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You know what, Im not the kind of person who likes to admit it if I find something tough. Maybe because I'm a Cancer and a perfectionist, maybe its because I'm Year of the Pig and stubborn (argh - enough with the astrology mumbo I here you cry!!). But today, I found tough. In fact now, after its over, I feel just kinda numb - frazzled.
So, given the traffic (HCMC locals use their motorbike horn to warn, greet, play a nice tune {my favourite so far is jingle bells - the extended remix version like my christmas stocking used to play}) I was woken at 5.50am, same as yesterday. That was nice. Then I went for a run in the park. I havnt run for 5 months, since Ive been away, and I think the sort of black tulip shade my face turned suggests I am out of practice. I decided to do what the locals were doing and do some sit ups off the bench. Sit ups are hard man, Id forgotton that, I embarrassed myself, it was feeble. Then I took a taxi to (drumroll) my first day working at the childrens shelter. The journey took 40 minutes. I was thinking, why have I signed up to a 40 minute each way commute, 6 days a week for the forseeable future. Why do I do this to myself. Why?
Similar question when I arrived and realisation dawned that if the staff at the shelter dont speak english and if the children dont speak english that makes me a big, dumb, useless lump. Im going to have to do all communication through body language, sign language (amateur) and drawing. Acting was never my strong point and my took a turn for the worse after high school. So basically, I dont want to go on about it - Im b*****ed.
Still, the overall admin guy from his desk in the USA is being very sympathetic and I found some coloured modelling clay in a store today which I am VERY EXCITED to play with. I mean - give to the children to play with.
I rang my sister, in a very wobbly voice, and said - WHAT AM I GOING TO DO??? She and my Mum have been wonderful and made excellent suggestions so Im feeling now the tiniest sliver of hope that all is not lost. I met the children today - 26 girls aged between 8 and 18 (tough demographic), one member of caring staff, one admin. Im b*****ed.
Yeah so then anyway after my lengthly drive back to the hotel which costs me not far off the price of a London Underground journey, I write a long rant to one of my favourite people in the world, Nick from ABN who is LOVELY and then there is a powercut from the (oh yes torrential flooding - I forgot to mention) so not only do I lose my message, all 20 pages of it, but I have to climb 8 flights of stairs to my room (didnt you hear me - I ALREADY exercised todY!!!).
So after sitting in the dark, in a room with no power (so no air con/fan action - ouch) for a bit I venture out to see what supplies I can find for Christie The Teacher Part I. I really cannot emphasie enough what a nightmare the roads here are. I just dont see how I can fail to be hit by something. I will try to take a video of the traffic so you can see. Im a professioanl jaywalker in any other city (except beloved Shanghai) but here I just cannot compete! Nor are the pavements a safe zone, bkes being ridden, wheeled around, parked, on every square inch and I was standing in a store when a motorbike drove through it. No kidding. Drove through it and nearly hit me. I have taken to using locals as human shields. Which worked fine until I realised that the bikers actually aim for me, for sport.
I bought a phrasebook. My Vietnamese is coming along lovely. I can say hello when I mean thank you. I can say hello in Chinese instead of Thai. I can address women as men and men as children. The children at the shelter think im stupid as I cant pronounce their names. Theyre right, I am stupid.
And Ill tell you the stick that broke the camels back. Ive been short changed 3 times today. I am white, theres no disguising the fact that Im a foreign devil, the hair, the height, no-ones fooled. Which means I have a sticker on my head saying - short change me a few thousand dong - I wont notice. Except Im Scottish so of course I do. Dammit these people are meant to be religious - doesnt Catholicism say Thy Shalt Not Steal!!
I complained to my mum the other evening that the currency is poving to be a bit of of a tricky one. Vietnam is the worlds 5th biggest consumer of oil (dur - look at the bikes) but they import it all, and Friday was the highest ever oil price, the stock market goes downhill, the government have hiked up interest rates and that means people. o yes it does, INFLATION. So I have to work by a dividing factor of 36,500. Which Im not very good at. Today t was 35,000 which was slightly easier. Tomorrow it will be something else.
Christie (in crappily pronunciated vietnamese): how much is this?
Vendor: something indecipherable in Vietnamese (I only know 1 to 3 and dont test me)
Vendor: 15,000 dong.
Christie (argh - must undercut) - can you do 10,000 dong?
Vendor: No, 15,000 dong.
Christie: OK - buys it. Realises have been arguing over 20 pence. See the same thing two stores down for 10,000 dong. Feel ripped off. Look at item. Item is a fake and has just broken. Feel ripped off. Nearly get run over by motorbike. Nearly get hit by bus. Very nearly get run over by 100 motorbikes coming past in a horizontal line, at speed. Want to cry.
The upshot is I had an ice cream and felt better. Life is easier when youre a foodie.
:D
xx
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