9/14/11 9:50 am. Ha Noi, Viet Nam. School.

We've been in Ha Noi for almost two weeks now, but it feels like we've been doing this forever. Not in a bad way or anything; you just get that feeling. I now have an internship at the local TV station VTC. I will be working in the english department to help produce programs about expats or other foreigners living in Ha Noi. Today I will actually be the character for that show. A camera crew will follow me around after school to see how I live with my Vietnamese family. They will interview me and my family, and put together a three minute program about my life here. It's an international channel and I'll try and give times and channels to view it, but otherwise I'll try and post it on youtube for everyone to see.
I'll be going to the station every tuesday and thursday afternoon to help with productions. Who knows what I might end up doing; maybe I'll get to read the news, edit videos, or interview the people here. My main purpose though, is to work with the cameras and equipment, and of course dive deeper into the culture. Everyone working at the station is young, and for the most part speaks some english. I don't think anyone working in my department is over 30. I'm pretty excited to work there, and be apart of a professional television production.

Perinne and myself at the family dinner. 

This is my host mom. She's very funny, and we get along really well. Very cute right?

This is my family! Unfortunately my host dad couldn't make it because he was working in Holland. Obviously thats my brother on the left and sister on the right. They're so much fun. Goofy, and crazy, but smart, understanding, and accepting at the same time. (I could say the same about my real family too, how ironic)

Last weekend our family, and other related host families went out to dinner to celebrate the end of the last school year, and the beginning of this one. There were about seven families there and everyone had a great time. After the dinner my brother took me and another student to a club for a dubstep show. It was so much fun. The music was awesome, and I got down with a bunch of Vietnamese kids. Part of the euphoria came from the fact that the language barrier was diminished. With the music blasting there was no way even the Viet kids could talk to each other, so we would just laugh and dance. I was so surprised that the kids were so much like the kids at home; if not more hipster, or punk. Coming here I was told the kids didn't go out, and family was the main focus, but these kids had a different idea. They were skaters, and street kids who stay out late and party till there's no tomorrow. Hmm...where have I seen this before?  After the show the three of us went to an 24 hour cafe and had coffees with sweet cream, smoked cigarettes and laughed as we grew tired. Going to sleep that night I smiled as I realized that no matter where you go, people just want to have fun. Whatever language you speak, or life you grew up with, having fun is always going to be there. To be honest, I didn't think I would be having this much fun in Vietnam. That is my greatest culture shock.