A new group email… A new outlook.
Hey everyone,
I’m in bed, in a clean bedroom at half past ten for the first time in… too long. And look, my theory that the state of my bedroom directly reflects my life is proved right, I’m already ticking off my to do list at a rate of knots…
I’ve just read over some of my recent blogs. It’s great to read about everything that’s been happening here. What I love most though is getting anything, even a word from you guys. I know it doesn’t take much effort to publish a note to hundreds of people, I know some of you better than others… I just hope to hear from people I haven’t heard from in a while. It’s such a pleasure when you so far from familiar things and people.
Saying that, things are becoming familiar here - which is inevitable. I’m nearly at my six month point, over half way through my time here. It’s very hard for me to believe. I just keeping getting more comfortable here, every week seems to bring so much; temptations, challenge, excitement, frustration, boredom, fatigue… a lot of fatigue. I had a moment just the other day on my bike, it was the flash of a memory of being in a strange city, that seemed never ending and unknowable. I realized after holding it in my mind wondering where it had happened that it was here, only months ago. The city seems so small to me now, so many of its corners explored and so many streets a day to day part of my life.
One thing that has characterized my life post Philippines holiday is a kind of procrastination that I think has been a by product of me learning to relax a little. It’s meant I have put so many things off and fallen out of touch with too many friends. A mistake I intend to rectify now my room is clean. . Learning to relax a little on holiday was no bad thing though. Many people thought it was strange for me to say that I was beginning to feel the start of an adventurous spirit. I was just getting this great release from being on holiday, especially with my friend. His great spirit is more than catching especially traveling round such a cool country as the Philippines. As predicted that feeling has stuck with me.
– I’d like to interrupt here to give a shout out (if that’s appropriate in a ‘note’) to my friend Rob who I went to the Phillis with. He’s been a big influence on me in my time here. He has helped me to live in the moment and enjoy the excitement, thrill and ‘comedy’ of this crazy life. He’s leaving soon and I’m really going to miss him –
Taking up where I left on the Philippine holiday story with one eye on the clock whilst trying to remind myself people have better things than to read other people’s extended diaries. I had just told you about the drunk, karaoke filled ferry ride and I was exhaustedly tapping on the keys of an internet café in a dusty port waiting to get to the island we intended to spend the rest of our holiday. Well, that did prove more difficult than imagined. We emerged from the café to find that a ferry would not cross the frustratingly small stretch of water. Much debate followed and a diverse crowd of tourists gathered becoming increasingly intent on, somehow, getting across to the island. All this was much to the amusement of the locals who had already set up camp and were ready to see through the night on the plastic chairs of the waiting room or the no more comfortable chairs of the broken static ferry. To cut a very long story short, we found ourselves in someone’s back garden and clambering onto a small boat, handing over cash to a guy who even in retrospect had an unnecessary shadiness about his character. It was a real moment looking round the boat at the Swedish, Japanese, Chinese… Once on the island safely it was a case of drinking and relaxing and just enjoying the island as much as possible (despite the rain). Much dancing with the shy and giggling bar girls that populated all the bars there and a ride around the island that entailed another Karaoke pit stop much to the pleasure of the crowd of onlookers that crowded around the gates of the crappy little café it was in. Too many memories to remember and all this in just over one week.
Hmm… Its really getting late now, I’ve got to go sleep. I’ve kinda written this whole thing backwards finishing just about where the last one left off. Oh well, I think it gives you an idea of where my head is at. I can see that a change is coming, yet another out look. A new influence in my life, moving me towards friendship and all that can come when people get to know each other really well. Saigon continues to excite and challenge, but all that it brings me only deepens my appreciation of what I already had when I got here: friends and family – the most precious things in the world. I will get back on top of things and reply to backlogged face book messages and emails. Sorry guys. Here’s to appreciating each other and cheesy group email sign offs!! Hooray!
James.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Hey everyone.
Hey everyone. I’ve been meaning to sit down and share what’s happened in my world with those who are interested, and its good for me too (I don’t want to forget these things).
Right now I’m in a dead poor and dusty port on the Island of Cebu in the Philippines. I’m on holiday away from Vietnam for the longest time so far and I’m having a great time. To be honest I’m feeling bit flat right now. I’m really tired, but I’ll explain why in a mo.
The rest of Christmas day was a really odd day. Maybe the strangest since I’ve been in Vietnam. I just was really missing home to be honest. It started off great with the ‘Happy, happy happy, Go Vap’ experience briefly wrote about. I just started to feel a little self-conscious and after a trip to the pool, found myself wondering around town not knowing what to do with myself… It picked up though as my friend Trevor came to my rescue and invited me round. I ended up dancing like a crazy fool.
It was pretty much the same story for New Years eve too. Though I missed everyone loads, I did have a lot of fun.
It’s been a good year so far. After the partying of the festive week was over, things went back to normal. I found myself really happy to be back in my routine. Something from that time stuck though. It felt like the Christmas period was just a shaky time for me because in some ways I’m trying new things here and meeting people that are making me think about my life philosophy how I think of myself and act in certain situations. He feeling I’ve felt since this time, has been a kind of carefree-ness or the begins of an adventurous spirit. I’ve felt much more of an urge to get out there meet people and take life head on.
Is tough to explain, but its exciting and interesting too. There are ups and downs, but I definitely feel I was just working something out over Christmas, and I feel a little freer. Maybe I let some ideas I had about myself go, maybe a sense of being overly worried about other people’s feelings and fearful of situations has been lifted.
It’s just meant that I’ve been happier. I’m still enjoying my paid and voluntary classes. I was blown away when I went to one of my free classes last and they had remembered so much. They’re like little sponges!!
I spent Chinese New Year with my Vietnamese family which was really interesting. It was a bit of a gamble as I was passing up the chance to spend that week in the Philippines. It turned out to be a good party. They just drank and drank and drank!! And on top of that, the street outside our house turned into an illegal gambling den. Everyone was gambling, everywhere I looked there were cards and money. It was incessant. Everyone was involved eighty year old grandma passing down notes to her 13 year old granddaughter, heckling and shouting advice. I fluttered 50,000 dong which is a small amount. It lasted five minutes much to the hilarity of the raucously drunk men eating, drinking and chatting inside the house. I honestly thought that one of the fathers of the house was going to fall off of his chair laughing when his wife entered with a massive handful of notes, and I exclaimed in Vietnamese “oh my god, my 50,000”
So from that experience I headed off to join my buddy Rob for the second week of his holiday in the Philippines. It’s been absolutely ace. This is a beautiful country; we’ve been staying in a wicker cabin just next to the sand with the sound of the waves never too far away. Good fun too, working our way through the locally brewed rum.
And finally, last night... We were on an overnight ferry, that when we got on, already pretty drunk, felt more like a bar. Sharing drinks with locals and chatting with the people around us I ventured into the café and found to my amazement a Karaoke machine that you could put money into… I sang ‘Lady, lady, lay’ with intense drunken emotion to a beautiful girl traveling with her father… I think I might have been on my knees at one point.
So now I have to go because our ferry is here… Speak soon.
James.
Right now I’m in a dead poor and dusty port on the Island of Cebu in the Philippines. I’m on holiday away from Vietnam for the longest time so far and I’m having a great time. To be honest I’m feeling bit flat right now. I’m really tired, but I’ll explain why in a mo.
The rest of Christmas day was a really odd day. Maybe the strangest since I’ve been in Vietnam. I just was really missing home to be honest. It started off great with the ‘Happy, happy happy, Go Vap’ experience briefly wrote about. I just started to feel a little self-conscious and after a trip to the pool, found myself wondering around town not knowing what to do with myself… It picked up though as my friend Trevor came to my rescue and invited me round. I ended up dancing like a crazy fool.
It was pretty much the same story for New Years eve too. Though I missed everyone loads, I did have a lot of fun.
It’s been a good year so far. After the partying of the festive week was over, things went back to normal. I found myself really happy to be back in my routine. Something from that time stuck though. It felt like the Christmas period was just a shaky time for me because in some ways I’m trying new things here and meeting people that are making me think about my life philosophy how I think of myself and act in certain situations. He feeling I’ve felt since this time, has been a kind of carefree-ness or the begins of an adventurous spirit. I’ve felt much more of an urge to get out there meet people and take life head on.
Is tough to explain, but its exciting and interesting too. There are ups and downs, but I definitely feel I was just working something out over Christmas, and I feel a little freer. Maybe I let some ideas I had about myself go, maybe a sense of being overly worried about other people’s feelings and fearful of situations has been lifted.
It’s just meant that I’ve been happier. I’m still enjoying my paid and voluntary classes. I was blown away when I went to one of my free classes last and they had remembered so much. They’re like little sponges!!
I spent Chinese New Year with my Vietnamese family which was really interesting. It was a bit of a gamble as I was passing up the chance to spend that week in the Philippines. It turned out to be a good party. They just drank and drank and drank!! And on top of that, the street outside our house turned into an illegal gambling den. Everyone was gambling, everywhere I looked there were cards and money. It was incessant. Everyone was involved eighty year old grandma passing down notes to her 13 year old granddaughter, heckling and shouting advice. I fluttered 50,000 dong which is a small amount. It lasted five minutes much to the hilarity of the raucously drunk men eating, drinking and chatting inside the house. I honestly thought that one of the fathers of the house was going to fall off of his chair laughing when his wife entered with a massive handful of notes, and I exclaimed in Vietnamese “oh my god, my 50,000”
So from that experience I headed off to join my buddy Rob for the second week of his holiday in the Philippines. It’s been absolutely ace. This is a beautiful country; we’ve been staying in a wicker cabin just next to the sand with the sound of the waves never too far away. Good fun too, working our way through the locally brewed rum.
And finally, last night... We were on an overnight ferry, that when we got on, already pretty drunk, felt more like a bar. Sharing drinks with locals and chatting with the people around us I ventured into the café and found to my amazement a Karaoke machine that you could put money into… I sang ‘Lady, lady, lay’ with intense drunken emotion to a beautiful girl traveling with her father… I think I might have been on my knees at one point.
So now I have to go because our ferry is here… Speak soon.
James.
Merry Christmas
Hello everyone,
Merry Christmas. I hope this finds you well and happy.
I’m just sat in my living room right now. I’ve come to realize by now (twelve o’clock) that Christmas day, despite the fact that my family are catholic, and there are Christmas trees and suspiciously Asian looking Santas everywhere, is a none event. Not much of a surprise, so many of the occasions in Asian, it seems to me, just involve a lot of sitting round and erm, not a lot else.
I had also been under the impression I was attending midnight mass with them. When I returned at nine thirty last night it turned out that they had “dee royee” – gone already. So I jumped on the chance to get an early night!! Is it sad, that the prospect of going to bed at ten thirty was a genuinely pleasant prospect, even on Christmas eve. I was awaked early though by one of the mothers of the house. One arrangement I did manage to make, without any miscommunication, was to go and get a free massage with her.
It was a bizarre experience but kind of touching. It involved a twenty minute walk through the winding streets near our house, past gawping men and women sleepily sucking on noodles in various street kitchens. When we finally arrived to the ‘happy dream’ centre, that’s not a translation its actually called ‘happy dream’, she pointed to her ears and mimed approval, suggesting we were going to hear something pleasing. We stepped in to the centre which was essentially a large hall and my ideas of an at least semi tranquil massage were shattered instantly. It closely resembled a hospital waiting room, with rows of numbered chairs in the middle of the hall and what seemed like quite a crowed of shuffling elderly people in white pajamas. Surrounding them was, again, row upon row of massage tables, the ones with the moving parts in them. The ‘pleasing sounds’ turned out to be a women, in fact a string of women, constantly talking for the whole hour and a half we had to wait. Just before we were ushered on to the tables the lady roused the dosing, chatting, audience to participate in the disturbingly unenthusiastic and in English - “happy, happy, happy, Go Vap”
I was nice actually once we were lying down with the young female staff innocently fluttering around us plucking up the courage to ask if I have a girlfriend and tell me I am “dep chai” or handsome. Some spoke English quiet well and touchingly after one of them spoke to the woman from my house who I was with they said: “your mother says you are a good son”…
So now I’m back home and feeling wholly thankful for a day off. A chance to rest my body which feels physically drained. I’m heading to the pool for a sunbathe, a sleep, food, drink and a generally laid back Christmas day with my friends.
Much love from me,
James.
Merry Christmas. I hope this finds you well and happy.
I’m just sat in my living room right now. I’ve come to realize by now (twelve o’clock) that Christmas day, despite the fact that my family are catholic, and there are Christmas trees and suspiciously Asian looking Santas everywhere, is a none event. Not much of a surprise, so many of the occasions in Asian, it seems to me, just involve a lot of sitting round and erm, not a lot else.
I had also been under the impression I was attending midnight mass with them. When I returned at nine thirty last night it turned out that they had “dee royee” – gone already. So I jumped on the chance to get an early night!! Is it sad, that the prospect of going to bed at ten thirty was a genuinely pleasant prospect, even on Christmas eve. I was awaked early though by one of the mothers of the house. One arrangement I did manage to make, without any miscommunication, was to go and get a free massage with her.
It was a bizarre experience but kind of touching. It involved a twenty minute walk through the winding streets near our house, past gawping men and women sleepily sucking on noodles in various street kitchens. When we finally arrived to the ‘happy dream’ centre, that’s not a translation its actually called ‘happy dream’, she pointed to her ears and mimed approval, suggesting we were going to hear something pleasing. We stepped in to the centre which was essentially a large hall and my ideas of an at least semi tranquil massage were shattered instantly. It closely resembled a hospital waiting room, with rows of numbered chairs in the middle of the hall and what seemed like quite a crowed of shuffling elderly people in white pajamas. Surrounding them was, again, row upon row of massage tables, the ones with the moving parts in them. The ‘pleasing sounds’ turned out to be a women, in fact a string of women, constantly talking for the whole hour and a half we had to wait. Just before we were ushered on to the tables the lady roused the dosing, chatting, audience to participate in the disturbingly unenthusiastic and in English - “happy, happy, happy, Go Vap”
I was nice actually once we were lying down with the young female staff innocently fluttering around us plucking up the courage to ask if I have a girlfriend and tell me I am “dep chai” or handsome. Some spoke English quiet well and touchingly after one of them spoke to the woman from my house who I was with they said: “your mother says you are a good son”…
So now I’m back home and feeling wholly thankful for a day off. A chance to rest my body which feels physically drained. I’m heading to the pool for a sunbathe, a sleep, food, drink and a generally laid back Christmas day with my friends.
Much love from me,
James.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
5 reasons why I love Vietnam
Hey guys,
Hope everyone is well. I’ve been thinking about what I’ve written up here about my times so far. I’ve made such a big deal of how busy I am and how it can get lonely and I’ve spoke about how I miss people too. All of it was true, and still is, it’s just that I’ve held back from talking about the more positive side of things here. I guess because I’m thinking about all the people I’ve left behind and I want them to know that I’m thinking of them. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I really want to express here, now, just how much I love it here.
So I’ve decided to do a top five (in no particular order) of why I’m really starting to like the way things are working our here.
1. My Vietnamese Family and Home
Its crazy to think back to how I ended up in this house. I litteraly got a bus to an erea out of town near the airport because I heard it wasn’t as rich as central Saigon and was pretty wild. I got off the bus when I felt that I must have got into the Go Vap district (where I live now) and sat down at the nearest drink stall. That’s where I met Kim, who subsequently spent days looking for a place for me when I said I wanted to live away from town.
Now, like I said, I’m pretty settled in the house. I still wish I could interact with the people who live there more but the language barrier is huge, and will just take time to get over. One of my favorite times of the day is when I’m up early enough for breakfast. The mother of the house has a long table she sets out in the alley way in front of the house and sells Pho a kind of noodle soup eaten religiously here. There’s such a cool atmosphere, people coming and going the chattering of families eating at the table motorbikes squeezing past, babies, children, old people.
2. Ba Kim
It seems appropriate to move on to a lady who seems to have become my Vietnamese mother. Just like my real mother she constantly reminds me not to do too much. Tells me I look tired, tells me I should get lots of sleep and tells me I’m crazy when I sleep in. It really is the oddest relationship I have with her, but she really looks after me and I remind myself that I wouldn’t be living where I am if it wasn’t for her.
She’s probably the closest to a Vietnamese friend that I have. She’s got some amazing stories to tell about her love affair with an American soldier, the times she would sing to them and they would applaud her, the days around the defeat of the Americans and the painful transition to communist rule. She’s a classic character.
She’s obsessed with the Buddha statue I have, she’s always horrified about something or other concerning it. Fist my feet faced the Buddha, so I had to change my bed around, then she turned up with a bag full of regalia to construct a shrine. Now my Buddha statue hides behind a mass of fruit, a bunch of flowers, a glass of water, a stand for my incense and a candle holder. She even went as far as to suggest because I live in a house with Catholics I must open the window when I meditate (the assumption being the Buddha can’t walk up the steps as he would in a Buddhist household.)
3. Voluntary Work
My work at the Green Bamboo shelter (a place for boys to live and eat if their parents are hard up or they are on the streets) has been going really well. I started off with just a few boys then I had a lesson when things just fell apart. After about 5 weeks of going now I have the children sat down and they all go crazy at the opportunity of writing on the board or answering a question. They are dead violent one boy had a bloody nose when I went a couple of weeks ago. I love it when on of them falls out with me because I tell them off and by the end of the class they have come round. They are really affectionate and always want to hug and/or beat me up.
I’ve established second class teaching children in a really poor district about 15 minutes from my house and a third teaching their social workers. The social workers are really sweet and appreciative and the children are pretty disciplined but some are in a pretty rough state.
4. Paid work
My paid work is going well too. I’m enjoying all my classes really have some super sweet children. I couldn’t explain how cute some of these kids are. They are very different to the children I teach in my voluntary capacity. They are super bright and it’s really a matter of doing them justice, having fun and pushing them to learn more and use more language. After the weekend (I teach 16 Saturday and Sunday) I feel like an English language machine and the quality of lesson is not the best but I don’t find it too difficult.
5. Friends
Through my work I’ve met some really great people. I’m very lucky that I’m in a small branch of my school (It has about 5, one of which has over 100 teachers) that only has about 15 teachers. I’m going to the island nation of the Philippines in January for some drunken madness with Rob and just came back form a 2 day relax at the beach with 8 female colleagues. We had such a good time!
Well I’m going to go now. I have my Vietnamese class in about 50 minutes and I’ve got to revise some of the words and phrases I learnt last lesson.
I do miss you all and Its not all easy here. Please come and visit me, I’d love to show you the madness that is my life in Asia!!
James.
Hope everyone is well. I’ve been thinking about what I’ve written up here about my times so far. I’ve made such a big deal of how busy I am and how it can get lonely and I’ve spoke about how I miss people too. All of it was true, and still is, it’s just that I’ve held back from talking about the more positive side of things here. I guess because I’m thinking about all the people I’ve left behind and I want them to know that I’m thinking of them. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I really want to express here, now, just how much I love it here.
So I’ve decided to do a top five (in no particular order) of why I’m really starting to like the way things are working our here.
1. My Vietnamese Family and Home
Its crazy to think back to how I ended up in this house. I litteraly got a bus to an erea out of town near the airport because I heard it wasn’t as rich as central Saigon and was pretty wild. I got off the bus when I felt that I must have got into the Go Vap district (where I live now) and sat down at the nearest drink stall. That’s where I met Kim, who subsequently spent days looking for a place for me when I said I wanted to live away from town.
Now, like I said, I’m pretty settled in the house. I still wish I could interact with the people who live there more but the language barrier is huge, and will just take time to get over. One of my favorite times of the day is when I’m up early enough for breakfast. The mother of the house has a long table she sets out in the alley way in front of the house and sells Pho a kind of noodle soup eaten religiously here. There’s such a cool atmosphere, people coming and going the chattering of families eating at the table motorbikes squeezing past, babies, children, old people.
2. Ba Kim
It seems appropriate to move on to a lady who seems to have become my Vietnamese mother. Just like my real mother she constantly reminds me not to do too much. Tells me I look tired, tells me I should get lots of sleep and tells me I’m crazy when I sleep in. It really is the oddest relationship I have with her, but she really looks after me and I remind myself that I wouldn’t be living where I am if it wasn’t for her.
She’s probably the closest to a Vietnamese friend that I have. She’s got some amazing stories to tell about her love affair with an American soldier, the times she would sing to them and they would applaud her, the days around the defeat of the Americans and the painful transition to communist rule. She’s a classic character.
She’s obsessed with the Buddha statue I have, she’s always horrified about something or other concerning it. Fist my feet faced the Buddha, so I had to change my bed around, then she turned up with a bag full of regalia to construct a shrine. Now my Buddha statue hides behind a mass of fruit, a bunch of flowers, a glass of water, a stand for my incense and a candle holder. She even went as far as to suggest because I live in a house with Catholics I must open the window when I meditate (the assumption being the Buddha can’t walk up the steps as he would in a Buddhist household.)
3. Voluntary Work
My work at the Green Bamboo shelter (a place for boys to live and eat if their parents are hard up or they are on the streets) has been going really well. I started off with just a few boys then I had a lesson when things just fell apart. After about 5 weeks of going now I have the children sat down and they all go crazy at the opportunity of writing on the board or answering a question. They are dead violent one boy had a bloody nose when I went a couple of weeks ago. I love it when on of them falls out with me because I tell them off and by the end of the class they have come round. They are really affectionate and always want to hug and/or beat me up.
I’ve established second class teaching children in a really poor district about 15 minutes from my house and a third teaching their social workers. The social workers are really sweet and appreciative and the children are pretty disciplined but some are in a pretty rough state.
4. Paid work
My paid work is going well too. I’m enjoying all my classes really have some super sweet children. I couldn’t explain how cute some of these kids are. They are very different to the children I teach in my voluntary capacity. They are super bright and it’s really a matter of doing them justice, having fun and pushing them to learn more and use more language. After the weekend (I teach 16 Saturday and Sunday) I feel like an English language machine and the quality of lesson is not the best but I don’t find it too difficult.
5. Friends
Through my work I’ve met some really great people. I’m very lucky that I’m in a small branch of my school (It has about 5, one of which has over 100 teachers) that only has about 15 teachers. I’m going to the island nation of the Philippines in January for some drunken madness with Rob and just came back form a 2 day relax at the beach with 8 female colleagues. We had such a good time!
Well I’m going to go now. I have my Vietnamese class in about 50 minutes and I’ve got to revise some of the words and phrases I learnt last lesson.
I do miss you all and Its not all easy here. Please come and visit me, I’d love to show you the madness that is my life in Asia!!
James.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Finally a new post.
Finally a new post.
Hi guys last night, I cleaned my room. Sat down and called my parents briefly and felt I had yet another moment to catch my breath. Just like the last time I had this rare opportunity I thought… I must tell people how things are going with me.
The answer is mixed to be honest. As I’ve just implied I’ve been really busy since I last updated. Or at least that’s how it feels. I guess a better way of putting it is that I’ve just been tired. Somehow when you feel tired you just can’t seem to tidy your room, email people, read books, and learn a language… It’s just much harder to be motivated.
Last night I finished at twenty past seven in the evening for the first time since I’ve worked at I.L.A. (I used to work 3 nights a week until ten o’clock.). This is going to be the new norm for the time being and I’m so happy I’m going to be teaching less. I feel that a new era is coming here for me. The first month was spent staying afloat my second I’ve just worked way too much and now I’m so set on making me third all about getting regular Vietnamese teaching and teaching less fortunate children…
I’ve been in touch with various organizations trying to make this happen. I’ve heard back from one that wants to me to teach the staff of one organization. I just need to stay focused. That means having to turn down opportunities to meet people and have fun. Which is tough, but what can you expect… it really only the most minor inconvenience if it means you have more energy and concentration to help someone who sleeps in a dorm with lots of other kids and sees his parents rarely if at all. I’ve really got to put my money where my mouth is, I’m starting to get sick of the sound of me talking about this side of my teaching. I just need to make it happen. Keep emailing and visiting orphanages and other organizations functioning in this city. There are plenty of them.
I’ve settled in with my family well. I can’t wait to get snapping on my camera and uploading some pictures of them. They are just so cool when they hand out with each other. There’s something so fascination about being in the middle o a culture where family and community are intertwined and central to people’s lives. It reminds me lots of the big shared house which I lived in just prior to coming out here. They way that they lie on each other, play fight with each other, massage each other etc… It’s really special spending time in their lounge. It just seems with the Vietnamese that there’s a strong reserved current to their personality… probably forged by a history of oppression, both moderate and violent and a sense of control that seems to be highly respected here. This all basically translates into a lot of really hard work for someone like me who wants to penetrate and learn about the culture here. It’s obvious that the spectrum of Vietnamese humanity is reserved for the home and the family. The home is a place where they can express themselves in a trusting and safe environment. Even though I’m there in the home, there are still so many barriers.
The main barrier being the language. I really must start to really get on with learning it. The payoff is immediate. I’ve been bargaining in Vietnamese and saving so much money.
My teaching at work had been going well. I love all my classes, Its just a matter of getting the balance of doing them justice and being a good teacher and still having time to live your life outside of school. I don’t want it to be my life; I’d prefer to keep it to a minimum to be honest.
Well, I’m going to leave it there. I’m going to make a photo diary for my next post soon… I’ll post again soon.
Hi guys last night, I cleaned my room. Sat down and called my parents briefly and felt I had yet another moment to catch my breath. Just like the last time I had this rare opportunity I thought… I must tell people how things are going with me.
The answer is mixed to be honest. As I’ve just implied I’ve been really busy since I last updated. Or at least that’s how it feels. I guess a better way of putting it is that I’ve just been tired. Somehow when you feel tired you just can’t seem to tidy your room, email people, read books, and learn a language… It’s just much harder to be motivated.
Last night I finished at twenty past seven in the evening for the first time since I’ve worked at I.L.A. (I used to work 3 nights a week until ten o’clock.). This is going to be the new norm for the time being and I’m so happy I’m going to be teaching less. I feel that a new era is coming here for me. The first month was spent staying afloat my second I’ve just worked way too much and now I’m so set on making me third all about getting regular Vietnamese teaching and teaching less fortunate children…
I’ve been in touch with various organizations trying to make this happen. I’ve heard back from one that wants to me to teach the staff of one organization. I just need to stay focused. That means having to turn down opportunities to meet people and have fun. Which is tough, but what can you expect… it really only the most minor inconvenience if it means you have more energy and concentration to help someone who sleeps in a dorm with lots of other kids and sees his parents rarely if at all. I’ve really got to put my money where my mouth is, I’m starting to get sick of the sound of me talking about this side of my teaching. I just need to make it happen. Keep emailing and visiting orphanages and other organizations functioning in this city. There are plenty of them.
I’ve settled in with my family well. I can’t wait to get snapping on my camera and uploading some pictures of them. They are just so cool when they hand out with each other. There’s something so fascination about being in the middle o a culture where family and community are intertwined and central to people’s lives. It reminds me lots of the big shared house which I lived in just prior to coming out here. They way that they lie on each other, play fight with each other, massage each other etc… It’s really special spending time in their lounge. It just seems with the Vietnamese that there’s a strong reserved current to their personality… probably forged by a history of oppression, both moderate and violent and a sense of control that seems to be highly respected here. This all basically translates into a lot of really hard work for someone like me who wants to penetrate and learn about the culture here. It’s obvious that the spectrum of Vietnamese humanity is reserved for the home and the family. The home is a place where they can express themselves in a trusting and safe environment. Even though I’m there in the home, there are still so many barriers.
The main barrier being the language. I really must start to really get on with learning it. The payoff is immediate. I’ve been bargaining in Vietnamese and saving so much money.
My teaching at work had been going well. I love all my classes, Its just a matter of getting the balance of doing them justice and being a good teacher and still having time to live your life outside of school. I don’t want it to be my life; I’d prefer to keep it to a minimum to be honest.
Well, I’m going to leave it there. I’m going to make a photo diary for my next post soon… I’ll post again soon.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Hello all
Wow,
I really cannot believe how much has happened since I last posted. It’s been amazing to hear that people are reading this; it means so much to me when you email to give me your support. Thank you. It also gives me a chance to email back individually. So please do!!
It’s hard for me to remember exactly where I left off. I think it was maybe the end of my second week. I had found it quite tough but I think I was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel as far as school work was going. I really had felt that I wasn't going to see the outside of my hotel room or work.
After a week at the hotel, I packed my bags and went in search of a cheaper alternative. I found this in the form of a guest house packed into an alleyway so narrow you could shake hands with the person stood on the balcony opposite. They elderly couple lived in the room downstairs and I lived upstairs. It was really great actually with a balcony and on suite toilet and mini shower (it came up to about my shoulders...) for a whopping 3 pounds a night, I know, I know rip off.
It was also slap bang in the middle of the backpacking area with loads of bars just a hop away. It was really quite a cool place to live.
I was there for about 2 weeks, during which time I really started to get my head around the teaching thing. The weekends are still killer, I’m in at 6:45 and out around 7:00 in the evening. I plan the morning in the first hour and the afternoon at dinner time. That’s every Saturday and Sunday. By the end of the second day it’s a real challenge to give any teaching of much quality... Though I'm going to have a weekend soon when I do a full weekend of lessons I’m happy with.
I've also struggled a little with my adult class, I can't work them out and there's not much of a connection with us. I think they're not particularly happy with my teaching. I have had to teach myself a lot of things I knew in theory from my teacher training. So I think things will improve as far as that is concerned. My last class was tighter and more focused which was nice. I've also taken on an exam preparation class which is a real challenge and means about 11 hours less free time mid week. Which is a bit of a downer though, I’ll be earning lots more money and, again, its good experience.
The people I work with are great. I'm really lucky, I’ve come to realize, because I’ve been placed in a small school. It means things are much more personal and it’s a lot easier to make friends with people. After work we'll often go for food together which is cool. The teachers have been to some cool places and there's a really nice mix of personalities. So if I want to get drunk in a bar I can hang out with those guys, or if I want to go dancing in a nightclub, there are the ones that like to do that, if I want a quiet coffee there's people to do that with too. It’s nice and I'm glad, like I said, to be in the school I am.
I finally got teaching in the shelter for boys too. It’s called the Green Bamboo Shelter and it takes in boys who have lived on the street or whose parents can't provide for. I went at three o'clock on Tuesday as planned. I thought they would be expecting me, and I think they may have been but there were two other western volunteers and a third Canadian lady who is based there at the moment. I was surprised to see them and a little disappointed feeling that there really was enough help for the boys. I decided to teach the lesson anyway, and as I went up stairs I started singing songs with the few boys who were there.
"Ten tall gentlemen... standing in a row..."
You get the idea, anyway more and more of the boys turned up and one of the other volunteers to. By the time I was doing 6 little monkeys there was about 12 or thirteen boys sat watching. I really put my all in and I was exhausted from lack of sleep. I had been a little hung-over on Monday and struggled to sleep more than 3 hours ever since. I did about half an hour and I had 6 boys who were still participating. I gave them colors and we spent the next half an hour coloring and labeling the body. I hung out with 2 or 3 of them for about an hour after that too. All in all it was a nice day. I'm hoping I can develop the attention span of the boys and hopefully make it a regular thing in their week.
.... O.k. last bit of news here. I have moved in with a Vietnamese family. Much to the shock of Vietnamese and western people. I had come to the realization that I wasn't going to get invited into a Vietnamese persons home (there just isn't really a culture of doing so) so I made the plunge and went to my favorite all Vietnamese area Go Vap and asked around. I had made a couple of contact there the last time I was there... I had jumped on a bus and just got off and started talking with people at the market.
Go Vap is great. It’s truly working class Vietnamese area it does feel like part of a big city it’s got a real town vibe and there is a crazy energy about the place. I really love it. Partly because I feel in some ways its mine. There are no other westerners in the area. I have wanted to live there since I randomly got a bus up there to check it out. I told a lady called Kim who lives there selling lottery tickets about the fact I was looking for a place and she spent days searching for me.
She is quite a character, she learnt English so she could sing English songs when she was younger she is nearly 60 now but in her day she would sing to the American soldiers during the war, how she tells it she was very popular and with them!!
So she found me a place living with a young friendly and lively family. They are great there's lots of young people about listening to music and watching terrible Asian acting on TV. The house is really open and As long as I’m back for 12 there's no problem.
The only issue really is the local police. I have to bear in mind that I am living in a single party police state and the communist party still have a firm grip on the freedom and movements of its citizens (prior permission from the police is needed to stay at a friend’s house after 12 ... and in theory there's a midnight curfew). They want to check my papers and see my contract before I can fully move in. So despite the fact I've spent 2 nights there already I have to stay in a hotel for the next week until I get the all clear from the police. I really recent their meddling in the lives of these people and I'm looking forward to learning more about the state of affairs that lies beneath the surface of things here - something that’s more likely to happen now I’ve left the tourist bubble the government create.
Peace, peace and more peace for you all.
Keep me updated.
James.
I really cannot believe how much has happened since I last posted. It’s been amazing to hear that people are reading this; it means so much to me when you email to give me your support. Thank you. It also gives me a chance to email back individually. So please do!!
It’s hard for me to remember exactly where I left off. I think it was maybe the end of my second week. I had found it quite tough but I think I was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel as far as school work was going. I really had felt that I wasn't going to see the outside of my hotel room or work.
After a week at the hotel, I packed my bags and went in search of a cheaper alternative. I found this in the form of a guest house packed into an alleyway so narrow you could shake hands with the person stood on the balcony opposite. They elderly couple lived in the room downstairs and I lived upstairs. It was really great actually with a balcony and on suite toilet and mini shower (it came up to about my shoulders...) for a whopping 3 pounds a night, I know, I know rip off.
It was also slap bang in the middle of the backpacking area with loads of bars just a hop away. It was really quite a cool place to live.
I was there for about 2 weeks, during which time I really started to get my head around the teaching thing. The weekends are still killer, I’m in at 6:45 and out around 7:00 in the evening. I plan the morning in the first hour and the afternoon at dinner time. That’s every Saturday and Sunday. By the end of the second day it’s a real challenge to give any teaching of much quality... Though I'm going to have a weekend soon when I do a full weekend of lessons I’m happy with.
I've also struggled a little with my adult class, I can't work them out and there's not much of a connection with us. I think they're not particularly happy with my teaching. I have had to teach myself a lot of things I knew in theory from my teacher training. So I think things will improve as far as that is concerned. My last class was tighter and more focused which was nice. I've also taken on an exam preparation class which is a real challenge and means about 11 hours less free time mid week. Which is a bit of a downer though, I’ll be earning lots more money and, again, its good experience.
The people I work with are great. I'm really lucky, I’ve come to realize, because I’ve been placed in a small school. It means things are much more personal and it’s a lot easier to make friends with people. After work we'll often go for food together which is cool. The teachers have been to some cool places and there's a really nice mix of personalities. So if I want to get drunk in a bar I can hang out with those guys, or if I want to go dancing in a nightclub, there are the ones that like to do that, if I want a quiet coffee there's people to do that with too. It’s nice and I'm glad, like I said, to be in the school I am.
I finally got teaching in the shelter for boys too. It’s called the Green Bamboo Shelter and it takes in boys who have lived on the street or whose parents can't provide for. I went at three o'clock on Tuesday as planned. I thought they would be expecting me, and I think they may have been but there were two other western volunteers and a third Canadian lady who is based there at the moment. I was surprised to see them and a little disappointed feeling that there really was enough help for the boys. I decided to teach the lesson anyway, and as I went up stairs I started singing songs with the few boys who were there.
"Ten tall gentlemen... standing in a row..."
You get the idea, anyway more and more of the boys turned up and one of the other volunteers to. By the time I was doing 6 little monkeys there was about 12 or thirteen boys sat watching. I really put my all in and I was exhausted from lack of sleep. I had been a little hung-over on Monday and struggled to sleep more than 3 hours ever since. I did about half an hour and I had 6 boys who were still participating. I gave them colors and we spent the next half an hour coloring and labeling the body. I hung out with 2 or 3 of them for about an hour after that too. All in all it was a nice day. I'm hoping I can develop the attention span of the boys and hopefully make it a regular thing in their week.
.... O.k. last bit of news here. I have moved in with a Vietnamese family. Much to the shock of Vietnamese and western people. I had come to the realization that I wasn't going to get invited into a Vietnamese persons home (there just isn't really a culture of doing so) so I made the plunge and went to my favorite all Vietnamese area Go Vap and asked around. I had made a couple of contact there the last time I was there... I had jumped on a bus and just got off and started talking with people at the market.
Go Vap is great. It’s truly working class Vietnamese area it does feel like part of a big city it’s got a real town vibe and there is a crazy energy about the place. I really love it. Partly because I feel in some ways its mine. There are no other westerners in the area. I have wanted to live there since I randomly got a bus up there to check it out. I told a lady called Kim who lives there selling lottery tickets about the fact I was looking for a place and she spent days searching for me.
She is quite a character, she learnt English so she could sing English songs when she was younger she is nearly 60 now but in her day she would sing to the American soldiers during the war, how she tells it she was very popular and with them!!
So she found me a place living with a young friendly and lively family. They are great there's lots of young people about listening to music and watching terrible Asian acting on TV. The house is really open and As long as I’m back for 12 there's no problem.
The only issue really is the local police. I have to bear in mind that I am living in a single party police state and the communist party still have a firm grip on the freedom and movements of its citizens (prior permission from the police is needed to stay at a friend’s house after 12 ... and in theory there's a midnight curfew). They want to check my papers and see my contract before I can fully move in. So despite the fact I've spent 2 nights there already I have to stay in a hotel for the next week until I get the all clear from the police. I really recent their meddling in the lives of these people and I'm looking forward to learning more about the state of affairs that lies beneath the surface of things here - something that’s more likely to happen now I’ve left the tourist bubble the government create.
Peace, peace and more peace for you all.
Keep me updated.
James.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Alright...
.... o.k.
I'm going to do my best to make this comprehensive. Though I'm absolutely exhausted and I'm going to have to go to bed really soon.
I last posted when I had only just arrived, I can't believe it was just about a week ago. I feel like so much has happened since then. I spent Sunday night at the hotel and Monday just making short trips out of the hotel and then quickly back again when things got too much for me. then I realized I was down to go to the school I'm going to be working at. So I quickly got a taxi over there and the rest has been a bit of a blur.
I had to do quite a few workshops, observe lessons and start to plan my own lessons (something I'd never done for real before). My first lesson was on Thursday. So from Thursday onwards I was at the school nearly 12 hours a day, including more workshops, looking at all of the resources and teaching my classes. On Sunday I had 8 hours contact time let alone the frantic planning during dinner (followed by some of the poorest lessons I've ever done). Luckily the age I teach at weekends is from 7 - 9 years old. They didn't have a clue (especially the younger ones) ... Though when I was trying to juggle writing on the board and learning/singing a new song to the kids (my most perceptive and energetic class) were in fits of giggles!!
Life here seems cool. It could be very easy to get into the kind of routine you could have in England, work drink, socalise, work, drink.... I'm keen to move beyond that and have some really good connections with local people.
The city is wild and I've seen some really mad things... People with fridges on the passenger seat of their motorbikes, goldfish bowls full of turtles and cages full of cats and dogs in the side of the road... whilst having dinner last night I was most impressed to see two elderly disabled men display a courageous example of team work. One was blind, the other had one leg. The one legged old man led the blind man from food stall to food stall and told him when to start playing guitar as the one legged fellow sold lottery tickets to the customers..
Its been really tough though, adjusting to a new city and having to start from scratch with a new set of people. I think they think I'm a real square because I've been to too tired to go out drinking and I'm too focused on my work... I've missed home lots and when things settle down I think I'll have to face up to what I've left behind... I think I have more difficult times ahead.
What will make them easier is if what I came here to do takes off in the next few weeks. I'm going to meet with Chris and hopefully start teaching at the boys shelter. Sponser some of the children for their school fees and generally connect with some of the more marginalized members of society... maybe the boys shelter wont be the place for me to do that long term but I'm sure it will keep on track with what I want from this trip, however it appears to the other teachers :-)
O.k... I'm going to go now...
James
p.s.
I found out to my expense (literally) that calling home is really expensive... I hope this will do for the next week or so for family and close ones...
p.p.s.
Sorry if i haven't got back to emails either... I'll be on it soon.
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