Monday, September 12, 2011
No Celebration is complete without a Dragon.
Last week marked the Grand Opening of Concordia International School Ha Noi (CISH)! Though there was a week full of activities to commemorate the event, the highlight was the Grand Opening Ceremony Friday afternoon at the school campus. The ceremony had all the elements. There were speeches by those who have worked for over 5 years to make this school a reality. There was a presentation and singing by the students this school will serve. There was cake and socializing. And most importantly, there was a Dragon.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Post 23 - Sa Pa
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to join Ted and a visiting group from Concordia NY for a trip to Sa Pa. We took the night train Saturday evening and arrived in Sa Pa at 7 a.m. Sunday morning. After breakfast at the hotel, we set off on a walking tour of local villages inhabited by Hmong and Dao, a couple of the ethnic minority groups in Viet Nam. The region has become more and more touristy over the years, and many of the local women and girls walked with us to trying to sell to us.
It was raining during the first part of our walk, but it cleared up as we walked to the Dao village where we stopped to eat lunch. The fog of the morning gave the area a mysterious quality that created a mystical ambiance, but I was glad the rain gave way to sun by the end of the afternoon so we could see the beautiful scenery.
After lunch we returned to the hotel and split into different groups to explore the town of Sa Pa before dinner. I joined a group that explored the market place. I was proud of myself for only buying two scarves despite how ubiquitous they were and my weakness for colorful shawls.
The next morning it was pouring rain, but about half the group refused to be daunted by something as paltry as the weather and set out on a hike to see Cat Cat village, the waterfall and a demonstration of the traditional dancers. Some of the students even joined in the dancing at the end of the show.
We left Sa Pa that afternoon and traveled to another village for another hike in the rain before driving to Lao Cai to see the Chinese boarder and eating dinner. After dinner we boarded the train to return to Hanoi. We were scheduled to arrive in Hanoi at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, but due to some problems with the tracks, we were delayed and didn’t get back until 11:30. But as one of my students said today when I told them this story, “that’s so Vietnam.”
It was raining during the first part of our walk, but it cleared up as we walked to the Dao village where we stopped to eat lunch. The fog of the morning gave the area a mysterious quality that created a mystical ambiance, but I was glad the rain gave way to sun by the end of the afternoon so we could see the beautiful scenery.
After lunch we returned to the hotel and split into different groups to explore the town of Sa Pa before dinner. I joined a group that explored the market place. I was proud of myself for only buying two scarves despite how ubiquitous they were and my weakness for colorful shawls.
The next morning it was pouring rain, but about half the group refused to be daunted by something as paltry as the weather and set out on a hike to see Cat Cat village, the waterfall and a demonstration of the traditional dancers. Some of the students even joined in the dancing at the end of the show.
We left Sa Pa that afternoon and traveled to another village for another hike in the rain before driving to Lao Cai to see the Chinese boarder and eating dinner. After dinner we boarded the train to return to Hanoi. We were scheduled to arrive in Hanoi at 5 a.m. on Tuesday, but due to some problems with the tracks, we were delayed and didn’t get back until 11:30. But as one of my students said today when I told them this story, “that’s so Vietnam.”
Friday, May 13, 2011
Post 22 - What I love about Vietnam
They don't play Frisbee here so I am automatically considered a good player based solely on the fact that I know how to play. Awesome.
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Post 21
It is very hot and very humid in this country. This is how I feel most of the time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7GJcKuVGm8
Except I am not dead.
Except I am not dead.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Post 20 - In which I battle a Cockroach.
This morning began like most Sunday mornings. I wasted some time on the internet. I considered getting some work done. I watched some T.V. instead. Eventually I decided I should shower and get ready to go to Church.
I rolled off my bed and went to the bathroom. Just as I was about to step into shower, I was confronted by a gigantic cockroach poised for battle! (And by gigantic cockroach poised for battle, I mean a 2 cm cockroach lying on its back looking dead. But that is practically the same).
Though the cockroach had the upper hand thanks to its sneak attack tactic (very sneaky; it had not been in the bathroom 5 minutes earlier), I quickly ran from the bathroom to prepare to meet my foe. I donned my battle dress (i.e. I put my pajamas back on) and carefully chose a weapon: 6 paper towels and a plastic bag (nothing special about the number 6; that’s just the number that was left on the roll. If it had been a full roll it would have been 20 paper towels). I returned to the bathroom physically, if not mentally prepared to defeat my enemy.
My plan was to create a stack of paper towels and place them over the dead body of the cockroach and then pick up the stack of paper towel with the plastic bag and not have to see or touch or feel the body of the cockroach. The plan would have worked wonderfully except for one tiny, tiny problem. THE COCKROACH WASN’T DEAD! AHHHHH! SOO GROSS! It moved! And Tried to Escape! And I had to Squish it! And It Stabbed Me! (no joke, I had a splinter of cockroach I had to dig out of my finger. Yuck, yuck, yuck!)
After a fierce struggle, I managed to get the cockroach into the plastic bag and out to trash. It may seem that I prevailed since the cockroach is now out of my room and most likely dead, but now I am traumatized and scared to go into my bathroom. Who is really the winner here?
I rolled off my bed and went to the bathroom. Just as I was about to step into shower, I was confronted by a gigantic cockroach poised for battle! (And by gigantic cockroach poised for battle, I mean a 2 cm cockroach lying on its back looking dead. But that is practically the same).
Though the cockroach had the upper hand thanks to its sneak attack tactic (very sneaky; it had not been in the bathroom 5 minutes earlier), I quickly ran from the bathroom to prepare to meet my foe. I donned my battle dress (i.e. I put my pajamas back on) and carefully chose a weapon: 6 paper towels and a plastic bag (nothing special about the number 6; that’s just the number that was left on the roll. If it had been a full roll it would have been 20 paper towels). I returned to the bathroom physically, if not mentally prepared to defeat my enemy.
My plan was to create a stack of paper towels and place them over the dead body of the cockroach and then pick up the stack of paper towel with the plastic bag and not have to see or touch or feel the body of the cockroach. The plan would have worked wonderfully except for one tiny, tiny problem. THE COCKROACH WASN’T DEAD! AHHHHH! SOO GROSS! It moved! And Tried to Escape! And I had to Squish it! And It Stabbed Me! (no joke, I had a splinter of cockroach I had to dig out of my finger. Yuck, yuck, yuck!)
After a fierce struggle, I managed to get the cockroach into the plastic bag and out to trash. It may seem that I prevailed since the cockroach is now out of my room and most likely dead, but now I am traumatized and scared to go into my bathroom. Who is really the winner here?
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Post 19 - My Burn and a beautiful sky
This is how my burn looks now. It doesn't hurt very much even though it looks nasty.
I keep it covered to prevent infection. It doesn't look as bad when you can't see it.
I went to Ba Vi on a team retreat this weekend. This is what the sky looked like when we got there. Then there was a huge thunderstorm. I didn't take a picture of the storm.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Post 18 - Some Pictures
My Ao Dai!
The beginning of my "Hanoi Tattoo." The blister is way more impressive now.
Sarah and I went on a hike/picnic with students yesterday. We climbed a mountain to see a waterfall.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Post 17 - Tuesday
Yesterday was a pretty good day for the most part. In the morning I went to pick up my Ao Dai (pictures to come. eventually). In the afternoon I met Josh at the Art Museum. I enjoyed it very much. The first floor was mostly artifacts, but the top two floors were paintings. I like the artifacts more, but it was still interesting to note how the European art movements affected the Vietnamese art styles.
After the art museum, we had coffee, and then I took a 25 minute walk over the Cimas house for dinner. It was about then that my day caught up with me. I didn't realized how much walking I had done until I sat down. I also had not had nearly enough water to drink that day and went to bed with a horrible headache. I learned my lesson, though, and I have been drinking a lot of water today.
After the art museum, we had coffee, and then I took a 25 minute walk over the Cimas house for dinner. It was about then that my day caught up with me. I didn't realized how much walking I had done until I sat down. I also had not had nearly enough water to drink that day and went to bed with a horrible headache. I learned my lesson, though, and I have been drinking a lot of water today.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Post 16 (since the 30 day thing isn't working as well as I hoped.)
I have gotten sick again. No fun. But I am excited about Easter on Sunday.
I have a good story to tell, but I also have a headache from the pressure in my sinuses so I will wait until I can think clearly so I can write coherently.
I have a good story to tell, but I also have a headache from the pressure in my sinuses so I will wait until I can think clearly so I can write coherently.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Day 13
I missed posting yesterday, so I guess that means two posts today.
Yesterday was a very productive day. In the morning, I got up and talked to a friend on Skype. Then I put together my lesson plan (I had planned to do that over the weekend, but it didn't quite work out that way...), tidied my room and made lunch.
In the afternoon, I successfully implemented the above lesson plan, then practiced my guitar for an hour before having dinner and a walk in the park with a student. And on top of all my productiveness, the weather was gorgeous!
Conclusion: Good Day!
Yesterday was a very productive day. In the morning, I got up and talked to a friend on Skype. Then I put together my lesson plan (I had planned to do that over the weekend, but it didn't quite work out that way...), tidied my room and made lunch.
In the afternoon, I successfully implemented the above lesson plan, then practiced my guitar for an hour before having dinner and a walk in the park with a student. And on top of all my productiveness, the weather was gorgeous!
Conclusion: Good Day!
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Day 12
Bad News: I am having troubles with my phone again...
Good News: I led Bible study today, and it went very well. I attribute most of my success to my fellow Bible study attendees and a small amount on my preparation.
Good News: I led Bible study today, and it went very well. I attribute most of my success to my fellow Bible study attendees and a small amount on my preparation.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Day 11
Today was another day of chance meetings. It always amazes me when a decision or unexpected event results in getting you exactly where you need to be at the exact right time, and that happened to me twice today.
The first time I was wondering around the Old Quarter looking for a place to eat breakfast when I made a decision to look for some new DVDs (which I did not end up getting). If I hadn't decided to go look at DVDs, I would not have run into Pastor Scott (one of the Cats from Los Gatos) who was enjoying a Xích Lô ride. Because I ran into him, I was able to meet up with the rest of the group at their hotel right as they were about to leave to visit Hoa Lo Prison.
We got lost on the way there (because our taxi driver did not know where we wanted to go) but I pulled out my map and got us to the right place just in time to see Ted walking by! Turns out he had not gotten the memo that said the meeting place for lunch had changed from Hoa Lo Prison to the hotel. Had we gotten to the Prison earlier, we wouldn't have run into him to tell him about the updated plans.
Pretty cool how that stuff works out.
The first time I was wondering around the Old Quarter looking for a place to eat breakfast when I made a decision to look for some new DVDs (which I did not end up getting). If I hadn't decided to go look at DVDs, I would not have run into Pastor Scott (one of the Cats from Los Gatos) who was enjoying a Xích Lô ride. Because I ran into him, I was able to meet up with the rest of the group at their hotel right as they were about to leave to visit Hoa Lo Prison.
We got lost on the way there (because our taxi driver did not know where we wanted to go) but I pulled out my map and got us to the right place just in time to see Ted walking by! Turns out he had not gotten the memo that said the meeting place for lunch had changed from Hoa Lo Prison to the hotel. Had we gotten to the Prison earlier, we wouldn't have run into him to tell him about the updated plans.
Pretty cool how that stuff works out.
Friday, April 15, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Day 9
Today was a mediocre day. I taught in the afternoon, but I was super tired so it didn't go as well as it could have.
On the plus side, I did have a very nice dinner with Sarah in the Old Quarter.
On the plus side, I did have a very nice dinner with Sarah in the Old Quarter.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Day 8 - The Past Couple of Days
On Monday and Tuesday I went with the Cimas, the Cats from Los Gatos, Sarah and four of our students to Mai Chau. The trip was great. I loved walking through the green rice fields and having a chance to relax outside without the ever-present noise of traffic that plagues Hanoi.
While I was walking through the town where we stayed, I was surprised by how similar Mai Chau was to Kuna Yala (the island nation I visited during my study abroad trip to Panama last year). Both Mai Chau and Kuna Yala seem to have fallen into the tourist trap. What is being saved of their cultures is being determined by what tourists decide is interesting about it. Going to these places makes me wonder if that is an effective way of preserving history or if it is preventing the culture from evolving naturally.
While I was walking through the town where we stayed, I was surprised by how similar Mai Chau was to Kuna Yala (the island nation I visited during my study abroad trip to Panama last year). Both Mai Chau and Kuna Yala seem to have fallen into the tourist trap. What is being saved of their cultures is being determined by what tourists decide is interesting about it. Going to these places makes me wonder if that is an effective way of preserving history or if it is preventing the culture from evolving naturally.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Day Seven – A short trip down memory lane
For those who do not know me well, I would like to come clean. I am an internet junkie. My low numbers of blog posts up to this point aside, I am addicted to the internet (a point reiterated by the quiz I took in our text book. We are talking about internet this week. (At least while we are not taking a midterm.)). I spend hours each week day on perusing my friends’ pictures on facebook, reading new blog posts (though not writing them…), talking on Skype or otherwise being unproductive. (In my defense I have yet to fall into online gaming (though I have watched The Guild which I’ll admit has tempted me to start). I have a feeling if I ever start, I will never emerge from the digital world. But then, I could be like JEFF BRIDGES!). I also follow several of my friends and acquaintances (and several complete strangers) on Twitter, which brings me to (one of) today’s: Happy Moments! My friend had a tweet today which mentioned a teacher giving her a sticker on a homework assignment which reminded me of Latin. Short story told below.
Once upon a time I was a college senior who needed 9 more credit hours to graduate but a minimum of 24 hours to fill. After pondering which superfluous classes I should use to fill my schedule, I decided to take Latin. Being the nerd that I am, not only did I do the homework (which I didn’t need to do since I was taking this class credit/no credit), but I also put stickers on each assignment I turned in as an encouragement to myself (plus Ihad have an abundance of shiny, star stickers (which I didn’t think to bring to Vietnam with me.)). I also put them on my quizzes. One day, however, I forgot to bring my stickers with me to class on a day we had a quiz. I was saddened but still managed to finish the quiz with my usual bout of excellence. After class, I promptly forgot about the lack of sticker on my quiz and went about my day. I was pleasantly surprised the next class period when Prof. Awesome Voice Tetlak returned my quiz to me with a sticker on it!
I would like to end this post with a shout out to Dr. Patricia Burton who put stickers on all exceptional tests she returns to her students. Zayıflama hapları
Once upon a time I was a college senior who needed 9 more credit hours to graduate but a minimum of 24 hours to fill. After pondering which superfluous classes I should use to fill my schedule, I decided to take Latin. Being the nerd that I am, not only did I do the homework (which I didn’t need to do since I was taking this class credit/no credit), but I also put stickers on each assignment I turned in as an encouragement to myself (plus I
I would like to end this post with a shout out to Dr. Patricia Burton who put stickers on all exceptional tests she returns to her students. Zayıflama hapları
Monday, April 11, 2011
Day 6 - 5 Thoughts inspired by a Saturday Boat Ride and a Sunday Morning Sermon –
- Some of the clearest moments of truth come when we are at our lowest.
- I want a stronger faith.
- God is too big for me to handle.
- It is really impressive when someone can preach in a language other than his native one.
- It is hard for me to feel God’s presence in a city.
On a slightly related note (which I won't explain right now), check out this guy's website: Marc Riboud
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Day 5 - Sunday Morning
The sermon at church this morning was very thought provoking for me. I wanted to write a post on my reaction to it, but writer’s block is getting the better of me. I will work it for a while and hopefully be able to organize my thoughts into a coherent post for later this week.
For today, however, I will tell you about Sunday lunch. Every Sunday after church, we go out for lunch together alternating between an Indian and Vietnamese restaurant. This week we went to the Indian restaurant because we had such a large group (we had the group from Los Gatos join us, as well as other LCMS workers. Our group is usually about 8-10 people, but today we had about 25).
I could end this with a picture of us at the restaurant if I had thought to take one while I was there. Instead, enjoy this awesome picture of Celeste and Bella on the boat from yesterday.
For today, however, I will tell you about Sunday lunch. Every Sunday after church, we go out for lunch together alternating between an Indian and Vietnamese restaurant. This week we went to the Indian restaurant because we had such a large group (we had the group from Los Gatos join us, as well as other LCMS workers. Our group is usually about 8-10 people, but today we had about 25).
I could end this with a picture of us at the restaurant if I had thought to take one while I was there. Instead, enjoy this awesome picture of Celeste and Bella on the boat from yesterday.
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Day 4 - Nina
Today I went to Ha Long Bay with the Cimas and a visiting LCMS group from Los Gatos, CA (who I refer to in my head as the Cats from Los Gatos...cue groan). Today was also the second time I have seen Bella since she learned how to (sorta) say my name. What she says for Hanna comes out sounding like "Nina" so about every five minutes I would hear, "Nina, Nina, Nina!" or "Nina đâu? (where is Hanna?)" It was pretty adorable.
Friday, April 8, 2011
Blog Challenge, Day 3 – A Series of Fortunate Events
Today was an excellent day. I started of my morning with class and office hours (I managed to chat with Chris for a few minutes over his lunch break which was nice). Afterward I had an early lunch and returned to my room for a short nap. When I woke up, I spent a few minutes wondering how I was going to spend my afternoon. It was a beautiful day, and I had no plans until 2:45 when I was to meet Sarah (it was 12:15 at this point). I did not have to wonder long, however, because my phone rang; it was Michael asking me if I wanted to join him for lunch. I wasn’t hungry since I had just eaten, but I was definitely interested in being outside. I went to meet him and upon arriving remembered that he is babysitting Drew’s bike while Drew is away in Bangkok. So I spent the remainder of the day puttering around town with a tall, lanky German on an old Minsk motorcycle. I am proud to say that even though Michael had not driven a motorbike in Hanoi before today, we are both alive and well. And he only killed the engine about 5-6 times. And we were only laughed at once (that I noticed).
Drew's Minsk
The first part of the afternoon, we went to my favorite Hanoi Café overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake. At first we thought we would not be able to get seats on the top level because it was too crowded, but lo and behold, one of the groups taking up so much space was J.P. and the visiting LCMS group. We were able to join them at their tables and enjoy the view.
We went to meet Sarah at the appointed time (another ride on the Minsk!) and went to the park to play Frisbee for a while. Then we went to Sarah’s to watch Tron, and then returned to Hoan Kiem Lake for Chicken Pho with Josh. Finally, Josh took us to a ice cream place he knew that had an excellent view of the lake, and I ended my day with a lovely glass of Strawberry Ice Cream.
Me, Michael, Josh
Josh, Sarah, Me
Drew's MinskThe first part of the afternoon, we went to my favorite Hanoi Café overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake. At first we thought we would not be able to get seats on the top level because it was too crowded, but lo and behold, one of the groups taking up so much space was J.P. and the visiting LCMS group. We were able to join them at their tables and enjoy the view.
We went to meet Sarah at the appointed time (another ride on the Minsk!) and went to the park to play Frisbee for a while. Then we went to Sarah’s to watch Tron, and then returned to Hoan Kiem Lake for Chicken Pho with Josh. Finally, Josh took us to a ice cream place he knew that had an excellent view of the lake, and I ended my day with a lovely glass of Strawberry Ice Cream.
Me, Michael, Josh Josh, Sarah, MeThursday, April 7, 2011
Day 2: An Essay
Yesterday and today I proctored the K55 midterm exam. There were three parts to this exam: listening, Reading and Writing. For the writing part of the exam, the students were given two topics to choose between: Write a story about the biggest lie you have ever told and its consequences or Compare vacationing at the beach to vacationing in the mountain[s]. Proctoring is very boring so between glaring at students so they don’t talk to each other, I think I will also choose a topic to write on.
The topic I would like to write about is: the biggest lie I have ever told and its consequences.
Once upon a time I was a kindergartener. I was a very energetic and talkative kindergartener who liked to share my opinions on anything and everything as often as I could. Unfortunately, my teacher did not have the time to listen to all of my opinions and preferred that I stay quiet. I did not want to stay quiet, so we had a little bit of friction and since she had all of the authority, she won any time we had a difference about the appropriate time for me to voice all of my ideas. And I spent a lot of time in trouble.
Back in the day, when kindergarteners at Trinity were in trouble, they would have their names written on the board. Each day, your first infraction would result in your name on the board and you would get a check mark for each subsequent rule violation (a check mark usually resulted in missing recess time.) If you got to three checkmarks…well let’s just say, you didn’t want to get to three.
During Kindergarten (and first and second and third grade) I was a master of reaching 2 check marks butnever rarely ever pushing so far as to get third (though I never did get much recess time). However, for about 2-3 months during kindergarten, at the end of the day when my mother asked me if I got my name on the board that day, I would tell her no.
How my now overly sensitive conscious managed to hold up under that kind of a lie for so long, I am not really sure. I guess it never occurred to me that perhaps my teacher might actually talk to my mother and clue her into what was going on. Lucky for me that never happened. I am sure my punishment would have been much worse if I hadn’t decided to come clean on my own.
Eventually I did figure out that continually lying to my mother was a bad idea. I decided to tell her during the middle of a large family function at my aunt and uncle’s house in the Kansas City area. (Perhaps I thought I would get a lighter punishment if I told her when other people were around. She wouldn’t spank me in front of other people would she? (Not usually, but she is very patient woman, my mother. She could wait until we got home.)) In any case, when I finally told her, I did not get a spanking. Instead I had to take a nap! In the middle of all the fun! My cousin Matt was younger than me, and he didn’t have to take a nap! Kindergartener Hanna was appalled. I would waaaay rather have a spanking and be done with it, Thank You. 23 year old Hanna thinks BEST PUNISHMENT EVER! I wish I could take a nap.
The End.
The topic I would like to write about is: the biggest lie I have ever told and its consequences.
Once upon a time I was a kindergartener. I was a very energetic and talkative kindergartener who liked to share my opinions on anything and everything as often as I could. Unfortunately, my teacher did not have the time to listen to all of my opinions and preferred that I stay quiet. I did not want to stay quiet, so we had a little bit of friction and since she had all of the authority, she won any time we had a difference about the appropriate time for me to voice all of my ideas. And I spent a lot of time in trouble.
Back in the day, when kindergarteners at Trinity were in trouble, they would have their names written on the board. Each day, your first infraction would result in your name on the board and you would get a check mark for each subsequent rule violation (a check mark usually resulted in missing recess time.) If you got to three checkmarks…well let’s just say, you didn’t want to get to three.
During Kindergarten (and first and second and third grade) I was a master of reaching 2 check marks but
How my now overly sensitive conscious managed to hold up under that kind of a lie for so long, I am not really sure. I guess it never occurred to me that perhaps my teacher might actually talk to my mother and clue her into what was going on. Lucky for me that never happened. I am sure my punishment would have been much worse if I hadn’t decided to come clean on my own.
Eventually I did figure out that continually lying to my mother was a bad idea. I decided to tell her during the middle of a large family function at my aunt and uncle’s house in the Kansas City area. (Perhaps I thought I would get a lighter punishment if I told her when other people were around. She wouldn’t spank me in front of other people would she? (Not usually, but she is very patient woman, my mother. She could wait until we got home.)) In any case, when I finally told her, I did not get a spanking. Instead I had to take a nap! In the middle of all the fun! My cousin Matt was younger than me, and he didn’t have to take a nap! Kindergartener Hanna was appalled. I would waaaay rather have a spanking and be done with it, Thank You. 23 year old Hanna thinks BEST PUNISHMENT EVER! I wish I could take a nap.
The End.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
30 Day Challenge - Day One
I have been having troubles with my phone ever since I arrived in Vietnam. The first time I tried to buy a phone card, I spent 100.000 VND ($5) only to discover I had bought from the wrong company. My charger also broke (one of the prongs is still stuck in the outlet. I should probably tell my landlord…), and I spent 2 days with an uncharged phone before finding a replacement. But my biggest problem has been plaguing me since shortly after I arrived in Vietnam and was not solved until today.
From what I can gather, it seems that most people use pay as you go phones here (similar to Panama), and my phone is no exception. My phone plan, however, was set so that my money would expire two weeks after I put more money on it. I was getting very frustrated with this because I did not enjoy spending 50.000 VND($2.50) on phone cards every fourteen days.
I asked other expats about this problem, but none of them had a solution for me. I asked some of my students only to be told that the only way to fix the problem was to buy a new SIM card, but that I would lose all the money I had on my account (plus I wasn’t sure if my contacts would transfer over to a new card and I didn’t want to lose all of those). I put off figuring out a permanent solution until today, the last day before my account would reach its deadline.
I was contemplating this problem today as I was proctoring my students’ midterm exam and finally had the good sense to pray (why it took me so long to figure that one out, I don’t know.). I asked God to please send me someone with the time and Vietnamese ability to help me get the problem fixed. Then I proceeded to continue worrying about it for the next hour.
When the exam was over, I returned to the teachers’ office to give the exam papers to the teacher in charge. While we were waiting for the exams from the other classes, she asked me what my plans for the rest of the day were. I told her I was done with classes for the day, but I was going to try to get my phone fixed. She asked me what the problem was, so I explained it to her. Then she offered to go with me to get the problem straightened out! We ended up having to go to two different stores (the first was not a mobifone store), but we finally went to the right place. It took about 5 minutes for her to explain the problem and for them to change the deadline from every 2 weeks to every 2 months. I even got to keep most of the money I had on my account!
From what I can gather, it seems that most people use pay as you go phones here (similar to Panama), and my phone is no exception. My phone plan, however, was set so that my money would expire two weeks after I put more money on it. I was getting very frustrated with this because I did not enjoy spending 50.000 VND($2.50) on phone cards every fourteen days.
I asked other expats about this problem, but none of them had a solution for me. I asked some of my students only to be told that the only way to fix the problem was to buy a new SIM card, but that I would lose all the money I had on my account (plus I wasn’t sure if my contacts would transfer over to a new card and I didn’t want to lose all of those). I put off figuring out a permanent solution until today, the last day before my account would reach its deadline.
I was contemplating this problem today as I was proctoring my students’ midterm exam and finally had the good sense to pray (why it took me so long to figure that one out, I don’t know.). I asked God to please send me someone with the time and Vietnamese ability to help me get the problem fixed. Then I proceeded to continue worrying about it for the next hour.
When the exam was over, I returned to the teachers’ office to give the exam papers to the teacher in charge. While we were waiting for the exams from the other classes, she asked me what my plans for the rest of the day were. I told her I was done with classes for the day, but I was going to try to get my phone fixed. She asked me what the problem was, so I explained it to her. Then she offered to go with me to get the problem straightened out! We ended up having to go to two different stores (the first was not a mobifone store), but we finally went to the right place. It took about 5 minutes for her to explain the problem and for them to change the deadline from every 2 weeks to every 2 months. I even got to keep most of the money I had on my account!
30 Day Challenge
Over the past couple of months weeks days, I have become addicted to reading blogs. A couple of my favorites are Running on Happiness, Living on Love and most recently (yesterday) I discovered Pioneer Woman. I spent 1 2 3 several hours yesterday perusing posts about people I don’t even know.
After realizing the insane amount of time I spent reading online yesterday, I asked myself, what draws me to these blogs? Maybe it is because I am far from home and I love reading descriptions of ordinary living in the United States (especially on a ranch. Oh God, what I wouldn’t give for 10 minutes in open space). Perhaps it is (especially in the case of Pioneer Woman) that I love the engaging writing style. I think though, that the biggest reason I love the stories these women tell is that they are content and happy with their lives and the choices they have made. They find the wonder and the beauty and the love in everyday life and are so awed by it that they feel compelled to share it with the world.
I want my blog/life to be like that. So here is my attempt to make a better blog and to find/make/appropriate verb contentment and joy in my life. For the next 30 days my goal will be to post one picture and/or one good moment from the day. It takes 3 weeks to make a habit so hopefully this will continue after my 30 day challenge. There are plenty of good things around, so I am hoping the hardest part will be remembering to post everyday.
After realizing the insane amount of time I spent reading online yesterday, I asked myself, what draws me to these blogs? Maybe it is because I am far from home and I love reading descriptions of ordinary living in the United States (especially on a ranch. Oh God, what I wouldn’t give for 10 minutes in open space). Perhaps it is (especially in the case of Pioneer Woman) that I love the engaging writing style. I think though, that the biggest reason I love the stories these women tell is that they are content and happy with their lives and the choices they have made. They find the wonder and the beauty and the love in everyday life and are so awed by it that they feel compelled to share it with the world.
I want my blog/life to be like that. So here is my attempt to make a better blog and to find/make/appropriate verb contentment and joy in my life. For the next 30 days my goal will be to post one picture and/or one good moment from the day. It takes 3 weeks to make a habit so hopefully this will continue after my 30 day challenge. There are plenty of good things around, so I am hoping the hardest part will be remembering to post everyday.
Monday, March 28, 2011
A Reminder that Life in Vietnam isn't all Bad.
(If you are offended by drinking, don’t read this post).
Today I was reminded that appropriately used alcohol with the right people just makes life better. As I wrote last night, I have been pretty down the past few weeks. But tonight, I had dinner with Sarah, Michael and two Vietnamese guys from London. (Michael met one of these guys when he was in Venezuela a couple years ago and he is traveling with his cousin.) We walked around the Bach Khoa area and found a buffet like place on the street perpendicular to my house. It was quite nice because you got a plate of rice and you could add whatever you wanted and you are charged for whatever you get. So I got a plate full of food for 25.000 VND ($1.25). (It made me realize, I really need to get out and walk around my area a bit more. So much awesome food!) After dinner we stopped for cake and then caught a bus up to the Old Quarter where we met Josh at a Bia Hơi. Bia Hơi’s are places around Vietnam that sell very cheap, very weak beer. It was my first time going, and I was excited because 1. I am the only person in my family who likes beer so I don’t drink it often and 2. I am a light-weight so it was nice to be able to drink more than one before having to stop. I had 3 ½ and was at the perfect stage of feeling the effects of the alcohol but not being drunk. Plus the company was excellent. A very good evening. Too bad I forgot my camera.
Today I was reminded that appropriately used alcohol with the right people just makes life better. As I wrote last night, I have been pretty down the past few weeks. But tonight, I had dinner with Sarah, Michael and two Vietnamese guys from London. (Michael met one of these guys when he was in Venezuela a couple years ago and he is traveling with his cousin.) We walked around the Bach Khoa area and found a buffet like place on the street perpendicular to my house. It was quite nice because you got a plate of rice and you could add whatever you wanted and you are charged for whatever you get. So I got a plate full of food for 25.000 VND ($1.25). (It made me realize, I really need to get out and walk around my area a bit more. So much awesome food!) After dinner we stopped for cake and then caught a bus up to the Old Quarter where we met Josh at a Bia Hơi. Bia Hơi’s are places around Vietnam that sell very cheap, very weak beer. It was my first time going, and I was excited because 1. I am the only person in my family who likes beer so I don’t drink it often and 2. I am a light-weight so it was nice to be able to drink more than one before having to stop. I had 3 ½ and was at the perfect stage of feeling the effects of the alcohol but not being drunk. Plus the company was excellent. A very good evening. Too bad I forgot my camera.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Frustrations
Dear Family and Friends,
I am sorry I haven’t been updating my blog as often as I originally intended. I have hit a bit of a rut in the last couple of weeks here. I am much more homesick than I anticipated. There haven’t been any major events that have gotten me down, but rather an unrelenting stream of small things.
For instance, I had been doing quite well getting myself around town, but about two weeks ago, I managed to get lost twice when taking the bus. The weather has been cold and rainy, and I caught a cold which drained all of my energy. I have gotten over most of it, but I have a cough that won’t go away because of the bad air quality. There are tons of motorbikes everywhere and people smoke all the time (at least, the men do).
I am also very frustrated with the traffic in Hanoi. Walking can be very dangerous because people do not pay attention to traffic rules. Motorbikes park and drive on the side walks or go the wrong way down the street, so I have to constantly pay attention to everything going on around me while I am walking.
I have also discovered I am not made for city living. I hate all of the tall buildings, and I miss open, green space. The lakes and rivers here are extremely polluted which I find very distressing (especially after working for the Stream Team program). I miss the infrastructures of the United States (transportation and sanitation specifically). I realized that Vietnam is a developing country, and it will get those things sorted out eventually, but in the mean time, it is frustrating.
I’ve been surprised by how much I miss the little things at home. I miss the convenience of my car and the ability to go where I want, when I want without having the limitations of a language barrier. I miss going to church with people I have known my entire life. I miss spending time with my family and friends. I hate not being there to celebrate weddings, new babies, restaurant openings, grad school acceptances and other important milestones happening in the lives of people at home. I miss movie nights and not having a curfew. Mostly I miss being with people who know me well. The people here are great, don’t get me wrong, but the fact is, I have only known them two months. That’s not enough time to get to know someone well.
Additionally, I feel inadequate for what I am here for. I have no idea how to teach, especially listening. I want my students to succeed, but I don’t know how to help them do that. I’ve also somehow completely lost my ability to initiate conversations. I used to be able to talk to anyone, but over the past two years I’ve gotten more and more tongue tied with meeting new people. That makes creating relationships with those around me rather difficult.
Even with all the bad/annoying things I am dealing with, there are many things I enjoy about living here. Spending time with students is awesome; I have had a chance to explore parts of Hanoi with them. It’s fun since many of them come from the provinces, and so they are also learning about Hanoi. I’ve gotten involved at HIC (Hanoi International Church), both with a small group bible study and volunteering with the worship service/Sunday School. So overall, I am still glad that I am here. Through everything, I have never doubted that this is where God needs me to be.
Thanks for reading to the end!
Love, Hanna
I am sorry I haven’t been updating my blog as often as I originally intended. I have hit a bit of a rut in the last couple of weeks here. I am much more homesick than I anticipated. There haven’t been any major events that have gotten me down, but rather an unrelenting stream of small things.
For instance, I had been doing quite well getting myself around town, but about two weeks ago, I managed to get lost twice when taking the bus. The weather has been cold and rainy, and I caught a cold which drained all of my energy. I have gotten over most of it, but I have a cough that won’t go away because of the bad air quality. There are tons of motorbikes everywhere and people smoke all the time (at least, the men do).
I am also very frustrated with the traffic in Hanoi. Walking can be very dangerous because people do not pay attention to traffic rules. Motorbikes park and drive on the side walks or go the wrong way down the street, so I have to constantly pay attention to everything going on around me while I am walking.
I have also discovered I am not made for city living. I hate all of the tall buildings, and I miss open, green space. The lakes and rivers here are extremely polluted which I find very distressing (especially after working for the Stream Team program). I miss the infrastructures of the United States (transportation and sanitation specifically). I realized that Vietnam is a developing country, and it will get those things sorted out eventually, but in the mean time, it is frustrating.
I’ve been surprised by how much I miss the little things at home. I miss the convenience of my car and the ability to go where I want, when I want without having the limitations of a language barrier. I miss going to church with people I have known my entire life. I miss spending time with my family and friends. I hate not being there to celebrate weddings, new babies, restaurant openings, grad school acceptances and other important milestones happening in the lives of people at home. I miss movie nights and not having a curfew. Mostly I miss being with people who know me well. The people here are great, don’t get me wrong, but the fact is, I have only known them two months. That’s not enough time to get to know someone well.
Additionally, I feel inadequate for what I am here for. I have no idea how to teach, especially listening. I want my students to succeed, but I don’t know how to help them do that. I’ve also somehow completely lost my ability to initiate conversations. I used to be able to talk to anyone, but over the past two years I’ve gotten more and more tongue tied with meeting new people. That makes creating relationships with those around me rather difficult.
Even with all the bad/annoying things I am dealing with, there are many things I enjoy about living here. Spending time with students is awesome; I have had a chance to explore parts of Hanoi with them. It’s fun since many of them come from the provinces, and so they are also learning about Hanoi. I’ve gotten involved at HIC (Hanoi International Church), both with a small group bible study and volunteering with the worship service/Sunday School. So overall, I am still glad that I am here. Through everything, I have never doubted that this is where God needs me to be.
Thanks for reading to the end!
Love, Hanna
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
My Day
My schedule with the school worked out that I do not have class on Tuesdays. I was excited about this when I found out because I thought I would use Tuesdays as a time to explore Hanoi on my own. 15 minutes into my first exploration escapade in Hanoi (back in January), I realized exploring on my own is really boring. I also have a terrible sense of direction so walking around on my own equals a lost Hanna. So Exploration Tuesdays quickly turned into Sit At Home and Do Nothing Tuesdays. This option also did not work out well since it turns out too much down time equals bored, homesick Hanna. I have hit a rough patch in my adjustment, so this Tuesday I decided to make plans to keep myself busy all day so that I wouldn’t have time to fixate on everything I miss from home and hate about living here. So I made plans to have lunch at the Cimas and dinner with my friend Josh from church. I also decided I would spend the morning at the park by my house and the afternoon in the Old Quarter looking for postcards.
I woke up around 6:30 and puttered around getting ready and finally made it out the door around 9:00. It was misting, and I almost considered turning around since I didn’t think there would be any dry benches at the park. I decided to continue on because I didn’t want to be cooped up in my room anymore. I stopped to buy Banh Bao for breakfast, and then continued on to the park. When I got there, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the benches were dry enough to sit on. I picked a bench and spend a few minutes journaling. It started raining harder, and I did not have my umbrella with me so I had to move to a different bench. I found one that was sheltered from the rain by a tree and continued writing. After a little while, I was interrupted from my writing by a Vietnamese man who was about 27-30 years old. He asked me a question in Vietnamese to which I responded, “I am sorry; I don’t understand Vietnamese.” Momentarily surprised but not deterred, he sat down next to me and proceeded to ask me more questions in Vietnamese (only one of which I understood). To most questions I answered, “I am sorry; I do not understand Vietnamese.” (Usually I said this in English. I did try in Spanish once, but he didn’t understand that either). I hoped he would eventually get the message and leave since I clearly couldn’t understand him and (I thought) obviously wanted to write in my notebook. He stopped talking to me for a while to text someone, and the next thing I know he says, “Welcome to my home.” I said “Thank You,” thinking he meant “Welcome to Vietnam.” But he kept repeating “welcome to my home.” I stopped listening to him after about four times since he had no idea what he was saying. He was frustrated again but still determined kept on texting whoever he was talking to. The next thing I know, he says “I love you” about 3 times. I gave him a ‘you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me’ look, said, “I don’t think so,” and returned to my writing. He interrupted me again to ask for my phone number (at least that is what I think he asked…). I was getting aggravated with him at this point because 1. he actually thought I might be stupid enough to give a strange man my number and 2. what did he think he could do with it since I don’t know Vietnamese and he doesn’t know English? I tried to tell him to leave because I wanted to write in my journal, but he didn’t get the message and continued sitting next to me on the bench, texting to someone. (This someone must have been looking up the English sentences for him to say to me. A tiny bit flattering; a large bit annoying). I finally had to get up and move after he invited me to come to his house. (I mean really? How stupid does he think I am?) I wasn’t very happy about having to move since I was there first, and I didn’t want to have to sit in the rain again. But such is life.
After my eventful morning at the park, I went to the Cimas for lunch. It was delicious and afterward I got a chance to talk to Aimee about some of the frustrations I have with living here. And I got to play with this cutie for a while.
It started to get very dark as we were playing outside, so we had to retreat back into the house. The wind started to blow very hard and soon there was a downpour of rain. I changed my original plan for the day and decided to go to Sarah’s to watch a movie instead of going in search of postcards. The rain abated for a short time, and Aimee drove me to the bus stop so I could go to Sarah’s. I was a little concerned when I got on the bus because the windows were so foggy, I couldn’t tell where I was. I got off the bus at what I thought was the correct stop, but when I looked around, I didn’t not recognize where I was so I changed my mind and decided I had gotten off to early. At just about this time, the rain started up again. So as I was walking towards (I thought) Sarah’s house, I was pelted with cold, hard rain drops and blasted with a cold wind. After about 10 minutes of walking, Sarah called me to inform me that I had gotten off where I was supposed to and that I had been walking in the wrong direction away from her house. I was very frustrated about that because it is the second time I have done something like that recently. I have been doing so well getting myself around, but I have managed to get lost twice in a 5 day period.
I finally made it to Sarah’s, and enjoyed watching Prince of Persia while my clothes (sort-of) dried. We had plans to meet some friends for dinner at Vincom (a shopping center near my house but a 25 minute walk from Sarah’s). We left early to try to grab a taxi, but our efforts were fruitless. The taxis were all full because of the rain. We decided to walk since it wasn’t raining anymore. We made it just on time and enjoyed a lovely meal at the Pizza Hut with Josh and Lisa (two friends from Church). I had hoped to catch the bus after dinner but ended up walking home since the bus left the stop just before I got there. It was cold, and I knew it would take longer to wait for the bus than to just walk.
So now I am safely at home, recuperating from my day and feeling the beginnings of a sore throat which means I am about to come down with a cold. Please pray for a swift recovery!
I woke up around 6:30 and puttered around getting ready and finally made it out the door around 9:00. It was misting, and I almost considered turning around since I didn’t think there would be any dry benches at the park. I decided to continue on because I didn’t want to be cooped up in my room anymore. I stopped to buy Banh Bao for breakfast, and then continued on to the park. When I got there, I was pleasantly surprised to discover the benches were dry enough to sit on. I picked a bench and spend a few minutes journaling. It started raining harder, and I did not have my umbrella with me so I had to move to a different bench. I found one that was sheltered from the rain by a tree and continued writing. After a little while, I was interrupted from my writing by a Vietnamese man who was about 27-30 years old. He asked me a question in Vietnamese to which I responded, “I am sorry; I don’t understand Vietnamese.” Momentarily surprised but not deterred, he sat down next to me and proceeded to ask me more questions in Vietnamese (only one of which I understood). To most questions I answered, “I am sorry; I do not understand Vietnamese.” (Usually I said this in English. I did try in Spanish once, but he didn’t understand that either). I hoped he would eventually get the message and leave since I clearly couldn’t understand him and (I thought) obviously wanted to write in my notebook. He stopped talking to me for a while to text someone, and the next thing I know he says, “Welcome to my home.” I said “Thank You,” thinking he meant “Welcome to Vietnam.” But he kept repeating “welcome to my home.” I stopped listening to him after about four times since he had no idea what he was saying. He was frustrated again but still determined kept on texting whoever he was talking to. The next thing I know, he says “I love you” about 3 times. I gave him a ‘you-have-got-to-be-kidding-me’ look, said, “I don’t think so,” and returned to my writing. He interrupted me again to ask for my phone number (at least that is what I think he asked…). I was getting aggravated with him at this point because 1. he actually thought I might be stupid enough to give a strange man my number and 2. what did he think he could do with it since I don’t know Vietnamese and he doesn’t know English? I tried to tell him to leave because I wanted to write in my journal, but he didn’t get the message and continued sitting next to me on the bench, texting to someone. (This someone must have been looking up the English sentences for him to say to me. A tiny bit flattering; a large bit annoying). I finally had to get up and move after he invited me to come to his house. (I mean really? How stupid does he think I am?) I wasn’t very happy about having to move since I was there first, and I didn’t want to have to sit in the rain again. But such is life.
After my eventful morning at the park, I went to the Cimas for lunch. It was delicious and afterward I got a chance to talk to Aimee about some of the frustrations I have with living here. And I got to play with this cutie for a while.
It started to get very dark as we were playing outside, so we had to retreat back into the house. The wind started to blow very hard and soon there was a downpour of rain. I changed my original plan for the day and decided to go to Sarah’s to watch a movie instead of going in search of postcards. The rain abated for a short time, and Aimee drove me to the bus stop so I could go to Sarah’s. I was a little concerned when I got on the bus because the windows were so foggy, I couldn’t tell where I was. I got off the bus at what I thought was the correct stop, but when I looked around, I didn’t not recognize where I was so I changed my mind and decided I had gotten off to early. At just about this time, the rain started up again. So as I was walking towards (I thought) Sarah’s house, I was pelted with cold, hard rain drops and blasted with a cold wind. After about 10 minutes of walking, Sarah called me to inform me that I had gotten off where I was supposed to and that I had been walking in the wrong direction away from her house. I was very frustrated about that because it is the second time I have done something like that recently. I have been doing so well getting myself around, but I have managed to get lost twice in a 5 day period.
I finally made it to Sarah’s, and enjoyed watching Prince of Persia while my clothes (sort-of) dried. We had plans to meet some friends for dinner at Vincom (a shopping center near my house but a 25 minute walk from Sarah’s). We left early to try to grab a taxi, but our efforts were fruitless. The taxis were all full because of the rain. We decided to walk since it wasn’t raining anymore. We made it just on time and enjoyed a lovely meal at the Pizza Hut with Josh and Lisa (two friends from Church). I had hoped to catch the bus after dinner but ended up walking home since the bus left the stop just before I got there. It was cold, and I knew it would take longer to wait for the bus than to just walk.
So now I am safely at home, recuperating from my day and feeling the beginnings of a sore throat which means I am about to come down with a cold. Please pray for a swift recovery!
Monday, March 7, 2011
Football
On Saturday, Sarah and I joined students to watch the ‘powderpuff’ football (soccer) game between the female foreign language students. The football matches were part of the activities being held this week at Bách Khoa in honor of International Women’s Day, March 8.
Enjoy the pictures! See more from my weekend here.
Enjoy the pictures! See more from my weekend here.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Update
Sorry for the delay in my update. I am very slow at updating blogs.
I have been doing my best to keep myself busy the past couple weeks. I had a two week break from teaching to celebrate Tet, the lunar New Year. Many of the students come from outside Hanoi, so the long break allowed them time to spend with family at home.
I, however, was too far away to travel home for Tet, so I stayed in Hanoi. I stayed with the Cima's for the first two days of Tet. We had planned to take an overnight trip to the Ha Long Bay area to visit a friend of J.P.'s. There was a change in plans because Bella (J.P. and Aimee's 18 month old) was sick, so Aimee stayed home with her. We also shortened it from an overnight to a day trip because the roads were so clear.
The third day of Tet, I spent time with Thuy, a student Sarah taught last year. She took me to see the Temple of Liturature and the Vietnam War Museum. Both were interesting, though I didn't learn as much at the War Museum as I would have liked since the signs were all in Vietnamese.
A few days later it was my birthday! I spent the morning with Sarah and a few of her former students. We went to the Hanoi Museum of Ethnography. There was a ethnic group from the mountains that was having a demonstration day, so there was a lot to see and do at the museum that day. After the museum we made lunch together and had birthday cake! (Courteousy of Sarah).
And now it is back to teaching.
I have been doing my best to keep myself busy the past couple weeks. I had a two week break from teaching to celebrate Tet, the lunar New Year. Many of the students come from outside Hanoi, so the long break allowed them time to spend with family at home.
I, however, was too far away to travel home for Tet, so I stayed in Hanoi. I stayed with the Cima's for the first two days of Tet. We had planned to take an overnight trip to the Ha Long Bay area to visit a friend of J.P.'s. There was a change in plans because Bella (J.P. and Aimee's 18 month old) was sick, so Aimee stayed home with her. We also shortened it from an overnight to a day trip because the roads were so clear.
The third day of Tet, I spent time with Thuy, a student Sarah taught last year. She took me to see the Temple of Liturature and the Vietnam War Museum. Both were interesting, though I didn't learn as much at the War Museum as I would have liked since the signs were all in Vietnamese.
A few days later it was my birthday! I spent the morning with Sarah and a few of her former students. We went to the Hanoi Museum of Ethnography. There was a ethnic group from the mountains that was having a demonstration day, so there was a lot to see and do at the museum that day. After the museum we made lunch together and had birthday cake! (Courteousy of Sarah).
And now it is back to teaching.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Bát Tràng
I have a break from teaching for the next two weeks as Vietnam celebrates Tet, the lunar new year. This celebration is like Christmas, Easter, 4th of July (and any other holiday/remembrance day you can think of) combined. The only down side to this holiday is that practically everything has shut down since 4/5 of Hanoi’s population has left the city to spend time with family in the provinces. Fortunately for me, the Cimas and a couple other people from Church stuck around Hanoi so I had someone to hang out with on Monday.
Since I haven’t had the chance to see anything besides Hanoi so far, J.P. planned a trip to Bát Tràng, a ceramics village just outside of Hanoi. We were joined by his (almost) 4 year old daughter and two guys from bible study. We got a taxi and drove about 13 km outside of Hanoi (to the south, I think). When we got there we walked around the market area and admired the ceramics for sale. I am not usually a huge fan of pottery (mostly because I am clumsy and I am afraid I will break something) but I was impressed but some the intricate work I saw (and realize now I should have taken pictures of…). Bát Tràng is famous for its ceramics, and they export all over the world, but it is much cheaper if you buy it directly there. I found a tea set for 200,000 VND (about 10 US $)
After meandering through the market, we ate lunch and then MADE OUR OWN POTTERY!!! I was very excited because I have been wanting to use a pottery wheel for years (17 years to be exact), but I never had the chance until now! I made a bowl and painted it purple. Enjoy the picture because I pretty sure it will break before I get it home.
Happy Tet! - Hanna
Since I haven’t had the chance to see anything besides Hanoi so far, J.P. planned a trip to Bát Tràng, a ceramics village just outside of Hanoi. We were joined by his (almost) 4 year old daughter and two guys from bible study. We got a taxi and drove about 13 km outside of Hanoi (to the south, I think). When we got there we walked around the market area and admired the ceramics for sale. I am not usually a huge fan of pottery (mostly because I am clumsy and I am afraid I will break something) but I was impressed but some the intricate work I saw (and realize now I should have taken pictures of…). Bát Tràng is famous for its ceramics, and they export all over the world, but it is much cheaper if you buy it directly there. I found a tea set for 200,000 VND (about 10 US $)
After meandering through the market, we ate lunch and then MADE OUR OWN POTTERY!!! I was very excited because I have been wanting to use a pottery wheel for years (17 years to be exact), but I never had the chance until now! I made a bowl and painted it purple. Enjoy the picture because I pretty sure it will break before I get it home.
Happy Tet! - Hanna
Friday, January 28, 2011
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Week One: A Synopsis
- My luggage showed up two days after I did.
- I settled into my room.
- Small snafu when I shorted out the electricity the first morning I was there. Turns out using surge protectors from the United States is a bad idea…
- I also had a small problem with my water heater, but that was resolved
- I visited the Winkleman’s house with Sarah (they are working at the Concordia International School set to open here in Hanoi next semester). We met their new kitten and got to watch Megamind. Which is hilarious.
- Went to HIC (Hanoi International Church) on Sunday. Afterwards, Sarah and I hung out with some of her students from last year.
- I’ve had a few moments when I have been overwhelmed, but I haven’t frozen anytime it was important
- Started teaching and I like it a lot. My students are much more respectful than the grade school student in the U.S. Some of that comes from the culture and some from the age difference.
- I’ve explored some on my own. I know where to find basic things I will need: shampoo, conditioner, toilet paper, toothpaste, water close to my house. I haven’t gone too far way from home because my sense of direction is terrible, and exploring by yourself isn’t very much fun.
- My two biggest problems right now (besides not understanding what people are saying) are feeding myself – I can’t cook, I can’t speak or read the language (makes ordering food kind of difficult) and I hate eating by myself – and getting myself around. I am fairly confident about getting myself to certain places, but I am worried about being able to get home again. One step at a time, though. Confidence will come with time. I just need to be willing to make mistakes.
- I settled into my room.
- Small snafu when I shorted out the electricity the first morning I was there. Turns out using surge protectors from the United States is a bad idea…
- I also had a small problem with my water heater, but that was resolved
- I visited the Winkleman’s house with Sarah (they are working at the Concordia International School set to open here in Hanoi next semester). We met their new kitten and got to watch Megamind. Which is hilarious.
- Went to HIC (Hanoi International Church) on Sunday. Afterwards, Sarah and I hung out with some of her students from last year.
- I’ve had a few moments when I have been overwhelmed, but I haven’t frozen anytime it was important
- Started teaching and I like it a lot. My students are much more respectful than the grade school student in the U.S. Some of that comes from the culture and some from the age difference.
- I’ve explored some on my own. I know where to find basic things I will need: shampoo, conditioner, toilet paper, toothpaste, water close to my house. I haven’t gone too far way from home because my sense of direction is terrible, and exploring by yourself isn’t very much fun.
- My two biggest problems right now (besides not understanding what people are saying) are feeding myself – I can’t cook, I can’t speak or read the language (makes ordering food kind of difficult) and I hate eating by myself – and getting myself around. I am fairly confident about getting myself to certain places, but I am worried about being able to get home again. One step at a time, though. Confidence will come with time. I just need to be willing to make mistakes.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Adjusting
Thursday morning, I woke up to rain. I wasn't very happy about that because I forgot to bring an umbrella nor did I have extra socks to change into if my feet got wet. Fortunately the rain stopped before Sarah and I left for Bách Khoa (the school where I will be working).
When we reached school, we met with the other English teachers. I met my school Supervisor, Kim Chi, and got the book and CDs I will be using to teach. At this point I will be teaching 7 classes during the week, but Kim Chi said there might still be a change. Hopefully they will switch the time of my 6:45 a.m. class...
We went to lunch with the English faculty. We had a dish call Hot Pot. It consists of a pot of broth over a flame and they bring out vegetables, noodles and meat that are added to the broth to cook.
I have enjoyed the Vietnamese way of eating. I have successfully used my chopsticks during every meal when they have been required. When eating with a group in Vietnam, everyone is given their own bowl and a variety of different dishes are brought out for everyone to share. Then each person can take what s/he likes and put it in their own bowl. To eat, one holds the bowl in one hand and uses chopsticks with the other. It is a very convenient way of eating because their is less chance of making a mess. One thing that surprised me was that if your bowl is empty, anyone at the table may put something into it. Coming from a mostly German tradition, this bothered me at first because I am accustomed to finishing what I have on my plate and not taking more food than I can eat so that it doesn't go to waste. I did finally catch on to the difference (after J.P. explained it) and I am trying to remember to leave a small bit of food in my bowl when I am full.
After lunch, J.P., Sarah and I visited the new Concordia International School that is opening in Hanoi. It is a big deal, and I will give more details about it in a later blog post.
After our tour, J.P. and I left to buy me a motorbike helmet and then we met Sarah at his house where we had dinner and then moved me into own room! It is super nice and I hope to post pictures soon.
Until then, Peace and Blessings. - Hanna
When we reached school, we met with the other English teachers. I met my school Supervisor, Kim Chi, and got the book and CDs I will be using to teach. At this point I will be teaching 7 classes during the week, but Kim Chi said there might still be a change. Hopefully they will switch the time of my 6:45 a.m. class...
We went to lunch with the English faculty. We had a dish call Hot Pot. It consists of a pot of broth over a flame and they bring out vegetables, noodles and meat that are added to the broth to cook.
I have enjoyed the Vietnamese way of eating. I have successfully used my chopsticks during every meal when they have been required. When eating with a group in Vietnam, everyone is given their own bowl and a variety of different dishes are brought out for everyone to share. Then each person can take what s/he likes and put it in their own bowl. To eat, one holds the bowl in one hand and uses chopsticks with the other. It is a very convenient way of eating because their is less chance of making a mess. One thing that surprised me was that if your bowl is empty, anyone at the table may put something into it. Coming from a mostly German tradition, this bothered me at first because I am accustomed to finishing what I have on my plate and not taking more food than I can eat so that it doesn't go to waste. I did finally catch on to the difference (after J.P. explained it) and I am trying to remember to leave a small bit of food in my bowl when I am full.
After lunch, J.P., Sarah and I visited the new Concordia International School that is opening in Hanoi. It is a big deal, and I will give more details about it in a later blog post.
After our tour, J.P. and I left to buy me a motorbike helmet and then we met Sarah at his house where we had dinner and then moved me into own room! It is super nice and I hope to post pictures soon.
Until then, Peace and Blessings. - Hanna
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Day 1
Day 1 in Hanoi was excellent. Even though I didn't arrive at Sarah's (the other GEO volunteer with whom I am working) until 1 a.m., I still had a little trouble sleeping due to jetlag. I did catch a few hours, though most of the time I lay there trying not to be too freaked out about being in a foreign country for the next 6 months.
I didn't need to be too worried. After Sarah got up, we went for a walk to the campus where I will be teaching. She showed me our office and I met a few students. We made plans to visit the peach tree gardens (I think) on Sunday with a few of them.
After that we met up with J.P. and went to the NIN (National Institute of Nutrition) where LCMS WM has an office. We went out to lunch for my first taste of real Vietnamese food. My mind is now at rest about whether or not I like the food. I love it! My new concern will be about how much weight I will gain...
After lunch, I could feel my jetlag tiredness beginning to set in. To counteract it, J.P., Sarah and I went (by motorbike! Also a new favorite thing) to the old quarter of the city to walk around. It is the touristy area, but I haven't seen the "tourist-y" things of Asia yet, so it was all new. The highlight was definitely finding the DVD and CD store. I got the complete Stargate SG-1 and Scrubs series (18 seasons total) for approx. $31. (The exchange rate is about 20,000 dong to a dollar. I am a millionaire here, but then so are a lot people.)
We left for J.P.'s house shortly after buying our DVDs. We went on motorbikes (less fun during rush hour), and I met J.P.'s daughters Celeste and Bella. Sarah and I went to dinner at Ted and Jacqueline's house. I was really beginning to feel the jet lag then so I don't remember much except that dinner tasted really good. We headed back to Sarah's room after that.
Today, we have meetings and lunch with the teachers at school in the morning, something in the afternoon, dinner at the Cima's, will hopefully get my luggage, and then I move to my own room!
Thank you to all who have been praying for my adjustment here in Hanoi. I continue to need them, especially as I begin to navigate the city, learning the bus routes etc. I also start class on Monday so please pray that it goes smoothly.
Peace, Hanna Faith
I didn't need to be too worried. After Sarah got up, we went for a walk to the campus where I will be teaching. She showed me our office and I met a few students. We made plans to visit the peach tree gardens (I think) on Sunday with a few of them.
After that we met up with J.P. and went to the NIN (National Institute of Nutrition) where LCMS WM has an office. We went out to lunch for my first taste of real Vietnamese food. My mind is now at rest about whether or not I like the food. I love it! My new concern will be about how much weight I will gain...
After lunch, I could feel my jetlag tiredness beginning to set in. To counteract it, J.P., Sarah and I went (by motorbike! Also a new favorite thing) to the old quarter of the city to walk around. It is the touristy area, but I haven't seen the "tourist-y" things of Asia yet, so it was all new. The highlight was definitely finding the DVD and CD store. I got the complete Stargate SG-1 and Scrubs series (18 seasons total) for approx. $31. (The exchange rate is about 20,000 dong to a dollar. I am a millionaire here, but then so are a lot people.)
We left for J.P.'s house shortly after buying our DVDs. We went on motorbikes (less fun during rush hour), and I met J.P.'s daughters Celeste and Bella. Sarah and I went to dinner at Ted and Jacqueline's house. I was really beginning to feel the jet lag then so I don't remember much except that dinner tasted really good. We headed back to Sarah's room after that.
Today, we have meetings and lunch with the teachers at school in the morning, something in the afternoon, dinner at the Cima's, will hopefully get my luggage, and then I move to my own room!
Thank you to all who have been praying for my adjustment here in Hanoi. I continue to need them, especially as I begin to navigate the city, learning the bus routes etc. I also start class on Monday so please pray that it goes smoothly.
Peace, Hanna Faith
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
In Hanoi
I am safely in Hanoi! My luggage is soon to follow. I barely made the plane to Seoul after my delay in Chicago, and unfortunately my suitcases were not as successful as I was.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Travel Update
After a delay of just under an hour, Hanna's flight left St. Louis at 9:04 this morning. In a few minutes she will change airlines in Chicago and fly to Seoul, then on to Hanoi. After twenty-four hours of travel and thirteen hours time difference, she is scheduled to arrive in Hanoi Tuesday at 10:20 p.m.
Update: Korean Air Line shows Hanna's plane safely on the ground at Hanoi as of 10:01 Tuesday morning (11:01 p.m. her time).
Update: Korean Air Line shows Hanna's plane safely on the ground at Hanoi as of 10:01 Tuesday morning (11:01 p.m. her time).
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Thanks
Thanks to everyone who was able to come out to Santacruz last night. It was good to see everyone!
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Sledding
It's been snowing in JC for the past few days. I went sledding last night after Tower (the weekly Worship service at Concord Baptist). It was super cold. It made me really glad I wasn't one of these guys.
Also, I will be sending out my newsletter really soon (like in the next half hour). Send an email to hannainhanoi@gmail.com with ADD in the subject line if you would like to be on the list.
Also, I will be sending out my newsletter really soon (like in the next half hour). Send an email to hannainhanoi@gmail.com with ADD in the subject line if you would like to be on the list.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Saying Farewell
Who: YOU
What: Send-off Party
Where: Santacruz Mexican Restaurant
When: Friday, January 14 from 5-8 p.m.
Be there or be square.
What: Send-off Party
Where: Santacruz Mexican Restaurant
When: Friday, January 14 from 5-8 p.m.
Be there or be square.
Monday, January 10, 2011
What is Cold?
For the past few days, I have been thinking about packing. (I haven’t actually started yet, but I am working towards it.) J.P. (my supervisor), Aimee (his wife), and Sarah (the other LCMS WM GEO) have all suggested I pack layers because it get cold over there during the winter. The lowest it gets is 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit, and since I have grown up in mid-Missouri and spent the last 4 years in Kirksville that sounds like a heat wave to me. I was a little confused about why J.P., Aimee, and especially Sarah (who is from Iowa and therefore I assume has some knowledge of what cold actually is) would be calling 40-50̊ cold. Then they told me houses aren’t usually heated due to high cost.
It all makes sense now. I’ll be taking a few sweaters.
It all makes sense now. I’ll be taking a few sweaters.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
January 8, 2011
So I have been spending the last few days seeing people here in the States that I won't be around for a while.
New Year's Day, I drove up to Kansas City with Jordan so she and I and my roommate Katy could drive to Lincoln for Nate and Alison's wedding. It was an awesome wedding and I was glad for the chance to see a few my friends from LSF before I go.
This Friday I had people over for a movie night. I finally saw Shaun of the Dead. Hilarious and especially good when immediately followed by Hot Fuzz.
This weekend, Laura Beth and Becky are in town visiting Leah and me. We went to Fuji Steakhouse at the mall, which is delicious! Definitely try the Jeff City Sushi Rolls if you ever go. I practiced using chopsticks. Hopefully I will be more successful the next time I go...
New Year's Day, I drove up to Kansas City with Jordan so she and I and my roommate Katy could drive to Lincoln for Nate and Alison's wedding. It was an awesome wedding and I was glad for the chance to see a few my friends from LSF before I go.
This Friday I had people over for a movie night. I finally saw Shaun of the Dead. Hilarious and especially good when immediately followed by Hot Fuzz.
This weekend, Laura Beth and Becky are in town visiting Leah and me. We went to Fuji Steakhouse at the mall, which is delicious! Definitely try the Jeff City Sushi Rolls if you ever go. I practiced using chopsticks. Hopefully I will be more successful the next time I go...
Friday, January 7, 2011
Good News!
My visa is in and my flight is being booked. I head out for Hanoi on Monday, January 17!
Thanks to everyone who Helped Send Hanna to Hanoi!
Thanks to everyone who Helped Send Hanna to Hanoi!
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