a glimpse of hope!...a.k.a. Calah needs more affirmation than she thinks she does.

I have been making an--in my opinion valient--attempt to speak more Vietnamese at home. This has been difficult for me not only because of my poor Vietnamese vocabulary, but also because Co Van and both my sisters speak English well enough that it is the default language they use to address me. While this has made my first two months easier in many ways, it doesn't help me learn to speak Vietnamese...especially when I have a sneaking suspicion that they would rather me speak in English because it is easier for them to understand than my poor Vietnamese is.

However, I seem to be falling behind in Vietnamese class, and we all know how competitive I am...

The latest of my attempts was tonight at supper when I informed Co Van--in Vietnamese--that "Tomorrow...I go...eat breakfast...with Hannah and..mom...Hannah. I go play tennis...but I go home at.........6 (hours)...........4......5 (minutes)." Whew.

Co Van--after clarifying a few details--said ok.

THEN she said, "Your Vietnamese is better." !!!!!!! (these are my added exclamation points. Vietnamese tend to speak English with quite a flat affect because of the language's lack of tonal-ness. Similarly, I have not yet figured out how to express any emotion in Vietnamese without saying something completely different than I intend.)

Outside, I smiled and said, "I hope so!"

Inside, I jumped around with joy.