Nice to Meet You, Ho Chi Minh City!

It’s my 3^rd night here in Ho Chi Minh City. The flights getting here were pretty horrible. I don’t know how people go back and forth from Asia to USA like nothing! It was especially bad because I sat in a window seat next to 2 passengers who slept through the whole 14 hour flight (okay, they did get up like once or twice to eat but that was it) I felt bad that they had to suffer because of my frequent trips to the restroom. Lesson learned: ALWAYS REQUEST AISLE SEAT IF YOU HAVE A WEAK BLADDER. Haha. 

Having arrived early morning Sunday around 3 AM, the city was empty and the motorbikes were a few. Didn’t really see much on the drive over to the SEMEO building where I will reside for the next month. The school building itself is where I teach and live. The classrooms are located throughout the building and there are 2 guest suites on the top 5^th floor.

The suites aren’t anything fancy, but it’ll do for the next month. There is air conditioning, running water, and a housekeeper who cleans my room and does my laundry so I’m not complaining! It’s actually better than home considering I don’t have to do laundry. As far as I am concerned not having to do laundry or clean up is equivalent to a 4 star hotel. Haha.

Some Noticings about Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

1) Motorbikes are EVERYWHERE. It’s actually a luxury to own a car because taxes are very high on them. Therefore, motobike > cars.

While on the topic of motorbikes, let me also tell you that crossing a big street here is a matter of life or death. What I’ve learned after 2 days is that you cannot hesitate, make eye contact, or feel bad when you’re crossing the street.

You gotta be BOLD and let the drivers dodge you, and not vice versa.

2) Our school building is located in a PRIME SPOT. Inside District 1 (which I hear and have found to be the most happening district in Vietnam. There are 12 districts in all). We literally live next door to 2 huge luxury malls stocked with a supermarket, clothing stores, a gym, and endless food courts. Bubble tea, baked goods, ice cream, mochi, pho, spring rolls... Anything my little heart desired back home is found here.  Of course, except my mama’s cooking!

3) Napkins are hard to come by in restaurants! I’m so used to using a million napkins whenever I eat but here all you get if you are lucky is a wet nap to wipe your hands. In some of the more expensive restaurants they do have towel napkins.

4) Military time. I know that a lot of countries actually use military time but because I am so used to the 12 hour system, whenever I look at the time I have to do a double take then do a quick subtraction of 12 hours in my heard in order to figure out what time it is. I’ve even switched my iphone to military time so that I can get used to it.

5) Coconut water & beer is so cheap here (compared to New York City)! You can get a fresh coconut water for about $1 but I'm sure you can haggle the merchant to sell it to you for cheaper and local brew goes for about $2. I intend on drinking as many coconuts as I can. Puhaha. 

6) It rains EVERY day here but for only a short while. It gets real hot during the day then the clouds look like it just can't take it anymore and it just releases a flood of rain water. It passes fairly quickly and the sun comes out again.

7) Vietnamese cuisine is wonderful! They do not use much oil or additional spices. Rather, everything here is seasoned naturally with herbs such as cilantro, basil, and other funky smelling things. I look forward to eating all types of authentic dishes and haven't had a banh mi yet! I am on the look out for a good place to try it though!

8) Work started and it’s only been 2 days but I will say this. No matter where I go, I feel that all children are the same, in terms of what they need, what they want, and how they learn.

All children need love & discipline, they all WANT to be praised and made to feel special and good and they learn best when you make it known that you want to be there and you want to teach them.  Therefore, I want to try my best to LOVE the 100+ Vietnamese students that I have the privilage of teaching this summer! I will post soon on how the 1^st weeks lessons went, how the students have received me, and all things related to work... cause you know I am here to work. Haha. 

Till then,

Chao!

PS. For those of you who have reached out to me and have been keeping me in your thoughts, thank you! Jetlag is better and I am adjusting to life in HCM little by little every day. :)