At Home

When I first arrived in Vietnam, there were two songs I listened to a lot, one having the line "oh my god I think I'm in control" and the other "I've never been this far away from home." These songs brought me comfort during my time of questioning my sanity of taking on the venture of living in Vietnam.

I haven't listened to those songs in quite some time. The other day, when I had a rare afternoon off, I was running up and down the big street perpendicular to mine, going to the market, going to the wine store, buying vegetables, bargaining for kitchen equipment (I was making dinner for a friend...I know...shocking) when I had this moment when I turned on my street and saw the pretty blue sky and the trees that lined the road that I felt utterly at home. Yes there were guys lounging on their motos, yes there were women wearing rice hats peddling wares, yes there were people repairing motorcycles and making copies of keys on the sidewalk, yes there was a giant hole in the sidewalk, but I felt like I did when I was in France or when I walk on Mountain Brook Parkway, or when I walked down Rugby Road in Charlottesville on a Thursday afternoon, and it made me really happy to realize that it might have taken four months, but Vietnam and its quirks are slowly becoming home to me.

Now, don't worry, I'm not planting my roots here forever!

But in other words, I have been teaching a lot more, as I've added a new job in the afternoons teaching pre-schoolers (I had a two year old in my class last week...how you teach a two year old English when she can barely speak Vietnamese, I have no idea!) and first and second graders, as well as my usual job of teaching at night. Teaching more is good, but it is some getting used to actually working more than three hours a day. I also went to a fashion show that a friend was in last Saturday after work. It was hilarious, and I wish I had brought my camera. Somehow my three friends and I who went got seated at a table right on the runway and were given free drinks and food as we watched first a dance group (imagine Vietnamese Backstreet Boys wannabes who were also trying to be gangster while girls danced behind them as if they were pole dancing sans poles scantily clad in policemen uniforms) and then models own the catwalk. I felt very sophisticated and important.

Don't you agree? This picture is courtesy of my friend Laura. I wish I had more pictures from the night, especially of the dancing!

Other than that, life is still about the same over here, but I will update more later for sure!