I am beautiful.....well sort of!

Sorry about the delay in posting! I Skype with my family and that keeps me connected with them. But I have been hearing rumblings about my lack of activity on this blog...so I will try harder to keep everyone up with my activities!

So....I go to Tai Chi every morning and play volleyball in the early evenings. There are about 8 other people in my Tai Chi group and probably 15-20 "old farts" like myself in the Volleyball group. English is non-existent. Sometimes people will try to speak and words like "husband" or "children". So I try to tell them that I do have a husband and I have two daughters. That is about the extent of their English skills...and my Vietnamese vocabulary is basically limited to food. I know rice (com), Beef (ba) , Chicken (ga), Dog (chu--I avoid this!) and Beer, (Bir).

Last week one of the women in Tai Chi brought her English workbook that looked like it was many, many years old. She pointed at words and we actually had somewhat of a "conversation". Of course, they all want to know how old I am. When I tell them....they react with great surprise. I don't know if they think I am older or younger. I think they are surprised because I look young...at least my ego makes me think this way. Anyway, this woman said to me "You are beautiful". Wow....I haven't heard those words since my husband was wooing me years ago! I am beautiful....has a nice ring to it doesn't it? Well, as we continued to "talk".....she qualified her statement. Basically, my interpretation of her comment is that I am beautiful from the shoulders up. But my poor ol' body has gone to seed! I think she meant that I have a great joy of life and am ready and willing to explore and do most anything (except of course, eat dog!). So my head is beautiful....but the body needs much work. These people are incredibly skinny. Everyone. I have yet to meet a hefty Vietnamese. Their waists are tiny...men, women, old and young. Their thighs and legs are like bean poles. Now think of my body.....ahem- well, to say the least, it is showing its age. So...I am beautiful....kind of!

Which brings me to the next story. Volleyball
I am playing volleyball one evening. I am wearing a white sleeveless top and jumping and bumping and trying to spike the ball...which makes them all laugh! They all are jabbering away during the game and laughing. Of course, I am clueless about their conversation. Anyway, at the end of the game this little old lady walks up to me......and pokes my breasts. She actually tweaked both of them. WOW...this takes me by surprise. Suddenly all the ladies come over and are poking and prodding me. Patting my back....checking my shoulders. Suddenly I get it! They think I am braless! Well, I wear these very comfortable things I call "bra-lets". My daughters have been saying for years that I need to get something better to wear. I figured out that they thought I was wearing nothing under my shirt. They were surprised to find that I did actually have a bra on. I even pulled up my shirt to show them this wonder of wonder bras. Well, that got everyone laughing....and the men were very amused.

So....I decided that it was probably time for me to get something new to wear. I talked to one of my Vietnamese friends (Chair of Geography and wife of University President).....and several days ago we went bra shopping. Walked to a very small shop near the university and this lady pulls out several options. I go behind a sheet tacked on the wall and try 'em on. I hate bras....they are not comfortable. But, with that said, I have a couple of new ones. I can hardly wait to show the ladies at Volleyball!

So.....never a dull moment here!