#anyway. wish me luck because everything new is daunting but exciting and i love learning new things 🥺

[boyobjectifier]

got accepted to bench jeweler school + i start in ~3 months ૮₍ ´ ꒳ `₎ა♡

[treatyoselfliteraryedition-blog]

One Ca phe to Go

by Peter Duda

02/20/14, Jack:

“Look at those lights,” I said to myself. I looked out into the city lights like a child looking at his mother for the first time. It was midnight on the rooftop bar overlooking Ho Chi Minh City. I was ready to spend two lifetimes here. I was teaching english to university students, and Maria was working in a local clinic. A cool breeze drifted into my hair. “You could just fall in love with it couldn’t you? The kindest voice said behind me. That sentence drifted past my ears like a silk ribbon dancing in the wind. “You might be too late doc, I might already have fallen.” I said as I turned to her.“Yeah, well let me see,” she said with a bigger smile in her eyes than on her face. She slid one arm around my lower back and one onto my chest.

“Well your heart seems to be working just fine, I think this love potion has really got you going,” She said with a medical intonation.

Then I put my hand on hers. Within an instant of me putting my hand on hers, it felt like God had pushed a button and time froze. It happens only a couple of times every lifetime but when it does, it’s incredible. Her eyes sparkled just as much as the city lights. I felt like we had learned more about ourselves in the past month, than we had in 2 years of staying at home. It was great that we both wanted to be here together, with each other. We talked until the bar shut down. Then we walked through the crowded streets weaving in and out of people, tables, and cars. We made it back to our small apartment. One bed, one stove, couple of shelves, and one sometimes working toilet.

“I had a wonderful time tonight, I really needed to blow off some steam,” she said.

“Yeah me too. That dress looks amazing on you by the way,” I said.

“Thank you, I really like it,” She said smiling looking down at it, like she didn’t know how good she looked in it. It was a smooth black dress and a small jacket. I would better describe the dress but I don’t know how. It was just stunning.

We went straight to bed because we both had to be up early for our new jobs. Granted hers was much harder than mine, trying to treat people who didn’t speak english or didn’t trust her.

02/21/14, Ho Chi Minh Maria:

My father had always told me: “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” This nugget of wisdom was hard follow when I was neck deep in med school. When life as I knew was hanging by a thread. Jack and I had only arrived a week ago here in Ho Chi Mihn. Before that we had traveled around the rest of Southeast Asia, and Micronesia. My parents were very concern about where we were going. None of my family had been out of the United States, except for my grandfather during the war. Jack might have as well told them he was taking me to Narnia. They didn’t approve but they accepted that it was something I wanted to do.  A friend of Jack’s from college had told him that there was a high demand for english teachers in Vietnam and that he should consider teaching at the local university. Jack’s friend also found a clinic that I could work at. I wish I could remember his name, Evan or something I think. Anyway, I am loving it here, the people are so friendly, and the U.S dollar goes so far here. Jack and I are both having a hard time with the language barrier, there are a lot of people here who speak English, more than I was expecting, but there are many elderly people who can’t speak English at all. They often come into with a grandchild who has taken an english class at school. I am working on my Vietnamese as well. But it is very hard to treat patients when you can’t explain to them how you want to help them.

I need to get ready. It’s going to be a big first day for the both of us. Jack is starting his first lesson at the University today. I have a lot of orientation stuff to get through today. I am very excited for Jack, this is something he is really passionate about. Even before we were on the plan here he was deciding what his first week of lesson plans were going to be. I on the other hand was dreading my first day at work. No offense to Jack but his first day at work doesn’t usually include blood, broken bones, or telling someone that they need to have an x-ray done. First thing I need to do today is get some coffee from across the street.

02/21/14, Ho Chi Minh, Jack:

It was my first day working as a teacher. I was very excited I had been planning this for months. I had only been teaching for a little over a year. I am excited to get to know my students and see what their lives are like. I know Maria has been dreading this since Evan had gotten here the job. The idea of treating someone who doesn’t know what you’re saying to them is quite daunting. But I have faith that she can do it. I went and made myself breakfast and got my bag and my scooter helmet for my trek to the University. It was only a 20 minute commute to the school. We both got scooter because we were told that even though there were buses to take us that if you wanted to get somewhere fast we would need a scooter to weave in and out of traffic. I kissed Maria goodbye and wished her good luck on her first day. I went out the apartment door and hurried down the street. Once I got to the street corner, it all hit me at once. I was not in Kansas anymore. The streets were filled with passing motorcycles, mopeds, and bicycles. The shops on the other side of the street looked like they had been open for hours. And the coffee shops the lined both sides were already full of their regulars and people needing their morning fix. I got my scooter started and merged into the stream of traffic. The drive was amazing, the trees, the shops, the cafes, the slight French architecture from the brief moment of colonization. I got to the school and found the office that I needed to check in. I had my paperwork in my bag. I was ready.

02/21/17, Later that same day, Maria:

I wasn’t ready at all. The whole taxi ride to the clinic I had such a urge to tell the taxi driver to take me back to where he had found no matter Vietnamese Dong it took. But I told myself that I had to give it my all, Jack was counting on me to at least try. I arrived at the clinic, I walked in. There wasn’t  much to see in the way of waiting room, a couple of folding chairs, a magazine, and a two flies on the wall, I assumed they were locals. I went to front desk, no one was there.

“Hello,” I said. “Oh shoot right, what is hello in Vietnamese come on Jack was quizzing you on the plane ride. Sing Chow!” I said a little bit louder hoping they hadn’t heard my english.

02/21/17, Later that day, Jack:

I walked down the long hallway. It looked like a school in America. Pictures of students doing interesting things, sports, theater, and dance. The only difference is that everything was written in Vietnamese, although I did think I saw a picture of Justin Bieber somewhere.   I found the president’s office by trying to say his name to a bunch of wayward students. I finally made it to the the office, I knocked. I heard shuffling towards the door. The slow turn of the knob. Then before me was a short vietnamese man in a very light button down shirt and khakis.

“Hello Mr. Sanders,” he said with a heavy vietnamese accent.

“Hello sir,” I said surprised at his english and my lack of Vietnamese.

“Welcome to Ho Chi Minh, I hope you had a safe flight,” he said as we walked towards his desk.

“Yes I did, thank you for asking,” I said nervously as I stood over a chair waiting to be asked to sit.

“Well let’s get started, may I see your paperwork.” he said with an outstretched hand.

“ Yes of course!” I said rummaging through my bag trying to find where I had strategically placed it.

Then all of the sudden there was a harsh knock at the door.

“Mời vào!” (come in) he said without looking up from what he was reading.

The persons came in and started speaking vietnamese to the president. I had no idea what was happening but the person’s eyes kept moving from the principle to me and back to the president. The president then looked up at me not knowing the right words to say.

“There is a telephone call for you, it’s Evan he has been in an accident and is in the hospital,” He said sternly and calmly not sure what my reaction would be.