Mad About Pho

Update 2010

2010-11-11T09:09:00.001+07:00

Since I moved to Tumblr, I haven't been writing about my adventures in SE Asia, so I thought I'd stumble on back to my tried and true blogspot.com. I have heard rumors that Viet Nam is shutting down access to blogs, but I guess I'll just have to wait and see if this rumor is true. In the past few months, I've visited Shanghai and Hong Kong for conferences--truly inspirational conferences on reading and technology--Chiang Mai, Thailand for October break, and on December 5th, I will be flying to Angkor Wat to run a half-marathon with some ladies from SSIS. Yes, I'm in my thirties, and yes, I've given up smoking and drinking, and yes, I'm running a half-marathon. I'm a 33 year old cliché , but I like it that way. That about sums up my life from August to the present.

Here's the big news...I turned in my resignation to my boss last week. That's right, good night, Viet Nam! Michael and I have spent what will be a total of three years living in SE Asia, and now, we're ready to return to the states. I have to admit that I'm a little frightened to be leaving the comfort of teaching abroad: paid apartment, plane tickets home, healthcare, good money, etc. Overseas teaching is a strange and fantastic adventure, and I will miss it, but will hopefully return in the future. Maybe, Eastern Europe? As far as New York goes, I'm not quite sure what I want to do with my life. I am thinking about continuing teaching, but I am also thinking about teaching yoga, working at a bookstore, wandering the streets of New York... I've also thought about dancing again in some form. I would like to explore a little more of the world and return to teaching in a year or two. Although I'm 33, my comparison for my decision comes from an experience in fourth grade. At 10, I think I was 10, I decided to quit dancing for one year. I decided that dancing was a waste of my time, and that I should do something more important with my life, like skateboarding. After a year with the board, the copy of the board Michael J. Fox rode in Back to the Future, I desperately missed matching movement with music, so I returned to dance with renewed passion and vigor. I hope my adventures in New York and a break from teaching allow for reflection and renewal. I want to be a passionate, energetic, engaging teacher, and I think that means taking a break every once in awhile.

We have a few more adventures planned this year, so I'll keep you up to date. We're going to Laos over Christmas break, Bali during Tet, and relaxing on a beach somewhere during Spring break. Other than traveling the world, I'm trying to inspire young minds to engage in critical thought--it's a grand experiment.

With Love,
Karinna

I'm Moving to Tumblr.

2010-06-09T09:07:00.001+07:00

http://madaboutpho.tumblr.com/

Read the same old thing, but now at a new site!

;) Karinna

The Gourmet Shop in District 7

2010-06-08T22:03:00.006+07:00

Mun, standing next to a mountain of croissants

cà phê đá, no sữa (milk)

I am not alone in calling the Gourmet Shop "my kitchen". The Gourmet Shop in Phu My Hung, District 7, is my go to for a morning cà phê sữa đá and ham and cheese croissant. There's seating outside and air-con seating upstairs, but I'm often in a rush, grabbing food to go. The owners, Quyen and Mun are lovely sisters who work in the shop on most days, greeting customers with a smile. They're super friendly and are always willing to chat. Great food and smiles, nothing better! I wanted to take a moment to share my favorite restaurant and kitchen with you because walking past it or popping in for food makes my day, every day.

One last note.

I also recommend any of the desserts in the glass display and the lentil salad. I love how the lentils pop in my mouth, and oh, the goat cheese--yum! I sound like my mom. Hahaha!

Thanks, Gourmet Shop.
Love,
Karinna

P.S. They deliver, but maybe not to the states.

Two Things

2010-06-07T17:06:00.002+07:00

1. Finished grading essays, so I scribbled. I know. Such talent, no training.

2. Michael's mug is in the yearbook. Love.

"Picking flower by leg"

2010-06-04T13:35:00.005+07:00

I really want to know what the game "making me broken" or "hand balling" is all about.

Click on the program picture to get a better view of activities--read the bottom, right corner.

It makes me happy.

2010-06-04T11:23:00.000+07:00

I am reposting a link Sandy had on her g-chat. I loved it.

The link for this postcard is below. Thanks, Sandy!

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_a7jkcMVp5Vg/TABSynV9jSI/AAAAAAAAL6A/C0aNqWj9VJs/s1600/werealljustkindawiningit.jpg

Wildlife At Risk

2010-06-02T17:19:00.001+07:00

On Saturday, Michael and I took the National Honor Society students to volunteer at Wildlife At Risk. WAR is located out by the Cu Chi tunnels, so we were able to volunteer at the institute and then climb down into the tunnels used during the Vietnam/American war.

Our students cleared brush, raked leaves, cut up fruit and veggies, and fed the endangered animals during our time at Wildlife At Risk. We loved the otters and bears, and one of the gibbons "loved" us. Her long arms wiggled out to grab hair, scratch arms and make us (me specifically) squeal. I have to give the gibbon a break because she was previously living in an abusive environment, and she doesn't like women/girls.Needless to say, we won't be sitting down for a chat and a coffee any time soon.

After volunteering at WAR, we were off to the Cu Chi tunnels. We toured through the tunnels used in the Vietnam/American war and were even able to shimmy our way through miles and miles of tunnel. Well, the kids climbed down into the tunnels. I freaked out due to the lack of air and space and made the entire crew back out, so I could get to open air. One of my more memorable moments as a leader.

After our trip to the Cu Chi tunnels, we climbed back into the van and promptly fell asleep after a long day in the sun. I had a wonderful day with this fantastic group of students and Mr. I. Hooray for NHS!

SSIS Graduation 2010

2010-06-02T16:39:00.000+07:00

Another year, another graduation. What a class! The seniors of SSIS have so much to be proud of from their college admissions to their leadership and service in our community. I will miss the class of 2010. Best Wishes!

Building to Deal with Grief

2010-05-28T12:10:00.008+07:00

Recently, I've been dealing with the death of a dear friend. A friend who was my boyfriend for six years, Tyler Kohut. In the six years we were together, we had our moments of bliss and moments of conflict, like all relationships. I've missed Tyler's friendship for a long time. It's been six years since we parted ways, but now I miss him because the other half who shared his life with me, at one point, is gone. I haven't been able to talk or write about the past, and quite frankly don't know why I'm typing these words right now. It's a form of therapy, I guess. I find that when I feel heartache, my hands ache. I do not register pain in my chest, but in my hands. This past week, I was able to engage in some physical therapy to ease the ache in my hands.

From May 23rd to May 27th, twenty one seniors, Mark Isley and I traveled two hours south to My Tho, Vietnam to build two houses with Habitat for Humanity.

This is my group of seven students: Jenny, Patrizia, Thao, Ha My, Dai, AP, and Bryan. If you look at the background you can see the beginnings of the house we built. Throughout the week, we built three walls, one bathroom, smashed rocks with hammers to cover the floor, and mixed and dumped mortar to create the foundation. Every day, we looked as if we were survivors of a monsoon. Sweat dripped from the top of our heads, down to our mouth--good salt lick--and our clothes were sopping wet. Our socks were wet, our gloves were wet, our shoes were wet. But, we loved every moment of it. Building, working, sweating, physically moving to create something, a house for someone else, quiets the mass of negative emotions, guilt, grief, and pain that we all struggle with, in our own way. I loved the moment where AP cackled and shouted while smashing rocks. He said he was going to open up his own therapy office with a room of rocks where his patients could smash them. And smash them we did. There's nothing like smashing rocks to wake your mind up and make you feel alive.

I discovered new talents along the way. I believe there's a machine to straighten rebar, but not in Nam. Here, we straighten rebar with our hands. The first time I straightened rebar, it looked like a snake or the Saigon river, but my second try was a success, or at least compared to the first. Building is so different than grading papers and being part of the writing process. Writing is a work in progress, and I enjoy being part of the student process, but when you build, you can see a finished work right in front of your eyes. To look at a wall and say, "I built that" gives you, gives me, a sense of accomplishment.

At the end of our build, we were able to present our work to the home owners. Habitat for Humanity expects the home owners to take part in the building process. The man holding the picture of our group, in the center, is the homeowner of this structure. At the end of our week, he thanked us for our work and was proud that he was a major part of the process. I was so impressed with his building skills and the help he gave us while wearing flip-flops! One impressive man.

In addition to building, there were also beautiful moments of bonding where we all ate lunch together, told jokes, walked through the city, waited for the bus... One of my favorite moments was eating dinner with one of our SSIS student's family. The meal was delicious, and the most memorable dish was the snake stew. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the snake skin, and at the back of the spoon is a snake egg. Delicious and a little frightening, to be honest.

Every student worked hard, slept hard, and ate a lot of food during our trip. We bonded, gave back to our community, and supported each other for five days. It was just like summer camp, but with back pain and heat exhaustion! All joking aside, this was one of those life changing trips that I know I will never forget.

The pain of losing Tyler is shared by many. I know people all around the world are celebrating his creative spirit and cunning sense of humor. I know that dealing with death is an ebb and flow of emotion, but I also know that I deal best when helping others with my hands. So this, is what I will continue to do.

Saturday Night at the Roller Rink!

2010-05-23T06:49:00.002+07:00

What do you do in Ho Chi Minh City on Saturday night? Roller skate! Last night, a group of us from SSIS went to a roller skating rink in District 1. The music was blaring, the strobe lights blinding, and I was the oldest person in the room. We all had gigantic smiles pasted to our faces while rolling around the rink. Paul showed us his fancy moves, Dyana was determined not to fall, Kris and Betsy showed us their couples moves, Elaine was a champ, Stacey laughed her way around the rink, and Michael was our resident photographer. A good time was had by all!

The Gang, ready to roller!

Classroom Memories

2010-05-21T12:33:00.000+07:00

Phu My Hung Gecko

2010-05-19T19:03:00.000+07:00

He was trying to sell me insurance.

Habitat for Humanity

2010-05-19T12:09:00.000+07:00

Mark Isley and I are taking twenty seniors to build houses with Habitat for Humanity on Sunday, May 23rd to Thursday, May 27th. Our location is about three hours south of HCMC, and we should be working from sunrise to sunset. I'm excited to be able to give back to our community in such a physical way, and I'll be sure to share my pictures with you upon return.

Our seniors graduate on Friday, May 28th, and then I'm taking National Honor Society kids to help out at the Wildlife Reserve on May 29th. Whew! I hope to get some sleep within the next few days for the upcoming adventures. I don't know if it's the fact that we have one constant season here, so there's no weather change to mark the passing of time, or if it's my age, but I can tell you that time is passing far too quickly these days.

Wishing you Health and Happiness, Karinna

A Tale of Two Tylers

2010-05-17T07:50:00.002+07:00

I spent six years of my life with Tyler Kohut, and a week ago, he passed away. I am trying to write about him, but at the moment, I cannot find the words. Tyler Hill, my college comrade and one of Tyler Kohut's best friends, wrote a blog entry about their lives together. I want to share this entry with you because it's a beautiful piece dedicated to a smart, funny, caring man who played a significant role in my life and is truly missed.

http://strangebenevolent.blogspot.com/2010/05/tale-of-two-tylers.html

Tyler Kohut is the man in the blue shirt. I love this picture. It's our band photo if we were, in fact, musically talented. This picture was taken on the celebration of my 25th birthday.

A Dear Friend in SE Asia

2010-05-12T11:29:00.016+07:00

Recently, my dear friend, college roommate, troublemaker, Thursday night dance partner, and voracious reader, Ambika flew 17 hours to visit me in HCMC, Vietnam. About ten hours after her arrival, we boarded Jetstar for Hoi An, which is a little over an hour away from HCMC. We spent a relaxing three days in Hoi An having clothes made, walking the streets, enjoying the lanterns that light the small town, and chatting with the friendly strangers. For me, it was one of those moments where time stands still. Although Ambika and I are in different houses, places, clothes, have different hair styles (gray hairs) in comparison to our college years, it was so easy to catch up and carry on. She regaled me with stories of Seattle adventures, and I showed her around my new home and surroundings.

I returned to my work while Ambika traveled to Hanoi and Halong Bay for a few days, but the following weekend, Michael, Ambika, and I boarded the plane, AirAsia (least favorite airline--EVER) for Bangkok. I share my birthday with the Reunification of Vietnam, so I am always blessed with a four or five day holiday around my birthday. Yes, Vietnam loves me too. The three of us spent my 33rd birthday/Reunification Day, walking around Bangkok, Thailand: visiting the Grand Palace, bowing to the Emerald Buddha, eating street food and street bugs, and stopping every five steps to rehydrate--so hot, so hot, so hot, I'm melting. Because of the heat, we could only do about one or two things a day, but the trip to Bangkok was a wonderful celebration of friendship and life. Oh, and my birthday.

We returned to HCMC to finish out the work week after the long holiday and to relax. Michael was able to show Ambika around the city and although I was coming down with the flu, I was able to have lovely chats with Ambika and watch a few episodes of Mad Men. We miss you already, Bika! Come back soon!

My next adventure is my return home to see my friends and family. I'll be in Portland for three days, then with my father, and then my mother. June 12-26 are the dates I'll be back in the states, so if you're around, please send me an email. I would love to see as many people as possible.

Hotel Recommendation Bangkok, Thailand

2010-05-08T08:43:00.000+07:00

http://www.lamphutreehotel.com/roomrate.html

The Lamphu Tree Hotel is a fantastic place to stay in Bangkok. The staff is helpful, the rooms are clean and nicely decorated, breakfast is included with the room price, the pool is refreshing, and the rooftop view is stunning. Michael, Ambika, and I spent four days at the Lamphu Tree Hotel and had a wonderful time walking the streets of Bangkok, then returning to this lovely hotel.

If you're looking for a moderately priced respite, look no further. The Lamphu Tree Hotel is a ten minute walk to Khao San Road and ten minutes to the nearest river taxi. I know many people travel to Bangkok, so if you're in the neighborhood, give this place your business. Thanks!

Today, I'm craving a salad.

2010-05-08T08:30:00.000+07:00

I just returned from a birthday trip to Bangkok with my long time friend, Ambika and boyfriend, Michael. We walked the streets, sat in temples, endured the heat, and ate great food, but my need for a fresh NewSeasons salad has not been satiated. I am dying for a fresh, uber-salad with sunflower seeds, tofu, tomatoes, onions...the works.

From my travels in SE Asia, I would have to say that Laos has, hands down, the freshest, most delicious food. The blend of fresh produce with spices, sugars...Ahhh, the tactile smells. I think it's food time. Have a great Saturday or Friday.

"Alots are known for their superior swimming capabilities."

2010-04-16T12:26:00.000+07:00

Like everyone else who read this post, I loved it, ALOT! Now, you too can love, ALOT.

http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/2010/04/alot-is-better-than-you-at-everything.html

Extreme Ironing

2010-04-13T09:22:00.004+07:00

I couldn't quite wake up this morning, so when I looked at my clock and it was 7:16 am, and I'm supposed to be at work at 7:30 am, I jumped up from bed, threw on my clothes (clothes that were formerly on the floor), and ran out the door. This morning rush used to be status quo, but now in my older and wiser years, I have a morning routine which includes coffee.

I'm walking, it's hot. April is by far the hottest month of the year--don't argue with me--in Vietnam, and I'm looking forward to the rainy season as I shuffle to school. Blurry-eyed, racing thoughts, I look up and there on the sidewalk is a line of thirty Vietnamese people squatting in way only the Vietnamese and Michael can squat, eating breakfast, chatting, drinking coffee. And then I see it, a generator buzzing loudly, and what's plugged into the generator is so baffling to me that I have to rub my eyes and blink a few times. Yes, an iron is plugged into the generator, and there is a woman standing, ironing a pink dress shirt on the sidewalk where folks are gathered for breakfast. I envied this morning routine. A freaking ironing board! I wish I had my camera.

Sometimes I love HCMC, and sometimes, well let's just say, sometimes I struggle with the place, but today with laughter, I love this place if only for the insane joy it brings me.

Me Kong Delta, Explosion!

2010-04-05T15:28:00.001+07:00

Watch Michael's video of our trip to the Mekong Delta, and watch out for the water snake. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-d7MXV7kjw&feature=youtube_gdata

Good work, boyfriend.

Elephants in Chiang Mai!

2010-04-02T12:34:00.007+07:00

If you visit The Elephant Nature Park, North of Chiang Mai, Thailand you will experience a perspective shift. At the Elephant Nature Park, a woman named Lek (little woman, big heart) rescues abused elephants from Thailand and neighboring countries and provides them with acres and acres of land to roam. The land includes feeding areas, an elephant hospital, a river running through the property, and hills for the elephants to "get back to nature".

Most of the elephants at the Nature Park are domesticated. They were rescued from a life of street performance in polluted cities and lives as elephant loggers where they were often mutilated and some, blinded. A true elephant whisperer, Lek walks and sits with them as if she were part of the family.

Before visiting the Elephant Nature Park, I did not understand the process of creating a domesticated elephant. Baby elephants are put into cages, beaten, poked, prodded, and scarred so that they will be submissive to their masters. They are used for profit and often lead lives of misery. They are the elephants you often see in circus shows or on the streets in SE Asia.The Elephant Nature Park is an alternative 'eco-tourist' option for people who want to observe and love elephants, rather than participating in demanding and abusive tours.

To visit the Elephant Nature Park it will cost you around 70 dollars, but worth every penny. The 70 dollars goes toward feeding and caring for the 34 elephants in the park. During your visit, you will feed, bath and watch elephants play together and in the river. For hours, I stood at the base of the camp and just observed the elephants with their elephant friends while listening to my IPod, making my own elephant nature video in my head. It was like watching enormous dogs lumber over acres of land, or like hanging out with dinosaurs in my own backyard. The experience was amazing! At the end of the day, I was soaked with river water and elephant slobber, but it was all worth it because I was inspired by one woman's effort to live and work for these large, beautiful animals.

I like to meet people who are World Changers, and I feel like my job allows me to do so, but this time the World Changer wasn't in my classroom, but in Northern Thailand.

If you would like to visit or volunteer at the Elepahnt Nature Park, please visit this website:
http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/

Birthday Countdown!

2010-04-02T11:30:00.001+07:00

28 days until my birthday! Just a reminder.

Khao Lak and Similan Islands

2010-04-02T11:23:00.004+07:00

My first stop during Spring Break Adventure 2010 was Khao Lak. Khao Lak is about an hour, and hour and a half drive from Phuket, Thailand, and I wanted to get out of Phuket as quickly as possible (the tickets were cheap), so I chose Khao Lak based on Mike Murphy's recommendation. Dyana Wilson was my cohort in crime for this adventure because Michael wanted to stay home and save some money for our European excursion this summer, so Dyana and I flew from HCMC to Phuket with relaxation on the bill.

Khao Lak isn't much to scream and shout about, but our hotel was right on the beach and the Similan Islands are only a 1 1/2 hour boat trip away. My point is, if you have the opportunity to visit Thailand, you must visit the Similan Islands. I've vacationed in Thailand numerous times because I love it and the tickets from Viet Nam are cheap, but I've never seen such beautiful water or snorkeled without the fear of jellyfish "spicy pop-pop" stings. The Similan Islands are,quite frankly, paradise, and although Dyana and I only spent one day enjoying the beaches and snorkeling, I am going back, tomorrow, if possible. Ok, well maybe not tomorrow, but soon.

Weekend assignment: Walk in our shoes

2010-03-18T08:34:00.004+07:00

To all aspiring movie makers, here's a weekend assignment.
You should make!

http://www.ireport.com/ir-topic-stories.jspa?topicId=409928

Online Collectivism and Intellectual Property Rights

2010-03-18T08:30:00.005+07:00

I was sitting in our computer/yoga room watching my boyfriend cut and paste art into his blog, sharing ideas and works as if they were his own, but the beauty of the exchange knocked me bloody, in the face. I asked him, "How does it feel to be part of this collective, frantic online exchange of information?" He said, "Great."

I find it wonderful that he, we, can sit in Viet Nam and shuffle through a library of information and images to share with others. The world as a classroom is now, virtual reality and as Mr. Lanier, quoted in the NY Times article Text without Context "the mash-up as more important than the sources who were mashed.” Creation, most often if not always, comes from a previous creation, it's just that the pace is faster now and tomorrow will be even faster. However, I am a flip-flopper on this issue. I like the idea that all of us own ideas, music, and information as a concept, but it is difficult for me to wrap my mind around as a practice. Coming from a country where copy right is a major issue and working in schools where plagiarism is a concern, I grapple with the question of ownership; nevertheless, I think the creative conversations march or mash on without my, turnitin.com, or copy right lawyers' consent. Thoughts for food.

Here's the article "Text without Context" from the New York Times, which inspired my morning blabber.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/21/books/21mash.html?hp

Beijing Cold

2010-03-16T09:22:00.010+07:00

The snow began to fall as I left Beijing.

I want to remember the feeling.

Spring Break 2010!

2010-03-16T08:45:00.002+07:00

My friend Dyana and I are trekking through new territory (new as in I haven't been there before) in Thailand this break of 2010. We've decided to spend two days in Khao Lak, one hour away from Phuket (thank god). After some beach time, we're heading north to Chiang Mai to hike, hang out with some elephants, listen to live music and relax. If you have any Chiang Mai suggestions, fire them my way. Thanks!

Stunning Beijing

2010-03-12T15:04:00.005+07:00

This past week I spent five days in Beijing, China. When I stood in the airport, which is the largest building in the world, I was in awe of the open space and grandeur. After throwing my trusty backpack over my shoulder, my colleagues and I took a cab to our hotel. As I walked out of the airport, my skin began to crack from the dryness and change in climate from which I had previously departed. Beijing is quite a contrast to Ho Chi Minh City in so many ways. Beijing is larger than life, and I was lucky to have tour guides, historians, and self-declared foodies to show me their city.

Joanne Li is a good friend of mine and teaches Mandarin at Saigon South International School. She’s funny (even in English), smart, and has a keen eye for good shoes, food, handbags, and on and on. Great people often have great friends, and Joanne’s friends, Mikki and Charles, were gracious enough to show me the sights and take me out to their favorite restaurants. On the first night, we walked around the Forbidden City, stood in the awesome magnificence of Tiananmen square, ate sweet and sour fish at a Chinese restaurant with an open roof, and then chatted the night away in a Tibetan bar where I had my first Tibetan beer and some ginger tea. Mikki and Charles dropped me off at around one in the morning, and I had to get up for my conference the next day, which was the primary reason I was in Beijing.

The conference was a standard IB conference where the conference leader reviews the structure and assessments in the course; however, the school where the conference was held was anything but standard. WAB, Western Academy of Beijing, is more like a spa, or a beautiful little town than a school. There are four or five buildings on the campus and a river runs through the center. Ornate bridges connect the buildings, and life-size art is displayed on the walls and grounds of the school. The high school has a pond with fish, coffee shop, gorgeous furniture, and displays of student art for all to enjoy. WAB is magnificent, and I’m sure, not hurting for cash.

Mikki and Charles picked me up again on Sunday night, this time with a stadium jacket to keep me warm. Flurries of snow fell from the sky as we walked up the “mountain” to look over the city. I loved the park where we began our ascent because there were retirees about every twenty feet or so, singing into a karaoke machine at the top of their lungs. There were so many songs and so much joy at the base of the "mountain". When we reached the top (picture of the stairs below) I could see into the Forbidden City, and I would have stayed longer, but I was so, so cold with red fingers and a red nose that we rushed off to fill ourselves with Dim Sum.

I guess Dim Sum is more of a Cantonese dish, and I’ve had amazing Dim Sum in Hong Kong, but Mikki and Charles humored me and took me to a place where live seafood swished around in tanks, decorating the walls. While waiting, we ate sunflower seeds and threw them on the floor, so I guess the sunflower seeds were a decoration of sorts. No need for carpet! The Dim Sum was exquisite, but the cow stomach lining was a dish of acquired taste. I had to chew the stomach lining and not think about what exactly I was putting into my mouth. Yummy! We finished our meal, shopped a bit (I bought a tea cup and a bear hat), and caught a cab back to the hotel. The taxi driver spoke to Charles and wanted to know if I spoke Mandarin so he could talk to me about the blizzards in the states. Unfortunately, my Mandarin consists of hello, thank you, and I love you, so I smiled at the taxi driver and shook my head instead.

I was sad to say goodbye to Mikki and Charles, and hope to see them again soon. Thank you so much, Joanne for introducing me to two lovely people.

I am now back in Ho Chi Minh City, but Beijing lodged a place in my heart, so I’m sure I will return next year. Until then.

Tet Magic

2010-03-04T09:16:00.004+07:00

Saigon was quiet, peaceful, serene, which would be blasphemy on any other day, but during Tet, there's an entire street dedicated to walking through rows of flowers while "A Whole New World" blasts over the speakers.Surreal, to say the very least. I kept repeating "Where am I"? "Where am I?" I couldn't get over the feeling of transportation to another time and place. This is not the Saigon I know.

If you have a chance to visit during Tet, you must make a trip to the flower garden, which is constructed in one week, and deconstructed in one day.

Stunning magic!

Beijing Bound

2010-03-03T10:13:00.002+07:00

Tomorrow, I board the plane for an IB conference in Beijing, China. This is my first trip to China, so I'm a little nervous, but prepared for both the conference and sight-seeing during the evening. I hope the conference and sights are equally stimulating. I'll be in Beijing from the 4th to the 8th of March, so I should have enough time to eat some Peking duck and dim sum--my favorite--and shop for some new, hopefully cheap shoes.

If you've been to Beijing, I would love your advice! What should I see in four days? What must I eat? Where should I shop? I hope to meet up with my friend Joanne Li's friend, Mikki to show me around the town, but I have yet to schedule a meeting with her (must do now). I also have a stack of papers to prepare for the substitute before I leave school today and many cups of coffee to drink and miles to go before I sleep.

Life is busy this week! Don't worry sleepy Saigon, I'll be back soon.

Stories

2010-02-22T08:55:00.001+07:00

Find a subject you care about and which you feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, and not your games with language, which will be the most compelling and seductive element in your style. (Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.)

Mekong Delta

2010-02-20T08:32:00.001+07:00

We began with a two hour bumpy van ride from Ho Chi Minh City to the Mekong Delta, stopping for a round of Pho at a roadside restaurant.

With sweet, delicious Pho dripping from our beards, well not my beard, we took on the Mekong Delta: brick factory, fruit tasting, bike riding, drinking coconuts in hammocks, wild dogs, water snakes, and four funny friends. Here's a quick look at the adventures of Michael, Dan, Megan, and Karinna.

A slow ride down the Mekong River.

Images of Apocalypse Now kept flashing through my head.

Brick Factory-
explaining the brick making process to interested and not so interested onlookers.

Brick Factory, more interesting than it sounds.

I missed the water snake siting, but there was jungle life all around.

Crazy couple ready for new adventures

Riding down the Mekong Roads

Lunch! Thank you Mr. Elephant Ear Fish.

Local, smelly market in the Mekong Delta. All kinds of dried fish for your pleasures.

The beautiful faces of friends, Dan and Megan.

BananaGram Masters

2010-02-20T07:58:00.001+07:00

Dan and Megan were awesome house guests and crafty wordsmiths this past week of Tet. Together we sailed the Mekong Delta, trekked through flower gardens and romped around Saigon. We didn't make it to Bangkok due to a passport debacle, but fun was had by all. We will miss you, friends.

Aren't they cute?

Happy Buddha

2010-02-18T07:39:00.000+07:00

A well fed Buddha in the Mekong Delta.

Laos Film

2010-02-09T10:58:00.002+07:00

Click on the link below to check out Michael's short film of our trip to Luang Prabang, Laos. So many beautiful colors!

http://www.youtube.com/user/OpticReverb#p/a/u/0/rX4wKW2D5qo

Chúc Mừng Năm Mới 2010

2010-02-08T14:24:00.001+07:00

On Saturday afternoon, I heard a knock at my door. I opened the door and was handed a large basket of edible goodies and drinks. Who was the delivery from? Our apartment owners, of course. Awesome! Tet has arrived.

This year, Tet, Chinese New Year, falls on Sunday, February 14th. In preparation for Tet, the Vietnamese community is busy cleaning, buying flowers, preparing food, and stuffing packages of lucky money for the annual celebration, the most important holiday of the year. When I arrived in Viet Nam, Tet was explained as birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving (any Western holiday) all rolled into one. This explanation was not meant to diminish the significance of the holiday by comparison, but it's easier for Westerners to understand if explained this way. In other words, it's one big event.

There are traditions for the day before Tet, Tet, and the days following Tet, but my favorite tradition (explained to me today) is the tradition of exiting and entering one's house. According to my students, the luckiest person, the oldest person, or the person who is connected closely with the year of the Tiger is to exit and enter the house (exiting before midnight and entering after midnight). The tradition is centered on luck: wealth, family, business, education, etc. The first person to enter the house will bring luck for the rest of the New year. Dan, Megan, Michael, Karinna...Who is the luckiest of us all?

This is a great site about the traditions, foods, and folklore of Tet.

http://www.thingsasian.com/stories-photos/1253#snake

TO DO: Get a Motorbike

2010-02-08T11:17:00.003+07:00

December and January are beautiful in Ho Chi Minh City. On the best day the air is clean, the sky clear, there's a cool breeze, and I am wearing a light sweater. Now, it is February and the heat is back.

Right Now

Partly Cloudy

88° F

Feels Like: 91° F

Wind: From E at 12mph

It's difficult to do more than one thing at a time in this weather. On Saturday, I walked from my apartment to eat some Pho, then to the store, then back to the apartment to prepare a meal and read. What sounds like a low-key, lazy day for most, is a back-breaking, sweat-stained, one foot in front of the other event for me. Walking more than five blocks is out of the question! Solution? A motorbike. Everyone's doing it, and quite frankly, I should too.

Insert picture of ME

Now, at the top of my To Do list is "Buy a Motorbike," but I think I might rent one first just to make sure it's a good fit. My goal: helmet, motorbike, and license by the end of March. I'll do it! Just you wait and see.

Five Days Behind

2010-01-25T11:13:00.000+07:00

Living abroad I feel about five days behind popular and political news.It's like fashion on the coast of Washington, but least I digress. Goodbye Conan, I will miss seeing youtube clips (doesn't air in Viet Nam) of you on the Tonight Show. I guess I should say, see you soon rather than goodbye, since I'm sure you'll be all over the great wide web.

http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/2fbfa7e2e5/conan-says-goodbye-with-will-ferrell-freebird

IMAX and Chatuchak Market

2010-01-25T09:10:00.001+07:00

This weekend we made an obligatory trip to Bangkok to take care of visa issues. Win/Win as far as I'm concerned: visa approval and walking, shopping, street food, movies... A large portion of our time was spent waiting in line to buy tickets, waiting to watch and watching IMAX-3D Avatar. My students insist there's 4D Avatar where incidents of exploding brains and suicide have occurred (current event reports). Paired with the constant string theory lectures, my smelly feet (removed the Chacos while watching) and the packed IMAX theater, I'm pretty sure I saw Avatar in 4D, and unlike the rumors of the people who killed themselves because they didn't want to "leave the world of Pandora," I walked out of the theater unscathed. Whew!

Besides eating street food, temples, movies and picking up western garb I cannot find in HCMC, I always make an effort to go to the Chatuchak weekend Market. This time I picked up some brown and white decorative lights I've wanted for over a month now (a month of waiting, imagine). I'd spotted the light set when I was in Krabi for winter holiday, but they were over 250 baht per string. Deal, steal--I picked up the same set in Bangkok for under 100 baht. I'll be hanging the lights this week in between my trips to yoga class in district one, which, by the way, I love.

A Happy New Year in Thailand!

2010-01-19T07:41:00.009+07:00

Michael's family flew all the way to Viet Nam to see us during the winter holiday. We toured Saigon and then headed off to Thailand for some island time. On the morning of the new year, we flew from Saigon to Bangkok and Bangkok to Krabi where we spent seven of the most wonderful and relaxing days. We snorkeled, swam in the longest pool in the world, walked on the beach, played card games (Mark won every hand), ate street food, and read. A trip of a lifetime!

The holiday blues are setting in now that the Ianello's are gone. It was so nice to have many voices and personalities fill our apartment. Thanks Elle, Mark, and Carolynn!

Sofitel Lobby

Looking out from the Sofitel Lobby

The wondrous, winding pool with a bar and inflatable whales, which only Carolynn can wrangle.

Michael's Family and me.

A walk on Ao Nang.

Michael set his water bottle down and this monkey opened the cap and poured himself a cold drink.

Mike and the monkey

Mad for soda. These monkeys were not afraid of the crazy tourists.

So pretty! The ladies, not the monkey!
Elle and Carolynn

Fat Monkeys and one tourist

Portrait of the brother

Hong Island-Where we were left stranded without food, water or towels (for fifteen minutes).

Showdown!

We took our very own longboat island hopping. I've been on a boat where they squish thirteen people in the seats, but this time it was a comfortable five.

Chicken Island-Andaman Sea

Hello, Sailor.

The best beach corn, ever!

West Railay

Seriously sunburned

Limestone rocks of Railay beach

Carolynn Ianello-thanks for all the laughs!

Falling in Love, Again.

2010-01-18T14:52:00.006+07:00

I fall in and out of love with reading. It's a torrent love affair: the passion, the mundane, the upset, the scars, the tears. What made me fall in love? I'm not sure if it was when my grandmother made the trip to Aberdeen and spent over a month reading with me, or the nights under my covers with a flashlight and Narnia tales, cliche, but real love.

Falling out of love has to do with required reading, the reading I require. I've been teaching for seven years, and for five of the seven years, I read the same books over and over and over and over again. I could have skimmed the novels, but I wanted to be able to respond to a student when he/she referred to pg. 15, line 18. Needless to say, I've been rereading The Catcher in the Rye and various other titles to their death.

Because my gig is teaching, and I'm passionate about the process and progress of teaching, this in love/out of love cycle will continue. BUT, today, I am back in love. I just finished The Brief and Wondrous life of Oscar Wao. I have some major complaints having to do with character development and sappy conclusion, but I read the book so quickly and was swept up by the footnotes, the fuku (curse) haunting the family, and the history of the Domenican Republic that here I am, in love with reading, again. There's no better feeling.

Mad Travels

2010-01-18T14:48:00.002+07:00

"From now on, I'll describe the cities to you," the Khan had said, "in your journeys you will see if they exist." -Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities

This weekend I'll be in Bangkok shopping at the weekend market and eating street food. The sights, the sounds, the smells. Bangkok has my heart.

We Have an Extra Room!

2010-01-15T09:16:00.008+07:00

Look, I know you're busy, and I know you have a job, but we have an extra room with your name on it. There's a queen sized mattress and a desk available for you, free of charge. Sound tempting?

While I love being able to pack up my bags and travel around the world, I often miss seeing familiar, smiling faces. So, check for cheap flights to Viet Nam when you have a spare moment. My friend Ambika found a ticket for around 700 usd in April--cheap cheap.

Pack lightly, it's hot here!

Vietnamese Fast Food-A Family Affair

2010-01-12T11:47:00.011+07:00

I didn't grow up with a sibling, although I have many now, so it was an enjoyable and educational experience to hang out with the dashing duo: Carolynn and Michael Ianello.

If you think this looks entertaining, you should have been there for the lectures on string theory. Hours of endless amusement.

What Makes a Great Teacher?

2010-01-12T10:44:00.005+07:00

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/201001/good-teaching/3

I read the article What Makes a Great Teacher? from the Atlantic today because Ali Jessie posted it on Facebook. Like Ali, I am usually suspect of merit pay, but thought there were some great points in this article about teacher quality and student gains. A must read!

PHAO

2010-01-11T14:23:00.003+07:00

In Luang Prabang, on the main street, Sisavangvong Road, there's a clothing shop where most everything is made out of bamboo materials. Phao, the designer, picked the perfect dress for me and made the belt to fit while I tried on various outfits. I ended up buying two skirts, two shirts, and the green dress shown above.

Powerful Waste

2010-01-11T12:54:00.004+07:00

I still want to see Avatar, but Dave sent me this ironic e-card, and it gave me a good laugh.

Krabi, Thailand 2010

2009-12-31T21:36:00.006+07:00

Mark, Elle, Carolynn, Michael (the Ianello's) and I jump a plane from Saigon to Bangkok then Bangkok to Krabi tomorrow--the first day of 2010. I think traveling on the first day of the new year is a sign of lucky adventures for the year ahead.

Right now, 9:43 pm, Michael and Carolynn are flipping through the overflow of Wii games we have managed to collect, Mark and Elle are bringing in the new year with sweet dreams, and I too am going to bed before the clock strikes 12 because this is usually (not always) my tradition: bringing in the year with peaceful sleep. Good night, 2009.

One Explorer and One Hurt Back

2009-12-30T08:49:00.008+07:00

On Christmas Eve, we planned to take a trip to the waterfalls and eat dinner while watching the sunset, but instead I spent the day in bed recovering from a back injury while Michael went out on three hour adventures, returning with food and tea to check in on me. The pictures taken below are snapshot of his adventures and a quick glance of the panoramic view from my bed.

The sunset from the slopes of Phu Si.

Michael's spiritual awakening on Phu Si, or at least that's what it looks like.

Luang Prabang, Laos

Wat Tham Phu Si

A view of the communist bridge from the summit of Phu Si.

Tourists a plenty!

The magnolia-laced climb to the temples at sunset.

Joined by many on the climb up Phu Si.

Yet another Wat (temple).

The beginning of the ascent.

I pulled a muscle in my back and couldn't move for two days, so this was my view.

I stocked up on books, medication, and ginger tea from the night market to ease the pain. Thankfully, Michael brought me street food and goodies from JoMa. I was so thankful he took care of me and was able to have an adventure of his own. Thanks, Michael. I always think you're the best, but on this trip, you outdid yourself.

Luang Prabang-Happiness

2009-12-29T14:16:00.010+07:00

Happiness is not achieved by the conscious pursuit of happiness; it is generally the by-product of other activities.

-Aldous Huxley, Vedanta for the Western World, 1945

Th Sisavangvong street life in Luang Prabang. I loved moving down the street and hearing at least six different languages.

For the sunshine, not the rain. I wanted to bring them all home with me.

Artists and vendors setting up for the night market. There were so many beautiful journals, slippers, blankets, lanterns, and so much jewelry to purchase! Consumer Heaven and Crafter's Delight.

The street food in Luang Prabang is unbelievable--every bite is better than the last.

I liked the contrast of the greens, brown basket, and red shirt. Fresh salad!

Pak Ou caves--Buddhist statues line the walls of the dimly lit caves. We needed a flashlight, kindly sold to us for a small price, to explore the dark corners, but there were only more statues and a few spiders to be found.

The view from the stairs at the Pak Ou caves.

The boat trip to Pak Ou was enjoyable for the first hour, the four remaining hours were a like a slow death or a fist to the head, your choice.

Good Luck for the New Year!

Ban Xan Hai or "Whiskey Village" is a tourist stop on the way to the caves of Pak Ou. Rice wine, lao-lao, is served once you step off the boat--warms the cockles of my heart.

The shore of the Mekong River with some cute kids bouncing on the branches.

Our luxurious ride on the Mekong River--all bundled up.

Karinna is ready for an adventure and Michael is showing his thug face. He's a tough man.

A bridge, a river, a garden and me. Oh, and some sunglasses from Forever 21.

This picture captures my love for Luang Prabang: cafe's and monks! Orange is also one of my favorite colors. Whenever I wear orange, I feel powerful. I wonder if the monks feel the same way?

JoMa's Bakery made me smile all week long.

We like to have at least at least three or more drinks on the table in one sitting. I was on a soda water and lemon juice kick.

A view from the old communist bridge.

We dared to cross the old communist bridge, and won.

Luang Prabang, Laos

2009-12-27T14:22:00.003+07:00

We arrived in Luang Prabang on December 19th and it was truly a comedy of errors--comes in three--but we still had a wonderful time in spite of the emotional and physical upheaval.

The best part of traveling in Luang Prabang is walking the streets, up and down staircases, and finding yourself in the middle of an alley way lined with bookstores and cafes. There are beautiful villas, French restaurants lit by the natural sunlight peaking through the doorway and candles on every table. I was only able to enjoy a few adventures until I was instructed to "stay in bed and not move," of course; I'm very bad at following rules. I danced around the room a little bit, but by dancing I mean shuffling my feet back and forth with my new slippers and jewelry on. You see, there's an enchanting night market where you can buy beautiful quilt coverings, bags, t-shirts, lanterns, and my greatest weakness, silver jewelry for cheap cheap.

We shopped and walked for three days: eating, talking, and playing cards. On the fourth day of our vacation, Michael and I took a boat trip to visit a cave, which took about ten minutes, and the freezing boat trip where your nose and fingers are about to be severed from your hands, was about four hours long. I think this is what caused my back injury, or maybe it's my age. I'm not sure, but when I woke up the next day I couldn't move and could barely breathe. Laughing and sneezing were the worst feelings in the world rather than the quasi-orgasmic experiences they're supposed to be. As a result, I remained in bed listening to four podcasts of This American Life and reading The Gunslinger. I've never read a Stephen King book before because embarrassingly, I've been one of those people in the, "Oh, I would never read Stephen King" camp even though I have read Dan Brown on a plane trip before. For Shame! The Gunslinger: thrilling, thoughtful, great for teenage readers (I wanted my students to read it right away), and you can tell that Stephen King loves his story as much as you, the reader, do. My back was in intense pain, but at least my mind was happy.

I have much more to say about the beautiful land of Luang Prabang: the people, the food, the sights, the sounds...and many pictures to share. This really was, oddly enough, one of my favorite trips for many reasons but the one thing that I'm miss the most right now is the candy cane mocha from Jo Ma's. I love this bakery/eatery, and I'm sure anyone who has visited Luang Prabang has praise to shower on Jo Ma's. If I could only remove the cranky, waddling, gray-bouffant-haired westerner who manages the place (more on her later), Jo Ma's would be a slice of paradise.

Michael's parents arrive tomorrow night, so we're on a polish and organize mission in between nap and Wii breaks. Enjoy your break, if you are lucky enough to have one, and if not, make sure you waste a great deal of time on Facebook at the office. You deserve it.

-Karinna

Twinkle Tour

2009-12-18T09:10:00.007+07:00

Ho Chi Minh City glows florescent during the holidays, and many people park their motorbikes for fantastically kitsch photo opts. Pam and I went into the city last night to witness the revelry and grab a bite to eat. Here's what we saw...

This picture isn't as clear as I would like it to be, but if you look closely, you can see a Vietnamese flag in the background. Viet Nam played Malaysia (in soccer, of course) last night and was picked for the favorite. They lost (sad saps), but the crowds still waved the flag all night long.

I leaned out into the street to snap this shot--woman vs. the wild.

Christmas in front of the Sheraton Hotel.

Snow in Viet Nam. Louis Vuitton's decoratons were all the rage.

Two Of My Favoirte Things

2009-12-17T10:20:00.004+07:00

Michael and the Roach...

The other night Michael captured a cockroach under a coffee cup with a magazine. I stood behind the balcony and shrieked until Michael made me face my fears, pick up the man-made trap, and gently usher the roach down seven stories. I did it! Goodbye, fearless roach.

The walk to school is under construction, which means there are angry, loud trucks and frustrated taxi drivers every square inch. But, my favorite sight can still be seen on the side of the roads. Today, on my way to work, I captured one of the many street sweepers who cleans and endless amount of debris from the overworked streets in Phu My Hung.

Christmas in Nam

2009-12-16T08:21:00.005+07:00

"Let it snow" is pasted on school windows and shop windows all over the city, and if there's one thing we're not getting for Christmas, no matter how much we pray to Santa, it's snow.

I'm not sure life gets much better than this. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Vietnamese: Who Mattered Most In Asia in 2009

2009-12-15T13:41:00.007+07:00

Yeah, these guys are pretty good, but I think they forgot to place me on the list.

Big things happened on the world's fastest moving continent in 2009 -- boasting big people behind them. From art to politics to adorable military fashions, the pace and magnitude of Asia's growth and change has been dizzying, led by the men and women (and children) we've compiled below.

Vo Trong Nghia: Bamboo architect (Vietnam)

Vo Trong Nghia is building himself an enviable reputation. And he’s doing it with bamboo. A pioneer in green architecture, Vo Trong Nghia designs modern buildings with a traditional Vietnamese twist. His innovations, such as a culture centre shaped like a bird’s wing and a central pond for natural cooling, are sustainable, affordable and inspiring. In 2009, the architect took home two prizes at the prestigious International Architecture Awards in Helsinki.

Doan Nguyen Duc: Major dong seller (Vietnam)

Real estate magnate. Forest products developer. Rubber plantation owner. Resort owner. First owner of a private plane in communist Vietnam. As chairman of the Hoang Anh Gia Lai conglomerate -- which anticipates US$150 million in profits this year -- this carpenter-turned-entrepreneur is Vietnam’s most high-profile businessman.

Travels 2009-2010

2009-12-15T08:36:00.016+07:00

There are so many cheap and wonderful places to travel in SE Asia. Last year, Michael and I walked all over the world and plan on doing the same this year. Here is our itinerary for 2009-2010.

1. September: Hong Kong(karinna)
2. September: Mui Ne, Vietnam(karinna and michael)
3. October: Bali, Indonesia (karinna and michael)
4. November: Hoi An, Vietnam(karinna, michael, kris, betsy)
5. December: Luang Prabang, Laos (karinna and michael)
6. December: Krabi, Thailand (mark, elle, carolynn, michael, karinna)
7. February: Bangkok, Thailand (megan, dan, michael,karinna)
8. March: Beijing, China (IB Training)
9. March: Spring Break—No plans yet, but maybe, India!
10. April: Siem Reap, Cambodia (ambika, karinna, michael)
11. May: Mui Ne, Vietnam(karinna and michael)

Soon Enough

2009-06-11T14:55:00.000+07:00

Two more days until we board the plane and wave goodbye, for two months, to memories of exploding elbows, glass in the feet, food poisoning, taxi cabs, friendly smiles, wonderful coffee, our luxurious apartment, and new friends. It’s been quite a year, Saigon. I’ll be on the coasts of the USA, but will be back soon to kiss your hot steamy lips once again. Soon, soon enough.

Beach Time!

2009-05-20T13:25:00.004+07:00

This weekend 18 ladies from Saigon South International School will be traveling to Mui Ne by train for some much needed beach time. We have a little over three weeks left of school, so we're finishing up final projects, entering grades and writing finals. I've been to Mui Ne two times this year, this is my third, and every time I've loved walking down the white, sandy beach, getting a massage and eating the fine food. A hedonist, I am. Hedonism aside, we'll focus on yoga this trip. My yoga teacher from Saigon Yoga is coming with us to Mui Ne and teaching three classes over the two days. Here's to sand and sweat--cheers!

Birthday in Bangkok

2009-05-18T08:36:00.001+07:00

I celebrated my birthday in Bangkok, Thailand this year with my boyfriend, Michael and good friends, Dyana and Joanne. We ate street Pad Thai every day, to the point where I don’t think I’ll need the mouthwatering goodness of grease, noodles, tofu, sprinkled with peanuts for a few months or at least a few days.

Most of our hours were spent walking around in the mind bending heat, shopping and visiting. Dyana and I took the ferry boat to the Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha where we sat in silence, reflecting on our past year and future health for our friends and selves. Joanne accomplished a great deal of her shopping goals, and Michael searched for schools to attend in Bangkok. At night, we all sat by the road side listening to live music, drinking gin and tonics. A successful adventure!

Our final destination was Bumrungrad International Hospital. Because our Insurance covers a full medical check-up, Dyana, Joanne and I made our way through the stations of a five star hotel masquerading as a hospital. Take picture, sign name, fill out form, move past the Star Bucks/bookstore, up the escalator, flat screen televisions hanging on the wall, glass windows, plush couches, wellness center… The doctors x-rayed, took blood, checked our eyes, pinched and prodded us. After four hours of experiencing medical care as a well oiled machine, a doctor sat down with me and explained that I am in very good health. She said I needed to exercise more often, which is why I’ve been doing yoga every day, but other than that, I have the heart of a horse. We all compared notes. Joanne said she had care like that of Bumrungrad in China, but Canadian Dyana and U.S.A. I agreed that we’d never seen care of this caliber. Until next time, Bangkok!

Dyana and Karinna at the Grand Palace. Boat Stop #9

Joanne listening to music, thinking about China.

Lady Perched, waiting. Just waiting.

Patriotic sky outside Koh San Road

More Temple, Yum.

Midnight, my birthday. I am now an adult. It took a long time.

Xu Date

2009-05-18T08:20:00.002+07:00

Michael took me out to dinner at Xu this weekend. We ate heart of palm soaked in a vat of butter, seared scallops over a bed of noodles, frothy passion fruit martinis, and sparkling water. The hues of red, brown, and beige reflected through the candles and wine corks cascaded from the ceiling, down the wall. Fresh, light, wonderful food and company…a satisfying Saturday. Eat, drink and be merry!

OM

2009-05-15T11:59:00.000+07:00

Three times a week I take a half an hour cab ride to District 1 at 5:30 to attend a yoga class taught at Saigon Yoga. Bright, airy, light music, wood floors, tall, long windows… I know I’m going to sound like the Eat, Pray, Love chick but yoga has made my life better in Vietnam. When I do yoga, it’s not graceful. They don’t have air conditioning so I spend much of the time sweating profusely and my loud donkey breaths disturb the sinewy pretzel next to me, but again…life changing. The meditative focus, the heat, the muted sounds of dogs whining and horns honking outside, and the people bending their bodies for individual reasons, uniting in the sound of “om/aum” makes me at peace with the world and peace is something I’ve found difficult to come by in HCMC. When you come to visit me in Saigon, we will go to Saigon Yoga and you can meet my wonderful teacher, Michelle. You will like her, and you will like yoga. I said, you will like yoga!

Address:10F Nguyen Thi Minh Khai District 1 Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Phone numbers:Studio: 090 835 2265 or 08 3 910 5181 Inquiries in English: 090 835 2265 or 090 318 3248Inquiries in Japanese: 0122 317 7814 Inquiries in Vietnamese: 0906 432 306

Flight

2009-05-14T09:04:00.000+07:00

My mother sent me a light blue canon camera for my birthday, so I've been on a picture spree for the last few weeks. Thanks, Mom! The camera is fantastic. With close to five weeks left before my departure from Vietnam, I've been enjoying my time here, focussing on the small and significant. I've spent most of my time in Saigon, in my classroom. This is a shot of my classroom sans students. They were taking their A.P. exam, so I was able to dance around the room all by myself.

The old school desks tip over when you sit on top or wiggle around. Beware!

A sky shot from the fourth floor of Saigon South International. The rainy season brings contrasting clouds and a vibrant sky.

Saigon Cat Walk

Where is your cultural stress level? I often find myself wading in acceptance. "Yeah, it's all ok, I'll get by." I think it's the PNW gal in me. My friend Anton is from the south, which means, as he says, mock, mock, mock... The chart is from a health class, painted quite a few years ago, but throughout the year it has kept me company as I chart my culture shock progress and setbacks. If you have culture shock stories, share! Miss you all! Love, Karinna

Mr. Tree

2009-05-03T17:47:00.001+07:00

Mr. Tree lives off Alberta. I miss him. If you have a moment, go visit my friend.

Kick this Bag

2009-05-03T15:35:00.000+07:00

Tote bag from the Grand Palace and Emerald Buddha store--handmade by fashionable monks.

Kenneth Cole Shoes, Paragon Mall, 50% off purchase!

Shout out to my hottie, Bika!

Man on the Ledge

2009-05-03T15:11:00.000+07:00

I was starting my yoga practice at night when, ten minutes into the downward dog, I saw a man standing, rope in hand on my balcony. Startled, I stood up, smiled, walked over to the window and closed the curtains. I thought two things, he's either working on the apartment or checking the fire escape, which oddly enough consists of a rope and anchor--old school fire escape. I went back to my yoga.

Michael walked out of the guest room after a guitar session, put on his shoes and told me he was going to the store. "Ok," I said "but would you mind checking on the guy standing on the balcony." Michael walked outside, chatted with the stranger for only a moment, popped back inside and grabbed the camera. "What are you doing?" I asked. "You don't see this everyday," he said.

Kuala Lumpur and Singapore

2009-04-25T08:36:00.000+07:00

One month ago, Michael and I vacationed in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. We walked, talked, drank excellent coffee and cocktails, went shopping, saw the towers, went to a butterfly and open-air bird zoo, and relaxed in our hostel. There's not a great deal to do in Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, unless you're loaded, but we managed to enjoy ourselves Western style--we went shopping. My favorite thing, specifically about Kuala Lumpur, is that you can walk down the street and see so many people from so many places. On your right you'll see a woman dressed in full Muslim dress, only baring her eyes. On the left, Hindi women and men. In front of you, a group of Chinese teenagers, and in front of you, Western tourists. I love to be surrounded by many different languages at once, people from around the world communicating their idea and feelings. It's like an orchestra, a symphony, a cacophony of desire.

Thailand

2009-04-24T09:41:00.000+07:00

During the Tet break, Michael and I took a life-changing trip to Thailand. We wandered through Bangkok, spent a breathtaking day in Phuket, snorkeled in Koh Phi Phi, fell in love with Koh Lanta and returned for one final night in Bangkok. Because life has been so busy with travel and plans for travel, I didn't post these pictures on the blog, but now that we're returning to Bangkok for my birthday, I'm reminded of all the good times. Peace, Karinna

Au Parc

2009-04-22T18:44:00.000+07:00

A glass of red wine, plate of tzatsiki, baba ghannouj, hummus, roasted pepper salad, tabouleh, and nivik. Last night Michael and I ate dinner at Au Parc. The restaurant was quiet, dimly lit, and served tasty, natural ingredients. The ambiance directly contrasted the chaos and all-consuming heat outside. For a few hours, I felt like we were dining in Portland—Home sweet Home.

Saigon Bath

2009-04-22T06:38:00.000+07:00

It begins again. Burdened clouds tumble across the sky. Palm trees bend, motorbikes flee, plastic bottles bounce on cracked concrete. Deafening thunder shakes glass doors, glass windows. Lightening flashes like varicose veins on aging legs, splitting lips, popping,seedless grapes.

Lost in Translation

2009-04-21T09:04:00.000+07:00

Media Having Trouble Finding Right Angle On Obama's Double-Homicide

“Ms. Jones, I discovered The Onion this weekend when I was researching for current events. I was so afraid! I read that Obama killed some people, and I called my mom up to read the computer. We were frightened for hours. We called our family members, and it was awful. Until, until we realized it was a joke. My mom said, ‘they can print anything in America.’ The Onion is funny.”

Future World Leaders

2009-04-20T18:38:00.001+07:00

Most of my students are from Vietnam or Korea. There are the few and very far between who are from the U.S.A, Germany, Australia, Italy... I will not regale you with stories from my high school days, but the bulk of my time was not spent studying for the SAT. My students wake, study, eat, study, play an instrument to become "well rounded" and study again. Many of them attend academy after school hours and Saturday school. Sunday is family or church time, so the focus, job, purpose for these young people is to maintain a high GPA and ace the SAT.

The pictures above are two of my English 10 classes. Currently, we are studying poetry, so each student presented a favorite song and played the video for the class on youtube, then analyzed the lyrics with TP-CASTT structure. Here's what I learned from the student presentations and the chatting in-between presentations: most of my students LOVE pop songs and Sponge Bob, gossip about Friends, and read Twilight when they have a spare moment. Conclusion, teenagers are teenagers are teenagers. I sound like my parents.

Phu My Hung Bikers

2009-04-19T19:24:00.000+07:00

Biking home from lunch today in the Phu.

Favorite People in Saigon

2009-04-19T07:38:00.000+07:00

Dyana teaches kindergarten, with her hair in the air.

Jill tortures kids with math equations, makes funny faces and shares her coffee with me.

Michael learns to play the guitar with dreams of rockdom bouncing around in his head.

These are just a few of my favorite people I see once, twice, three times a day.

Shower Room

2009-04-18T21:04:00.000+07:00

Like any living space, our apartment in District 7 of Ho Chi Minh city shrinks in size the more time we spend between the walls. In the next few weeks, Michael and I are going to begin the arduous task of apartment hunting to find a place outside of the suburbs of Ho Chi Minh. But before we go, I want to share my favorite room in our apartment with you. If you’ve been to Southeast Asia, you’re probably familiar with the shower room, but if you haven’t, I must introduce you to the most spectacular use of space.This is a picture of our second bathroom i.e. the shower room. As you can see, there’s no shower curtain! All you have to do is turn on the shower, flip up the toilet seat so the cover doesn’t get soaked, and begin the morning ritual. I love the shower room because I feel like I’m showering outside. There’s no space restriction; the water travels down the walls, around the floor, and sometimes splashes over to the bathroom sink. There’s even enough room to sing and dance. If you haven’t tried a shower room before, I highly recommend it.

Relaxing and Taxing

2008-10-27T17:04:00.000+07:00

Greetings from Vietnam! I am sorry I have not written in awhile, but life (as life goes) has been busy and full of up swings and down turns. This blog is beginning to sound like my diary. The beginning of many diary entries start out “Sorry I haven’t written in such a long time.” Now, I not only have diary guilt, but blog guilt! Ah, the 21st century!

Michael arrived October 1st and since then we have been organizing the apartment, moving furniture, cooking rice, reading books and taking long walks. This part of my life falls in the “up swing” category. Having Michael here makes me relax, smile and feel as if I am “home.” We write stories together, eat good food and he reads to me at night. He is a wonderful person. If you haven’t met him yet, I hope you will. We are planning on visiting my parents this summer and then road tripping it to visit his family on the east coast, so we have many adventures ahead, but I’ll tell you about our current adventures.

Beside the unity of our staff at SSIS, excellent students and engaging curriculum, we have many breaks. Breaks make travel dreams a reality. Vacation began on October 17th, so we planned to eat dinner with my friend Dyana and her boyfriend Paul on Saturday, fly to Nha Trang for three days, bus to a resort in Quy Nhon, and then fly home. Unfortunately, Michael started to feel ill on Sunday and by Sunday night he could not stop throwing up. We went to the emergency room at FV Hospital and stayed for two nights until he recovered. Side note about the FV Hospital: They took excellent care of us, I slept on a cot in Michael’s room to make sure he was safe and sound, and to top it off, they have delicious Pho. Instead of relaxing on the beach of Nha Trang, we spent our time in the FV Hospital. They thought Michael had food poisoning and so did I, but when he returned from the hospital on Tuesday, I started to feel ill. I was sick for two days, but determined to meditate, visualize and suppress the illness we named Andrew Jr. I was not going to vacation in my apartment, and I’m not sure if it was determination or stubbornness, I am both a Taurus and a Jones, but I recovered quickly enough to board the plane to Quy Nhon on Thursday.

At 7:45 am, after a gut churning plane ride, we arrived in Quy Nhon. The bus ride from Quy Nhon to the Life Resort was painted with water buffalo, ancient towers, rice fields and small town life. When the bus pulled into the driveway of the Life Resort, my mouth dropped open and my already large eyes grew even larger. The Life Resort is set on the yellow sand beach of Quy Nhon, encased by palm trees and flowers of all shapes and sizes. There is an open-air restaurant and bar, a pool looking over the ocean, and blue, yellow and orange fishing boats in the bay. We were truly in paradise.

Greeted with a warm welcome and chilled lemon-grass tea, we prepared to relax, and relax we did. Our three days at the Life Resort consisted of eating delicious food, playing scrabble, visiting the Spa for a four-hand massage, and sleeping in until 8 am. I think my favorite memory was walking on the yellow sand beach while crabs scuttled up and down the strip. I should have done a quick weather check before we left Saigon, but Andrew the First and Andrew Jr. took up most of my time. Because I did not check the weather, I did not know about the rainy season in South-Central Vietnam, and so it rained and poured. Most of our relaxing was done in doors where we were quite literally waited on hand and foot because we were two of four guests for the weekend!!! At one point I thought the hotel might be haunted because there were so few guests, and how could the most beautiful place in the world (prone to hyperbole) have only four guests?!? Needless to say, the hotel was free of ghosts, but still the most beautiful place in the world.

By the time Sunday arrived, I needed to relax from all the relaxing in Quy Nhon. Michael and I returned to the motorbike-madness of Saigon. I wish I could say that is where the adventure ended, but just as I was about to go to bed, I opened the refrigerator door and the glass water jug came flying out, shattering all over the floor. I jumped, in fear (high-pitched scream) and landed on a large chunk of glass. My blood leaked on to the floor, and I stood in the middle of the kitchen surrounded by glass. Michael quickly came to the rescue and cleaned and bandaged my foot. I told him he should have been a doctor. He said his mom told him the same thing.

With a bandaged foot, I hopped to school today. The nurse gave me a pair of crutches and cleaned my wound again. I am gaining a reputation for being the teacher prone to injury. I think it’s a little bit of bad luck paired with the fact that I am a “clumsy ballerina.” After being bandaged I can say I am quite well, but hoping for two things at the moment: a victory for Obama and good luck for at least a month.

Like every gal living in a foreign country, I appreciate your e-mails and communication. I hope all is well with you and your loved ones. Thanks for reading and write as often and as much as you can.

Love,
Karinna

Bursa Bursa

2008-09-25T21:18:00.000+07:00

Last Monday I went to my first yoga class taught only in Vietnamese. Our instructor could place his legs in the lotus position, arch his back and head, throw his 'lotus legs' over his head, touching the tip of his nose. I like yoga. I do not attend yoga class as much as I should, but I enjoy the concept and the practice; however, this yoga class was the most intense and hot yoga class that I have ever attended. I tried my best to hold the headstand, placing unholy pressure on my elbows again and again and again.

Fast-forward to Wednesday's professional development meeting. All our staff, grades K-12, are sitting in the auditorium and my elbow begins to ache. I try to listen to the presentation and statistics, then the room begins to blur, so I stretch my right arm, left arm.... Wait!!! My left elbow is the size of a chicken egg. I am convinced that I have been bitten by a poisonous bug, which will cause immediate death. I think this because if there's one route my brain likes to take, it's the slippery slope: from A to Z. I quickly walk over to my vice principal holding up my inflated elbow. She takes me to the nurse who bandages my swelling, and I am rushed off to the nearest hospital. At the hospital, they stick and iv in me and tell me to calm down about ten times. "Calm down, miss. Calm down." I think I look pretty calm, but they keep telling me this, so I must have looked horrified. Truth be told, I was pretty nervous and when I'm nervous, all the color leaves my face. When I feel out of sorts, sick or nervous there's nothing I like more than a good story, so my v.p. told me stories of giving birth in the middle east: rushing, in the middle of the night to the king's hospital, covered and veiled. I laughed my way to the doctor coming in to detach me from the iv and tell me about elbow bursitis. My elbow bursts and was infected (who knows how), and now, she tells me, I will have liquid and pain to deal with for a bit. How long is a bit? She handed me a prescription for antibiotics and advil and sent me on my semi-crippled way.

I'm in the healing process right now, which is a place between routine work and dreamland. I haven't photographed the whole experience, but I will forever remember my trips to FV hospital during my second month here. I guess the moral of the story is Vietnamese yoga is not for me, or at least not for my elbow!

On a less serious side note, I still look like Drew Barrymore in Vietnam. I thought I would escape the curse of this observation in southeast asia, but no, no, not even close. "Ms. Jones, do you know Drew Barrymore?" "Well, not personally." "You look like her." "Uh, huh." Drat!!!!

Da Lat: How many languages do you speak?

2008-09-02T17:49:00.000+07:00

I knew I didn't want to stay in Phu My Hung or Saigon for my holiday, but was not sure what I wanted to do. My friends Dyana and Audrey told me about a trip they booked to Da Lat, so I

tagged along on the tourtastic journey.

The bus ride from Saigon to Da Lat is an eight hour trip, so I spent a total of sixteen hours listening to music, reading and trying to grade papers on a bus this weekend. The other two days were a mix of seeing, walking and catching up on sleep. Since Da Lat is located in Central Vietnam and in a mountainous region, it is much cooler during the days and nights--I was able to wear pants and a hoodie and Audrey was able to run for hours without stopping. Upon arrival we ate and slept, but when we woke up at 7:00 we boarded the bus for a taste of Vietnamese tourism. Our first stop was at a waterfall where rode on the back of Ba, the elephant. Poor guy, he carried all three of us! After the elephant ride we visited a Buddhist Monastery, and a flower garden. I was all touristed out, so I took a nap while Dyana and Audrey completed the tour. There was some spa time after the two gals returned, then we watched a minority dance and music group perform at a nearby motel and finally finished off the night with a three hour walk.

The next day, Monday, salvaged my experience on Sunday. Although I enjoyed some of the sights, I'm not a Disneyland gal or a pseudodisneyland gal, so I found myself slightly annoyed with the number of tourists. On Monday we went on a hike for four hours, and we quite literally ran up the hill. Audrey, the gazelle, was bounding up the mountain, but Dyana and I trudged. The view was beautiful and there was enough time for us to spend on the mountain by ourselves thinking and meditating.

After our hike Dyana and Audrey left to take a motorbike trip around Da Lat while I graded papers at "Friends Cafe". I ordered a coffee, set my stack of papers on the table, graded one, then I met what was to become my newest friend, Sinh. Sinh, maybe you've met him if you've been to Vietnam, works for Easy Riders, a group of older guys who give motorbike trips from Da Lat to major destinations in Vietnam. Sinh sat down at the cafe and started to chat me up. His firs question: How many languages do you speak? One, was my sheepish reply. He laughed, I speak four. This fifty-sixty something year old guy talked to me about the war, travels, his family, Obama, and on and on until I decided to take a ride on his motorbike. For an hour and a half, Sinh showed me the back side of Da Lat, and I teared up a little when riding because I was so happy to be out of the city, experiencing a little slice of Vietnam that I had not seen before. Sinh dropped me off at my motel for dinner and Audrey, Dyana and I sat down to talk about our motorbike adventures while eating passion fruit.
We walked around Da Lat for our final night, stopped at a lake side restaurant for some tea and sang to bad "oh so good" 1980's pop songs. I think we put on a show for some locals! The trip home today was a long one, and I'm still staring at a stack of papers, but the adventure and memories were worth the headache I'll have tomorrow.

I hope this note finds you in good spirits.

Much Love, Karinna

I'm in Vietnam!

2008-08-28T20:13:00.000+07:00

I haven't written in awhile because my days consist of waking up and skyping with Michael, biking to school, teaching, biking home and working for a few more hours. This is the reason why all of the teacher shows get canceled: there are moments of inspiration and connection, but mostly a lot of reading student work. The reality show of teaching is about as lack luster as a reality show about accounting--a stack of papers doesn't lend to drama.

Sometimes I have to pinch my skin to remind myself of the fact that I'm living in Vietnam. Most often, I feel as if I landed a gig in Florida: palm trees, motor bikes, restaurants and stores on every block. Yesterday, my friend Dyana and I went to visit Katie and Audrey (the student teachers) in the dorms. The dorms are about a mile away from my apartment and house visiting teachers. The benefit of living in the dorms is full access to an outdoor swimming pool and tennis courts, and I have access because I've befriended the student teachers. I've been trying to swim 25 laps every day to keep in shape. I start at about 5 pm and then pretend I'm on a water ballet team at about 6 pm. In Vietnam the sun rises at 5:30 am and sets at 6 pm, so when my water ballet show begins, a frantic flurry of bats dive from the sky, skimming the water. I'm in awe of the bats. I watch their graceful water show for a few minutes, then exit the pool convinced that I've been bat bitten. I love the daily grind of school, but am thankful for the time I am able to spend under water.

Speaking of R and R, on Saturday I am leaving for the land of "eternal spring," Da Lat. The bus ride is a total of 16 hours, eight there and eight back. I should have pictures of waterfalls, hikes, elephant ride, and hopefully a book or two read when I return next Wednesday. Which reminds me, I need to start packing!

Tomorrow, marks a month of living in Saigon. One month! When I travel or live in a new place, time slows. Like a child, I discover new people, new places, new ideas. The progress of life is delayed, and I am able to watch and explore rather than wake up wondering where all of the days have gone. Time doesn't fly here, it glides, which is one reason I decided to explore the opportunity of teaching abroad. I wish I could put all of you in my pocket and take you on daily adventures with me!!! I hope all is well in your world.

Much Love,

Karinna

Bike Trip Part II

2008-08-18T19:07:00.000+07:00

After buying my bike with a few teacher friends a week ago, I went on another adventure to help three more teacher friends purchase their bikes. Biking form Phu My Hung to District 1 is not that mind-blowing when you consider the surrounding motorbikes are only moving at 25 mph, but the busses and SUVs rule the road here like a giant crushing trees in his path, so the trip is not necessarily mind-blowing, but there are moments where you question your sanity. And really, what kind of fun would this be without a little adrenaline adventure? I plan on getting a helmet to appease my boyfriend, Michael (and I'm sure my parents), but no one else bikes with a helmet on (how's that for an argument)!!!

I once read a story about a man who did not know he was the god of rain, but everywhere he traveled the rain followed. At the end of the story he puts two and two together and ta-da, he learns how to control the weather and the sun appears. I, have not yet learned to control the weather, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I have something to do with the amount of rain we've been experiencing. It has rained non-stop for two days, and it's not the Aberdeen drizzle I know so well, but large, pounding, bone soaking rain. If it doesn't stop soon, I think we may be in for a large flood, and believe me, the last thing I want here is a flood. Luckily, my classroom is on the fourth floor, but others are not as lucky. I can't believe I brought a constant flow of rain to Saigon. I know, you're thinking "egomaniac," but you would feel this way too if you grew up next to a rainforest and twenty minutes from the ocean!

Thanks for listening to my Monday rant. Enjoy the pictures and thanks for all the communication. I appreciate hearing from all of you.

Binh Thanh

2008-08-16T21:30:00.000+07:00

Today is my first Saturday off in two weeks--time for an adventure! Dyana, a kindergarden teacher from Canada, and I took the 102 bus to District 1. Our mission was to book a trip with a local travel agent to Da Lat for the long holiday. The long holiday is September 1st and 2nd, and it seems that most of the teachers take off for the long weekend. The bus dropped us off in District 1 and we walked down to the travel agency in the backpackers district--many westerners. No luck! I needed the original paper ticket to change the reservations (long story), but the most exciting part of the adventure began when we ducked into a small Vietnamese restaurant, ate a bowl of Pad Thai, talked to a dude from Ireland and then, it began to rain. Rats ran for shelter, children ran barefoot in the streets, bikers covered themselves with ponchos, and I sat and observed. Mesmerized by the children laughing and stomping in the rain and the mud, I must have watched for a good twenty minutes. After watching rain, the size of marbles, I looked up. As you can see in one of the pictures below, there are about 100 electric wires bunched up in the same place. I didn't notice this fact at first, but when I did, I started to laugh. Laughing because I see something surreal everyday.

After the rain stopped, we walked to the Binh Thanh market. This was my second visit to the Binh Thanh market, so this time I knew how to navigate my way through the women "madame, madame a shirt, a hat..." I made my way back to the food market to browse through the seafood, fruits, beans, rice, coffee. I love looking at all the different colors and shapes, colors and shapes I have not seen before. Today I saw a basket of frogs, water snakes, women getting a pedicure on the street, and weasel coffee. If you have been to Saigon before, I'm sure you know the sounds and the smells but if not, look at the pictures below and imagine walking through crowded rows of goods to be purchased.

When I Say Jump...

2008-08-14T16:25:00.000+07:00

Welcome to English 10, 11, and A.P. Language! I have sixteen desks set up in the infamous horse-shoe and depending on the day, eight to sixteen students fill the desks in five different classes--this is where the magic happens!

In the picture above you can see my windows and if you look outside of my windows, this is what you will see... beautiful.

My students are the most a-Mazing students and people I have ever met. Most of them speak three languages fluently and one language so-so. They come from all over the world, they are respectful, they listen, they laugh at appropriate times. Most importantly, they laugh at my dumb jokes. They are ready to learn every day, and they say goodbye and thank you when class is over. I think someone replaced my students with robots. Amazing robots! I am grateful to be teaching at this school, it is such a welcomed change. I have enough time to ask my students to write, to correct their papers, to engage in discussion, essentially, to teach.

The photo to the left is of our atrium. This is where the kids hang out before/after school and at lunch. Our lunch is catered by Black Cat and is delicious. I could not eat the full meal they provide, but they do have Pho and smoothies, which I (as I previously hinted at) am addicted to.

The field and trees in this picture are located at the front of our school. I park my bike right outside this area and am able to enjoy the scenery before class begins. So, to sum it all up I am very content. And thank God for Imodium AD!

They're Afraid of Bugs Too!

2008-08-13T18:00:00.000+07:00

Every year during the first week of school, I ask myself why I teach. I'm not sure I ever fully answer the question, but sometimes I think it is so I can laugh every day. This year is not an exception. My students are already making me laugh, and although I raise my left eyebrow with disapproval at inappropriate comments, I often find them funny. I don't have any pictures of my school, but I will take them tomorrow so you can see my classroom and the view from my classroom.

After meeting my students and reviewing the rules and expectations I asked them what they fear the most. Oddly enough, most of the students, 15-17, fear bugs. I've been playing it cool since I arrived, "Oh, a rat, there's two cockroaches, and three more geckoes on my wall--that's cool." Inside I jump and when no one is looking I leap from one end of my apartment to the other, but I'm not alone. I'm not alone! My students are afraid of bugs also and they've lived here much longer than I. After school today I biked around Phu My Hung to see the sights. It was a beautiful day.

New Bike=A Whole New World

2008-08-10T17:56:00.000+07:00

If you're viewing this blog you either know me or find me absolutely fascinating. Since your reasoning probably leans toward the first, hello and welcome! I, Karinna Elizabeth Jones, am living in Ho Chi Minh (Saigon) teaching at Saigon South International. This is my first International teaching position, so I'm experiencing the emotional and intellectual equivalent of an adolescent with too many pixie styx. (Side note)I cannot say I'm a true fan of the blog-sphere, but e-mailing multiple people everyday is quite a job, so here I am. And even though I am trying to down play my acceptance and addiction to this blog, I was so focussed on downloading pictures that I just burned a pot of rice.

First off, I miss you. I miss everything about you, so I had to go purchase a bike and see the land, Vietnam-my new home, so I could stop missing you. My bike, seen below, is the new love of my life (sorry Michael). I plan on riding her to school, around Phu My Hung, the area where I live, and to town. I took the 102 bus to District 1 and rode her all the way home with three Australian

friends of mine. On the way home we stopped for some food and a few drinks, so we could sit down, breathe a little, and admire our new purchase. We-Angela, Mal, Julie and I-biked home to finish our readings and syllabi before the big day (first day of class) Tuesday!

My bike is truly exciting, but so is my living space! This is My Cahn. I live in 5-2A above a Korean Herbal Remedy Shop, across from a park, and right around the corner from my favorite Pho restaurant. The staff at the Pho restaurant know me by name. I can't stay away: pho for breakfast,pho for second breakfast, pho for lunch, pho for second lunch. I'm a hobbit for pho.

This is the front of My Cahn. There are quite a few kids who live in this complex, so we have swings in my front yard, and there's noting better than a swing and an ice-cream cone. I'm still searching for the ice-cream cone.

Below is the park across the way from my apartment. I haven't had a moment to sit down and enjoy the lovely view, but I'm sure I will soon. P.S. I've been hanging out with a bunch of Australians, so read this with an Australian accent, it sounds better!

I love you. Yes, this means all of you, so keep in touch and let me know when you're getting married, having children, going camping...