Fate?

Yesterday evening, my colleague texted me and said that she was extremely bored and that she might leave her husband so that they would not be each other's headache. I guess they just had another big argument. They have been married for 4 years I think, but so many times they have argued... I did not know what to advise her but I just mentioned that we are unhappy in our marriage. I also told her that she would be very comfortable living in her own home when leaving (she is living with her family in law) but for some moments she would feel lonely. For some nights she suddenly wakes up and feels empty deep in her heart. She will have to start from scratch... It will take time to overcome it and get life balance again. She is experiencing the same situation as mine two years ago: stay or go. Hard choice she has to make. I wonder if it is right that we have a destiny/fate and that her and my destiny is that our love line must have some cracks ...Hope for the best.

Hectic time

In the past few days I have been really hectic. Teaching, meeting, preparing lessons and new teaching materials for students of our group. In addition, I had to prepare a presentation using power points. Truly I did not use it for so long that I forgot largely. Luckily, my friend gave me hand. In the days to come, I wish to finish one set of multiple choice questions. I hardly ever go to pick up my son from school. I have no time to watch HBO films. After the public holiday in Vietnam I start to prepare end-of semester tests again. And then long summer holiday in June and July and half of August. However I still work some days during the holiday. Life of a teacher: sometimes so busy, sometimes too relaxing.

Working Sunday

What I like doing on Sunday morning is sitting at my dining table in the kitchen area facing the balcony working and listening to music. Occasionally I go out walking and drinking coffee and chatting. This morning I did so. When I walked on the park nearby the building I realized summer came. The trees and plants in the little park are green and with a lot of young leaves. Just some weeks to way, some of them will blossom, summer flowers. It is the signal of my summer vacation. A summer full of emotions... Anyhow, it is still 1.5 months to go.

After the walk we stopped at our waterfront cafe. Peaceful and comfortable place for socializing. Not many people know it because my place is a bit far away from downtown and a bit isolated. I told my friend that it was just ideal for living. I will miss living here when I have to move again. Anh told me "If you want to live here, don't move'. I wish that life would bring what we want...

I spent the whole afternoon working. Work needs managing well so that I can meet deadlines. A bank of 450 multiple choice questions has been finished. Workload is reduced but two more banks are still ahead. I will try to finish them before I go to Sapa on holiday (30 April and 1 May). I look forward to being on the train again.

Sakura festival

Yesterday morning I heard on TV that the Sakura flower festival was held in Hanoi for 16 and 17th April (today and tomorrow). I know this kind of flower (Japan's national flower) but I have never seen sakura in real. They are really beautiful in photos. In my mind, the festival would display a lot of flowers and some typically Japanese things. I decided to invite my friend to go to the festival with me.

A long distance from my place to Giang Vo exhibition center housing the festival. When we got there it was crowded with young people (mainly students). Even a young girl recognized me as her former teacher. Honestly I did not know who she was.:-) The most noticeable thing was two trees of sakura: one plastic and one real. The real flowers must be much nicer in natural environment (in gardens or in parks). Anyhow, for people like me, chances for looking at real flowers in Japan and in Washington DC are zero, this festival is satisfactory. Sakuras look like Vietnamese peach flowers, which is what I know today. Not much to see in the festival except sakura.

On the way back, we dropped in a pizza restaurant. We ordered a very big and delicious pizza. But of course we finished half and we brought home half (my dinner :-)

My friend said that I shouldn't mention negative things about the festival but I felt that I missed something...

Sunday walk

Nice weather today: 25 degrees, sunny. It is ideal for outdoor activities. We decided to go for a walk. We haven't done it for such a long time. Usually we just walk around the lake once with two stops. But today one round and one stop. The cafe we used to go to was so busy this morning so we skipped it. We intended to buy some ribbons for my hair but I realized that the price downtown was cut-throat. I promised to buy them for myself in a market near my place, much cheaper...

On the way back to the motorbike, we took some photos to keep happy moments we had together. We have taken so many photos downtown. I am sure that anyone who looks at us must say we are such a nice couple. And how romantic we are. Once my friend said that when she looked at us she recalled her romantic moments with her husband long long time ago. She even thanked me for reminding her of the wonderful time she used to have. "Nothing lasts forever ..."

It is always wonderful to walk and chat together. But it is not easy to arrange time to do that in such a busy life... Perhaps, in the future, I can not go walking downtown often. You can not walk alone, can you? And you can not walk with the people who do not appreciate the walk, can you?

Memorable Saturday

Today we decided to go shopping in Metro, a big cash and carry centre near my living place. I told anh that I wished to visit it and I thought he had a pass shop there. He said he did not have it but he would bring his passport and we could have a daily pass. I must say that it was a nice shopping time and we bought some purchase.

After shopping we went downtown to buy summer clothes. We dropped into Highland Cafe where we met for the first time. We recalled how we met and drank the same kind of coffee but in different cups. I played with his glasses and he took this photo for me. Troi, I look more than 50 years old.:-) Then we went to fashion shop Chicland. They are launching summer collections. Chicland is my favorite brand. Here we managed to update my membership card: VIP now. It was the time we paid we realized that we could not find the cash he withdrew from the ATM in Metro. What a disaster! Unlucky Saturday. Of course we still paid for two nice dresses but by card. I felt so sorry and regretted money being lost that I made faces (very ugly face at that time I thought) and he said why I seemed angry with him. No, not angry with him at all but just depressed by the incident. Big amount of money. Poor us. I said today I bought two very very expensive dresses.

Full weekend again

After a month I taught on Saturday I decided to stop. I gave the class to my colleague. As a result I have full weekend again. This morning I took my my son to school, I did not need to hurry as from Monday to Friday. Back home I made a cup of coffee for me, started the stereo (I chose the CD "Biet" - Goodbye, sung by famous Vietnamese singers), turned on my laptop and brought it to the dining table, facing the balcony now and sipping coffee and writing this entry. Lazy morning is ahead of me or I make it a lazy morning for myself. I want to talk about 4 things in this entry.

First, my lime plant blossoms. So many flowers on a small tree. Lovely isn't it. In addition, two rose buds are going to blossom. My orchids are still there. The balcony is nice.

Second, summer is on the way to come. The temperature is going up. During the change from spring to summer, the weather is not very healthy, easy to get tired and even sick. Weather-sensitive people like me don't like that. These days I have been feeling not very good: emotionally and physically... But one or two more weeks sunny and hot days are here. Time to check light clothes: where they are, and wearable or not.

And, my rent is going to enter the third year. Two past years has left so many memories. I am prepared to live in the flat for the next one-year lease. No one is sure what will happen to them in the future. Maybe I will continue to live on the 10th floor. Maybe down to the ground. Wherever I live the time in Linh Dam is unforgettable.

Finally, work. Being a teacher is not hard work for me but being head of a group is not easy. Hundreds of multiple choice questions need editing and it is really time and concentration-consuming. For the time being, concentration is luxury for me. However, I will try my best to accomplish my tasks.

Now time for a pot of tea and enjoy the rest of Saturday morning.

Sad

Yesterday I got really sad news: my friend has got a new job in an African country and he moves in two months. The time I am afraid of has come... I feel really really sad. Of course, we still keep in touch but even this idea can't prevent me from crying. What a life! Meeting and departing...

Relaxing weekend

The title of this entry is copied :-). But I also had relaxing weekend. Last Saturday, I worked in the morning only. I spent the afternoon enjoying life and having my motorbike maintained. It took time for my repairers to change oil, change the seat lock, adjust the breaks and wash the motorbike. While waiting, I had my photos taken under the flyover in my neighbourhood. I told my friend that I really liked the rows of columns supporting the flyover, which remind me of columns in Rome. And I asked him to take some photos for me. Nice photo?

And yesterday I went to visit a new pagoda and a beauty spot in Ninh Binh province with my colleagues. The weather was fine for a day in the open air: a bit chilly, not much sunny and not raining at all. The Bai Dinh pagoda is new and built in a very large area, but still under construction. Maybe 3 years later it will be finished. Will be more beautiful and better organized. We felt satisfied with visit to the beauty spot Trang An. Clean and in order. The tour organization seems professional: boat rowers wearing uniforms and queuing to take visitors along the streams and through nine caves. So peaceful sitting on the boat and viewing the mountains around and feeling the coldness in the caves. We said Trang An was Halong in land. :-). What I also liked was about this place was the toilets were clean, which is rare in attractions in Vietnam.

I took some photos but not very beautiful because no sunny and a bit foggy and mainly because I am not professional photographer :-). Anyhow, I would like to share.