Am I supposed to be homesick? I know I miss my family and friends. Yet I don't like to moon about people and things that I can't see or have. I chose to go to Viet Nam and live in another country. I know that I'll be away for a year or so. So why be sad and mope around?
People have asked me if I'm homesick, if I cry when it's gloomy or rainy, if I'm sad and want to go back to the Philippines. When I tell them that I'm not sad, I think half of them admire me and the other half think I'm a cold, unfeeling you-know-what. But I tell them that it's only been four months and not four years that I've been away. I miss the Philippines. I miss my family and my friends. That doesn't mean I need to cry about them and be sad. Does it?
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
"How many people are there in your family?"
Family. I don't want to go all melodramatic and try to explain the word but here in Viet Nam, the questions always go like this:
1. "What's your name?"
2. "How old are you?"
3. "Are you married?" or "Do you have a boyfriend?"
4. "How many people are there in your family"
Of all the questions they've asked me, I always find the fourth the most difficult. I can always say that I have one older sister but to say that my family consists of only four members stings...
I tried to explain it to a class once, I don't know how much they understood, though. I tried to explain that saying that my family consists of four members sounds like I'm lying, at least to myself. You see, my relatives on my mother side have always been close. True, there have been rifts from time to time among members, but generally, we see each other regularly and include each other in our ups and downs. I remember summers and other vacations spent at my aunts' houses and my cousins who also stayed at our house for days and even months. We have always shuffled in and out of each other's lives. Furthermore, I have friends who I consider as family. No blood ties us, but I can never deny the link or my relationship to them.
The problem is, answering the question this way causes confusion. Either they don't understand enough English or they think that it's a very simple question to answer. Still, I persist in answering that both my parents are alive and together and that I have an older sister... my family, is way bigger and difficult to count.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Lost 2 Weeks
Yeah, yeah.... Lousy title :D But I couldn't think of anything else to call an update on the last two weeks, so there!
Anyway, I've updated my sidebar and I'm excited because I'll be able to pay my sister next month... That means a lot to me and will really help ease my mind a bit. You see, I obsess when I have debts, I'm always looking forward to the time when I'll be able to pay it off and I constantly compute when I'll have enough money for it.
I'm also happy because I have some savings and will be able to afford a ticket if I suddenly need to go back to the Philippines. I have a credit card but I don't want to use and abuse it :P
Thea and I are no longer going to tutor Sugar. It sucks because the kid is so darn nice and fun to be with. We live near them now and it's so convenient to pop in and visit them but it's awkward... Her mom said that they're going to Hanoi for vacation and they're not sure if they'll have her tutored again when they come back. Anyway, that's also one source of income less, which of course, sucks.
Moon is always busy so we don't see her much. She did drop in 2 Sundays ago and we had fun chatting with her. (note: I still owe her eight 2-hour lessons)
I now have 11 kids under my wing at the Kiddie Group. They range from 2 years 10 months to 4 years 10 months. They're crazy and active. Good thing I have wonderful helpers, Ruben and Ang. I dunno what I'd do without them... Hang myself, probably. Hehe.
It's a good thing it's summer vacation at the moment so I'll be getting about 10 classes per month with NES. It's a big help considering that I'm now making less than I used to. I still don't want to become a full time teacher there...
We're still keeping a tight grip on our finances, but, we're eating better than we used to. Living a stone's throw away from the supermarket is good because we don't own a refrigerator. Thea shops daily and we're not going way beyond budget. We still have a bit for snacks and such. Thanks to my aunt, who gave us some money, we can afford to eat out this month and buy little things for the house. Our old landlord also lent us a small television. Maybe we can scrape a bit of cash to buy a DVD player... Oh well, first things first.
And my favorite is.... I'm getting better at riding a bicycle. At least, I think so.
Anyway, I've updated my sidebar and I'm excited because I'll be able to pay my sister next month... That means a lot to me and will really help ease my mind a bit. You see, I obsess when I have debts, I'm always looking forward to the time when I'll be able to pay it off and I constantly compute when I'll have enough money for it.
I'm also happy because I have some savings and will be able to afford a ticket if I suddenly need to go back to the Philippines. I have a credit card but I don't want to use and abuse it :P
Thea and I are no longer going to tutor Sugar. It sucks because the kid is so darn nice and fun to be with. We live near them now and it's so convenient to pop in and visit them but it's awkward... Her mom said that they're going to Hanoi for vacation and they're not sure if they'll have her tutored again when they come back. Anyway, that's also one source of income less, which of course, sucks.
Moon is always busy so we don't see her much. She did drop in 2 Sundays ago and we had fun chatting with her. (note: I still owe her eight 2-hour lessons)
I now have 11 kids under my wing at the Kiddie Group. They range from 2 years 10 months to 4 years 10 months. They're crazy and active. Good thing I have wonderful helpers, Ruben and Ang. I dunno what I'd do without them... Hang myself, probably. Hehe.
It's a good thing it's summer vacation at the moment so I'll be getting about 10 classes per month with NES. It's a big help considering that I'm now making less than I used to. I still don't want to become a full time teacher there...
We're still keeping a tight grip on our finances, but, we're eating better than we used to. Living a stone's throw away from the supermarket is good because we don't own a refrigerator. Thea shops daily and we're not going way beyond budget. We still have a bit for snacks and such. Thanks to my aunt, who gave us some money, we can afford to eat out this month and buy little things for the house. Our old landlord also lent us a small television. Maybe we can scrape a bit of cash to buy a DVD player... Oh well, first things first.
And my favorite is.... I'm getting better at riding a bicycle. At least, I think so.
Lazy-bones
I've been so lazy this past week to go online, check my mail, visit PTC sites and update this blog. Every time I turned on the laptop, I ended up reading an e-book, one after the other. I got so lazy and addicted to reading again that my laundry piled up! I have a teensy weensy excuse, though. I did get sick last Friday, it was probably food poisoning. Anyway, good thing I bounced back and I was even able to go to work on Saturday afternoon. I was a bit weak, but otherwise, okay.
Anyway, to get rid of that lazy streak and to get rid of whatever plagued me, I've been going to work by bicycle again. (note: For 4 days last week, I hitched a ride with a fellow Filipina and her charge who lives in the same apartment complex as I do.) I've also made a dent on my pile of laundry, I think I'll be able to finish the rest by tomorrow. Yey!
Anyway, to get rid of that lazy streak and to get rid of whatever plagued me, I've been going to work by bicycle again. (note: For 4 days last week, I hitched a ride with a fellow Filipina and her charge who lives in the same apartment complex as I do.) I've also made a dent on my pile of laundry, I think I'll be able to finish the rest by tomorrow. Yey!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Quick Update
It's my third month here in Vietnam. We've moved to a new house nearer the center of the city which means no more expensive taxi rides. Yey! I'm way better at riding a bike than I was before and I can now manage to join people on the roundabout.
My job(s):
1. I work 5 days a week at a small international preschool . I handle the 3 to 5year olds.
2. I help at the baby group on Saturdays.
3. I work part time at the Natural English School, they give me 1-4 classes every week.
4. I tutor Sugar (11 year old girl) with Thea 3 days a week.
5. I tutor Truc (16 year old girl) once a week for two hours, we just converse in English.
6. I tutor my friend Moon whenever she has free time.
I don't earn much from all these, but I'm surviving... and happy :D
I haven't set an amount for my emergency fund, but basically I'll be putting in 20% of any amount I receive or earn, except for the fee for tutoring Truc, which I'll be saving the full amount of. To date I owe $300 USD from my emergency fund, I'll be saving an additional $25 USD every month for that for 12 months to take care of that.
I'll also be putting aside $100 USD every month for 3 months for my visa renewal, Metrobank Easy Tuition Savings Plan and Citisavings loan.
My job(s):
1. I work 5 days a week at a small international preschool . I handle the 3 to 5year olds.
2. I help at the baby group on Saturdays.
3. I work part time at the Natural English School, they give me 1-4 classes every week.
4. I tutor Sugar (11 year old girl) with Thea 3 days a week.
5. I tutor Truc (16 year old girl) once a week for two hours, we just converse in English.
6. I tutor my friend Moon whenever she has free time.
I don't earn much from all these, but I'm surviving... and happy :D
I haven't set an amount for my emergency fund, but basically I'll be putting in 20% of any amount I receive or earn, except for the fee for tutoring Truc, which I'll be saving the full amount of. To date I owe $300 USD from my emergency fund, I'll be saving an additional $25 USD every month for that for 12 months to take care of that.
I'll also be putting aside $100 USD every month for 3 months for my visa renewal, Metrobank Easy Tuition Savings Plan and Citisavings loan.
Saturday, May 24, 2008
An Aimless Post
Living in a country where being financially successful makes you or breaks you has made me think about a lot of things. Being wealthy would be nice but in truth, I don't really need or want a lot of money. True, I'm looking forward to that day when I could say that I'm financially free but I'm in no hurry.
Right now, I'm nowhere near it. Yet I'm hoping that everything that I'm doing would lead up to it, or at least help me. I realize that my main problem is that I have no real idea of who or what I want to be. I want to be good and I want to be free, but either one's not a lot of help.
You see, I'm basically a floater who's getting by with the skills I've always had, or been good at. What do I mean? I went to college and took a course where if I wouldn't shine, I would be average. I took AB Communications because it sounded interesting and fun. And it was. I did some OJTs at different places but I never took a risk afterwards and tried to practice it. Instead, I loafed around for a bit then loafed a bit more when I took a job at a call center. Okay, lemme get something straight. Working in a call center is no walk in the park, it's a real job with real responsibilities. I took my job seriously and did my best, or rather, I did what I was best at. I survived and while I didn't exactly go to the top of the ladder, I did get recognition for my work and got assigned some big responsibilities. But still, it never really demanded a big chunk of me. I guess it became my security blanket. So next thing I did was that I decided that I needed to get out, fast!
It took my 2 1/2 years, but I finally resigned at the end of last year. I did some online writing and relaxed at home. I became a bum.
Then I left. I'm here in another country taking refuge in another skill that I've always had and been always good at --- English. So that's it. I dunno what I'm doing to my life. Haha. Aimless post of an aimless person.
Anyway, to get a little back in track or at least go somewhere near my financial freedom thingy... At this point, I'm doing my best to get rid of my debts. That's on top of my list. And then, I need to save and invest for God knows what while I contribute to my parents' finances. Maybe I'll think of a plan soon. Good luck to me :D
Right now, I'm nowhere near it. Yet I'm hoping that everything that I'm doing would lead up to it, or at least help me. I realize that my main problem is that I have no real idea of who or what I want to be. I want to be good and I want to be free, but either one's not a lot of help.
You see, I'm basically a floater who's getting by with the skills I've always had, or been good at. What do I mean? I went to college and took a course where if I wouldn't shine, I would be average. I took AB Communications because it sounded interesting and fun. And it was. I did some OJTs at different places but I never took a risk afterwards and tried to practice it. Instead, I loafed around for a bit then loafed a bit more when I took a job at a call center. Okay, lemme get something straight. Working in a call center is no walk in the park, it's a real job with real responsibilities. I took my job seriously and did my best, or rather, I did what I was best at. I survived and while I didn't exactly go to the top of the ladder, I did get recognition for my work and got assigned some big responsibilities. But still, it never really demanded a big chunk of me. I guess it became my security blanket. So next thing I did was that I decided that I needed to get out, fast!
It took my 2 1/2 years, but I finally resigned at the end of last year. I did some online writing and relaxed at home. I became a bum.
Then I left. I'm here in another country taking refuge in another skill that I've always had and been always good at --- English. So that's it. I dunno what I'm doing to my life. Haha. Aimless post of an aimless person.
Anyway, to get a little back in track or at least go somewhere near my financial freedom thingy... At this point, I'm doing my best to get rid of my debts. That's on top of my list. And then, I need to save and invest for God knows what while I contribute to my parents' finances. Maybe I'll think of a plan soon. Good luck to me :D
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Day I Learned How to Ride a Bike
The new apartment we'll be moving into on Tuesday is just within walking distance to NES (the school where Thea and I teach). However, I realized that I would still need transportation after getting another job as a preschool teacher. With that in mind, I decided that I would rather buy a bicycle than rent a motorbike because of the additional expense every month. I tried to borrow from a friend but I couldn't handle a bike with a high seat.
I was pleasantly surprised when my friend Nguyet(Moon) arrived early this afternoon because she told me that I wouldn't see her till Friday. After our English lesson, she said that we could start looking for a bicycle. We drove around for a bit to look at some secondhand bicycle shops. The first bicycle shop had a nice bike that cost a little bit more than $50, it looked pretty new and the seat was low, but I decided to look at other shops first because I might be able to get a better deal. At the second bicycle shop, I saw some nice bikes. The really good ones cost about $75, but I found 2 possibilities. One was black, which would normally be my first choice, except Moon told me that it's from China and the seat wasn't all that stable. The second one's from Japan and looked okay. It's pink and black, which is one of my favorite combinations. The latter cost almost double the first one's price, but because Moon is Vietnamese, she was able to get a discount. So I got the second bike for 450.000 VND (just a little bit more than $25).
I wanted to get a taxi so I could bring it home, but Moon didn't want to hear any of it. She told me that she'd guide me while riding her motorbike. She told me that I could take it home by myself. It was painfully slow, but we managed... And then it rained! I don't mean a drizzle either. It was a full fledged downpour. Moon insisted that I wear her heavy duty raincoat and proceeded to escort me home. We sure got loads of strange looks. Moon was riding so slowly in the rain, and I was obviously learning how to ride a bike. People were calling out, "Why did you choose today to practice riding a bike?" In a country were virtually everyone knows how to ride a bike from childhood, watching me learn how to ride a bike at my "advanced" age was a novelty.
3 kilometers later and after several mishaps --- I hit a car (yes, I mean it and not the other way around), guttered the bike, almost hit some people --- we arrived at my house drenched to the bone. This is a day that I certainly would never forget. The day I learned how to ride a bike with my friend Moon.
I was pleasantly surprised when my friend Nguyet(Moon) arrived early this afternoon because she told me that I wouldn't see her till Friday. After our English lesson, she said that we could start looking for a bicycle. We drove around for a bit to look at some secondhand bicycle shops. The first bicycle shop had a nice bike that cost a little bit more than $50, it looked pretty new and the seat was low, but I decided to look at other shops first because I might be able to get a better deal. At the second bicycle shop, I saw some nice bikes. The really good ones cost about $75, but I found 2 possibilities. One was black, which would normally be my first choice, except Moon told me that it's from China and the seat wasn't all that stable. The second one's from Japan and looked okay. It's pink and black, which is one of my favorite combinations. The latter cost almost double the first one's price, but because Moon is Vietnamese, she was able to get a discount. So I got the second bike for 450.000 VND (just a little bit more than $25).
I wanted to get a taxi so I could bring it home, but Moon didn't want to hear any of it. She told me that she'd guide me while riding her motorbike. She told me that I could take it home by myself. It was painfully slow, but we managed... And then it rained! I don't mean a drizzle either. It was a full fledged downpour. Moon insisted that I wear her heavy duty raincoat and proceeded to escort me home. We sure got loads of strange looks. Moon was riding so slowly in the rain, and I was obviously learning how to ride a bike. People were calling out, "Why did you choose today to practice riding a bike?" In a country were virtually everyone knows how to ride a bike from childhood, watching me learn how to ride a bike at my "advanced" age was a novelty.
3 kilometers later and after several mishaps --- I hit a car (yes, I mean it and not the other way around), guttered the bike, almost hit some people --- we arrived at my house drenched to the bone. This is a day that I certainly would never forget. The day I learned how to ride a bike with my friend Moon.
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