Greetings from Nha Trang
01/10/2009
I wrote earlier today from an Internet cafe across the street from campus, but am now delighted to have Internet service in my room, thanks to the efforts of the building manager and Ms. Q.
Yesterday I settled into my room in the Dormitory for Foreign Teachers, and was taken to a delicious dinner by Ms. H and another English teacher. We rode the short distance on motorbikes and they provided a helmet for me (helmets are required by law here, and most people are wearing them). My hosts speak excellent English, but when I go on the street to purchase items I have some difficulty. Playing Gestures with my friends back home is coming in handy here.
At dinner on Friday evening my hosts ordered things they thought I would like--a very nice green vegetable that reminded me of stir-fried Swiss chard, soup, fish, rice, and french fries. The later were strictly for me and they boxed them up, along with some sugared ginger (for the digestion) to take back to my dorm room. During dinner we talked about the University's goals for my time here. The country is eager to modernize the educational system in Vietnam and my impression is that they wish to adopt some aspects of the American model. I'm sure that I will be emailing Chancellor Padar with questions from time to time.
On Saturday the English teachers were attending a day-long workshop, and my computer wasn't yet able to access the Internet, so I sought out the Internet cafe across the street. Now I understand why the storefronts are open, despite any dust that might blow in--you welcome the cooling breezes. Speaking of breezes, it is windier here than I had anticipated, but I've been told that the weather is a little unusual for this time of year.
Later in the afternoon there was a knock at my door and I was delighted to meet Mallory, a recently graduated student from Transylvania University. She has been here on the Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Program since last August, and is a wealth of information. As we went walking through campus, to the beach, and through a section of shops near campus, Mallory showed me where I can buy water and toilet paper, pho, ice cream, photocopies, and laundry soap. On our way back to the dorm, we stopped to buy 1 kilo of tangerines (at least that's what I think they are)--they are very tasty and I'm thrilled to have some fruit.
After that, Ms. Q. arrived and carried me downtown on her motorbike, where I bought a cell phone, some food and supplies at the Maximart, and a hot pot. Now I can make tea and fix a light meal in my room--it's amazing what a sense of accomplishment I feel after this day.
All around I can see signs of the upcoming Tet holiday (as big or bigger than the American Christmas)--the Maximart was full of shoppers and I've been advised that I need to stock up on food because restaurants and shops will be closing. Tet is a family time, so I expect to have lots of time to prepare lectures and workshops. One little aside: tonight when I stopped at a store to buy water I started to step inside before realizing one critical error--I needed to take my shoes off first. Mallory explained that an alternative would be to stand in the opening and point at the items I needed, which I did.
At the Fulbright orientation, the speakers stressed the importance of cultivating relationships here, something that is very true. Today became wonderful because of Ms. Q and Mallory. Who knows what tomorrow will bring!
