Xin Chao!

I think I should start by thanking you for all of your loving thoughts and messages which have made me smile a lot! I'm sorry that it is proving so difficult to post to the blog wall, but Mum seems to be doing a pretty effiicient job of relaying messages, so I'd stop trying if I were you ;)

So, Hanoi. The start, as you can imagine has been pretty tough. Although the hotel was nice, and the staff were friendly, it was pretty lonely and the western feel and TV channels were making me pretty home sick. Logistics wise, I have applied for a new passport which should be with me some time next week, and then I can start applying for various visas all over again - in Vietnamese (?) I have had lots of offers of help from various people and so I am hopeful that the process will be smooth. If not, I'm going to cry pathetically and tell each embassy about my ordeal until they take pity on me, preferably before I find myself at the border. I'm a good feminist.

The last few days have been better and better. On Tuesday I moved into my accommodation (called STV - short term volunteer house) which, although (very) basic, is pretty homely and is apparently always pretty full of volunteers from various programmes. At the moment there are 5 people staying, from Korea and Japan, all English speaking and very friendly and welcoming! On Sunday, they are leaving and 6 new volunteers are moving in, mainly from the UK I think. The Pagoda Orphanage programme has been slow to get off of the ground because the main organiser is not in Hanoi at the moment and no one else really seems to have a clue about what I am supposed to be doing. I have visited the Pagoda once, which was on the first day of the month by the Chinese callendar and so it was full of local people coming to worship and make donations. The buildings are so beautiful and it's right on the river, so very peaceful. I imagine that I will start there full time on Monday with the new volunteers.

This morning I was teaching English to a boy called Fu. It was a really great experience actually, and I enjoyed, and picked it up quicker than I thought I would. He was really enthusiastic and wanted to keep going until he abruptly closed his book and said "Enough. Tired now." The lady who ran this orphanage was so warm and friendly and gave me a huge hug and kiss as I left to say thank you.

Yesterday morning I was also teaching English, less successfully and to younger children, in a school which has been set up for children who live in a nearby river-settlement. I went to visit the settlement to see for myself and felt quite shocked and uncomfortable in seeing and learning that the children I had been teaching that morning lived in, what are essentially, floating rafts with structures erected for shelter, the road to which was litter-strewn.

With all my English "teaching" I thought it would be good to try and learn some Vietnamese. Hard. Very hard! I think (and hope) the few key phrases that I have picked up are being remembered and pronounced correctly, but getting beyond, "how much", "thank you" and "nice to meet you" is proving a challenge. A girl took me through the alphabet this morning - which I had a hard enough time pronouncing most of the time, let alone remembering and utilising. I'm going to keep at it though, and imagine I should have the northern dialect nailed by the time I get to Ho Chi Mihn - which I am told is effectively a different language altogether! Nobody here speaks with, or understands a southern dialect, and so I can't do too much about that now.

I think I have, however, gotten to grips with the currency, and I'm enjoying the food more than anticipated. I haven't come across cooked dog yet (that I know of) but I have seen a few gorgeous strays wandering around, and it's quite hard to not pet them and make friends. Don't worry - Rabies bad, I know, but sooo cuuute!!

Other than that, I have been on quite a few busses (Jenni, Nicola - Barbados has nothing on Hanoi busses!) and have also been whizzing around the city on the back of a moped, which was fantastic!! If you've seen the Top Gear episode, it's a pretty accurate portrayal, but more fun when you're not in an armchair!

 Righty, I think I've abused the air-con enough now.