TGIF

My coconut lady remembered me from yesterday morning and I think we're bonding.  :)  She asked me how old I am... I love that she knows some English. When I left, I said "hen gap lai!" ...meaning, see you again. She loved it! I think I surprise people with that phrase... in a good way.  :P

I brought one mug with me to Vietnam... Lenny and Lexey got it for me a year or so ago. I love it... and so do the kids!  :P

I cannot believe this is only the end of the first week of school. ...Again, not in a bad way... time here is just so different and looong. Each day at school got better and better! I think I'm really going to like it here. The kids have welcomed me in right away and I get so many "Hi Miss Stacia's" at I walk through the halls.

The library has many 'regulars' and I love this. I am slowly learning some kids' names... one girl, Becky, has been in to the library every day so far ...and every time she checks out I have had to ask her what her name is. This morning she gave me a hard time about it... but now I won't forget! I saw her in the hallway later and said "Hi Becky!" - she was stoked!

I've been asking the kids what they like to be called when they check out. Some go by their Vietnamese name but most have a Western nickname that they chose sometime in elementary school. One boy was checking out and I asked him what he likes to be called. His response? ..."Nothing." I said he must be called something... I asked him what his teachers call him... "Nothing". So again, I told him he must be called something... so Something it is! Ha... he laughed and I think we'll be buddies. He came into the library again later in the afternoon and, although he plays it cool, I think he likes his new nickname.

One girl came up to me today and said that she did not have anything for me yesterday for my birthday, but made me a card today... it's beautiful and I've posted it on my desk. What a sweetie :) ...

I'm finding that many of these kids mix up the meaning of check in and check out. It can pose quite some confusion when I am constantly dealing with students checking books in and out, haha. I ask them if they are returning the book... then I repeat whether they mean checking in or out.

I just got back from a mani / pedi with Thi. I love this girl - she's so cute and always tells me that I am lovely.  :P  I should just go to her when I need a pick-me-up. When I was sitting in the chair letting my nails dry a bit, I had my eyes closed and was resting (and sweating in the non-air conditioned salon... nice)... I heard a small voice call - "Sta-see-ya" haha... Thi. I looked over and she giggled and said - "I love you. You so lovely." (More giggling.) So so cute. The first time I got a mani / pedi here it was 80,000 dong. The next time it was 35,000. Today? ...30,000. hahaha... I think this time the 5,000 less was because I did not get a french manicure. And she does not massage or anything... just files and paints. But seriously... my mani / pedi tonight was $1.50. That's crazy.