The cat's meow!

I asked Paul to marry our new maid Cam so we can take her back to LA with us when we go home.  She is the best thing since sliced bread.  Because I'm working a bilzillion hours and Paul is working crazy hours along with his Vietnamese classes, we don't have much time to cook and clean.  Also, we both decided to go on a 12 week challenge.  We are basically working out 4 times a week and not eating any carbs except on Sundays.  We figured, in Vietnam we have the time and money to eat well and be healthy.  You'd be surprised at how cheap protein, vegetables, fruit and raw nuts are here.  The only problem is the lack in variety.  Anyhow, we're hungry all the time since we don't eat bread, rice or noodles.

So we both agreed that a cook/maid would help out tremendously   I sort of refrained from getting one at first because I'm not use to the idea of having a stranger in your house, learning about your private drawers and what not.... but holy cow it's easy getting use to it...although I spend time cleaning before she comes over so she doesn't think we're complete slobs. Then I'll go upstairs and rearrange the cupboards and organize the dirty dishes so she doesn't think we're lazy bums.  I find myself doing almost as much work as before except for the cooking part.  I bought a cook book and went through it telling her what we like and how we like it.  She is actually a wonderful cook even though she is forbidden to use MSG because I'm strongly against it.  She always says, but the food won't taste good.  She adds a lot of salt and sugar to compensate, but I'm slowly easing her off the ridiculous amount and I introduced her to chicken broth.

She's wonderful and it has made me enjoy Vietnam so much more.  I don't know what we'll do without a maid in the US.

A comment goes a long way...

My friend Stacy commented and it encouraged me to write again.

Yesterday was a BBQ/pool party and I decided to go and get the heck out of the house, it was day 6 and I was still feeling pretty bad.  But this was an opportunity to look amazing in a bathing suit and it sure wasn't going to last long.  We arrived to this condo complex with a fantastic pool layout, it was the size of 2 football fields cut out with stoned pools, one for laps, one for hanging out and was only waist deep, another side for swimming training and different private Jacuzzi sections.  There were cabanas everywhere and it felt like a resort.  After admiring the ambiance I made sure to locate all of the nearest bathrooms!

Anyhow, I decided it wouldn't hurt to drink besides I was aware of every exit near me.  What do you know, the drinking helped.  So I did what every rational person would do, I kept drinking.  This morning I woke up slightly hung over and had to teach an 8:30am class, but I felt like me again, you know slightly hung over and hungry for a greasy meal.  A student was standing near me, and said teacher you smell funny, it's my lotion I quickly said.  HAHAHAHHAHA!  Anyway, I can't believe what whisky can do for your health.  I must never doubt whisky again.

Love and miss you too Stacy!

No longer newbies...

I don’t remember the last time I wrote, I hope it’s been one entry a month at the very least.  The new position I assumed is surprisingly hectic.  The previous manager was very unorganized and then just yesterday got in a motorbike accident and broke some bones.  I wasn’t supposed to transition over until May but it looks like I’m doing all of his old work, teaching a bazillion hours and trying to implement change.  I stopped guitar lessons and I stopped Vietnamese lessons.  Something is obviously wrong….I thought about it last night, and I am determined to continue those 2 hobbies.  I hope that these long hours and no siesta is really just due to the transitional period which is swamping me, but if it continues I’m going to have to walk away.  In May I will resume guitar classes, I’m practicing at home but it’s not really the same.  Also, I somehow convinced the school VLS (Vietnamese Language Studies) that they offer 50% discounts to teachers, and guess what they found a class for me and offered me the discount, ahhahaha!  Vietnam is hilarious sometimes.  It reminds me about this one time when my buddy Genaro and I went to McDonalds and I asked for ice cream.  The cashier said they didn’t have any and after talking to her for about 5 minutes I was able to convince her that she did sell ice cream.  We both walked away with a smile and ice cream in our hands.  He swore I would have also been able to convince them they sold pizza too!  The good ol days!

 

So we’ve been here about 7 months now, and there is this deworm/parasite pill you’re supposed to take biannually.  Paul and I think it’s a load of bull and that it’s another form of mind control, just like the flu shot.  Anyhow, I’ve had a stomach bug for 5 days and counting now, lost like another 3 pounds, looking pretty shredded since I am really just losing water weight.  I am thinking I need that parasite pill.  We are researching now and getting mixed results so it’s hard to determine what to do.  Basically I’m disappearing but looking great on the way out.  Where is that crop top I brought?  Actually, I probably feel the best today, and haven’t vomited yet.  Last night Paul and I were getting anxious for no good reason, we turned to each other at 10pm and looked each other in the eyes and whispered “Frito pie”.  We both ran upstairs in a hurry and gobbled a bowl each.  It was obviously a mistake for me, but when the endorphins kick in from all that soul food it was worth it.

 

I am getting a little homesick and miss driving to Target and proper malls or to my friends house just to hang out.  So glad I’m coming in July, some expat told me how important it is to go home at least once a year.

Update

Since the grand opening of the clinic, Paul has gotten a steady stream of patients.  We are making as much as clinic number 1.  We are already talking about opening a 3rd clinic in about a year.  So far so good and our fingers are crossed!  Just gotta come up with a solid marketing strategy.

As for me, I've been working at my school for 3 months now, and I just got a job offer to become an administrator!  They need assistance with hiring, employee orientation, pacing guides, promotion of new curriculum and also an outlet for the teaching staff to utilize for any concerns.  This came as a shock and honor.  I am glad this opportunity came up because now I can teach less, as much as I enjoy it, like I have said before I can be a very exhausting task.

Paul starts Vietnamese Lessons at a learning center next week.  We have enrolled him for 80 hours!  We have met a few foreigners who are fluent so there's hope for Paul!  My skills are slightly improving, I only meet with a Viet teacher once a week for 2 hours.  Apparently to learn you must take classes 3 times a week.  Maybe with my new schedule, I will be able to take more classes in the future.

I also decided to learn the guitar properly.  I wanted ukulele lessons but they were $25 for 45 mins!  If I learned guitar, lessons are $4 an hour!  So I bought the cheapest guitar I could find and I have been learning how to read notes and count beats all over again!  It is so freaken hard!  But I am going to stick with it and by the end of this trip, I am going to know how to play solos and accompaniment!

Met some really cool people recently!  I'll give you and update about that later!

Saigon Zoo Ranked One of the Oldest Zoos

Per Wiki: Established 133 years ago, the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden is the home of many rare orchids, ornamental plants, and over a hundred species of mammals, reptiles and birds. Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden is a cultural place of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). It was ranked eighth among the oldest zoos in the world. Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden is located on 2B Nguyen Binh Khiem Street, District 1, T.P. Ho Chi Minh City. We went on a cool day and it was such a great relaxing time.  It wasn't crowded, the animals were well taken care of.  A nice place to visit if you have time and enjoy the zoo!

We were so close to the elephants!

Photographed by Pauly

Can you find the poor bunny?

Mui Ne

The unofficial kitesurfing city is 4.5 hours away from us.  During Tet everything was booked 2 months in advance.  Although it seemed impossible to get out of town because we only started thinking about booking a month before, we were so lucky to come across a bed and breakfast in Mui Ne.  This was a beach town with an influx of Russian people.  Everything was in Russian and all the visitors appeared Russian too!  For whatever reason alligators were a big deal here and purses to shoes to alligator meat was sold on every block.  We heard about a jeep tour, so we had to try it.  Our driver was young and cool with tattoos, only 28 and already had 2 kids.  Of course he asked when were were going to have kids...so much pressure in Vietnam!  Anyway we were picked up at 5am and went to see the red and white sand dunes.  Saw how fish sauce is fermented.  Went to a fairy stream waterfall that does wonder for your feet as you walk barefoot through it.  It was a great tour and I recommend it!  The rest of the time we bummed it and hung out at the restaurant with a beach view and ate amazing seafood.  Made a great friend there as well and he lives in HCMC so we are staying in touch.  He's Vietnamese French, the coolest combination ever!  I almost rode an ostrich because Paul dared me, but as I walked up to it, it began to make itself look bigger and I knew that was a bad sign.  Kinda wish I did do it, if only I had liquid courage!  If you're in the area of Saigon, Mui Ne is a must for 3 days at the very least!

Grand Opening Day of DSCC 2 in PMH

We woke up at the crack of dawn.  On Tuesday March 5th, a monk had told us that this was our special day to have the opening and that the lucky time to begin was 6am.  We did a prayer before the doors of our new clinic.  On the table was a whole chicken with the head still attached and folded in such a manner that would bring us good fortune.  Also on the table were 5 fruits, each representing a word in a expression which basically means we are praying to wish for just enough earnings to do well.  A pot filled with old a new incense filled the cool air.  The ritual continued as we lit each incense with special red candles.  We used the same red candles to burn paper money, paper gold and other special Vietnamese paper to send to the Gods of Fortune.  We were honoring them by fulfilling this tradition.

At 8am, the staff from the first clinic arrived and the new staff came to help set up and prepare for the grand opening.  We couldn't have hoped for a more successful turnout.  By 9am, the lobby was filled with people we have met and also of people we have never met.  A week before, Paul walked around our community under the hot hot sun and distributed invitations.  And what do you know, they worked.  Invitations are serious here, I mean the culture is still formal, hence if you receive an invitation, it's almost like an obligation.

In Vietnam, you receive bouquets of flowers from friends and family.  We received our first around 9:30am and then they just kept pouring in and so did visitors and new patients.  It felt so nice to know that so many people appreciate what chiropractic is and they were rooting for us.  I was so happy for Paul.  Today was the first day of his first international office!  I can't tell you how hard he has been working towards this day, so I'm happy that the grand opening kicked off a good start.