I returned home from an AMAZING 9-day vacation to Da Lat, Mui Ne, and Saigon yesterday. After the glorious weather of the south and glorious company of my Fulbright friends, it was quite a culture shock to return to my freezing, empty apartment with no one to talk to, no power, no Internet, and a still-broken motorbike.
However, things are looking better since I returned yesterday! My Internet has returned, I am going to buy a space heater that will make my room into a cozy oven that I will never want to leave, I got my motorbike to start (sort of), AND! Mr. Duc had cable installed in my room. Up until now, I had a TV that I didn't even bother to plug in because it only received 3 static-filled local channels. Now I get 60-something channels, many of which are English-speaking. So, like the rest of the world, I was able to turn on the TV to BBC News (I also get CNN, so I have plenty of un-biased news reporting in my future) and find out about the death of Kim Jong Il.
In the US, I wouldn't say that watching TV ranks the top of my activities list. Yes, I have my main shows that I watch, but I am just as content to watch them via DVDs or online. Thus, it was never a big deal that I didn't have a TV with tons of entertainment options, but now I have a feeling that I'll enjoy having the company of a TV, if only to hear other English speakers when I get lonely.
Next weekend I am going to Nha Trang, another tropical beach paradise, for Christmas. While it certainly cannot beat my annual trip to Boca Raton to visit Nana and hang out with my cousin Leah, I have a feeling that Chinese food (or its next closest equivalent: Vietnamese) and a movie will still be in the cards for Christmas weekend. I am just happy to escape the cold weather of Ha Tinh. If traveling every weekend is what it takes for me to survive the ice-cold winter here, so be it.
The following weekend I am going to Hanoi for New Year's and plan to treat myself to a more expensive, lavish hotel room (hopefully complete with en-suite jacuzzi if I have any say in the matter).
And then two weekends after that, I leave for Thailand to go play with elephants and eat curry.
Life isn't perfect, and I am definitely facing my fair share of frustrations, but I do have a lot to look forward to and be thankful for. Like my cable TV and newly-reinstated Internet.
Some preliminary thoughts...
- Allison B.
- Somerville, Massachusetts, United States
- Finding the best places to eat and drink in my area! Check back for more!
my dad also thinks jesus was born in a cave. he should go to vietnam, clearly :)
ReplyDelete-ryan