Larry - CP7

Friday-July 29th: Long wanted to go to Pensacola to see some Vietnamese friends he had met in Hue. They were doctors, medical personnel, and a visiting professor from Hue University. They had returned to Viet Nam to work for a few weeks as volunteers giving medical services to an orphanage and the rural poor. Long had acted as a translator. Some were "Boat People" with whom I wanted to talk and hear their stories. Additionally, Long wanted to buy a Toyota truck with over 200,000 miles on the "odometer" from the doctor. He wanted me to look at the truck. As usual, I tried to direct our conversations towards various topics from personal relationships to political problems as we drove to Pensacola. Long's English is advanced, but still I offered corrections and suggestion on pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary. We temporarily got lost and couldn't find his friends house. Another situation to use our English and solve a problem. It was hidden in an expensive golf community, but we finally found it. I talked at length with the professor from Hue University. He taught math. His English was not too good, but he was very interested in American and Vietnamese culture. I thought it was quite convenient that our class had just reviewed cultural aspects of TEFL. He explained that he had a work visa for the US and had originally come here to get a fee operation for his very cute, very intelligent, and very engergized 4-year old daughter. She had been born with a "defect" and surgeons had performed an operation that would normally have cost $100,000 or more! He had been unable to find a job, because of his poor English, and returned to Hue. His 4-year old daughter was, however, a virtual powerhouse of English and Vietnamese! She had attended pre-kindergarden for the two years they were here. I thought how wonderful it would be to have a 4-year old girl's brain! She did a show and tell on Barbie discs, teddy-bears, binoculars, memory cards, food, things that glittered in the light, and whatever entered her sweet little head. I responded with mock surprise and amazement, and she reponded with laughter. It was fun. We all talked about Viet Nam, the United States, and the world. Eventually, we were served delicious hot bowls of Vietnamese noodle soup. They all talked in English, and I corrected as needed. The professor was delighted and later asked Long if I wanted to TEFL at Hue University. I felt good about that. We looked at the truck. Long didn't even know where to put the key to start it! WOW! He didn't even know how to back it up! Should I talk him out of buying it?