August 31, 2010 My Facebook here in Hanoi is weird and I cannot upload photos so that will happen here instead!!! So here are some pictures of my adventures so far in Hanoi...
The view from my 3rd story room...
The house they are building directly across the street....VERY loudly and VERY early in the morning!!
A nasty traffic jam I watched the police unsnarl. This is what happens when people ignore traffic signals!
I can't remember the name of this, but it is essentially meat rolled up in very thin noodles called pho.
Fried pho noodles with beef, greens, and onions....sooo delicious!!!
"famous" Hanoi ice cream...lime flavored so i didnt finish mine....
This is what i look like when riding a motorbike...see Mom & Dad, I'm being SAFE!!!
Of course, safe is relative....i took this WHILE we are driving...Thoa should've been looking at the road i think...
Jeremy and Oanh on her motorbike...
At Hoan Keim Lake....it was beautiful but HOT!!!
a bakery that is 'famous' for its bread
Traffic on the way to Hoan Keim Lake
Thoa, me, and Oanh at Hoan Keim Lake
September 2nd is Independence Day here....65 years!!!!
I'll post some more photos later....let me know if you like them!!!!
August 21, 2010 – I have been in Vietnam for 1 week now. Every other day I think I am used to the heat and then the next day is the hottest yet! First things first: yes, it is hot (check out HOW hot on weather.com); no, I do not have air conditioning; yes, there are other English-speakers here; no, they do not live with me (except Jeremy of course). To be perfectly honest, life here is very different from anything I have ever experienced and nothing like what I had imagined.
I am teaching English to children who attend the music school of the lady whom I live with. I will also be helping two lovely Vietnamese women with the English they already know (basically pronunciation and extra vocabulary). I am also learning Vietnamese two mornings a week. My world revolves around language and food!
Food here is fantastic. I have really liked everything I have tried so far, even the fruits. I am learning how to order food and pay for things here. Money here is very different – the exchange rate is about 19,000 dong to 1 USD, which means Leigh has a lot of money in her wallet (or at least it looks like it!).
I was very excited to see a supermarket the other day. I had resigned myself to having to buy everything from an outdoor market or a very, very small store, but God loves me and brought ‘Big C’ to Hanoi!
I have not yet taken the bus anywhere, but I know where the stop is, I have a map, I know which bus brings me back home, and I know that the bus only costs me 3,000 dong for each ride (do the math using the conversion rate above).
I have taken taxis and motorbikes everywhere I’ve gone here. Taxis are hard for me to take, only because the drivers don’t speak English so we have our friend call the taxi for us, we go wait for it near our house, then once we are in the taxi we call our friend back and have her tell the taxi where to go. Clearly, it’s not a perfect plan….
Motorbikes are the fastest and cheapest way to get around here. Cars are really expensive so all the normal people drive motorbikes and scooters. It makes for some pretty insane traffic, especially when combined with a distinct lack of traffic lights at many intersections, vehicles going the wrong way, and vehicles stopped on the side of narrow streets. The mix of bicycles, motorbikes, cars, and trucks on the road is scary, but it is something I’m starting to get used to. I have my own helmet and face mask (to prevent me from breathing in all the exhaust hanging in the air). I will try to post some pictures soon. To be blunt, I just haven’t taken that many…
PRAY – for my continued health, both physically and emotionally; for wisdom and insight into my work here; for me to develop relationships with V-ese believers; and for me to recognize God-appointed encounters.
I love you all so much! Thank you for all your support. It is really being put to work here in V-Nam.
