I am still trying to arrange my flight home for Christmas. You will find that there is just as much red tape bull sh*t in other countries as there is your own! I managed to get through to the airline, who told me that I would have to wait until much nearer the time to find out if I could fly on the 20th December or not… So I told them I was waiting to book my return flight to Vietnam but couldn’t do it until I knew when I was leaving… no joy. “I understand your concern but BLA BLA…” In the end I told her I could see they had flights on these days and so I was going to cancel my flight and book a new one. Then all of a sudden, “We have a flight on the 22nd for you?” So I am now definitely travelling home on 22nd or 20th of December until Saturday 4th January, but I won’t know which day until the 19th of December!! Crazy.
I witnessed a man today reverse his truck into some poor lady’s pineapple stand… they literally don’t know what mirrors are for!!!!
I went for dinner with my friend Greg and his wife and some family friends in the evening. The food was delicious, home made soup, home made garlic bread and sweet and sour pork. I tried practising my Vietnamese as one of the guys spoke very little English, but I began by addressing him in the wrong way and it went down hill from there!
Graeme and I discussed our work contracts . I am annoyed because I can’t get a police check until I have been living in Vietnam for 6 months, without a police check I can’t process my work permit, and the school has told me they wont give me a salaried contract until I have the work permit. Due to how long this takes, I could have to wait until September/ October time to get the contract, while everyone else will be on salary. I don’t think this is very fair, as I have a business visa and so am entitled to work, and I think the school may be taking me for a ride slightly. Greg is also annoyed because he has no idea when he is meant to start, or what his salary will be, or when his work permit will be complete. Again, this is Vietnam!
On my way to work, don’t want to worry anyone, but my helmet, which didn’t do up properly and was too big for my head, flew off my head and smashed onto the concrete making an awful noise. I did for a second contemplate if my head had fallen off because the noise was so loud… but it was ok! The worse part was that I thought my xe om driver had seen it happen, but five minutes after I’d arrived at work he knocked on the door asking for the helmet… and I had to try and explain to him that it had flown off my head down the motorway!! Awkward.
If anyone is in need of a confidence boost, come to Vietnam! Especially if you are white and pasty! They love it. I swear there isn’t a day that goes by where I am not told how beautiful I am. However, you must also prepare to be told how fat you were before, and have everyone point at pictures of you and laugh…. Pros and cons!!
We have now started a Spanish competition because, where else better to learn Spanish than in Vietnam?! There is an online leader board on Duolingo where you can compete with your friends, and so we are all in competition. It got to the point where my friends were sat in opposite rooms for hours at a time tapping away at the computer, trying to increase their points and beat each other! When I got home I told my flat mate and she added all of us and beat everyone, as she studied Spanish at University!
