Getting messages of any kind through has become an obstacle course each day. Nothing in China is easy.
There have been hours of misery and yes, one more complete day of misery...imagine this: You are teaching grade school in China and all they have for a bathroom is a huge long trough that you have to straddle and then squat while trying to hold your breath because if you breathe you think you will lose your stomach. There is no sink and therefore no soap and of course so toilet paper. Add to this diarrhea. Now, I am not saying this happened to me, but just imagine it. And if it did happen to me, I might have been unprepared because up until that time I had no intention of EVER using the torture bathroom.
Fortunately, the teaching has finally become some kind of "fun."
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About this Blog
Who: Marjie, a life-long resident and high school teacher from Seattle
What: Decides to rent out her condo and sign a ten-month contract to teach sixth grade English and Ancient History at a relatively new, quickly growing international school in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
When: In August, with one month's notice - along with 33 others from the US, Canada, Australia, Britain and New Zealand (most of them last-minute, too)
p.s. (That was last year; now she's on Year #2)
What: Decides to rent out her condo and sign a ten-month contract to teach sixth grade English and Ancient History at a relatively new, quickly growing international school in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
When: In August, with one month's notice - along with 33 others from the US, Canada, Australia, Britain and New Zealand (most of them last-minute, too)
p.s. (That was last year; now she's on Year #2)
Frequently Mentioned Cast
The Castle - a five story stack house with a rooftop deck, in the midst of the best morning market in the city.
Katherine - castlemate and the primary PE teacher from Montreal, Canada.
Franco - castlemate and a third grade teacher from Portland, Oregon.
Tarn - former castlemate and the high school librarian from Wellington, New Zealand (in many of last year's posts).
Pretty Lady - Tarn's bicycle.
Nam (or "Mom") - Marjie's motorcycle-taxi driver and surrogate mother. He is also Marjie's self-appointed food screener.
Nam's Family - sells fabric at the morning market.
Thuy (pronounced "Twee") - sells fabric at the morning market and serves as the castle's Sunday night cooking instructor.
Thanh - (pronounced "Tawn") Thuy's sister and business partner.
Sweet Seamstress or Ms. Hao - seamstress who lives three doors down from the castle. Her assistant is Lieu and her son is Ut.
Bum Bum Girls - girls who work at the Bum Bum Salon in the alley near the Castle. Katherine and Marjie's "second home."
Tran - Katherine and Marjie's favorite massage therapist at the Bum Bum (she's not there anymore; now she comes to the castle for massages on request).
Banana Cake Lady and Rice Lady - women who supply Marjie's breakfast each morning.
"The Band" - Four people who regularly comment on the blog: Brian, Karyn ("the norris clan"), Amy ("amyt"), Bill (used to be "kumma" or "sbill" but recently transformed into "Mungo") and one person who makes star appearances: Rita (of One-Minute-Poem fame).
Katherine - castlemate and the primary PE teacher from Montreal, Canada.
Franco - castlemate and a third grade teacher from Portland, Oregon.
Tarn - former castlemate and the high school librarian from Wellington, New Zealand (in many of last year's posts).
Pretty Lady - Tarn's bicycle.
Nam (or "Mom") - Marjie's motorcycle-taxi driver and surrogate mother. He is also Marjie's self-appointed food screener.
Nam's Family - sells fabric at the morning market.
Thuy (pronounced "Twee") - sells fabric at the morning market and serves as the castle's Sunday night cooking instructor.
Thanh - (pronounced "Tawn") Thuy's sister and business partner.
Sweet Seamstress or Ms. Hao - seamstress who lives three doors down from the castle. Her assistant is Lieu and her son is Ut.
Bum Bum Girls - girls who work at the Bum Bum Salon in the alley near the Castle. Katherine and Marjie's "second home."
Tran - Katherine and Marjie's favorite massage therapist at the Bum Bum (she's not there anymore; now she comes to the castle for massages on request).
Banana Cake Lady and Rice Lady - women who supply Marjie's breakfast each morning.
"The Band" - Four people who regularly comment on the blog: Brian, Karyn ("the norris clan"), Amy ("amyt"), Bill (used to be "kumma" or "sbill" but recently transformed into "Mungo") and one person who makes star appearances: Rita (of One-Minute-Poem fame).
Blog Archive
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2006
(55)
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July
(42)
- Go to The Beautiful Place
- Broken Wing!
- A Long-Necked Clam Happy Hour
- The abundant blind person massages the center
- California Beef Noodle Restaurant, Built in a Day
- I'm Turning Chinese
- They will have an interesting time in America some...
- Chickeny
- Noodles with vegetables, please
- Motivation for Potty Training
- A day in my life
- They have uncles in their desks
- Do you like Chinese New Year's Cake?
- Imagine
- Your Mama
- The cure for heat stroke
- Buddhas, ballroom dancing and badminton
- Just Breathe
- A night with the girls
- The Story of My Week
- I'm alive!
- New Pictures Added
- Details
- "Monkfish Cooked in Crazy Water"
- Save yourself a trip to France
- I Don't Think I'm Staying
- The Sound of One Plastic Hand Clapping
- No, really, I'm staying!
- Apologies
- I'm staying here
- AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!
- Where the noodles are
- I need your help!
- Thank God for Simon
- Why Door #2 Rocks...
- Hotmail doesn't work!
- Door #2 Rocks!
- What's Behind Door #2?
- Sweating!
- In Deqing
- Lawyers, Dancers, Accountants and Ginger Clams
- State of Confucian
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▼
July
(42)
1 comment:
Just to let you know I am very familiar with the scenario you painted in this "IMAGINE" chapter of the blog. I would like to officially congratulate you that you now have what I call "HOng KOng nose" which means you can handle much stronger odors than before you went to China. This is a gift that will help you the rest of your life. I wish you the best of luck of avoiding the torture bathroom! by the way-you are hilarious! Love your friend with the Hong Kong Nose for life
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