So many updates, where to start? Things here have been busy as ever; just had my first week of work at the language center. Taught Mon/Wed/Fri evening; my classes are a mix of adult learners from about 16yrs-25yrs. They are a total blast! The first questions they ask me are always the same: Where are you from? How old are you? Are you married? Very typical questions to expect in Vietnamese culture. Learning all of their names is my current goal - really putting my Vietnamese pronunciation skills to the test! I'm really excited to work with these students over the next several weeks; apparently at the end of the course they usually like to take their teacher out for food, drinks, and karaoke - score!

Another highlight of working is getting to meet all the other teachers. Mostly an assortment of American and British natives; some are newbies to Hanoi like myself, others are seasoned veterans of a year or more. They've already informed me of a great place to get Vietnamese coffee near work, as well as a delicious place to get baguette sandwiches with an incredible assortment of meats and cheeses. I'm trying to cultivate interest in a sort of "food club;" basically, getting a group together once a week or so and pooling our collective knowledge of Hanoi's top food-spots (both Western and Vietnamese) to ensure maximum culinary enjoyment. Mmmmm... eating... always my favorite way to discover a new city!

This weekend I was graciously invited to the wedding of a woman I worked with at the Hanoi International Kindergarten. Nadia and I, along with a few other school staff, made the 1.5 hour drive to her home-village by motorbike - needless to say, my butt fell asleep and my face was super grimy by the time we got there. The beautiful bride introduced us to her family and we sat, visited, and had tea in the courtyard of the family-compound. Truly a world away from Hanoi - we were surrounded by green fields and open sky. Our group then enjoyed a huge meal and drinks in one of the houses beyond the courtyard. Some items on the menu: hard-boiled quail eggs; grilled pork with sesame seeds; bean and pork soup; julienned vegetables garnished with peanuts; rice; pate; and a sweet rice-dough pastry for dessert. As Nadia and I were the only Westerners present, we elicited quite a bit of attention from the children; I made faces at them and they ran away laughing hysterically. Once finished eating we walked back through the courtyard (now filled with 100+ guests) and across the street for some karaoke and tea at a local cafe. My rendition of "Gangster's Paradise" was pretty awesome. Finally, we hopped back on our bikes for the long journey home. Been in Vietnam for a month and I've already experienced a traditional wedding! Feeling very lucky.

Other bits of random news: 1. I found a great pool/gym near my house, so I can finally add some lap-swimming and cardio to my daily routine. (Gotta balance out "food club" with "exercise club.") 2. My landlord, who is awesome, has repainted the entire interior of our house! Everything looks so fresh and clean, it's wonderful. 3. My roommates got a puppy! It's super tiny and adorable; some kind of Vietnamese breed, so it will be interesting to see what it looks like as it grows up. Pictures will be posted soon, I promise.

That's it for now. Been a bit lazy about taking my camera out, but hopefully will take/post some new photos soon. Miss you all!