life in Hanoi

good afternoon!

i am sitting in an internet cafe about a 5 minute walk from the hotel. there are many kids around playing games and chatting with people. the very busy street is right outside the front door.

i have never sweat so much in my entire life!!! it is not unbearable but sometimes uncomfortable.

last night while my roommate michelle was laying on her bed she quickly got up when she noticed a little creature on the ceiling--a little Gecko! we called a teammate, Casey, to help up try to catch it because we were both a bit afraid. why? i'm not sure. Casey, michelle and I attempted to swat the gecko off the ceiling into a sheet using a small broom. Getting the broom was a little tricky because the hotel manager did not understand me....until i frew a little picture.
after a lot of jumping around and chasing the gecko, we still do not know where it went. we just know it is a friend not a foe because it will eat other bugs that may come.

My class is great!! i envisioned a group of teenage girls who would very sociable, what i actually have is a group of 16-10 boys and 6 girls who just finished grade 5! they are quite quiet but very very smart. we have only had 3 days: one introduction day, one day of class, and one day of olympics but I am already impressed! they are a bit hesitant to answer questions at first but they are eager to repeat and do activities. tonight we will have our very first "culture night" which will be like a talk show so the students will learn more about their teachers.

Here are some interesting things to describe Hanoi:
-75% of the traffic is motorbikes, the other 25% includes buses, some cars and taxis, bicycles and pedestrians. I was almost run over by a motorbike today- you must be very careful when crossing the street. you have to just step out and slowly cross so the traffic can flow around you.
-many restuarants are simply a low table with some stools along the sidewalk. grab a bowl and some chopsticks....we haven't, but it would be easy.
-every meal consists of rice....some unique fruit for dessert and a mixture of okay things in between(some good a few very questionable).
-things are very cheap but it is confusing. (about 16,000Dong = $1 USD)

my team is great!! we are a fun-loving group who are quite creative and adventurous. we have had quite a few good conversations and interesting team meetings already.
On tuesday night casey(my partner in crime) and I waited on my balcony for an hour and a half just to hit the rest of the team with water balloons. it was a success!!

this past weekend we visited Sa Pa, in the North. we also saw the Vietnemese/Chinese border and spent many hours riding a bus through the mountains to visit some villages and a rural market of the flower mong tribe. it was SO beautiful, with many scenic views, as well as very bumpy. i will try to show you some pictures some time soon!

till next time,
thanks for reading this far...and thanks for your thoughts!!
Aside from constantly sweating and being stared at, i am doing well and having a great time!
love and peace.