Luke and Birdy are Separated

I'll Eat You Up, I Love You So

I’m finally starting to feel a bit better. After being out for the count for the better part of two weeks, my fever seems to have left and the headaches aren’t as prominent as they were. We were in Ho Chi Minh through Monday, so I’ve officially missed a whole week of work. Luckily that doesn’t affect my pay! Unfortunately, my pay, which is enough to keep a person comfortable over here, doesn’t translate into very much in the States. Birdy is going to have to get herself working if she wants to stick to the lap of luxury. Hah.

Dance Party in Birdy's Class

It’s weird not having her here. I’ve grown so accustomed to having Birdy around, that being sick and grumpy on my own seems almost twice as awful as just being sick and grumpy would normally feel. I’m glad that she went back- it needed to happen. We have a lot of ground to cover over the next few years as we get ourselves financially upright. The sooner she gets through school, the sooner we can begin our next series of adventures! Still, it doesn’t mean I like being without her. I was reading recently about the chemical similarities between drug addiction and love. It wasn’t surprising.

Luke's Class
(he teaches, too, sometimes!)

Unfortunately, being as displeased with my body as I’ve been, there’s not much to report on. I spent the whole time in Ho Chi Minh locked up in my hotel room, trying to feel less awful. The hotel was really fancy, courtesy of our school’s director and friends. We spend a lot of time brushing shoulders with some very influential and wealthy people here. That’s the nature of this project. They’ve taken good care of us, even drove us around town trying to find me a doctor on Saturday/Sunday/Someday. The doctor took my blood, told me I had a fever that was now an infection, and gave me antibiotics. Golly! I haven’t had those in weeks! (Also, I found out I’ve lost 15 pounds since I arrived in Vietnam.)

Vietnam Recycles! In A Green Way!

Parent/Teacher conferences are this week, and we’re modeling these after the way they’re done in the US, or at least the way I’ve always seen them done. Typically parents spend all day calling teachers to talk about their students. Then they meet three or four times a year for “conferences” that consist mainly of an administrator or board member talking for a while, and then a whole group of parents sitting in the classroom while the teacher tells everyone about each student. Not a whole lot of privacy. We’re hoping that quarterly, scheduled, one-on-one conferences will help communicate student progress in a more efficient manner. The teachers are nervous because they’ve never heard of such a thing.

More Recycling!

Presents! One can’t return to one’s country from an exotic trip and not bring back something for the people dearest to you. Or, in Birdy’s case, everyone you’ve ever met. We spent about a week brainstorming, listing, and purchasing some sort of knickknack for everyone. It’s tricky, because we’re limited by space and weight, but also because it’s difficult to know what someone will appreciate. Do we get them a touristy “Made in Vietnam” thing, or do we get them something neat they might want to use or wear? I don’t know. Before Birdy I wouldn’t have even cared. Now I’m alone and I’ve got a bunch of junk to buy. Blah. Thanks, Bird.  *wink*

Birdy Is A Great Teacher
(she just doesn't realize it)