6/12 Tangy yogurt

Mom you would be in heaven.  There are beautifully decorated tangy yogurt shops everywhere.  I just can't believe I didn't see them before.  I crave one everyday now - probably because they make me think of you and Cali;).

6/11 A little bit of India ... well kind of

Watched Slumdog Millionaire with two of my classes and they loved it.  The words most of the students wanted to know where chai wallah, gang, gangster and silencer - crazy;).

6/10 Dune

Ah Dune Cafe - I spend my breakfast and planning time here everyday.  Thuan, Khoi, Lap, Quan, Dang and Phuong are teaching us Vietnamese and greet us with Cao Chi ( hello elder, yes elder, sister;)). 

6/9 Pham Ngu Lao

Can't wait to get out of Pham Ngu Lao - the backpacker tourist area that I've been living in for 3 months. Ready for a home, ready to go grocery shopping, ready to do my own laundry, ready to have movie nights with Sacha and dinner parties for friends;).

6/8 Normal Day

Work. Errands. Lovely dinner with lovely Chilian red wine and lovely friends.  Then off to see the Prince of Persia.  What a wonderfully normal day .... it's been awhile;). 

6/7 New Class New Neighborhood

New class new neighborhood today.  About a twenty minute bike ride across the toxic canal into a more authentic district.  The class is a bit older, a slightly lower level and so enthusiastic.  We only have three weeks together, but I'm hoping we can all sign on for the next class that would last about 8 weeks. 

6/6 Still miss India

Still miss India everyday.  Typically we as westerners tend to mysticise and exoticise India, but I think I fell in love with real time India.  I can list all the things again and again, but I wish I could describe why I find absolutely everything about that complex challenging beautiful tragic proud country fascinating.  Maybe that's part of it - I love that it's not easy.  I love that everything, the people, the politics, the languages, the food, the history, etc. is so complicated but so incredibly inspiring and amazing..

6/5 Big House No Go;(

Sacha and I have been looking at a beautiful big three bedroom house the last few days.  Big terrace, lovely kitchen, huge living room space.  Our third roommate fell through though, so no go.  Just too bad as it was by far the best place we have seen. 

6/4 Vietnamese Post

Mailed my first package from Vietnam today.  No canvas and red wax;(.  Instead I had to fill out four forms detailing the contents.  The post office itself was beautiful with huge high ceilings and numerous kitschy souvenir stalls.  I was in and out in under a half hour.  I sent it "surface" which means it should arrive around January;).

6/3 Toilet Paper

Most of the Pham Ngu Lau restaurants have little rolls of toilet paper in a funky plastic dispenser in lieu of napkins;).  Toothpicks, ketchup, soy sauce and two kinds of chili sauce are the condiments.  More authentic Vietnamese restaurants don't have salt and pepper of course.  And when you sit down you are given a moist towel to clean your hands.  If your lucky it's cold;). 

6/2 Monsoon on a Motorbike

Drove through my first serious monsoon on a motorbike.  After about ten minutes, my eyes started burn.  As a friend on Facebook said: "Acid Rain: the new Eco-chick body scrub". 

6/1 The Search for a Flat Continues

Still no luck.  Everything is too small, narrow and dark.  Looks like we may have to look at flats further out;(.

5/31 Priceless

Saigon Blue - cool leather helmet with little red rhinestones $3, full face and neck mask $2, motorbike for a month $40, gas $2, riding up onto the sidewalk during rush hour traffic... priceless;).

5/30 Weird Warm Rice

Our favorite little old lady gave us a cup full of sweet weird warm rice paste with bland brown little jelly balls.  We sat and smiled gratefully sipping beer to disguise the taste. Even though we tried and tried to hide our disgust, I think she saw through us.  We haven't been given any since:(.

5/29 Little Ones

Started class with the little ones today.  They are all around 6 years old and so painfully shy.  All of my tricks and games failed miserably so I resorted to coloring which was just what they needed.  They will be a challenge but I look forward to it;).