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Week 2, Day 6 of School Without Mama
After dropping Stephen off at school, I headed out to the backpackers district with my friend G. I have lived in Ho Chi Minh City for over a year but have never been to the Pham Ngu Lao area which is supposed to "form the heart of the budget-traveller haven." The neighborhood is not decrepit, but it's definitely not a place that would be fun with children. Dusty streets, restaurants with no air conditioning, and shops crowded with merchandise are really meant for folks with little baggage.
Prices were very affordable. We had a huge crepe pancake, one coffee, and one fruit smoothie all for less than $3 USD. Many of the shops carried products that I haven't seen elsewhere either.
Cranky Cyclo Driver
Pho Bo (Beef Noodle Soup) Shop
Can you see the conical-hat-wearing woman
in the scooter's side mirror?
All in all, a day to remember.
This morning didn't start off too well when Stephen refused toast or cereal for breakfast. So I made him homemade pancakes with strawberry jam, which made him really happy. But when it came time to leave for school, he tried to delay by asking for his favorite Raffi CD, and threw a fit when I told him he'd have to wait until he came home.
When we got into the classroom and his teacher wasn't there, Stephen cried and screamed for several minutes until she came back from xeroxing stuff. To my surprise, he stopped as soon as he got to sit in her lap. My theory is that the teacher is physically similar to me so he feels comfortable with her. In any case, she said they have a deal that Stephen doesn't cry if she holds his hand. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me.
As usual, I picked him up around 11 and found them in the play area. And unlike before, he was actually playing! Happily! The teacher said that he had been good all morning and that he had even impressed her with something he did.
Returning to the classroom, she showed me a worksheet of an arrow, circle, and triangle that they'd been working on tracing today. As usual, I could see that Stephen had scribbled (inside!) the shapes with pencil. Ok, I thought, that's a start. But there were two more worksheets.
On the third worksheet, he had traced the shapes with wobbly lines, but he had done it! His teacher said she couldn't believe he had picked it up so fast since most kids take months if not an entire year to learn it. (She was probably just kissing my a**.) I'm just thrilled he behaved himself in class today. The shape tracing is a bonus that wouldn't have concerned me if he weren't able to do it well.
It was pretty clear that being good all morning had worn him out, though. He was a little irritable all afternoon and is finally taking his afternoon nap.
School might just work out after all.
After dropping Stephen off at school, I headed out to the backpackers district with my friend G. I have lived in Ho Chi Minh City for over a year but have never been to the Pham Ngu Lao area which is supposed to "form the heart of the budget-traveller haven." The neighborhood is not decrepit, but it's definitely not a place that would be fun with children. Dusty streets, restaurants with no air conditioning, and shops crowded with merchandise are really meant for folks with little baggage.
Prices were very affordable. We had a huge crepe pancake, one coffee, and one fruit smoothie all for less than $3 USD. Many of the shops carried products that I haven't seen elsewhere either.
Cranky Cyclo Driver
Pho Bo (Beef Noodle Soup) Shop
Can you see the conical-hat-wearing woman
in the scooter's side mirror?
All in all, a day to remember.
By the way, Monday was the first time I picked Brian up and he was happily playing with other kids rather than hanging around the teacher's table. I think he just wanted the grown up protection until he figured out how this kindergarten kid business worked.
As for grown-up protection, there are days when I feel in need of that myself!
yay! sounds like it's working out slowly but surely.
the same lanterns are selling for so much more in Singapore!! ripoff.
work doesn't look like it's gonna let up in the next few months ... big sighhhhhhh.
Your picture mentioning soup reminded me of a vietnamese restaurant we used to go to for soup - it was so yummy!
I love those lanterns in the Vosana Shop. They are so unique.
Really interesting lanterns.
wow, such good food. i wonder how vietnam's pho compares to the bay area's. are they just about the same, or is vietnam's a lot better? and more authentic?
but i guess you don't really know 'coz you don't eat much pho!