(A Belated) May 9th Post

So after much anger and destruction dealing with Facebook chat, texting Google verification codes, and broken text boxes, I am finally able to post to my blog. So here is what should have gone up yesterday:

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Heat. Oh dear lord. The combination of temperature, humidity, stillness, smog, vehicle fumes, and sheer density of buildings forms the most intense heat I have ever experienced. Wake up, shower, go in the hallway: smacked in the face by a wall of heat. The windows on both ends of the hallway are open, pouring in heat and city noise. At seven o clock in the morning. I imagine that breakfast will be similar each day, so I will only talk about it once unless some disparities occur, at which point I will note those accordingly. The orange concoction they serve is spectacular. And then… noodles? I never imagined noodles for breakfast, but, so many noodles. I ate pho soup for breakfast. And dinner. Very strange. Tasty, but strange. The hard boiled eggs looked scary. So, after not-eggs and noodles, we headed out to UEF for reception and class. The university was a walled in, gated compound. White washed walls, and a hugely largely jam packed area in the back for motorcycles. The reception was at once interesting and hilarious. Two students sang songs for us. I would have felt bad taking pictures, so I just watched and conversed with nearby students. I met Loc and Truc (forgive the absence of accent markings, if there are any), who both talked the entire reception period. They asked what I was studying, what I thought of the people singing, where I was going, what I was doing,  etc. And then came the introductions. My word. Matt Long went on to have each of us introduce ourselves. Mr. Tin, our guide and token eccentric Asian man, had a Vietnamese student ask each of us a question after our introductions. The girls may as well have gotten marriage proposals. Some of the guys got similar questions from girls, while others got serious questions concerning the Plus3 program. I was asked what I thought of Vietnam, what I thought of Vietnamese women, if I like to karaoke, and if I want to dance. The girl asking the question had just previously performed a traditional dance for us all. So, naturally, I went up to the front of the room, grabbed a pretty pink fan, and did my absolute best, much to the hilarity of the crowd. Afterwards I went for a hug like a normal American person; Vietnamese do not hug. That was awkward… We then got drinks at the Cantina. The Sprite-style beverage here is exceptional. Our language class was also really fun and interesting. I now command a very small amount of Vietnamese. Hello friend, what is your name? My name is Austin. It was nice to meet you friend. Xin chao ban, ban ten la gi? Toi ten la Austin. Rat vui duoc gap ban. That’s right. Owned. Lunch was extraordinary, as I expect most meals to be. We then came home to change for the consulate visit, at which point I donned my light khaki dress pants and a swell looking light green polo. I fully enjoy looking classy. We drove through one of the wealthier districts of Ho Chi Minh, complete with PUMA stores, Burberry’s, Coffee houses, huge banks, and expensive looking local stores. This two million Dong is burning a hole in my pocket, let me tell you… At any rate, I finish the day exhausted. Whether it was from jet lag or ordinary lack of sleep and heat exhaustion, we will never know. However, we do know that this is going to be an amazing two weeks.

Xin chao, hen gap lai.