100% CAT

Heya Folks,
Just when I thought I had exhausted all the cafes, coffee shops, bakeries and other caffeine stops in Hanoi, along comes this. The Ailu Cat Cafe. The Ailu is short for 'I love'; as in 'I love cats'.

Thankfully the cats are not ON the menu, but on the cushions, under the tables and asleep in the shoe rack. They have 20, yes thats TWENTY, cats and kittens of varying sizes, shapes, ages and colours dotted around the cafe. If you stay still long enough they come and sleep in your lap, this morning I had the fortune to share my lap with teeny black, white and tabby kittens. There are also huge, fat, western type cats which keep their distance, but nevertheless are very cute. Of course its not a patch on the likes of Tashi, BK, Willow, Aakash, Tilly, Gizmo and dare I say it, Poj, but its a damn good substitute. Needless to say I love it here. I've been three times in three days, I've heard every track on their CD loop several times. If it wasnt for the fact that they closed at 10pm I would have moved in by now.
The meeting of Cats and Coffee. Is there anything finer?

SarahHeadsEast xx

Rainy Season

Heya Folks,

Vietnam is having unpredictable weather at the minute. Most days it's scorchingly hot, so much so that you cant go outside during the middle of the day. At other times, like yesterday morning, rain hits dramatically and unexpectedly. This particular downpour continued for three hours, and left most of Hanoi underwater. After spotting a motorbike floating away down my street, I didnt even try to go to work.
Fun Times

SarahHeadsEast xx

PS At the time, I was marooned on my bed watching my room slowly flood, so the above is googled I'm afraid.

broken bicycles

Heya Folks,
This week I discovered the perils of buying a bicycle in Hanoi. I had been wondering why there were so many repair stalls at the side of the road. Then this week, after a series of bicycle misadventures, I discovered why.

I have already become proficient at reattaching my chain, having to do so in around one out of every three journeys. Twice this week my pedal has fallen off mid-cycle; luckily there have always been bicycle tecchies nearby who can reattach for 20,000 dong. On sunday my chain snapped altogether, and it took nearly half an hour for the local repair shop (read: man sitting at a streetside cafe) to dismantle the wheel and put it back together. Unfortunately in doing so, he loosened the brake cable, and I had ventured less than 50 yards before I found myself in the terrifying situation of hurtling towards a busy intersection with no way of stopping! After removing the bottom layer of my flipflops by skidding to a standstill, I walked it back to the shop for yet more repairs before cycling tentatively home.

The cherry on the bicycle cake came yesterday morning, when I got a puncture on the way to work leaving me late for class, and a further 20, 000 dong poorer. It's only slightly irritating to see vietnamese ladies cycling past on rusty rickety bikes which never seem to break down ever! I should have gone with my usual preferences of retro over brand-new and bought a second-hand bicycle which has already proved its longevity. However, it seems to be working alright for the minute, so fingers crossed!

SarahHeadsEast xx


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More bicycle tales, and a picture, here

As She Is.

Heya Folks,
After a busy June teaching I decided to kick off July with a relaxing trip to Cat Ba island, with some friends from the GMG English club. We set off early on saturday morning by taking a train to Hai Phong city, and then a bus, boat, bus to Cat Ba itself. Ever tried going on holiday with Vietnamese people? A usually 3 hour trip took nearly 8 hours of fun and randomness. When we arrived at the port in Cat Hai, we discovered the boats were 'broken' and there were crowds of Vietnamese holidaymakers trying to make their way over to the island. After a three hour wait in the dock (during which time I learned to sing Vietnamese songs!) we made it to Cat Ba town.....22 people in a 14 seater minibus. Naturally.

After such a crazy journey, we were all looking forward to hitting the beach and swimming in the warm water of the South China Sea. The feel of sand beneath my toes was truly a joy and made the journey instantly worthwhile.
This is the scene that confronted us on our chosen beach. Clearly a destination of choice. A truly Vietnamese holiday.

When the beach closed at sunset, we dodged the security guards and snuck up behind the rocks to set up the barbeque in the fading light. We lit a fire in the shell of an old computer monitor, and chatted the night away under the stars of HaLong Bay. It was fun, random and slightly illegal, truly the ingrediants of all the best adventures.
Sunday started early with a kayak ride after a bowl of Pho for breakfast. We paddled our way through a floating village and then moored up on a small beach of broken coral for a rest and photo op.

Although CatBa is undoubtedly becoming more and more touristy, disappearing into a mess of resorts and highrise holtels, it was still a really really fab weekend. I didnt even mind about the delays, the broken boats, the over-crowded minibus, the hourly power cuts in the hotel, the crowded beach and the disorganisation. This Is Vietnam, as she is. It's what I wanted to see when I came here, and last weekend I feel like I saw it all.
Happy Memories

SarahHeadsEast xx

Ouch

Heya Folks,
After ignoring toothache for the last month today I finally conceeded and paid a visit to the Vietnamese dentist. Ouch. Actually it wasnt that bad, apart from the punch on my wallet. I used my friend Raven as translator, and she insisted on recording the occasion. Of course! It makes it blogworthy.
I get to go back next week for more fun. And no more ice cream for the foreseeable!

SarahHeadsEast xx