Ben Song (River Restaurant)

Last weekend we had one final staff happy-hour. We decided to head to a place that opened up across the river from the school. We had all seen it from the windows of our classroom but did not know what it was nor really how to get there. So, we headed out Friday afternoon and went to the banks of the river.

Lauren in backpack. Restaurant in background.

We then waved and whistled and they sent a boat across the water. One, mind you, that they were working on: the sound of hammering meeting us across the water before the boat arrived. When it arrived, they pulled up on the oposite side of a barbed wire fence, removed some of the barbed wire and helped us into the boat.

We then took the 60 second trip across the river to the new Ben Song restaurant.

The restaurant was actually really beautiful and it was neat to look back across the river to the school and Phu My Hung, drinking Tiger beers with no chance of passing students. Felt, actually, like we were on vacation for a minute there.  And, of course, I need to end with a snapshot of the menu...always good for some entertaining reading.

UB40

Last weekend, Lauren turned 4 decades old. The boys and I made her a cake (and some cupcakes for her to take to work), we went out to dinner and then we took her to a surprise brunch with 25 friends at a favorite restaurant in town.

Turns out there were eight other staff members celebrating decades so we invited the entire staff to our house for a decades party.

Seven of the eight guests of honor:

I'll admit I was a bit stressed about inviting the entire staff to our house but the perfect number showed up (maybe 50) and we mixed crazy drinks, enjoyed a little limbo, played amazing music from the 70s and 80s and danced 'till 1:00am.  Now we are cleaning up from it all and on our way to a goodbye brunch for some dear friends. These are busy times but so much fun.

PS. It was also at this party that we were, for the first time, "shambushed" by a fellow teacher. Not to the extreme detailed here in the Urban Dictionary as I was not a stranger and he did not leave naked, but a shambush nonetheless. Well done Anton.

Still Crazy After This Year

I predicted that this place would soon be less surprising as the unusual became normal and we settled in. I am finding, however, that Vietnam continues to surprise us. Here are a couple from last week:

Or this...

Sorry about the blurry photo.
I'd had a couple Tiger beers on ice at this point which might help explain this...

We did indeed order the "Crispy Fried Pig Fallopian Tupe".  Went down like popcorn chicken.

We are very excited to be heading back to the familiar in a couple weeks but we also look forward to what surprises VN has in store for us next year!