Christine here - it seems like ages since I've written an update, but hopefully Toli's colorful stories have kept you all going! Ever since my mom got here last week, it's been one activity after another - from visiting my grandparents' villages to shopping for silk scarves to visiting the many wonderful friends we've managed to make during our short stay here. I can't believe that we're almost leaving. Today are the student presentations, and Friday is the final examination. I feel like I've barely made a dent in all the things I've wanted to do here. Toli's talked about coming back next year (I'm amazed he enjoyed himself that much!), so hopefully there will be time in the future to visit Halong Bay and do some of the touristy activities that Hanoi has to offer. It's funny - I came here wanting to live life like the locals, and we pretty much got to do so and missed a bunch of the tourist stuff. (Except for the shopping part, that is, I couldn't miss out on that.)
The hard thing about this being our last week is that I feel like we've just started getting comfortable living here. We've settled into the routine of each day, discovered our favorite breakfast and lunch spots, figured out the hours of our favorite snack vendors, and learned the lay of the city and the local bus routes. Even better, the daughters of the family we're staying with have finally gotten comfortable with speaking in English to Toli, so the last few nights have been full of laughter and stories.
The other day, Toli had a little spare time, so he uploaded some of the pictures from the cheesy "fashion" photo shoot of me and Xuan (the girl who lives downstairs). He ran some noise reduction software to make the photo look clearer, and then Xuan asked very innocently if he knew how to add text so he could put her name in the photo. So Toli opened Photoshop, and from there, the whole family gathered around to watch him work, as if he were doing some sort of magic. The next thing you know, Toli's adding text to a wedding picture, recropping a picture of the youngest daughter, and everyone is laughing uproariously as he makes the occasional mistype. It's hard to describe it in words, but it felt so warm sitting there and watching the entire family squeeze onto the couch into the living room around Toli, observing every move he made. He totally relished the attention and started bringing out pictures we took over the last few days - of him riding the water buffalo, trying on a Vietnamese military hat, anything that could and would spark laughter. I told him later on that he was like the storytellers and mendicants of auld who would travel to families and entertain them in exchange for food and shelter.
Other than that, Toli has monopolized all the good stories in his last two entries and has already laid claim to some he wants to tell in his next entry, so I don't have a lot more material to share! Just wanted to check in and let you all know that we're here and still having a wonderful time.
Posted by Christine at March 31, 2004 03:12 AM