Jowzers and Photocopy Stores

Well, so I did not write immediately I apologize. Class has kept me pretty busy. That and adjusting mentally and physically yes I did say physically. So I ate these Chinese things Friday called Jowzers. I think that is how they are spelled? They were pretty amazing, so I ate a ton and it made me so sick. It wasn't until yesterday that my stomach finally began to recover four days later. Someone who has been overseas for sometime told me to get used to it that their stomach is upset like that at least once a month for a whole week so I thought well great! The food was kind of like ravolli but not I don't even know how to describe it. I have been pretty adventourous I even used the tap water for tea but I boiled it twice. I figure I am going to be over here for awhile I mine as well get used to it.
Oh and funny story I got to explore a lot of Hanoi a couple of days ago looking for a photo shop that happened to be a lot closer than I thought. Suprise! Me wander, never. Two hours of exploration and 27 photocopy stores later I finally printed some pictures off. I learned a lot that day but I might save some of that advice for later.

1st Birthday of the Asia Year

Wow I don't even know where to begin. Yesterday was someone on team Laos b-day and we went out to Pho 24. He turned 33. We afterwards went out for ice cream and when it started to rain another guy so graciously bought us raincoats. It was crazy everyone was taking pictures. Never in one week have I done or been so many places. It was fun though. It is crazy to think how I have become like a family with those in the organization I will be working with. You share so many things and this is only the beginning.
For those of you who know me best you know I love order and thrive on certain types of it. I have lots of oddities. My closest friend is striving to break me of too much structure but I think a little is okay.He is teaching me a balance. I have decided to keep a journal that is a list of random things for my newsletter and some for my blog just for the heck of it.
1. Bathtubs are really high in our hotel. You must have to climb on the toilet or something if your Asian to get in and then you have to sit in them and take a shower because there is no drain plug.
2. The U.S. dollar has dropped 27% in Vietnam over the past year
3.If you touch the bathtub handle to pull yourself up or while taking a bath/shower you will burn yourself.
4. Most hotels are gov't owned but not all.( Ours is)
5. If a building is yellow and green it is probably a gov't building

Thats all for now...

Pictures

These are from yesterday one of my favorite things was probably that we ate at a restuarant called little Hanoi and bellow it it said recommended by lonely planet. I'll try and get a picture of it later I was just too tired! Hahah where do they come up with these things?

(Suzy, Kathryn, I and Maren prepare for our intense foot message!)

(We have dogs and cats for pets, here they have the most random pets. Yes, this is 2 deer and they are pets in a cement block, so sad! What is up with the Water Village people? hahah)

Hanoi

Well, I am spending a month here in Hanoi, I just finished a couple of days in Rancho Cucamonga and entered the world of SE Asia yesterday. It is a little overwhelming and slowly I am adjusting. I still have some jet lag but I also feel as though their is so much to process. Things that I never thought I would be afraid of I am. I got a foot massage today and little did I know that meant body. It was a little akward.Pictures to come...but it also burned my neck and legs and I didn't realize it until later. Hopefully they won't blister in the heat. I am heading to bed b/c I really need some good rest. Tomorrow we have another cultural training. They are good but to be quite honest a little overwhelming. I just need a little alone time and twelve hours with about 13-17 people can be overwhelming at times. However it is also really comforting b/c I am always safe and never completely alone. Wish me luck tomorrow!After all this is just the first real day and it is getting better and better. Once I am over jet lag I should be good. it is just a question of when?

Hello Hanoi!

Well, no one really writes on this so I hope that people eventually will figure out how to check it b/c my facebook on my computer doesn't work and as of Saturday it will be deactivated until my computer decides to quit acting up. By the way I am using my mothers. Anyways, Monday I leave for California for pre-training and then the 25th of July I am off to Hanoi at 1:50 am. Woo hoo aren't you jealous? I don't get there until 10:00am on the 26th, not sure if that is there time or our time then on the 27th -August 23rd I have training..Geese no break so if I fall behind on writing please understand. I am a bit overwhelmed and am in the process of packing for a year in Laos. Craziness isn't it?I am super nervous and scared but I know that my Father will be with me which helps. I ALSO LOVE HOW STRUCTURED THE ORGANIZATION IS AND CANNOT WAIT TO KEEP YOU ALL UPDATED. Whoever that you may be? Ta Ta for now!

10 Things I learned in Boston in no particular order

1. I still love the East Coast..oh so beautiful

2. Cambridge has a law of one bed per room..Hints at Harvard all dorms are single roomed.

3. I am a better liar than I have given myself credit for..either that or high schoolers are even more guillable than me! If that is possible?

4 Memorial chapel is one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever been in. It was built by the free masons. It has no religious symbols or notable ones, inspired JK Rowlings settings for her Harry Potter books and has Shakespeare in stain glass. Yup I am not lieing so neat!

5. I walk on the side of my feet and according to Jordan that is the mark of a true dancer. Oh yeah I'm odd.

6. I really could teach any age. High Schoolers think I am just as funny as 2 year olds do.

7. I maybe CPR certified but if it really came down to it I am not sure I could do it. Probably the biggest scare of my life.

8 My students thought I was so great they were going to send me to Greece to chaperone them. Not sure if I want to handle that one! Hahah

9. "Your outfit is not nice enough for my Dior fanny pack.Do you have anything else you could wear?" After searching through my stuff J says "Well, I guess that is okay."

10. Students will do anything to help out their friends..Hint climbing out there own window three stories up..over 5 windows to open someones door so that they don't get in trouble.

High Schoolers are a hoot! I will miss them but look forward to having my own classroom in Sept!

Trees

As you have probably noticed I am not the computer goo-ro I once was. Life has helped me to slide behind. Anyways, tomorrow $8,000 dollars is due in my account in order to leave in July. It doesn't look like that will happen. I have worked really hard but sometimes no matter what I do it just doesn't cut it. I guess we all feel that way. It's like climbing a tree. You climb and climb at a rapid pace and it seems you have a capricious amount of time before you get near the top. Then, the stem is too small you are faced with the task of either climbing down or risking a broken limb. You look down and see the task ahead is harder than the task behind you or you leap to another tree if your a squirrel. But we are not all squirrels so you begin to climb that tree again or another b/c the onlooking view is well worth the climb. That is how life is-some trees you climb you can see clearly, some trees are too tall or too small for the load you carry.. That is just the way it works. What I mean is that life is not often the way we want it but the way He wants it. If there is anything I have been learning from Him it is to always expect the unexpected, ask and you will recieve not just money but often people and glimpses of lives far more precious than any currency could buy, sometimes I'm overwhelmed with all the details that life contains-I'm learning to try and see the big picture instead of what my feeble brain can contain, so I will probably have six more months here to enjoy in my Father's marvels and lots of things to figure out b4 January, abut I know that this is his way of saying this tree is but a seedling and it has to grow a little more before I can climb it. I hope you understand or grasp a little bit of my speech if not I would be more than happy to attempt (keyword-attempt) to explain myself yet again...