The Vietnamese are really outgoing and I have found it easy to make local friends. Up until recently, “23/9 park” on Pham Ngu Lao boulevard had been my main channel for making friends.
I met Yen at the aerobics class that takes place in the park everyday at 6.00pm. We connected right away and since then, she has introduced me to many of her friends. I also met Nhan- the one who took me to Ky Quang orphanage- at the park when she and other Vietnamese students asked me to practise English with them. I ended up sitting there for three hours answering their questions about France, the US, Vietnam, politics and cinema. Then Nhan introduced me to her own friends.
Quite a lot has been going on in the past two weeks.
I’m now alone in Saigon. Serene went back home two weeks ago. Kris and Jen are on a mont-long trip in Vietnam. Our cameraman joined them about a week ago. Thus, I really am the only Jet Set Zero member remaining in the city named after uncle Ho.
Most children of Ky Kuang orphanage were abandonned by their parents because they have a birth deffect. Some of them have body malformations, some are blind and others are mentally challenged.
Some of those children still are the victims of Agent orange a chemical weapon used during the Vietnam war with disastrous consequences on people’s health.
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La plupart des orphelins de Ky Kuang ont été abandonnés par leurs parents parce qu’ils étaient anormaux à la naissance. Certains ont une malformation physique, d’autres sont aveugles et d’autres encore ont un handicap mental.
Certains d’entre eux sont encore les victimes de l’agent orange, une arme chimique utilisée pendant la guerre du Viêtnam, et qui a eu des conséquences dramatiques sur la santé des populations locales.
Send an email to Laurene, the author of this post, at laurene@jetsetzero.tv or read more of their posts here.
On Sunday a few friends and I visited an orphanage where children suffer from birth defects due to Agent Orange, a chemical weapon used during the Vietnam war. An emotional encounter for all of us. (Video about Ky Quang orphanage coming up soon.)
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Dimanche, en compagnie de quelques amis, j’ai visité un orphelinat où les enfants souffrent de malformations de naissance dues à une arme chimique utilisée pendant la guerre du Viêtnam: l’agent orange. Séquence émotion. (Vidéo sur l’orphelinat Ky Quang bientôt sur le site.)
I have a second part-time job: I am now a French tutor ! My students are the mothers of two children I work with at the day-care center. One is Brazilian, the other is Japanese. I teach six and a half hours per week and I get paid 8 dollars per hour. I know it is not much for a private tutor, especially since it takes me the same amount of time to prepare the lessons. But, considering that I have little tutoring experience, that I enjoy doing it, that it’s a good opportunity for me to review some gramatical rules I have forgotten, and last but not least, that my students are extremely nice, I’m very happy with 8 dollars/hour.
Besides, I have started teaching workshops now and then to a group of French speaking Vietnamese students who will do their master’s degree in France. So much work, so much time, but so much fun! YAY!
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DEUX JOBS ET DEMI
J’ai un deuxième travail à temps partiel: je suis désormais tutrice de Français! Mes étudiants sont les mamans de deux enfants dont je suis la maîtresse à la crèche. L’une est brésilienne, l’autre est japonaise. J’enseigne six heures et demie par semaine à 8 dollars de l’heure. Je sais bien que pour un professeur particulier, ce n’est pas beaucoup. Mais enfin, vu que je n’ai pas beaucoup d’expérience dans ce domaine, que j’aime ça, que ça me donne l’occasion de revoir des règles de grammaire oubliées, et que mes étudiantes sont très sympathiques, ce forfait horaire me convient pleinement.
D’autre part, j’ai commencé à animer des ateliers pour des étudiants vietnamiens francophones qui s’apprêtent à faire leur master en France. Tellement de travail, tellement de temps, mais tellement de plaisir! Youhou!
Send an email to Laurene, the author of this post, at laurene@jetsetzero.tv or read more of their posts here.
Nobody goes to Phan Rang but Vietnamese tourists. I went for the cham towers.
The Cham towers of Po Klong Garai are the only attraction in Phan Rang. At 8.00 am, I hopped on a moto taxi to check them out. I didn’t know what to expect, so when I caught sight of the red brick towers overlooking Phan Rang from the top of a hill, I was captivated.
I had a fabulous Christmas with a Vietnamese family. Fabulous. Not because I got to do the most extraordinary things in two days. Fabulous, because I experienced the ordinary life of an extremely hospitable family over Christmas time. Anh, thank you so, so much!
Anh and I on the first beach we went to in Tân Thiên village.
A WEEKEND IN THE MEKONG DELTA(3/3): THE FLOATING MARKET
4.00AM: The sky is still completely dark. On my way to the docks, I walk past two Vietnamese joggers. The streets of Cai Bé are quite busy already. Some mom and pop shops are already open.
4.45AM: I set foot on Phom’s small motor boat.
Phom is my new friend. I met her last night as I was trying to secure a boat ride to the floating market for toda. She got so excited when I asked her to take me on her boat! When I saw her this morning she was all smiles, telling it all to the men of her neighborhood!
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