Dalat

The first week of November brought a job offer from Phan Thiet university, I went to talk to them out of curiosity. Initially they wanted me to work part time for them, teaching ESL classes. Then in the next academic year they wanted me to work full time for them. The people I met were lovely and the campus is really beautiful, it`s a former resort. However the location sucks as it is right in the middle between Phan Thiet and Mui Ne. So you either have to have your own transport, which I don`t want, or you have to take a taxi or cycle everywhere, which I don`t want to do. And besides I am still enjoying my freedom from the APC ESL classes, so I don`t want the part-time job. I declined on good terms with them and they invited me to their opening ceremony that week, I said yes. I took Anna along with me because I don`t do anything alone these days and I am glad that I did. I had to get up and make a speech and after the ceremony there was a big sit down with the principal and the other teachers. He told me how much they really needed a teacher and how much they would appreciate it if I came to work for them. I felt so guilty, but not guilty enough to change my mind!
Anna and often sit out on the stoop of our hotel, sometimes drink a beer, sometimes not and just watch the world go by. We`ve both said that if we do move somewhere it has to have a stoop and good street life. There is always something going on on Le Loi, whether it`s watching the flood, people arriving at the hotel opposite or a police chase. So to make our people watching more comfortable we bought lawn chairs. In Phan Thiet there are certain streets where you buy stuff, so there is a seafood restaurant street, Ba Ke, there is a tailors street and so on. It turned out that there was specific street to buy chairs. We went on our bicycles and the lady had her helper strap them on to the back of our bikes. It was awesome and the look on the Lans` face when we returned to the hotel was priceless. So now we sit on the stoop in our own lawn chairs. Great!
The first weekend in November we had been supposed to go on a teachers trip to Dalat, but it had been postponed for a week due to bad weather in Dalat. I had been sceptical that it take place at all, but happen it did on the second weekend. We left school on the Friday morning, not on time but close enough. We all travelled in the two school buses, Denise rushed onto the orange bus and bagged the front seat next to the driver. I hung around outside, I wasn`t ready to commit to my seat for a five hour journey. And I was right, Ms.Sam got me and Anna onto the small green bus with her. There was only one child on our bus and he slept most of the time. We arrived in Dalat later than expected and had lunch, then everyone else needed a nap so Anna,Denise and I went for a coffee. Unfortunately for Anna and I this was our third coffee of the day and it sent us over the edge, we got the shakes. Since I`ve been in Vietnam I now drink coffee pretty much every day and it doesn`t have an effect on me. I`ve come to the conclusion that Vietnamese coffee doesn`t have much caffeine in it. So I don`t know if it was the fact that the Dalat coffee was my third or if Dalat coffee is stronger and does have caffeine that made the difference. We went to the market, didn`t buy anything and came back to the villa for dinner. Most of us were staying in a hotel, all paid for by school and some　people were staying in a villa up the road.This is where we had most of meals and the big party on the first night. For once I didn`t drink a lot, sticking mostly to water.
The next day we were supposed to go to a few places but the bus driver got lost and then the orange bus had a flat. We turned around and went to this weird biological museum on the way back into Dalat. Twisted is not the word. After lunch at the villa, Anna and I walked into Dalat and got some serious sightseeing done. Denise had asked to join us, not from any desire for our company but because I had a guidebook and we could all split the cost of a cab. We declined her generous offer. We did meet up on the terrace of the Palace hotel for a drink. That`s a good thing about Denise, she is very pragmatic and doesn`t seem to hold a grudge. Or maybe she does and I`ll find out next year when my contract isn`t renewed! Anna and I were in bed early that night, I had planned to watch tv but was alseep by 9pm! The late night before was catching up with me.
Sunday turned out to be a much better sight seeing day than Friday had been. We went to the Valley of Love, which I loved and a stunning temple just outside of Dalat. The trip back to Phan Thiet was smooth and timely. Made a nice change.　Anna and I finished up with dinner at Win cafe and so I was ready for　another week.