I’ll forget about going to Singapore overland and fly instead. In the meantime Mark can take the odd few days off so we can visit some of the most beautiful and interesting places that we’ve been learning about from our students. This is always a good topic of conversation in our classes.

One of the books I bought in Saigon is the diary of a young woman, a highly qualified doctor from a professional family in Hanoi, who cared for the sick and injured in the jungles of mid Viet Nam during the war. Although this was all going on while I was a young woman, my scant knowledge is based on the horrific pictures we saw on the TV News and tried to forget while we ate dinner. I’m finding her account very moving and am getting a better idea of what these friendly, gentle people went through in their struggle for independence. Her diaries, which are very personal, were found and kept by an American soldier after her death, and have only recently been translated and published. He personally returned the originals to her 81 year old mother just a couple of years ago.

The majority of people in this country were born after the conflict and memories of that war seem to be just history as far as most people are concerned. Far from viewing America as an enemy, the US is admired and aspired to and many Vietnamese go to there to study or work. Michael from Louisiana is loved and admired, in spite of, or because of, his crazy American ways! On this subject, I must congratulate at least half of the American people on their choice of a new President. I trust it signals a new wind of change in their policies!!!

Although this is a communist country, there’s no sign of repression or atmosphere of fear and it certainly doesn’t stop people getting rich if they can! However, the majority of people are very poor and get by in the usual ways people scratch a living. An English Teacher, on the other hand, is relatively well off, even though we’re struggling at the moment. It’s a hard life!

Saigon

Monday 3^rd November 2008

Re: yesterday’s comments. According to Judy’s father, the snake was poisonous... but what does he know #*?

Well, it’s been a beautiful day and I’ve not been out all day! I have however, had the back door and big front doors open for fresh air and together with the fan I’ve been OK. To venture out into the heat can only appeal to mad dogs and Englishmen and I’m neither.

I spent the morning preparing for my class tonight, after Mark left for his private class after breakfast. He had to visit to the Doctor again to check on his ears and returned at 12.30 with Judy and food for lunch. At 100pm two students came for an hour and then he had to go to KTV for a meeting at 3.00pm. So I was contentedly attached to my laptop all day, even taking it to bed with me for a siesta. Well, what else do I have to keep me happy?

Actually I’d been checking out DVD’s for Mark, all copies of course, and sorting out the ones that actually play. So I watched a film all afternoon, which was so good I didn’t fall asleep. Called ‘Freedom Writers’, it’s the true account of one naive young woman’s efforts to teach English to the problem youth of LA, in the midst of racial gang warfare. It’s such a moving story and well worth watching if you get the opportunity. Mark never got back from KTV, so Michael picked me up for classes at 7.30; I just had the one, then home to bed.

Tuesday 4^th November 2008

Happy Birthday to Cathy who’s 20 years old today! Lots of hugs and kisses, our kid**** I remember it so easily because it’s the day before Guy Fawkes!

Today we’d planned to go to Saigon to finish arranging our new account with HSBC, pick up our ATM cards and do the online banking business. Mark had already bought tickets for the 8.15am train from Hanoi, but as we waited patiently for the train to arrive we were told it was delayed because of floods in the North. We’d heard that people had died in the worst floods for years in Hanoi over the past few days. We went back home with young Michael who was coming with us, had a drink and returned an hour later. Forty five minutes later the train arrived so we didn’t get to the Bank till 11.0’clock.

We always try to have a native speaker with us and Michael wanted to show Mark a huge showroom of electrical toys; huge TV’s and dinky Notebook laptops, where I bought a very neat 160GB external hard drive for less than £50. So if I leave my laptop with Mark when I leave; (he needs a new one and mine is too heavy to cart around), I can plug into any computer and access all my files. Very useful!!

On our way to the Station before 8.00 this morning, we passed a man on a bicycle with three snakes about a metre long dangling from one hand. Whether they were alive or dead I do not know! When we got to the station a girl drove up with a dozen or so hens hanging from her handlebars, alive and trussed by the feet. There’s no sentimentality here and no such thing as animal rights; just food, alive or dead. Mark tried out a Harley-type chopper bike while we were waiting at the station. That's him with Little Michael.

Michael had to get the 2.00pm train back as he’s working tonight, but we stayed on and ate in a restaurant that was somewhat more expensive than in Bien Hoa, but very good. Mark bought DVD's at Saigon Square market and I got a new backpack, apparently a Samsonite that would be very expensive at home. After what seemed like hours in the Bookshop, where I bought a couple of very interesting books, (more on that later), we instructed two motorcycle taxis to take us to the Station. That was some hair-raising ride through the Saigon rush hour to catch the 7.00pm train back home!

Unfortunately I didn't take any interesting pictures to show you. Just a young girl taking a nap in her stall at the market, who woke up as I took her picture, and Mark bargaining for DVD's!

Snakes and other critters

Sunday 2^nd November 2008

I was talking to one of the teachers last night about an incident on the day of the big flood. Marcus and his girlfriend were on their way home after shopping, only to find the road blocked by all the Saturday traffic diverted by the floods. After being unable to move for some time in the pouring rain and desperate to get home and dry off before school, they decided to ride through the flooded road. Apparently, they’d been home for half an hour when Marcus heard screams from Mai downstairs, where their bikes were drying out. She’d discovered a snake inextricably wound around the spokes of a wheel of her bike, probably in shock after being caught there in the floods. She was so distraught that neighbouring people came to see what the commotion was about and mechanics from the garage across the road took charge of the bike.

The last that was seen of the hapless snake, it was being put to death in the time honoured way. Mai told him that it was the most venomous snake you can encounter here and if bitten she’d have been dead before anyone could help her! It must have been flushed out of its natural habitat by the floods, which is one reason why I don’t wish to go wandering around the countryside!

I’ so happy to live in this clean modern house with tiled floors and walls that can barely harbour a gecko, although it’s good to see these small lizards, only 2-4 inches long, whose main function is to eat insects and they’re really quite attractive.

I was invited to join Mark and some of his best students for breakfast this morning at a new place they wanted to go to, and yes, it was The Garden. It was nearly 9.00 by the time we all got there and we didn’t leave till after 11.00. The music was still as noisy, but Mark has gone so deaf he couldn’t hear much anyway and we enjoyed a meal that was hardly breakfast, more of an early lunch; beefsteak and chips for Mark and a tasty Asian dish of noodles with seafood for me. That's Mr Nhan ordering from our very miserable waitress. She never smiles but the service wasn’t bad. Maybe she has something to be unhappy about They all wear a green patterned uniform very similar to a dress I brought, which raised a smile the first time I went there.

After that I went with Mark to set up the TV at KTV in preparation for Movie Club. He’d asked for a large TV set to be moved from the wall of the Canteen to the Library as it wasn’t being used there, but nothing had been done about it, so he decided to move it himself. As usual, if you want something doing, do it yourself! Naturally this took more time than he’d anticipated, so we had no option but to stay there till 1.00 when students started arriving for the film show. This week’s offering was ‘Cast Away’ with Tom Hanks, who really should have got an Oscar for his dedicated performance. About a dozen people turned up, most of them late, which is usual here, even for classes.

We eventually got home about 4.00 to find Judy Cinderella sweeping the floor. She’d arrived just before we did and while dinner was cooking and we were having a drink in the kitchen, Mark suddenly spotted a snake under her chair! Not a big one; more like a worm, very thin and probably about 7-9 inches long with thin yellow bands. I didn’t get the tape measure out to check. It was having difficulty moving on the smooth tiled floor and how it could have got there is a mystery as the back door had only been open since we came in. I wondered if a bird could have dropped it flying past our back door and the wind had carried it in; who knows? And after all my talk about a pest-free house! I’ve been browsing the web for concise information on snakes in Viet Nam, but without much success. Judy’s taking it home in a box to show her father.