A Grandparents’ Visit

The beginning of July brought Jack and Melinda, John’s parents, to our side of the world.  It is always a big treat to have friends or family visit us in Barat.  It makes our stories more real to them and encourages us to have them physically present in our lives, even if for a short while.  We spent almost a week showing them around Barat.  It was perfect timing as the boys were also on break from both local and home schooling. 

Grammy and Evangeline

We spent the first couple days in the big city; shopping and just enjoying one another's company.

A cave with ancient pictures.

On our way home to Barat we stopped at a local tourist attraction which we had not seen before.

Whitman and Grampy

Caedmon and Whitman

We spent a week together in Barat, showing Jack and Melinda around the places we most spend our time.

Our Land

We spent a morning visiting the site where we are building a home and hope to live.

Visiting with the builders and neighbors

Caedmon and Grammy in our home

Grampy

Caedmon and Whitman recently acquired two lizards as pets.  When we leave town, the gentleman who gave them to the boys takes care of them for us.  This man has many other reptiles at his home.

Grammy buying vegetables from the traveling vegetable seller.

In front of a Pine Tree

We took a hike with John's English students to a hill outside of town.  It was weird to see pine needles and pine cones, then look out and see palm trees, who knew they could live in the same area.

Our Hike

The hills outside of town are where many of the vegetables for the market are grown.  

Lunch with English Students

We ate at our favorite restaurant right on the beach about 20 minutes outside of town.

After our time together in Barat, we all traveled to Ho Chi Minh City for a bit of vacation and history from the Vietnam War. 

Caedmon and Whitman relaxing by the pool.

Seeing the sites in town

At the war museum.

French influence from colonial days

Reunification Palace

This was the presidential palace of the south during the war.

Evangeline hanging out with Grampy

Our Family

We visited tunnels that were used in the war.

Jack in a tunnel

They have been made larger for visitors.

Melinda in a tunnel

Continental Hotel: the place many reports stayed or worked during the war.

Appears in the movie "A Quiet American"

Walking a more traditional local street

In front of the Opera House

Evangeline passing time in the airport, such a great traveler!

Returning home from vacation is always difficult.  Our vacations have many of the commodities and conveniences, such as hot showers, flushing toilets, western food, and constant air-conditioning  that we do not have in Barat.  But even more then returning to the lack of familiar conveniences, we returned home without the grandparents.  Though we are saddened to be without them, it makes us that much more thankful for the time we were able to spend together and their willingness to travel far!

Fasting and Feasting

The month of June brought a very different schedule to our lives.  It was the month of fasting which alters most aspects of the community.  Restaurants are not open during the day here in Barat and people operate on a rather different schedule as well; rising at 3am to make and eat breakfast, going to work late, napping longer during the day, and closing up shop early. 

John fasted most days along with our neighbors.  This resulted in him waking up at 4am to eat breakfast and also use the time to study.  Then as I, Erin, was getting up at 5:30am, John usually went back to bed until 8ish.  John would join the rest of us for lunch, but wouldn’t eat again until 6pm when the fast finished for the day.  Many people were less consistently available which made regular language study difficult for John.  The boys finished local school and homeschooling, so they were home all day, yet many of the neighbor kids were not, either spending their time at their grandparents’ house or attending special religious classes.  As the boys didn’t have any organized activities, John came up with the idea of holding an informal soccer practice twice a week in the neighborhood we are planning to move to.  The goal was to provide an activity for kids the same age as Caedmon and Whitman to enable them to get to know each other before we actually move.  It turned out to be an enjoyable activity for all.  During most days Evangeline and I wandered around visiting with our neighbors to be. 

Soccer in our neighborhood to be

Fruit Soup Ingredients: a very popular way to break the fast
(mix papaya, fruit syrup, coconut jellies, sweetened condensed milk, and jello with water and ice)

We brought drinks or sweets to 'break the fast' each soccer practice, though most of the kids in that area were not fasting.

Caedmon eating jello, made from agar (seaweed).

At the end of the fasting month the largest holiday is celebrated.  Culturally this is a time when special foods are made and family and friends visit.  We visited various friends and neighbors the day of the holiday and the few days following.  At each house we visited we were met with drinks, cookies, and plates of food.  Not knowing how many of our friends might stop by our own house, I prepared a large pot of a traditional Barat chicken soup.  It has a little bite to it, but Whitman thoroughly enjoyed it!

Blending spices: large chili pepper, lemon grass, ginger, garlic, and shallots.

Spices are mixed with chicken broth, coconut milk, salt, chicken bullion, and fried shallots.  It is served with rice and hard boiled eggs.

Visiting and eating at a friend's house.

Visiting family with a friend.

Our Baby is One

Just the other day a local friend asked which season in the States I, Erin, miss the most.  As I thought about the question , I realized I miss the changing of seasons the most as there is not an end to the heat nor do I notice the passing of time in the same way the seasons cause.  With that said, it seems every so hard to believe that our baby girl is now one-year-old. 

Sunday, June 4^th, we celebrated Evangeline’s first birthday as a family.  We have been immensely blessed over the past year.  Evangeline was born, healthy and whole,just one day after we arrived in the big city, which is where we desired to give birth.  My body healed and adjusted to nursing quicker than I remember with either of the boys.  We flew to apply for her passport within her first week of life and she stayed healthy throughout all the traveling.  Evangeline had a passport and we all received visas within her frist month.  Other than a few colds, ant bites, and mosquito bites that turn into very large red spots on her very white skin, she has been very healthy.  These many blessings are create such praise as we live in an environment and culture so different than John and I grew up in. 

Birthday Girl at Breakfast

For her birthday I made cranberry scones.  She enjoyed the scones but picked out most of the cranberries.   We then celebrated at lunch with some of her favorite foods, cupcakes, and presents.  It was a nice time together!

We all enjoyed spaghetti, corn on the cob, and a spinach like vegetable.

Not sure what to do with the cupcake.

Figuring it Out

Thoroughly enjoying it!

Investigating the Presents

Help from Whitman

Kisses for a Baby Doll

Happy Girl

Two Endings

This month has brought the end of two things, the soccer league and Whitman's kindergarten career. 

To wrap up the soccer league, John, with a great deal of help from a couple assistants, put together a tournament and awards ceremony. 

As with all events here, an event tent was ordered and set up. 

No special equipment aside from the truck to assist in tent set up. 

John scooping cow manure off the field the day before.

A friend helping to put up the goal nets.

The Final Game

The event tent, complete with the traditional 'nice' seating (couches), and snacks, covered with fancy covers. 

A speech was given by a foundation head.

John awarded a trophy for honesty to a kid who was honest about not scoring a penalty kick,
though it cost his team the game. 

The Winning Team



The 3rd and 4th place game
John made sure the teams learned how to congratulate each other at the end of each game.

A couple neighborhood heads in attendance.

The week following Whitman graduated from his kindergarten that he has attended for three years, with an 8 months break while we were in the states.  The week began as usual until we were informed the day of that Whitman had music practice that afternoon.  It wasn't until music practice started, about 45minutes late due to the flexibility in time here, that I, Erin, began to slowly piece together the parts.  Whitman, with 9 other kids, was to play music as part of his graduation ceremony.  The week turned out to have another practice and another performance on Saturday.  I was also asked to speak at the event on Saturday, which as much as I can gather, was an individual school graduation and parenting celebration, of shorts. 

Whitman in traditional dress at the joint graduation celebration.

Other children dressed and ready to play music.

Children from various kindergartens performed at the joint graduation ceremony.

Whitman's classmates, he is on the far right

Playing traditional music and singing in Barat.



Erin sitting next to the Mayor's wife, who also spoke at the Saturday celebration. 
She is considered the 'head' of all kindergartens in the county.

Refreshments

A Lovely Birthday

We decided to spend the week in the big city.  It was a blessing to me it coincided with my birthday.  For my 36th birthday we went out to breakfast at restaurant that offers the best western breakfasts in town.  We spent time at the hotel pool where we're staying, then had hamburgers at the best hamburger place in town.  For desert we found an ice cream cake at a Baskin and Robins.  It was a really nice day, but the highlight, other than spending it with my family, was opening 36 birthday cards I recently received in a recent package.  I saved the cards and a bar of dark chocolate for the special day.  It was such a treat to receive so many birthday wishes from friends far away.  Thank you all!

Ice Cream Cake!

So many cards and well wishes!