Gondola, anyone?

This entry was bound to happen sooner or later and today was the beginning of what I anticipate being nearly three long months.

Things are going really well with the motorbike. I'm very confident and comfortable in varying amounts of traffic. However, much like Jersey, it's dreadful in the rain: people suddenly forget how to drive and heavily depend on their breaks. Let's not forget that the rain in Vietnam is a driving, stinging, painful rain that gets everywhere it doesn't belong, much like sand. I'm pretty sure my contact almost surfed out of my eye the other day. I will never again take for granted windshields or windshield wipers.

On top of driving in the driving rain, let's visit traffic: at least 100 motorbikes cram as closely together as possible at red lights, releasing trillions of particles of exhaust (and germs, no one covers their mouth when coughing or sneezing). So part of you is focusing on not inhaling while the other part of you is making sure your lower legs aren't getting burned by exhaust pipes. Let's not even venture into how many people are staring at you because you look different than them, and OH! You're speaking English with a westerner that's driving with you or near you. It's like a museum or amusement park and you're the entertainment, so SMILE!

So today, I was venturing into the heart of Binh Thanh where my students live. When Tracey, Lizzie, and I were looking at places we visited an apartment right around the corner, but settled for the outskirts closer to the center. Robin lives over there though, mind you. I was driving in, quite pleased that I'd left work early enough that the traffic wasn't so bad yet, where what would be three minutes from their house when - I hit a lake. It was kind of shallow at first, no problem, I've been in flooding that covered my sandaled foot before. But then, as lakes generally do, it got deeper and deeper where if I'd put my foot down, my leg would have been drowned up to mid-calf/shin. Sure, I'm short and hence have short calves/shins, but that's a lot of water where a street used to be.

What did we learn today?
1. Don't panic.
2. Don't make faces, they'll only stare at you more.
3. Don't put your foot down!
4. Don't panic.
5. Don't speed up or slow down too much or you'll have to break rule 3.
6. Laugh at the fact that a gondola would serve you better in this environment.

All of these rules were learned by observing others, except 6. For those of you counting at home, 78 days until the 209 gang is reunited!

Love to all <3