Happy New Year!

My NY resolution is to fast from fast food. haha...

Anyway, it really is to stop eating fast food, not that I eat it a lot. But it's been my resolution for the past three or four years and every time I give in sometime around June when I come back home to Long Valley and pass by the Hackettestown White Castle. MMMMMM!!!!!!!!! This time I'm sticking to it!

Nothing much new here in 'Nam. There are still lights and "Happy New Year 2011" signs everywhere. Seeing as when I arrived in August, there were "Happy New Year 2010" signs still up, I expect these wont be going anywhere soon. The Tet Holiday is coming up soon in a couple of weeks- the Lunar New Year and the biggest holiday in Vietnam. I've never celebrated Tet, but since they gave me ten days of paid vacation, I am more than happy to do so!

Oh yea... and backing up a few weeks, I spent the New Year in Mui Ne which was great. New Years Eve I spent at a beach party at a bar on the shore with a huge bon fire, it was sweet! Everyone was dancing around the fire, jumping in the water, and having a "good time" if we're keeping this PG. New Years day i spent laying on the beach. It was a relaxing day, and since Mui Ne is apparently world-renowned for kite-boarding, it was fun to watch the hundreds of kite boarders surfing along the coast. I wanted to try it, but lessons were 400 bucks. I'd rather buy a boogie board....

I had parent-teacher meetings this weekend at one school I teach, Tran Hung Dao. They weren't bad, the parents there are known to be very nice and understanding. This weekend will be a totally different story at Le Ngoc Han. I have a total of fifty-eight individual meetings with hot-headed parents who all know for a fact that their child will be the next man (or woman) on the moon. And to be honest, they’re not too fond of us native English speaking teachers for some reason. We've allotted each parent with 5-7 minutes to speak with me along with a translator, and I just know it'll  be 8 at night and I'll still be sitting there answering their questions! I am so sorry for anything I ever put my primary school teachers through!!!

And on another note, I'm stressed about Grad school starting in August. I'm not stressed about actually going, I'm EXTREMELY excited to go. I'm stressed about paying for it! Tuition's gone up and it's really, really expensive! So I'd like anyone who can give me any advice/ ideas to either email me (mkubert1@gmail.com) or leave a comment. I've already applied to at least 10 independent scholarships (and still finding more every day), filled out the FAFSA, investigated work study and assistantships, etc etc etc. Anyone have any innovative ideas? And, yes, first thing my mom said was, "maybe you should take another year off." I really don't want to do that! I'd have to reapply to school, there's no guarantee I'd be readmitted, and a year is a long time.... I just wanna go! First thing my dad said was, "maybe you should go somewhere less expensive." I suppose that's an idea, and I was looking into a few places, but I got into SU and I'd hate to pass on such an awesome opportunity. So any ideas!?

That's all for now. Keep posted- I'll put up a more pictures in a couple days.