It’s AUGUST!!  I’m so happy it’s August!  Do you know why I’m so happy it’s August?  No?  Then I’ll tell you why I’m so happy it’s August – because it’s my last month here in this isolated desert of work!  Hooraaaayyy!!  After this month I can leave!  I’ll be finished with my contract and I can go back to Hanoi.  Yes, I know I complained about the pollution in Hanoi and I’ve said I prefer country life to city life……but……I am losing my mind in this place.  I had absolutely no intention of coming to Viet Nam to do nothing but WORK MY ASS OFF, but that’s exactly what I’ve been doing.  It’s pretty much all I do.  I don’t know if I’ve ever worked this hard or this much at a job in my life.  Well, maybe when I worked at the Probation Department and found myself in the office at 10 o’clock at night typing reports….which was one of the main reasons I quit that job.  I’d like a life, thank you.

Now, I will say a couple weeks ago the school did have a three day ‘Summer Camp’ retreat at Do Son beach in Haiphong Province which was nice.  It was a ‘working vacation’ because I was assigned activities to do with the kids, but it was still nice for a change of pace and I got to swim, which I love to do.  I’ll post some pictures from the retreat when I have a chance….which most likely won’t be until after my contract’s up….  Other than that, it’s been work, work, work…..work…..

I must sound insane.  I’m not.  I’m getting there, but……  Don’t get me wrong – I am grateful to have a job.  It was pretty scary when I first got here.  I wasn’t nearly as ‘marketable’ as I thought I might be as a teacher. This job….I hope…has helped me gain experience and knowledge – about teaching and myself.  I’ve learned about my strengths and weaknesses as a teacher.  I’m really glad for that.  It hasn’t been all horrible.  I’ve met some really wonderful people here and I’ll always have some great memories about some of the funny, adorable kids in my classes.

But, all work and no play makes Jan a dull girl.  All right, friends.  Thanks for lending an ear.  I’ll stop whining now.

….and if I ever complain about the pollution in Hanoi again, just tell me to shut up.

♪  Gimme that ol’ Hanoi pollution, ♫ gimme that ol’ Hanoi pollution, ♪ gimme that ol’ Hanoi pollution  ♪  it’s good enough for me….. ♫