We Have Arrived!

Well, this is it, folks. Sunday marked our arrival in Kampuchea, also known as Cambodia (it's what other SE Asia countries call it). Travel was a breeze. I had one last cup of Vietnamese coffee before we left and it had my legs shaken even an hour after we landed. Man, it's strong. I come from a land of Cuban coffee, but I don't believe it can hold a light to that stuff.

On Sunday afternoon we got to gather together as a team for the first time and have lunch. There was no huge fanfare or big to-do and it was the perfect start to the community life we hope to establish here. PS - the food we had was delicious! My favorite was the cashew chicken with onions, red peppers, and green peppers. It's the most flavorful thing I've had since leaving home. Today we had kaw, a dish of caramelized pork and boiled eggs. So different from anything I've had before, but definitely a dish I want to learn to make.

Things will move fast in the next couple of weeks as we settle into our new apartment, learn how to get around town, and begin language study. Bekah and I stood out on the balcony of our teammates' home this morning to survey the new world we've come in to. This whole thing is way more than the three of us new teachers can handle; it's exactly where the Father wants us to be.

Tourist activity of the day: feeding bananas to Sambo, the elephant, in a park downtown.

The pictures below are just before our final flight with our friends going to Laos and of our arrival in Phnom Penh.

study, study, study...TEACH!!!

After last week's final classes and a weekend of lesson planning, the time came Monday morning to teach my very first class as part of my practicum here in Vietnam. Like many of you may have read in my newsletter, I tend to approach the things I fear the same way I did when I went skydiving: I jump and leave the end up to the Father :) Monday morning came with a whole lot of fluttering butterflies in my stomach, but it wasn't long after I walked into the classroom that I remembered how much I love teaching. I really love it. It's hard, though. Man, it's hard. I have so much to learn.

My favorite parts about teaching in Southeast Asia so far:

- classes are long enough to teach something new (2 1/2 hrs)

- students are eager, passionate, and interesting

- each class has a student class monitor

- fellow teachers are experienced and willing to share ideas

- classes stand when you enter a room and clap when you finish the lesson

Bekah took some pictures of me teaching for the third and final time here in Vietnam (to be posted later). A few students stayed after class and we talked about cultural differences and how to improve their English skills. Earlier, during the break, a couple students engaged me in a conversation about fate. Fate! My experience so far here is that students are not afraid to go very deep in conversations very quickly. I told them I believed in providence and it was a new word for them. They'll probably look it up...

A little excursion last weekend took us to a local ethnography museum. It is a fantastic way to gain knowledge of Vietnamese culture. A highlight from the visit was a chance to watch a water puppet show. Check out the pictures and videos (trouble loading) below. The music and the voices were live! And the puppeteers were actually in the water behind the screen! Very cool!

Other pictures include some sights on our walk to the museum and a young girl who asked to take a picture of me with her camera, so I returned the gesture by taking one with mine.

Scenes from the Street

What a fantastically chill weekend! Bekah and I went to a teacher's house to meet with her seamstress. We're having things made with fabric we brought with us. The most stretching experience for me yet was having three ladies and a man standing around waiting for me to sketch out what I wanted my shirt to look like. I am not a clothing designer! Has anyone met me?!? Have you seen my wardrobe?!? I wear tshirts for crying out loud! Ok, ok...I'm done being dramatic. It was a lot of fun and just so happens another teacher walked in wearing just the kind of shirt I was hoping for, with a few modifications to be made. Oh, the many ways the Father provides.

I talked with two Vietnamese students today while I sat on a park bench. They told me a legend about one of the Hanoi lakes and I told them a legend about how the earth was made, to which they replied, "Very interesting." Trading stories came so naturally. It was a glimpse of many great conversations to come.

So check out some scenes on the street! We often see men sleeping on their motos like this. We even saw a man sleeping in a hammock rigged up in a the 4x4' covered trailer. No picture, so try to imagine it. One of my personal favorites is the last picture. How about that traditional wagon and cell phone combo?

Ponchos

Teaching fears took the stage in class yesterday. We made light of them, but they're real all the same. When we think of making a good impression on the school administration, motivating shy students to talk, and learning over 100 new foreign names, it's easy for us to allow fear to creep in. Ask the Father to dispel our fears as we remember it's in His hands.

The second monsoon came through for us today. Honestly, I don't know if they're legitimate monsoons, but the rainy season is called monsoon season on this side of the world and "monsoon" sounds so much cooler than "storm." Bekah and I were waving for a taxi as the towering buildings down the street slowly faded into a haze of rain. We dipped into an urban cavern to stay dry (I don't know what else to call it). We watched in amazement as the sea of mopeds transformed into a sea of mopeds manned by poncho-wearing drivers in seconds. When did they all change?!? May we never cease to be amazed by the wonders of our new home.

Third Time's a Charm

For our third independent Vietnam outing, Bekah and I ventured to the zoo. Like a zoo in a town near you, it had monkeys, crocodiles, and hippos. Unlike a zoo near you, this zoo came complete with people exercising, many young couples showing affection, tents where construction workers reside, and a skating rink. It's a hoppin' place!

We watched a couple sporting events, too. One was a badminton game played with an Asian hacky sack (spring with feathers called a feather shuttle) and their feet, no racquets. Another was a group of younger people playing in a circle with just the Asian hacky sack. This group was incredibly athletic. Their kicks to pass the sack looked like something you'd see in a martial arts movie.

Hunger set in and we planned to eat at a particular cafe, but found out they didn't serve meals. We ended up at a street restaurant with no menus and no English. It was perfect. As they asked what we think was, "What would you like?" we laughed and pointed to a large pot of soup. A woman had to teach us what to put in it and how to eat it. The meal ended with smiles by all and we hope to go back.

Here are some pictures from the evening. The last one is of my favorite part of the walk. The smell of the flowers is stronger than the exhaust :) Enjoy!

A Couple Ordinary Days

A sense of routine has started to set in. The hotel is getting homier and the city's sights, sounds, and smells more familiar. There is still PLENTY more to see and experience, but our main focus is class and that keeps us busy until just before dinner. Speaking of which, I hear the restaurants don't start filling up until 8. We eat before then so I haven't seen one crowded yet.

Below is a picture from our latest classroom here in the hotel and the view from the window. It gives you a feel for the metropolis we're in. Then there's a little timeline we threw together for history comprehension and the beloved lake with its swan-shaped paddle boats. It's at this same lake that you can pay to get in a huge clear ball and roll across the water. You may be in for a big treat before training's over :)

The Most Magnificent Day Yet

At an international fellowship this morning we caught a glimpse of the glorious day to come when we will with one voice make a joyful noise to the Father! At times I was too overwhelmed by it to sing. To top it off, a little girl in front of me turned her head while she sang and I could hear her above the crowd. Absolutely beautiful.

The taxi driver turned on an American radio station on the way to the fellowship. We didn't realize it until we heard the beginning of "Hey There, Delilah." What a treat to be able to sing to the radio together for a few moments. The long ride across Hanoi allowed for us to see quite a bit more of the city. Our favorite sites were of lakes filled with swan-shaped paddle boats. I told Joe it could be our first date in Vietnam should we get to come here together :)

So, I know today is supposed to be a day of rest, but Bekah and I needed a couple things washed. We kicked it old school and washed them in the tub. I considered posting a picture, but upon reviewing the shot realized our unmentionables were distinguishable. We want to keep the blog appropriate.

Today's pictures are of a line outside an old Vietnamese ruler's tomb, where his body is preserved, and of the restaurant we ate at this afternoon. (Click on the first pic to see it better.) As part of our restful attitude today we ate western food. I had a BLT that could compete with many I've had back in the States.

Batting .500 Ain't Too Shabby

The moment of truth came today as Jennifer, Bekah, and I ventured off on own our for lunch. We were greeted with, "Hello, ladies and gentleman!" by a Vietnamese patron. Our translation sheet did not match the menu so a waitress suggested something in her best English. It was delicious. Then we followed Jennifer's leading onto public transportation and although we got off a tad bit shy of our hotel, we did make it back without a hitch. Home run!

Later on in the evening we decided to walk to a nearby cafe. We used Google for directions and it wasn't until we returned that we realized the humor in our folly. The walk took, I don't know, 30-45 min. Our city map didn't quite fit what we were seeing in real time. Even so, Bekah navigated us to the right street. And you wouldn't believe it if I told you that they had moved the cafe since the day before! Ok, so not really. Google maps did us dirty. Swing and a miss! We ended up drinking many sugar-filled smoothies and catching a taxi home.

I didn't realize how routine the fruit introductions would be. Here's another one: mangosteen. This fruit has the most flavor yet. It reminds you of a lychee in texture. The advice I was given is to not eat it when it's yellow. Kind of like "never eat yellow snow."

Two things to note in the pictures below: 1) my friend there mastered my Rubixcube in less than 3 min, I think (I've been working on it since the first flight from Denver); 2) there's a lot of map studying going on currently.

The video is of our first "monsoon" :)

Hives...and I'm Not Talking About Honey

A couple years ago I had an allergic reaction to something, but I couldn't quite figure out what it was. After lunch today I had the same reaction and now I know: I'm allergic to calamari, a.k.a. squid. Unfortunately I went to town on the plate set before me today. Dipped it in some sweet and sour sauce...mmm. Well, now I know. The hives have gone down, so no worries :)

The fruit of the day is [drum roll].........custard apples! When they're ripe the ominous scaly skin peels right off. Like the dragon fruit, it has a very subtly taste, perhaps even less so. It's also a bit slimy. I understand why they might call it an apple because it's similar to a soft apple. It's meant to be that way, though, so you're not disappointed by its un-crispyness.

A Vietnamese woman greeted me in English outside of the grocery store today and we had a brief exchange. It was exciting to me since I hadn't talked to anyone other than English teachers for days now. My Vietnamese so far is limited to my room number and "hello."

Below is a picture of the custard apple (displayed by my project partners) and the classroom we visit every day.

Lesson 1: How to Cross the Street

Our instructor began our first lesson just outside of the hotel doors. The title: How to Cross the Street Safely. The pictures may not do the situation justice, but traffic is constant and if you waited for a break to cross you would wait for hours. So, here's what you do: line up parallel to traffic, keep your head turned toward oncoming vehicles, slowly walk out into the street and don't stop. It's not uncommon for locals to grab your hand or link arms with you; you can do the same to them. Bekah actually had an older woman hold her hand during practice.

Were we scared? Well, as long as we didn't think we were back in the U.S. as we faced the traffic careening toward us, we weren't scared. Here in Vietnam traffic is extremely fluid and gracious. I heard you can get a feel for it on youtube if you're interested.

A few of us went to a zoo and two parks for a homework assignment. What we saw was very familiar, like men fishing, couples holding hands, and groups of children in uniforms. I regret that I didn't have my camera because the architecture in the first park was beautiful. My favorite thing to watch was men gathered around a game of Vietnamese chess. The board looks like this the first picture below. I don't know how to play, of course, but it would be fun to learn.

I'd like to introduce you to dragon fruit, too. It's cut into slices and peeled before you eat it. It has a very subtle sweet taste.