Well, I’ve
lived in Vietnam for four years now and the time has come for me
to move on. However,
before I start writing about my new home, I’d like to share
my final thoughts and
observations about Hanoi …
A while ago
I had to have a medical to get an extension for my work permit. Some of it was
carried out at the swish, modern health centre but the government insisted that
some was carried out at a local hospital too. A few of the checks were the
fastest I’ve ever had: the dentist had a quick look in my mouth; Yes – you’ve got teeth – PASS. The ENT
specialist did the same and yanked my head around to get at various parts of my
head; She looked in one ear, then the other.
Yes – you’ve got ears. She looked up my nose. Yes – you’ve got a nose. Then she looked down my throat. Yes – you’ve got a throat – PASS.
OK, that’s
not what she said but I was there for about a minute so it felt that way…
*****
I had never
seen a shop dedicated solely to milk until I came here. True Mart has carved
out a niche selling milk that people appear to trust more than your average
milk and there are shops everywhere.
*****
I’ve had a
few leaving ‘do’s. One of the staff events was held at a Bia Hoi. They’re a bit
of an institution in Vietnam. Basically, they’re outdoor pubs that serve one
drink – a rather watery but very refreshing lager that costs about 40p a pint.
They get very busy and rather loud and even rats pop by to join in the fun. In
one place a live goat was carried through the middle while we were eating -
goat is on the menu in most places. At least you know the meat is fresh.
*****
I was given
a wonderful send off by the staff at REACH – the charity I’ve helped at for the
last few years. They made a big fuss of me and even bought a cake, the likes of
which I doubt I’ll ever see again.
While I was
there, the ‘Food & Beverage’ students were being assessed on their
ability
to make good
cocktails. I was asked to be a judge. Me? I don’t know the
first thing about cocktails. I
was given one to sip and it tasted jolly nice is all I can
say.
I have a
rather confused expression as I was probably thinking something like
What am I doing here? I’m an English teacher for crying out loud!!
Luckily,
after my one sip, I was whisked off to lunch.
*****
I was given
flowers by my students at the end of my last lesson at the British Council too.
As ever, several photos were taken.
One thing
I’ll certainly miss in Vietnam is the students. They are endlessly cheerful and
appreciative and I’ve enjoyed teaching here a lot. I’ll miss my colleagues too
– it’s great to work with a bunch that are so easy to get on with. I’ve made
some friends and look forward to keeping in touch.
And another
– the badminton crowd. A very patient
bunch, given that my game is not at the same level as theirs. I played my final
game and we went for dinner on the street:
A few things
that I won’t miss: the hot and humid weather, and the traffic. Oh, the traffic
– it drives you crazy. I feel fortunate to have survived four years in it.
*****
My new home
will be Seoul, South Korea. I’ll be starting there in mid-August so I now have
a couple of weeks at home. Getting a visa for Korea was a bit of a challenge –
they want a lot of documents. I had to send the originals of my degree and TEFL
teaching certificates there + the usual police checks, health checks +
miscellaneous other paperwork. We finally got there and I was issued with a
visa code. I had to go to the embassy to collect it. I took my ticket from the
queueing machine and was surprised to see (turn upside down at this point - I couldn't get the picture to!) …
International marriage visa?!!!
I felt sure
I’d applied for a working visa. So, either the machine hadn’t been reset that
day or my new bride-to-be will meet me at Incheon airport in a few days’ time.
Why Seoul?
Well, there’s a thriving British Council teaching centre for a start. In fact
there will be five teaching centres when I arrive – two for adults and three
for children. The teachers are asked to choose which they want to teach and I
chose adults. This will be the first time in eighteen years that I haven’t
taught children, but I enjoy teaching adults just as much.
Another
reason to go to Seoul is probably best understood by looking at the pictures on
this website:
http://www.hikekorea.com/trails
There are
mountains actually in Seoul and countless more up and down the country. I
expect I’ll nip up a few.
*****
So, that’s
it. I’ll continue the blog when I get to Korea. It’s hard to imagine anywhere
as interesting as Vietnam but I expect I’ll find a few things to write about.
One thing that will be absent of course is the bike photo of the month. Korea
is a little more orderly I believe.
There are
some photos that I wish I’d taken but either didn’t have a camera handy or
didn’t move fast enough. I hope you like the ones I did get. Here’s the last
one:
Final bike photo of the month
*****
I’ve decided
to start learning Korean before I get there. It’s worth getting ahead a little
I think. One surprising fact that I’ve discovered is that the script is
remarkably easy to learn. It might look like something a Martian would write,
but it’s just an alphabet like any other. Another advantage is that there are
no tones. Vietnamese has six tones and, as mentioned before, if you say it
slightly wrong, it can come out horribly wrong. It takes a lot of work to get
to the stage where you can be understood. Pronunciation is not as big an issue
in Korea and this gives me hope.
I’ll write
another blog once I’ve been there for a while so until then, I’ll say goodbye.
Or, as they say in Korea,
안녕히계세요
