less than a week

The deadline is looming on my "figure out what the hell you're going to do" situation. Six days. Who would have thought it could be this difficult. I guess I'm grateful that it's on the street of Ha Noi, instead of the streets of New York City (though they do remind me of each other). At least here, I can scrape by on $30 or $35/day for the three of us. I could get one cheap meal for us in New York on the that. Gotta be glad for the small things.

I have another job interview this morning. It would take me out of the city and force me to give up my tutoring work. But it'd be in a smaller city, which we would all prefer. Being able to get out, ride a bicycle, sit on the front step without being harassed to buy pineapple or bananas or mangos... those are the things that I seriously miss about Tam Ky. Yes, we were constantly gawked at, but no one cared if we "come into [their] shop and buy something". That's a phrase I've heard just one too many times. Must leave the Old Quarter soon.

Looked at three apartments and one house on Sunday and Monday. I can get the house for $450 and rent out two of the five bedrooms. Sounds like a good deal to me. So if I get offered a job from Wednesday's interview, as well, it will be decision-making time. So, maybe one will fall through and it will make the decision easier.

Either way, something should be going by Thursday or Friday. I'm not so scared that we'll have to head back to the States now. Just need to figure out the logistics of how we stay. (I think.)

The tutoring work is going pretty well now; finally getting into the swing of it. I may even trade off tutoring with the mom of the kids I tutor. She will try to teach Stuart Japanese and I will teach her son English. Sounds fair to me. Audrey's been practicing her Vietnamese a bit more lately and has found more encouragement from the girls at the hotel than we've found with others. Positive reinforcement works wonders with kids, mine included.

Off I go....