May 17, Day 11 "Professor Woodie???"

Hello My Friends, Family, Loved Ones and Country men....

So this guy you know named Woodiewade who loves children Big and Small and loves to cook decides to plan this trip to Vietnam...see...he cooks up this great scheme to put his life in Los Angeles on hold for a month and travel to Kontum, Vietnam where he will cook, teach some cooking and feed children at Vinh Son Orphanage! (insert Breaks being pushed now) Errrrrrrrrch!!!! (Fade Out)


(Fade In)....Professor Woodie? Helllooooooo! :-O

For the past week I have been teaching a English class at the Orphanage! Every morning at 10am in a lovely little class room and a Big Chalk Board. And lots of Chalk! Who here doesn't like Chalk and a Chalk Board??? ohhh....and a pointing stick! LOL Soo much fun!! Every morning at 9:45 I put on my Chefs Hat....grab my Cow Bell and walk around the Exterior Buildings of the Orphanage ringing my bill and pitching my class! "English!!!" "Come and get some!""""

My 1st day of Class I had maybe 20 children in attendence....No after a week I have "Standing Room Only" Status! Filled with people of all ages! Even 3 of the Nuns have taken my class. Alot of the Teenagers too! I have struggled as many of you know with poor spelling my entire life. I love writing and telling stories but putting a proper sentence together....ummmmm....Me no likie so Muchie! :-0

I've been trying to channel every English teacher I ever had to guide me! It's just Basic grade 1 learning to read! learning the sounds of the Alphabet, A, E, I, O, U and sometimes Y sort of stuff. The names of all the Colors, Days of the Week. The Months of the year. Putting sentences together. Filling in the right letter missing in a word . Learning all the names of the Body. Understading Yes and No! But boy....when I child gets it and you see the Light turn on thru their eyes because they understood the different sound that B makes rather than a P! I get goose bumps!

I was eating dinner last night in a little Restuarant down the street from my hotel grading a Pop Quiz I wrote by hand and took to a copy place and made 30 copies. I did not have enouch Quiz papers to do around so some of the children doubled up. So anyway I'm sitting at this restaurant having dinner and going over the papers...found myself laughing at some of the pictures the children had Drawn. Smiling at some really brilliant hand Writing! Lastly, I loved looking at and saying their names out loud which were written on the top right of the papers. Note: I was the only customer in the place at this time!

I never in my dreams thought up this part of the story for myself teaching English on this visit to Vietnam. I thought I'd be the Cook! I thought I'd come back with a new Tatoo from the Kitchen....like the burn I have on my left forearm from the Madeline cookie sheet (which I look at all the time with a smile) Cooking is who I am I thought?

So the news of the English Teacher has spread like Room Tempature Butter!! 3 Mother's in Bahnar village asked if I would come to their village on Saturday's from 2pm - 4pm and teach their Daughters? Vang....Yes...Yes of course! Yesterday was my 1st English lesson with Me, Nien & Niem! We sat a Kitchen table. The girls were very shigh in the beginning....then after a few silly WK eye brow movements or having one eye brown get stuck and taking Niem's finger and placing it on my brow to push it down I had them right were I wanted them in this Kitchen! :-) They never got bored or yawned or wanted to leave. After 2 hours they learned the Alphabet, when to use upper case letters and when to use lower case letters...The sound's of the Alphabet..........Yes and No, Colors, Writing words and spelling them out! The mothers came back at 4pm and we gave them a Oral/Verbal show of how much they learned over the 2 hour class.

So there you have it ......The Story of how I became "Professor Woodie" in Vietnam! Boy has my Respect level risen to the top of my Pantry for teacher's from my Past, Present and in the Future!

I hope your enjoying my Blog posts as much as I'm enjoying writing them to you. I get such a kick out of thinking about you all while I'm writing them. I've recieved lovely emails of delight and encouragement to keep them coming. I know they are reaching you all with laughter and smiles and possilbe a few tears every now and again.

It's Sunday late morning around 11:40a.m . I need to go take a shower, head to the Hot Toc stand for a shave. I'm attending yet another wedding today at 1pm. This will be my 2nd and hopefully not my last! These people know how to have a good time WW style!

Sending you much love and Vietnam Blessings,

"Professor Woodie???"