Bloggerings One Day at a Time

Since last time.

29/6/11

Not many notes from today, although we did grab ban kweh (spelling?) which is the Vietnamese equivalent to a taco, except it's filled with shrimp and pork instead of chicken or beef.  Mushroom and I ordered it, but they had not yet been cooked (often when you order food it has already been prepared) so the woman told us she would deliver it to us - how she knows where we live, I have no idea.  The food was as good as the service.

30/6/11

Today there was little work to be done at the site, but we witnessed the first power tool in action.  They are digging underground to connect the sewer tank of the new bathroom to that of the old.  While teaching high school, Devyn's and my PowerPoint encountered technical difficulties which came as a relief to me, because I was pretty tired to have had to teach.  I did however try to teach them how to pronounce Pizza (Peet-za) but they couldn't do it and I had a ball constantly repeating it for them to say.

After school, I played football for the first time with the kids in the plaza near our guesthouse.  They are very good, but they all throw like girls so I they were wowed by my rocket cannon arm which I used to launch balls from the goalkeeper spot and down the sidelines on throw-ins.

With the boys that call me 'Messi' as I pull up to school.

1/7/11

Today we actually put moderate work into the construction project: breaking through the bathroom floor in order to make room for the sewage pipe, digging the trench for the pipe to fit into (atop a sewage drain), and slapping cement onto the inner walls.  Nothing too strenuous however.  Devyn and I taught fast food to our students which was hilarious and shockingly revealing of the cultural differences.  None had ever heard of McDonald's, in their defense they had heard of KFC and Pizza Hut, but still, c'mon.  We were teaching some really tangential things as well, like Kobiyashi (from the Nathan's hot dog eating contests), Belgium Waffles, Jared (the promotional Subway guy), and bacon double cheeseburgers - which the students scribbled furiously into their notebooks, to give them a more well-rounded (pun intended) version of the American food climate.  After class it was Tuan's birthday so we went to a place to get drinks and cake, sing songs, and watch people get pied with cake.  After the festivities, the Americans made the mistake of trying to pay for their drinks, but Tuan insisted on paying saying 'it is my birthday I MUST pay' (we did not relent easily, not realizing that this is customary in Vietnamese culture).  After it all we Karaoked with the students and called it a night.

Digging a Trench

Devyn and I teach 'McDonald's' to a bunch of dazed and confused looks.

Sweet 16, time for a permit!

2/7/11 (Trip to Hue started with successfully contacting my sister to wish her a happy birthday!)

We drove about 1.5 hours to arrive in Hue (where our Vietnamese counterparts attend the university).  I was really excited to be on their home turf, and my excitement was easily whetted by our doings.

We started by touring the Hue Citadel (the former capital city of Vietnam), where I learned that the most skillful (in terms of Kung Fu and literature) son of the queen inherits the throne, not necessarily the first born son.  I find this to be very respectable, the king could defend himself and must have been reassuring to know that the boss man really was the BOSS.  I also learned that red and yellow represents blood and land, which, whether it is true or not, makes their flag quite telling to me - a lot of blood shed for a small, but special piece of land.  Lastly, their temples, unlike most others in the world, are built south to north and not east to west - this is their version of feng shui.

Next we went to the Thien Mu (Heaven Fairy Lady) Pagoda.  It has lasted nearly 500 years, which is an astonishing feat in terms of fortitude alone, but equally  as impressive to me is that it was built in dedication to a woman who appeared in the king's dream (at a time when I presume women did not hold much clout).  It was at this Pagoda that I saw the most beautiful Buddhist Shrine I have ever seen.  I witnessed a holy, pre-lunch, prayer by the monks while standing directly opposite them (not that I even have one, but a picture would not do this moment justice, so I will let you imagine it).

Then we went to Tu Duc's tomb (the 4th king); he was clearly egomaniacal, and thanks to this there is a spectacular tomb for tourists to visit.  The tomb site was erected 16 years before he died at the age of 53.  On his tomb was a 'self-critical' autobiography spanning both sides of a 20 ton slab (written in Chinese).  I think one of his criticisms was, or should have been, that he was busy erecting a tomb in a time of extreme turmoil and annexation by the French.  Anyways, at this site, we stumbled upon two men who had a story so extraordinary that I find it hard to believe, yet the confirmation seemed pretty legit. 

Back story: I really wanted to take a picture with this guy whose entire chest was covered in war medals.  When I had my roommate suggest this to him he laughed at me and walked away.  About an hour later, some Asian people are grabbing my arm and insisting I take photographs with them.  Next thing I know, the man with the medals and another guy start taking pictures with and of me, all-the-while I am being told (by a woman who speaks English) that I am standing next to two very important people and that I do not even know it.  I ask who they are and the man dressed in plain clothes responds that he is the grandson of the (12th) king, and nephew to the last king (aka the guy who was in power before Ho Chi Minh took presidency).  I was flabbergasted and could not believe his story, so I asked him to tell me a story about his dad or grandfather and he told a long tale which satisfied my Vietnamese roommate and which was then loosely translated to me.  The story basically involved the imprisonment and release of his grandfather/uncle - he made me a believer.

Finally it was time for an outrageous lunch.  The dishes were equally as impressive as the scenery and I ate several things I never imagined myself eating in my lifetime.  These included: frog skin (tasted like potato chips), frog legs (tasted like delicious, buttery, chewier chicken), and a weird shrimp thing that looked like it had been fossilized in gelatin and rolled up inside a grape leaf.  Between lunch and dinner was essentially a pool session at the hotel, but dinner was quite funny.  We ate at an 'Italian' place across the street, which did not quite appease the Americans and was found to be totally repulsive by the Vietnamese students who had never had this style of food.  At least we finally got to use forks!

Thien Mu Pagoda

Bodyguard, me, son of the son of the king, roommate

3/7/11

Woke up at 8am to meet Devyn and Thuy for breakfast.  It was swelteringly hot and walking the first part of the morning without sunscreen did not help.  We ate a soup (mien bo) that resembled pho, but in typical Hue style it was much spicier. Next we went to Dong Ba market - the biggest in Hue.  In typical Max fashion, I went in wanting several things: a leather briefcase/backpack, a NorthFace backpack, a suitcase, a pipe, maybe some beer tanktops and shoes, alas I walked out with nothing but candy.  Later we went to Thao's house which was very nice and right near the Citadel.  The lunch was splendid and probably left me the fullest I have felt in Asia, every plate was spot on.  They had this stuff that reminded me of Charoset, except it had pork in it and you put it on sesame crackers instead of Matzah - it tasted delicious.  After lunch we passed out hardcore in the spot where the lunch table had previously been.  Upon coming back to Quang Tri I was surprised to find myself feeling that I was coming home.  To state the obvious, it was an enjoyable weekend.

post-nap

4/7/11

This morning a monk pulled up next to me on his motorbike to say hello (he must've known it was Independence Day).   We sang the National Anthem to our students which they enjoyed and which actually went quite well. 

In the afternoon, Xuan and I went to the Quang Tri Market which produced a hilarious experience.  We found a kid who spoke English and asked where we could find a leather briefcase.  Next thing I knew, we were being lead out of the market and through back alleys to a house filled with shirtless men playing Chinese chess.   The ground floor of the house offered nearly everything that can be found in the market.  While they had briefcases, they did not have leather ones and were confused why I kept saying khong (no).  I proceeded to drink the tea they offered me and then watched the sunset.

everyone's house seems to double as a store/restaurant of some sort, but this one takes the cake

sunset, ehhh

5/7/11

As fate would have it, we were short on people at the worksite (some were helping out the soccer tournament) and had a day of lifting heavy objects.  In class we taught clichés from a worksheet I put together.  I thought the term 'Eye Candy' seemed to go over quite well.  Although I warned them that they ought to never say it as loud as they did when I made them repeat it to me.  At night Juan Pablo made Dulce De Leche, which will certainly be entering my stomach more in the future.  I never realized how useful condensed milk can be.

6/7/11

The worksite was slow and a few of our students from class even showed up.  From them and a 13 year old who speaks little English, I learned more Vietnamese than I had in the whole week of class we had in Saigon.  Then my students brought me to the market whereby I am becoming a regular and where I was introduced to one of their grandmother's. 

Dung, my Vietnamese teacher who I guestimated was ~8 yrs old

7/7/11

Worksite had a lot of stuff to be done and 4 of our high school students were nice enough to come help.  I painted the three walls that have yet to be painted, coating them in a white paint which my clothes are now smattered in.  On the way home I took pictures so that I could insert them into the video (which I will be taking tomorrow - granted I wakeup in time, 5 hours from now) of the bike trip to work.  On my way home, at the beckoning of the conductors, I made a pit stop at the railroad station where they are based in the daytime.  After giving them a trung me opla sandwich (egg and cheese) they quickly reciprocated, giving me tea and bananas.  Every day I go through the same motions, but with every day there is a new adventure to be embraced.

Class started with a game of fox and chicken.  Although it was awesome, I also was rewarded with a sopping wet t-shirt after  playing the fox for one round.  Short on teachers - half of them went to the worksite to continue painting the mural - my group played a game involving cliches/expressions and then we did skits.  One group had a funny bit whereby a student interviewed to be a carpet cleaner, but was overqualified for the position.  Next Hoang (the big dude) got up and performed "My heart Will Go On" for American Idol.  Next he went backstage, cross dressed and started rapping in Vietnamese.  Quite quickly it became evident that he was performing the Spice Girl's "Tell Me What You Want, What You Really Really Want."  Now there is a scene I will never forget (if prompted).

good peoples = good convos (whether or not any is being mutually understood)

This weekend we go to Thien Duong Caves in Quang Bin (Anh's hometown).  Wikipedia them.

#ExcitedToGoSwimming