This was meant to be the first post…

But I got all caught up in Nepal that I forgot I had written it, so here it is:

The first leg of my trip was surprisingly bittersweet. Usually my stomach is full of excitement butterflies at the onset of a big adventure but this time, when I left Calgary, I felt a sinking sadness: I simply don’t know how often I’ll be able to communicate with my Canadian and with the fiance visa process in the air and certain wedding details left unmapped….suffice to say, I was a little anxious. 

All of this dissipated when I saw the islands of Hong Kong appear beneath our plane.

Nearly three years ago, this precise sight welcomed me to what would be two incredible, and transformative, years in Asia. Beginning my adventure in Nepal with this sight seemed to me not only fitting, but auspicious. As we began our descent, the butterflies surfaced and multiplied. I am nervous about my work in Nepal, yes, but I am incredibly enthusiastic and charged for my life in Nepal over the next two months!!

Pho For The President

When I went to Saigon a few weeks ago (more to come on this trip later), I went to this Pho restaurant. Bill Clinton visited Vietnam awhile ago and ate here, giving the restaurant their fantastic tagline.

The pho itself wasn’t the best I’ve ever had…you’d think that someone would have taken him to a proper street stall with GOOD pho, but I did get a kick out of the pictures of Bill with Vietnamese officials on the walls.

Body Language in Vietnam

My Canadian is incredibly good at noticing little things about people’s behaviors. Two things he’s pointed out to me are particularly interesting:

1) When shaking hands with someone, Vietnamese people often place one hand on the inside of their elbow as a sign of respect

2) When handing money to each other, the Vietnamese use two hands, not one.