Some Observations

Riding our bikes to school in the morning is the best. In Hoa An, we played soccer and volleyball and danced but here the only exercise we get are bike rides. It’s too hot to do much else and we are always busy. It’s great to get our blood pumping in the morning and the breeze from the bikes is refreshing. We always pass our friends that have to walk on the way and it’s comforting to run into familiar faces. We are essentially the only Western people here so it’s easy to spot us tall Americans when we are around. We arrive at the same time as the Vietnamese students. It feels good to be a part of the mob of students heading to the parking lot.

Our homestay is top notch. Our family likes us a lot and is always eager to spend time with us. They always have breakfast prepared for us and they insist on us coming home for lunch and a nap between classes. All of the food is delicious and we have a good time conversing after dinner and playing with the kids every night.

Most everyone here is exceedingly soft spoken. They speak at a level just above a whisper. The only people I have met that speak at a normal decibel range are my host parents. I assume they picked up the habit from the other students they have hosted. They only speak to us and to each other at a higher volume.Their family members get the same soft spoken treatment.

No one ever wears shoes inside and in the rural villages, half don't wear shoes outside either. One of the university students was amazed and overjoyed when he saw that I could walk on the rocks barefoot as well.

Motorcycles are parked on the sidewalks, and there are hardly any vehicles parked on the streets. The butterflies are huge and they fly pretty close to humans. It's a bit frightening sometimes as they fly at alarmingly close ranges. I have trouble differentiating between butterflies and birds at night. I have not seen one caterpillar. Lizards line most walls. Whitening agents are in almost every facial soap. The exchange rate is 21,000 VND (Vietnam Dong-pronounced dom) therefore we are all millionaires. 

My favorite elderly man exists here. He led a guest lecture on Khmer musical culture. He had the kindest eyes and a perpetually smiling, prideful facial expression. He brought an amateur band with him and they played music for us and sang intermittently during his presentation. His translator was completely dolled up in formal wear and was very funny. I am convinced that this man is a real life wizard. In addition to playing a flute with his nose, he played loud, reverberating percussion simply by rapping his fingers against each other.