Introducing... Nhu

This is the last staff whom I have yet to mention. Her name is Nhu (read: Niu, not niu the cow ok!) She was the one who picked me up at the airport when I first arrived. As you can tell, she's tiny too.... About the same size as the students next to her.... And I don't think the students are going to grow anymore.... But she really can eat alot! This photo was taken during the high school competition that my centre organised.... More about it in another post.... The competition is going to last another 2 more weeks..... Which means I have to come up with more questions!!!

Science Experiment

Can anyone tell me how I can keep my bread from getting mouldy so quickly? Everytime I buy a loaf of bread, it will turn mouldy before I can finish eating it. It feels so wasted to throw the remaining bread away..... I have to really check my bread thoroughly before I start eating every morning.... You never know where the tiny grey dots may start appearing..... I feel as if I'm conducting some kind of science experiment.....

Aim: To investigate the time taken for a loaf of bread to turn mouldy.

Procedure:

1) Buy a loaf of bread.

2) Leave the bread on the table.

3) Record observations at 6.30 am in the morning.

4) Tabulate results in the form of a table.

5) Repeat steps 3) - 4) until satisfied or until grossed out by mould.

Results:

From my experiment, I can conclude that it takes about 4 - 6 days before the bread starts to turn mouldy.

Precaution:

I have to prevent parallax error by placing my eye vertically above each inch of bread when checking for mould.

Yummy!

This is my all-time favourite food in Vietnam! Just looking at the picture makes me hungry! This dish is called Bun Cha and is actually from Hanoi. It consists of noodles (bun) and pieces of barbequed pork in fish sauce. I don't know what they use to marinate the pork but it's super delicious! The noodle is dry and clumps together on its own so I've first got to take some of it apart and put it into a separate bowl, then pour some fish sauce over it..... Miraculously, the noodles become all soft and appetizing the moment it meets the sauce! The fresh vegetables are then torn into small bite-sized pieces and thrown into the bowl. And you are ready to eat! This meal always comes with a bonus of freshly fried spring rolls! Yummy!

Back in Singapore, I usually eat chicken. But ever since I came over, I have not touched chicken.... except eggs! So my next choice of meat is pork. Have I ever mentioned before that the pork here is really good? It's like eating thick pieces of ba kwa!

Byebye Leonora!

Leonora's gone to the Mekong RV Centre for two weeks..... It was a last minute decision by Mdm Huong to transfer her there to help with the centre's english classes. I will be the nanny for her fishes while she's gone.... Even more things for me to take care of now! But it's quite nice watching the fishes.... Quite therapeutic and relaxing.... I just hope the water will not turn stinky so soon.... I'll also have to take over her classes so it's going to be a busy and lonely two weeks for me......

Visitor from Singapore

I was at the airport today to meet Desmond. He's my first non-family visitor from Singapore! In the background is the very tiny and pathetic airport..... There are only 2 departure gates, 1 arrival gate and one domestic departure gate. What you see here in the photo is almost all there is to it! Maybe I should be thankful that there's even an airport here! From my centre to the airport is only about 15 minutes.... I think I shall go there and sit in the cafe when I feel bored....

Guess who?

That's me in my armour when I go out.... Hat, mask and gloves.... I bet you can't even tell it's me if we were to meet on the streets! Too bad you all cannot see the silly grin I have under the mask!

One day while riding on Son's motorcycle, I was without my gloves and he commented that I should cover up as it is very easy to get dark here. Then I asked, "Why are you not wearing a face mask? The streets are dusty." His reply was simply "I don't like." And he goes on to tell me a Vietnamese saying that goes like this, "If you think dirty, you will live longer!" Huh???

Flowers.... I like!

The number of flowers and gifts I received here for Teacher's Day is a far cry from what I used to get back in JWSS. But it's ok, as I usually just end up keeping the gifts in cold storage. But giving flowers seems to be popular here.... In fact, I received a pot of orchids from one of the kids! Not a bouquet but a pot ok! But it's really nice and reminds me of home too.... Wanted to put it in my room, but decided against it as it might die from the stale air circulating in here..... So now, in addition to my 2 nintendogs, I've got more things to take care of! I've got a pot of orchid, a pot of cactus and 2 fishes!

Vietnamese Ben

Ben, this post is just for you... Hope you get well soon... This student of mine, Yuum, (I don't know how to spell his name!) looks like a younger version of you! The way he dresses and how he carries himself also reminds me of you! He's such a charming boy! Beside him is my pretty student, Tina. They keep inviting us teachers out for exhibitions! So sweet! Think they are going to bring us to a circus next!

Giant in HCMC!

That is how I feel when I am in Vietnam... The people here are really tiny.... I would say that 9 out of 10 people whom I see on the streets are shorter than me! All the girls are so petite! The guys too! Check out my colleagues and students in the photo below...... And I'm not even standing up straight! Son is perhaps the only tall person around here.....

Introducing... Son

This cheery looking guy is Son.... The one who has been coming to my rescue everytime something goes wrong.... Computer spoil.... Son! Got locked out of room.... Son! Make duplicate of key.... Son! Cupboard falling off its hinges onto my head... Son! Buy international calling card... Son! Photocopy machine breaks down.... Son! His job scope here is really wide. He is actually in charge of marketing for the centre. In fact, he is the only one in the department! All the others are education officers. I like talking to him even though his english is probably one of the worst around here.... He's really funny! He's the one with whom I've been making up words with.... Like computer doctor, key maker, etc.... The latest is 'put plastic'.... It means to laminate a document....

Introducing... Vi

This young lady here is Vi. Can't see very clearly as the room was too dark when we took it. I was the one who interviewed her as the centre wanted to see if her standard of english is good enough... I suppose only the teachers here are qualified enough to do this 'testing'..... She was the one who brought me to the hospital.... Luckily she was there to translate....

Introducing... Thao & Chan

On the left is Thao, who was teaching me Vietnamese. She has now entrusted the duty to her good friend, Mai (no picture) as she will soon be transferred to another branch in District 1. Thao is the chief education officer here. I think what she does is advise parents on what course is most suitable for their child. She also does the timetable for the teachers. In fact, she is the Number 2 here in the office after Mdm Huong. She should be the one heading the new office in District 1. Promotion for her....

On Thao's left is Chan. Chan speaks fluent Mandarin even though her accent is different. It's great as I need not speak as if I am talking to some 3-year old kid anymore when I have a conversation with her. She's the accountant here and I depend on her for my salary every month.

Introducing... Mdm Huong

This is the director of my centre. She's not a principal as this school is like a business venture so there's no need for her to bother much about the students..... She just has to worry about the intake of students and the revenue of the centre. I think she is a very pretty and refined looking middle aged lady. She doesn't look like a local as she's very fair and she has such nice dolly-looking eyes! I wish I could age gracefully just like her in future!

I Dream A Dream

It was actually more like a nightmare.... I dreamt that I was in school and I was going to have 3 periods of test running one after another. But the problem was that I had not set the test papers yet! How to give test like that??? Maybe the reason why I had this dream was because my centre had just secured a contract with a high school here for us to conduct a competition on English, Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. I was to come up with more than 20 different sets of questions for Math and Physics. Perhaps it's my subconscious mind telling me that my deadline is nearing.... I'm not looking forward to this competition as my free Saturdays will be burnt for 3 weeks and I do not know if the students here would understand the questions in English. One of the staff here said to set the questions as easy as possible..... I think I better get starting on my questions....

Binh Duong

Binh Duong is a province in the suburbs of HCMC and my director invited me to her weekend house there today as a form of celebration for Teachers' Day. She is a kind lady, but the food that she made me eat..... Urgh!!! Ok, she didn't force me to eat it, but it was only polite for me to accept her kind offer of pig's blood. That's the bright red dish you see in the photograph. I felt like I was on Fear Factor..... All eyes were on me as I put the vile thing into my mouth..... It actually isn't that bad..... Perhaps it's all in the mind..... I know if mama is reading, she would call me right away and order me to stay 100 metres away from it.

Below the pig's blood was a dish that looked like the lotus. It is actally a pudding-like product from Hanoi with peanuts on it. Near the bottom of the table are the round yellow balls which had the texture of mua chee and had green bean paste inside. When I ate it, it reminded me of ang gu kui, but minus the oiliness. Let's see what other dishes are on the table..... We had rice paper, 2 types of rice noodles (one looks like guo tiao, the other is phor), 4 types of pork dishes (the pork here is very fatty..... think of the 3 layer kind of pork), plates of fresh vegetables, many different sauces, a cup of Pepsi and a glass of whisky......

My director loves animals a lot..... In her house, she has 1 monkey, 2 dogs, 2 piglets, 3 geese, many chickens and birds. For obvious reasons, I steered clear of all the birds. The dogs were running among the guests most of the time but when I tried to play with them, they would shrug away in fear. Am I that scary? I forgot to add, her house has lots of mosquitoes too.....

Karaoke Queen

Today is the Vietnamese Teachers' Day. To celebrate, my centre had a little concert cum party cum karaoke session. The concert was quite pathetic as only one student performed 2 songs... both of which I do not understand a single word. Then they had a word game where the students had to solve some English word puzzles. Some kind of celebration huh? Come to enjoy still must answer questions and work the brain. After that, we had a little tea party and a karaoke session.

The locals here really love to sing. And everyone of them are not shy about singing. So of course I was made to sing too.... (Sihui, if you are here, you would surely die cause you really can't escape.....) But their songs were all our parents' generation kind of song.... Like Beatles, Bee Gees, Lionel Richie, Richard Marx..... Even the Chinese songs were Feng Fei Fei, Wen Zhang, Zhou Xuan, The Grasshoppers..... I felt like I was stuck in some time capsule....

Their karaoke is the kind where you finish singing and your score would be shown. And guess what? After I finished my rendition of Yesterday, I was given a perfect score of 100!!! Bwahahahahaha!!! I think the machine must be something wrong! So I am now unofficially the Karaoke Queen of RV Nam Viet. That is one achievement I can add to my CV......

Hygiene Threshold

One other document that I had to submit was my health report. Yes, I had to have a health checkup in Vietnam. I didn't think much about it until I saw the hospital.... Would I even call it a hospital? My goodness..... when I first saw it, I almost fainted! It looked like one of those pigeonhole block of flats in HK and it was overcrowded with people. The people were just squatting, sitting or even lying around everywhere and anywhere their butts could fit onto! I don't mean to be racist or anything, but the people here are very 'weather beaten', so they look a bit like they have not had a bath for a long time..... I would have taken a photo but I thought it was quite rude to do so..... Hence, only a picture of the hospital building!

While waiting, I could see patients wheeled by their own family from one place to another. Their family members could be holding their drip while pushing the bed! The patients here are just wheeled around without any thought for their privacy. I was more taken aback than anything as I saw patients with all kinds of injuries..... It's almost like a scene from the ER except that this was just another section of the hospital. I even saw an old man holding his own urine bag walking around! The wheelchairs here are also 'koyak'. It's made from one of those plastic chairs that we sit in lecture theatres, with just 2 wheels by the side and one tiny wheel in front. It looked like something my technical student could make.

I first had my ears, nose and mouth checked. Here, they do not use the ice-cream stick thingy to probe into the mouth. Instead, it was a metallic one! Gasp! How many millions of people have used it before me??? Even though the stick is put aside after each patient, I still felt queasy when the nurse pushed it into my mouth.... In my mind I was thinking: Has it been sterilised? How long has it been lying here in the room collecting bacteria? I went for the eye checkup after that but there was nothing alarming about that.

Next stop was the X-ray. A few of us were ushered into the X-ray room and all of us just waited for each other to get our 'photos' taken! Lying in one corner was the robe that I had to put on. Again, I do not know how many people have worn it before me. But I'm very sure this time that they do not wash the robes after each wear. Worse! They did not tell us to leave the room while the other person was taking her X-ray. We were all exposed to the X-rays!!! As if one time was not enough! And I was not told when to breathe in and do the arms-behind-the-back-chicken action.

I was getting worried as I still had to get my blood drawn.... Fortunately, I was brought to a place which is for foreigners only. It was air-conditioned and much better than the other sections I was at. But it was by no means Singapore standards still. So drawing blood was actually the most pleasant of all my checkups at the hospital..... I thought hospitals were supposed to be well sanitised and sparkling clean.... But I guess I was wrong. I think I'm a clean freak. But after this experience, I think I have a greater tolerance for dirt and filth. It really made me question if the patients here can really get better.

I am a Singaporean.... Really!

It's not easy getting a work permit here.... There are tonnes of documents to submit and many other forms to fill in, and they are all in the Vietnamese language! The poor office staff had to translate all my certificates and CV for me and I had to explain to her slowly what each meant. The authorities even required that I submit proof that I am a Singaporean.... Hmm.... Isn't the passport enough proof of who I am??? Fortunately I have the IC as evidence of my citizenship. Not so lucky for Leonora..... In the Philippines, they do not have ICs and she had to get a special seal from her country to prove that she is a true Philippino......

Another document that they required was a certificate to say that I have no previous criminal records. This would not be a problem if I were in Singapore. But they told me to submit it only when I came over! In the end, I had to go down to the Singapore consulate (there's no Singapore embassy in HCMC) and get my fingerprint impressions done. Then I had to courier the documents, photos and fingerprint impressions back to Singapore so that my parents can get it done for me. If I left it to the consulate to do it, the whole process would take about 6 weeks. But when I sent it home, it took only 2 weeks. So much for efficiency! Anyway, after all the ding-dong here and there, everything is finally settled. I should be getting my work permit soon. But one of the staff told me that it's valid for only 6 months. Does that mean I'll have to go through this whole process again?!?!?! NOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Notre-Dame Cathedral

No, I'm not in Paris and this Notre-Dame Cathedral is nothing compared to the one I saw there. You can see for yourself...

Reunification Palace

Did some tourist-sy thing myself last Sunday while my parents were baking away under the sun at the Mekong Delta.

The reunification palace.... doesn't look really spectacular..... Maybe because it has been rebuilt way too many times. It was a French colonial building in the 1800s but was destroyed by the war. It's hard to imagine that the recent war was just in the 1970s..... The surroundings is nice though with many trees and shady areas.

If I were the president, I would be waving to my fellow countrymen from this balcony.....

The highly revered and respected President Ho Chi Minh. I was quite amazed to see his photograph and portrait (instead of the current president) put up in many schools, hospitals, shops and public areas. Perhaps it is due to the fact that he was the one who reunified North and South Vietnam into what it is today. It's just like how we have the President and First Lady's photographs in Singapore. I have to admit I am clueless as to who the current president is. *blush*

My friend Leonora and I.... We were just testing to see if we could take a self-portrait.... At least we look happy despite the hours of walking we had done earlier......

Key Maker

My worst fear has come true.... I have been locked out of my room! Help! It's all the internet's fault! It was not working just now, so I left the room to go check it out.... and then...... the door closed before I could get my keys...... So now I'm in the office using the computer waiting for Mr Son to come to work and look for the key maker to come and open the door for me. Sigh...... Early in the morning at 7.30 am and this has to happen...... Fortunately I'm properly dressed already..... Can't imagine if I were still in my pjs.....

If you are wondering who the key maker is, he's the locksmith. Here I've got to simplify my words so that they can understand what I am saying. For example I've got the computer doctor to help me fix my laptop and there is the computer hospital where I can bring my baby to when it's sick.

The Parent Trap

I had not been blogging much this week as my baby is down again.... Maybe it's not used to the weather here in Vietnam! But I asked the staff here and they say it is not necessary to bring it to the 'computer hospital' as they will try to fix it for me.... Besides, I think there is no NEC help centre here in HCMC.

I've also been busy as my parents were in town. But they have left Vietnam this morning after 7 days of shopping, museums visiting and walking around. They had been complaining about the dust, the traffic, the weather and the walking...... My mother even said that I should return to Singapore about working here for 6 months so that my lungs will not get dirty from inhaling all the exhaust fumes..... To pacify her, I bought myself a face mask to wear whenever I am on the streets. So now my full armour when I hit the streets are my hat, the face mask and a pair of gloves. That's what the locals here wear too.... not forgetting tons of sunblock lotion on the face!

I was really happy when my parents came over as they brought lots of my stuff from Singapore and other goodies for me! Among the things they brought over were 'bak kua', peanut butter (yes, there's no peanut butter here), cans of tuna (?!?!?), instant noodles, instant soup and many other yummy stuff.... *drool* Hehe.... my food cupboard is now well stocked! No need to worry when I feel hungry at night! I stayed with them when they were here and I had the luxury of having hot water baths!!! This is something I miss terribly back home.... No matter how much I say I am getting used to the cold water, nothing beats having a hot water bath! My parents have also bought me a heating rod so that I can heat the water before I take my baths everyday! So thoughful!

But during my stay with them, they really drive me nuts..... They can have long discussions over things that are so simple...... Their conversations can go like this:

"Help me operate the safe so that I can put the passports inside."
"No! How can you put the passports in the safe? We must have some form of identification when roaming the streets."
"No need identification. The purpose of the safe is to put the passports! I don't want to carry them.... Very heavy!"
"How heavy can two little red books be? I'll carry them."
"No no.... I don't trust you! You are a 'big head prawn' (Meaning someone who is careless in cantonese)"
"........."

And so the conversation goes on and on about the passports and the weight of the passports and the need for identification in a foreign land..... I just watch all this action from my side of the bed..... And this is only one episode.... My sister must be so glad that she's not travelling with them! Will I be like them too when I grow old? Hmm.....

Motorcycle Love (Part II)

It's ironic that my Vietnamese student should comment that it's so much more romantic to fall in love in Singapore.... They get to hold hands all the time...... He says that the couples here rarely hold hands on the streets...... How true! I've never really come to see them hand-in-hand.... He says that the locals only express their love through the motorcycle..... Boy goes to girl's house to fetch her. Or girl clinging on to boy on the motorcycle. Or boy and girl going to the park together on his motorcycle....

Wasn't it just a few days ago that I was lamenting about love on a motorcycle?! And now he tells me this! Such a classic case of 'the grass is greener on the other side'!

Park Action (Part V)

Ok, I think this shall be the last installment of this series.... Or until I spot something funny! No pictures for this post.... You will know why soon. My previous impression of the Vietnamese was that they are rather similar to the Chinese. In fact, some of them are fair skinned like us and use Chinese names. Some can even speak Mandarin fluently! They also use the chopsticks and bowl for their meals. But if you think that they are conservative like us, then that's where you are wrong! The park at night is where all the action starts! If someone with the first name Tom and whose favourite past time is to peep, he would be having a truly enjoyable time here! The locals are really into public display of affection. There can be a couple in the deep of action and just a seat away would be another pair! In fact, they are so nonchanlant about it that this actually happens on the outside of the park as well, facing the main road! They would be sitting on their motorcycles (cause all the benches in the park had been taken up!) along the road and getting on with each other......

There was one time my friend, Leonora, and I wanted to have dinner at Today Cafe, and the shortest way to get there was to cut across the park. Everytime we made a turn, we would come face to face with a couple. I couldn't tell which side was more embarressed - them or us! Anyway, Leonora and I vowed never to cross the park at night anymore.....

Park Action (Part IV)

Seems like the park action is never ending huh? Guess what I saw when I was in the park one morning? Some students were having footdrill training.... Made me think of my bittersweet days in Red Cross and all my RC girls..... Cindy, Sylvia, Fatimah, Serene and many others..... Hope you are all studying hard for your exams....

I have to say that the drills of those kids I saw were really neat! Their postures were superb too! I guess they have to be so since they have a drill sergeant who's in a karate/taekwando outfit.... Who knows what might happen if they are not alert enough to execute his commands? Hi-ee-yah!

Park Action (Part III)

There are just so many things to observe in the parks of HCM. I don't know why, but there are marble like statues of elephants, lions, christian idols, sculptures, fountains..... It's almost like you name it, they've got it. Yes, in the park! No kidding! Maybe they are just trying to improve the aesthetic value of the park...... But the statues all don't match each other..... Nor the park.....

Oni, I thought of you when I saw the elephants! It's like the two cherubs in 'our' painting!

Park Action (Part II)

Here's what I found in the park....

I still find it incessantly funny that Godzilla is in town. And better still, the Eiffel Tower has migrated to HCMC!

That's not the end of the story.... Godzilla has Mr Dinosaur with him. And if you look clearly at the photo below, I think the horse is going to be the next prey for Godzilla and Mr Dinosaur! These models are really bizarre.... But they provide such good entertainment!!!

Park Action (Part I)

I believe the national sport of Vietnam is badminton. Every morning at 5.30 am, the park opposite my school will be packed with people of all ages playing. I have even come to see people wearing slippers and sandals playing badminton in the morning! They bring their own nets and take the poles out from under the drain and set up their playing court. Amazing!

href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4028/1761/1600/IMGP0123.0.jpg">The government must be quite supportive too as they bothered to paint the badminton court lines on the ground of the park. Every inch of the park is fully utilised! I did not think that the park was a suitable place for badminton, but it's very cooling and shady, with very little wind. You can get fresh air and at the same time still engage in badminton! There are also tennis courts in the park and they are occupied most of the time. Even at night! I didn't realise that the Vietnamese are so health conscious and such sports enthusias! Come to think of it, I hardly see any plumbish people around here....

Motorcycle Love

I never thought I would say this, but riding pillion on the motorbike can be pretty romantic. Everytime I ride the motorcycle, I can't help but think of the scene from "Comrades, Almost A Love Story", starring Leon Lai and Maggie Cheung. They are riding on a bicycle though. Despite the fact that I have never seen the movie, this image keeps appearing in my mind. Perhaps it's the feeling of security I get when I cling on to the person in front. I suppose it doesn't hurt if I can get a cute driver! But no such luck yet....

The drivers here do not wear a helmet when they ride as it is not a requirement. Only when they get on the freeway do they need to have one. Anyway, they ride rather slowly here so it's not that dangerous. I can still talk to my friend while he or she is driving! And when I wear a skirt, I can still ride the bike cause I'm allowed to sit sideways ala Maggie Cheung in the picture! But one look at me on the motorcycle and the locals can tell that I'm not from around here. The pillions here are all very 'steady'. It's not the case for me..... I always cling onto my friend for dear life. Even if the people here do cling onto their drivers, they never hold onto the shoulders like I do. I do not cling onto my friend's waist as (1) he is a guy or (2) if she is a girl, I wouldn't want to cause her any discomfort or itch. I just think that it would be terribly ticklish if someone were to hold me at the waist! The waist is a no-go area for me....

Here Fishy Fishy Fishy!

Seems like the earthquake yesterday is big news! Everyone I met had been asking me if I felt it. One student even said he was too afraid to fall asleep after he felt the tremors. But I suppose the 5 little fishes in my school's backyard pond just went about their own business. The pond is quite a nice place to relax amid the hustle and bustle of HCMC. Too bad my room is facing the main street instead of this serene view.

Cross the tiny stone bridge to the other side! Precarious balancing required!

Many Firsts

I was happily sitting at my table this afternoon working on my laptop (yes! vee ruut is dead!) when I thought my chair was shaking...... For a moment, I thought my chair was possessed! But not possible..... The next thought was that my chair was going to give way! Was I getting too fat and heavy for the chair?! (Hmm.... seems like lately I have been many subtle thoughts about my weight!) Later in the day when I was having a class, my student asked if I had felt the earthquake. So that is how an earthquake feels like! Apparently there was another earthquake last night, but I suppose I slept like a log to have felt it.... Perhaps I was even enjoying the slight swaying motion of the quake in my sleep!

Just a moment ago, I was getting ready to wash my face and go to sleep. When I turned on the tap, nothing came out!!! OMG! I have never experienced a water shortage before! How was I going to wash my face! I remember one of the teachers here telling me that there's a switch somewhere in the building where I could turn the water back on, but no way was I going to grope around in the dark for the switch! Finally, I resorted to using my drinking water for washing up..... It's a waste of water but I had no choice at that point of time. I'm beginning to think of other worse case scenarios that may happen while I'm staying here...... A fire? There's no emergency exit in my building! Well, come to think of it, I have been locked out of the building once. I have been locked in the building before too. The security uncle was not doing his job! My only worry now is that I would lock myself out of my room......

My Room

My room gets the morning sun, so I can't sleep in late even if I wanted to. I think my room is quite big for one person. Only problem is the floor.... It is gross.... So I've got to wear slippers everywhere. I've got a large bed.... It's bigger than a super single, but smaller than a queen... The best thing about the bed is the mattress. The quality is so good that if I sit on my bed at one position for too long, there would be a 'hole'. And the hole does not pop back up till many days later! I only realised it when I found myself sleeping in a V-shape. For a moment, I thought my butt was so heavy that it made the mattress sag. Good news for me that it is not the case!

The Name Game

The Vietnamese are not too original when it comes to naming their babies.... So far, in about the 20 - 30 people I've met, including students and staff, I've got many with the same name. I've got 2 Thaos, 2 Chans, 2 Sngs, 2 Chums, 2 Yuums..... I wonder if their names can get any more original than that..... I'm not complaining about it though, cause it's so hard to pronounce their names! Learning how to do it once is enough!

Over here, I'm known as Ms Sandra. Actually I think they would find it easier to address me as Ms Sng since their 'Son' sounds similar to my 'Sng'. But there's this whiteboard where they introduced me to the whole school and they used Ms Sandra. So I guess I'm stuck with this. Attached is a photograph of the whiteboard that they use to introduce me to the school. If you look closely enough on the right, you will see my NUS and NIE certificates pasted proudly there. Don't worry, they are just duplicates. I constantly have to find ways to amuse myself, and this is one of them! Hello, it's like almost every other Singaporean has a degree! There's surely no need to show off like that!

Vee Ruut

That's what my computer has gotten.... a virus in Vietnamese terms..... The vee ruut has caused a chaos.... big time! When I turn on my laptop, it takes like fifteen minutes to boot up.... Imagine I can use the time for booting up to do my washing up! That's how long it takes! But fortunately, the staff here are kind enough to help me. Mr Da and Mr Son installed a vee ruut scan for me.... It killed 4 vee ruuts.... But it still didn't help in the slow boot up.... So Mr Hua, the part-time IT employee is now helping me to transfer all my files over to Mr Son's desktop and then later will reformat everything.... sigh..... Not a good way to start my life here in Vietnam yah? Hopefully my baby will be up by tomorrow morning....

(Diclaimer: All words in Vietnamese have been spelt the way I was told to pronounce them)

Hot water.... at last!

Mummy would be so proud of me that I have bought an electric kettle of some sorts to drink my hot milo in the morning.... But did I bring any milo along with me to Vietnam?!?! Shh......

Whenever I feel bored, I've just got to look at the box of my electric cup to give myself a good laugh. It is hilarious!

The words are too tiny to be seen from the photo, so I've typed out the "direction". Hmm.... so should I turn left or right?

"This produce is the best of the same types. It's heats is the cold contract tube. The cup's body adopt the super stainless steel. It is made of the cold contract heat tube. It possess efficiency of heat, save electricity, simple and artistic, uncorrupt and reliable. The cup's stand is made of the Delectric powder. It has the merits of avoiding leak, good function, well organized, proper use. It is the perfect."

It's made in China. And the English is the perfect.