November Life!

We find ourselves in our routines this month–no big trips, and a lot of daily activities that keep us busy. Shannon preps his online classes and grades, Scout manages her school work, and I have been delivering workshops and teaching at SEAMEO. Still, we started the month with a 3-day trip to the local Vung Tao seaside and mid-month, we spent 5 days on the beautiful island of Phu Quoc!

Vung Thau is a quick weekend get-a-way for the locals in Saigon. We took the 2 hour fast ferry with our friend Helena and arrived to the seaport in the early afternoon. We stayed at Léman Cap Resort and enjoyed swimming in one of the 3 greatest pools we have experienced. We walked through the town, ate fresh seafood, and had many wonderful talks with Helena.

Scout had a few days off from school mid-month, so we booked ourselves into the Mango Bay Resort on Vietnam’s famous Phu Quac island. We stayed in thatched roof bungalows that used fans for cooling and outdoor showers and toilets. The ocean was calm and warm and the beach private. A few other ISHCMC families were also at the resort. Scout made friends with Danish 4 year old Maya; we each had a few great massages; and we found eating at the resort restaurant was likely the best dining experience around. The surrounding towns were quite dirty and non-visitor friendly, but we have heard that the VN government wants to turn this island into the Singapore of Vietnam. Hopefully, Mango Bay will not lose its charm.

Non-work life: I wake most mornings around 6:30. While Shannon runs every other day at this time, I get Scout up and ready for school. At 8am, she takes a school van for a 10-15 minute ride and I bike away to my 8:30 water fitness class. These biking, boxing, and circuit training classes have been essential for my spirit and health. Great instructors, friendly participants, and I can push myself more than I have in years. I joined mid-September and rarely miss a week-day workout. I weighed myself for the first time since August and discovered that I have lost 13 lbs!

Work Routine: On Tuesdays and Wednesdays and some Thursdays, I take a taxi to SEAMEO in District 1 about 11:00. I work in my office until I teach. On Tuesdays I tutor and then teach an adult general English communication class until 8:30 pm. On Wednesdays, I teach a business English class for social entrepreneurs for the American Consulate. Some Thursdays I run a workshop for the SEAMEO staff. Every other weekend during the afternoons, I substitute teach, train teachers, and facilitate the English Speaking Club. Both Scout and Shannon remind me that I am on a sabbatical and am working too much. I plan to reduce my work schedule starting in January to exclude tutoring and the ESC. My Tuesday night class will be done, so that leaves me with just one class and trainings/workshops. (Wish me luck!)

I have not been reading as much as I would like to. I did finish And Then They Killed My Father, a memoir of a child about the Cambodian Khmer Rouge life. I also completed A Short Ride in the Jungle, by a British woman who rode her cycle down the Ho Chi Min Trail. I am currently reading Bulgakov’s 1930’s The Master and the Margarita. Shannon has discovered at Scout’s school library the Everyman’s Library collection–he is working his way through the books, and as usual, I tend to pick up some of his favorite reads myself.

Friends: I have three worlds of friends here in Vietnam.

1. SEAMEO: Slowly, I get to know different groups of staff. First, I have enjoyed time with the professional staff, especially Linh. She coordinates the English Speaking Club and tutoring. She has taken me to lunch, helped me look for size 40 shoes, and helped me navigate some of the political relationships at SEAMEO. The upper administration sees me as their “equal.” They make sure that I am seated with them at the head table for each event, and have given me an office, even though I am at SEAMEO only 12 hours per week. (I work more hours from home.) It is taking longer to get to know the teachers. Most “foreign” teachers are Brits and Australians. There are a few Americans. Most are men….who are finding themselves Vietnamese young wives. I am an oddball amidst these crusty guys, but they seem to be accepting that I am not placing myself in some hierarchy above them.
2. WaterFit+: The people are so friendly and welcoming! Anupa is a 47 year old Indian Brit–raised in London, and 20 years now in Saigon. She owns the boutique across the street from WaterFit+. She is a delight in my day. She shares stories about her 4 year son Sasha and how ex-pat business works in VN. Northeast Londoner Marina Kenyon is a primatologist for Cat Tien National Park. She is also a friend with Anupa. She has an inner brightness, always smiling, and is genuinely kind and open to the world. And then there is the delightful couple Frederik and Irbana. He is a 52 year old Austrian and she a 40?something Siberian Russian. They decided to stop living to work and instead experience more life together with their toddler.
3. Riverside Palace: We had the best Thanksgiving dinner Saturday with the only other tenants in this villa–the Sumrows. They are from Texas and Minnesota, but have lived many years in South Africa and Sweden. They have 14 year old Emma and 12 year old Gabe and their dog Milo and a cat. Although we don’t hang out with the Sumrows, we communicate often, help each other out, and Shannon and Kyle watch weekly Vikings games. We also are developing relationships with the staff and owners of this villa. Our favorite security man, Phuc, suddenly was sick and we have now not seen him for a few weeks. Mr. Doi is another security guard. He pushes me to say more than “I go swim” and “I go work.” Vui and Thuy clean the apartments and grounds. Thuy’s aunt cooks for the villa staff. Mr. My is the grounds person. Weekly, we all share evening treats and encourage each other language communication. The owners, who live in the upper 2 floors, are extremely wealthy. 60 year old Mr. Minh is the CEO of a multi-media television company and his 32 year old wife is a past super model. They have 3 young children. We see them most every day, but they keep their distance.

This is, again, a too long blog. Many things I have not shared–like the pre-teen girl drama of Scout’s 6th grade class, nor my 5 week coughing brought on likely by pollution. We try to stay informed of Alaskan and US politics, but so much more enjoy seeing Sadie Bjornsen getting 3rd place in the classic skate sprint at the first World Cup race in Finland!

I will blog next once we return from our Thailand Winter 2-week Holiday. Until then, Happy Winter Solstice!