“The only real failure is the failure to try, the measure of
success is how we cope with disappointment. And we must.”
Xin Chao everyone! I heard this quote on a movie on the way
over here to Vietnam. The movie was called, “The very best Marigold Hotel.” It
was a fitting move to watch. A collection of retirees move to India to stay in
the misrepresented hotel. They find that nothing was what they expected and are
forced to adapt to the new environment and culture. It was a good reminder that
we may encounter situations that we aren’t prepared for or situations that we
may not like. But we will adjust and learn to love the new place we call home.
We’ve had an interesting and frankly exhausting trip. To
kick off I had a packed weekend of activities and saying to goodbye to many
friends and family. Thank you to all who took the time to come out and see me
during this weekend. You made my day. J
Then saying goodbye at the airport to my family was tough and more difficult
than I had anticipated. We had a seamless flight to Chicago and then to San
Francisco. Ten minutes before we were to board the plane to Hong Kong, we were
informed that we could not get on our flight due to overcrowding in the HK
airport from the most recent typhoons. YIKES! We got rerouted through Tei Pei
in Taiwan about 24 hours later. So we got to have our first experience sleeping
in an airport. It wasn’t too bad and I was impressed with how we and the other
people handled it, no one got upset or out of sorts. There was nothing we could
do except roll with the punches. One couple, a little older than my parents,
was flying to Indonesia for the arrival of a new grandchild! I couldn’t believe
how calm they were, if my daughter was about to have a baby, I would want to
get there now! They were missionaries in Brazil and their daughter and
son-in-law were missionaries in Indonesia. I thought that was neat!
We eventually got here and it has been wild. Flying in, I
was glued to the window. I have NEVER seen so many buildings in my entire life!
I felt like a child, hands and face smashed against the window! We’ve since
explored our little area, traveled to other districts, house hunted, eaten at
various little shops off the side of the street, made new friends with some of
the other teachers staying in the hotel, moved in, went shopping on our own,
have begun to navigate around the town, and starting to learn some Vietnamese!
It’s been a whirlwind, but an enjoyable one! We live on the 29th
floor of a flashy apartment building. So our view of the city is incredible. So
far the food has been exceeding any of my expectations! And most of the places
have an English translation so we know what we are ordering ;). It’s SO GOOD!
(don’t make fun of me dad J).
Rainy season hasn’t been too rainy, just a few showers from time to time.
First sighting of Vietnam!
View from the plane! Have you ever seen so many buildings?
View from our 29th floor Appt!!
The motorbikes are crazy. The traffic is so different.
People just swerve in and out in front of you. But nobody gets mad. Ebb and
flow. That’s how they roll. I
can’t wait to get my bike and head out into the chaos and ride around! I want
to have someone come with me and video tape it! We’ve been maneuvering around
by taxis so far.
Tomorrow we begin training at the school! I got to go see my classroom yesterday and that was pretty neat! All my furniture in the room is miniature sized for my wee five-year olds! It's hard to believe that this is real and that I am actually going to be a real teacher! :)
Well that's all for now, hope this finds you well!
Krystal
PS. you can write me at my school address. They told me that the letters will be less likely to be lost if sent to the school!
102C Nguyen Van Cu Street, Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
First purchase off the street
Coconut milk fresh from the nut! They sell these just off the street!
