School Closed for Coldness

Nobody ever believes me when I tell them that it is cold in Vietnam during the winter. These past few months have been downright freezing at times. You see, unlike in America, there is no heat, insulation or carpeting in the houses. This means that it is as cold inside as it is outside most of the time. I've literally been wearing up to five layers on many days to keep the chill out.

Now I know many of you readers in New York, New Jersey and the rest of the places that have been dumped with snow this winter will have no sympathy for me. However you should. Recently my friend's sister flew in from New England -- right after a huge snow storm -- and she was complaining that it was colder here than there! To use her words, "It's bone chilling cold in Hanoi."

Just how cold is it? Well, the Elementary schools here have been closing because the rooms are too freezing for the students. Remember how great snow days were? Here they get cold days!!