Hello everyone, be it old or new readers, I wrote the original (link) of this following text 3 years ago. At the time, I had been teaching ESL to Vietnamese adults for 6 months and relying heavily on the internet and the generosity of strangers for my lesson plans. Those and games and activities were... Continue Reading →
LIFE IN VIETNAM I was born in the countryside of Vietnam. So I lived there all my life until I was 18 years old. After graduating from high school, I moved to Ho Chi Minh city to continue studying in a university. I have been living in HCMC until now, for about 15 years. So... Continue Reading →
Here's some long overdue pictures of my trip to Japan, starting with Hiroshima. I'm quite busy these days so I don't really have time to write an elaborate text covering the general atmosphere and my feelings while travelling the land of the rising sun, but I still have a lot of pictures (and 2 videos!)... Continue Reading →
Back in the old days (actually not really that ‘old’), not many people in Vietnam could afford an air conditioner. Even if they could buy it, the electric bills would be a big problem.
Sure, it's not an experience I especially enjoy. It's repulsive, to be honest. Every time I see one I get a little tingle of eew that reverbrates through my spine and down to the tip of my fingers. By now I know they're definitely not as shocking to find in my house as rats, and after watching... Continue Reading →
It's 9 am and I wake up abruptly. Every morning. As if I was late for work. I scramble in my mattress directly on the floor of my bedroom (the landlord had promised a bed base when I visited, but later denied ever saying this, so here we are) to extend my body enough to... Continue Reading →
5 more tips to teach conversational English to young adults!
Our protagonist wakes up abruptly, momentarily in shock. His cell phone alarm, set for 6 am, seemed to have never rung at all. He checks the clock: 6:55. His flight to Hué is at 8:05. He is instantly, fully awake. In a panic, he rises from the couch where he slept the night as a... Continue Reading →
Last month I discovered Terry Pratchet's Discworld novels and it's having quite a funny effect on my brain. I think he's my new favorite author. I'm sure a used reader will detect the influence on my writing. I guess I should mention that at the moment of scribbling this in a Vietnamese student notebook I... Continue Reading →
Étienne Bureau
Jesse Rebock