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Xin chao Vietnam

#nextchaptervietnam

I have now been in Vietnam for 1 whole week and let me tell you that it’s been nothing short of…C-R-A-Z-Y!  Lots and lots has happened, but my major highlights this week have definitely been finding a new home and being assigned a “new” temporary role at my new school, which you can read more about below.

FINDING A NEW HOME
Upon my arrival in Vietnam, one of the very first things I needed to do was to find a place to live. Since I had no plans to drive while living here (*look up driving bikes in Vietnam on YouTube and you’ll understand why), I really had my heart set on finding a modern and reasonably priced apartment close to the school, but also to restaurants and shops. I quickly found out that my expectations were a little too high however. Unlike many other newcomers who were snatching apartments left and right, it took me 3 days to find my new home. Too old, too high, too far, too small, too pricey…I had an excuse for everything I was shown. On my 2nd night, just after I found out someone else snatched one of the only apartments I really liked, I emailed my assigned real estate agent and requested to see some apartments right across the street from the school. She hadn’t spoken much about these apartments; she just mentioned the buildings were really old. What did I have to lose though? Fortunately, I found my new home that next day. Not the newest and most modern, but still very nice, well priced and BIG – with a kitchen, dinning room, living room, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and a storage room. Best of all, it's got some really cool views! I really look forward to hosting some friends and family some time in the future!
My spacious apartment
Window views

 BEING ASSIGNED A ‘NEW’ TEMPORARY ROLE
Once I was moved into my new home, I felt ready to begin focusing on my new job. I couldn’t wait to start my new position as Elementary Lead Teacher, though I still wasn’t 100% sure what my responsibilities would be. The vibe on those very first days at school was really good. Everyone seemed so relaxed, so happy, so excited and so positive. I met many new people, old and young, single and married (lots of couples and families), but best of all, I met lots and lots of French (Canadian French of course hihihi) speaking people with whom I am so excited to converse throughout this year! This was a really fun surprise, but believe me it wasn’t the only surprise. Just 4 days into the week, I was called into a meeting with my bosses. Only a few words came out of their mouths and I said “I saw this coming.” See, earlier in the week, I found out that one of the G5 teachers wouldn’t be arriving until the end of August. As soon as I found out this piece of information, I had a pretty good feeling I’d be asked to cover that first month of school. Funny enough, despite being so excited for my new role as Lead Teacher, I can’t wait to be in the classroom with the students. It will be yet another enriching experience that will help me grow and further help me support my colleagues down the line. I'm so looking forward to meeting my new G5 kiddos next week!
My school to the left, right across the street from my new apartment
Great smoothie and salad place in the malls

As you can see, it has indeed been a very C-R-A-Z-Y first week in Vietnam! Some of my other weekly highlights have been testing out the gym's crossfit class, which was a blast, and eating various types of foods (Thai, Vietnamese, Turkish, Korean…and lots of fresh juices and smoothies), which has all been soooooo yummy!


Stay tuned for more updates in coming weeks.

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