Basketball

I have just spent the last few days absorbed in teenage basketball. I finally got to watch at least part of the girls basketball game - they were playing ABC International school in District 7, this is not to far from work or home, Josh had no soccer and I had no afternooon meetings so I raced there straight after school. At home I watched so much of the children's sport - yet here most of there sport is Thursday afternoon and between meetings after work and the fact that the distance between the schools is quite far I never seem to make anything, which I hate. I only made the last 15 minutes or so but at least that was something but I stayed and watched the boys team play, Both teams won so it was worth it.

Friday was the start of the boys championships - just down the road from our house; so I went there before the girls basketball party.

And today was the girls basketball championships. It is a round robin kind of thing, which began at 9am. I arrived right at 9am, having dropped Josh at Soccer first, and apparently missed their warm up routine which included the Nutbush dance.

They did really well, they won their first game, lost their second, this put them into a semi final which they lost so they played off for third. It was a very exciting game which they won 9-8.

It made for an exhausting day for them, and me, after a mad rush to find soccer boots for Josh we finally headed home about 4.30. All the while carting around a three year old.

Home finally, only to be invaded again by some of the basketball team, thank goodness for leftovers, they had come to watch the boys in Phu My Hung. (They lost unfortunately and one poor boy was taken off to hospital with severe cramping).

Now it's after 9 and both girls and a group of basketball players are rollerblading, ripsticking, biking to Gloria Jeans for yet more smoothie's.

I could say thank goodness for the peace and quiet but Josh and I are having some quality time watching some shoot them up movie, so there is no quiet.

While I still worry - I know they are safe, Phu My Hung is a very quiet part of Viet Nam, and they are 3 minutes from home with a lovely group of kids - what more could I ask?

How Life has changed

It's 930 on a Friday, I am sitting here contemplating how much life has changed in the last 8 months. Here I sit at the dining room table in blissful silence, yes blissful after an evening of noise. But first, back to sitting at the table, Matthew is away (OK some things never change) but as I sit here waiting for the noise to return I can't help but think - wow. The noise has just returned, no more blissful silence for me - my loungeroom has the remains of the basketball team end of season party - mind you the season doesn't end until tomorrow - but that's Viet Nam for you. I look around and see a sea of Asian faces yet culturally they are diverse, Adriana who is German Vietnamese who speaks German, Vietnamese, Japanese, Mandarin and English ,Cathy who is truly Vietnamese who speaks English and Vietnamese, Zoe who is Hong Kong Chinese Vietnamese speaking Vietnamese and Cantonese, Mandy who is Vietnamese but speaks Vietnamese, Cantonese, Mandarin, English, German and a spattering of French and Bella and kaela (and Josh of course) who speak only English - and that's what was left over.

At one point there were 13 girls here all of which are lovely - but noisy. After watching the boys first game of the knock out championships the girls came here with there coach for pizza and pasta. Phuong made enough pasta to feed the entire basketball teams of all the 6 schools so my kids are going to be eating pasta for the rest of the week - not to mention the 9 pizza's that the coach bought - 3 of which are now in the freezer - the salad though was completely gone.

They all danced, my girls even introducing the nutbush to Viet Nam (Jeff you would be proud) they sang and yelled (why do the Vietnamese feel the need to yell?) by 9 most had gone. The remainder decided to walk down the road to Gloria Jeans for a drink.

To be honest at home I would never allow the children to wander the streets at night but here it is such a common thing - the world comes alive after dark (Vietnamese do not like being exposed to the sun at all) - there are so many more people around.

So off they all set using all our rollerblades and rip sticks with me saying please don't break a body part (imagine ringing a Vietnamese family saying your daughter has a broken arm?? or having to ring the coach saying so and so broke an leg).

It is 1130 everyone has gone and blissful silence has returned. Tomorrow begins a new day.