hi. my name is tin mai.: photo dump!

Dear diary,

The next 3 weeks will be full of neglect (as if it weren't already). I spend most of my days (9 a.m. - 5 p.m. & then some) looking at words. Well, I do more than look at words: I read them, I write them, I study them, I speak them, I listen to them, I teach them, I break them apart to better understand, and I play around with them - A LOT. I'm not complaining, I'm just saying my days are consumed with them - and it's been only 6 days of instruction! Seriously though, I'm really enjoying the course. "The more I learn, the less I know." It's crazy how much we don't really understand about our language...just so many damn rules. So, I won't writing much here as I've got enough work to turn in for my class.

Anyway, a week has gone by in the course and I've met some nifty folks from around the globe. Actually, mainly England with a few from Australia, New Zealand, the U.S. and a dude from South Africa. But, young to old, native to non-native speakers, east to west, we're all here for a reason and I'm gonna make the most this time together. I've been learning quite a lot about their cultures and nuances (jandals, anybody??) and am certainly enjoying broadening my understanding of people. And not only do I have my classmates, I have my (world?)mates as well. Couchsurfers of the world, unite! England to Pakistan to Scotland to Canada to NY/SF and everywhere in between, those folks are pretty awesome. I may not have the opportunity to travel the world and immerse myself in a certain place, but couchsurfing is the next best thing. I've had the opportunity to engage in some very interesting cultural exchanges lately and I look forward to much more during my time away from "home".

With all that said, don't expect much more from me in the following weeks, other than photos, of course.

Mother fucking bánh bèo Huế
(steamed rice cake with shrimp, crispy shallots, fish sauce+more)
.65¢ a plate! [Timothy = this!]

I think this is officially my favorite thing to eat.
The guy packaging to-go orders = legit!

This market...oh man! DAIRY! Cured meats, oh my!

For carol & an

Yes, a bunch of wine & beer - this is only 1 section.

nutella, imma buy the fuck outta you when i get some skrill.

Bia hơi (daily fresh-brewed beer ~3% ABV)
+ kebabs for a lunch break from class.
I had 3 glasses for .70¢

Cục Gạch Quán (literally Brick Shop)
Crispy sea bass with passionfruit sauce = WOWs.
Come visit me and we're going here FASHOZY.

Couchsurfing dinner! Alex (behind me) is filming a documentary
while couchsurfing around the world.
Her subject = Love and how cultures experience it differently.
Let's hope my interview doesn't go through, haha.

Day 2 of filming + chauffeuring around the city.

Couchsurfer #2 (from Wales) filming different aspects of life in VN
(fun & games, dancing, sports, ++more for a class project).

Freaking couchsurfer extraordinaire (Adam, English bloke on the right).
Surfed the world for 1,000 days straight, settling in VN on the 1,000th day.
Baby mama cooked dinner and he showed us around his dope ass new house.