The Adventure Begins ....

There's nothing like being crammed into an airplane with 180 other people (or so) and setting off for an 11-hour flight, followed by a 6-hour flight, followed by a 1-hour flight.  Such was the first step of my journey to my new teaching job in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam (the former Saigon).  It was a 6 movie experience, 4 meals, 2 snacks, and countless cups of juice and water.  And the arthritic knees appreciated the support socks, but they still recover best with a Tylenol PM and laying completely horizontal for a night's sleep.

A moment in Changi Airport in Singapore helped me to feel like a phoenix.

Arrival at the HCMC airport, while eventful for me, seemed routine for the other passengers.  My eyes scanned the runways and the various out buildings, thinking of all the soldiers that arrived at this airport, but didn't depart in the same manner.  So, I found it especially moving to see the Vietnamese flag flying outside the airport.

Yes, the alphabet looks similar but is so different.  I have been here a week and still don't have "thank you" figured out very smoothly.  The language has 29 letters, but A LOT of vowel sounds.

But the biggest difference is going to be the traffic.  That's not true - the humidity will probably be the biggest difference, but I'll tackle that later.