Life Goal Complete: Appear on an Asian Gameshow

Top this anyone. Scott, Melia, and I helped our university compete in a Vietnamese gameshow yesterday. If you've seen Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, you might relate a bit. We were sweaty and disoriented most of the time with no clue why much of anything was happening.

Students sat in squares on the floor decked out in graduation gowns and mortarboard caps. Each round they were asked the most random questions possible: from Pippi Longstockings to the former Chairman of the Communist Party of Indochina. We covered it all.

When all the students were eliminated, we the teachers had to "save the students" by playing the game in the video. Kudos to Scott for the tossing and for putting up with the criticism from our peers on his technique.

After the game, I drew a number along with a teacher from the opposing university. She drew 50. I drew 40. Before I saw my number, the host told me to draw a new one. When I refused, he went "off-air" to tell me to draw a new one. I went Bob Barker on him and asked the audience what to do. My students told me to keep it so I kept it. The host and the VN teachers gave me some flak for that. Still, no idea why.

Crazy night... in the end, no school won. They each got 3,000,000 dong and a box of Custas/ChocoPies. So Asian! As a VN teacher told me after the game, "It was a good game. A Win-Win." Indeed.

It will air nationally around Valentine's Day.

My First Care Package

I received my first care package today. A note arrived in the 5th floor English office informing me a package was waiting for me down at the post office. I immediately went down Nguyen Chi Thanh street and announced my presence to the post office staff by holding the slip against the glass window and smiling. (My Vietnamese has not advanced much past Hello, Goodbye, How much money?, and Too Expensive.) Not bringing my passport with me cause a stir, but after figuring out "Michigan" was not a country, they allowed me to use my driver's license instead as identification.

Thank you for the care Nancy! The granola bars are the best and while we can get peanut butter at the supermarket or the Western-style market near the United Nations campus, we cannot get JIF. And even beyond the contents, it's great to hold something in my hands from home. The Christmas-themed Hershey Kisses will be used on our sugar cookies for an upcoming Christmas party me and Deena are throwing for our freshman classes.

Two things to note: This package was sent from the States on Nov. 15th and arrived yesterday, Dec. 7th. That's about a 3 week delivery time. Also, there was a gaping hole in the box that was taped over. So, it was clearly opened somewhere in transit. But all the contents appear to be intact. Thank you again!

Christmastime is here and VTF is on it...

The Vietnam Teaching Fellowship wraps 800 presents for preschool children in the countryside. Apologies for the singing. Merry Christmas!