Hidden spots of Ho Chi Minh City

When I first went up this staircase it was at night time and was a bit scary. In the UK I would never dream of walking into a place like this alone, with the stained walls and broken stairs. It looks like a prison or an asylum. But at the top is a beautiful restaurant, chill-out bar called La Fenêtre Soleil. It has gorgeous old French windows painted in pale blue and lovely wooden floor and a big chandelier. It's a really lovely place. Shame about the entrance though. It's the sort of place a tourist would never find and a lovely spot to chat and have a drink. I met with a friend here today and had a good gossip, with a big pot of tea.

Ben Thanh Market

We went off to Ben Thanh market to pick up some wedding favours today. We've been putting it off because it's so packed and crazy there. I thought I should put on some pictures of real Vietnam life. The market is amazing. People pretty much live their whole lives there. You can find anything you would ever need in this place!

Rosie

Some more pics of visiting Gem, Tim and Rosie at Christmas!

Resolutions

I have made a really good start to the new year. As you can see from the pictures I have grown my nails. I usually break them at school gluing and cutting out etc. then don't look after them, but this year I am determined to keep them looking nice. I have also been to the gym every weekend and a bit during the week and am sort of eating healthily (had a big blow out yesterday with crisps, cheese and sweets but it was Friday!). Gareth is away on a school trip next week so I will make lots good, healthy food - as he doesn't usually like the healthy stuff I cook.

(not sure why the pics are so small!)
Now I am really on track to organising the wedding. I have checked up on my dress and it seems to be coming. We are trying to organise bridesmaid dresses - thanks to Gem being my personal wedding planner. It's really exciting that most of the people I thought might not be able to come to our wedding are able to make it. I am so happy! I haven't really been excited about it before now but I am starting to feel it a little. I am sure I will really get into it once we have both found jobs and feel a bit more settled about the future.

New Year!

We arrived back in Saigon this morning after an excellent Christmas holiday. I saw so many people and ate A LOT of delicious food.

First we visited Gem, Mum, Sam, Tim and Rosie. It wasn't the best timing as we were totally jet-lagged. I don't remember much except that Rosie was so CUTE and Gem started a food fight and denied it! We had snow so the countryside was really pretty.

We then had Christmas with Gareth's family. I was amazed at what a fantastic lunch they managed to cook up for almost 20 of us! YUM... Gareth gave me a lovely new bag. His parents also adopted teo new cats. One was a cute little kitten and the other only just over a year old so still really playful.



Before New Year I caught up with Emma, Katie, Seonaid and Lex. I am definitely very lucky to had such brilliant friends. It's always just like we haven't been away when we get chatting. New Year was at Rob and Jenny's and of course was quite boozy but a lot of fun.


I can't wait to be back to the UK in the summer and start settling down. It will be so nice to have our own place and not always be visitors in our own country. I don't want to wish away our time here but am sure it will fly as we plan a wedding, get jobs, try to find a place to live and pack up our whole lives for shipping. What a year!

Totally BONKERS!

I will never understand this country. The pictures show it all!

The office staff downstairs are decorating for Christmas. Each one of those bricks is stuck on individually. They must have made more than a couple of thousand small, foam bricks each with 2 pieces of double sided tape on them. They are pealing and sticking all the bricks to make a winter fire-side scene at the reception desk. It's amazing but I just wonder why they have made them so small. It must be the most exciting day of their year as they're all there with the Christmas music playing. I suppose it's more interesting than watching us go in and out all day!

Yummy Christmas

I have just been making mince-meat for mince pies. Since I probably won't have a chance to get involved with making Christmas treats this year - as we don't get back until just before Christmas I thought I would make some to get everyone at work in the mood. I have made 3 jars of mince-meat (Grandma's recipe unfortunately with fake rum!) and plan to make some pies once I borrow the rolling pin from school tomorrow. I am going to make Gem's crumble top recipe.

Another busy week ahead. I have 2 concerts this weekend and our stage goes up for the kids Christmas performance. It should be really cute and I will try not to get stressed out with their dancing! Off to enjoy the rest of my Sunday.

Another tiring week...almost there!

The end of the Christmas term is always crazy with reports, parents' evenings and productions. I now have the reports and parent meetings out the way. I was at school until 7.40pm. I started talking to parents straight after the kids left. I got into school at 6.50am with a full day's teaching. It's a really long day and by the end I just didn't even know what I was saying.

At least it's the weekend. I have a busy time coming up. We now have our infants Christmas production I am also singing in a carol concert, playing cello for the secondary concert and performing with the Ho Chi Ming Choir - playing cello again for their 2 concerts. It's going to be crazy!

I can't wait until the holidays. To get myself in the Christmas mood I put up our tree today! I can start packing soon...

A busy, tiring week.

On your request Gem I have moved that crazy picture of Rosie down. I don't have any photos to put on unfortunately because we have been so busy.

The equivalent of Ofsted came into our school last week. It's basically an inspection before we can be awarded accreditation. The week was mentally stressful - always being ready to be observed teaching with full energy at all times - it's just not sustainable. For you and the kids you have to have some down time too. I didn't even get seen in the end! For Gareth it's been even busier - training for a marathon, applying for jobs all alongside the inspection - he is really wiped out too.

So this weekend I have been trying to wind down. My mind has been so full and busy I just haven't been able to relax or sleep in the week. Finally I completely conked out - no energy at all and slept all afternoon! It was so nice. I think it was all the yoga. I have joined some classes on the weekend and they really clear my mind.

Last night we went to our friends' wedding party - they got married in the summer. It was really nice but I was so shattered I was back home in bed before half 9. I can't wait to get back to the UK. The weather here is so hot it's unbearable. Only 3 more full weeks. My Christmas tree is going up next weekend. I will take pictures then - promise!

Funny Photos

Gem sent me these pics of Rosie to cheer me up. You can see why... I'm not sure Rosie wouldn be so happy if she had any say in it!

Halloween Party

Here are a few pics from last night. The school band played at a bar and we all got dressed up in our Halloween costumes. I was a bit crap and just wore black with some make-up. It was fun but I didn't want to be too tired this morning so it wasn't a late one for me.

I went to yoga today at a place my friend recommended and it was excellent. Although I realised how much strength I have lost by not doing it regularly. In Mexico I would have had no problems but I am going to seriously ache tomorrow!

Macau

Gareth took me for a walking tour around Macau yesterday. It's an old Portuguese colony so has some European style buildings. It's a shame it's ruined by the crazy flashing casinos. We flew into here because it's cheaper than flying to Hong Kong. Then we took the ferry across to HK. We are now at the airport having got up at 4am for an early flight - at least we'll be home soon!