Just getting started

Hello Whos_your_Addy,

Thank you for sharing with us your new experience in Vietnam.

It would be nice if you can tell us more about how you are adjusting with your new life in Ho Chi Minh City..

Regards
Yuveshen

So we have moved into District 7, Phu My Hung, and it's amazing.  Less crowded than D1 and D5.  We also (drum roll please)...bought a motorbike!  I've been practicing on it and getting use to driving it around the neighborhood.  I think the hardest part is when Sarah is riding along.  The weight differentiation is crazy and it take more power to move forward.  I've just recently become comfortable driving through the city, although my directions are a bit off.  I'll drive way out of the way to go somewhere nearby.  On a motorbike the traffic isn't too bad since you can wind in and out.  What use to take me 30 minutes to get to D1 now only takes me 15 minutes.  Sarah and I have been doing a lot of exploring and interacting with the locals.  Slowly yet surely we will feel more at home and be able to speak more Vietnamese fluently. 

I'm still looking around for a teaching position, if anyone can help that would be great!  I just had an interview with VUS and have lined up a practice class on April 8.  I don't want this to be my only shot at teaching in Vietnam.  Still waiting to hear back from ILA and Wallstreet English.

Oh yeah, almost forgot...what's the deal with all the beds being rock hard?!  I do enjoy a firm mattress but this is ridiculous.  I was wondering if there are any cheap places for padding to lay on top of the mattress?  Maybe something that's not 6mil VND?   

So we got into our first motorbike accident tonight.    We are both okay and the other person is just fine thank goodness.  At least I had the experience of what happens when this happens.  A security/police officer (which they're located at every corner) comes over to assess the situation.  They check out the bikes, the people, and then decide who was at fault by either the drivers or witness(es).  At that point is there any information exchanged?  Nope!  We just handed him some money for medicine to heal his minor wounds and we all went on our way.  I'm just happy nobody was hurt and things could be resolved in a civil manner. 

On the OTHER HAND!  I can't find anybody selling shoe sizes larger than 44 (12 in the US) for males.    Grrrrrr.  My feet are size 13 in the states (which is roughly 45 in the UK) and all there are is dumb, stupid looking shoes at that size.  Any help with this?  I'm looking for some brown kicks that I can wear around comfortably and informally.  Help me out folks! 

Motor bikes are sold on Nguyen Thị Thập street, district 7. Price ranges are from $200-$2000 depending on what you want. A decent one costs about $500; and you can always bargain.

Viet