February Notations

With a gusty whoosh, February ran her course. These past 28 days were not packed as the previous 31 of January, but were rather full of humdrum living. Here are some of the musings of the month. 

I call it my biathlon a couple times a week - 4km walk, hours of swimming, 4km walk. This routine has helped soothe a lot of angst this month. Water is my element and I am forever grateful for the moments I can slip into its embrace. 

This cafe has become my go-to stop. I have been sorely disappointed in milk tea in Vietnam, but the variety of fruit teas available has been a pleasant discovery. While I should try other drinks at Coffee Vy, this honey lemon jasmine concoction is my siren call for refreshment.

Living in a country where I cannot read nor speak the language, decisions are made by obscure observations. An example was when I chose where to get a pedicure. There are three shops in a row on a street near our abode. I absolutely chose a shop based on my favorite color. The workers wear yellow shirts, all the furniture is yellow, decor has a yellowish tint, and they even use yellow towels. It was a good choice and my painted toenails are red and happy. 

 

Without question, I adore markets in my part of the world. I have always loved grocery shopping, but browsing a market is one of my happiest places. In this vein, I am spoiled in the method of egg buying. Not confined by dozens and egg crates, it is a plastic bag, a whimsical number of my choosing, and a pay per egg system.  

The skies of February were the bluest of blue. The temperatures are creeping higher, which lends to these clear and bold skies.

We do not write nor post much about our current employment. We are definitely working, however it is far from delightful. We have gotten caught in the post-covid money grab in the English teaching world. The company we are working for is expanding fast and furious; cutting corners, hiring local staff with minimal experience and language capabilities, and undermining their reputation in hopes that the reputation of the past will shield prying eyes into the actuality of the present. Since we are in one of the expanded centers, it is a circus of hilarity and frustration. This is a moment in our life when we say we are working for the money not for the joy. However, we are teaching classes and that has been entertaining in its own way - especially when the curriculum being used gets things so wrong. 

Early in the month, I was doing this lesson with a group of kids, ages 6-8. I was personally insulted that the creators could not even give the girl from a China a proper Chinese name (and she speaks with a British accent in the videos) and I was shocked that this 'doll' picture was chosen. That is not a doll in this part of the world - it is akin to a zombie. Therefore, I was curious how it would go over in class. 

If there ever was a moment I really want a recording of a class, it was this moment. I opened this page on the TV screen and my kids screamed and dove beneath the table, with one boy even grabbing his chair to prod towards the screen. It was mayhem and I was laughing. I did not get angry and I let them act out their fear, because I was definitely not going to chide them for some curriculum creator's mistake. Needless to say, I skipped that portion of the lesson.  

We never thought we would spend so much time in Saigon, but there seems to be a tether we cannot shake. The primary culprit is our job, for the upper echelon has not figured out how to function beyond the city limits when it comes to employees. Nonetheless, we have decided soothe the annoyance of frequent summons with a dash of delight. We consider it our jolt of life - a place to eat pizza, watch the newest Marvel movie, or browse a bookstore.  

We experienced our first Vietnamese birthday party and it was in honor of Zach's favorite fan on this side of the world. Birthday celebrations are always an interesting cultural experience. While a beer and BBQ joint are not on the top of places most would choose to celebrate a child, this four-year-old was prancing about and handing out birthday cake slices with style. Oh, and she snuggled in Zach's lap so many times. 

At the beginning of the month, I wondered whether Vietnamese celebrate Valentine's Day. By February 13, I had my answer. The streets had become lined with all the frou-frou associated with the holiday. Thousands of bouquets created with fake flowers, real flowers, fake money, twisted color papers, and tiny stuffed animals were perched on kilometers of metal racking. Oversized stuffies sat on tarps or rice bags. Boxes of chocolates sat sweltering in the sunshine. It was colorfully wild. Yet, in a classic culture case of what-works-here-does-not-work-there: their bouquets really resemble grave decor in America. It was a macabrely romantic stroll along our streets for a couple of days.

Photojournal: Hoi An by Night

 

There are three key tourist loves of Hoi An - lanterns, tailors, and yellow buildings. While tailor shops and vivid yellow buildings are at the forefront during daylight, it is the lanterns that woo the night crowd. 

Lighting and textiles are on the top of things I love; this place combined the two and it was magical. 

It is a miracle I actually walked away with only two small lanterns for my temptation to buy all of them was great. 

I am fully aware that lighting is the number one tourist gimmick, but I cannot deny that many places in Asia do it so well the one cannot help but to become enchanted. 

Photojournal: Hoi An by Day

 

Throughout our years of travel, when Vietnam was discussed in conversations it usually was either with utter delight or great disdain. There seemed to be only complete opposite viewpoints when it came to rating the travel experience. Delving into the why would usually reveal who stayed on the tourist trail and who veered a bit. Personally, we were definitely on the disdain side. We had brutal experiences, in the north and in the south, which still influence how we plot trips and move about places to this day. However, the middle of Vietnam has been considered the tourist trail mecca for the country for years; it remained our missing piece until our lunar new year trip. 

Being with a local completely changes any travel experience and Joel's dad was keen to woo us to his part of the world. Riding in a car to a destination alone was the greatest of luxury, but his care to deliver us to a hotel, joke about the parking spot being for the owner, and give a cheery wave of farewell while telling us to have a great time was endearing and a special gift. For Hoi An by day and Hoi An by night are vastly different. These are the pictures by day - wandering the alleyways, swooning at all the yellow, and stopping a lot along the way. I completely understand why this is a top tourist spot in this country.  

 

Photojournal: Spring Festival Flowers

 

Flowers are synonymous with the spring festival and it truly takes the greatest of restraints to not buy all the beautiful plants. The night before our travels, we strolled through our local market, but I did not take any pictures. It was evening and the fluorescent lights were harsh. Plus, due to Vietnamese being allergic to walking, the pathways were clogged with motorbikes which made our stroll look more like a frogger-esque game rather than the zen-like nature walk that we have experienced in years past.

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We were definitely a minority in that we did not buy any flowers since we knew we were going to be traveling, but the temptation was great.  

An interesting discovery for us was that Vietnam's spring flower choices are actually limited in comparison to the China markets. The abundance of marigolds was an unusual find for us - being a flower more commonly associated with India.   

From Long Khánh to Hue, we were captivated to watch how behemoth pots of mums were transported. Seriously, I stand in awe and humbleness in what Asians can put on a motobike. They are masters of straps and the greatest gravity manipulators,

Alongside the markets are the curated flower displays. We enjoyed seeing them in Ho Chi Minh and Da Nang. Sadly, I failed to snap a photo of the cathedral across the street. The giant Jesus cave was dismantled in order to make way for the entire front steps to become a piece of art made of flowers. 

 

Photojournal: The Year of the Cat

It is one of two lunar years when the designated animal diverges. In Vietnam, it is the year of the cat, whereas, in China, it is the year of the rabbit. It has been delightful to see our Chinese friends post decorations of their animal, while we have been decorating and gazing upon the many forms of a cat. 

Interestingly, while our town decorated with the zeal of the Whos in Whoville for Christmas, the lunar new year seemed to find the local decorating committee weary and not up to the task. Granted the gap between Christmas and the Lunar New Year was a mere 26 days. A tight turn around, but not impossible. When we departed for the big city five days before the actual holiday, some flower lights were laying askew in the public square.

Saigon was a bit more in the holiday spirit; we really loved the cats pretending to be lions. 

 Hoi An had a few decorations, but their lanterns were the main decor.

 Da Nang had great displays along their riverfront. 

We began our expat life on the cusp of the year of the rabbit, so we are quite excited to begin our second lunar cycle experiencing the year of the cat.