Chuc Mung Nam Muoi!

He sits on the sidewalk in a chair with his feet thrown over the side. He looks exhausted, and savors every idle moment as he watches people walk by on the sidewalk. I see him every morning on my way to school. He manages the Thai restaurant on the corner on my way to school. But I never se him like this. He is always working, always telling people what to do, always pushing tables and chairs around. But not today. Today he sits and watches, while he wiggles his toes, smiles, and ignores everyone. Quite possibly it is the only day he has off in the year. And such is a picture of the peace of Tet.

Chuc Mung Nam Muoi! Happy New Year! We are enjoying a week of bliss in the chaos. We have a week off and the windows are open and have been all day (a rare treat). A breeze blows cool, and it is more quiet that I thought possible in Vietnam. I am savoring every moment.

Today we went down town to walk Nguyen Way, a street in the middle of the city that is fully decked out with flowers and displays solely for the opportunity for families to stroll and be together. There was a happy, calm feeling in the air. Many people get out of town for Tet because grocery stores, ok everything closes. But it is my very favorite time of year in Vietnam and I am always so glad that we are here!

I have a little catching up to do, I know. We have decided that this is our last year in Vietnam, but don't yet know where our journey will take us next. The international school world job search is a little daunting to say the least. We are trying to ride with the waves - the excitement and disappointments that join our days right now.

Here are some pics to catch you up:

The first ones (a little out of order) are Sophie's. She got a new camera for Christmas and has been having a great time exploring the life of a photographer.

Pretty Maeve.

A mom and baby in our apartment courtyard.

The courtyard at Hung Vuong 2, our apartment complex.

I love this one. A view of the sky in our apartment complex.

Sophie let one of her friends in the courtyard take this one of her.

A Christmas Skype with Grandma, Uncle Steve and Aunt Laura. It's so nice to have Skype, especially at Christmas.

A hornet's nest right in the window made some good watching for our nature girl.

Close up architecture photo of Sophie's Playmobil animal hospital. (Looks like you could really walk in...)
Right before halloween, we had a big night in tooth fairy land. Sophie lost her first, and Maeve lost one of her big front teeth in the same day. We read a book called Throw Your Tooth on the Roof about what kids do in different parts of the world when they lose a tooth. It explains the glasses in the picture that hold teeth in a glass of water. The letters were an added bonus, complete with tooth fairy portraits.
Underdog in the flesh. Halloween was fun.

My great colleague at the Halloween fair at school.

Out trick or treating with the faculty crew.

The sort. Same in every house in the world after trick or treating. Rules haven't changed...

My wonderful assistant gave these sweet dresses to the girls.

At the beginning of Christmas break, we escaped to Phu Quoc, an island off the Southwest coast of Vietnam. We stayed in a beautiful place on the beach - a little village of cottages.

It had a nice pool.


Traditional Vietnamese fishing boat.

Friends from school who stayed down the beach a ways. It was a very nice beach with great swimming. (In the Gulf of Thailand I think.)

Nature girl found a sea star in one of the shells she picked up on the beach and returned it to the surf just in time.

Beautiful sunset. (The boat you see was a permanent hut on the water, used as a home and fishing base for local fishermen.)
Beautiful Sophie.

Dinner on the beach!

The more local dinner down the beach. Crates as tables and great grilled seafood and barbecue. Delicious.

Back in Saigon, we skated! Not on ice, on wax. Way cool. I was a little nervous about how crowded it was on the ice the day we were there but quickly noticed that no one moved round very quickly. (Why would anyone know how to ice skate in Saigon?) Maeve was actually one of the more proficient skaters on the "ice" within a few minutes.
The long Christmas break ended for me at a Job recruitment fair in Bangkok. This was the beautiful river view from my window which I enjoyed with coffee in the morning. I didn't get to see too much of Bangkok, unfortunately. I did make some great connections with schools, and enjoyed talking with people in interviews. No results yet, but we are hopeful.

Charles is immersing in the world of teaching as he has started his student teaching this semester with a great economics teacher at our school. I am enjoying how much he seems to be enjoying it.

And I will update sooner next time. Be well friends.