the photos you can take and the photos you can't...

Heya Folks,
Boxing Day in Hanoi, what else to do but go to the zoo? Well okay, it wasn't exactly Whipsnade but it wasn't a total horror story either. I was invited by some Vietnamese friends and thought I'd better swallow my ethical views for one day in the interests of making friends and contacts. And I did actually have fun. The zoo is set in a fantastically peaceful park and seems to have been melded somewhat with a theme park, so lots of stuff to do.

Interesting point: My Vietnamese friend was not given a ticket when he parked his motorbike. On the way out, he was 'fined' for 'losing' his ticket, and right there and then lost a days wages to the unscrupulous parking attendant. Just goes to show that even the Vietnamese can get ripped off.

the photos you cannot take

Inside the park, I had my second ride on a swan pedalo in two days, and we tried our hand at dodgems and 'the magical house of mirrors'.

the photos you can take

The Vietnamese take on a theme park is a fascination to behold. A strange mix of flourescence and kitsch with appearances of disney characters and some very strange carousel music. All in all it was a very fun afternoon.

Later on in the evening, I was invited back to my friends' house for dinner, which turned out to be right out in the 'burbs of Hanoi, and extremely tiny. It was both fascinating, and shocking, to see how people really live in Hanoi. A room the same size as where I am currently sitting housing four people. We ate dinner on mats sat on the floor. Across the way I could just make out another family sitting down to their dinner. They seemed to be a little wealthier in this neighbourhood as they had the luxury of a TV....and a front door. I was both shocked by the poverty and humbled by the generosity of my new friends in inviting me to share a meal with them.

the photos you cannot take

SarahHeadsEast xxx

Ho Ho Ho Chi Minh

Hi folks,
I've been waiting and waiting for a suitable opportunity to use the above pun,and can wait no longer, so here it is! Merry Christmas to all the readers in their respective time zones across the world, hope you have/had/are having a good one.

Christmas in Hanoi is proving to be most unusual. Its not a big holiday here (its not even a day off from work), but as ever the tide of change is upon Hanoi and the western influence is creeping in. As the Vietnamese are great lovers of all things kitsch, Christmas is celebrated with all the saxophone-playing mechanical santas and tap-dancing reindeers attached.

Last weekend was the hastily-arranged Christmas festival at the Children's Palace. It was disorganised to say the least and I wasnt quite sure what role I was to play in it until I was given a list of questions and then thrust on stage in front of 300 children and parents to host a festive quiz! However, it was a really fun day and a great way to celebrate christmas. Picture Attached, hopefully.


Christmas Eve was celebrated in the only way possible, by taking a swan-shaped pedalo around Truch Bach lake with my good friend Huong from the Temple of Literature. Random but lots of fun! Later on I met up with an Australian friend of a friend of a friend who was also at a loose end on Christmas Eve and we went for a few drinks, that turned into a few more drinks.

Needless to say I have spent this morning recovering(!). I thought you'd like to see a picture of my Christmas 'hoard' so here it is. The gorgeaus bag is from my boss at the ABC English school and the Mango I bought just now from a lady with one leg at Hoan Kiem Lake.

On my way to the lake today I quite randomly and unexpectedly but happily bumped into some of my old friends from the Lemon Hotel, where I stayed back in March. I had thought I wouldnt see them again as the hotel is all boarded up but there they were, like some sort of Christmas miracle! We have made plans to meet up again and catch up properly, and it just goes to show that the mystery of synchronicity is no mystery at all. If the universe wants it, it shall be so.

Merry Christmas everyone

SarahHeadsEast xxx

this year's photo of crazy tree roots

This one's for you, Mum!

SarahHeadsEast xxx

The Vietnamese photo pose

Hey folks,
I've finally cracked it! After much observation, the stance to be adopted when taking a photo in Vietnam is to raise your hands in a palm-out 'V' sign; bonus points for using both hands!
With my camera fixed, I set off this afternoon to the Temple of Literature to finally take the 'lesser-known' shots of this beautiful place. And here they are. I'm sure there wasnt a headless buffalo hidden among the topiary before. But here it is. I was amazed, and delighted, to find the temple almost empty today, most of the tourists having gone home for Christmas I presume.

Later on today, I met up with two Vietnamese friends, Nhung and Huong (of origami flower fame, for regular readers) and we took the bus to the Ethnology Museum, which is another of my favourite Hanoi spots. There was a mini water puppet performance taking place in the grounds, among the reconstructed dwellings of many Vietnamese ethnic groups. The majority of people there today were Vietnamese which struck me as a very good thing, that even though Hanoi is modernising and developing, people are still very much connected to their cultural roots.

Flagging a little, we wandered around the park opposite the museum, and then went for coffee in a local cafe. Once Brewed readers take note: I have had without a doubt the STRONGEST coffee of my life, and am now caffeine-fuelled!

SarahHeadsEast xx

karioke night

"the aim of karioke is not to be good, its to have fun"

On sunday night we descended upon a local karioke bar after having a meal together and sang, danced and drunk the night away. Karioke is HUGE in Vietnam and visitors can only resist for so long. As a concept for a night out, I cant think of anything more fun. Even the rubbish acoustics, random song selection and echoey microphones just add to the whole experience. The Vietnamese song list of English numbers on sunday seemed to be going along an 'Old School' theme, with Spice Girls 'Wannabe', 'Bette Davis Eyes' and 2Unlimited 'No Limits' among the more memorable choices. I have to say it was one of the most fun nights I have ever spent in Vietnam, and hopefully more of the same to come.



SarahHeadsEast xx

a reflection of sorts...

...believe it or not (and I dont), I'm heading into my fourth week here in Hanoi, and shall soon be crossing off my first month in the 'Nam. Crazy but true. Looking back over the past few weeks, it has been a whirlwind.

Coming back to Hanoi was like I'd never been away, and it was barely a day before I felt like I lived here. Volunteering at the Children's Palace has been an experience; I've been reminded of the crap organisation and lack of planning, but surprised myself by teaching some really cracking lessons. I've learnt to teach on the hoof and go with the flow, and not to expect every lesson to resemble a CELTA training course. I've been reminded of how fun teaching English is, and how a little material can go a long way. I've rediscovered old haunts like Tamarind Cafe and the Temple of Literature. And I've christened new ones like Papa Joes and Nola Cafe. I've eaten more Kem than is strictly healthy, and am well on the way to putting on weight here rather than losing it. I've made Vietnamese friends in unusual places, and discovered how crap I am at Salsa. I'm now teaching lessons for cash, and love the confidence boost each successful lesson brings. I've been back to Hidden Hanoi, and discovered its never the same second time around. I love studying Vietnamese, and try and practice as much as I can, especially with Xe Om drivers. I un-mugged myself by asking my employers for more money, and then learnt how to make Nem Chay. I found great friends in Fivimart, but still managed time for a Bia Hoi with the traveleasers. I've embraced cafe culture, and finally tracked down a decent cup of coffee. I've complained about the early morning school song everyday but secretly love it and can't think of a better alarm call. I've twice asked myself 'How did I end up here?' and decided that 'life' is probably the correct answer. There have been days when I've questioned if I've done the right thing, and others when the wave of enthusiasm nearly leaves me airborne. I've greeted CNN, HBO and BBC World like old friends. I dont expect every day to be perfect, but most of them are.

I live in Hanoi.

SarahHeadsEast xxx

cooking day

Hey Folks,
I am served up the best grub in all of Hanoi here at the STA house. This morning I tagged along with Quanh Anh the chef as she went to the early morning grocery market, and then she taught me to make delicious spring rolls. Its amazing to see that even in a city such as Hanoi, which is expanding developing and modernising with sky-scrapers to rival Hong Kong and Singapore, that there are still authentic meat, fish, vegetable and fruit markets, with no tidy packaging or plastic bags. This is food, as it was and is.

Back at the guesthouse we chopped the vegetables, cooked the tofu and rolled our creations in rice paper before frying them in oil.



and the best part of the morning.....the taste test!









SarahHeadsEast xxx

a list of sorts

(thanks for the idea Mum)

* I love the traffic noise
* I love the sounds of the school next door waking me up in the morning
* I love telling people that I live here
* I love knowing how to suss out the traffic and cross the road
* I love fuzzy foreign TV channels
* I love kitschy Asian supermarkets
* I love taking Xe Oms
* I love haggling for everything
* I love the foreign banknotes in my purse
* I love the healthy food
* I love trying to speak the local language
* I love that I know my way around
* I love that I have a job here
* I love not understanding the street signs
* I love the foreigness of it all
* I love when a lesson I teach goes well
* I love Asia

SarahHeadsEast xxx

a photo of my christmas tree...

...for no other reason than that I can, because my camera is FIXED! Hurrah. Courtesy of a backstreet camera stall in the Old Quarter, so I can now blog in full technicolour glory. Though Christmas is not a big holiday here, a few of the more kitschy items have made it to Hanoi. I resisted the urge to splurge on santa-shaped fairy light, instead settling for this modestly small tree.

Teaching continues to be both fun and tiring. I have got two other centres to teach at as well as my volunteering at the children's palace, and what with that and the Vietnamese lessons its a pretty full timetable. On sunday I took part in (i.e. watched) an English Singing Festival at the children's palace, involving 15 schools and around 1500 students were in attendanc. There was a whole day of songs and performances to be scored, and then prize-givings in the late afternoon. Video attached when I find the right lead.

On saturday night I was invited to a Hanoi Salsa club for some dancing. I was assured that they were 'basic' level, as am I (I thought) but they were considerable better than that, and I was most definitely NOT. Still good fun though, and I hope to go back soon.

SarahHeadsEast xx

Not complaining, just noticing

Heya folks,
I'm beginning to notice more and more the emphasis that parents put and the lengths they go to to get their children to learn English. Its not enough to just have lessons in school, there are evening classes throughout the week and early morning weekend classes too. It's sad, but ultimately true, that Vietnamese youngsters need to know English in order to secure the top jobs and wages in the future.

The linguist in me (BA, Hons) worries that the Vietnamese language should be upheld and promoted in industries within the country, boosting both the economy and national pride. Maybe it is, I dont know enough about it. The EFL teacher in me is thankful for the abundance of teaching jobs in Hanoi.

Either way, it seems the least I can do is make an effort to learn the language of the country that has welcomed me so warmly...

SarahHeadsEast xxx