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.