I was sitting in a hot toc (barbershop) getting my tri-monthly haircut when a red-faced woman came rushing in brandishing a pair of scissors and attempting to stab one of the hairdressers. The rest of the staff quickly restrained, disarmed, and expelled the offender, then everything went back to normal.
When in Saigon...
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Something They Didn't Teach Me at TEFL
Among other things, what to do when you get this text message, as I did about an hour ago:
In any case, it's a dangerous situation on a number of levels. I'll have to defuse it carefully.
Hello teacher im your student I have a truth that i want to tell u Do you have any girlfriend? Hope no coz i love you really Let me know your feelingsI don't even know who the student is. I only gave out my cell number in the first place in case the students had any questions on the upcoming exam.
In any case, it's a dangerous situation on a number of levels. I'll have to defuse it carefully.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Chain of Foods
While KFC and Lotteria are quite common (Pizza Hut just moved in), they only make up a tiny percentage of restaurants in Vietnam.
Vietnam's two major contributions to the world of chain restaurants have yet to spread to other countries as yet. They are:
Highlands Coffee
Essentially a slightly-expanded version of Starbucks, offering meals and fruit juice in addition to the usual coffees, mochas, etc. A pleasant and elegant place to while away the afternoon, though the prices are (by local standards) sky-high. What you're really paying for is the ambiance.
Pho 24
The guidebooks invariably refer to Pho 24 as 'clean', and that it certainly is, making it ideal for squeamish tourists who can't stomach the idea of eating pho on the street. The bowls and utensils are clean of course, but so are the herbs, onions, scallions, and lemons that come with it, and the sauces are exactly the same proportions every time. A little creepy, if you ask me. Why '24'? because Vietnamese people usually eat pho for breakfast - this tried to make it an all-day thing.
Vietnam's two major contributions to the world of chain restaurants have yet to spread to other countries as yet. They are:
Highlands Coffee
Essentially a slightly-expanded version of Starbucks, offering meals and fruit juice in addition to the usual coffees, mochas, etc. A pleasant and elegant place to while away the afternoon, though the prices are (by local standards) sky-high. What you're really paying for is the ambiance.
Pho 24
The guidebooks invariably refer to Pho 24 as 'clean', and that it certainly is, making it ideal for squeamish tourists who can't stomach the idea of eating pho on the street. The bowls and utensils are clean of course, but so are the herbs, onions, scallions, and lemons that come with it, and the sauces are exactly the same proportions every time. A little creepy, if you ask me. Why '24'? because Vietnamese people usually eat pho for breakfast - this tried to make it an all-day thing.
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Yes We Did?
Goodness, there's a surprise: almost everything went according to the Democrats' plan.
Whether you like it or not, this is going to be a pivotal moment in American politics. Essentially an Obama landslide with comparatively small Democratic gains in the House and Senate.
I do wish I were there now, so I could see things up close. I tried to talk about the election with my class this morning, but wasn't sure that such thorny issues as democratic elections would go over well with my Vietnamese minders. Luckily they already seemed familiar with the American political system, and other than one 6th-grader yelling 'Obama Banana!' when I mentioned BHO's name.
Whether you like it or not, this is going to be a pivotal moment in American politics. Essentially an Obama landslide with comparatively small Democratic gains in the House and Senate.
I do wish I were there now, so I could see things up close. I tried to talk about the election with my class this morning, but wasn't sure that such thorny issues as democratic elections would go over well with my Vietnamese minders. Luckily they already seemed familiar with the American political system, and other than one 6th-grader yelling 'Obama Banana!' when I mentioned BHO's name.
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Saturday is for Fun
At least some of the time, anyway.
Payday! There's something rather dangerous about getting a month's pay in cash...in an envelope to boot.
This Saturday I had my usual Cleverlearn class (I cheated a little bit and showed them the Halloween episode of 'The Simpsons') and then back to Sax'n Art, the jazz club. i'm beggining to notice a certain repetition in the music there; it seem slike they've had the same musicians playing the same songs for the last two months at least.
Payday! There's something rather dangerous about getting a month's pay in cash...in an envelope to boot.
This Saturday I had my usual Cleverlearn class (I cheated a little bit and showed them the Halloween episode of 'The Simpsons') and then back to Sax'n Art, the jazz club. i'm beggining to notice a certain repetition in the music there; it seem slike they've had the same musicians playing the same songs for the last two months at least.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)