September 2018
9/4/2018
Today's Topic: Day 46. It hardly seems possible that 6 weeks, 4 days ago I arrived at the Ha Noi airport! It really does seem like it was just last week. When I really think about all of the amazing things I have done in those 46 days, the beautiful places I have seen, and the wonderful people I have met, I cannot wait for the next 46 days!! That said, I officially begin my Fulbright Scholar Grant experience tomorrow through Friday when I attend a "Fall Orientation for U.S. grantees AY 2018 – 2019". Day one and one half will be here at the JW Marriott Hotel - Ha Noi and then off to a hotel (EMERALDA) in Ninh Binh (2.5 hours south of Ha Noi) for a day and a half of "team building". I am very excited to see some of my fellow "Fulbrighters", who I met at the Predeparture Orientation meeting so long ago in Washington, DC (June 21-23), and share thoughts and time together.
Tidbit: Did you know that Viet Nam has Huntsman spiders?? Yikes! This arachnophobe found out quite by accident. His/her? leg span was only 3", but I swear on Bilbo Bagginses grave, it sure seemed like 13" at the moment his 8 eyes met my 2 eyes! I would show you a picture, but man, those rascals move fast, and I was too busy bookin it the opposite direction! I mean they move really, really fast! Thankfully, for me, I move faster and they prefer to eat cockroaches instead of humans; I guess I'm safe? Didn't I read somewhere that Huntsman spiders have been known to lay in wait and pounce upon unsuspecting central Texas school psychology faculty members? I'm pretty sure I did. Now every time I walk out my front door I carry a large, industrial size, 50 gal drum of "Spider be gone" and a stick of gum. For those of you old enough to remember Father Guido Sarducci, ("gossip columnist and rock critic for the Vatican" - from Saturday Night Live, circa 1970s) you'll get the gum connection. You youngsters will have to look up the video on the "u-tube". Well I bid you a fond farewell. New pictures will be posted shortly.
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