Temple of Literature and Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum Complex

   Since Saturday was our first real day off since arriving in Hanoi, my roommate and I decided to explore the city and go see some of the touristy things here in the capital. Jonny was out meeting friends and looking for apartments, so Aileen and I decided to have a girls day out and have some fun. I had looked up what were the main touristy things to do in the city and the 2 that seemed the most interesting were the Temple of Literature and Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum Complex.
  We first visited the Temple of Literature. The temple itself is nestled just south of the Old Quarter and is connected to one of Hanoi's oldest and most famous university. Inside there are pillars and slates that if you graduate from the university with a Masters or a Ph.D. you can have your names engraved on them (as told to us by one of the Vietnamese visitors to the Temple- even though I don't think you can do that anymore). The temple itself was small compared to most of the ones I have visited in Asia, but it was still gorgeous!

  Since there were a lot of recent school graduates, many of them were taking graduation pictures at the temple. Many were university graduates, but there were a few students who looked to be in high school as well, maybe they were wanting to go the Univesity and wanted to take pictures there as good luck!

   Another highlight of the temple was actually our interactions with the lady in the gift shop. Whenever I go to a temple, I always try to go to the shop inside and buy something special. This way I have a souvenir from the temple, and it is a good way for me to give back to the temple and monks financially, especially when I have taken pictures in places where there is a possibility that it might be considered rude or disrespectful, ie. inside of the main prayer room (I always make sure that I am respectful of the hall and any practitioners when taking pictures at temples. I wait for practitioners to finish praying and clear out and I ALWAYS make sure that my flash is off and I am discreet in taking my pictures, and even then I make sure to follow what I see locals and other visitors do. I do not make a scene).  Anyway, back to the story:

   We go to the store and wander around. I notice the jade necklaces in the back and just walked in to take a look. But the jade was very different from what I had seen at other temples during my time in Asia. There were so many different kinds of Jade: big, small,  dark green, light green, silver decorations, gold accents, etc. I was not thinking of buying anything, but the lady who was running the jade counter was very friendly and ended up talking to us for a good 15 minutes about life in Vietnam, the upcoming Tet (Lunar New Year) Holiday, and about Vietnamese jade and the meanings behind all the different shapes and patterns in the metal filigree.

    Long story short, this lady was an excellent sales women since we walked out of the store after having bought a necklace each. I got one with a lucky dragon going across a circular jade piece that is designed to resemble the full moon. The lady said that it would be a good piece for me since I have a round face (similar to the moon) and have a feminine, motherly vibe (again like the moon).

   The Moseuleum of Ho Chi Minh was interesting more so for the history museum that is also on the grounds. I hate to admit this, but I am not as well versed in Vietnamese history as I am for other countries. So my knowledge about Vietnam comes from the little bit of the Vietnam War that I learned about in AP US HIstory back in high school, and even then it was taught to me with a US bias. So going to the museum and seeing Vietnam's history as told by the current government of Vietnam was very interesting, especially when they covered the Vietnam War, or War of Reunification as told to me by one of the museum placards. Not going to lie, I got a little nervous about being there when we got to that particular part of the exhibit. I know that the US is not perfect and that we have a track record of fighting in wars that one can argue are not our fights to fights, but to see how demonic and evil the US was portrayed left me feeling edge a bit. I was not worried about my safety or anything, but it was more of a self-realization of " wow, this is how my countrymen (and me to an extent) are seen abroad. This is how some countries view my home."

   While I do not believe that these feelings still exist in Vietnam (at least I have not encountered any ill wishes form others once they find out I am from the US), it is definitely an eye-opener and reminds you that you don't live in a bubble! That there is a big giant world out there that has a different viewpoint from you; that not everyone will agree with you; that what you may think is a right and noble action may not be seen the same way by the other party.

   That is why I love traveling and learning about other countries and cultures. By doing so, you are able to see the many many similarities that connect us as a species, but also the differences that allow us to be unique and diverse. Hopefully, more people will get the chance to leave the bubbles of their hometowns and get out in the world to learn all the similarities and learn to appreciate all the differences.

First Week Update

  Things are starting to get better and I am starting to (slowly) get used to everything about Vietnam. I started exploring the area the apartment and even ducked into a small Korean market to pick up a few food goods so that I could cook meals at the company apartment that I am currently living in. Not going to lie, it was nice seeing some familiar things. Even just the other day, when we (my roommates and I) went to a bigger general grocery store nearby, there were still a lot of Korean brands that I recognized, as well as affordable cheese! Grocery stores are always very fun to visit when you are in a different because there is always something familiar about watching people sort through vegetables and peruse all the different aisles to see what there is to buy, no matter what language everyone is speaking or the signs are written in!! Plus there is also the chance that you can find some local treat that you have never seen before, or learn that in order to buy produce, you need to have it weighed and stickered before you go to the checkout counter or you leave a whole line of people waiting for you to run back to the produce section to get your green peppers weighed!

  But yeah, I am definitely not scared of being here anymore. I'm not going to lie, the first few days I was here, I was seriously questioning why I was here and if I had just made a horrible mistake. The city confused me, my head hurt from language overload (because I was focusing so hard on what people were saying in hopes that magically I could understand them), I was terrified for my life every time I had to cross a street because traffic laws are more of a suggestion here, plus I can't read anything so it was almost impossible to find anything. It is still a little difficult adjusting to life here? Yes. Am I as dramatic or overwhelmed? No! I still can't really understand everything and am a bit nervous about going out and exploring on my own, but I have figured out a lot of stuff that was scary/overwhelming when I first got here. I have (kind of) figured out the currency, crossing the street still makes me a little nervous but I can do it, now that I have data I can google map places and use translate to figure out what things are, and I have become a master at Uber! All in all, I feel like I am going to really like it here once I get used to how the country works.

   One thing I will never get used to though is going to a doctor's office in Asia. No offense to the doctors that I have been to though, they have all been very nice and very good at what they do, but what I will never get used to is how shocked and concerned they get about my weight. While I am a bit over the recommended weight category for my age and height (a category that was created in the 50s and is based on the idea that everyone's bodies are the same), I am by no means in danger of having poor health/health issues because of my weight (I have talked to my healthcare provider in the US), I just hate the fact that the doctors I have seen in Asia act like I am about to drop dead of a heart attack at any moment during our consultation! After all the tests were run at the hospital here in Hanoi, the doctor pulled me aside and told me everything was great, that I had nothing to worry about, but that he was extremely concerned about my weight and wanted to put me on a diet plan. While I do trust his opinion and am planning on eating better while I am here, I keep having to remind myself that I am not like the Vietnamese people that he sees every day. Out of all the Vietnamese women, I have seen here in Hanoi, on average they come up to my chest and have smaller frames than me. So of course to him, my weight would be something to be concerned about, because if a small Vietnamese woman has my numbers, yeah she would be in trouble of having health problems! I don't know why what the doctor told me bugged me so much, but just hearing him bring up my weight as a big issue, not once, but FIVE different times during the conversation, really ticked me off. I've really been working hard on body positivity and self-love for a few years now and so to have him tell me that was a real set back. But like I said, I just need to take it all with a grain of salt and keep on doing me! 

  So I know I kind of turned this into a big long venting session, but I promise this week was actually pretty fun! I have two roommates in company housing who are from the UK, so we have been staying up late a lot just talking about living abroad, training, our fellow trainees, and the differences between our two countries. We get along great, which is making me wonder if I should look for a room in a shared house rather than look for a single apartment when I move out to Hai Phong. But then again, I have a feeling I might need to have a place where I can get away from the world and recharge on my own. Most of the other people in training that I have talked to are thinking about renting rooms in shared houses, so maybe they'll rub off on me (we'll see). 

   Now that the first week of training is over I'll have a day to just relax and get to see Hanoi before I start up my second week. For next week, I will mostly be training for my admin duties and shadowing other FMs/Headteachers and then getting ready to head out to Hai Phong the following Monday. Then I will be meeting with the teachers that I am replacing and the BM to figure out what is the best course of action for the branches. So by the sounds of it, I should be working full time in my position by the 30th! But for now, I just need to get through my second week  T^T

First Day of Training

   So the first day of training is down, and curriculum wise, I feel great. The subject matter is a bit different from the material that I taught back in Korea, but the methodology and focus are the same, so it was not too hard to switch over to the new program. I just got to remember that the students are going to be a lot lower level than I am used to.

   Adjusting to life here in Vietnam is going to be hard. I feel really lost and can't seem to figure out how the city and life here works. I can't even figure out what stores are banks and which are telephone stores (both of which I need to find soon). It might be partially that I am a bit scared to get out and explore the area, mainly because it is just so different and intimidating. Apparently, the city that I m going to be moving to will be a lot less intense than Hanoi, so maybe once I am there I will be able to be a bit more adventurous and proactive about getting out and figuring stuff out. Plus, by then I will be a lot less tired and jetlagged.

   I still have to get my documents together to go to the embassy, but thankfully I was able to make an appointment for this Thursday. Now just got to keep my fingers crossed that they accept all my documents that I am bringing from home!

Sort note for today (since it is only about 4 pm), I am going to relax and study for a bit before I either go to sleep or attempt to find food.

Welcome to Vietnam!

I finally made it!

   I was originally supposed to arrive yesterday ( it is currently 3:45 pm Sunday, January 7th, 2018), but because of a frozen tarmac in Atlanta, I arrived in Seoul after my connecting flight to Hanoi had already left the airport. Delta was great and put me on one of the first flights out the next day (today) and got me a (really, really) nice room at the Grand Hyatt for the night. I actually did not mind having the night in Seoul, since it gave me a chance to stretch and get some real sleep. Plus the fact that it was Seoul helped a lot too since I lived there for 3 years before and speak the language. So after a (relatively) good night's sleep (I woke up a few times because of jet lag and stress about not wanting to oversleep) I talked with my mom a bit and caught the airport shuttle bus to the departures gate.

   I thought I would be fine getting there about an hour and a half before my flight, but boy was I wrong! Not only was it super crowded, everyone in the whole country seemed to be using my airline, so the line to check bags was almost out the door after snaking around the lobby a few times. I barely made it to the service desk before the last call for my flight! And to top it all off, the line for security was almost just as long and I only had about 30 minutes to make it to my flight! I was just about to give up as a security woman pulled me aside and had me weigh my backpack and carry one roller after which she said both were too heavy and I had to consolidate down to one bag but after one look at my stressed face and glassy eyes, plus the fact that I showed her my ticket and told her that I was about to miss my flight again, she took pity on me and gave me a pass that let me skip the security line and have an expedited security check (usually only reserved for flight crew members and higherups). I made it 10 minutes before they closed the doors, but I got on the plane!

   The flight itself was pretty normal. I was sitting in the window seat of an emergency door so had plenty of legroom and no neighbors for the first half of my flight (an older Korean couple moved up to my row because of the leg room). Other than reading and sleeping nothing much else happened. The couple next to me were trying to set up their son with the flight attendant who was sitting across from us during landing. It was actually quite funny since none of them knew I understand Korean.

    After the flight landed was when I was wondering what I had gotten myself into and if I should just get back on the plane. When I accepted the job, my company went through the process of applying for my visa and got me a letter of sponsorship. I knew that I had to turn in the letter and somehow I got a visa once I arrived. Well after standing in line for about 30 minutes I get up to the immigration officer and he then tells me I need to get out of line and go to the back of the room to pick up my visa. Well, the line to turn in your letter/apply for the visa was just as long as the line to get past the immigration officer! So I stand in line and then am given another form to fill out. Once done, I have to wait around for another 20-30 minutes while they are making my visa and putting it in my passport. I had made a few friends (fellow female American travelers and one guy from Mexico) in immigration who were going through the same, stressful process as me. Kind of wish we had exchanged information before we parted...

   Once freed from the prison that is immigration, I got down the stairs to baggage claim to, thankfully, see that my bags had been taken off the belt and placed near the wall since it had taken me so long to get to baggage claim. I felt so bad for the driver that my Airbnb sent to pick me up because, by the time I made it through immigration and customs and withdrew some cash from the ATM, it had been almost 3 hours!

  To be honest I never really felt like things were final, that I was actually moving to Vietnam until today. The drive from the airport to my place was so visually overwhelming that it has finally hit me that I am here in Vietnam, that this is where I am going to call home. Everything is just so different than what I am used to. Just from one day, I already have a slight headache from my brain trying to read all the signs but not being able to (also partially because I might be slightly dehydrated since I have been drinking water like a fish all day). The noises from the cars and scooters were jarring at first because it seems that most people do not signal or really follow any traffic laws that are more common in the Western world, rather they just honk to let others know where they are and then go off doing whatever they want, which then, in turn, means you have vehicles coming from every which way and the constant sounds of honking everywhere you go, but you soon get used to it. Plus I learned today that there is a curfew (while still loosely enforced) that does help cut down on the noises at night.

   I never really left my Airbnb today (I took a much-needed nap) other than to go out to dinner with my regional manager and her boyfriend, both of whom had taught in Korea (at the same company that I had) before moving to Hanoi about a year ago. I had been messaging my RM for a few weeks now and had wanted to meet up with her to ask her and her boyfriend questions about life in Vietnam and about the branches I will be overseeing. They had me meet them in one of the more touristy areas of Hanoi, at a place called the Lantern Louge. Inside was absolutely gorgeous! It was dark mood lighting and floor seating, but the whole 2nd floor (where the restaurant was) was covered in paper lanterns in every jewel shade imaginable!!  Plus the dinner was really good! We had the local cheap beer with Bun Cha (rice noodles dipped into a broth that had herbs, veggies, and charred meat), Lemon Peper grilled chicken, some sort of pork dish that had a dipping sauce, and also Bo La Lot (ground seasoned beef wrapped in a slightly marinated leaf that has been lightly fried in oil). Everything was so good, but I did feel slightly embarrassed when they asked me if I knew any Vietnamese food and all I could respond with was pho. Just means that I am going to have to be more adventurous when it comes to eating here!! 

   Well since I still have to finish prepping for tomorrow's class, I better go. Will make sure to update again soon!!

Starting a New Chapter

Very long time since I updated last. I hate to admit it, but I let life get ahead of me and this blog kind of fell to the wayside...again... But I wanted to update you all on what is going to be coming up for me in the near future! I have been offered a position to help manage two EFL branches in Vietnam!! It is with the sister company of the one I worked for when I was living in Seoul, South Korea (I am currently back home in the US with my family for the holidays), so I am already pretty familiar with how the administrative side of the job works.

I am not going to lie and say that I am not nervous about moving to a new country to work, I am. When I first went to Korea to study back in university, I had already been studying about the culture and the program for over a year beforehand, and when I got in country I had a group of staff members from the program who were helping me every step of the way; from the visa process to living situations, culture adjustments-everything I could ever need help on, help was provided. So when I moved back to Seoul to become a teacher after I graduated, I was already familiar with how the city and culture works, so I was not going in "blind." It is the complete opposite with Vietnam.

I know nothing of Vietnam. I have only really had pho in terms of Vietnamese food, so  I have no idea what other foods there are, I don't speak the language, and I have no idea about the culture. So there is going to be a steep learning curve for me as soon as I arrive. But despite my nervousness about managing not one, but two branches, and the fact that it is going to be harder for me to integrate into my new home compared to when I moved to Seoul, I am really looking forward to starting the next chapter in my life!

Now I just hope the stress of getting ready to fly across the world again and packing my life away into 2 suitcases, 1 carry-ons, and a backpack!

Vacation Time! pt.1- Jeju Island

     In September, I was able to go on vacation to Jeju (also referred to as the Hawaii of South Korea) and Busan ( South Korea's 2nd largest city and major port town). It was a really nice treat since it was my first official vacation since I signed on to be a teacher here in Seoul about 2 years ago!

     As luck would have it, I actually got more days off than I had originally asked for since as a surprise, my branch manager decided to let us have all 4 days (Thursday-Sunday) of Chuseok, aka the closest thing Korea has to a Thanksgiving holiday, and then I was given the following week off to go on vacation, so in total I had almost a week and a half off (which is usually very very rare in my company)!

     So I spent the weekend out with my friends and then flew out to Jeju on the 18th of September. the flight to Jeju is only about 30-45 minutes or so depending on your carrier, so in no time I was landing at the Jeju airport and getting on the airport limousine bus to travel to the Southern part of the island (Seogwipo) where my friend lives. The first thing that noticed was that how much Jeju felt like Jacksonville, Florida; the sun was shining,  I could smell the ocean, there was so much green and there were palm trees lining all of the roads-- it was nice to start the trip feeling like I was home again.

     The airport bus ride took about an hour or so to get from one side of the island to the other, but I enjoyed looking out the window and seeing all of the greenery and glimpses of the ocean flash by my window. When I got to my stop, I had to get a taxi to take me up the side of the hill/mountain that my friend lives on to get to his house. We met during my time at Yonsei for Study Abroad (we were in the same program) and became fast friends when we both flew in on the same flight since we arrived a day later than everyone else. He had recently moved to Jeju after spending a year in Daegu and I am so jealous of his house! My whole apartment is the size of just 3 of his 5 roomed house (2 bed, 2 baths, 1 kitchen/living room). Since he is teaching at a public middle school on the island, his school gave him a house right behind the school grounds and since he had plenty of room and he owed me one for letting him crash in my tiny Seoul digs earlier in the year, I got to use his house as home-base for my vacation (plus I got a travel buddy to do stuff with!).

     Once I was moved in, we got to go to visit the Osulloc Tea Fields and Museum. For those of you who do not know, Osulloc is one of Korea's top brands when it comes to green tea. They have tea houses all throughout Seoul and I have been obsessed with their teas and green tea products (green tea milk spread for lyfe~) for a while and really wanted to visit the tea fields and see the museum. The fields were really pretty and smelled amazing, plus since it was a little overcast and sprinkling, there were not too many people, so there were no crowds! Now, there were a lot of mosquitoes out, so I had to take some Benedryl when I got home, nut it was so worth it.  We also got to see the history and the process of growing and making green tea in the museum and even got to smell all of their specialty tea blends that they made using the tea from the fields outside. I picked up two, but trust me, if my wallet could have handled it, I would have bought all of the teas they had!! They smelled that good. I got Corey (my friend) hooked on the green tea milk spread, so we picked up a couple of jars to help feed his new addiction.

     Next to the Osulloc museum and fields was the Innisfree flagship store. Innisfree is a Korean skincare/makeup brand that uses natural ingredients from Jeju in all of its products. I actually own quite a few of their products myself (can't live without the volcanic pore cleanser) so it was cool to see their flagship store. The products that they were selling were the same as the ones that you can buy in Seoul, so did not pick up anything new, but they did have a station where you could make your own postcards using stamps that were designed with patterns showing the famous landmarks and symbols of Jeju (tangerines, horses, volcanoes, palm trees, volcanic rocks, etc). It was designed for kids, but we did not care and made our own to remind us of the tea fields! 

     To finish up our first night, we picked up some food from the grocery store and then made dinner and got caught up late into the night. 

     The main temple on Jeju is called 천약사 (Cheonyaksa) and is in the southern part of the island, facing the ocean. There are palm trees and dolhareubangs ( the statue associated with Jeju) everywhere. The sea breeze was going strong and the sun was out, but not overbearing. Since there was only one large group of Chinese tourists there with me so, I just made sure I as not in the same part of the temple with them, since I wanted to take in and experience the peacefulness of the temple without any major distractions. I will admit that I am a total temple lover, so anytime I get to visit a temple, I fall in love. This time was not exception!! The different parts of the complex, from the main hall to the annex was spectacular and I really felt at peace there. Plus the sun on my face and the palm trees swaying in the breeze was also a nice treat!

     Since I was stationed in the southern part of the island for my stay, most of my solo exploring was done around there. I went into the famous Teddy Bear Museum, toured around the botanical gardens, and even went to see Cheonjeyeon Falls (천제연폭포) that were nearby. Everything down South is so beautiful, that I definitely could see how Jeju can be thought of as the Hawaii of Korea!
   
   
     That night, Corey and I went around near Cheonjeyeon Falls to get one of Jeju's famous dishes: black pork! We found one of the more well-known places and feasted! We were the only foreigners there and since Corey is practically fluent, I think the owner took a liking to us because he gave us "service" (Korean version of "on the house") in the form of a whole serving of black pork! So we had 3 people's worth of meat for the price of 2. The black pork was good, but not too much different from the meat you can get up in Seoul. The only difference really is that the black pork had a bigger layer of fat on the top. All in all, not as crazy good as I was expecting, but still really yummy. especially with the tangerine rice wine that we ordered.

     For my last day on the island, I went up to the northern part of the island and toured the city of Jeju (Jeju-city). It reminded me of little Seoul and was not as resort-like, or as green as the southern part of the island, but it was nice to go around the city and see everything. I went to shrines, lighthouses, and quiet a few of the museums. Before I got to the city, I signed up for a bus service (Trazy Tours- would definitely recommend for anyone visiting) which took me around to all of the major tourist areas of the city, with a new bus coming every hour. This worked out since I was able to explore the sites and did not have to worry about flagging down a taxi or trying to find a bus to get to the next spot! The only thing that I wish I was able to see more of was the Sarabong Lighthouse Park. I went to see the lighthouse that overlooked the shipyards but was too nervous to explore the temple that was across from it. The temple was really small and I heard a prayer service going on so did not want to interrupt it by walking around, but kind of wish I did because it is not every day that you visit a temple with a similar name as yours!

     The next day, I took the airport bus back to the airport and then flew off to the second part of my fall vacation: Busan! Jeju is definitely one of my highlights of living and exploring South Korea. The fact that it feels like home with all of the palm trees and the ocean breeze and the fact that it is still Korea, makes it a perfect blend of my two homes (yes, I do consider South Korea to be home)! If you ever get the chance to visit South Korea, I highly recommend Jeju Island be one of your destinations!!

Life Update

    Ok, so as you can tell from my archive, I have been doing a pretty poor job at keeping up with my posts here, or well at least keeping them more frequent. I guess all I can say about that is that life happens. I have been busy with getting every thing lined up for one more year here in Seoul, plus I got a promotion at work, so I have had to  adjust to a slightly more demanding work load; plus with learning to live on my own (laundry to wash, dishes to clean, the crazy Korean trash/recycling system, balancing work and play, "minor" Netflix addictions, etc) I might have neglected my blog a little too much. But I promise I will try to make a stronger effort to post here. 

   Alright so where to start with my update...well I guess since I touched on it earlier we will start with what I am going to do for the next year. I have as of 8/26/16 extended my visa until Sep of 2017, I have taken over the security deposit of my apartment (so now everything is in my name, not my company's), and I have signed on for another year of teaching at my academy. Anything past next year is up in the air. I am not sure if I want to go to grad school, if I want to go home and find a job, if I want to go to another country and do something there, or if I want to stay here for another year; I just think I will focus on this year first and the later (maybe around Nov.-Dec.) figure out what my next steps will be. But no matter what they are, whether that will be going somewhere else, working, or going back to school, I know that (hopefully) it will all be for the best!

   Moving on to work related updates, If you have not head through the grapevine that is my family's gossip, I have been given a promotion to Head Instructor at my branch and even got a raise when I re-signed for my 2nd year. As a head instructor, I help out the faculty manager and help give feedback and help to the other teachers (even though I tend to work with the newer teachers the most). I also seem to be given all the new and special classes when they are launched, because according to my manager " we only trust our best teachers with the job," so I guess that means that I am doing a good job as a teacher, right?

This weekend is Chuseok, aka the "Korean Thanksgiving"( Thanksgiving because it is there autumn harvest festival where most Korean have large family reunions with lots of traditional foods), so that mean that I got an extra 4 days before I take my week long vacation. I had asked for the week off before I knew that we were going to get the full 4 days of Chuseok off, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn that I was going to be getting almost a full week and a half off for vacation! First vacation in over a year, so I am really looking forward to relaxing and unwinding!

For my vacation, I am going to be going to Jeju Island for about a week and the going to Busan for a few days before coming back to Seoul. Jeju is advertised as the Hawaii of South Korea, with beaches and palm trees, and for having a really relaxed attitude--aka the perfect place for me to relax and explore. I am so lucky that I get to stay with a friend of mine who moved there recently, so I did not really need to worry about booking a hotel! After a week in Jeju, I am planning on going to Busan and meeting two of my friends who are going to come down from Seoul, and we are going to explore over the weekend!

Other than that, nothing much is going on, but I promise if anything exciting happens, I will keep you all updated! And of course, I will update here about my vacation^^

Until next time~

Sarah