X-Rock and life is good

Saturday morning was parent teacher interview time at CIS. The kids had received progress reports at the end of the week and we were excited to chat with their teachers about how the year was going.  A few things were different for us this time around: we work at the school our kids attend,  so we already know the teachers (actually we socialize with them too, so there is already a familiarity,  which is nice), the interviews were on Saturday...can't see this happening in Ontario...can only imagine what the unions would have to say about it, and it is the first time our kids have attended an English school,  so we were curious to  see how they were transitioning from an all French school to an English school, and also to ask about how we could help them maintain their French,  because neither Stepan nor myself speak French and we speak Czech at home with the kids. So yeah, alot going on. ...

We were so happy to find out that all four  are progressing well. ..their language skills are where they should be and as teachers say "they are a pleasure to have in class"...David keeps the discussions interesting and has great ideas. ..Veronika is a leader. ..Viktor is oh so sweet - and smart,  and Eva loves singing and dancing and art.

Stepan and I are proud and happy parents!

Saturday night we had a bbq at Riverside (our apartment complex) with some of the teachers and their families from school.  It was nice to chill and chat.  We grilled all sorts of things....hamburgers,  pork chops,  chicken,  squid. ..but no steak (streak is extremely expensive here. ..even the burgers set us back way more than at home,  but they were delish). The kids played. .way past their bedtime, but it was great to catch up about life and share ideas and stories.

Sunday morning we didn't really have much planned,  but Mr. Jean (Veronika's teacher) texted me asking if we, or Viktor (Viktor and his son Sammy are good friends) wanted to go rock climbing.  I had never tried it and Veronika and Viktor  had gone on a school trip earlier in the week and loved it, so we decided to go.

It turned out to be an awesome day. The six of us squished into a small UBER and met Jean and his boys downtown.
We went to x-rock in D3. It's a rock climbing facility attached to a larger sport  complex in the center of the city.  The prices were quite affordable,  especially when we compare The cost of rock climbing in Canada (105,000 vnd for two climbs,  150,000 vnd for a one hour pass and 220,000 vnd for a full day pass). The staff were very easy going and helped us find rock climbing shoes for everyone, and before we knew it we were climbing.  Veronika was like a pro. ..can she ever climb! Getting our climbing shoes on. 

Everyone made it to the top. ..multiple times! 

David, Veronika and I...climbing together.

Stepan, aka Spiderman

Viktor and Sammy...coming down. 

Eva...We could not believe what a great climber she is - 5 years old! 

The climbing crew. 

After climbing we were all hungry,  so it was time to take a walk and find a place to eat.  Noon is nap time in Vietnam...you can see people napping everywhere. ..in their shops,  in hammocks they've strung up on the side of the road, under palm trees...even on motorcycles. .. ;-)

There is no such thing as a bad place for a nap. 

On our walk back to D1.

Great restaurant! 

Strawberry smoothie for Eva

Noodles with beef.  David's favourite meal.

Vietnamese pancakes filled with veggies,  shrimp and pork. 

Grilled squid...my favourite!

Veronika showing off beautiful glass vessels of Vietnamese wine. The decor and ambience of the restaurant were beautiful. 

Saw this sign down the road from our restaurant... you see some pretty strange deals here.  I guess it's go big or go home! 

Look at the root system  of this tree.  Incredible.  The kids are working off their lunch at one of the many outdoor exercise parks around the city.   They are very common here. 

Lady at Ben Thanh Market, sitting beside a huge jackfruit.

We finally made our way Ben Thanh. We wanted to buy some dried fruit,  especially dried mango,  ginger and coconut.  We got a lot of attention and heads were turning to look at us.  You see,  we were a big group.  2 men (Stepan and Jean) 7 children, and myself. On every corner, I was being asked if they were all my children. ..it was so funny!  I would just shake my head, put up 4 fingers and say "only" 4 , and I would still receive nods of admiration...4 children is not very common here. Most families have one or two, sometimes three.

Just around the corner from the Ben Thanh Market, on our way to the bus stop,  we passed a Japanese festival, complete with giant Pikachu. 

Attempted selfie...We need practice.

We tasted  a few Japanese specialties, saw some crazy comic characters and made our way to the bus.  It was just rounding the corner as we were nearing the stop so we all broke into a run - yep, all 10 of us...The bus driver let us get on,  which was great, because sometimes they don't even come to a complete stop and you are literally hopping  on.  We found seats mostly at the back of the bus and the kids started singing.  It was so funny.  Everyone was looking back - and the bus was full.  We were obviously the only white people on the bus and we were the entertainment. ..again.  I have no doubt that every single person on the bus thought I had seven kids. ..it was just too funny. Luckily the bus driver came to a complete stop when it was time to get off,  so we all made it home safely and had another great day in Saigon.