Chào các anh các chį!

I'm gone!

See you guys in a couple of weeks....I'm will be in Central Vietnam after a very long train ride...tonight. :) Miss you.

posted by Steffanie @ 3:12 AM 0 comments

The Inefficiency of the Post Office

Wow. Today at the post office was amazing. I don't know how some of this country functions, man. I had three things to send, and I was in there for soooo long. Its the MAIN post office in Hanoi. And there is ONE girl working there. I had a nice package for my family, all wrapped up in pretty wrapping paper. And she ripped it off, tore open the box and examined every article inside. Apparently, anything bigger than a letter has to be examined and checked off. Is that just a communist thing, or does America require it so that I'm not sending drugs back or something? I don't get it. I had to fill out 10 forms, literally. The tools available to her were very advanced...she had a roll of packing tap, and a pen. The pen functioned as scissors, a knife, a writing utensil, and a nose scratcher btw. I don't know how to explain it. Its just that she's there all alone, with not enough tools to do her job, with dozens of crazy foreigners throwing stuff at her to pack up into a box, and she probably gets paid less than 1/10th of what I got paid at Hollywood video. The governement needs to hire more people there. I now appreciate the DMV even.

posted by Steffanie @ 9:00 AM 1 comments

Today was great. After class I went to the center with Rachel, but then she had to go home, so I had some alone time. I looked around a bookstore, bought a $5.00 financial times, and a $6.00 Marie Claire (!!! I can't help it...Vietnam News just doesn't do it for me!) Then I went to the international post office, to send things to my family, Terence and Diana....and lots of postcards. Then I went to the mall to buy a slip (all my skirts and dresses are a bit see through)...I also purchased a nice chess set, and some munchies (such as M&M's...mmm). Then I stopped by Harpo's Cafe right on Lake Ho Hoan Kiem. I got an Ice-coffee, read my financial times, and was just soooo content. Days like this rock man.  

posted by Steffanie @ 8:12 AM 0 comments

I stole this picture from Tan. Sorry Tan. I just wanted to do some re-emphasizing: I stole this picture from Tan's blog, and put it up, so that my parents and friends will recognize that my sole reason for being here is not drinking and partying. Most of my pictures just happen to depict such events. I don't usually bring my camera to lectures and such. Tan does though. Yay Tan! Btw, thats me on the very very left. I made it to class on time, and was awake throughout :) Oh, and I'm actually all up to date on the reading from that book there...I'm dissapointed that the writer, Nguyen Khac Vien missed a word in the heading. Very.  

posted by Steffanie @ 4:48 PM 1 comments

Fun times man...yes, I'm wearing a Cal hat. The Big C wasn't selling any U.C. Irvine hats. Go Anteaters!!!! 

posted by Steffanie @ 3:57 PM 0 comments

Sleeplessly forging a new identity...

Before I start...I just wanted to let everyone know that I would kill for my mother's lasagna right now. Or for a US weekly detailing every move that Angelina and Brad are making. Or for my tempra-pedric mattress.

...

A very intelligent person told me before coming to Vietnam... "Vietnam is not going to change who you are...you might develop a few different habits, but you will come back and be the same person". Yeah, I'm not sure if I agree with that. But at the same time, Its 6:00A.M. right now, and I am sitting here typing a blog entry. At least I finished the essay that is due today for my Vietnamese Politics class. But man... I had hoped Vietnam would give me better sleeping habits. I get less sleep here than when I was working 12 hour days at Hollywood Video + Dreamland Preschool.

If I can at least hope to be a changed person in some ways...these are the things I hope for: I hope to live every day to its fullest. I hope to seek friendships in new people. I hope to make sure- everyday- that my best friends know that they make my life wonderful. I hope to not take any small luxury for granted. I hope to improve my vocabulary (in Tieng Viet and Tieng Anh), I hope to stop and smell the flowers.

They say that every 7-10 years or so, on a molecular level, we are completely different people. On a spiritual level, I hope that this change can take place in 4 months.

Nothing will ever change my belief about fate. I don't believe in it. But as Sean says, every person is obligated to doubt every belief and thought, just a little. And reflecting on that bit of doubt in my mind...If there is such a thing as fate, then I hope it is in my fate to never ever stop learning....and to sleep more. And if fate is real, then it was definitely my fate to be here. I think I'm really lucky to have developed an interest in the coolest country in the world (besides America...America is really pretty cool).

I am having an amazing time here learning about Vietnam. And I hope that some people can learn from me too. I'm now teaching at Dai Hoc Ngoai Ngu (University of Foreign Studies). Besides having to sing "Hotel California' in front of the whole class, I've been asked many questions about America and the world, and I am happy to share my experiences with them. I wish every one of those students would have the opportunity to see the world like I have. In reality, perhaps only a handful of people on this entire campus will be able to. It would be nice to be able to see the world as they see it...living here, interacting here, studying here, breathing here...it doesn't help me see it through their eyes at all. I try. But I try while listening to my $400 IPod. I want to grow, and I believe my experience here will certainly provide for that. But forging this new identity of mine..Its really an inner struggle. I think the aforementioned person was right, in a way. Vietnam will not change me. I have to change myself.

On that note. Its fully bright outside. I'm going to use that light to dive into a little Issac Asimov. Nothing will ever change my love for him.

posted by Steffanie @ 3:55 PM 1 comments

A few things I think are Funny!

In no particular order

- Hair curlers: I see women everywhere wearing a big curler in their hair as a hair clip. I swear, it doesn't seem as if its actually to curl the hair, cause its just one curler, and the hair is not wrapped around it. You know, the big pink curler. Mom, you know what I mean!

- Carlsberg Girls: Most bars have "carlsberg girls" who are pretty girls in a green Carlsberg beer dress. You know Carlsberg? its: "Probably, the best beer in the world". And the girls must get a cut of the money or something, for every Carlsberg ordered? I mean, I was explaining to one of the girls that I don't want to get more "beo" or more fat. My Vietnamese American friend didn't know the word for low-calorie or anything. So he was explaining that I want the beer that will keep me from getting more fat. Her eyes light up in understanding "OH...! I think Carlsberg very healthy for you!!" Hahaha. And smoking makes you live longer...

- All the shops either have Pepsi insignia and then serve Coke, or vice versa. When we order a coke, there is a 70% chance that if they say "oh yes, we Have coke" and then they bring you a pepsi. And vice versa. Vice versa on the percentages too. haha. (this makes sense in my mind...yours?)

-If you take a car anywhere (we take taxis when we are too dolled up to go on the bus, and there are too many of us to xe om [motorcycle] it), there is a 98% chance that you will not stop once. Not one. Cars are like street gods here. There is no such thing as a red light for a car, or motorbikes, or people for that matter. Cars rule the streets. We went all the way downtown in a taxi (at least 20 min away) in heavy traffic, literally, without stopping once.

-Whole families on motorbikes: It is possible, if difficult, to fit two of us Americans on the back of a xe om. Usually its one local driver, and one American. I always must laugh though when I see a family of 5 on one little motorbike!!! It's like crazy man...i'll take a picture of it when i get the chance, so you can see how they situate themselves.

posted by Steffanie @ 4:17 AM 0 comments

Isn't this an adorable picture of us girls?? This is Christy, me (of course), Jenny, and Christine. We're all at Dragonfly Bar, celebrating the year anniversary of it opening it up. Free fruit, and prizes were given out! Yay! If it seems like all we do is drink...I'll start putting up pictures of all the books, articles, journals, stuff that I have to read everyday. And if you'd like, I can always post up my essays that I have to write, etc. But we're going to central Vietnam this weekend, so then you'll get some more original pics! 

posted by Steffanie @ 4:10 AM 0 comments

Jenny, Kristy and I settle down for a nice ice-coffee after a FULL day of shopping. I bought a lot of cute things. But...we didn't go to the flea market or anything, we went to nice shops, so I kinda spent a bit too much money. This was all yesterday by the way. Oh, and before we went shopping, a bunch of us went to eat Dim Sum at a nice hotel. It was yummy, but also expensive, as just like at home, they really got us with the drinks... Who'd have ever thought that a Nuoc cam (orange juice) could ever be ove $4.00 USD? We never thought to ask becaue usually a fresh nuoc cam is less than 50 cents!!! And even that is expensive. OVER $4.00 people!!!! But the Dim Sum was good, and hanging out with my friends was even better... :)  

posted by Steffanie @ 4:04 AM 1 comments

Rachel, Noah, Me, Sean, Kristy....I love you guys! 

posted by Steffanie @ 1:55 PM 0 comments

Who's up for another fun night at Dragonfly? You can tell this is towards the end of the night because there are beers on the table rather than cocktails. In the beginning of the night, its all cocktails because its buy 2 get one free before 11pm.  

posted by Steffanie @ 1:55 PM 0 comments

I'm going to have nightmares of these little guys tonight.  

posted by Steffanie @ 1:51 PM 0 comments

Ha Noi's Major Problem

It's getting worse. A problem relatively insignificant at first, is now affecting the lives of every living, breathing, mobile object. We are no longer safe during the night or the day. Streetlamps which usully function for personal protection only make our walking at night more dangerous. Its worse in the city, but lurks even on our univestity. Not even the dorm provides us confort and a sense of security. The locks on the dorm doors are no match for them. Some of us are sickened, some terrified, some simply annoyed, but the problem is on everyone's mind, all the time. They go too far when they are waiting on our bed for us.... hundreds of them, stalked me and waited for me on my bed last night.
Someone save Ha Noi!!!
These gnats/fruitflies/whatever they are, are taking over!

posted by Steffanie @ 3:27 AM 1 comments

Us 4th floorer's opt to stay up all night and talk about religion and morals and ethics, rather than get any sleep! And the conversation basically went in circles too....What do you think? More in the subjective morality or objective morality camp? 

posted by Steffanie @ 3:18 AM 0 comments

Thai and Christy head back to our school: Dai Hoc Ngoai Ngu (University of Foreign Studies) 

posted by Steffanie @ 3:16 AM 0 comments

I think this was our server? hmmm..Anyways, Thai looks pretty darn happy to be taking the picture. This was two nights ago. I don't have pictures yet from my extraveganza last night, because I broke my camera on the way home!! 

posted by Steffanie @ 3:13 AM 0 comments

Night at Finnigan's Irish Pub in Ha Noi. We said we would be doing some of our readings over a beer. I kinda knew that wouldn't actually happen!! 

posted by Steffanie @ 3:00 AM 0 comments

A Rainy Day

Vietnamese rain amazes me. Irvine is known to those who know Southern California as the city without weather. Such as one might imagine in The Giver or Pleasantville. It is quite refreshing (and wet!) to find out what real weather is like.

I took an early bus to school today (Vietnam University of Social Sciences-Hanoi) because my group had a meeting with our EAP headmaster (hmmm...what is he actually suppose to be called?), Gerard. I was smart and did not think about bringing an umbrella.

By the time my last class let out, it was pouring raindrops thicker than I've ever seen. Luckily I got a ride home from an EAP amigo, Alex, on his motorbike. Yes, at moments I feared for my life, driving through puddles that could possibly drown us both, but I got home and into dry cloths faster than all of those who took the bus!

posted by Steffanie @ 3:32 AM 0 comments

Me before Vietnam!!!

posted by Steffanie @ 5:59 AM 0 comments