OK, now continue:
The last two days have not been like any other I have experienced. Beyond exhausting, hilarious, tiresome, funny, physically taxing, yadayadayada, they have been enjoyable and not lacking of entertainment. Wednesday started with Bac and I triumphantly declaring that we would be the first to get to breakfast so that we could also be amongst the first to get to the work site. After arriving at breakfast in the first wave of CETers, we were not served until 30 minutes later, after when we were supposed to have departed for work. Our waiter seemed to enjoy playing the ignore game, and a game that I was new too, one where he tried to bring over the same egg and soup bowl multiple times and insist on it being ours.
Work followed suit with breakfast, I toiled for hours to renovate a third generation wheelbarrow so that it could retain the sand or concrete which would be loaded into it. As it turns out, it is actually easier to fill buckets rather than the wheelbarrow, a point I obstinately conceded after having invested much sweat equity.
After lunch, I posted up in my hammock where I had my third unsuccessful day of napping, although at least I had a valid excuse - the little kids were harassing me.
After jumping on our bicycles and starting to leave the lunchlady’s house, an old man (whom I had never seen before) appeared and forced me and some others to drink and eat coconuts saying that if we didn’t oblige, it would be a sign of great disrespect. After it was all said and done I had drank two coconuts and eaten one, and although I enjoyed them, I was not given much choice in the matter.
At school we taught the kids how to play 4square. Each class seems to play their own version of the game, but it keeps them smiling, so I think it was a success. Next we tried to play soccer, until a certain, very drunk teacher, took the game hostage by stealing the ball. He however was not the drunkest faculty member – that award went to the highest ranking administrator who was experiencing an intense slumber in the hammock next to the ongoing construction, the principal himself. Even the construction workers were noticeably inebriated. We thought this might mean that the after school soccer match between us and the construction workers might be postponed, but the computer teacher adamantly insisted that the game continue as planned. Good times at the elementary school.
The futbol (as it shall be referred to going forward) game was as big of a joke as our afternoon at the elementary school. They scored an own goal from a kick in and we trounced them. In the process there was a collision that led to a boy’s wrist being dislocated – good going Logan – but this did not stop the drunk teacher from twisting the kid’s wrist just to be absolutely certain. After verifying the injury the teacher then ran behind one of the goals and started projectile vomiting. Great times.
We biked home and most people were already eating so Bac and I went to an open table. The waiter laughed as he repeatedly passed us on his way to serve another table their food. When we asked him what was going on, he said he would not serve us until our whole table was present. That happened about 15 minutes later when Katie showed up as most people were being served dessert. Luckily for Katie, we spared her beheading because we were too absorbed eating fried chicken which tasted so good that I would not have been suspicious had someone told me I was in a bayou in Louisiana (I always picture them having amazing fried chicken there).
As if the day had not long enough already, there was a meeting during which we were supposed to discuss a lot, but during which we did not discuss a lot at all. After about an hour, Bao threatened to break out Durian (which smells terrible) if the meeting lasted 15 minutes longer – and it did. As soon as Bao broke out the Durian, I remembered that there was rice wine still to be had in the fridge, so we started to imbibe that as well. Before we knew it the meeting was over, and so too was the night.
There is a lot of work to be done in the early stages of building a house so the majority of use are usually occupied and the workdays tend to go by quickly - at least for now. Thursday we laid the foundation for the house.
Lunch was beyond good, we had pork and stir fried pineapple. The lunchlady is really starting to have me looking forward to her meals. That’s a big transformation from the first day when I was a bit iffy, about what appeared to be a general blandness, when I saw the food. Anyways, at school we played jump the river, limbo and bowling for kids; the latter is my favorite. The students (mostly in elementary school) stand in a circle trying not to get hit by soccer balls that we either throw or kick into the circle. It’s kind of like dodgeball except I have nothing to worry about and the targets are a lot easier.
Work followed suit with breakfast, I toiled for hours to renovate a third generation wheelbarrow so that it could retain the sand or concrete which would be loaded into it. As it turns out, it is actually easier to fill buckets rather than the wheelbarrow, a point I obstinately conceded after having invested much sweat equity.
Thanks Joe
After lunch, I posted up in my hammock where I had my third unsuccessful day of napping, although at least I had a valid excuse - the little kids were harassing me.
Told You! It's okay though Nam's generally cooperative (No pun, that's his name).
Ben Tre is known for its coconuts
The futbol (as it shall be referred to going forward) game was as big of a joke as our afternoon at the elementary school. They scored an own goal from a kick in and we trounced them. In the process there was a collision that led to a boy’s wrist being dislocated – good going Logan – but this did not stop the drunk teacher from twisting the kid’s wrist just to be absolutely certain. After verifying the injury the teacher then ran behind one of the goals and started projectile vomiting. Great times.
We biked home and most people were already eating so Bac and I went to an open table. The waiter laughed as he repeatedly passed us on his way to serve another table their food. When we asked him what was going on, he said he would not serve us until our whole table was present. That happened about 15 minutes later when Katie showed up as most people were being served dessert. Luckily for Katie, we spared her beheading because we were too absorbed eating fried chicken which tasted so good that I would not have been suspicious had someone told me I was in a bayou in Louisiana (I always picture them having amazing fried chicken there).
As if the day had not long enough already, there was a meeting during which we were supposed to discuss a lot, but during which we did not discuss a lot at all. After about an hour, Bao threatened to break out Durian (which smells terrible) if the meeting lasted 15 minutes longer – and it did. As soon as Bao broke out the Durian, I remembered that there was rice wine still to be had in the fridge, so we started to imbibe that as well. Before we knew it the meeting was over, and so too was the night.
There is a lot of work to be done in the early stages of building a house so the majority of use are usually occupied and the workdays tend to go by quickly - at least for now. Thursday we laid the foundation for the house.
3rd from the bottom on the right, doing work.
After school we played futbol again, but this time it was serious. After gashing one of the construction worker’s achilles (easily a yellow card foul) with an errant kick, scoring on a header, dishing out my second assist in as many days, and watching our goalkeeper take a bullet to the face from close range, we won a nail-biter 6-5.
On the way home, as I was riding my bicycle with no hands, I began thinking that I am not as big a novelty here as I was in Quang Tri. It was at this moment that a motor biker passed me, staring intently. He looked back at me multiple times from over his shoulder. Although I think he was gawking at the fact that I am white, I think he was more bewildered by the fact that I was riding hands free. Just as I was done thinking this and he was out of sight, I put my hands back… tried to put my hands back on the handlebars, but before I knew it, I was lying face up in the middle of the road. Man it is going to be hard to readjust to life in America, but I digress. Juan Pablo bought me a beer for having scored my first ever international league goal, and this was enough to ease the pain of my biking accident.
Dinner’s sticky rice and amazing wintermelon salad was so good, that I was torn between determining whose food I preferred – the lunchlady’s or that cooked by the wife of the man who owns the Anh Hong Hotel.
Friday, courtesy of Bao, I learned that little kids will give massages on command, as they are accustomed to doing so for their elders. From what I hear, they are comparable to the $5/hr massages offered at our hotel – really good. I also decided that the lunchlady is the best cook in the eastern hemisphere, she prepared our meal on Friday with more love than anybody has ever put into a meal that I have eaten (outside of my mother). She got up at 3AM (early even by Vietnamese standards) to de-shell three kilograms of shrimp so that she could make us the meal below. One picture doesn't do it justice, so sorry to make you salivate but I had to give the lunchlady her due.
Tofu with tomatoes (which tasted like those on an authentic margarita pizza)
Deep fried shrimp dough balls
Stir fried pineapple, my favorite.
Some sort of taro root soup in the middle - outrageous.
Great pictures, great description of everything. I especially like the food description and you saved yourself with an honorable mention of moi--Love you and see you soon!!!!! :)
ReplyDeleteWow I stumbled upon this post today, Max. It's 5 years gone and now I can barely remember what happened back then, but your description reminds me a lot. Really miss the lunch lady's food now. Still the best food I've ever had.
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