New Year's Resolutions

Every year I make a resolution and usually quickly forget it. However, I figure if I post my resolutions on my blog I'll have to follow through with them. So here they are for the whole world to see:

1. Learn Vietnamese -- It is embarrassing how bad I am at Vietnamese. When I first came I took some classes but then become lazy figuring, "Hey, I'm only here for six months and this definitely isn't something I'll need in the future." Frankly I want to learn Vietnamese so I can talk to Huyen's family more. It's about time that I didn't need Huyen to translate, "It's good to see you."

2. Use less plastic -- This is something we all can do. The fact is that we all use way too much plastic whether it be water bottles or plastic bags. This year I will always bring a bag with me to the supermarket and I will buy as few plastic bottles as possible. Before I left Japan I bought this stainless steel thermos:

I've already refilled it about 100 times between traveling around Japan and since coming back to Vietnam. Not only is drinking out of metal healthier than plastic but it is also good for the environment. Lets say for arguments sake that in the last month I've used 10 less plastic bottles because of this thermos. Well, if just Americans over 18 years of age did that over the last month we would have used TWO BILLION less bottles. Wrap your head around that. That's one month. Two billion bottles! Lets all use less plastic...


3. Open my own English school in Hanoi. Yes, this sounds like a huge goal but in reality I'm just renting a classroom and hoping to get at least thirty motivated students to teach. Don't get me wrong, this is a HUGE undertaking. However, I'm confident that I'll be able to teach a great curriculum of my choosing and get faster results for students than at any of the language schools here in Hanoi. There will be A LOT more on this coming up in the next few weeks. All I can say now though is that classes will start on March 1st for teens and adults. By the way, if any readers are in Hanoi and interested you can email me for information: [REDACTED]

4. See my family at least two times.

5. See my family with Huyen by my side. Hopefully this year we can get her a visa.

6. Keep exercising and living a healthy lifestyle. Since August I have lost nearly twenty pounds and plan to stay fit for all of 2010. Perhaps I'll eventually be able to run a marathon with my sister.

Good luck to me and everyone else who has lofty resolutions for 2010!