First Week in Hai Duong!

Thu Nam Thursday
Vietnamese word of the day: Phu nu::woman

I'm wrapping up my first week of working in Hai Duong. It has definitely been challenging (just ask my father who's been talking me through it everyday via skype!), but I know there will be some big rewards in the future. My students are just the sweetest kids, really. Although they are college age, they have a certain innocence about them which just draws you in. They've also given me some very lovely gifts, such as:

-A watermelon
-Green Bean Cake
-Sweet Milk
-Pork Bread
-Banh Gai Cake
-Vegetables that look like Moroccas
-A face mask to protect against pollution

They call me "Miss Madeline," which slays me. No one has ever really called me by my full name, so I get a kick out of the fact that everyone here insists on calling me by it.

I also really like the other women in the English department. They are all young--I think the oldest one is 30--and they all have small children. I can't wait to meet their families.
We've had some very interesting conversations about the differences between Western women and Vietnamese women. Here are some examples:

Mrs. Bac: How old is your sister?
Me: 27 years old.
Mrs. Bac: How many children does she have?
Me: She doesn't have any yet.
Mrs. Bac: Oh.... This is a difference between Western women and Vietnamese women.

Mrs. Huyen: How do you like the food so far?
Me: I like it OK, but I've gotten a bit sick, so I'm trying to cook for myself mostly.
Mrs. Huyen: Are you a good cook?
Me: No, unfortunately I'm not.
Mrs. Huyen: Oh....This is a difference between Western women and Vietnamese women.
Me: Well, my mother is good cook.
Mrs. Huyen: Then she should teach you.

Mrs. Ngan: Are you married?
Me: No.
Mrs. Ngan: How old are you?
Me: 23 years old.
Mrs. Ngan: When will you get married?
Me: I don't know. Someday I hope.
Mrs. Ngan: Oh....this is a difference between Western women and Vietnamese women......


This weekend I am going into Hanoi to stock up on some oatmeal and other necessities in my life. On Sunday, I am going to meet my friend Mia to go on a bicycle tour of the Red River Delta. I also promised my father that I would make sure to eat some red meat at a good restaurant. I think he is very concerned about the possibility of me a)not getting enough protein, and b)becoming a vegetarian. Currently, the man is devising a way to smuggle some deer jerky through the Vietnamese postal customs...