Introducing our new Deputy Head Teacher Amy Murphy

Is there anything you find interesting about being in Vietnam since you’ve been here?

Everything! It’s very different.  I have lived in South East Asia for two years already because I was at a school in Thailand before, but Vietnam is a different country and everything is different, but I love it; the people are really warm and friendly. I am trying really hard to learn some language. It’s quite tricky (laughing). Ms Mai has been quite good at giving me little snippets. In fact I’ve got a list today. I want to go back to her and learn some more, so that’s one of my aims.  I know I won’t be fluent, but I would like to be able to have a conversation.  

I think that’s very important, when you’re a guest in someone else’s country you have to be able to learn some of the language and respect the cultures and understand things. Yes, everything is new and different and exciting and as a family we really like it but I particularly think Vietnam’s fantastic so far.  We are looking forward to exploring more of Ho Chi Minh City, but also more of Vietnam as a whole and we are already planning where we can go in October half term. We want to go to Hanoi and Hoi An.  Lots of people have said you should go here you should go there.. So, yeah, it’s exciting!

Are you interested in the cultural side of Vietnam?

Absolutely!  I want to learn as much as I can because as I say, I am a guest here and I want to know as much about it as I possibly can do, so yes definitely.  Tet, I have heard an awful lot about, I know that’s not for a long time, but I am looking forward to that.  The big festivals are important, but it’s everything it’s also the day to day.  You’re immersed in the culture when you live here so I want to learn as much as I can.

Have you been anywhere, to the war museum or anything yet?

Not yet.  I have to say, we’ve been here for 3 weeks and we’ve still got stuff in boxes so it’s just trying to get ourselves settled before we go out.  We have really only been exploring District 2 so far because of the age of the children, but this weekend with the long weekend, we are going to venture out and have an explore to go and see some different things.  When we came over for a visit in February we stayed in District 1, just on the square and had a bit of a walk around. That was nice, we went and looked around at the architecture and it’s so beautiful.  Everything is so green and the roads are so wide and everything is tree lined. As an instant first impression, visually it’s lovely.  I’m looking forward to knowing more about it.  I’m looking forward to going to the war museum.  I want to got to the Cu Chi tunnels as well.  

What’s that last tv show you have watched?

The last thing I watched. Let me think.  We get quite into box sets and watch them, on Netflix.  The last thing I watched.. there’s a Neil Diamond book called American Gods which is my favourite book, and there’s an adaptation of that, an Amazon Prime adaptation, so we watched that, which I really enjoyed.  It’s quite off the wall,and interesting, but it’s all about gods.  Do you know the book?  Or have you watched it?  

No

So it’s about gods and the conflict between the old and the new. And there’s like a new group of gods who want to be progress and move things forward.  It’s quite interesting because it’s about gods and mythology and folklore but it’s an interesting metaphor for the old way versus the new ways and how they clash.  It’s quite quirky, the book is very dense and they have done a good job with the adaptation.

Other than that, recently I’ve watched Stranger Things, which I really liked.  I’m really excited for the second series of that.  Westworld which I think is amazing, really interesting, visually stunning, lots of plot twists and things that keep you guessing and at the last minute you go OMG because you can’t believe that what’s happened. The usual things.  Breaking Bad, but that was a while ago, mostly Stranger Things  It’s hard to have time for TV with children.  

What do you think of pineapple and pizza?

I love it. (laughing) I do!  I think pineapple and pizza are awesome

Some people don’t like it

Well, they are wrong. (chuckling together)

I am quite a fan of a simple pizza, so I do like a margarita but I am a fan of a Hawaiian as well.  I don’t like it when there is too much going on with pizzas, whereas a margarita, Hawaiian, maybe a pepperoni I can get down with.

There was a little more to this very entertaining and enlightening conversation, but if you would like to know more, perhaps you might like to stop and chat with Amy at one of our future gatherings.