All good things must come to an end...

It's with a heavy heart that I write this final entry for this blog. Yes, I have had to leave Vietnam, and no, I cannot return.

As I've said before on here, it was my intention to stay longer in Vietnam after my initial internship was over. Sadly, due to circumstances beyond my control, this has not been possible. The company who set up my internship seem to have had a few issues with procuring new visas for me - and others who wished to stay on - as well as securing the visas for those due to start an internship in February.

I was originally told that I had to leave the country and re-apply for my visa upon re-entry, so I booked a holiday home to the UK. Sadly, the night before my flight from Tân Sơn Nhất Airport, I was informed by TTV about the visa issues. I had to leave the country in a completely chaotic hurry, leaving things behind that I could not fit in my bag and only taking important things with me in case I couldn't return. I managed to pack some things my students had given me, and most of my clothes, but I had to leave things like books and lesson plans behind. I simply didn't have the room.

As the plane took off, it flew over the area of Ho Chi Minh City where I lived. I could see the distinctive Ruby Garden Apartments neon sign, and followed the path of the roads with my finger on the window until I landed on the spot where my school was. I have to admit I cried a bit as I realised this could be the last time I see it.

Upon my arrival back in the UK, I immediately set about trying to organise myself a new visa. Unfortunately, communication with my contact at the school was non-existant, and I did not manage to recieve the vital letter to confrim my employment that I needed to apply for a new visa. My return flight left without me.

As the weeks have gone by, it seems I'm not the only one unable to return; others who have applied for visas to go back have been denied entry by immigration, we think due to our association with the company that organised the internship. It's broken our hearts that we can't go back, and it hurts me so much to think of my students without a teacher.

I will always have nothing but fond memories of Vietnam, and I hope that one day I can return. However, I know that I will not be teaching there again.

I did have one bit of fantastic news when I got back home, though. I have been given an unconditional offer to do a degree in Japanese Studies at SOAS in London, starting this September. So although one door has closed, another has opened, and now I can focus on my future. I will eventually live in Japan or Korea, teaching English. Onto the next adventure.

Click here if you're interested to read my new blog.

Apologies, Excuses and Updates

Jeeeeez, it's been a challenging month here in Vietnam. I'm acutely aware at my failure as a blogger, having not updated since the beginning of December, and I'm really sorry to anyone who's been following my posts :(
I could make a myriad of excuses right now, but the main problem I've had is computer related. My laptop is over 5 years old now, and it's on it's last legs. It has now stopped allowing me to upload photos to the internet. And so I've been unable to post all the great pictures of food I've taken. This saddens me, as I had planned out a most excellent food oriented post that totally would've blown your minds with it's awesomeness and glorious accompanying photos.
Alas! It was not to be.

Instead, I offer you this:

What was Christmas like in Ho Chi Minh City?
- I spent Christmas Eve at the school, and Skyped my parents who had sent me a parcel of gifts, which I opened on camera. I had a little cry after talking with them, but then had an early night, and almost forgot it was Christmas.
In the evening of Christmas Day, I went to a buffet meal organised by one of the other interns. As a vegetarian, the options weren't incredible, but I had a lot of macaroni cheese and beer, and it was good to spend Christmas with friends.
The Christmas decorations in Sai Gon were really something. They go all out! Some of them were much more stylish and pretty than ones I see back home. Others were garishly kitsch - like the santas dangling from the side of Diamond Plaza.

What did I do for New Years Eve?
- On NYE, me and some friends managed to get ourselves a great room at the last minute in the Bui Vien (backpackers) area in District 1. We started the night watching the music channel, and I creeped them out with my in-depth knowledge of k-pop. We then went to a few bars, and ended up having a rather odd, anti-climatic midnight on the street outside Crazy Buffalo nightclub. After buying an obscene amount of food from the Circle K Mart and street stalls, we were back in the hotel room watching a documentary on David Guetta by 1:30am. I ended the night Skyping a friend who'd gone to Singapore for the New Year and comparing our nights.

What's happening now that I'm at the end of my internship?
- I'm staying on for another semester, and it's being classed as a second internship through TTV. This will last until August, and I will be teaching along with two new interns from TTV.
I actually just submitted my application for university this September, which was a kinda crazy, last minute decision. Lyn from TTV wrote a reference with me, and with a little help and advice from my parents and my aunt who is a Connexions advisor back home, I wrote a fantastic personal statement.
For a long time, my dream has been to live in either Japan or Korea, but without a degree I've been unable to apply for a work visa. Enlisting on a degree course to do Japanese and Korean Studies will not only captivate my interests, but also take me one step closer to achieving my dream of being a foreign language teacher there.
Yes, by the time I graduate I will be 28 years old. But it's better late than never, huh?

Until next time, Peace Out!