Thursday, August 23, 2012

Fat, Feet, and Frogs


You know Russian Roulette? Well there is a Vietnamese version, Vietnamese Roulette (I thought of it, original right?) and this is how you play. You’re walking down the street and you’re hungry. So you spot a place with plastic chairs and tables outside (cheap usually) and sit down. They hand you a menu, and its solemente in Vietnamese.. so, knowing that bo is beef and ga is chicken you randomly choose something. And vua la (spelling?)! Vietnamese Roulette.

The first few times I played, it was awesome, fantastic! Last time… my meal was beef fat and vegetables. Fat and vegetables. Not my cup of tea. I ate most of it though. My friend Edwin ended up with some chicken feet, which to my amazement, spectacular. Really good.

Then the next day I was chatting with my TA and Kindergarten Vietnamese teacher Ms. Lam, and she was eating frog legs, so I took a bite. Not to bad! Where does this girl draw the line, you may ask? Quail eggs and fertilized eggs, that’s where. Here in Vietnam, some of the eggs are fertilized and then cooked. People will peel off the shell and pop them into their mouths… baby bird, feathers, bones and all… I just don’t think I can stomach that!!! I asked Ms. Lam if she like them and she did! I probably unconsciously was making a face because she laughed and said that she had been eating them since she was little because it is thought of to be good luck. Well, should I happen to have some REALLY unfortunate luck, I’ll think about it.. haha

There you go. Fat, feet, and frogs.

As some of you may know, I have rented a motorbike! I LOOOOVEEE it! I could seriously ride around on it for hours! It was highly intimidating at first since you couldn’t really learn with out traffic. Once you get the feel for your bike and the ebb and flow of traffic, it’s easy peasy. The freakiest part is left turns across traffic. There is no light or signal for you to go. You just do. And people wiz around you. You pick an even pace and direction and they go around you! SO CREEPY, but again, once you do it a few times and have a feel for your bike it’s not so bad. I will have some pictures up soon!

Speaking of pictures, the only pictures I have really taken are of my students and my view. Driving around and taking pictures doesn’t really happen, but I will try to take some more pictures! Probably the next blog will just be a photo dump.

Ok, school. The sole reason I am here. It’s crazy, exhausting, frustrating, fun, and exciting. I sound like a girl right? Too many emotions. The language barrier is tough. Most of my students don’t have much English and trying to get their attention and teach 17 of them English as well as content/routines (routines is what we are focusing on right now) is super hard. I have really high expectations for the students and myself, and I often feel they aren’t being met. There are some amazing teachers here who are a huge support.  I am so grateful for them. More about my school and class later, and with lots of pictures!

Until next time,

K

1 comment:

  1. Sounds like you are really learning a lot and enjoying this experience! I've enjoyed reading your blog! :) -livelaughlove-kels.blogspot.com

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