Tet holiday (Lunar New Year) is over and for a few weeks the city has been recovering the normal routine. The woman who sells egg sandwiches at the corner by the school seems to be taking an extended holiday, to Bryan's and my dismay, while her kiosk is tarped over and chained to the telephone pole. Maybe today will be the day.My parents left a week and two days ago after spending 10 days here. Seeing them, as one friend put it, had the healthy effect of connecting the two worlds I live in--home and here--and we thoroughly enjoyed the time together. Highlights were having them visit the school, relaxing at the house with my teammates, and bopping around Danang on rented/borrowed motorbikes.
(Picture: an after-church stop to drink coconut milk with Mom and Dad. It was the first time for all of us.)
I met my parents in Hanoi on the night of the Tet holiday itself--in fact, we were in a taxi from the airport to the hotel on the stroke of 12, creeping through throngs of partiers and motorbike traffic, seeing fireworks explode here and there out the windows.
A few hours prior I had been with all the ESI teachers and our stateside director, Rick, winding down our mid-year retreat. As a group of 9, we spent a few days in Halong Bay, about three hours from Hanoi, relaxing together at a ghost-town of a hotel. Doing the tourist thing is always novel, but wears out fast. February was the month for touristy activities--more than in the rest of the year combined!
Here are a few photos:
Bryan, Rick, Mary (ESI teacher in Vinh), Heath, Nicky, and me.
Dad and I co-teaching!
M and D on their rented ride. 5 bucks a day...helmets included.
4 comments:
wow! a completely new layout and TWO posts! i don't think i recieved that email update, so it was new to me. i guess i'm not on your list or my spam filter picked it out. how exciting to see the photos of your parents there! i'm so glad all is going so well.
and yes, China is becoming more probable than just possible. it is looking like it will be july or august, though, so i guess we won't be in that part of the world at the same time. well, keep posting! God bless!
Hi Tyler:
Sarah Swasey sent me your info so I have been trying to catch up on your adventure. What a blessing to have your Mum and Dad visit. The pic of you and your Dad teaching is priceless. You are stretching your boundaries big time here, my friend! Yes, this is the time for you to be seeing God through different eyes. He is speaking to you and showing you many things. It is hard for you as a disciple to discern that which is from Him and that which is part of the routine life, etc. My time away from "the world" has always been one of extreme growth, pain, searching---you name it!
I have just read a couple of your entries and must now "dust off" to bed! Will read more another time. I look forward to learning more about your experiences.
God's wisdom and joy as you learn,
Sandy Schwab
Hey Tyler,
Your mom gave me the link so i thought i would check it out, The pic of your dad and you teaching was great.
Well take care and Happy Easter God Bless
Dawn
isn't there like a once-a-month requirement on blog updates or something? ;-)
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