Festing

Introducing today's special guests, here to bring you a PSA:
Don't leave sugary things in your trash overnight.

Yesterday I taught FCE classes: classes to help local English teachers pass an international standardized test of their English skills. Even though they teach English here, many of them are thwarted by the speaking and listening portions of this test. Aside from arriving late to the first session because I had been wandering in the rain in the wrong direction looking for the class (when I called to ask where it was I was told 'it's in the two-story building. As though there were only one of those on campus.), the classes went pretty smoothly. Later in the day I was told by another FCE teacher that the teacher/students felt very encouraged after my class. As I am often told, most people here have never spoken to a foreigner, so for them to discover that they can understand me and that I can understand them is a huge confidence boost. Honestly, I think that lack of confidence is at least as big a stumbling block here as lack of ability.

At lunch I had yet another new fruit, referred to as 'Vietnamese cherries'. They tasted kind of how they look (at least to me): like tiny apples but with a cherry consistency, and three seeds instead of one. We ate them dipped in salt and chili. Trang told me not to worry about preparing anything games for the Mid-Autumn Festival because we would only be making an appearance before going to another event, a kids' fashion show in the city center, also in celebration of the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Cherries and salt. They're supposed to be really good for your dental health.

I had the afternoon mostly to myself and took the opportunity to catch up on sleep. When my alarm sounded, I felt like I could have kept sleeping until today. It was a good thing I got up, because shortly thereafter I had three adult visitors, who once again pondered, evaluated, and attempted to rearrange my furniture. Though I have been repeatedly told that I can arrange my furniture however I want, whenever people come in they seem to think I've done it wrong and want to 'fix it' for me. For example, the mat I put outside of my shower so I don't slip and die when I get out gets consistently moved to my bedroom.

When I met Trang to go to the campus festival I discovered that I would be introducing myself to everyone for the umpteenth time and that afterward I might be organizing games for the kids, after all. While the MC was welcoming everyone and so on, I was offered a longan. I accepted, but was wary of putting it in my mouth precisely at the moment that I would get called up to introduce myself. After a while I figured I was safe. Right at that moment I was motioned to the front. So much for timing that right. In the end I didn't have to lead any games, but I did get to parade around on stage with the children when it came time to light the paper lanterns. It was interesting to observe children's games here, and to start remembering long-forgotten parts of my childhood. They played a game similar to Hot Potato, a game of cat-and-mouse that required the mouse to do a runway walk (catwalk) if he got tagged by the cat, and a game called Ali Ba Ba that involved lots of shouting. Afterward the moon cakes were distributed, and I was generously offered many a piece, all of which I was obliged to accept. One has green bean paste and whole egg yolks inside, while the other variety has sesame seeds and meat and egg yolks. The latter almost tasted like a softer granola bar. Both were tasty.

Mid-Autumn Festival setup

Meet Farmer Pig, the lantern, my new roommate

As the event drew to a close, I was loaded down with bags of leftover fruit and moon cake to add to my nearly overflowing coffer/refrigerator. I was ready for down time, but Ms. My (whose name I had previously been misspelling as Ms. Mei, and whose name literally means Ms. USA) and one of her friends decided to come over and watch me eat fruit. Ms. My started peeling and slicing a variety of fruit that I felt too stuffed by moon cake to eat but which I was now obligated to consume. When they departed a gecko jumped off of the inside of my door, launching himself into my room. He scampered into my shoe for refuge and I tried to fling him to freedom that way, but he only used the backswing to jump even deeper into my room. He can be my guest as long as he eats some mosquitoes and doesn't poop too much.



In other news, Võ Chì Công, founding member of the Vietcong and former president, died yesterday and the country is now in mourning for the next three days.