Coffee Shop Encounters

I'm becoming quite the connoiseur of the coffee shops here in Bien Hoa. I go to my usual coffee shop in the mornings to check email & make phone calls on Skype. Afterwards, I eat lunch, do my shopping, & get ready for classes in the evening. Before work, I usually stop at one of several coffee shops near the school to write in my journal.

Yesterday I was sitting at one of my afternoon coffee shops, sipping on a cup o' grit when a man came over to my table & asked if he could join me. This was a first! He was not trying to hit on me, of course. They don't do that here. Instead he wanted the chance to practice speaking English. It turns out that he is an English teacher himself. I showed him the list of Vietnamese phrases that I have been working on & he helped me with my pronunication. I was so happy to talk with him! As is usual here in Bien Hoa, we exchanged phone numbers. He promised to show me around the city when we both have free time.

It's been slow coming, but I'm finally starting to break through the social barrier!