Roommate November

Here we are again. Jenni and I have successfully lived together in Vietnam for 87 days. And since we're (I'm) making public announcements, you should all know that a little but of white is showing on the tips of Jenni's fingernails. Well done Jenni! And so much more sanitary to not bite your nails in this country.

I am writing this post early because we are about to go out of town and I don't know when I'll write it. But these are easy to write, so I wrote down some notes a week or so ago.
I am thankful for Jenni because she:

• is a good friend. She has had a lot of people make plans with her and then cancel. It frustrates her, but she doesn't break plans with them, even if she's feeling sick like tonight. She helps people with their homework, speaking, whatever; she's willing. I'm just home from class and tired and I'm not helping anyone with anything, unless it's to find their way out of our house. But she'll stop what she's doing and help, and share her candy with them in the process.
• needs me. Ahh well, it makes me feel good... Our washing machine floods our little laundry room every time we wash something. One day I heard Jenni say, "Uh, dude, there's a lot of water. I know there's usually water, but I think there's more." I came over and reached my hand in the drain and pulled out a wad of wet lint and hair, and the water subsided. I kind of felt like a hero. Thanks roommate.
• is easy going. And won't sue me for totally misquoting her and posting pictures of her on the internet without her permission.
• 

a few good quotes

There comes a time, when you've lived in a particular place, when you begin to understand them. It's true. I didn't realize that I had reached this stage until Jenni came and I had to translate English words to her.

We just begin to hear the mistakes that they make, and know what they mean. I actually think that it is a hindrance to my students' education because I can understand them when otherwise they shouldn't be understood. It does sometimes help with communication in the classroom though, because I don't have to ask "what?" 400 times.

I have a new great level 6 class on Wednesdays now, and I have a couple of funny kids in my teenager class tonight. They say some FUNNY things. But I can't laugh in their faces, so I'll do it discreetly on here:

"Teacher, the girl that lives in the water and has the tail, what do you call her?"

-Zin, (22)trying to find the word for mermaid

"I'm not a mermaid."

-Walcott (14), when i asked him if he liked to swim

"It's so clean you could sell it."

-Cat (20), when I asked her if she had been doing her workbook

"Teacher, I don't want to be an astronaut, but I want to walk on the moon like Michael Jackson."

-Ricken (16)

"I am good at making love."

-Remus,(13) though this actually was more of a pronuniciation issue. He was trying to say that he's good at making other people laugh. And he was more right than he knew.

My old level 6 class played the game Things, with the topic-- "things you should never do in the shower." Here were some of the answers:

• dance
• open the door and take a photograph
• not let the water touch your body
• put the soap in your mouth
• read the newspaper
• iron clothes
• driving
• saw a bomb (Billy knows the definition of "saw" and "bomb" but I don't know why he said this)
• wear headphones
• wear glasses
• play computer games
• eat rice
• use mobile phone
• wear clothes
• court a young girl
• jump through a fire circle

Halloween Party. Story In Pictures

Selena and Gloria, two students I have now. They left early, but not before demanding that their class get their own private party at my apartment.

Some of the many many games we played that night. I was afraid we wouldn't know how to entertain them, but they were up for games, which I think might be Jenni's and my specialty... They even tolerated my 'pin the nose on the witch' game! Teaching the girls a new, but important compound word: puppychow.

My student Jack showing off the pumpkins that he didn't help carve at all. I offered him the knife but he would just shake his head vigorously. My student Jesse bobbing for appples. They thought this was ok. But opted to bob for chom choms, which do NOT float. They covered the bottom of the pot with chom choms, and poured in ice and it became a game of stamina. Whatever. They enjoyed it.

I was a Native American, Jenni was a panda, and Phượng wore a mask.

My former student Kevin decided that he would be a Native American too. He painted my face and I painted his. He's the one who organized students coming over to help me prepare, and he stayed until the end. I had him in level 1 last year, and it's really cool to be able to have long conversations with him now. He has improved a lot!Cat, in the middle, is one of my favorite students ever. She's hilarious. I don't know why the font is appearing yellow now...
Thảo and Jenni playing a game during the night.

Students from my favorite class that ended last night. I hope to have them again sometime. They are a lot of fun. Though if they were the perfect class, they would have dressed up in COSTUMES LIKE I TOLD THEM TO!

Phượng was a lot of fun and helped us teach everyone our games

I don't know his name, but he made both Jenni and I jump a little when he lit a bunch of sparklers on our gas stove. I thought that something that shouldn't be coming out of the stove, was coming out of the stove...And later that night, our little neighbor who occasionally takes off her shoes and runs into our apartment, came over for a visit. Even wearing the proper attire.

Some culture shock

So I've been having more challenges with the culture this year. From feeling used, to being let down by their propensity to say yes to everything, all of the negative aspects of this culture have been throwing themselves at me for approximately the last 76 days (and counting). In fact, there's actually a group of guys who park motorbikes who think it is hilarious to sneak up on me when I walk home from class alone, hit my bag and scream. I don't ever have time to react, but they get a good laugh anyway.

I've gotten ripped off a few good times, and frustrated with people who tell me that I can't do something because I am a foreigner and, "it is too difficult," for me (Seriously, ask my mom how much I like being told that). I don't like people laughing at my Vietnamese, and I don't want to help every student on the bus who wants to practice English with a foreigner and therefore wants to be my friend.

Last year these things were funny. This year, they are annoying. I guess this is that dip that Dr. Kreitzer was talking about on his culture shock graph. Burning insense in bulk is UNNECESSARY and probably unhealthy. I was chastized for almost taking a picture in a hospital because someone might have bad luck. Everyone has advice about my health, my lifestyle, even the way I cook my own food, and smiling and nodding is growing tiresome.

I know what you're thinking. These are all great opportunities-- and I see that. My attitude is actually getting much better than it has been (I am so grateful for your pr@yers). In fact, that's why I'm sharing a couple of moments when I needed a reminder of why I loved it here:

One very rainy day, I was seeing the Bien Hoa girls at Jenni off at the bus stop. I was going to have a weekend of alone time. Though when they left, i was uncertain of what I wanted to do since it was dar, still pouring, and I didn't have my poncho with me (a sure sign that it's going to rain). So I just sat, texted a little, and watched the traffic and the rain.

A girl came up and I heard her ask a man in Vietnamese if bus #14 came by there. He didn't know. I told her that it did. She looked at me with skepticism, and I rolled my eyes because I expected that response. I had only been sitting there for an hour and seen the bus pass over and over, why believe the foreigner?!

She seemed curious and came over and spoke to me in English, asking me what i was doing. I said I was waiting because I didn't have a poncho. She took her poncho off and rung out her jacket, saying that she was already wet so I could have it. I refused it politely and she offered it again. So I took it (though I debated telling her that I didn't want that poncho because obviously it didn't work). And I remembered why I love the Vietnamese.

That was a while ago. Last week Jenni announced that we should have a Halloween party. I mentioned it to my upper level classes when we talked about Halloween and gave them our address. I also mentioned how much I wanted to carve a pumpkin. One of my former students (who I actually never invited) texted me and told me that he and some other students would come at 3 to help prepare. I said, "Maybe we will not be at home yet. Maybe 5:00 is better." He agreed. No problems.

So, when Jenni and I returned to our apartment a little before 3, they were waiting outside. Oh excellent, I thought. Typical. They would show up 3 hours early, when we don't even know what we're doing.

They opened their bag to reveal a pumpkin that they had bought for me! and and food and drinks to share with us. We carved the pumpkins and they made a few decorations and offered to take us to the grocery store for anything we needed. My former student smiled as we carved them and said he was so excited, "This is the best Halloween party I ever go to." And I remembered why I love the Vietnamese.

(it was also the ONLY Halloween party he had ever been to, but a compliment is a compliment)
*more Halloween blogs to follow. **Early students pictured below.

Dinner for the neighbors

Using every pot, bowl, and plate we own (all 4 in total), along with every spoon (3, two of which they need to return so Jenni and I can stop rinsing and sharing), we prepared an "American " meal for our neighbors: Spaghetti, salad, and garlic bread. And it was better than this presentation might appear. And just so we have a public record of it, Jenni tasted my spaghetti sauce and AGREED that mine was better than what was in the can. Can i get an amen?


Now, just a word about our neighbors... I cannot explain how they are all related. You could ask them and they could explain it to you, and if that happens, please explain it to me. There are 5 of them living now where an elderly couple lived most of the year last year: Khoa, Uyen, Thảo, Anh, Phong. Khoa and Uyen are married to each other and pregnant. The latter three are all 19 years old, but not brothers and sister. I don't understand either.

We met Thảo, Anh, and Phong one night in September, as they paced in front of their door, trying to be nonchalant. I did not have a great start this year and Phượng had been telling me every day for 2 weeks that "tomorrow" we would have internet. And each day I was told again that we'd definitely have it "tomorrow." I had realized that tomorrow was never coming, but this night, I had to blink back tears of disappointment.

That sounds dumb to cry over the internet, but those first few weeks I was sure that it had been a mistake for me to come back this year. I was trying to act fine, but Phượng is one of the most perceptive people I know, and also knows me pretty well and could tell I was upset. So she got upset. Aaaand that's when our new neighbors decided to come make their introduction.

They weren't my favorite people that night, but they really are great. Jenni has gotten really close with Thảo, and they usually invite me along for the ride. I love Khoa (pictured above). He speaks to me in Vietnamese and tells everyone that I'm so easy to understand. And he's hilarious and always smiles like that.

*Picured: Jenni, Thảo, me, Phong, Uyen, Anh

We decided that this was the first meal that we'll make for them, with more to come. Mexican next time, hopefully. We didn't get a picture, but we cleaned every bowl. They ate everything and I was very pleased. Khoa even watched me wipe my plate with the garlic bread and followed suit. Remember our neighbors. I'm sure they'll appear again in another blog soon.

Time to blog again

Here are a few pictures from my kitty class on Saturday mornings (thank you Jenni for the use of your camera). They can say numbers 1 through 12 in English, apple, boy, cat, dog, egg, fish, girl, hand, and icecream. Sort of.

Boy, they look angelic in these pictures.

There's something about my foreigner face that says, "Please ignore everything I say." If I keep them entertained with songs and games, and keep a fresh page for them to color, if it's interesting to them, then everyone is happy.

If not, no one is clapping there hands (reference to "If you're happy and you know it"...).

I'll try to get more pictures in the midst of chaos. I'm just usually busy when that happens.