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cha muir · Joined: 28 Apr 2003 Posts: 64 Location: Plateau, Montreal

Hello everyone,

Its a gorgeous day in the Jewel of the Central Highlands.
Perhaps too nice a day for our son to be still in his PJ's at 11:15 watching Jet Li. Perhaps he is too young for this violent stuff. Well I've just asked him to put his his show on pause and get changed. L. is upstairs in the mezzanine/bedroom breastfeeding. My job is really good in many respects: 11&1/2 teaching hours a week allows me to be with my family a lot. lots of vacation time means that when we are watching discovery channel my son always recognizes Agkor Wat. we live on campus so i can even come home during my breaks (thirty second walk). my son also comes and visits me in class sometimes. we really appreciate the ability to have home and work life comingling.

A., seven months old, was born last summer in Bangkok.
She doesnt even know that we live in Vietnam. Her first foods: banana, mango, durian, sabuche, watermelon juice, coconut juice.

My son has just started studying kung fu with me. He is a bit young and he mostly runs around playing with the other kids, but he really needs to get away from his mum and his sister; my master told me he was ready. This friday we will be picking up his uniform from the tailors.

We get a lot of attention when we go out. My son doesn't like to be touched, and we don't like people touching our daughter's hands since she is always putting them in her mouth. Imagine the four of us on our 100cc taiwanese motorcycle. Imagine my wife six months pregnant walking up the stairs of an Angkorian temple, pink parasol.

Breakfast this morning was the usual for these days. Durian, Mangoes, Tofu pudding with coconut cream, ginger and honey; and special for today, Buon Me Thuat coffee drip drip dripping. ..

i don't think i like my son watching this movie (he is getting dressed in front of the TV)

sometimes we miss being away from the family, but most of the time we love having the freedom to choose our own way.

i am wearing the krama (scarf) that i bought in Cambodia, i remember the heat of the russian market . my wife is looking at the old silk that we bought, relishing the quiet time that A. is sleeping.

it seems that people with children have a harder time making the decision to move abroad. i remember the difficulty i had deciding to go back to korea when my son was two. it was, in retrospect, a great decision. living abraod with children is very special. Asians in particular love and cherish children and the family life. People have been so kind to us and shown so much affection and love. Children are catalysts for interaction.
When we eat out, people often hold our daughter for us so we can enjoy our meal. It is a child friendly culture that supports our family.

For me, everyday I am grateful for having discovered (been discovered by?) a generous and loving Grandmaster of Shaolin Kung Fu and Traditional Vietnamese Martial Arts.

For my wife, she is happy to be at home, amidst the pine trees, nurturing, taking walks around campus after dinner, planning the cafe we will open when the kids are older, studying business. Content so long as I bring her the durian and soft tofu in the morning.

Having a maid three hours a day helps a lot too. Godsend! ( how could we afford this back home?) This is our home.

This posting is a celebration and sharing of our wonderful experie here, and an encouragement for other families to take the risk of living abroad. I would like to welcome other families to share their positive experiences.

that's all for now.

cha

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Sounds great. I know that when I have kids, they will be raised abroad.

shmooj · Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 1758 Location: Seoul, ROK

cha, I just want to say that I have really appreciated the personal tone of some of your recent posts.

Too many of us hold our cards a little too close to our chests I believe...

So, thanks for the insight into reality...

Aramas · Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2004 10:18 am Post subject:

Aaaaaawwwwww Smile

Due to the limitations of latex technology it is at least theoretically possible that I might find myself in a similar situation one of these years. I just hope I'm as happy about it as you seem to be Shocked

khmerhit · Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2004 12:40 pm Post subject:

Nice post. Good job, too.

kh

willy · Posted: Mon Apr 26, 2004 4:01 pm Post subject:

Wow, I only wish my wife could be so happy�.

She spends her time feeling all the sorrows she can find, I will show her your post but I have the felling she will say �I wish I could marry him� no matter how much I try she cant see that its her who makes her life so sad�.

Anyway thanks for the berth of fresh air it makes me feel much better

khmerhit · Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2004 2:09 pm Post subject:

The mango rains are over, the the big rains are on their way now. Vietnam is the place to be!!

yaramaz · Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2004 2:10 pm Post subject:

Do many folks get bumped fruitily on the noggin durng the mango rains?

cha muir · Joined: 28 Apr 2003 Posts: 64 Location: Plateau, Montreal

Indeed, rainy season is on its way, K.

Yaz, rango mains see penny meople beautifuly frumped on the head...

indeed Vietnam is the place to be right now, specially high up in the mountains. 1950 metres...
try it and see.

yaramaz · Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2004 2:25 pm Post subject:

mango rains fall hard
frumped on the head by fruit
people stroll, dented

zaneth · Posted: Fri Apr 30, 2004 3:16 pm Post subject:

Wow, speechless.