BY ANY MEANS...of transport!!

We got to the train station to go to Nha Trang... when we organised the train booking we chose the train that left at 11pm and arrives around 6am in the morning (7 hour trip), we booked the soft sleeper cabin with a/c (2 bunk bed cabin)…sounds comfortable…right!! We booked the tickets 2 weeks ago and we were all looking forward to our train adventure. It was a long day leading up to catch the train, we’re just hanging around in the room, we get the taxi to go about 9:30pm, we arrive around 10pm. We walk in the station with an hour to spare we thought…we presented the tickets to the lady behind the counter and to our shock we had tickets for an earlier fare leaving 8pm that evening… we had missed our train!! Now we were stuck at the train station.

We almost went into panic mode, what to do? Thank God there was another train leaving at 11pm…(the train we thought we booked…wasn’t our mistake - too hard to explain) BUT no soft bed sleepers left and no refund on our tickets. The only places left were normal seats…we didn’t have an option and bought new tickets... not a new train…speeds of around 40-60kms hours on average. We were expecting it was going to be hard…although it could have been worse. Alex is a star he just made himself comfortable using a fold out food tray fitted to the seat in front for his legs and fell asleep. Ashah on the other hand stayed awake playing games until after 1am, then she falls asleep in my arms.

It’s dark out the window and with her on my lap, I stare into the blackness waiting hour after hour mesmerized by the clacking of the train on the tracks and the door of the carriage banging all night with no door closure. I was just looking out the window waiting for a glimpse of light to reveal the treasures that lie outside…we pass shanty towns, lit up farms on main highways.  Hours pass and the sun begins to rise and the sky lights up…unsettled sleep for us all although we arrived in Nha Trang. We caught up on sleep in our new hotel $20 a night with balcony overlooking the beach…not bad!! Matt hired a motorbike for us and organised one for my dad and mum. Matt took the kids and I on a three hour riding tour exploring Nha Trang…we all loved it!!

Last day in HCMC

This is our last day in HCMC (Saigon) it has been 6 weeks here...tonight we leave for Nha Trang by train at 11pm. It cost us about $54 for all of us on the overnight sleeper train cabin....its a 12 hour trip...we thought it would be a good experience and at least the kids can sleep through the night. I think we feel happy about moving on to our next destination...It has been great though, we have met some beautiful people.

On Matt's last day of school the whole class went to a local eatery for their breakup lunch, I went a long as I have also made friends with those on the course with Matt. It was really busy and the food on the tables looked great, all locals customers (good sign) and about 200+ people...big, busy, cheap restaurant. Well, it was the best food we've had...and for the first time I ate whole frogs with lemon grass...Matt has eaten them before in Philippines...Matt and I went back the following day and we ate a plate full of them, very tasty and lots of meat on their little legs, tastes similar to chicken.

We have got to know the owner of the guesthouse, and yesterday they wanted to treat us by preparing us a farewell lunch. When the lunch arrived the staff asked Matt if we wanted to eat it in our room or out in the courtyard in front of them...well...we regretted opting for 'out in the courtyard'. We sat at the table and I tell you my eyes nearly popped out of my head. It was all very traditional northern provinces food consisting of blood sausages, raw meat covered in a dirt like spice, liver, intestine and other delicacies...and one which we were convinced could have been dog, this is a treat for guests!!!...they said it was pork but it smelled strange and did not look like pork at all!  The worst thing was they were there watching us and asking if we liked it all...it was hard for us to smile as we chewed :)!

Matt ate a lot of it so that we didn't have to (good man)...but I still tried the sausage and ate a piece of liver mmmmm and the kids just ate the rice and noodles, poor things!

Experiencing joy

So I find myself sitting at ‘Snap café’ watching the kids play here probably for the last time. There are lots of mums here from many places around the world, Malaysia, France, Germany, Japan…I think we all come here as a bit of a relax. I can watch the kids play and just sit!

On the way here Matt messaged me to tell me he’s just finished teaching his last lesson! That means no more assignments or lessons to do, I’m so proud of him he’s done so well, it’s been a very intense 4 weeks, most nights he’s been going to bed after 1am. But now we can start to get ready for the next part of our trip and he can just relax. But I know he is so glad to have done the course, he’s learnt so much and now he can literally teach English anywhere in the world! Here we come WORLD…

HCMC is a great place and I would recommend it to anyone, I would stay minimum of 2 weeks here to really get a feel for the place. But there are so many other places to visit while you are here, the Mekong Delta (floating market) which we were unable to do at this point, but you can also go to Cambodia and Laos…we even overheard someone saying they were taking the train all the way to Bangkok!

The guest house where we are staying is fantastic, cheap, very clean and breakfast although basic was great…The people have been wonderful and extremely generous, giving the kids biscuits, bananas and other interesting Vietnamese snacks! The lady who makes our breakfast also cleans our room with another man, both are so humble and we try our best to show our appreciation although we cannot speak to each other (due to the language). Even the 3 young people that look after reception have been great, we’ve been able to get to know them and have good chats (their English is good). I can’t express how grateful to God I am that he helped us to find this place that has been our home…the place to come is Nhat Thao guest house (www.nhatthaohotel.com).

We have met so many fantastic people, I do believe that you may come to a country to see the sights but you are by far, much more rewarded by the friends you make. When you trust God for your life it’s amazing how he can turn any situation, even the bad, into good. Life is multidimensional, there is the physical, the mental and through God he makes the spiritual dimension come alive, you get to see how His hand is at work in people’s lives. It is evident to me that He is constantly searching out people who want to have a deeper relationship with Him…he is a personal God that wants to be part of our everyday life so that we can share in the joy and purpose He has for us….this joy is different to happiness or excitement, its having peace in all the circumstances we find ourselves in, being assured that God will never leaves us or forsakes us. In the Bible there is a scripture that says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalms 119:105)...I always get the picture from this that he lets us see just enough for that next step…but his light never leaves us!

I’m starting to realize that Ho Chi Minh City is coming to an end...We have met some really lovely people and learnt so much, I think HCMC is a place that you could easily live. The people are really friendly and they are so happy to find out where you’re from and want to know about you. They are happy to share their lives with you also. I know I will really miss this place. The first day we arrived I was pretty upset about being here, I even shed a few tears. It just wasn’t what I thought it would be like, I didn’t know how I was going to cross the busy streets, or how I was going to trust a taxi to take me to the right places or what I was going to do with the kids while Matt was studying. To think that I was going to feel so happy as I do now I wouldn’t have believed it. Now I want to stay here longer!

Now Matt has only 1 assignment and 2 lessons to do and on Friday next week it will be all over. When Matt finishes we will stay here 2 days then catch the night train to Nha Trang…we will be there for about 5 days and then we’ll catch a plane to Hanoi, then we will go to Ha Long and travel around a little and then leave for the next leg of our trip…the Philippines!

Just a little story…I love collecting odd things, I like collecting leaves and Matt likes collecting rocks. We were at an Indian eatery the other night and I was outside talking to a lady and I could see Matt holding up a spoon talking with my parents. I didn’t think much of it. The next morning Matt presented me with the spoon…it had my name engraved on it…so he bought off the owner (what a man)! I see Ashah & Alex having a very similar interest in odd things, they love keeping leaves too especially ones that fall from the sky and land in their lap…but Ash, today… we were in a supermarket and there was one tile on the floor broken and pieces of the mortar under were exposed and loose…we are walking away and Ash looks up at me and says “can I keep this” rock in hand…she held it all the way home and wanted me to put it away to keep J

We've had a couple of interesting and very special days. On Saturday we were invited to go to Matt's student's house for dinner. The whole class organised to prepare Matt and 2 other teachers dinner, it was a feast but more than enjoying the food, it felt so nice to be in someone's home, you really feel part of a place when you can visit a home. You no longer feel like just a tourist, you take part in 'real' everyday life. After we ate the student whose home it was put on karaoke, we were all a bit nervous, they gave the microphone to Matt, then he passed it on to me, it was a song I knew so I started singing...but I didn't have to have the microphone long, because once Alex got it he didn't let it go, he just wanted to sing all night, so did Ashah. But Ash was just singing things that she could see happening around the room in tune with the music...like "the dog is lovely, he's walking I like the dog he is so cute, filo pla ni ma di da play..." She made me laugh so much...I didn't realise how much Alex loved to sing!

Sunday mum and dad arrived, it was so nice to see a familiar face. They are staying in the same guesthouse as we are. I think they really like it, dad said he could "easily live here"...I took them for the longest cyclo bike ride yesterday and then we did some supermarket shopping (you know how much I love them!) We had dinner at the local Pho soup place, which they loved...dad's been having a Pho every day even twice, they get a bit addictive. They've also been enjoying the nightlife! which involves sitting on the corner restaurant looking out onto the street and there is always something interesting to see, I think they said they saw an accident the other night. They have ventured out today going walkabouts...and they plan to take a trip into cambodia this week...real adventurers!

Matt's half way through the course, but there is still a  lot of work to be done, but he's getting there, I think he can't wait until it's over so he can relax with us. I'm loving it here...the kids are feeling quite comfortable too now.

Green mangoes

We had dinner tonight with a friend, a lady that is doing the course with Matt. Such a nice person, she's from the UK. 11 months ago her husband was offered an engineering job here, and she'd always wanted to travel to Vietnam so they came. They sold everything and moved to a quiet coastal village called Hoi Anh. She does some volunteer work teaching students that otherwise wouldn't get the opportunity. It's amazing how we have met so many people that just pack up and go! She seemed grateful for the opportunity to be here and it sounds like she is loving it. Experiences definitely enrich our lives in ways we can't imagine. The fear we may have initially about embarking on a new phase or experience can dissipate once we realize how wonderful an experience it really is.

The kids had a wonderful day today. We went back to the nice playground, Alex found 3 boys his own age and it made my heart so happy so see him interacting and speaking to other kids...Ashah rose to a new level of confidence on the play equipment, she managed to go down a fireman's pole all by herself. They played for about 5 hours, it was really good for them.

Matt is trying his best to keep on top of things, and is really doing a good job with his lessons and assignments. I can see thought that he is worn out by the time he comes home, he has dinner with us and after the kids have gone to bed he begins his work again, preparing and completing tasks. We knew it might be like this, but we are committed to getting trough it...

After the kids fell asleep tonight, I felt like getting a snack, the streets still busy at 10pm, buzzing with activity, it's so nice to be able to walk outside your door and be out on such an amazing street. I thought I was going out to get some chocolate for myself, but instead I was drawn to the lady sitting on the curb selling unripe mangoes, she peeled it, cut it up and put it in a bag with a red salty spice...it was good.

Thanks again to all the people that have written comments...and also an apology for so many food photos, its just that we seem to be doing a lot of eating! Eating good food. Last night we had street food for dinner, loved watching the lady cook it up in her portable wok, 3 dishes for under $3 fed all of us. So far we haven't had any tummy troubles, we are trusting God and praying before we eat (brings saying grace to a new level). Really the food is good and safe. We have found this great place called Stella, it really is a star, because the Italian food is authentic, it's the best we've had, some dishes are even better than home, the owner is Italian.

We look forward now for my mum and dad to come...it's going to be good to see them and share this wonderful and beautiful place with them.

The Narrow Road

I went to church with the kids this morning, sadly Matt had to go to ILA and prepare for teaching tomorrow and complete an assignment, although for us it was really good, singing songs and praising God. It really touched me. Many of the songs today were about God being the same and not changing...regardless of the circumstances around us and or happening within in minds...He is there and we need to trust in His promises. One promise that I love is that He will never leave us or forsake us, we can call of Him, pray and seek Him while in our struggles and also thank Him for all the good in our lives. God is faithful and true, this means He is reliable, He loves us, he has compassion and He is our Shepard...He leads us and guides us if we put our trust in Him.

Although we go about our life and experience new chapters...and our's a new place of discovery like Vietnam...meeting new people, building friendships and trying to help our neighbours. We're also exploring, going out and spending time together but we realise that we can't loose sight of God. To know Christ and invite him to guide us everyday and allow his love to sustain us in a world that lacks purpose and direction at times. Jesus spoke of a road and encouraged all to pursue this path that seems less traveled, a road that may cost you your life, so that he could live in you. So that we could lay down our life with our dreams and ambitions so His dream could shine in us and through us - his light never our own.

Another day in Saigon

Walking around the shopping malls, I am just intrigued at how well they are shelved, everything looks immaculate, and there is anything you could possibly need or want. I’ve been to a few in the last 2 weeks. For some reason I’m just compelled to check out supermarkets when I’m overseas, but I must admit I love the supermarket back home too. But there is only one problem here, with the shopping centers and supermarkets…there’s no people in them buying anything!  There is plenty of staff though. It just makes me think, why is this? Vietnam is definitely changing and the middle class is growing and I think the malls are ready for them but I think it’s a bit premature…its still so much cheaper to buy things at the markets, especially pre-made food. You only see very few families shopping at Lotte (a Korean suoermarket chain) and it seems all they tend to do is fill their shopping carts with detergent, tissues, chips, soaps and whitening lotions. I think it may take some time for the whole supermarket thing to catch on, but at least it’s creating employment for some of the young people.

The kids and I had breakfast out this morning on one of the street corners, we saw some cyclo riders, one in particular was friendly. An older man that looked worn from years of hard work peddling people around.  I thought it might be nice for the kids and Alex was quite keen to go. I picked a place from his worn out little flyer, I offered him a price not knowing where this place was, we bargained then he agreed…we were off. As he rode and rode I began to realize that this place was quite far, even Alex commented to me saying, “mum this poor man is doing a lot of hard work for us.” I started to feel really bad, I knew from that moment I would give him more than I promised he definitely deserved it. By the end of the trip we had discovered a good market, taken some great photos along the way and  the cyclo rider was quite happy with his tip! It’s easy to love this place, the chaotic roads, fantastic food, the people are generous, hardworking and as you get to know them they share with you their life.

It has been really special looking after the kids while Matt is doing his course. There are difficult moments sometimes, when the 3 of us have had enough of each other, but it doesn't last too long! I'm getting to know Alex too, its funny, we send our kids to school and we don't really ever get to see them learning. I can appreciate parents that feel passionate about homeschooling. By teaching Alex I realise how clever he his and what a thinker he is. We've been reading "The Mystery of the Strange Messages" by Enid Blyton together. When we read Alex responds to the text with the right emotions, he gets the jokes and the sarcasm and he uses the right tones and emphasis on words...I love it. While Alex does his work Ashah just potters around with her toys, containers and her drawing things, she's very good at entertaining herself...you can often hear her talking to herself or singing or pretending to be a musketeer.

I've been getting on the motorbikes with the kids to go places. When I walk out of my little lane there are a bunch of men and ladies that sit out there talking and the men waiting for customers for their taxi bike service. There are 2 main guys and they always compete against each other for your service, they are quite friendly, they do a good job getting us where we need to go. The kids love it. Going to the supermarket or bookstore with the taxi bike costs $1 and to go with the normal taxi it's the same but sometimes the taxis don't like taking you on such short trips so the bikes can be more reliable.

Matt's doing well and really getting into it, he's becoming a real grammar freak! He's doing his lesson plans, preparing and getting all his materials ready...do you know why you double the 'm' when you are adding 'ing' to swim? Do you know that there are 44 phonemic symbols to denote all the sounds in the English language, it's like looking at another language completely - kənˌgræt.jʊˈleɪ.ʃən - this is one example, it translate to congratulations! He is also learning how to effectively use auxiliary verbs to assist the main verb using appropriate stressors and intonations in the pronunciation of sentences...I'm not jealous one bit! He's keeping up a good attitude even getting a bit passionate.

Tomorrow's school outing is Dam Sen water park...can't wait

Matt's first day

Everybody started school today...well Matt his course, Alex was my student and Ashah kept telling me she was my teacher! I should let Matt fill you in on how his day went but he's doing homework (already) he has a class to prepare for in the morning. He did enjoy the first day and learnt so much already he had lots to tell me about. He came home at lunch and seemed a bit overwhelmed but when he came home after class he was much more relaxed and confident about approaching the work. Alex was great today and I was so proud of his thinking skills when it came to maths, he picked up a pattern in some addition equations. Ashah was coming around making sure we were all doing our work!

It was ok getting out on my own with the kids today, I was a bit apprehensive about getting the taxi, but it was all ok and worth the trip to the 'Snap' Cafe, a very nice oasis for the kids and I.

Yesterday we finally managed to find the church we were looking for. It was in a house and there were about 70 people. You are only allowed to attend this church if you hold a foreign passport as the Vietnamese authorities don't like their people to be religious. They definitely don't encourage sharing about Jesus or talking about God and have been know recently to terrorise local Vietnamese Christian churches and abuse their pastors. But it was great to see some local Vietnamese people at the church we went to, you realise that with God nothing is impossible, He transcends all circumstances even those that people try to lock Him out of.

Now we are looking forward, as tomorrow is the first day of March, and that means there are 13 days until Nonno Sal and Nonna Carmel come over to join us!

Love reading your comments and also thank you to all the people that have sent private messages we enjoy getting them, thanks for following the blog so far :)