Mostly Christmas

Merry Christmas!  It doesn't feel much like Christmas here mostly because it's so hot and humid still!  But there are plenty of Christmas trees and decorations to be seen.  I'm not sure if most Vietnamese celebrate Christmas (we'll find out soon) but merchants do seem to like to decorate and promote shopping.  Here are some photos to share:

Tree in the lobby of our
apartment building.

Tree in my fitness center

Tree in the library at the university

Fancy tree in the lobby of a tourist
hotel downtown

A Vietnamese church near our university was very decorated
on our walk home one evening (kind of dusky out).

Sometimes Vietnamese doesn't translate so well to
English so Hui Hiang and I weren't sure if this was a
mistake or purposeful to catch attention.  MREEY
CHRISTMAS!!

A few days later Hui Hiang sent me a picture with the caption
"They fixed it!"  

Our apartment entryway has a (snowy!) scene painted on
it.  Someone had scratched off the bear's nose (kids 
will be kids?) but some painters returned to fix it.

I had a hair experience! It was time to hide my grey hairs, so I thought I'd try to figure out the hair salon system myself.  On a previous neighborhood walk we'd seen a couple of obvious women's salons in a block (businesses seem to be clustered in one area) so I tried one.  One of the employees spoke English so I was on my way!  The color smelled strong but my hair turned out fine and healthy.  After the color had processed, before washing it out, I was asked if I wanted my face washed.  I thought perhaps that was the Vietamese way so I said yes.  I was led into the back area where patrons lie down with their head on a board (not a cut-out sink like in the US) and my hair was washed out and then my face had about a half hour of attention!  Washed and massaged, along with my neck and shoulders too.  Then back to the chair for a blow dry and style.  It took about 2 hours and cost $22 US. 

2 people working on me.  The man was
the main stylist, but the girl worked on my
face-washing.

The price list

The hair and face washing area.  I had to take a picture because even
though these clients don't have their legs stretched out, I COULDN'T
stretch my legs and had to lie with my knees bent.  The wall
was too close for my longer-than-Vietnamese legs!

Fiinished style and color.

The Star of Bethlehem concert

This past Saturday we attended a really fantastic concert by the International Choir and Orchestra of Ho Chi Minh City.  At the end the audience was invited to sing along with the final number, "Hark the Herald Angels Sing."  It was very moving singing among so many nationalities.  The concert lasted about an hour (much to Bob's relief) since we were packed in there and no air conditioning!  The concert was held at St. Paul's Convent Cathedral, a building dating from the 1860's!

The front of the church I've been attending, closest
English service to my apartment.

This coming Sunday my church (International Christian Fellowship) is celebrating Christmas since the pastor says many will be gone on Christmas Day, going to their home.  We have a fellowship meal after the 10:30 service.  Then next Saturday the church is having a Christmas party with a local orphanage to give gifts and "hang out" with the kids.  I'm excited to be signed up to do that.  This past Sunday I walked to church both ways (Bob resting his knee: see below), it's a 45 minute walk.  I tried the bus one week but it's quicker to walk, believe it or not.  Plus I enjoy seeing the neighborhoods.  I just had to take one "weird food" picture.  My google maps led me back home a new way and there were three food carts in a row with this animal hanging in it--I think a cow!

Big meat!

My last post mentioned Bob's elbow infection and it is mostly better.  Still a small area of redness but the pain is gone.  The newest complication is his knee began having pain for no apparent reason.  So he's been laying low and icing and wrapping and resting his knee. Maybe it's just "old age" but it's quite frustrating!  Especially because he had just heard about a group of students willing to let him join in their weekly soccer games.  That is on hold for awhile now!

That's all the news for now. Work has been busy with a lot of labs lately, teaching 3rd years about contact lenses and 2nd years about optometric procedures in an eye exam as well as beginning to teach them how to fit glasses as well as grind lenses to fit a frame!  On Dec. 20 we are taking the 3rd year students on a field trip organized by Mr. Long, to a local School for the Blind.  This will tie in to their class in Low Vision.

Thanks again for following our "adventure" and we wish you a peace-filled holiday season!