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Blending in ...
Entry 7 of 29 | show all | print this entry |
Well I have been spending a lot of my time in classrooms lately, and feel a lot better about my work, although the 6.30am starts take some getting used to! I have also been invited to a number of special events, where I have been introduced to a lot of people, and have had to introduce myself and my research in front of large numbers of people, both students and teachers. I have now gotten used to it and have stopped visibly shaking. Today I introduced myself to over 700 students. Everyone has been extremely welcoming, and I have been out drinking welcome shots of various forms of liquor and have sung the obligatory karaoke duets in private karaoke rooms.
Walking into schools is a bizarre experience, with hundreds of curious students shouting "hello". This is something that does not just happen in schools though, and it actually gets a bit tiring being so much in focus when walking around. On Friday I went to a large department store to buy some formal clothes. When I asked to try on a pair of trousers, the saleswoman called two of her female colleagues to help, and when I came out of the fitting room, there were 5 saleswomen waiting outside the door. They then proceeded to comment on the trousers and suggested a pair half a size smaller. After trying them on, one of the ladies turned me around, smiled and said "much better", which caused me to blush like a fool. I then had to buy some shoes, and was again assisted by five people (different people, different store). While I was buying a belt, the salesman pointed to another shop and said that the saleswoman there liked me, prompting her to wave and say "hello". Again I smiled and blushed like a fool.
I was buying the clothes because a few days previously I had agreed to be a judge for a regional high school English language competition arranged together with the Australian embassy. I then discovered that it was to be held in the city's Opera House and would be hosted by a famous Vietnamese television presenter and would be televised on Vietnamese state television. I was one of three judges, together with an Australian from a university in Hanoi and a man from the local Education and Training Department. Special guests included a representative from the Australian embassy in Hanoi, and the Directors and Vice Directors from the Departments of Foreign Affairs and Education and Training. My job was to judge the contestants on their English and presentation ability, and to ask one of the teams an extra question related to their chosen presentation. After the competition, we were all lined up on stage to have our photos taken by a local reporter. It was all quite surreal, but extremely interesting. I should hopefully be getting a copy of the television program later this week.
At the weekend I was invited to a family celebration for a dead relative, who after 7 months was being invited back for a feast in his honour. After being welcomed by the family members, I went upstairs to the family altar to offer my regards and to plant my incense stick in the bowl provided. After a large feast of crispy prawns, beef dipped in soy, chicken, vegetables and offal, chips, bread, sticky fruit rice, bamboo soup, noodles, fish and green banana stew, and Heineken beer, I left the family to burn clothes and other necessities needed in the afterlife. I was very grateful to be invited to such an important event; the family was so incredibly welcoming. Everyone I have met in Hai Phong has been incredibly hospitable.
The last few days have been spent trying to sort out all the papers needed to rent a property here. I have found a 3-storey appartment with surrounding balcony, which is now being re-painted and furnished. Hopefully I will be able to move in on the 1st. I am now waiting on the necessary permission from the local police.
It was a bit cooler today and very windy, which meant my eyes were bombarded by dust as my friend and I rode across town on his motorbike. Vietnam was recently rated as one of the dustiest places on the planet, and today I realised why.
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