Don't waste the coconut

Last night I had my least favorite visitors yet. I had previously found a few unexplained dead cockroaches near my drain and was suspecting that they float out of it when it overflows, but as long as they're dead I don't mind too much. Last night, though, I saw a live roach but it wasn't as swift as I expected and fortunately I killed it easily with my chancla (sorry non-Spanish speakers, but that's the best word for it), but then there was another one. Before I could take a good swipe it made a beeline for the drain, jumping right into the water. I wondered if it had inadvertently undergone a suicide mission but a quick Google search revealed that cockroaches can swim. How many survival skills can one creature be endowed with? Oh, well, I learned something new.

Despite the fact that I whipped up today's second lesson plan in about 30 minutes last night before I could no longer bear to type, today's class ended up being a huge success. The 3rd year speaking teacher is the only one who has given me complete freedom in my lesson planning, not requiring that I stick to a syllabus or use a particular textbook, etc., so I decided to take advantage of that freedom. I had been feeling like my lesson plans had started to form a rut. Different topics but always the same activities. In my brainstorming I came up with the theme of stories. I read "Goldilocks and the Three Bears" to my students. Then I gave out a script and different chunks of the class read a different character together. Then I had them work in groups write their own stories and scripts, and at the end of class each group performed their story. They had a great time and so did I. Lots of pictures because it was so much fun.

Story writing

The tortoise challenges the hare to a race

The evil stepmother scorns Cinderella

The slipper fits!

Cinderella and Prince Charming: true love!

For lunch Trang took me to a phở place that she really likes and we had meatball phở, phở bò viên. It was southern style phở but much better than it was at another place we had been to. When she told me it would have meatballs I was a little wary, but they were very moist and savory. She gave me quite the generous squirt of hot sauce and all in all it was a delicious meal. It was a good reminder of why I cannot let myself replace eating with lesson planning like I did yesterday, although sometimes my schedule makes that feel unavoidable. Best of all, this phở place is within walking distance and allegedly open late, so I am definitely planning on going back. In fact, I am planning on going back tomorrow.

Tomorrow I will have some ETA visitors who are coming to celebrate my birthday weekend with me! Because of this upcoming visit, Trang took me to a travel agency after lunch to help me book an eco-tour for us. We passed so many coconut palms it is clear why Ben Tre is considered the coconut capital. Talking to Trang, I discovered that every part of the coconut has its use. You drink the juice and eat the flesh. You use the shell as fertilizer or kindling. You use the tree trunks as building material, and the leaves for thatching.

You can also use coconuts to make tourist trinkets.

In the evening I went for bánh bao, another bread filled with meat and egg and mystery things. I had had it before in Hanoi but it is kind of hard to photograph/unphotogenic. It is a great, surprisingly filling snack that can easily become a meal. Here in Ben Tre they have 'normal' white ones and these pale green ones that I have been curious about since I got here. Almost as soon as I got back to my room Ms. My was at my door. I had received a small homegrown coconut from another teacher and she was here to open it for me (and sweep and mop, meanwhile). After I drank all the juice she left and came back with her machete so I could scoop out the flesh. There is to be no wasting of the coconut in this here room.

Mini coconut

Green bánh bao

No coconut wasting, I said!

Looking forward to my visitors tomorrow!