I miss Louie.  What a great video! Yes, I know Louie as well as you can know anyone you've never talked to before. And yes, I already (and have for years) belong to said facebook group. I even know one of the guys in the video that works at the bike shop. I can't wait to be back in Boston. I loved seeing everyone in jackets. Remind me I said that when I'm complaining about how unreasonably cold Boston is.

Tomorrow is my last full day in Can Tho before leaving for vacation. I've been done teaching for a few days but I couldn't get a plane ticket until Saturday, so I've just been relaxing. I've started drawing, which might tell you how bored I am, but I'm really enjoying it.  I'm excited to travel and explore Vietnam as much as possible before leaving in less then one month! I'm ready to come home. I'll miss it more then I can explain, but I need to be back in real life with people I get along with on my level. 

The nights are starting to cool off a little bit, and I went for a great run tonight. I love the high you feel after you finish running... how you feel like you can't possibly go any further, and then you do, and when it's over it's just such a rush. I was never a particularly good runner, but I sure love that feeling and I would like to get back into it when I come home. We'll see. 

For now, Louie has inspired me. I'm going to go for a nice long bike ride tomorrow. 

Okay, I lied.

But did you really think I was going to write every day? I've been incredibly busy and extremely tired, so as usual, sorry for not keeping up with this! 

As of today.. I'm officially done! I still have one more class to finish grading, but I'll be handing my grades in on Monday, and then spending the next day or so saying my last goodbyes. To tell you the truth, I'm really ready to get out of here. The goodbyes are sad, but they're happy too. My students are so amazing, and they keep telling me they'll miss me and they wish me good health and happiness, and it's just a really refreshing goodbye. It's a happy goodbye. I feel like I've made an impression on their lives, and now it's time for a new teacher to come and teach them something else.

Another reason I might not be too sad is because after I'm done traveling I'm coming back here for a day or two to pick up my luggage, so I don't have that "last time" feeling, because I know I'll come and do everything one last time. I already have plans with some students for dinner while I'm back, and since I'll be with my friend Geoff, I plan on stopping at all of my favorite food places so he can have the full Can Tho experience. I'll be flying up to Hanoi next week, so the next few days are filled with more happy goodbyes, then I'll spend the next few weeks traveling. 

I'm getting really excited about coming home, I miss everyone so much. I spent last night looking at pictures on facebook (my favorite past time) and I'm just really ready to be back. I know I had an amazing time in Da Lat but after talking to my logical counterpoint I've realized that Vietnam will always be here, and I can always come back. I'm ready to be home now. But first... time to explore the rest of the country! 

I never told my stories of going to the countryside. Basically, one day I went for a motorbike ride to the province of Tra Vinh with Thao. It was about a three hour ride through the countryside, then we went to a pagoda, had lunch, had a coffee and rested in hammocks, and then drove three hours back! It was a beautiful ride, and I already put up pictures for you to enjoy! Then two days later was the Khmer New Year. How luck am I to have celebrated THREE New Years this year? If only I had resolutions..

Anyway, one of my students is half Khmer, and her hometown is in another province, Soc Trang, which is about two hours away. A group of her classmates were going to her home to celebrate the new year with her family. Apparently there is a large Khmer community in Soc Trang, as well as Cambodian temples. So we dove out there and spent the night at her house, and I had a slumber party with my students! It was two days full of too much food, but it was a lot of fun to be with a whole group of students. Usually it's just one student taking me home, but it was nice that a group of her friends went to her home and celebrated that part of her life. The next day after a large breakfast, even though I was still full from dinner the night before, her mother showed me a video of her niece (I think, the translations get confusing) getting married. The idea was to show me a Cambodian wedding, and it was really interesting to watch.. But then TWO DVD'S later, I was still sitting there watching it, not understanding the language, and now just watching the reception, which is literally hundreds of people just sitting around eating. Then I had lunch. Besides going home sick, as usual after a trip to the countryside, it was great to spend extra time with my students. Here, us at dinner! 

In other news, this week I met two new people. One day on my way to class it started to pour and I didn't have my poncho, so I was waiting under a little roof for the rain to stop and a student came up to me and started a conversation. She asked the normal questions, and then said that she sees me around campus all of the time but she was always to nervous to talk to me. I guess me standing in the rain, incapable of escaping from the situation, gave her the guts to go ahead. Anyway, her name is Nhan and she turned out to be really sweet so I gave her my number and we had dinner a few nights later. That night she sent me a text wishing me a good nights sleep. The next night she sent me a text saying sleep tight! Etc. The other day I was on a completely different part of campus and she ran up to me, incredibly excited, and asked to have dinner again. She is really sad that she waited so long to talk to me and that now I am leaving, and she really is nice (not a creeper, like the last guy, who I haven't heard from since then)  so I will see her once more before I leave. She's going to make me one of my favorite meals, so I'm not going to complain. 

The next girl accosted me on my daily morning walk to get coffee and pineapple. (You read that right, I'm averaging one pineapple a day.) She was not as successful as Nhan. It was too early. The conversation went something like this,

"Hello! Can I talk to you?"

"Sure."

"How long are you here."

"Actually, I'm leaving in a few days."

Silence.

"Can we talk." 

"Sure, but I have to get ready to teach." This was partly true. I did have to get ready for class. The fact that class wasn't for another four hours is irrelevant. 

"When do you leave?"

"In a few days." 

"Can we talk?" 

I could see that this was going nowhere, she wasn't a great speaker and I had to say everything a few times. Sometimes, I can take it. Sometimes, I'm just not in the mood. I ended up saying "nice to meet you!" and walking away.. it was as much as I could take. The past few days it has amazed me that I still get starred at every single day. Even on campus, the place I go to get bubble tea every day (yes, almost every day) there are people who are still seeing me for the first time and point and stare. It doesn't bother me anymore, but I just think, where have you been the past nine months!?

Well, I'm off to finish grading. I'll write again before I leave for my trip!!

Note: Since I know you all care about my every move, I added another photo album about said trips to the country side that I will write about soon. I also added my youtube link. I listen to music on youtube all of the time and save my favorite songs, so I thought I'd share. Some of them I like the song, some the video, some are really random. Enjoy!

Quick update: 

Yesterday it was 39 degrees. Thao told me that this month has been the hottest month in ten years. I'm not sure where she got the statistics or if it's true.. but it's still pretty ridiculous. She followed that up with the fact that it will probably be hotter over the next few days. Sweet. To be honest, it's actually not that bad anymore. I do sweat profusely and I'm tired all of the time, but I've definitely become accustom to it and besides the two things I've just mentioned, I generally don't care anymore. Almost done with my time in Can Tho, which means that even though I'll still be in Vietnam, I won't have to be in long pants, etc. and I will probably even spend some time at the beach! ONE MORE WEEK OF TEACHING LEFT. Completely ridiculous. I'm basically done... just finals and grading, and having dinner parties with my students. I'm completely booked over the next week and a half. I've had a very busy few days and I will write all about them (trips to the countryside!) in my next post.

Just one reason why I now hate English.

I came across this question and it's one of the best I've heard in a while: What is one thing you've learned recently that has blew your mind? It takes the WhiteHotTruth's idea of "I'm loving..." to a whole new level. So I wanted to share a few things I've recently found and ask you to do the same.

1) Anis Mojgani & Slam Poetry. I don't know anything about slam poetry, but I recently came across this video and it blew my mind. He's incredible. I love all three of these poems. I also love this one. Not that I'm a newfound slam poetry fan.. but I would vote for Anis Mojgani any day. 

2) The religion/ spirituality debate. I've been spending a lot of time defining things for myself, coming to terms with my past, and looking towards others to open myself up to new ideas. I've recently gotten into a few debates with some friends, and I've since noticed that everyone around me is talking about it. Whitney's last blog post mentioned her thoughts, and Ben Casnocha just mentioned some of his. I'm blown away by the intensity of the people I'm close to, as well as, God or no God, how strong people can be in their beliefs. If only we were a world open enough to talk about it without fear of who's listening. I came across SoulPancake, founded by Rainn Wilson (aka Dwight Schrute) and I've found some great debates. Some people write ridiculous things, as always happens with an open forum, but some of the ideas are well justified and I'm starting to love a good argument. So check out those links and if you'd like, send some of your thoughts my way!

3) The Universe. I stand strong in my belief of the Law of Attraction, but the more I learn about the Universe the more I am blown away. I'm currently reading BIll Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything, and it's just incredible. Granted, I think I learned most of this in school, but I didn't retain any of it, so Bryson's book is a great book for me right now. The fact that in terms of the size of the universe we are so incredibly, incredibly insignificant constantly blows me away. "The bottom line is that life is amazing and gratifying; perhaps even miraculous, but hardly impossible - as we repeatedly attest with out own modest existences." - Bill Bryson. This also reminds me of one of my favorite movies, What the Bleep Do We Know: Down the Rabbit Hole. If you're at all interested in the metaphysical world, watch this movie. It will blow your mind!

I wanted to share with you one more quote that I just found and love. I've been talking with a friend about doing good, and how even if we as one person make small changes in our every day lives we will make a difference. I was on a kick with this before I left and I can't wait to get back into it. Volunteering, taking canvas bags to the grocery store, turning off lights and electricity whenever possible. It really is the little things. Anyway, I found this quote and it made me smile.  "If you think you are too small to be effective, you have never shared a bed with a mosquito." 

Okay, I'm off to create a final for my pronunciation class, which is giving me a headache. Expect an update soon about my past few days! 

Yesterday I was walking home from a coffee shop when I guy pulled up next to me on his motorbike and says "Hello!" I said Hello back and continued to ride away. (This is perfectly normal.) However, two minutes later he came back from the other direction and the same exact thing happened. I thought hmm that was weird, but didn't think much else of it. Then, he came back again, this time stopping for a longer conversation. And it was perhaps one of the strangest I've had in a while. It went as follows:

"Can we talk?" (him)

"Sure! How are you? (me)

Silence, awkward smile. I'm still walking, and he's still following my on his bike.

"Are you a student?" (him)

"No, I teach English at the University."

"I went there. But don't tell anyone about me."

"Umm.. okay." 

More silence. Then he drove away. Sure enough, he came back from the other way yet again.

"Can we talk?" (him)

"Sure! How are you?"

"Can I have your number?" 

"Okay. Maybe we can get coffee." (This is normal, giving my number to complete strangers and meeting them for coffee, not as creepy as it might sound to you.)

"Okay, but I don't want to meet at the University. I don't want to see anyone."

"Okay, maybe we can meet right here." 

"Alright, but don't tell anyone about me."

Then he drove away.

Sure enough he did call me the next day (three times, also normal) but I was teaching and conveniently forgot to call him back. Ahh Vietnam.

If you watch 30 Rock, please watch this. Hilarious. If you don't watch 30 Rock, you probably should. 

I added a picture album of some of my adventures with Kristen, including the beautiful pool we spent the day at and some pictures of Da Lat. Enjoy!

Quote of the day:

We shall not cease from exploration.

And the end of all our exploring

Will be to arrive where we started.

And know the place for the first time. -T.S. Elliot

 

I'm failing to keep you all informed of my incredible life. 

To sum it up, I don't want to ever leave this place. Well, I do want to come home and see everyone, and I'm really looking forward to everything everyone is already planning (most of it has to do with food, and that's really exciting) but I'm second guessing my plan. I'm not second guessing Boston, I love Boston and I really do miss living there. But I'm questioning my decision to settle there for a few years. I can't imagine not coming back here, I can't even really imagine not living here. I'm not ready to get caught up in the American way of life. Not permanently anyway. So if you talk to me over the next two weeks (TWO WEEKS LEFT!) expect me to be slightly crazy.

I'm going to try (really this time) to give you more of a day to day update. I keep noticing and appreciating some amazing things happening around me and I want to try to document as much as possible. To catch you up to today.. Kristen moved in here for a few weeks. It has been great to have someone to talk to, spend time with, going around the city with. She taught here last year and even though I've been here for 9 months, she has been places I haven't, so we've been showing each other around. We've gone bike riding as much as possible, stopping at different coffee shops we've never been to and found some new places to eat. One day I had off and we found a beautiful hotel with a pool and it cost about $6, but it was worth it. (Notice that $6 seems like a big day of spending.) It has been great to see Can Tho through a new set of eyes. I'm just trying to appreciate everything as much as possible. Even the incredibly hot weather.. I've always loved summer and always hated winter, so I should be soaking all of this up. So I am. We've been spending some mornings sitting outside, going for more bike rides. I'm actually getting the tan that I assumed I would have had months ago. All of the hardest days in the world can't compare to how amazing Vietnam is. 

Last weekend I had a small vacation, and Kristen and I went to Da Lat. Da Lat is in Central Vietnam (about 11 hours north of Can Tho) and we went to represent Teachers for Vietnam and meet with the University there and see if we could open a post for next year. I had an amazing time. I wasn't expecting anything, I didn't know anything about the city or the school, and as usual, I was blown away. The city is beautiful. It's in the mountains, there is cool, fresh air, and everyone we met was incredibly nice, spoke English really, really well and spoke highly of the University. The campus was beautiful, the people we met with were incredibly nice guys and I had no trouble at all picturing myself there. I don't know.. it's only been a few days and I haven't really gotten a good nights sleep since then, so its a very very new, probably passing thought. But it's really making me think. I'm sure these are natural transitional thoughts.. but I haven't actually transitioned yet. I knew once I was home for a little while and the initial enthusiasm about seeing everyone wore off, I would miss Vietnam. But I haven't even left yet! Regardless, I'm incredibly excited to finally travel around Vietnam and see the rest of the country. Not that it will help with this problem at all, but it will be a really great trip. Until then, I will spend the next two weeks creating finals and grading a million things and spending as much time with my friends and students as possible. I'm looking forward to everything ahead, and leaving it at that. One day at a time right?

I am looking forward to seeing everyone. It's amazing how many relationships have gotten stronger since I've been gone. Even some that started off shaky, or not at all, seem to have evolved into closer than before. I'm constantly surprised by people. It's a really nice, refreshing feeling to be surprised by people instead of feeling let down all of the time. I've let go of so many things,its kind of ridiculous how easy things are when you when prioritize them. Decide what matters most. That's been my mantra these past few weeks. 

Enjoy this video. Thanks to Ashley for finding that, it made my day. We could talk about the moral dilemma I have that 1) These parents are not only playing Lil John for their children, but clearly enough times so they know it well enough to choreograph to all of the derogatory parts, and 2) The parents are not only encouraging the ridiculousness (I know, not a word) but taping them for the joy of posting them online to show all of their friends, and millions of people who don't even know their children. This seriously bothers me, but I don't even care, because I did enjoy it... it made me laugh and now I'm sharing it with you. Reason number 70842 why I hate the internet. 

The mosquitoes are back, and in FULL force. I don't know why, but ever since I've been back from Da Lat (about three days) I've accumulated about 100 bites. I wish I was over exaggerating, but I'm just not. I counted twenty on one foot before I got fed up and stopped counting. I remember one of my first posts or maybe an email to my dad that said "It's so bad.. I just want to cut my feet off." That's how I feel right now. That is clearly the only thing that will give me relief. Only now its worse, because it's my legs, my arms, and my hands. I don't know what's going on. I think they know I'm leaving and they want to get as much of me as possible. Thao keeps saying "They love you so much!" It's true, and it's not flattering at all. 

Quote of the day:

"I could tell you my adventures - beginning from this morning," said Alice,  "But it's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then." - Alice in Wonderland.