OK so its been over a week since my last post, sorry. in that time i've gotten a job at VUS and taught my first class. it went alright, sort of semi organized chaos. the class is about 15 students, lower intermediate level, ranging in age from 9 to 13. im just the substitute for this class and the way i always treated subs i coming back to haunt me. other than that i've been laying pretty low, trying not to spend to much money, i only get payed once a month so its gonna be some time before any real money starts coming in. today my stomach is really upset so im just gonna stay in all day. the lack of any bicycle culture here is a bummer, i miss my fixed gear.

this may be too much for some but i really appreciated this article in the stranger. having lost too many friends to suicide i think that it is a subject that should be openly discussed and not swept under the carpet as it often is. it affects and hurt us all in different ways and here is one writer trying to deal with it. http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/to-be-or-not-to-be/Content?oid=3997702

had a great ride today. fed up with the stop and go of downtown riding, i got on the highway running along the canal. flat out sprinting for an hour. if the canal wasn't full of trash and the smell of sewage it would be quite lovely. nice to get out and really stretch my legs. back in town i had my new favorite street food for dinner. its fried rice flour cakes with garlic and eggs, topped with green onions, green papaya strings, peanuts, and soy sauce and sweet chili sauce. it cost 20,000vnd and since i discovered this a over week ago i've eaten it almost every night.

love the bow tie!

http://www.girvin.com/blog/?p=4395#more-4395

so what's been new? mmmmmmmmmmmmm. i got caught out in my first rainstorm here. not that it was the first time its rained, that happens about every two days, but it was the first time that i was outside for it. the funny thing is its so warm here that even completely soaked i was totally comfortable. i didn't notice that my shoes were filled with water for miles. the bike is nice. not to say that its a nice bike, its quite heavy and a bit small, but its just nice to have one. and with the addition of a turbo saddle and toe cages its a pleasure to ride and explore the city on. i have a couple of job interviews lined up this week so hopefully i will start work soon. its been nice to have all this time off but honestly i have no idea how to occupy my time without work. i guess thats sad i'm so conditioned to work i don't know how to function without it. i've been so institutionalized by wage slavery that i seek its comfort.

big man vietnam, im an f-ing giant here!

rummy these are for you

finally i got my bike. damn it felt good to be back in the saddle today. its been over a month without a bike and it was starting to make me really irritable. now a huge grin spreads across my face, and i have the feeling im gonna sleep well tonight.

if you open your eyes, oh what a sweet discovery; there is hope, and there is joy, and there is acceptance.

i dont feel bad about my level of inactivity here when i talk to other expats and they also dont wake till noon and dont get out of bed till they've watched some discovery channel. at this point the only appointment i have on my calender everyday is going to the bar around 9:30 or 10.

sometimes saigon can be extremely frustrating. i've been trying to email my resume to potential employers but they cant open my attachments cause its written with an mac program, so i switch it to google docs, which sucks, but i cant print it cause the internet cafe's cant read it mysteriously. when i give up for the night and go back to my room i sit down at my desk and turn on my computer. i hear a strange crackling noise and start to investigate as i feel something crawling up my leg underneath my pants. i never knew a cockroach could be so scary. i was screaming like a little girl as i jumped in the air and swatted at my pant leg. now i keep feeling like there's something crawling up my leg.

this is my typical breakfast here in saigon, its a mushroom and green onion omelet, chicken leg, green beans and rice its a lot of food and they always give me soup with it. its served from a stand on the street and i sit at a small table in the alley as i eat. this cost 30,000vnd which is under $2. i have also fallen in love with sugar cane juice. old women sell it fresh squeezed from stands all over the city. today i had an excellent cup for 5,000vnd.

im beginning to really miss to really miss riding my bike. its been one month already out of the saddle. i put a down payment on a frame from the local "modern" bike shop, but it wont be built up till thursday. in the meantime im starting to go crazy. i was just looking at bikes on craigslist seattle. its not fare how cheap and easily accessible quality bikes are in the pacific northwest.