Ends and Beginnings

Today will be the first day in the last 10 months that I will be in HCMC, but not return to my aunt's house. After a crazy last few weeks getting everything sorted, I am now living in my own apartment again, independent, free. I can't say everything was rosy, though. Just a few days ago, I became privy to the knowledge of just how precarious my former living situation was. I suppose all things have their goods and their bads, but I do wish that my departure could have gone somewhat differently. Regardless, I am thankful for what I had. One of my original missions for coming to Vietnam was to learn more about the culture and more about my family. Living at my aunt's house, I got both in spades, and I believe that had I made different decisions earlier on in my stay here, I would be lesser for having done so. It makes me proud to know that after I leave Vietnam, I can confidently say to others that yes, I do indeed have family here.

The public government schools are wrapping up, summer school at ILA is around the corner, and this week I start a new adult Intermediate course. Lots of things are changing now and will change in the near future. I'm ready.

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Chinese Chess - Cờ Tướng - 象棋

The latest interest I've taken in my quest to learn more about my Vietnamese heritage is the game of Chinese chess. It is a bit ironic to look for Vietnamese culture in a game that has the word "Chinese" in its name, but I found that it is only so for the sake of translation. I have taken to this game for a number of reasons. 1. The game has cool historical references that have survived even today. Let's start with the board itself. Unlike a chess board, which is played on the squares, Chinese chess is played on the intersections of lines. What is most recognizably different from normal chess boards, however, is the large gap in the middle of the board as well as the lines that form an "x" on opposites sides of the board. The square that contains the "x" is known as the "fortress," or 宮(gōng ) in Chinese. The center divider is the river where s ome Chinese words are visible. The words on the left say, 楚河 (chǔ hé ) , mean...

As a person who's done a fair amount of traveling, I couldn't agree more with this:

Paradise Falls wouldn't even hold a candle to this place.

Waiting and Waiting

March 1st. Now every day for the next two weeks will be agonizing torture. Have I been accepted? Have I been rejected? Will my career advance? Will I be right back where I was this time last year? I've been told to be patient, keep my head up, to not worry about things that aren't in my control. That's tough going, but I'm trying. How apt, then, that I'd come across this quote again: “I wanted you to see what real courage is...It’s when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do.” I thought my chances were small in the beginning, but I did see it through. Now back to waiting to see if this time is my "sometime."

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