If you read the Declaration carefully, you will not forget the last sentence, "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor." In this occasion of 1776, 56 signers of the Declaration committed to devote their lives, their fortunes and their honor to fight for their country's independence. At this time, if asked to give my life, my fortune and my sacred honor, I would give them to my family - the closest and meaningful thing to me. If there were no family, I would not be in the world. In addition, my family has given me everything, from materials to spirit. It is always my support when happy or sad. As regard with 56 signers of the Declaration, fighting for their country, emancipation it from the oppression of Britain is getting freedom for their family and themselves. I was born when our country was independent, as for me, at this time, my family is the most important and most sacred thing in my life. What I give to my family is to repay what my family has been giving for me. When I contribute my life, my fortune and my honor to build my family, I make contribution of my life, my fortune and my honor to my country as well, because the prosperity of each country is built by one of each family. It is also the way I seek to my own independence and happiness. Because, when you know what you would give your life, fortune and honor to and know about give and take, you are really grow up and it is time you achieve your own independence.
November 3, 2009
Our Lives, Our Fortunes and Our Sacred Honor
Part of the curriculum for my reading classes is the US Declaration of Independence. The document ends with the signers fully committing themselves to the cause. Last week I told the students to write an essay explaining what they are committed to. I thought I'd share with you one of the more articulate answers I received.
October 11, 2009
Long Bien Art Festival
Sometimes you get to do things you never expected. This weekend, the famous Long Bien Bridge across the Red River was closed to traffic for a two-day festival of arts. Nancy and I were able to walk across without getting run over or choked by exhaust. In fact, the breeze off the water was quite cool.
The bridge is a historical landmark in Hanoi. Designed by Alexandre Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame), it was built in 1898 and originally named the Doumer Bridge after Paul Doumer, who was president of France during Vietnam's colonial period. During the American-Vietnam War, it was repeatedly hit by American bombs and repeatedly, and rapidly, rebuilt by Vietnamese youth.
Most of the art consisted of paintings of the bridge. White banners were stretched along the bridge so people could add their comments and graffiti.
A few sketch artists and calligraphy artists had set up shop along the side of the road.
I'm grateful to the student who told me about the festival. It was a great afternoon to be out and about down by the river.
September 21, 2009
Rainy Day Thoughts
The U.S. Virgin Islands requires a rainwater collection plan for all new building permits, as do some parts of Arizona and New Mexico. About 5% of the population of Hawaii depends on rainwater. Maryland encourages collection on a small scale to slow the runoff of pollutants and lawn fertilizers into the Chesapeake Bay. Colorado recently changed their laws to allow limited collection. With the availability of fresh water becoming an increasing problem in the Middle East, the American West, India, China (of course) and a lot of other places around the globe, rainwater collection seems like a good part of the solution.
If you're interested in reading more, the Texas Water Development Board has some good information, including a downloadable how-to manual. If you just want to start thinking about a winter project for next year's garden, this Sustainable Gardening blog has a lot of information for you.
September 19, 2009
Routine at Last?
Life seems to have settled into a rhythm, but change may be in the air. It's possible that my two "English Enhancement" classes will be switched out for regular undergraduate classes. Most of the Enhancement students have excellent English already and are earning their livings as interpreters. They graduated years ago and are taking this course to improve their interpreting skills. The Enhancement class is a small component of it. Unfortunately, because they have good language skills already, there's not much to teach them and they often are unwilling to do any of the exercises in class. A few are downright argumentative. (Please don't try to tell me "gauge" can also be pronounced "gawge.") If my schedule gets changed, I will not be sorry to see them go.
On the positive side are my 4th year reading classes. While some of the students are new to me, I've taught most of them in one or two other courses over the last two years. It's nice for them because they know what to expect from me and for me because I know what I can expect from them.
The Supper Club is back in business and each Tuesday night Nancy and I have dinner with five students we've known for a while. Dinner's usually followed by Jenga, Uno or Taboo. It's our turn to cook next week - an expensive proposition when you're making western food for seven people, but worth it for the friendships.
Nancy still tires easily, but is able to do more than she could a month ago. She's started tutoring one student from last year, a friend, and a woman who's trying to pass the exam to get into the DAV faculty. This morning she went out to Ciputra where a friend, Peggy, invited a group of women to officially celebrate Nancy's return to VN and to hear her story firsthand. (It's 5 PM and she's still gone, so she must be having a good time -- of course, Kirsten's in town too.)
I know I should put some photos on this blog, but picture taking hasn't become part of my routine yet.
On the positive side are my 4th year reading classes. While some of the students are new to me, I've taught most of them in one or two other courses over the last two years. It's nice for them because they know what to expect from me and for me because I know what I can expect from them.
The Supper Club is back in business and each Tuesday night Nancy and I have dinner with five students we've known for a while. Dinner's usually followed by Jenga, Uno or Taboo. It's our turn to cook next week - an expensive proposition when you're making western food for seven people, but worth it for the friendships.
Nancy still tires easily, but is able to do more than she could a month ago. She's started tutoring one student from last year, a friend, and a woman who's trying to pass the exam to get into the DAV faculty. This morning she went out to Ciputra where a friend, Peggy, invited a group of women to officially celebrate Nancy's return to VN and to hear her story firsthand. (It's 5 PM and she's still gone, so she must be having a good time -- of course, Kirsten's in town too.)
I know I should put some photos on this blog, but picture taking hasn't become part of my routine yet.
August 17, 2009
First Class of the Fall Semester
A couple people clapped when I walked into the room, which I took as a good sign. Most of the thirty-five students in this morning's reading class are from the 33B class I taught last fall. Two are from 33G, the minority class I taught last year, and a couple others are from 33I, who had me for writing a couple years ago. I told them I wasn't sure whether they would be happy or sad to see me back. (Assuring them they will have less homework this time probably helped a little.) We got started with an article from the Japan Times and got further with it than I expected.
During the first class of the day, I observed a new ELI teacher who is practice teaching at the DAV as part of her training. She's an elementary teacher from Tennessee and did a great job transferring her skills to EFL. She and her husband leave Sunday to teach in Pakse, Laos. In fact, most of the new teachers this year (7 of 11) are headed to Laos. Only three will stay in Vietnam. We could use more - the DAV, where I teach, is down from five ELI teachers two years ago to three.
On the home front, I just got back from taking Nancy to the doctor. She's been having flu-like symptoms since Friday and we wanted to rule out H1N1. It's been ruled out. This early reminder that her immune system is not what it used to be turned out to be a bacterial infection. They gave her antibiotics and she should be back to normal soon.
During the first class of the day, I observed a new ELI teacher who is practice teaching at the DAV as part of her training. She's an elementary teacher from Tennessee and did a great job transferring her skills to EFL. She and her husband leave Sunday to teach in Pakse, Laos. In fact, most of the new teachers this year (7 of 11) are headed to Laos. Only three will stay in Vietnam. We could use more - the DAV, where I teach, is down from five ELI teachers two years ago to three.
On the home front, I just got back from taking Nancy to the doctor. She's been having flu-like symptoms since Friday and we wanted to rule out H1N1. It's been ruled out. This early reminder that her immune system is not what it used to be turned out to be a bacterial infection. They gave her antibiotics and she should be back to normal soon.
August 12, 2009
Unpacking
I'm a step ahead of my nephew - he's moving into a new house in SC, while I only have to move back into our home in Hanoi. We arrived late Sunday night (VN time) on the 9th and have pretty much finished unpacking what we brought. Now we just need to remember where we stored the things we left! It's been a nice homecoming, with neighbors, friends and colleagues all happy to see us back. My Vietnamese is rusty, but could be worse (I need to slow down and pay more attention to my pronunciation).
Since Monday, I've been to two meetings at the school, received the schedule for one of my classes, transcribed two audio texts for a colleague, turned down a request to help with an exam for interpreters, met our new teammates, and done a load of laundry. I still need to buy some garlic and fish sauce so we can cook at home. It's hot, but nice to be back.
Teaching-wise, it looks like I'll have three classes with the English department and two with the interpreter training section. Things are changing a lot at the school this year, so there are still a lot of things up in the air. The tutoring at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seems to have faded away during the spring, so I don't think I'll be doing that any more. My classes start Monday and it looks like they may need me to be a mentor teacher for the new teachers' practicum, but I won't know that till the end of the week.
I'd try finishing this post off more stylishly, but it's 3:30 PM and jet lag's starting to kick in.
Since Monday, I've been to two meetings at the school, received the schedule for one of my classes, transcribed two audio texts for a colleague, turned down a request to help with an exam for interpreters, met our new teammates, and done a load of laundry. I still need to buy some garlic and fish sauce so we can cook at home. It's hot, but nice to be back.
Teaching-wise, it looks like I'll have three classes with the English department and two with the interpreter training section. Things are changing a lot at the school this year, so there are still a lot of things up in the air. The tutoring at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs seems to have faded away during the spring, so I don't think I'll be doing that any more. My classes start Monday and it looks like they may need me to be a mentor teacher for the new teachers' practicum, but I won't know that till the end of the week.
I'd try finishing this post off more stylishly, but it's 3:30 PM and jet lag's starting to kick in.
July 28, 2009
On the Road Again
My last road trip of the year ended yesterday when I returned to Orlando from Rochester, NY. It was nice to see old friends, update them on life in Vietnam, and thank some of the people who make it financially possible for us to be there.Nancy couldn't come with me because she had a couple days of radiation left, but now that's over and her cancer treatment is finished! Her follow-up will consist of daily medicine and routine checkups for the next few years, but her prognosis is good and we're very grateful for that!
Our next big trip is to Vietnam. We leave early this Saturday (8 August) and arrive on Sunday. After sorting out out the time zones, it works out to a 32-hour trip (if there are no complications) from the time we leave Hannah's house in Orlando till we reach ours in Hanoi. We've heard all summer that it's been HOT there, but it will nice to be "home."
July 2, 2009
The Next Step
Yesterday I booked our tickets to return to Hanoi on August 8. For $2100, we received two one-way tickets and a mixed bag of emotions. You would think that lots of goodbyes would be offset by lots of hellos, but it's always a tough transition. Side by side with the excitement of seeing old friends, returning to work, and getting back in time for the fall semester (just like so many of us have prayed), is the realization that we've been spoiled by so much time with friends and family in this country. It will be hard to say, "See you next time."And then, there's the 32-hour trip itself, the nagging thought that something might go wrong to complicate things or delay us again, and the knowledge that we'll have a lot of readjusting to do after being away for six months. But, all in all, we're very glad to have a date set to return to what we've been called to.
Nancy will finish her radiation therapy around July 23. We'll have a couple of weeks to rest up, pack up, and hang out with the kids and grandkids before arriving in Hanoi a couple weeks before our first official responsibilities. That will give us time to get over jet lag and meet new teammates. I might even be able to get my teaching schedule early! It will be good to be back.
June 10, 2009
Radiation Therapy Begins
Florida Hospital Altamonte
Well, we've made it. On June 6, we arrived in Orlando just in time for movie night at Hannah & Phillip's house with the New Wave group. Three days later we had one of the best doctor visits we've had since January. Not only did the conversation not begin with bad news or a complication, Nancy was able to be scheduled for "mapping" on the next day and her six weeks of radiation therapy is scheduled to begin on Thursday, June 11.
Our target date for starting radiation was June 15, so this puts us a few days ahead. That, and the fact that Nancy will have six weeks of treatment rather than six and a half or seven, means she will have two and a half weeks of rest after the treatment before we start traveling back to Vietnam.
Many people have been praying that we will be able to be back in Hanoi in time for the fall semester. It looks like that's going to be possible now!
June 2, 2009
Sliding Off the Bench
Reading the blogs of friends who are packing up and leaving various parts of Southeast Asia has been a weird experience. Some are headed to their home country for the summer, some are leaving permanently. It's been a reminder of how much we've missed these last few months while we've been in the US.
This past weekend, Nancy and I were able to travel to Louisville, KY to see a large group of friends who were gathering there. One, Charlotte Stemple, told a story that I'm sure I'd heard before. It had a new context for me this time.
The story is of an accomplished organist (also a friend of ours). During the year, she played at her church. For two weeks each summer, she played at a summer camp where they rented an organ for the meetings. Those two weeks were always a delight because the camp rented organs that were much nicer than the one Doris played back at church.
One summer, the camp outdid itself. Doris walked into the tabernacle to find a state-of-the-art organ on the platform. She fired it up, ran her fingers across the keys, tried this stop and that setting, and thought about how much she was going to enjoy playing for camp that year.
About that time, the woman who was assigned to play the piano came in. She saw the organ and she too was amazed. She said, "Oh, Doris, would you mind trading places for camp? I'll play this and you can play the piano."
Doris's heart sank. She had every right to say no, but a voice inside said, "Slide off the bench." And she did; graciously, without protest or complaint.
During my time in the US, I've told a lot of people about opportunities in Vietnam which were just beginning to bud last December/January - things that Nancy and I enjoyed and were looking forward to. We've had to "slide off the bench" and turn them over to others. It's not been without purpose though. We've experienced and learned much during these last five months. We've seen a more powerful, gracious hand in it than our own.
This past weekend, Nancy and I were able to travel to Louisville, KY to see a large group of friends who were gathering there. One, Charlotte Stemple, told a story that I'm sure I'd heard before. It had a new context for me this time.
The story is of an accomplished organist (also a friend of ours). During the year, she played at her church. For two weeks each summer, she played at a summer camp where they rented an organ for the meetings. Those two weeks were always a delight because the camp rented organs that were much nicer than the one Doris played back at church.
One summer, the camp outdid itself. Doris walked into the tabernacle to find a state-of-the-art organ on the platform. She fired it up, ran her fingers across the keys, tried this stop and that setting, and thought about how much she was going to enjoy playing for camp that year.
About that time, the woman who was assigned to play the piano came in. She saw the organ and she too was amazed. She said, "Oh, Doris, would you mind trading places for camp? I'll play this and you can play the piano."
Doris's heart sank. She had every right to say no, but a voice inside said, "Slide off the bench." And she did; graciously, without protest or complaint.
During my time in the US, I've told a lot of people about opportunities in Vietnam which were just beginning to bud last December/January - things that Nancy and I enjoyed and were looking forward to. We've had to "slide off the bench" and turn them over to others. It's not been without purpose though. We've experienced and learned much during these last five months. We've seen a more powerful, gracious hand in it than our own.
May 7, 2009
No News
Not much to post about lately. Nancy had her third chemo treatment today. If she stays healthy, her last one will be May 27. If that one goes OK, the next step will be to set up her radiation therapy for June. Lots of "if's," but we're trusting that all will continue to go well and we will be back in Hanoi in time for the fall semester.
Next week I'm headed to Schenectady, NY for a couple weeks. If you're around and you want to hear about Vietnam, let me know. It's one of my favorite subjects!
Next week I'm headed to Schenectady, NY for a couple weeks. If you're around and you want to hear about Vietnam, let me know. It's one of my favorite subjects!
April 9, 2009
McCain at DAV
While I've been back in the US, my students have been hobnobbing with senators. Here's a picture of John McCain arriving at the Diplomatic Academy of Vietnam and greeting the Director General of the Academy. The stop at DAV was part of the recent Asia tour taken by Senators McCain (R-AZ), Klobuchar (D-MN) and Graham (R-SC).
April 1, 2009
A Cool Password Program
Since I don't have much teaching news to post these days, I thought I'd let you know about a password vault program I've found. It's called KeePass. It keeps all your passwords in a secure file so you don't have to try to remember all of them - or have just one password you keep using over and over again. It has some nice features. From what I've seen in reviews, it's quite secure.
On the cancer front, Nancy had her first of four doses on chemo. It's been really rough on her but they say she should start getting her strength back in a few days. You probably already know about her Caring Bridge blog, but I'll add the link here anyway.
It looks like I may do a little tutoring this spring after all. We've attended a Vietnamese Alliance Church a couple of times here in Greenville. They have been great and have prayed regularly for Nancy. We've made a friend there who wants to work on his English and I've got to give him a call this week to set something up. He wants to help me with my Vietnamese, but he's from Dalat and uses a different accent than I'm used to. It's been a lot of work to try to understand, but I'm grateful for the chance to practice.
On the cancer front, Nancy had her first of four doses on chemo. It's been really rough on her but they say she should start getting her strength back in a few days. You probably already know about her Caring Bridge blog, but I'll add the link here anyway.
It looks like I may do a little tutoring this spring after all. We've attended a Vietnamese Alliance Church a couple of times here in Greenville. They have been great and have prayed regularly for Nancy. We've made a friend there who wants to work on his English and I've got to give him a call this week to set something up. He wants to help me with my Vietnamese, but he's from Dalat and uses a different accent than I'm used to. It's been a lot of work to try to understand, but I'm grateful for the chance to practice.
March 7, 2009
Snow in South Carolina
This is not an image we expected to see this winter. It was kind of nice because it's been three years since we saw snow - and because it disappeared in 3-4 days. By the weekend it's supposed to be back up in the 70's (about 25 C).
February 26, 2009
Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Caveat - my medical knowledge fits in a thimble, but this is what I've been told.
At Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok, the surgeon (4th from the left in the website photo) explained that breast cancer tumors may be "fed" by estrogen, progesterone, or another hormone they refer to as HER2. When that's the case, the patient gets just radiation therapy instead of both chemotherapy and radiation. Then she is given medicine for about five years in order to suppress the hormones and prevent recurrence. The surgeon in the US gave the same explanation.
Nancy's pathology tests in Bangkok indicated that she had a "triple-negative" cancer, so we had resigned ourselves to chemotherapy. As it turned out, there were some insurance complications in Bangkok so we decided to come back to the US and get everything done here.
We had all of Nancy's medical records from Bumrungrad except for the actual tissue slides from pathology and the surgeon really wanted to see those. No worries, she was removing the tumor anyway, so she just had it sent to pathology to confirm the findings.
Some people would say that the Bangkok hospital made a mistake. We'd love to have the slides to double-check them because we believe that the prayers of many people in many languages in many parts of the world were answered with a "yes" -- the second pathology showed that Nancy's tumor was 98% estrogen-positive and somewhat HER2 positive. We're skeptical that an hospital that is certified to USA standards would be that far off on two of their lab tests. We believe that God answered prayers.
After surgery, part of the tumor made the trip to the West Coast for Oncotype DX testing. We should hear the results next week. There are three possibilities: It may put Nancy in a low risk category, medium, or high. High means 4-6 months of chemo (depending on what's type is prescribed) followed by seven weeks radiation. Medium means a decision has to be made weighing the benefits of adding chemo to radiation therapy. Low means Nancy would not need chemotherapy; only radiation and the five years of homone suppressant.
We're hoping, of course, that Nancy won't need chemo. A radiation-only regimine would mean Nancy would finish her treatment in time to be in Florida for the birth of our grandson and we'd be able to return to Hanoi for the fall semester. That's what we're praying for but, not being doctors, we're willing to trust God for the best answer and leave the decision to His providence.
PS -- Soon after we left Hanoi in January, we found out that the sister of one of my Vietnamese colleagues was also diagnosed with breast cancer and was scheduled for surgery. For privacy, I won't include her name, but please pray for a full recovery for her.
At Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok, the surgeon (4th from the left in the website photo) explained that breast cancer tumors may be "fed" by estrogen, progesterone, or another hormone they refer to as HER2. When that's the case, the patient gets just radiation therapy instead of both chemotherapy and radiation. Then she is given medicine for about five years in order to suppress the hormones and prevent recurrence. The surgeon in the US gave the same explanation.
Nancy's pathology tests in Bangkok indicated that she had a "triple-negative" cancer, so we had resigned ourselves to chemotherapy. As it turned out, there were some insurance complications in Bangkok so we decided to come back to the US and get everything done here.
We had all of Nancy's medical records from Bumrungrad except for the actual tissue slides from pathology and the surgeon really wanted to see those. No worries, she was removing the tumor anyway, so she just had it sent to pathology to confirm the findings.
Some people would say that the Bangkok hospital made a mistake. We'd love to have the slides to double-check them because we believe that the prayers of many people in many languages in many parts of the world were answered with a "yes" -- the second pathology showed that Nancy's tumor was 98% estrogen-positive and somewhat HER2 positive. We're skeptical that an hospital that is certified to USA standards would be that far off on two of their lab tests. We believe that God answered prayers.
After surgery, part of the tumor made the trip to the West Coast for Oncotype DX testing. We should hear the results next week. There are three possibilities: It may put Nancy in a low risk category, medium, or high. High means 4-6 months of chemo (depending on what's type is prescribed) followed by seven weeks radiation. Medium means a decision has to be made weighing the benefits of adding chemo to radiation therapy. Low means Nancy would not need chemotherapy; only radiation and the five years of homone suppressant.
We're hoping, of course, that Nancy won't need chemo. A radiation-only regimine would mean Nancy would finish her treatment in time to be in Florida for the birth of our grandson and we'd be able to return to Hanoi for the fall semester. That's what we're praying for but, not being doctors, we're willing to trust God for the best answer and leave the decision to His providence.
PS -- Soon after we left Hanoi in January, we found out that the sister of one of my Vietnamese colleagues was also diagnosed with breast cancer and was scheduled for surgery. For privacy, I won't include her name, but please pray for a full recovery for her.
Waiting For the Rest of the Story
Well, we're into our fourth week in Greenville. My brother & sister-in-law have been incredibly gracious and generous during our stay with them. Nancy's surgery went well, which you probably already know from her Caring Bridge posts. The tumor turned out to be Stage 1 and it is not triple-negative, which is good news.
Tissue was sent off to CA for Oncotype DX testing, which is supposed to determine whether or not she will need chemotherapy. We're obviously hoping she won't! We're expecting to find out on Tuesday when she meets with the radiation oncologist.
Tissue was sent off to CA for Oncotype DX testing, which is supposed to determine whether or not she will need chemotherapy. We're obviously hoping she won't! We're expecting to find out on Tuesday when she meets with the radiation oncologist.
February 7, 2009
Surgery Scheduled
We met with the surgeon this morning and scheduled Nancy's outpatient procedure for Wednesday. About a week after that she'll have a follow up visit and then we should be able to find out how long the rest of her treatment will be. We're hoping for the best case because that would allow Nancy to be in Orlando when Hannah's baby is born in early July. But first things first.
January 27, 2009
Where the Buffalo Came From
According to Vietnamese legend, after God created the world and before he created people, he sent an angel to plant rice so that humans would have something to eat. But the angel got drunk, fell asleep, and never completed his task. When he woke up, grass had grown everywhere and God was mad.
To punish the angel, God turned him into a buffalo and sentenced him to helping mankind till the earth.
(This photo was take by Nancy in Bac Giang province six years ago.)
To punish the angel, God turned him into a buffalo and sentenced him to helping mankind till the earth.
(This photo was take by Nancy in Bac Giang province six years ago.)Tet Viet Nam
After six years, Nancy and I finally managed to be in Vietnam together for Tet Viet Nam (Vietnamese New Year). In the past, we'd only been around for the last few days of this four-day holiday and I was here for New Year's Eve in 2007 when Nancy was in the US for a few weeks, so I was excited to share it with her this year.
Around 11 PM we locked up the house and walked down to Ngoc Khanh lake, one of the fireworks sites the city had set up. Everyone was in a good mood, ready to welcome the year of the buffalo (for the Chinese, it's the year of the ox).
Precisely at midnight, the fireworks erupted. It was an impressive show and we got a pretty good view through the trees near the edge of the lake. We walked home, shoulder to shoulder with a few thousand other people. Along the way, the sugar cane sellers were doing a brisk business. It's good luck to have a live plant or branch on your ancestral altar at Tet and a lot of young people climb trees to break off a branch. To discourage that habit, the government has encouraged the use of sugar canes. It's one of the few times you can buy them whole in the city, from root to leaves.
For the last few days we've been packing up between visits and lunch dates with friends. On Friday night we head for the US. We've known this was coming since last Thursday, but being back in Hanoi makes it feel worse. When we drove past the school this morning and I looked out at the pond that I've seen so many times from the teacher's room, it was all I could do to keep from crying. Funny how all the problems with the city (noise, pollution, cost of living...) fade away when you have to say goodbye to it all.
Around 11 PM we locked up the house and walked down to Ngoc Khanh lake, one of the fireworks sites the city had set up. Everyone was in a good mood, ready to welcome the year of the buffalo (for the Chinese, it's the year of the ox).
Precisely at midnight, the fireworks erupted. It was an impressive show and we got a pretty good view through the trees near the edge of the lake. We walked home, shoulder to shoulder with a few thousand other people. Along the way, the sugar cane sellers were doing a brisk business. It's good luck to have a live plant or branch on your ancestral altar at Tet and a lot of young people climb trees to break off a branch. To discourage that habit, the government has encouraged the use of sugar canes. It's one of the few times you can buy them whole in the city, from root to leaves.
For the last few days we've been packing up between visits and lunch dates with friends. On Friday night we head for the US. We've known this was coming since last Thursday, but being back in Hanoi makes it feel worse. When we drove past the school this morning and I looked out at the pond that I've seen so many times from the teacher's room, it was all I could do to keep from crying. Funny how all the problems with the city (noise, pollution, cost of living...) fade away when you have to say goodbye to it all.
January 23, 2009
Transition
After two weeks of medical tests in Bangkok, Nancy's breast cancer was confirmed and the decision was made to return to the United States for treatment. It has been a very difficult two weeks in ways that would take a long chapter or two to tell.
Plans seem to change every morning we wake up and check our email, but at this point we're aiming to go back to Hanoi, pack up a few things, and then travel to Greenville, SC . We'll spend the next several months there as Nancy goes through surgery and follow up treatment. I didn't expect to be watching the Super Bowl in the US this year.
Nor was I expecting to be away from teaching for the spring semester. What happens when two team leaders are unexpectedly sidelined and have to withdraw from a program where they're supposed to be mentoring three new teachers?
Provision happens.
A few weeks before Nancy even noticed anything was wrong, a friend of ours in Ohio, who has had years of experience as a team leader with the China Teaching Fellowship, was feeling led to return to Asia. The CTF Program Director and our VN Country Director contacted her and she agreed to come to Hanoi and take our place. This is another reminder, as bad as all this has been, that it was not unexpected by the one who wrote all of our days in His book before one of them came to be.
Plans seem to change every morning we wake up and check our email, but at this point we're aiming to go back to Hanoi, pack up a few things, and then travel to Greenville, SC . We'll spend the next several months there as Nancy goes through surgery and follow up treatment. I didn't expect to be watching the Super Bowl in the US this year.
Nor was I expecting to be away from teaching for the spring semester. What happens when two team leaders are unexpectedly sidelined and have to withdraw from a program where they're supposed to be mentoring three new teachers?
Provision happens.
A few weeks before Nancy even noticed anything was wrong, a friend of ours in Ohio, who has had years of experience as a team leader with the China Teaching Fellowship, was feeling led to return to Asia. The CTF Program Director and our VN Country Director contacted her and she agreed to come to Hanoi and take our place. This is another reminder, as bad as all this has been, that it was not unexpected by the one who wrote all of our days in His book before one of them came to be.
January 18, 2009
For the Latest
It may be a while before I update much on this blog, due to the craziness of our situation these days. If you want to get the latest news on Nancy, click here to see her CaringBridge blog.
January 14, 2009
Unfortunately
"Unfortunately" is never the first word you want to hear from your doctor's mouth when you're waiting for the results of a biopsy, but that's what we heard today. Nancy will go through staging tests on Friday and then we will decide on where to go for treatment.
January 1, 2009
New Year's
One of the perks of tutoring at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) as part of my job has been an invitation to an annual holiday/thank you dinner from the Foreign Minister of Vietnam. Last Tuesday night, Nancy and I and the other tutors were escorted to a very nice restaurant where we were treated to an elaborate meal with the Foreign Minister, the president of our university, the dean of the English faculty and another friend from MOFA. After a couple of very enjoyable hours, we headed for home, stuffed with sushi, lamb chops, lobster tail, traditional Vietnamese foods, and more.
The MOFA Building. You can't tell from this distance, but it's a nice example of French architecture from the colonial days.
On New Year's Eve, Nancy planned a small party for VTF with the Schallers at the Water Village. But on the way home from a one-on-one meeting that afternoon, I bumped into one of my students who told me about a big New Year's Eve party in the courtyard of the hostel (dorm). So, around 8:30 I went over to spend some time with the students before heading out to the other party at the Water Village. I saw a lot of my past and present students and got introduced to some of their friends. A few K32 students who were friends with last years' teachers were there too.
We watched games like bobbing for soup spoons, listened to a lot of singing, and saw a couple of very creative, student-made videos. Two Chinese students from the Foreign Trade University had heard the all the noise and wandered in. After one dropped a hint about me teaching her English, I told her she could come to the international fellowship on Sunday mornings and get lots of English practice. They both seemed excited about the idea, so I'm hoping to see them this Sunday.
I woke up hoarse from trying to have so many conversations over the noise of the PA system, but it was definitely worth it. Spending time with students is something I've missed while we've been VTF leaders and it's one reason I'm thinking about turning the VTF reins over to a new leader and getting back into regular university teaching. We'll have to see where that road leads.
The MOFA Building. You can't tell from this distance, but it's a nice example of French architecture from the colonial days.On New Year's Eve, Nancy planned a small party for VTF with the Schallers at the Water Village. But on the way home from a one-on-one meeting that afternoon, I bumped into one of my students who told me about a big New Year's Eve party in the courtyard of the hostel (dorm). So, around 8:30 I went over to spend some time with the students before heading out to the other party at the Water Village. I saw a lot of my past and present students and got introduced to some of their friends. A few K32 students who were friends with last years' teachers were there too.
We watched games like bobbing for soup spoons, listened to a lot of singing, and saw a couple of very creative, student-made videos. Two Chinese students from the Foreign Trade University had heard the all the noise and wandered in. After one dropped a hint about me teaching her English, I told her she could come to the international fellowship on Sunday mornings and get lots of English practice. They both seemed excited about the idea, so I'm hoping to see them this Sunday.
I woke up hoarse from trying to have so many conversations over the noise of the PA system, but it was definitely worth it. Spending time with students is something I've missed while we've been VTF leaders and it's one reason I'm thinking about turning the VTF reins over to a new leader and getting back into regular university teaching. We'll have to see where that road leads.
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