I usually don't celebrate my birthday because it is not that important to me. When my friends found out that was birthday was coming out, though, they prepared a cake and a small party for me. It was really special and unexpected.
I love reading, but I often do not have enough time to read as much as I would like. That means that I often am reading several things at the same time. Right now, I'm reading James Baldwin's novel "Go Tell It on the Mountain". I'm also reading Sandra Cisneros' "The House on Mango Street" because I plan to use some of the stories from that book in my classes here in Soc Trang. I try to read some Vietnamese every day too through newspaper articles, books and signs (menus, street signs, etc.). I also try to stay up to date on what is happening in the U.S. and other parts of the world, so I regularly read the news.
I played a lot of badminton this week. I had never played badminton before coming to Vietnam, but many of the people I know here play the sport, so I wanted to try it. I'm really glad that I did because it is super fun. I typically play badminton with students, teachers and friends. Sometimes it is hard to play the sport outside, especially if it's windy (like it was a few days ago). However, even when it is difficult to play, I really enjoy badminton. It is fast-paced and team-oriented, so it is a perfect sport for friends. Have any of you ever played badminton?
