Banana Pancakes and Ao Dais

Last night’s class registration was almost fully successful. The system would not let me log on until a couple of minutes after registration had already begun, so I was a bit angry. It finally worked and I signed into three classes I needed and wanted to take—Making Connections (encouraging communication to discuss “isms” such as racism, ableism, etc.), Tradition Tranformers (yay for systematic theology!), and Native American Religion and Histories, which I just couldn’t pass up. I then got an email from one of my favorite former philosophy professors that was confirming the fact that I could sign into her “Philosophy and Feminism” class in January. That will be my fifth class, so this semester should be busier than usual. I’ll be glad to get back to the work, though, after my extended break in Viet Nam.

The registration website would not me sign in to my Morality of War philosophy class, however, since I am a Junior and we’re not allowed to take 100-level classes without prior permission. I had totally forgotten about this and immediately emailed the registrar’s office about getting permission. I then realized that they would be flooded with emails and returned to my dorm in order to call the office directly. I got on the phone with a certain Linda and she was as cranky as ever. Apparently, my advisor for my minor and the professor teaching the 100-level class I wish to take must email her. I sent these two people emails and then ran upstairs to pack a smaller bag for going out.

Bryan and I took a quick bike ride across the city and he went to the DVD store while I continued on to Le Pub. I sat around for about ten minutes and then all of my friends arrived at 8:30 after walking from where the bus let them off. I had a Coke and talked with them before riding my bike home really fast at 10:00. Almost back to the dorm, my left bike pedal randomly fell off and I had to pedal the rest of the way alongside motorbikes with one freakin’ pedal. It was such a typical Viet Nam thing that I laughed instead of cried.

I woke up this morning, went down to the hallway to check my email, and then packed my backpack and grabbed an egg sandwich. I ate it on the short walk to class and everyone else was really late so I read my book in the sun, which was really nice. Class was boring and I was back to my room by 11:00, writing a journal entry for my peace studies internship. I then went to the rice buffet with Sarah until 1:00, when I met Tica in the dorm and we went with Sarah to catch the 31 bus to the lake. We were heading to Sago, our favorite banana pancakes restaurant, when they spotted a sunglasses store. They tried on about half of the pairs and it was pretty fun. Then Sarah peaced and I stayed with Tica until we walked around the lake, took pictures, talked to guys our age as they approached us every five minutes, and finally reached Sago at 3:00 pm.

We sat on the second floor balcony above the street and I did some Vietnamese homework and then read my book. I did take a small break to run across the street to the ATM and then Sarah showed up at Sago after I returned to my table with Tica. We talked from about 4-5:00 and then Sarah went back to the dorm, while Tica and I continued reading. At 5:45, Jackie and Jill showed up with my ao dai and they ate dinner with us and Jackie helped me snap all the buttons on the traditional dress. We ate banana pancakes, paid, and left by 6:20, when we hailed xe oms to the opera house. We got there and saw Long and our professor and followed them to a smaller stage in the back of the opera house which our professor had rented out for the night. There, we had invited a man whose name escapes me, but he is monumental in the arts here in Viet Nam. He explained, through a translator, the traditional dress, face paint, and props as well as the reasons for no scenery, and then small troupes of very talented actors and actresses danced, sang, and performed acts of traditional plays. There was a lot of attention on DiDi, Jackie, and I since we were all wearing our ao dais, which I didn’t like at all. The program was too long and went from 6:45-9:00, when I felt I couldn’t sit any more.

Then our group went to Finnegan’s where I had a Coke, headed across the street to Donor Kabob with DiDi, and went back to the bar to hang around until midnight. DiDi, Jackie, and I took quite a while to find a cheap xe om ride and by the time we got back to the dorm it was 12:30. I ate grapefruit with DiDi and we hung out in her room and the courtyard until 1:30 am when I went to bed.