Twitter

Someone suggested that in order to understand Twitter, I need to try it out. So, here goes. But if you're in North America and you get tweets on your phone, you'll want to check out Setting sleep time for text messages. No one likes hearing their phone in the middle of the night!

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.

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.

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.

Rainy Day Thoughts

If I owned a house in Hanoi, I'd figure out how to catch the rain and use it. According to the leaky plastic pot in our courtyard, today's rain dropped about 4 inches (10 cm). That's pretty typical for the "big rain" that falls here in the summer and fall. With this one four-hour storm, 1300 gallons (4900 lit.) of fresh water poured off our steel roof and down the drain. That's at least two weeks worth of water for the two of us. And, as polluted as the Hanoi sky is, it would still be cleaner than what comes from the tap. It's not that I'm worried about my $5/month water bill, it's just that it seems like it would be a better use of this valuable resource than having it flood the streets and wash into the sewage canal.

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.

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.