Yarden in Vietnam 2: Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Back home

Well it's still grey. It's also raining a little. It's been already three monyhs. Yet Gilad told me that last year at this time he had been very hot. He also told me that we'll regret these days...

As for Yarden, she returned to the gan. But it did not take more than one day for her to came back with a cold and fever. Her little body has to get used to the local germs again. In fact here, when children are sick, thy're still going to school. So the viruses enjoy themselves to the full. Explaining to her that microbes were little critters responsible for her illness, and also that it was because if them that we couldn't drink the tap water, she showed me the sink saying: there are crobêtes (crobcritters) in here! She often says that in Ein Hahoresh and at Savta Miry, and at Dom too, we could drink tap water, but here, no. And when we'll go to Savta Miry, we'll go to the carrousel... associating ideas.

The first thing she asked me as seeing Nga was to take a ride on the motorbike.

Moreover Nga wanted to take her home. Finally I promised her she could pick Yarden tomorrow and take her home ... walking ... That's what she did, but on foot, I'm not sure at all... Besides, I have found them at the market and on the way back, Yarden said she would have wanted Nga to bring her back...

The zoo

Two months ago already, one of the israeli guys who works for Galil told me about a great brand new zoo, about thirty miles away, which belongs to the owner of the hotel where they are housed. Since I wanted to bring Yarden for a long time, I finally decided to go,

since they had 3 days off in the gan to commemorate the death of a famous king, the eighteenth from what Nga explained. So I asked Ngoc to find me a cab, offering her to accompany us.

In addition it was a beautiful day ... Finally the sun showed up!

It is indeed a beautiful zoo, which houses magnificent animal pairs, as white blue-eyed tigers, white rhinos,

lions (which if there had been no grids have chewed Yarden the way they they looked at her) and other wildebeest, oryx, zebra, ostriches, monkeys, brown bears ... and many many pigs, which in my opinion should serve as meals to felines. A very nice afternoon and we'd go back though.

Another find of vocabulary, on the way back home from the gan, looking into her red bag: my pilet (sweacket)! (Sweater or jacket? Yeah!)

We continue our little rides

to Thai Hoa,

to the farm

and the fields.

Passover

Then the Passover eve arrived. Before leaving, I asked Gilad what he thought about my new dress which we bought in Cambodia. He said: at esser! and Yarden added: ani sheva! trying to count on her fingers not understanding how she got to 7.

As for the seder, it was successful, especially well-watered for Rami who was trying desperately to do the prayers and to sing, despite the hubbub that has prevailed throughout the evening.

The only serious person was Yarden

who well sung Ma Nishtana with her microphone,

then danced,

accompanied by Sir Ambassador's accordion, please!

His family was there too, and Segev's also who got very well with Yarden, especially the little boy.

Too bad they didn't stay longer.

To finish the evening, chatting and dancing for Yarden, tireless, next to the billiard room.

Before going to bed, Yarden opened the gift that Rahel had planed; she definitely thinks about everything and thanks to her. We love her.

When we are not at the gan, we take the elevator to Ein Hahoresh or to the car station, or to buy one, it depends.

Hoang's birthday

Hoang's birthday, Nga's son, 7 years old, was nice too, and Yarden was the only one to sing Happy Birthday in English, we wondered why the others had not sung;

and the only one to dance on the music of our driver May's phone.

The show

Besides, I just learned that Kim, the teacher, wants Yarden to be part of the dance group of the school. For the moment I do not know what that means, but in any case on Saturday morning, it's rehearsal ...

And that's it, a phone call from Kim at 6 o'clock in the morning ... Tang, Hai's father who went to the hospital, Hang gave birth to a baby girl, has kindly brought us to school. I am immediately kicked out, seen as the last time at the school party Yarden had not danced because of our presence, Gilad and me.

Then after an hour I came back quietly, hiding behind the crowd. The show was wonderfull! From a completely objective view ... I was really proud. In addition she was in front, in the middle and seemed completely in her element.

I who would have liked to send her to a dance class, that's it! Then there were all sorts of dramas. It was a contest in fact, between schools around here, and Yarden's group was just opening it.

And yet

From time to time we lend a hand in the kitchen, especially when there is a little fever, to keep ourselves busy.

And when the form is back, we finally take a dive. It's not that it is very hot yet, but we can't resist, especially as the others, the Vietnamese for now, are already in the water for several days.

Besides we are lucky to have this pool ... holidays again, four days this time for May 1st and also to celebrate the day when the U.S. left the region. And then there it is, it's hot. And a little sun too, although it takes 5 minutes to the sky to cloud over. It is not at all that we see the clouds coming from the sea as we are used to, but suddenly the sky turns gray.

Also when the opportunity arises, we make a trip to Vinh, to the BigC, a brand new shopping center with a large supermarket where you can find anything.

There is even a KFC, Yarden calls it McDo , where she eats! On the top floor, food counters and a jimboori that we have not had the opportunity to test yet.

This time it was with Shiran and Dagan, they had a lot of fun on the way back.

Apart from that, we even made a little ceremony for Yom Ha Shoah in the dining room with the siren, the few words and finally the Tikva. In fact it made me think that Yarden doesn't know it at all ... I know what I have to do for Yom Haatzmaout next week.

We had a visit from Nate, age 4, Craig's son, one of the veterinarian from New Zealand who had worked in the farm for six months last year and just came to say hello.

They will come back in September for six more months, but Nate and his mom will be in Hanoi. Is that it's not easy to decide to move here, away from everything.

The crepes, a great moment!

Another walk to the farm where when we go the cows stop any activity to look curiously at this miniature human being.

We sing Ma nishtana for them:

At Thai Hoa, the greengrocer recognizes us now

and I also asked the dressmaker to sew a piece of tissue to the Yarden's cap so she won't burn again the top of her ears.

And always the pool, buffaloes also bathe all the time during this period,

this time with a visit of Hoang, Nga's son, and of course Dagan,

the great friend of the moment.

The sea

How did I do? Because we must use diplomacy to get the driver ...

In fact I suggested to Anita, the new veterinarian from New Zealand who is here with her husband, if she was interested. That's how we could go. And finally we managed to bring Gilad, with the consent of his right hand in the farm, Keren (yes yes take him to the beach! ").

Cua Lo is a beautiful beach, just before Vinh, 1 hour and half drive anyway. You can rent umbrellas and chairs,

and it's bordered by lots of restaurants.

In addition it was a beautiful day, and the water, it's the South China Sea, was very good and clean.

Yarden was delighted

and the others too for that matter, even Gilad, and I don't talk about myself.
It's a thing to do again, and soon.

On returning, a short stop at the BigC in Vinh, where we finally could test the jimboori, very nice.

The Gan

It seems that Yarden, since we came back, is very happy at the gan. She dances, she sings, she eats! The chocolate milk and the cookies that I put in her bag in the morning come back as they are, whereas before there was nothing left. I also received a note from Kim (as she can't talk to me, she writes) giving me some recommendations. Nga had kindly translated it for me:

"Dear Yarden's parents. Yarden is fine at school. She eats and learns very well. You should not worry when she is at school. On the weekend, don't forget to feed her well (rice and food). Make her take a nap until 2:00pm. In the afternoon, give her a bowl of rice. Teach her to read the round, the square, the triangle and the rectangle and to recognize them. If you're free on Sunday, please come to my house. (Thank you) " Nice isn't it? She begins to draw flowers well and color more than doodling. I almost daily get a drawing.

Yom Atzmaout

After of course a very moving little ceremony for Yom Hazikaron the day before, we too had a barbecue at the pool, but without flags or fireworks.

The only thing missing was some music to the regret of Yarden who throughout the evening wanted everyone to come dance with her in the dining room.

Finally she danced a bit alone in the billiard room ...

They all ended up in the pool, especially the Vietnamese who were pushing each other. They asked Yarden to join them, but each time she had a good excuse: I don't wear my midriff, I'm dressed or I have to go dancing in the dining room ...
Besides, she has always reply for everything: "Why there's no sun?" - "Well ask the clouds" - "But he has no mouth to speak to me!"

Hô Chi Minh

Here we go again for a party. This time it's to celebrate Uncle Ho's, Bac Ho, birthday, the 19^th of May 1890.

Decidedly the chairwoman likes ceremonies.
Mind you, it gives me subjects to write about.

So here they are again perched on their scaffolding in the parking lot of our village.

In the rain.

In the absence of the flag of Yom Atzmaout ...

It is planned for 6:30 ... in the morning! Here they party in the morning (also at school). They are afraid of the heat. Yep, we got up.

Anyway with the full volume music from 6 am ...

Plus I could'nt let Yarden to miss it, especially at the end to dance on stage

and everywhere else, her great pleasure.

The day before, while they were building the sheds, I had proposed to go on stage and sing something, "but everyone does not sit!"

They started with an offering to Buddha on the hill,

then songs and speeches as usual,

distribution of flowers

and photos to finish.

The next day I took the opportunity to recover the sand they left in the parking lot (they use it to wrap the electric cables) to fill Yarden's sandbox. A beautiful soft sand, without pebbles. It's that with the wind and the rain here, it ended up almost empty since Eli filled it, although I cover it.

Defects of pronunciation (not really translatable)

The dicine cools me, ditamine (every morning), I seat yourself (that, I can't make her understand) and pnicnic.

Right now we play tea parties and we make lots of pnicnics.

We make footprints all alone after seeing Savta Miry making them in the first month movie. Yarden still loves the movies I make for her. She also has her favorites and asks me to watch specific sequences: Yarden in the snow, the slide, Yarden baby, Yarden big, Yarden with Yael, Yarden with Savta Miry, Yarden in the sea ...

Hô ... again

I don't believe it! Again! They just had dismantled the warehouse that they're building it again.

It's the general secretary of the Communist Party, the most important man in the country, no less, the former since a year, but still, who decided to come and celebrate Ho Chi Minh's birthday here.