Second Week in Vietnam

So, I have begun my second full week in Vietnam and it is going well so far. My Vietnamese is progressing and I am finding that the structure is fairly simple once one better understands proper pronunciation and starts to build a vocabulary. I have been practicing whenever possible and I think many of the vendors and restaurant wait staff are beginning to understand what I am trying to say. When I first began to try and speak what I had just learned in Vietnamese lessons to the locals, I would often receive blank looks in return. Therefore, I would say that being understand a little bit is great progress :)

I had my first experience on a motorbike yesterday which was quite exciting. I rode with one of my new Vietnamese friends at the office, Ngan (or Money as I have been calling her -- the literal translation -- since I have trouble pronouncing the "ng" correctly) , and she took me around for a little while. It was nice but a little bit scary (although she was driving especially slow for me, so I can only imagine what it will be like when someone is going full speed!).

Also, I have had the chance to experience a few bia hois or a Vietnamese version of a local pub. They serve fresh beer made daily and light snacks. They are quite nice, although we have received a few funny looks as most of the people who frequent these types of establishments are men.

This weekend, each new VSO volunteer will be spending a full day with a local Vietnamese family, so I am excited about that. We are also planning to go to the theatre to see Beauty and the Beast and possibly go bowling.

All in all, I am really enjoying my time here and cannot wait to see what unfolds over the next year.

Below are a few recent photos taken in Hanoi:


On the motorbike with Ngan


The other VSO volunteers with face masks, a common practice in Vietnam when riding on motorbikes