"Souvenir!"

This morning I started teaching at 7.30, so Mr Cường picked me up at 7am. Then he came to school to bring me home at 11.30 after my second class. While the weather is so hot I get him to come back for me to take me back at 2.30 for the 3pm class, then I usually walk home when I finish. Today I am fighting off a heavy cold and I got totally busted.... If you're teaching in Vietnam, never let 8 year old boys see you blowing your nose! They were colouring in and it was fairly rowdy, being close to break time and I discretely retreated to a corner and quietly pulled out a tissue, and my little boys absolutely erupted in hysterics. They were hooting and guffawing behind hands held over mouths like it was the most hilarious, shocking thing they'd ever seen!  Now if I'd sniffed (no matter how vigorously) no-one would have even batted an eye!! How embarrasing...  point taken already!!! You gotta laugh when stuff like that happens.

Three children's classes is pretty tiring at the best of times, but I picked up an extra class at 5.10 filling in for Ann with our Contract class (one student). As I was walking home at 7.30 I wondered if I'd bump into anyone I knew, since that is becoming a bit of a regular occurrence and sure enough I was part way home when I heard someone call 'Annie! Annie!' and Mr Cường rode up and offered me a ride home.  Bless him! So I was home in no time. When I handed him back the helmet and reached for my wallet, he insisted "No, no. No money!  Souvenir!"