Finally unpacked

This is the view looking down from our Balcony. 
The path leads to the Saigon River. 

Hello from Vietnam! 

We were thrilled to move into our apartment last weekend.  It's a sweet little one bedroom apartment in a quiet neighborhood, right on the Saigon river.  It's a brand new building, which we've learned has its pros and cons.  We have taken full advantage of the gym on site, and are looking forward to when the rooftop pool is completed.  The sweetest security guard greets us and wishes us off every time we come and go from the apartment.  He helps get our helmets and motorbike ready, opens the gate and always has a huge smile on his face. We are slowly building up the courage to speak some Vietnamese to him, but until then we exchange sincere facial expressions and gestures.  Non-verbal communication goes a long way. 

The kitchen where we make about 2-3 meals a week. Rumors are true that it is indeed cheaper to eat out than cook.    

The first time we've ever had a TV!

Balcony off the kitchen

After looking at many apartments without windows, we fell in love with the natural light and in fact, rarely have to turn on the lights!

We are learning the nuances of the culture here in Vietnam.  Instead of saying "to-go" you say "take-away."  Almost any place will prepare the food for "take-away", including our favorite Ban Minh sandwich shop. 

Our new apartment is a pretty fantastic place to watch the afternoon storms 

And the sunsets! 

Kevin has mastered motorbike driving like a local, weaving in and out of the chaotic traffic jams without any hesitation.  There is a parking garage next to the office, and Kevin has to maneuver his way up a 3 feet wide ramp (without railings) and somehow park the bike amongst the hundreds up there.  Kevin learned the hard way (getting a stern talking to in broken english) that you shouldn't "lock" your bike (a must in the U.S), because most days when you go to retrieve your bike at the end of the day, its in a completely different place. 

 

Rush hour traffic in in our neighborhood on the way home from work. Notice wide-eyed Madelyn in the mirror. 

Madelyn has continued to practice primarily on the back roads but is becoming more and more comfortable. 

We've had a few fun outings amidst work and studying to District 1 to site-see and even made it to a comedy show with some co-workers.  We are making it a goal to go to another district at least once a week. 

Perks of not having a chair?  Free beer from the bartenders

We've continued to be adventurous and bold when it comes to food, stumbling our way through ordering at various street food vendors.  Perhaps the most notable recently were the giant snails Kevin ordered. We've had some hit and misses though, like last night when Madelyn was craving soup so ordered was she thought was "tomato soup with basil" and was promptly served a huge bowl of marinara sauce.  The learning curve is steep. 

Kevin enjoyed the snails more than it looks like in this picture, but he wouldn't say they were his favorite food he's tried in Vietnam  

We are both thoroughly enjoying work.  We've had conversations about how Learning Strategies has created a place where both staff, and clients genuinely want to be.  It's a beautiful thing to be a part of, and is a great refuge from the sometimes overwhelming nature of this transition.  We'll be taking a trip to the U.S Consulate next week to complete the first step (of many) in obtaining our work permits and are thankful for the support of the admin team in navigating the visa process. 

We hope everyone is having a good start to fall, and has a happy halloween!