We are living in a high-rise apartment in a different part of Hanoi. It is an area filled with construction and traffic. It is like the old buildings and streets of Hanoi are being swallowed by the towering high rises that are in various stages of building. Since we have only been in the North, I can only speak of what I see here. It feels like Vietnam is one large construction site, but people live in and work amongst the rubble so the state is not transient. Piles of garbage, cement blocks, pipes litter the craggy uneven sidewalks (if there are any) and wires jut from every crevice. Business spills out of the small buildings and workers do their work on signs, frames, motorcycles on the sidewalk. You walk around motorbikes parked on the sidewalk and mingle with traffic that is going all directions. Every where there is mud, dirt, concrete, garbage and dust. It is a large, sprawling grimy city filled with humanity that is both beautiful and utilitarian. Old grand French architecuture is laced with electrical wires and bolts, large wheepy trees burst forth from concrete and flourish. The traffic is loud, horns are the primary traffic control device and are used with relish. There is a karaoke bar that is our nightly soundtrack. The smog here is so intense that it is like San Francisco when the fog rolls in.
We have been welcomed by Anh and her family (her husband Thong, cousin, and two 4 yo twins Neo and Ling). We live in our own apartment that we share with two other Vietnamese roommates. In the morning we take a Taxi to the kindergarten and teach two classes from 0900 to 1045. I have the two-year olds and Cork has the older kids. Our second class is combined, four-year olds. Over the two weeks the toddlers went from crying and staring at me wide-eyed, to dancing and singing, a satisfying progress. Cork’s topic all week has been the solar system and one day one of his students said, “Teacher Cork, help me please. As he pointed to Earth, he said, “That is my favorite!” Cork answered, “Mine too!”. We are amazed how smart these kids are.
In the evening we have two classes, one from 6-7pm (5yos) and one from 8-9pm, (2-3yos). We eat dinner in between at Anh’s apartment two floors up. We teach the classes together and after the last one, reward ourselves with dessert from the Vinmart downstairs.
Anh and her family are great. Anh’s English is amazing and she has been super receptive to any feedback we have about the classes. She has two twins, Neo and Ling who have become favorite students of ours, and play regularly with Addie and Jack. After a few days of our being here, Anh said that she overheard Neo and Ling speaking English together. Wow. We visited a flower farm the other day and had a photo shoot! Anh and her family have been very welcoming and we are thankful to have found them on Workaway.info and be volunteering with them.
Our days are filled with teaching, chilling, going to our favorite coffee place, teaching more and then sleep. We do not feel we have the time or energy to explore midday, as we are far from our old haunts (the old quarter) and this area is not very walkable. Although in some ways we feel that we are passing time here, we are experiencing life in Hanoi and have become comfortable with our little piece of the familiar.
Bochner Family Adventure 