Sunday, August 31, 2008
We are multi-millionaires!!
Steven was paid this Friday for his week long orientation and also recieved a $600 advance for next month's salaray towards our apartment deposit. He came home with over 18 million dong. We figure this may be the only time we will ever be able to consider oursevels millionaires. We took pitures of all of the bills to provide proof of our nuevo-rich status as well as to show you how pretty the money is in Vietnam.
Our Orange Apartment
We went back to see our Orange Apartment to finalize our decision and decided on the cab ride over and the cab ride back that it was really too far from the school and the main part of the city to be practical. I still took pictures (albeit a little blurry) so I could show you all what could have been if it had only been in District 10...
Friday, August 29, 2008
From Nice House to Lan Lan 2
My friend Jill asked me this morning, "What does it look like there?" So I got past my fear of looking too much like a tourist and took a photojournalistic look at my walk back from Nice House in the Pham Ngu Lau Backpacker's District to my Hotel Room at the lovely Lan Lan 2.
Apartment Hunting Day 3
At 2:00 on Thursday, I went to Nice House to meet with Anh, but learned upon arrival that he was not in and that we would have to reschedule for tomorrow. I returned back to the hotel and found that I had an email from Phuong, who I was supposed to meet with on Friday, asking if we could see the apartments that afternoon. I coordinated with Steven to meet her at 4:30 at her office and we were off.
At Phuong's office with met up with two other teachers from AIS and climbed into a cab for our first destination. As we pulled up in the neighborhood, Steven and I began to recognize our surroundings and soon found ourselves outside of the same high rise in District 4 we had been taken to on our first day. Because all of the apartments are individually owned, many trips to the same building can reveal very different apartments, but we had already decided against that particular building due to its location and sterility. We were again shown a beautiful apartment with a spectacular view, voiced our compliments and headed back down to the waiting taxi.
The second place we were shown was in District 1 in a more residential neighborhood in a converted hotel. The room was a studio apartment on the fourth floor (which sounds deceptively close to the ground, but which in Vietnam requires one to climb up eight flights of stairs). It was one big room furnished room with a bed, desk, armoire, kitchen (which included a fridge, separate stove burners (no oven), sink and cabinet space) and full bath. As Steven and I had already decided against a single room, it was another bust, but our companions expressed an interest so it was worth the trip.
As we walked up to the third place on our list, Phuong turned from the landlord and said to us, "You've seen this place already?" To which, after looking up at the dirty staircase in the grungy building in front of us, I replied, "yes." We were back at the first place we'd seen on our first day of searching.
Not yet deterred, we traveled on to our last destination in District 5. We pulled up in front of a wide, squat apartment building on a busy street and walked up wide concrete staircase in an airy breezeway to a second story apartment. The apartment was a three bedroom apartment for $500 including utilities. The front door opened up into a large attractive living room with a semi-circular sectional leather sofa in a deep burgundy. To the left of the doorway in an extension of the living room, sat a small glass dining room table surrounded by six attractive metal chairs upholstered with Asian themed fabric. A hallway from the living room let to the two main bedrooms and an Asian-style bathroom (with no separate bathing area, simply a tiled room with a shower head on the wall and a drain in the middle of the floor). The main bedroom, furnished with a large bed and attractive armoire sat on the street side and the second bedroom sat across the hall on the same side as the bathroom. A full kitchen sat to the left of the entrance, away from the street. Leading off the kitchen was an unfurnished third room which Steven immediately dubbed the "exercise room," spilling out onto a second balcony which we were told would house the washing machine. I was immediately put off by the noise of the street which penetrated the atmosphere of the apartment and wasn't giving the apartment any consideration until I noticed Steven looking around approvingly and asking detailed questions of the landlords. I cornered him on the balcony and asked if he was interested in the place and found that he was, so I went back in to look with a more critical eye. Upon closer look I found the apartment to be very nice that landlords, a middle-aged Vietnamese couple alone could have sold me on the place, with their open, friendly faces and their attempts to communicate with us without words. Still somewhat unsure due to the noise of the traffic, Steven and I told them that we would make a decision within the next few days and headed home with a plan to check out the area around our previous first choice apartment to see if viewing the area at night would help us with our decision one way or the other.
At Phuong's office with met up with two other teachers from AIS and climbed into a cab for our first destination. As we pulled up in the neighborhood, Steven and I began to recognize our surroundings and soon found ourselves outside of the same high rise in District 4 we had been taken to on our first day. Because all of the apartments are individually owned, many trips to the same building can reveal very different apartments, but we had already decided against that particular building due to its location and sterility. We were again shown a beautiful apartment with a spectacular view, voiced our compliments and headed back down to the waiting taxi.
The second place we were shown was in District 1 in a more residential neighborhood in a converted hotel. The room was a studio apartment on the fourth floor (which sounds deceptively close to the ground, but which in Vietnam requires one to climb up eight flights of stairs). It was one big room furnished room with a bed, desk, armoire, kitchen (which included a fridge, separate stove burners (no oven), sink and cabinet space) and full bath. As Steven and I had already decided against a single room, it was another bust, but our companions expressed an interest so it was worth the trip.
As we walked up to the third place on our list, Phuong turned from the landlord and said to us, "You've seen this place already?" To which, after looking up at the dirty staircase in the grungy building in front of us, I replied, "yes." We were back at the first place we'd seen on our first day of searching.
Not yet deterred, we traveled on to our last destination in District 5. We pulled up in front of a wide, squat apartment building on a busy street and walked up wide concrete staircase in an airy breezeway to a second story apartment. The apartment was a three bedroom apartment for $500 including utilities. The front door opened up into a large attractive living room with a semi-circular sectional leather sofa in a deep burgundy. To the left of the doorway in an extension of the living room, sat a small glass dining room table surrounded by six attractive metal chairs upholstered with Asian themed fabric. A hallway from the living room let to the two main bedrooms and an Asian-style bathroom (with no separate bathing area, simply a tiled room with a shower head on the wall and a drain in the middle of the floor). The main bedroom, furnished with a large bed and attractive armoire sat on the street side and the second bedroom sat across the hall on the same side as the bathroom. A full kitchen sat to the left of the entrance, away from the street. Leading off the kitchen was an unfurnished third room which Steven immediately dubbed the "exercise room," spilling out onto a second balcony which we were told would house the washing machine. I was immediately put off by the noise of the street which penetrated the atmosphere of the apartment and wasn't giving the apartment any consideration until I noticed Steven looking around approvingly and asking detailed questions of the landlords. I cornered him on the balcony and asked if he was interested in the place and found that he was, so I went back in to look with a more critical eye. Upon closer look I found the apartment to be very nice that landlords, a middle-aged Vietnamese couple alone could have sold me on the place, with their open, friendly faces and their attempts to communicate with us without words. Still somewhat unsure due to the noise of the traffic, Steven and I told them that we would make a decision within the next few days and headed home with a plan to check out the area around our previous first choice apartment to see if viewing the area at night would help us with our decision one way or the other.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Sharon's Big Day Out
I must admit that I was initially feeling a little tinge of "Sheltered Wife Syndrome" during our first week here. I was happy to go out and explore with Steven by my side, but when he was otherwise engaged with his school activities on Sunday and Tuesday, I was happy to while away the day in the hotel room, answering emails, researching local publications, doing our laundry in the tub. But yesterday, after chastising myself for being an unadventurous shut-in, I decided to head out on my own.
I had a singular mission, to buy an electrical voltage converter, and I assured that I wouldn't get caught up in email again and never leave, by leaving at the same time Steven did that morning. I rushed out without proper footwear, without sunscreen and no bottled water, but I was out! I initially walked through the Ben Thanh Market which is a big indoor local market two blocks from our hotel, selling everything from bulk portions of dried fish, to shampoos, to clothes and house wares to tourist souvenirs. But no converters.
I left the market and walked down a little street away from the hotels hoping to leave the hotel district and find the electrical converter district. After making a few turns, I came upon a bike store and pantomimed my way to quote of 50.000d (or $3.03) for a bike pump with a special attachment for our tires. Not on my list for the day, but a good find nonetheless. I rounded the corner and came upon a little Hindu temple that I knew Steven had wanted to see. Another success. Walking further out onto the main road, I crossed the street without getting run over (another success) and found a little store not half a block down selling electrical voltage converters! I forgot how much fun it is to accomplish the smallest thing in a new place.
On my way back, I picked up a 5 Liter bottle of water and half a kilo of rambutans, my favorite Asian fruit.
Pleased with the success of my morning mission, I set out that afternoon to Pham Ngu Lau and Nice House where I wanted to meet with an agent about our apartment search. I decided to take a different way since our normal way has became a well worn path and found myself lost and wandering around in District One for an hour. I did come across a Co-Op Mart and wandered in to see what they had. I was stunned to see that they carried my favorite cereal, Crandberry Almond Crunch (if you haven't tried this stuff it is delicious), but it was over 70,000d, around $4.50, the same price as at home and I couldn't see spending that much for cereal when Steven and I can both a nice meal for that price. But once we have our own place, I might treat myself... I bought some yogurt and cheese for Steven because I know he's been craving them and then asked another western shopper for directions to where I was going.
I made it to Pham Ngu Lau with an hour to spare and had lunch at my new favorite restaurant in the city, Zen, a vegetarian restaurant with an extensive Vietnamese, Indian and Mexican menu. I ordered stir fried noodles and vegetables and a bottled water for $1.51 and ate a delicious meal while reading up on my Vietnamese pronunciation in my Lonely Planet Vietnamese Phrase Book.
After lunch, I went over to Nice House and met with Anh, who told me that he had a one-bedroom available in a house in District 3 that he could show me tomorrow. We confirmed an appointment at 2:00 p.m. and I headed back to the hotel for a quick break before meeting up with Steven at the school at 4:00 p.m.
I had a singular mission, to buy an electrical voltage converter, and I assured that I wouldn't get caught up in email again and never leave, by leaving at the same time Steven did that morning. I rushed out without proper footwear, without sunscreen and no bottled water, but I was out! I initially walked through the Ben Thanh Market which is a big indoor local market two blocks from our hotel, selling everything from bulk portions of dried fish, to shampoos, to clothes and house wares to tourist souvenirs. But no converters.
I left the market and walked down a little street away from the hotels hoping to leave the hotel district and find the electrical converter district. After making a few turns, I came upon a bike store and pantomimed my way to quote of 50.000d (or $3.03) for a bike pump with a special attachment for our tires. Not on my list for the day, but a good find nonetheless. I rounded the corner and came upon a little Hindu temple that I knew Steven had wanted to see. Another success. Walking further out onto the main road, I crossed the street without getting run over (another success) and found a little store not half a block down selling electrical voltage converters! I forgot how much fun it is to accomplish the smallest thing in a new place.
On my way back, I picked up a 5 Liter bottle of water and half a kilo of rambutans, my favorite Asian fruit.
Pleased with the success of my morning mission, I set out that afternoon to Pham Ngu Lau and Nice House where I wanted to meet with an agent about our apartment search. I decided to take a different way since our normal way has became a well worn path and found myself lost and wandering around in District One for an hour. I did come across a Co-Op Mart and wandered in to see what they had. I was stunned to see that they carried my favorite cereal, Crandberry Almond Crunch (if you haven't tried this stuff it is delicious), but it was over 70,000d, around $4.50, the same price as at home and I couldn't see spending that much for cereal when Steven and I can both a nice meal for that price. But once we have our own place, I might treat myself... I bought some yogurt and cheese for Steven because I know he's been craving them and then asked another western shopper for directions to where I was going.
I made it to Pham Ngu Lau with an hour to spare and had lunch at my new favorite restaurant in the city, Zen, a vegetarian restaurant with an extensive Vietnamese, Indian and Mexican menu. I ordered stir fried noodles and vegetables and a bottled water for $1.51 and ate a delicious meal while reading up on my Vietnamese pronunciation in my Lonely Planet Vietnamese Phrase Book.
After lunch, I went over to Nice House and met with Anh, who told me that he had a one-bedroom available in a house in District 3 that he could show me tomorrow. We confirmed an appointment at 2:00 p.m. and I headed back to the hotel for a quick break before meeting up with Steven at the school at 4:00 p.m.
Orientation Day One
On Monday, I was invited to join Steven at his orientation at his new place of employment, the American International School of HCMC. The schedule consisted of talks on Vietnamese Culture, the structure of the school, payroll and other HR topics, Health Insurance and the use of IT Services at the school. While not everything applied to me, I thought the general information would be worthwhile.
The initial discussion on culture was led by the schools Principal, Mark Uerkvitz, a long time ex-pat and a very down-to-earth, knowledgeable, guy with a great sense of humor. He explained the many difference between Vietnamese Culture and Mainstream Western Cultures:
Western Cultures
1. Individualist Mentality
2. Independence Highly Valued
3. Emphasis on Being Right
4. Business is Business (Get to the point)
5. Direct Communication
6. Self-Controlled Destiny
7. Yes = Yes
8. Silence is Uncomfortable
9. Conflict is Functional
10.Low Context Communication - Emphasis on Words
Vietnamese Culture
1. Collectivist Mentality
2. Interdependence Critical to Success
3. Emphasis on "Saving Face"
4. Business is Personal (Emphasis on Relationships)
5. Indirect Communication.
6. Strong Belief in Luck and Fate
7. Yes = Acknowledgement (could mean no)
8. Silence is Respected
9. Conflict is Dysfunctional
10.High Context Comm - Emphasis on Non-Verbal/what is NOT said, etc.
The rest of the day went well and was also quite interesting. I was able to make some contacts with a real estate agent and a teacher who is involved with a local NGO, East Meets West. It was also nice to be able to meet and talk with some of Steven's new colleagues and to see those that I have already met.
The schedule for the rest of the week was more teacher specific and I decided to use the week to get some other tasks out of the way and leave the orienting to Steven. I will save a blog space for him to update you on his experiences.
The initial discussion on culture was led by the schools Principal, Mark Uerkvitz, a long time ex-pat and a very down-to-earth, knowledgeable, guy with a great sense of humor. He explained the many difference between Vietnamese Culture and Mainstream Western Cultures:
Western Cultures
1. Individualist Mentality
2. Independence Highly Valued
3. Emphasis on Being Right
4. Business is Business (Get to the point)
5. Direct Communication
6. Self-Controlled Destiny
7. Yes = Yes
8. Silence is Uncomfortable
9. Conflict is Functional
10.Low Context Communication - Emphasis on Words
Vietnamese Culture
1. Collectivist Mentality
2. Interdependence Critical to Success
3. Emphasis on "Saving Face"
4. Business is Personal (Emphasis on Relationships)
5. Indirect Communication.
6. Strong Belief in Luck and Fate
7. Yes = Acknowledgement (could mean no)
8. Silence is Respected
9. Conflict is Dysfunctional
10.High Context Comm - Emphasis on Non-Verbal/what is NOT said, etc.
The rest of the day went well and was also quite interesting. I was able to make some contacts with a real estate agent and a teacher who is involved with a local NGO, East Meets West. It was also nice to be able to meet and talk with some of Steven's new colleagues and to see those that I have already met.
The schedule for the rest of the week was more teacher specific and I decided to use the week to get some other tasks out of the way and leave the orienting to Steven. I will save a blog space for him to update you on his experiences.
Apartment Hunting Day 2
Since our first day out, I've been working on my connections in the HCMC real estate business. On Monday I received a contact from another teacher at the school and have tentative plans to meet up with her to see apartments on Friday. I made an appointment with Nice House to see a one-bedroom pace in District 3 at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday and I've been in contact with Dung (pronounced "Yoouu") aka Donavan, whom Steven and I have grown fond of since our first meeting at the airport, and had arranged with him to see some places on Wednesday Afternoon.
On Wednesday afternoon, I took my second moto taxi ("xe om") ride to the school - the first on Tuesday, which was technically "Apartment Hunting Day 2" but since we only saw one three-bedroom apartment, in another modern high-rise, very much out of our price range, I won't count it. I loved my xe om driver and tried to memorize his face (I need to learn how to say "what is your name" in Vietnamese) so that I could find him again. He was a very unaggressive driver, which made for a pleasant ride, quoted me a very just price which I didn't even have to bargain down and knew exactly where he was going, even with a short cut, as oppossed to other drivers who are agressive, high-bidders who have no idea where they are going! If I had money or anywhere to go on a regular basis, I would have tried to hire him full time!
When I arrived at the school, Dung wasn't ready, so I visited with Steven in his new classroom (I'll have to take pictures next time) where he showed me his fancy projector that can instantaneously project what is on your laptop on to the whiteboard and told me about his day. At 4:30, we joined two other teachers, Paula and Andrew, in a taxi with Dung and headed out to the first apartment. It was in the Binh Thanh District, which is just North of Districts 1 and 3, but not too far from the school, which was an area we had not yet been.
I immediately liked the neighborhood. It was very residential with rows of what now seem to be traditional HCMC three or four story houses that I love and wider, less congested streets. My enthusiasm waned a bit when we rounded the corner along the canal and pulled up to an enormous old apartment building that looked like something straight out of an 80's horror flick, complete with gated porches and an unkempt front plaza. We followed Dung and the landlady up to the top (17th) floor where we exited the elevator onto a similarly horror-movie-esque hallway with gated accordion doors. But when she opened the gate, revealing a nice modern dark wood front door, which led into an extremely bright and homey apartment, I was hooked. The walls, if I am remembering correctly, were two toned, top and bottom with a thin tile strip separating the bright orange from the bright red. The door led into a small hallway leading to a living room with bright orange sofas. From the living room, at the far end, you could walk out on to the gated in balcony with a washing machine and an incredible view of the city. Directly across from the balcony, to your immediate right upon entering living room, was the entrance to the dining room/kitchen/bath area; a small dining are with a table, chairs and shelving area separated from the kitchen by a thick tiled partition wall that stopped a few feet from the ceiling, with one-foot-square "window" holes into the kitchen. The kitchen, about the same size as the dining area, housed a mini-fridge (about half the size of a regular sized fridge in the states, or twice the size of a dorm fridge), a mini-stove, and a regular sized sink and counter space. The entrance to the bathroom was located to the left on the back kitchen wall and was a regular sized bathroom with a shower stall with a sliding door. The entrance to the bedroom was to the left of the entrance to the kitchen, off of the living room and was a nice sized bedroom painted a soothing blue with a full sized bed, armoire and a vanity desk. The view out the bedroom window was identical to that from the balcony. I immediately loved the little place with its bright walls, bright furniture and arty touches, forgetting that it was on the 17th floor of an apartment building on Elm Street. Steven, although not as enamored with the paint job as I, also seemed to like the place.
We left the landlady with some questions and the idea that we liked the place and would follow up, to see another place in the same building. We took to elevator down to the basement entrance, which seemed less forbidding and more practical through my new potential resident perspective. In the middle of the front plaza, we noticed what seemed to be a club house with a garage-type gym and pool area. Another plus.
When we arrived at the other side of the building we learned that the other apartment we were scheduled to see had already been taken. I immediately thought of my little Mexican Cantina Apartment on the 17th floor and wondered how long it would be on the market if we waited too long to weigh our options. Still wanting to see a little more of what was out there, Steven and I decided to keep our appointments on Thursday and Friday and take the chance that the apartment may be rented before we make our decision.
After returning to the hotel, we went with Paula and Andrew to see a neighborhood in District One referred to as the "white ghetto," where Paula had her heart set on a place. We walked straight from our hotel to the Dong Khoi area which caters to the cities many expats and well off Vietnamese. Paula led us past countless upscale hotels, designer stores and fancy restaurants before turning into a nondescript alley way, informing us "now this is where the fun begins." As soon as we stepped into the neighborhood, the noise of the street ceased as if we were stepping into a vacuum. The dimly lit alley led into a labyrinth of narrow streets lined by narrow row houses with ornate balconies and well manicured gardens.
We wandered around admiring the buildings, noting the many "Room for Rent" signs and decided to see one just to get an idea of what was available. At the first few houses, we were told that either the rooms were no longer available or that it was too late to see them. Finally at the fourth place we tried, we found a young man playing the piano, and his mother, willing to show us a room she had available.
Many of these buildings are set up similarly to a smaller Vietnamese Hotel, with a small living area and maybe a small kitchen on the first floor, separated by a the bottom steps of a beautiful spiral staircase which leads all the way to the top of the building. Each floor houses a room either with, or without, an individual kitchen (a "kitchen" being a furniture piece the size of a small entertainment center with a sink, counter top burners and cabinets both below and above the counter). The room that we were shown had a separate entrance off of the small courtyard, which would allow the occupant to avoid having to go through the communal living room to get to the room. It was a big room with beautiful dark wood furniture and a full sized bath. Paula fell in love immediately and it was neat to be there to share in her joy at having found a place.
Although the area was nice, Steven and I decided that we wanted to keep looking for a multi-room place in a more Vietnamese neighborhood.
On Wednesday afternoon, I took my second moto taxi ("xe om") ride to the school - the first on Tuesday, which was technically "Apartment Hunting Day 2" but since we only saw one three-bedroom apartment, in another modern high-rise, very much out of our price range, I won't count it. I loved my xe om driver and tried to memorize his face (I need to learn how to say "what is your name" in Vietnamese) so that I could find him again. He was a very unaggressive driver, which made for a pleasant ride, quoted me a very just price which I didn't even have to bargain down and knew exactly where he was going, even with a short cut, as oppossed to other drivers who are agressive, high-bidders who have no idea where they are going! If I had money or anywhere to go on a regular basis, I would have tried to hire him full time!
When I arrived at the school, Dung wasn't ready, so I visited with Steven in his new classroom (I'll have to take pictures next time) where he showed me his fancy projector that can instantaneously project what is on your laptop on to the whiteboard and told me about his day. At 4:30, we joined two other teachers, Paula and Andrew, in a taxi with Dung and headed out to the first apartment. It was in the Binh Thanh District, which is just North of Districts 1 and 3, but not too far from the school, which was an area we had not yet been.
I immediately liked the neighborhood. It was very residential with rows of what now seem to be traditional HCMC three or four story houses that I love and wider, less congested streets. My enthusiasm waned a bit when we rounded the corner along the canal and pulled up to an enormous old apartment building that looked like something straight out of an 80's horror flick, complete with gated porches and an unkempt front plaza. We followed Dung and the landlady up to the top (17th) floor where we exited the elevator onto a similarly horror-movie-esque hallway with gated accordion doors. But when she opened the gate, revealing a nice modern dark wood front door, which led into an extremely bright and homey apartment, I was hooked. The walls, if I am remembering correctly, were two toned, top and bottom with a thin tile strip separating the bright orange from the bright red. The door led into a small hallway leading to a living room with bright orange sofas. From the living room, at the far end, you could walk out on to the gated in balcony with a washing machine and an incredible view of the city. Directly across from the balcony, to your immediate right upon entering living room, was the entrance to the dining room/kitchen/bath area; a small dining are with a table, chairs and shelving area separated from the kitchen by a thick tiled partition wall that stopped a few feet from the ceiling, with one-foot-square "window" holes into the kitchen. The kitchen, about the same size as the dining area, housed a mini-fridge (about half the size of a regular sized fridge in the states, or twice the size of a dorm fridge), a mini-stove, and a regular sized sink and counter space. The entrance to the bathroom was located to the left on the back kitchen wall and was a regular sized bathroom with a shower stall with a sliding door. The entrance to the bedroom was to the left of the entrance to the kitchen, off of the living room and was a nice sized bedroom painted a soothing blue with a full sized bed, armoire and a vanity desk. The view out the bedroom window was identical to that from the balcony. I immediately loved the little place with its bright walls, bright furniture and arty touches, forgetting that it was on the 17th floor of an apartment building on Elm Street. Steven, although not as enamored with the paint job as I, also seemed to like the place.
We left the landlady with some questions and the idea that we liked the place and would follow up, to see another place in the same building. We took to elevator down to the basement entrance, which seemed less forbidding and more practical through my new potential resident perspective. In the middle of the front plaza, we noticed what seemed to be a club house with a garage-type gym and pool area. Another plus.
When we arrived at the other side of the building we learned that the other apartment we were scheduled to see had already been taken. I immediately thought of my little Mexican Cantina Apartment on the 17th floor and wondered how long it would be on the market if we waited too long to weigh our options. Still wanting to see a little more of what was out there, Steven and I decided to keep our appointments on Thursday and Friday and take the chance that the apartment may be rented before we make our decision.
After returning to the hotel, we went with Paula and Andrew to see a neighborhood in District One referred to as the "white ghetto," where Paula had her heart set on a place. We walked straight from our hotel to the Dong Khoi area which caters to the cities many expats and well off Vietnamese. Paula led us past countless upscale hotels, designer stores and fancy restaurants before turning into a nondescript alley way, informing us "now this is where the fun begins." As soon as we stepped into the neighborhood, the noise of the street ceased as if we were stepping into a vacuum. The dimly lit alley led into a labyrinth of narrow streets lined by narrow row houses with ornate balconies and well manicured gardens.
We wandered around admiring the buildings, noting the many "Room for Rent" signs and decided to see one just to get an idea of what was available. At the first few houses, we were told that either the rooms were no longer available or that it was too late to see them. Finally at the fourth place we tried, we found a young man playing the piano, and his mother, willing to show us a room she had available.
Many of these buildings are set up similarly to a smaller Vietnamese Hotel, with a small living area and maybe a small kitchen on the first floor, separated by a the bottom steps of a beautiful spiral staircase which leads all the way to the top of the building. Each floor houses a room either with, or without, an individual kitchen (a "kitchen" being a furniture piece the size of a small entertainment center with a sink, counter top burners and cabinets both below and above the counter). The room that we were shown had a separate entrance off of the small courtyard, which would allow the occupant to avoid having to go through the communal living room to get to the room. It was a big room with beautiful dark wood furniture and a full sized bath. Paula fell in love immediately and it was neat to be there to share in her joy at having found a place.
Although the area was nice, Steven and I decided that we wanted to keep looking for a multi-room place in a more Vietnamese neighborhood.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Apartment Hunting - Day One
The school has put all of us up on a nice hotel for two weeks to give us time to find an apartment. Yesterday we went with Thi from the school to see a few apartments in the area. Everyone in the group was looking for a one-bedroom apartment in the $400 - $600 price range (Steven and I, on the lower end). The first apartment we were shown was in an old, grungy looking building that Steven likened to a Cambodian Prison. The apartment itself wasn't bad, but what they considered "furnished" was a weathered outdoor patio set as living room furniture, a rusty metal work table as a dresser, no bed and no shower. I couldn't see myself making a "home" there even for 10 months at $450 a month.
The second place they took us was in a high rise in District 4 (we are staying in District 1 which is the central district and the school is in District 10, which is northwest of District 1. District 4 is east of District 1 which is a little farther than we'd hoped to live.) The apartment was beautiful, but the woman wanted $600, and due to the distance and that fact that we really don't want to live in a high-rise, so impersonal and away from the culture we want to experience, we decided to move on.
The third place was a cute one-bedroom apartment for $500, also in a high-rise, but with mostly Vietnamese residents, in District 3, which is much closer to District 10. It was good to see that we could afford something nice in a nice area, but we decided to keep looking to see if we can find something a little less expensive and in a more residential area in a community with local markets, etc.
So the search continues.
The second place they took us was in a high rise in District 4 (we are staying in District 1 which is the central district and the school is in District 10, which is northwest of District 1. District 4 is east of District 1 which is a little farther than we'd hoped to live.) The apartment was beautiful, but the woman wanted $600, and due to the distance and that fact that we really don't want to live in a high-rise, so impersonal and away from the culture we want to experience, we decided to move on.
The third place was a cute one-bedroom apartment for $500, also in a high-rise, but with mostly Vietnamese residents, in District 3, which is much closer to District 10. It was good to see that we could afford something nice in a nice area, but we decided to keep looking to see if we can find something a little less expensive and in a more residential area in a community with local markets, etc.
So the search continues.
Out on the Town
Friday night, Steven and I got together with four of the other teachers at AIS and headed back to the market for dinner and then down to Pham Ngu Lao, the backpackers area, for a few drinks. At the first bar we came to, after asking to be sat upstairs away from the noise of the television, we were shown to the third floor were we had our own private bar for the evening with darts, a pool table, a ready attendant and a variety of mp3s from which to select our evening's soundtrack. It was great fun and reminded me how often when you travel it is easy to find the comforts of home and how our lives often share similarities with people living on the other side of the world, we just need to visit them to find that out.
Getting Around
Steven and I have been mostly walking to our destinations in the past few days. We've remastered the Vietnamese art of crossing the street, which basically entails stepping directly out into the endless stream of motorbikes, bikes, cars, buses and cyclos between you and your desired destination and continuning at an unbroken pace until you reach the other side. The bikes easily flow around you, while the cars and buses pose a greater obstical, so we've learned to be more aware of cars and buses which seem to have grown in number since we were here last. I've regained my confidence, but still grab Steven's hand at the sight of a rapidly approaching car or when the light turns as we are walking across just in front of the mass of motorbikes that inevitablely forms at the head of each intersection.
We took our first moto-taxi home from the school the other day and remembered how much we enjoyed them. We were approached on the street for a ride by a man we mutually agreed afterward must not have been a real taxi driver, but rather a man seizing an opportunity to make some money. When he asked where we were going, we handed him the card to our hotel and he nodded as if he were familiar with the address and proceeded to call over a friend to be the second driver (although Vietnamese family's can fit up to five people on one scooter, it is apparentely illegal for commercial drivers, or those posing as such, to take more than one passenger). As soon as we took off, and a numerious times throughout our ride, our drivers pulled up and/or rode along side each other discussing how to get to our destination. Steven and I shared knowing glances, wondering why it is we always seemed to get the guys who don't know where they are going, and sat back to enjoy the ride. I immediately remembered how much I enjoyed riding with these moto-taxi guys and almost as immediately settled into my passenger strategy to maintain this enjoyment, which involves never looking directly ahead, thereby avoiding views of rapidly approaching cars and buses, backs of parked cars, slow moving bicycles and cyclos, all of which my driver drove headlong into with last minute vears to the left and right and a rarely decreasing speed. Our amusement was increased by observing the conversations of our drivers, who were obviously still unsure of our destination, until Steven pulled out a map and showed them where to go. Soon after we pulled up outside our hotel, dismounted, returned our helmets and paid our drivers for the ride, thanking them for getting us to where we wanted to go and happy for the scenic tour we'd received.
We took our first moto-taxi home from the school the other day and remembered how much we enjoyed them. We were approached on the street for a ride by a man we mutually agreed afterward must not have been a real taxi driver, but rather a man seizing an opportunity to make some money. When he asked where we were going, we handed him the card to our hotel and he nodded as if he were familiar with the address and proceeded to call over a friend to be the second driver (although Vietnamese family's can fit up to five people on one scooter, it is apparentely illegal for commercial drivers, or those posing as such, to take more than one passenger). As soon as we took off, and a numerious times throughout our ride, our drivers pulled up and/or rode along side each other discussing how to get to our destination. Steven and I shared knowing glances, wondering why it is we always seemed to get the guys who don't know where they are going, and sat back to enjoy the ride. I immediately remembered how much I enjoyed riding with these moto-taxi guys and almost as immediately settled into my passenger strategy to maintain this enjoyment, which involves never looking directly ahead, thereby avoiding views of rapidly approaching cars and buses, backs of parked cars, slow moving bicycles and cyclos, all of which my driver drove headlong into with last minute vears to the left and right and a rarely decreasing speed. Our amusement was increased by observing the conversations of our drivers, who were obviously still unsure of our destination, until Steven pulled out a map and showed them where to go. Soon after we pulled up outside our hotel, dismounted, returned our helmets and paid our drivers for the ride, thanking them for getting us to where we wanted to go and happy for the scenic tour we'd received.
Our Daily "Strangest Thing" List
Being in a new culture, we are bound to see things that we haven't seen before, but living in Vietnam there are so many things we haven't seen before. So Steven and I have begun discussing the absolute strangest thing we see each day and decided to compile the list to share with you. We will simply keep adding to this post each day (pictures to come).
August 20 - Unidentifiable snail-like creatures for sale in the market
August 21 - "Puffed" Sticky Rice - served in a ball the size of a human head
August 22 - A Bottle Drinking Race between babies on a Vietnamese Game Show
August 20 - Unidentifiable snail-like creatures for sale in the market
August 21 - "Puffed" Sticky Rice - served in a ball the size of a human head
August 22 - A Bottle Drinking Race between babies on a Vietnamese Game Show
Friday, August 22, 2008
Ho Chi Minh City
After 27 hours of travel, having confirmed our luggage's arrival in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC) the following day while we were in Seoul, Steven and I arrived in our new home city.
While I dealt with our luggage claim/confirmation for Friday Morning (which did arrive, thankfully, as promised), Steven went outside where he met Donavan, one of the schools coordinators, who had a new mini-van (i.e. school bus) waiting for us.
Our drive from the airport was pleasant and we both felt rested and full after some long naps and tasty food on the plane. We were taken to the hotel that we would be staying in for the next two weeks, the Lan Lan 2 and immediate partook in a hot shower. We spent the next hour or so unpacking our carry on's, which I had uncharacteristically packed for just such a scenario in which we would have to live a few days without our luggage, checking out Vietnamese cable channels (no CNN or BBC, much to our dismay - although we found later that we can get CNN without the picutre, but we can still see the news) and settling in.
We woke the next morning and headed down for breakfast, which turned out to be, not the french baguette and coffee I had expected, but a huge spread of fruit, rice cakes, two types of Vietnamese noodle soup, chicken curry, two types of stiky rice, sauteed corn and a variety of other dishes.
At breakfast we met a few of the other teachers from AIS and learned that we would be picked up at 2:00 p.m.for a tour of the elementary and middle/high schools. We spent the morning seeking out familiar places and found our old hotel and a few other familiar spots and checking out life on the street. The only noticable change from 2005 was the dwindling number of cyclos on the street. Apparently the government is trying to phase out this mode of transport due to its adverse effect on the rapid flow of traffic, which is sad because so many of the cyclo drivers are former South Vietnamese Soldiers who can't legally work for the government and have limited employment opportunities, not to mention limited funds required to purchase the next class of "taxi," a motor scooter.
At 2:00 p.m. we were taken on a brief tour of both the elementary school, which used to house the entire school population, and the middle and high schools. The schools were both very nice and modernly equipped. We also met some of Steven's future co-wokers, both the international staff and the Vietnamese administration, all of whom were very friendly and welcoming.
After our tour we headed back to our hotel where we met up with another fellow teacher and headed to the market for dinner. The market is surrounded by tents housing fully set tables and chairs and an open kithen, serving up delicious meals at very inexpensive prices. Steven, Paula and I settled in for a delicious meal of grilled red snapper, grilled morning glory with garlic and rice, with an ever present side of fish sauce which I adore, and two drinks all for the bargain price of $12.
After dinner, with the exhaustion of living for two days on the other side of the world from the one we're used to, we headed back to the hotel and crashed.
While I dealt with our luggage claim/confirmation for Friday Morning (which did arrive, thankfully, as promised), Steven went outside where he met Donavan, one of the schools coordinators, who had a new mini-van (i.e. school bus) waiting for us.
Our drive from the airport was pleasant and we both felt rested and full after some long naps and tasty food on the plane. We were taken to the hotel that we would be staying in for the next two weeks, the Lan Lan 2 and immediate partook in a hot shower. We spent the next hour or so unpacking our carry on's, which I had uncharacteristically packed for just such a scenario in which we would have to live a few days without our luggage, checking out Vietnamese cable channels (no CNN or BBC, much to our dismay - although we found later that we can get CNN without the picutre, but we can still see the news) and settling in.
We woke the next morning and headed down for breakfast, which turned out to be, not the french baguette and coffee I had expected, but a huge spread of fruit, rice cakes, two types of Vietnamese noodle soup, chicken curry, two types of stiky rice, sauteed corn and a variety of other dishes.
At breakfast we met a few of the other teachers from AIS and learned that we would be picked up at 2:00 p.m.for a tour of the elementary and middle/high schools. We spent the morning seeking out familiar places and found our old hotel and a few other familiar spots and checking out life on the street. The only noticable change from 2005 was the dwindling number of cyclos on the street. Apparently the government is trying to phase out this mode of transport due to its adverse effect on the rapid flow of traffic, which is sad because so many of the cyclo drivers are former South Vietnamese Soldiers who can't legally work for the government and have limited employment opportunities, not to mention limited funds required to purchase the next class of "taxi," a motor scooter.
At 2:00 p.m. we were taken on a brief tour of both the elementary school, which used to house the entire school population, and the middle and high schools. The schools were both very nice and modernly equipped. We also met some of Steven's future co-wokers, both the international staff and the Vietnamese administration, all of whom were very friendly and welcoming.
After our tour we headed back to our hotel where we met up with another fellow teacher and headed to the market for dinner. The market is surrounded by tents housing fully set tables and chairs and an open kithen, serving up delicious meals at very inexpensive prices. Steven, Paula and I settled in for a delicious meal of grilled red snapper, grilled morning glory with garlic and rice, with an ever present side of fish sauce which I adore, and two drinks all for the bargain price of $12.
After dinner, with the exhaustion of living for two days on the other side of the world from the one we're used to, we headed back to the hotel and crashed.
How do you say "Ordeal" in Vietnamese?
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 7:13 a.m.
Steven and I left 569 Brownwood at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, having spent most of the night and some of that morning finalizing our packing of three suitcases and one hiking pack that we were allowed on the plane at no charge. We loaded Lenette's truck up with the bags and our bikes, packed to ship, and headed to the airport. We arrived at the airport with our passports, wallets and confirmation numbers, a good start for us, and sailed smoothly through check-in and security, leaving us over two hours to spare. I was thrilled with the ease at which our trip had begun; Steven was wary.
Thirty minutes before our flight was to depart, Steven's sixth sense proved correct, as we listened to the announcement that our plane had a "mechanical situation" and that all international passengers would be routed onto different flights.
From a United flight through Hong Kong, we were transferred to a Korean Air flight through Seoul arriving 5 minutes before our previously scheduled arrival. We were assured that our bags would be transferred to our new flight and it would be a smooth transition. New tickets in hand, we boarded the train from our T gate down to E at the other end of the airport.
Upon check-in at our E gate for Korean Air we learned that we were required to present an over-sized baggage coupon from United Airlines to transfer our bike fee from United to Korean Air. So I got back on the train and headed to our T gate.
Upon arrival back at our T gate, I was told that such a coupon was not needed because we were a canceled flight transfer not an arrival transfer and the Korean Air people obviously had no clue what they were doing. Despite my request that they contact the Korean Air people or provide me with something in writing, they insisted that all I needed was my receipt and sent me back empty handed.
Upon arrival back at the Korean Air gate, I was told that a coupon was necessary and that the United Airlines people obviously had no clue what they were doing. After a lengthy conversation/argument between the representatives from the two airlines, we were informed that we would have to pay Korean Air $280 on top of the $300 we had already paid United and request a refund with an explanation letter from United for the money spent to transport our luggage on our canceled flight. Frustrated, but with no other options, as our new flight was boarding in 10 minutes, we paid the new fee.
Armed with our last American meal, a vegetarian burrito from Qdoba, Steven and I boarded our flight. A few minutes after settling in, we were approached by a flight attendant from Korean Air inquiring if I was Sharon Brown. When I responded affirmatively, he proceeded to tell us that our baggage was not on the flight. Apparently a dropped jaw is universal, because he immediately responded, "I am just the messenger! I am just the messenger!"
Five-hundred and eighty dollars, three suitcases, one backpack and two bikes lighter, we began our ascent into the beginning of our journey to Vietnam.
Steven and I left 569 Brownwood at 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, having spent most of the night and some of that morning finalizing our packing of three suitcases and one hiking pack that we were allowed on the plane at no charge. We loaded Lenette's truck up with the bags and our bikes, packed to ship, and headed to the airport. We arrived at the airport with our passports, wallets and confirmation numbers, a good start for us, and sailed smoothly through check-in and security, leaving us over two hours to spare. I was thrilled with the ease at which our trip had begun; Steven was wary.
Thirty minutes before our flight was to depart, Steven's sixth sense proved correct, as we listened to the announcement that our plane had a "mechanical situation" and that all international passengers would be routed onto different flights.
From a United flight through Hong Kong, we were transferred to a Korean Air flight through Seoul arriving 5 minutes before our previously scheduled arrival. We were assured that our bags would be transferred to our new flight and it would be a smooth transition. New tickets in hand, we boarded the train from our T gate down to E at the other end of the airport.
Upon check-in at our E gate for Korean Air we learned that we were required to present an over-sized baggage coupon from United Airlines to transfer our bike fee from United to Korean Air. So I got back on the train and headed to our T gate.
Upon arrival back at our T gate, I was told that such a coupon was not needed because we were a canceled flight transfer not an arrival transfer and the Korean Air people obviously had no clue what they were doing. Despite my request that they contact the Korean Air people or provide me with something in writing, they insisted that all I needed was my receipt and sent me back empty handed.
Upon arrival back at the Korean Air gate, I was told that a coupon was necessary and that the United Airlines people obviously had no clue what they were doing. After a lengthy conversation/argument between the representatives from the two airlines, we were informed that we would have to pay Korean Air $280 on top of the $300 we had already paid United and request a refund with an explanation letter from United for the money spent to transport our luggage on our canceled flight. Frustrated, but with no other options, as our new flight was boarding in 10 minutes, we paid the new fee.
Armed with our last American meal, a vegetarian burrito from Qdoba, Steven and I boarded our flight. A few minutes after settling in, we were approached by a flight attendant from Korean Air inquiring if I was Sharon Brown. When I responded affirmatively, he proceeded to tell us that our baggage was not on the flight. Apparently a dropped jaw is universal, because he immediately responded, "I am just the messenger! I am just the messenger!"
Five-hundred and eighty dollars, three suitcases, one backpack and two bikes lighter, we began our ascent into the beginning of our journey to Vietnam.
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