Cruisin'

My first day driving to school went well! I followed a couple of other teachers to the elementary school in the afternoon for a field day activity. From there, I followed Riki and Saleshni's xe om to their place in Phu My Hung (District 7). We grabbed smoothies and then went for massages.

The massages turned out to be super stressful!  :P  The lady at the front desk got us all set up for hot stone body massages (mmmm yes, please) and then added on that it would be blind men giving us our massages. What? Huh? ...Three blind men? Oooook. We figured we'd just go with it and see if it really turned out to be what we thought we had heard.

 Well, Riki and Saleshni really did have two blind men... mine definitely wasn't blind (confirmed when he helped me look at my map to figure out how to get back up to District 1).

I've had massages done by men before... but massages here are different. There is no careful tuck of the towel to keep you covered in spots... they just kind of throw the towel up. My guy was rough too, hardly any hot stones used... AND the three of them talked and laughed the entire time. We did feel like they were laughing at us... but whatever. I felt like giving them the typical librarian Shhhh  to be able to relax and enjoy the massage.

I had been planning on following Riki and Saleshni's xo om back up into the city to meet up with teachers for drinks but they decided to stay in for the night. I figured I'd go for it on my own, trying to figure out my way back and if I ended up really stuck, I could grab a xe om driver to follow and pay him as if I rode on his bike. I kept my eye on a big tower in the city that I kind of know the location of in respect to where I was attempting to go. I pulled over once to look at my map and miraculously made it to my destination! (I'm still not sure how it really worked out that well... all of a sudden a main street came up near the hotel I had been in and I made it to the Backpacker's area... which I had never been to... and there was the bar... it was bizarre.)

I met up with a group of returning teachers at a bar, Le Pub, in the Backpackers' area. It was nice to be out, see lots of foreigners, and just hang. While we were there, phone calls and texts started coming in to everyone... the Head of School was fired that night (the Friday evening before the first day of school!). There's lots of gossip but still no real answer or reason. The whole situation is really too crazy and much to type about; I'm not sure how I feel about the whole thing. I'm ready to just do my job and carry on... seeing how it affects things as it goes along.

Our principal has called a faculty meeting for early Monday morning (the first day of school!). I have heard that our bell schedule will be changing... a bit nuts but I think that's how things happen here... and the teachers just have to be flexible with the things that come along.

Yesterday (Saturday), about 20 of us took a hydrofoil to a beach - Vung Tao. The beach is on the South China Sea and the boat ride was just over an hour's trip. It turned out to be a great day! I'm a bit burnt (of course) but the water was like bath water and everything felt relaxing... just what I needed.

...My hydrofoil tickets:

Below, Google maps shows where Vung Tao Beach is (A). Ho Chi Minh City is Northwest... the hydrofoil took the river down and out to the open water.

Right when we arrived at the beach I saw carts selling swan floats (and other animals, inner tubes, etc.)... I said I wanted to get a swan! ...After lunch I did buy a swan... a one-winged, patched up swan to be exact haha. A married couple who are also new teachers have two young sons and the three of us had a ball goofing around with the float in the water. The locals around us in the water seemed to think it was hilarious as well!

I drove myself to and from the port on my scooter - looking at the map, I figured out how to make it to a main road that is close to my neighborhood and goes through the center of the city. Coming home, I was driving through some rain and got turned around... ending back up at the river that I had just left! haha... I figured things out though and got home safely.

This morning (Sunday) I met up with a few middle school teachers for breakfast. They knew of this great little French restaurant - there are wonderful restaurants tucked in alleys... I love learning about them. We had lattes and fruit/yogurt trifles... perfect. Again, I drove myself and made it to my destination! I know I'll have some flops here and there driving around buuuut so far so good. I'm actually quite surprised that I'm making it to my destinations.

Last Thursday (just 3 days ago!) on my practice run to school, I figured if I could drive myself just to and from school each day, that would be great. I did not expect to be driving myself all over the city already... but it has ended up happening day by day and it's great!

I've been here just over one month now... it feels like 3. Not in a bad way - just so much has happened and changed that it feels like a longer amount of time. Lately I've been having feelings here and there of wanting to be back home. It'd just be easier... more comfortable... and I could get a big chocolate chip cookie whenever I wanted. I keep reminding myself to enjoy this adventure and stay strong. I think once school is underway it'll be good... I'm looking forward to meeting the students and hope to become a part of this school.