Plumbing

When we moved into our house in May we used water from a well provided by the complex.  Two months ago we had city water hooked up, which is river water pumped in by the city.  The pump only runs from about 2-12pm, so we also had a water tank installed.  In the morning we close the city water pipe and open the pipe from our tank.  In the afternoon, we open the city water pipe again and close the tank pipe.  So far we have had a reliable water supply and a lot better pressure as compared with the complex water.  A few weeks ago though, a pipe under our sink where the water enters the house, broke as soon as we turned on the high pressure city water.  Thankfully we were without water for only about 12 hours. 
Last week a pump in our complex broke leaving many of our neighbors (those still with complex water) completely without water for days.  We left the complex water hooked up to our house but just shut off, resulting in an ability to share our water with neighbors because as soon as we open the valve connecting us to the complex and leave our city water pipe or tank pipe open that water runs right out to the complex, even quicker if there isn’t anywater pressure in the complex pipes.  Thankfully we figured this out before unintentionally leaving the complex water pipe open. 



Under the back kitchen window:
pipe from city on left, pipe from our tank on right.

Gray pipe from the city, white pipe from the complex; only semi-buried.

Our water filter is now usable with the increased water pressure!

Under the kitchen sink:
water comes into the house goes up to the sink or down to the bathroom.  The hoses go to the washing machine and water filter.  The large pipe is the kitchen drain which was recently renovated as the old drain (see covered up pipe on floor) was draining poorly.

 

Water tank:
usually lasts a couple days, depending on laundry!

On another note we started having toilet problems last week.  We have a sit toilet, but not a self flushing toilet.  I freely admit we have been throwing toilet paper down the toilet since moving in.  Most people here don’t use toilet paper but no one has ever said not to throw it down the toilet.  But as our toilet started draining very slowly last week we stopped putting TP in the toilet.  This didn’t seem to help, so John bought some powdered chemical.  Each time we used it, the toilet improved but never really returned to  normal.  After 3 times John used another chemical recommended at a hardware store.  This chemical seemed to burn everything in the toilet and fill the bathroom with smoke, not to mention a very foul smell.  That night John left for the capital city.  The next morning the toilet was still full and would not drain at all.  My husband was gone and there is no phone book in which I could look for a plumber.  Thankfully it was Sunday meaning most of our neighbors were at home.  Our neighbor Ryan didn’t have a number for a plumber but took his motorcycle out to look for advertisements posted on trees, walls, poles, etc.  Finally after  talking to a friend of his he found a phone number.  Everyone suspected the septic tanks was full so first I tried to touch basis with the landlords, a phone number only John had.  Thanks to cell phones John could be reached, though our landlords could not.  In the end I called a plumber, who had to come from an hour away, but thankfully only had to plunge the toilet with an electric pump-like machine.  On a funny language note, the word everyone used to empty the septic tank was the verb form of a ‘straw,’ as used for drinking.  So the plumber ‘straws’ the septic tank, not ‘sucks out’ which is a different word. 
Some of these house difficulties are due to the fact we are renting, the others are due to a very different way of doing things!
I have to keep telling myself this is an adventure not an ordeal (which a loving aunt reminded me the only difference between the two is my attitude!)

 

English

Erin with attendees

This past weekend we took a trip to the provincial capitol as I had been invited to speak at an English event at a local University.  I was the guest native speaker.  I attended the whole day, giving a motivational and practical session on English study and usage at the end of the day.  John and the boys spent the day sight seeing.  It turned out to be a lot more fun than I expected.   

 

Treats provided for the presenters.
I sat at a table on the stage even through other presentations.

 

College students and a few high school students attended.

 

I have become more and more thankful to be a native English speaker.  Not so much because of the large demand for the language here (I would be happy with a few less opportunities in that area), but because it has become truly a world wide language.  It has been chosen as the language of commerce, politics, and travel for the combined efforts to grow of 10 nations in our region.  After Latin, English seems to be the most widely or influential language in the realm of medicine as many medical terms here come from English.  This is even more so in the area of technology; laptop, pause, and HP for hand phone (cell phone) are the terms used here (in English).  Even funnier is the word toilet is commonly used as is WC (for water closet), all said with a local accent of course.  As I sit in a café to write this popular music from the States is playing.  Sometimes the usage is not quite exact, but it just reinforces the prominence of English and what a blessing it is that we already know it!

 

Truck carrying LPG
(spelled out phonetically)

Bought at a local pharmacy

"My wife is darling"
on the back window of a bus-like public transportation vehicle

Meaning...? 
Adds and signs around town (or in the mall as above) often use English, not always well.

For my presentation last weekend I was asked to motivate the students as to the importance of studying English.  As evident as that is, I found it difficult at first as we have come here with the mindset of learning the language or languages spoken here.  So I had to shift my focus for the day!

Halloween overseas

In the big city and as we traveled internationally last month we saw a few signs of Halloween, in costumes or masks for sale here or there.  In the small town of Barat there isn't a single sign of this very western Holiday.  As our boys are 'third culture kids' (growing up in a culture other than their parents culture; resulting in a culture of their own) we desire to enable them to integrate into this culture well, but also understand the American culture.  So as part of that, we had our own, slightly different, Halloween celebration!

Our Jack-O-lantern!
Pumpkins are readily available year around, but we could only find wide and very squatty ones.  So we chose a better shape, but a different piece of produce, a watermelon!  It was much easier to carve out, but maybe messier.  We thoroughly enjoyed the insides along with candy corn from a recent package!

Trying out the Jack-O-Lantern. 
And explaining to the neighbors what in the world we were doing.  Right after this picture, the little boy in the middle grabbed the 'stem' and started eating it.  Sometimes I worry what our neighbors think as we 'play' with food: mung beans for example that I provided for Whitman to play with and ended up in his ear.

At night! 
I was a little hesitant to leave is outside as I thought a random kid might come by and get a little too curious.  It was still there in the morning though, and not covered in ants! 
Sometimes I think these little celebrations resembling our home culture are more for me, Erin, than the kids, though they still get a kick out of them.  

Butter!!! And other things.

We found butter in Barat!  Previously we were buying butter by the ½ pound in the big city whenever we were there.  Our purchases were somewhat limited by our small freezer space.  Here in Barat John happened upon a can, yes a can, of ‘creamy butter’ at a local shop.  We decided to try it and were quite pleased.  It is definitely butter, not margarine!  It just happens to come in a can, which also happens to save precious freezer space!  After our first trial can, John returned to buy more.  He did not immediately find it on the self the second time so he asked the shop attendant if there was any butter.  In the national language there is only one word for both margarine and butter.  So as he asked for it, he specified by saying, “The kind made from cow’s milk.”  The shop attendant replied, “Oh, there’s butter made from cow’s milk?”  Ha!  How do you reply to that.  Especially when margarine and butter are the same word.  We have since bought many cans, and though a little pricey, are thrilled to find it here in Barat!

 

 

Other things, in pictures:

The boy's are thrilled with new shirts. 
Fun to sport home town teams, whether they know it or not!

We attended a neighbor's birthday party.

The family had special outfits made just for the occasion. 
The birthday girl sat in the chair, accepting all her gifts as guests arrived.  Her father then shared about her and hopes for her future.  Then we all sang and she cut the cake.  Treat bags and food were then served.  The cake on the other hand was not served, nor were the presents opened in front of the guests. 



Whitman and I attended as Caedmon stayed home sick.
A tent and chairs were set up outside in the street for all the guests, over 40 parents and kids.

The boys playing with chalk on our street with a neighbor friend.

The boys waiting to come out. 
On school days they have to stay in their room till 6:30am.

Style
I am frequently bewildered with what is considered as matching or clashing.  With white skin and a large nose that is desired by everybody here, and the above example of matching patterns, there are times I am not too concerned with how I look.

Weaving

We were invited us to see the process of weaving sarongs in a near by village.  Our province is well known for hand made silk sarongs.  The silk is grown and the sarongs are woven in various areas of this province.  I know the things we have these days originally were ALL made by hand, but to see it in action knowing the result is so fine and beautiful is just amazing. 

Women begin learning the many aspects involved at a young age and continue as they are physically able.  .

Weaving.
Skilled woman can produce three sarong per week.

Preparations. 
The silk thread is first wrapped around various bamboo poles just to prepare for the loom like structure. 

A finished product. This is actually a piece of fabric about 4 meters long.  It is sown together, matching the pattern, to become a sarong that is worn for special events by both men and women.  Above is a pattern worn by women.  Smaller box patterns are usually worn by men, just as colorful and fancy. 

We attended a wedding last week, see the tent in the background. 
For a previous wedding I had bought a sarong at the market, but I did not know at the time that it had to be sown together.  I after finding a tailor I went ahead and had a traditional outfit made. 

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Out of the Country

It was time to leave the country as our visas expired at the beginning of October.  We chose to travel to Vietnam.  We enjoyed a whole week of applying for new visas, relaxing, sight seeing, studying history, and enjoying food and shopping which we can’t find in our current country.  The boys thoroughly enjoyed the break too: taking full advantage of the play ground and swimming pool at our hotel.  Caedmon is still taking about various sights we visited. 

We have now returned to the town of Barat, the boys are back in school (they couldn’t wait to see friends again), and we are again seeking the best way to spend our time.  We unfortunately had to return on another social-cultural visa, not our original goal.  As this visa does allow us to devote our time to language and culture study, John is still unable to work.  The work visa is stuck at the ‘Office of Workforce’ in the capital.  Why, we are still unsure.  So, John and our sponsor will likely travel to the capital later this month to iron out the details, hopefully!

In the mean time we aim to continue studying language and culture (I, Erin, plan to begin again), building relationships, and be thankful for our recent break!

We got to take a medium sized speed boat from our hotel to the city center.  It was a fun way to see the area.

We visited a war museum.  

The boys enjoyed all the airplanes, tanks, and helicopters!

Though we enjoyed a great deal of western things, there were still differences!

Reunification Palace
The presidential palace of the south before the end of the war and the official ending site of the war. 

Room to welcome dignitaries. 

Presidential family's personal dinning room.



Helicopter landing pad.



The red circles are where two bombs were dropped causing American dignitaries to be pulled from the country. 

French Cathedral (also named Notre Dame Cathedral)

French constructed Post Office, still in operation today.

All French post offices have the same layout, including this one. 
Girls in pink are wearing traditional Vietnamese dress. 

In Saigon, lots of motorcycles there too.

We visited an area of tunnels used during the war.
Locals constructed over 200 km of tunnels used for housing, preparations, travel, and other work. 

Hidden tunnel entrance, center, under leaves.  The opening was 1x1.5 feet.

Rooms were also part of the tunnel complex.  During the war the room actually had a flat dirt roof, disguising the location. 

A common trap initially used by the people for hunting food, but incorporated later into warfare.

Artifacts from the war. 
The locals collected unexploded bombs and used the gunpowder in the construction of their own weapons or bombs. 

A visit to the zoo!

The boys love seeing all sorts of animals!

There were at least 20 crocodiles on exhibit.

Having fun!

Whitman wasn't interested in being eaten. 

Wildebeest
(thinking of aunt Angela, who studied wildebeest in Africa)

Caedmon took the picture himself.

 

A temple erected by the French for locals.

I was glad not to be the center of attention.  Smartphones sure all popular around the world!

We thoroughly enjoyed the food!  Pastries, ice cream, and even Turkish and Indian food.