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