Life in the big house

Yesterday we had our first big rain since we arrived back. While we were gone our kitchen flooded twice, so we were watching the back area (behind the kitchen) closely. The water rose pretty fast. Joseph went and got our water pump just in case, but the hose to suck the water out was gone. We tried to makeshift with another hose, but it did not work. The rain stopped and the water was about an inch and a half from cresting the little step into the kitchen. I decided to bucket it out. Several of the neighborhood young boys peered in through the fence to see why I was bucketing water, then they continued to laugh and play hide-and-go-seek. Many of the motorcyclist, bicyclist and pedestrians were happy I saw them coming and stopped throwing the water out into the alleyway until they went by.

Today, we discovered termites behind our couch. They were transferring eggs from the couch to a hole in the floor by the wall (wood baseboard). So I sprayed all those lovely termites carrying eggs, pushed the couch back further and found the eggs and termites lined almost the whole back of the couch. We hired our friend to bring more traps for the termites. The traps are boxes filled with easy to chew wood. After about two or three weeks, he will come back and put poison on the wood. The theory is the termites will like this wood because it is very easy to eat. After it becomes a source for the colony, the poison is applied, which will then kill the colony including the queen. Our friend has done this over the summer in other areas of our house as well. He informed us after we returned that it resulted in killing lots of termites, showing what he meant by cupping his hands, with is fingers spread, with actions suggesting that it would be overflowing.

Today we picked up a 50cc motorbike. Our friends who are in the States for the next year have loaned it to us so that Joseph could have a motorbike to ride. Joseph took it out for a little ride already. Needless to say, he enjoyed the ride. We were honored that our friends trusted Joseph to be responsible with their bike, especially as it is hard to find these type of 50cc's anymore. They are built by Honda and they last forever it seems. In Vietnam, you do not need a license for a 50cc, but you do need to be 15 or older.

Almost supper time.