Gidday Mates! The weekend began with lessons on Australian words – they are a lot easier than the Vietnamese and a lot more fun to say: stomach full – chockers; candy store – lolly shop; beer or metal boat – tinnie; outhouse – dunny; tired – buggered or jiggered (that sounds more like what Joel is some of the time!!); morning tea – smokeo; contractors – chippies; food is always nice, lovely or beautiful; low life of Australia – bogan (my personal favorite); when someone screws up an order for food or photos or… - hey stuffed it up; baby – little poppet That’s it for now – there should be more with 3 Aussies in the house!!!!

Update on Son who went to Saigon for medical reasons – there is nothing that can be done. The Dr’s. said just to keep him comfortable and give him love. There is a Canadian Dr. who is looking at all his tests just for another set of eyes to see them but there isn’t a lot of hope. As you know, there is always good that comes out of everything – the mother who came along to care for him had never been out of Tam Ky, so of course never on an airplane, never in a motel. Needless to say she was astounded. Tiffany, the volunteer from here who majorly funded his medical visit, stayed with her in the room and helped her to feel comfortable. She was amazed at room service, maid service and air conditioning, and just being in such a big city.

Back to the weekend – Saturday was mainly a shopping day for everyone. We ladies cabbed it down to the open market which was an adventure. I was looking for a pair of shoes and a size 7.5 is pretty darn big in this country. Finally found a pair – a little cozy – but of course they’ll stretch?!?!?!?? They may not make it back home - $3 US and uncomfortable isn’t worth packing! Then off to the fabric shop! You might ask if I’m getting something else made – why of course! A couple pair of shorts, couple of tops and a nice outfit for dress. Almost free! Off to the tailors – went to a few cuz they all have a specialty. Looked through some magazines, picked out what I liked and – va voom – they’re done within 2 days at the most. Got back a dress I ordered and it’s beautiful! My expensive shoes will match well. Back to the house for a great dinner – squid cooked like I’ve never had it! Helped Tiffany wrap gifts she had for the Mothers at the orphanage then she and I stayed up til 2 am gabbing. I’m going to miss my roomie. For only being 30 she has led quite a life. Lots of travel, giving of herself to others, she has a great job, etc. She is heading south to Nha Trang (1 hour south by plane) to volunteer for 4 months in a Monk orphanage. My plan is to be there the last weekend before I leave for home.

Sunday brought the sunshine and humidity again – we can always count on that. Spent the day at the house, never leaving, doing some skyping and completing lesson plans for the week. My project for the house is to organize the mounds of paper worksheets that are in no order whatsoever and getting them into files.

The skyping reminds me of the one and only downside of this journey – I miss my family and friends!! However skype and e-mail make it a little easier to deal with!!

Around 6 pm Randall was asking for some walking partners. Julie and I volunteered, and off we went with cameras in hand. We got a short way down the road and before we knew it we were surrounded by 12 high school students on bikes and motor bikes.

Randall, who has never met a stranger in his 60+ years of existence, was telling them all about us, where we were from and why we were in Tam Ky. They asked us to meet them down the road at a park so they could interview us. They then took off and headed towards said park. We chose to go to the next intersection and turn around – not fully knowing about any park.
Now we’re heading back toward the house. We come across Karaoke night at a local restaurant – they are celebrating Woman’s Day with an evening of beer, food, friends and music. Red plastic tables and chairs filled the sidewalk.

The next thing we know we are being swept through the crowd and seated right in front of the singers. The singing is ove3r and Randall is given a microphone and pulled up on the stage/into the restaurant opening. He introduces himself then us, and now Julie and I are handed a cut flower and taken up on stage – the crowd stands up and claps. As you can well imagine, I am laughing hysterically, along with Randall and Julie!

They want a song! Well the 2 Aussies and 1 American open up with our own rendition of Tie Me Kangaroo down Sport! No one sings along but they clap profusely. We go to sit back down to a table full of food and beer (warm beer) and people crowding around to say Hello – lots of toasting, laughing and pictures. We stayed just a while longer – too full to eat and drink. As we got up to leave about 5 or 6 men lined up to shake our hands and take our picture. The whole thing was one of those ‘you had to be there’ moments. A young lady from the celebration followed us out and began walking with us, talking to Randall the whole time. She came all the way home and wanted to stay to speak English. Randall told her to come back another day.

Come to find out while we were gone 10 students came to the door together asking to speak with all of us here to practice their English. They know we’re here!

Well, karaoke night is over now back at the house for blogging. I wrote this all once and lost it so this is the second try. Tiffany is packing all her stuff to leave tomorrow morning. We only stayed up til midnight this time!

Would I do this again – in a heartbeat. Would I want someone to join me – in a heartbeat. I don’t think Dickster is ready to do this – maybe I’m wrong. But, I think the seat next to me on the plane here is empty for the next journey.. Think about it!!

More pictures - My bedroom; the livin/dining room; a view of the kitchen; me in front of the house; the fabric shop; pet chicken out in front of house,used for cock fighting - short a few feathers but still living to tell about it; Julie and I at our front row table at karaoke; our karaoke crowd (it's going to be hard to come home and look just like everyone else - now I know how the movie stars feel; this man takes his cart all over town to sell things and it plays Happy Birthday continuously!!