Friday, October 15, 2010

Things you don't see everyday......but I do

(I'll try to get pictures of all listed items....I'll try)

26. shrines/temples for the ancestors - large shrines in people's houses; smaller shrines in the corners of every shop.

25. people burning piles of fake money on the sidewalk - an offering to the ancestors...I think

24.  a whole cooked DOG!

23. yogurt poured over ice with a squirt of coffee syrup.  Sua chua dahn da cafe...yummy!

22. girls on the bus barfing in plastic bags, from motion sickness

21. men welding on the sidewalk without any eye protection, sparks flying in their faces

20.  duck embryo hot pots

19.  giant rats

18.  chickens being slaughtered at the market, then plucked, right as the customer places their order

17.  people blowing snot rockets inches from my feet....men and women

16.  an entire 4-story building collapsing to the ground for no apparent reason (ok, I only saw that once...not everyday)

15. dishes being washed on the sidewalk

14.  men with one or two really long finger nails

13. cats on leashes...prisoners in their own homes.

12. green pomelos bigger than my head

11. twenty 14-year olds playing video games in an internet cafe, chain-smoking

10. to-go-coffee served in a clear plastic bag with a straw

9. sidewalk barber shops

8. giant flying cockroaches

7. a 6-foot tall armoire strapped to the back of a motorbike

6. motorbikes driving the wrong way down the street, against traffic

5. fish for sale; blood, guts and all...on the sidewalk

4. raw beef and pork for sale....on the sidewalk

3. parents holding bare-butt babies over the sidewalk to pee...no diapers necessary.  (not sure if that's considered potty-trained)

2. driving a motorbike with one hand in the pocket

1. a family of 5 on one motorbike, and only the babies without helmets


to be continued...

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Sapa in the Rain

Overnight train to Sapa
(unfortunately the train home wasn't so luxurious)
Caroline all ready for bed



Rainy Sapa
My guide (aka mom)





mud





fishing for something







Cat Cat Village 

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Its hard to keep up a blog when I don't have regular access to internet.  Sorry.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

SO HOT

I dont think Ive ever been so hot in my life.  Its 9pm on Tuesday night.  Im drenched in so much sweat I could have just come out of the lake. 

I would pay A LOT of money for AC...you know all that money I raised for books ;) 

just kidding of course

Monday, September 20, 2010

Mai Chau by motorbike

Climbed 1,300 stairs to top of mountain in Mai Chua
We found a beautiful cave








Vietnamese liquor


Water buffalo rule the highway
Maria - the Catalonian girl
Somewhere between Mai Chau and Hanoi

Friday, September 17, 2010

Forget about all expectations

Its been a crazy few days in Hanoi so far. I'm still getting adjusted...to everything. My living conditions are a little rougher than I expected; sharing a small house with 15 people, 5 people per room (and I have a top bunk), with a super thin mattress and no AC. Not sure what I really expected, I knew it wouldn't be luxurious in any sense.  We'll see how it goes.

I visited the school where I'll be working. Also not what I expected, but I'm excited to start teaching on Tuesday.

I'll write a more detailed post soon. Now I'm off to Mai Chau for a weekend excursion with a couple other volunteers. I have no idea what to expect...I'm just along for the ride.