a smile

A smile changed my day today. It's so great when that happens. After blowing through some serious cash at the craft bazaar this weekend, I needed to go to the bank, so I went after class. The way this works is every time I go to the bank, I withdraw 2,000,000 VND (Vietnamese Dong). The ATM gives it to me in 500,000 VND notes which are pretty useless because no one wants to make change for 500,000 VND when I am only paying 20,000 VND for something (about $1 at home). So, I go to the ATM, get my notes, and then walk into the bank to change them all for 100,000 VND notes. The bank guy has caught on to my game. I walked into the bank today, and he smiled really big and emphatically asked me how I was doing. He knows that I want to change my money for smaller bills, and he is a counting ninja. He gets the right count every time but always asks that I recount it just to be sure. When I was leaving, he wished me a great rest of the day, and I knew that he really meant it. It was such a lovely encounter and started my day in the best of ways! I'm going to have to start spending more money so that I can visit the bank more often. (*Daddy*)

After the bank, I caught a bus to the Old Quarter to spend my afternoon in the warm embrace of Joma for a second day in a row. They sucked me in with this great promotion where if I brought my receipt in from the previous day, I could get a free coffee the next day. You better believe I got that free coffee, and it was even more delicious than every dollar I didn't spend. Rather than working on anything of great importance, I read Pride and Prejudice. Scratch that statement. Pride and Prejudice is really important. 

I went to English class today, which came with a mixed bag of results. The workbook lesson went pretty well and Pictionary was well-received. After the game though, I got up and taught them the Great Big Moose song. This is an Ontario Pioneer Camp favorite. I've been singing it since I was 11 and have sung it with my campers every year that I am on staff. It's one of my absolute favorites because it is so absurd. A moose named Fred drinks juice while he's in bed and then spills it in his hair and gets all sticky. It's so silly! It's a pretty simple song, but the kids were just not having it. They busted a move or two during the WAAAAYY-OHS in the middle, but it was a tough sell. I guess sometimes Canadian stuff just doesn't translate. Oddly enough, the moose was not the part they were struggling with. Who knows...

Maeve and I were at English class with Sami today. Sami is a dancer specialized in Polynesian dance (the HULA!). For the last ten minutes or so, she taught us and the kids a few Hula steps. It was so much fun! In my mind, Maeve was the Stitch to my Lilo. The kids did really love the dance moves (it was a sad day for Mooses everywhere...).