Hanoi 2

While strolling through Vietnam's oldest university grounds, I noticed a large group of elementary school students on a field trip. One of them broke away and skipped through the ancient rooms...kids will be kids...What else would you do? :)

Hanoi 1

I just got back from a short little trip to Hanoi, Vietnam. I was there for work, but snuck in a little bit extra. These pictures show Vietnam's oldest university, dating back to almost a thousand years ago, based on a Confucian style of teaching. Quite pleasant, really...mostly a nice little park with plenty of mango trees, ponds, walkways and a Chinese looking temple-like structure. The slabs of stone on the turtle statues are engraved with the names and achievements of oustanding students ("doctors") who graduated with high honors.

The first of the ...

(click on photo to view large size: clockwise from top left: walnut and chocolate cake (all cakes from Secret Recipe), Julie and friends, chocolate something or other cake, Greek salad (yay feta!!) and hummus fatah (not pictured: falafel, fatouche salad, pita bread, fried couliflower, garlic butter, pickles, from our favorite Lebanese restaurant, Beirut)

...last things with Julie. Last trip with Julie to Bangkok. You'll never guess the theme of the trip :) .

Believe it or not, we also did some useful things:
1. bought gifts for people back home (Laura & Julie)
2. visited the Bangkok Art and Culture Center (Deanna & Doris). If you want a quiet place to relax and just lounge around, check out the strangely eclectic little library (with internet and comfy sofas!), in the basement of the Center. It even has a kids' corner with cute little toys.

A day in the life of me in which I wish I were a millionaire and a wise old lady

Progression of scenes:

A knock on the office door.

Me wading through papers 

and people to open it.

A wordless student.

Two moist, brimming eyes.

"Good-bye, teacher".

Questions unanswered.

Me searching for the right thing to say.

"Don't give up your dream... Continue your education

wherever you are... I enjoyed teaching you..."

Words that never quite fit in the jigzaw.

My outstretched handshake

grasped and pressed to a forehead for a

silent eternity of seconds.

Me babbling again.

Finally wordlessness mercifully sets in ,

For really, what is there to say

in the face of dashed dreams?

Noah Doll?

Last Friday night a gracious friend (and great cook!) invited a group of us over for a lovely meal. Her girls' tradition for family worship on Friday nights features Bible charades. Guests are warmly invited (eagerly dragged, really :)) to take part. One of the guests staged this grand production of Noah's Ark with the girls. The Oscar-deserving moment was when he reached behind his neck and pressed the button on a talking Noah doll and pantomimed accordingly...seriously...talking Noah dolls? What is the world coming to? :)

Exciting Times in Bangkok (and not because of the red shirts!)

I was in Bangkok on Wednesday (April 15, 2009)

to witness my friends' little baby making her grand

entrance, after much suspense...

They're going to make great parents! (and watch

out for Grandma Nebres! She plays a mean

game of Settlers!)

Thanks D & M for letting me be part of this

amazing experience!

Le Petite Waterfalls Expedition

Last Saturday afternoon, I went with a group of frieds to some small "waterfalls".
Though I wasn't brave enough to wade in, I enjoyed sitting and people-watching.

...they even had this cool swing thing...

Ballet on the rocks

Julie said the water was quite cool.

Procrastination, Piazzolla and Plenty of Good Food!

(click on picture to see full size and Spanish comments)

After a particularly busy week/weekend, some friends took me out to a very nice restaurant on the way to Khao Yai ( with a rather unfortunate name). Good food and good times were had by all. I convinced (more like dragged, hehe :) ) Marlise to play the piano off to the side of the bar and she graciously acquiesced (Gracias, Marlise!) with Verano Porteño (gotta love Piazzolla), The Prayer...We were also serenaded by a Filipino guitarist with quite the repertoire (for the middle of nowhere Thailand anyways...he even sang in quite respectable Spanish). I liked the Italian food and romantic ambiance. Though I was the "odd one" out :) (as in I didn't have a partner), I thoroughly enjoyed the chance to relish a moment of the "finer things in life"...good food, nice music, good company. The moral of this story is that sometimes making the decision to procrastinate slightly (I still finished preparing what I needed to do a day later!) can brighten up the soul...that's my story and I'm sticking to it!! :)

Grocery shopping finds

Isn't it pretty? It had orange-red spots and this gold fleck below its head...kind of like a gold leaf smudge.
Found this beetle as I was walking down the steps in front of "Happy Mart"...I handed my bags to someone and rummaged through my purse to find my camera...(the steps happen to be quite uneven and high...and I was wearing a shortish skirt, bending over and trying to get a good shot and not fall in the process...I can just imagine the people around me thinking "There's that weird farang again...with her little pink camera...hasn't she ever seen a bug before? Hrrmph..." :)

A day of showers

...literally, of many showers...my own 3, (because it was sooo hot), rain showers (vive le humidity!), and the nicest one, for a friend's baby.

Through Hail and Back

Well, this is a collage of what I've been up to lately...well, me and the weather...Last Saturday it hailed in MC, Thailand. I didn't think you could get hail here...goes to show how much I know! Early the following morning my whole Department went on a camp...95 students and 8 teachers...let's just say we've had better ideas :) But we survived. The place was nice, Khao Lem Ya, Rayong. You can see a small photo of the bungalow we stayed at (I'm not a big fan of camps or tents!).

Santa Rita

Estamos comenzando la estacion seca...todo se torna marron, menos las santa ritas que tapizan el campus.

De's Wedding

Friend's Wedding...

The car the bride arrived in...kinda cool, huh?