Moving In

It didn't take long to remember why I love this place so much. Mornings begin at 5:30 with a 5 mile run and a swim in the South China Sea. Nothing but smiles and nods from some of the sweetest people on the planet. Shower, email, market, smoothie, and off to teach the morning English class. College kids so eager to learn and soooo fun to be with. Lunch, nap, odds and ends, evening class, dinner. The day flows by effortlessly. The only way I could make this any better would be to have all my family and friends here.

At least that's how it looks this second morning in my new living space. Moved into a fairly new two-bedroom house facing the ocean and river. The views are wonderful, the car and truck noise constant. It was a trade-off. I'm in the middle of everything. Completely opposite of my life in Rhode Island. Nice kitchen and living area on the first floor. Wide door opens to the sidewalk where all my neighbors know exactly what I'm eating...which is usually fruit smoothies if it's breakfast or  salad for lunch. Dinner is out and I'm loving Vietnamese food more every day as I try something new!

Second and third floors each have one bedroom with balcony, bathroom, and office alcove.  I think I'll sleep on the second floor and use the third for a guest room/living room. There is a roof deck with the best views. If I put  table and chairs it could be wild.

 I've got wifi, a subwoof speaker system, a/c, and all the fresh fruit and vegetables I can eat.  My neighbors are friendly. The woman next door has already scolded me for leaving my kitchen window open when I leave. I've also left my keys in my motor bike several times, without someone stealing it.

Anyway, living in a house now, I don't know how I survived all last winter in a hotel room. Now I feel like I really live here. Home sweet home away from home. I know one thing, I could not feel comfortable here if I didn't know that I still could always come back to Rhode Island, because if you are from Westerly, you can never really leave home.

Wild In The Streets

It's the Mid-Autumn Full Moon Festival in Vietnam tonight and they are wild in the streets. Dragon dancing, lions, horns, mayhem. You have to love a country that celebrates holidays around full moons. It's Tet for children my students tell me. I've been given three moon cakes. Delicious.

It's been a week since I left Rhode Island. Every part of the trip went smoothly. Even getting to Nha Trang and finding a house to move into. And a job teaching that pays.

My students from Crazy Kim's school greeted me with big hugs, including Kimmy herself. It really is like one big family. I began teaching on Monday and again loving every minute of it. And it's all because of the warm friendships and students' passion for learning. So happy to find something to be useful at.

I've even found a house to rent. Oh my God! It is ocean and river view. A block from both. Two bedrooms, a kitchen/living room, and roof deck. Balconies overlooking the water from both bedrooms and deck. The kitchen is another story. Basically, if I open my wide front doors I've got my neighbors right there on the sidewalk. Noisy as all hell. I'm sure I will love it. My Vietnamese has to improve. And, I'm out of the tourist area and in a Vietnamese neighborhood. I've traded off privacy for open views of the ocean and river and a more authentic Vietnamese life. I'm also just a few houses away from my best friend in Vietnam, Brad Ness from Minnesota.  Oh, and the rent is $305 a month.

Tomorrow I start my paid job at Vietnam Advanced Education school. My friend started it while I was away and he has more students than he can handle. I'll teach a couple of classes a week. I've decided to split my teaching time, half volunteer and half paid. We'll see how this works. I have to wear a dress shirt and long pants to VAE...which I'm not happy about, but, heck, they're paying me $10 an hour.

Don't be too jealous. It's hot as hell here. I take 4 showers a day, but I love heat so...Even when it's 90 plus degrees and 100% humidity. That's it for now. More to come when I've moved.

Returning To Vietnam

I often experience anxiety when I travel. But usually that happens after I've arrived. This trip to Vietnam I'm feeling it at the airport before departure. I could be in bed now instead of going through all this. The plane prepares to take off and I'm wondering why I do what I do. What drives me?

On the plane to Hong Kong, the anxiety is gone. 15 hours in the air, and I still will not be in Vietnam. But at least I'm relaxed and have plenty of movies and books loaded up on my iPod, iPad, iPhone, Macbook, and Kindle. I'm going to buy stock in Apple and Amazon when I get home.

The flight isn't all that difficult. I watch movies and sleep. Before I know it I'm in Ho Chi Minh City again. This is my 7th trip in 3 years. My friend Loan meets me at the airport. I've brought her over a computer because it is 25 percent cheaper in the States. She's my oldest and best Vietnamese friend.

I take a taxi to my hotel and feel the anxiety again. It begins to subside as I speak to the driver in Vietnamese. I realize that all the studying is paying off and that you do not have to be young to learn a new language. I do wish though that Vietnamese were easier like Spanish and not a tonal language.

Thanks to a sleep aid I've brought with me I get a few hours of sleep before the morning light and traffic wake me. Surprisingly I feel joyful and rested. I'll go for a run now and to the market for coconut water and a fresh durian.