Play-by-play of the next six months

Things to look forward to in the next 6 months:


- Saturday, November 26: Thanksgiving brunch with the US Ambassador to Vietnam at his (presumably) gorgeous house in Hanoi
- December 10: Trekking through one of the last untouched sections of jungle in Vietnam and listening to chirping monkeys in Da Lat
- December 12: Mid-year conference in Da Lat... while this conference itself will probably be anti-climatic and jam-packed, at least Fulbright is paying for our travel and hotel arrangements. Read: luxury.
- January 16 - January 29: Tet Holiday. I plan to spend 6 of the days in Thailand. 3 days in Chiang Mai playing around, and maybe taking a Thai cooking class, and then 3 days in an elephant sanctuary outside of Bangkok, where I will get assigned an elephant and get to care for her for three whole days.
- Some time in February: I have decided that based on my love of dim sum, my love of walking, and my love of travel (as well as my easy access to other locations in Asia), it would be crazy not to do a walking food tour of Hong Kong. The plans are murky right now, but I know that I am going to make it happen because I would be kicking myself for years to come if I do not end up visiting the great city of dumplings.
- March (including my birthday, March 9, and Jenna's birthday, March 5): Jenna and Dad visit. Presumably, this will be luxurious and semi-rugged adventuring with some beautiful sites (read: Ha Long Bay) thrown in for good measure.


The rest of the year is to be determined, but when I look at my travel schedule, it is hard to have complaints about living here. It really puts all the ants, shoddy Internet, rain, and homesick issues in perspective when I look at all the amazing travel opportunities I have here.

In other news (speaking of shoddy Internet), the Internet in my apartment has gone out again, so I am back at my favorite cafe stealing their wifi. While I usually feel relaxed and at peace here, I am a little bit on edge based on the fact that there is a hipster Vietnamese 20-something male who is smoking a smelly cigarette and whistling along to Westlife (Asia's favorite English-speaking boy-band du jour) that is playing loudly out of his speakers right next to me (he is offensive to 2 of my 5 senses, this is a bad sign, and he is not responding to my frequent dirty looks of "Shut up, please," which is also a bad sign), a waitress who keeps sitting down at my table hoping to learn some English, and Xena The Warrior Princess playing on the cafe TV with Vietnamese subtitles.

If it weren't for the good Internet and the decently-priced drinks, I would be out of here so fast...