It's been a tough year for me as I wrap up Vietnamese language training. Little did I realize how difficult it would be to study this language. Never underestimate the power of a tonal language!
The good news is that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and I should emerge through the Viet language birth canal by the end of this Thursday. After that, I plan to have a nice greasy pizza with some beers. It just sounds good.
Sonia and the kids are now in California and it sounds like they're having a grand time. We had a really fun year here in DC and it was very difficult to leave. The kids especially made some great friends at their school (Escuela Claremont). Sonia met some really nice parents from all over the world. That was one of the many great things about the school - its incredible diversity. Getting to know some of these folks has really piqued my interest in terms of where to be posted in the future.
My time is now mostly occupied with studying and reviewing my Vietnamese. I can't say my time is consumed by it, but it certainly takes up much of my energy. I can't say being alone is a fun thing. Perhaps if I wasn't under the stress of both studying for my final test and preparing to pack out and leave, I'd be enjoying it more. Neither is it complete torture either. For July 4th, for instance, I got to go to the National Mall and got to view the fireworks from the base of the Washington Monument. That was really fabulous.
I'm just glad this year is coming to a close. About six months ago, I would have said "No way" to learning a new language. However, I have to say I'm pretty surprised at how much I can understand and say.
It's been a tough year. After Thursday, I'll be able to say if
it's been a good year.
