Rain + Stomach Ache - Internet = ....

It equals "stuck inside without connection to the outside world." The rains have continued to be heavy, and I've had this blasted stomach ache that I can't shake. It seems to be entirely unrelated to food, and I've had it 3 times in the past month or so. It brings sharp, intermittent pains that feel like something is trying to claw its way out of my stomach. It's not the worst pain, but it lasts for several days, keeps me awake at night and keeps me near the WC/curled up in bed during the day. Really, more annoying than anything. And what I think was a case of mild dehydration (from not being able to retain any fluids, if you know what I mean) brought about the worst charlie horse I've ever had. I woke up from a nap yesterday with nearly unbearable pain in my left leg--my calf muscle had seized up and wouldn't release itself for several minutes. I've had plenty of such cramps but this one was on a whole new level...When it finally went away, I passed out back into sleep again, exhausted. A very strange day of internal maladies!

On top of this is a now 5-day run without internet in the building. My boss keeps saying it will be working again "maybe tomorrow", but I think she says that just to placate me.

This probably sounds like complaining, but even with the stomach ache and without the internet, I'm completely happy. Not much gets me down these days. Plus, I've had plenty to do when I'm not napping (I'm also super low energy). I've been reading, watching movies (Good Night and Good Luck, and some old Lost re-runs I found on my computer), studying Vietnamese, editing a PhD thesis about shared fisheries in the South China Sea.

I'm feeling slightly better today, due my friend Lien's emergency delivery, once she learned that I stomach ache, of fresh ginger and a pestle. She showed me how to make a strong ginger drink that should settle my stomach. It's still hurting but perhaps the ginger concoction takes a while to work? She left me with some extra ginger and the pestle so I'll try some more self-medicating later this evening.

With all the rains, the city is flooding some. The uni is up on a hill so the flooding is minimal--although the streets do still flood some--but in the rest of the city I've heard that people are having to use boats to get around. And, very sadly, three students from another college drowned in sea last week. The water is really rough this time of year, with strong currents and big waves. After a couple days, two of the bodies had been found, near where they died, but the third body was still missing. By Thursday, it was starting to rain again, which would soon make it nearly impossible to find the body. In desperation, the family of the boy consulted a fortune teller, who apparently asked the spirit of the boy where his body was. The boy's spirit informed the fortune teller that his body was in Cam Ranh Bay, out by the airport--a 40-minute drive from where the boys drowned. Later that day, around midnight, before the rains became heavy again, the boy's body was found in Cam Ranh Bay. The magic of this place continues to amaze me.

The rain seems like it will stick around for a while, but Lien told me today that after the 23 of October (in the lunar calendar) the rains subside significantly. Today is the 20th of October, so we'll see.

a flooded street and a fruit vendor

On the 20th of November (by the regular calendar), which means Thursday, is Teacher's Day here in Vietnam. This seems to be a pretty big holiday--classes are canceled, dinners are held, songs and dances (no doubt in honor of Uncle Ho) are performed. I have my first such dinner tonight. I'm struggling to eat even crackers or soup, so I'm a little nervous about eating a "real meal" in a restaurant where the facilities might be questionable!

I've been happy, though, to catch Sam's Kimmel performances on youtube. The first is "You Don't Know Me" feat Regina Spektor, a single from the album, and the second is "Nobody does it Better", feat. Inara George of the band The Bird and The Bee, from the new James Bond movie.





More pictures and stories from our journey through the central highlands will come soon, I promise! Back in the States, Sam has fortunately recovered most of a memory card, that we thought had been corrupted, full of photos from the trip. For better or worse, though, most of the photos from one of the minority villages we visited were lost. He and I both had reservations about taking photos there, even though our drivers assured it was ok, so we're feeling peaceful about losing them. And as he said, it was something we'll never, never forget, so the pictures aren't even necessary. But here are some more photos that he's already posted online--my picasa updates will follow soon!

we stopped to walk in a little town, and a woman insisted that I hold her child. He was adorable, so I agreed :)
(By the way, if I could be assured that my child would look like a vietnamese baby, I'd definitely have one!!)

the little kitten we found, after I found him stuck in a jasmine tree in the rain

a run-down school in a minority area in the central highlands

one of many overturned trucks we saw on the drive

Our drivers and us, just before getting back into Nha Trang

at a waterfall in the mountains, climbing out of the rabbit hole

view from a petrol station somewhere in the middle of Vietnam

on a rainy stretch of drive....

Currently listening: "Heart" and "Set Yourself on Fire", by Stars