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!

Busy, busy, busy, like a beeeee.

Apologies avid readers! I've been super busy these last few weeks, what with preparing my students for their exams and generally freaking out about having to test them myself. I've had a few emails and messages from people, and have tried to reply to them as swiftly as possible, but sometimes it's hard to keep track. So if I haven't answered your question yet, please be patient :) I'll get to it soon.

I did a poll last month on my Chalkboard blog to see what people want me to write about. The votes came out pretty evenly, so in the next few weeks you should be seeing three blogs: one about food (which I've been dutifully taking pictures of), one about coping with culture shock, and one about medicine in Vietnam (which I've had some VERY personal experiences with... All will be revealed soon).

Christmas is swiftly approaching, and I'm missing the chill in the air back home, and my mum's roast dinners; make the most of it before you come out here! A bunch of us interns are getting together for a roast on Christmas Eve, but being vegetarian my options are limited. I may be making do with a plate of roast potatoes and a few veggies. But that's fine by me >.<

I've had the official meeting with my principal to discuss my plans to stay. I've been told I'll be getting a fantastic pay rise, and won't have to start paying for my accommodation if I want to stay where I am (however, I hope to move out soon as I want my own kitchen. I miss cooking, and I hate living off instant noodles!). I was also told that we're getting two new interns through TTV in February. It could be you! XD

Quick Photo Update #3

Sorry for not updating recently. I've been busy, as well as feeling homesick and having a few food-related issues (I now have a meal allowance instead of eating at the canteen). To make up for it, here are some photos of my class 10A1 doing some group work very enthusiastically :P

The lesson was 'Agreeing and Disagreeing'. I gave each group a piece of card with a statement on. They then had to decide whether they agreed or disagreed with it, and give at least one reason why.
My favourite of the lesson was in reaction to the statement "In fifty years, humans will be able to fly." One group's representative just threw his arms up and said "Well, I disagree because... it's stupid!" He got a good laugh from the class. I genuinely love my 10th Grade classes at Chu Van An. They make me light up with happiness every lesson.

Hopefully I will update again soon, once I've sorted myself out and stopped getting weepy over my lack of potato.

Some answers to some questions, and some pictures of some things...

Hellooooo girls and boys! Greetings from Ho Chi Minh City on this lovely Monday evening.I am currently feasting on Pocky and strawberry juice, whilst I watch k-pop music videos on Youtube. Oh, it's a hard life!
Anyway, enough about me and my dull evening down-time. And onto the main point of this blog post: questions you guys have been asking me.

On the i-to-i Chalkboard Forum, I told people they were more than welcome to inbox me any questions they have about Vietnam and to my surprise, people actually took me up on that offer. I've had quite a few messages from people, and a lot of them seem to ask similar things. So I decided to do this blog post, and see if I can answer some of them.

Today, I got a message from Annabelle (hi there!) with a few questions in, and so I'll use hers as an example =)

"1. Insurance? What did you do? and what would you recommend?"
As far as insurance goes, I got mine with FOGG, through i-to-i. I shopped around a bit before hand, but couldn't find any other policies that specifically covered you for travel and work at a reasonable price. It's also simple to sort out, with a quick phonecall to i-to-i.

"2. What would you recommend I prioritize in my 'requests' when applying? - Location/Number of people at placement/ Age of kids?"
When I applied for the internship, I didn't specify a location, or the number of people at my placement. I would rather not have been alone, and was told by TTV that I would be placed with at least one other person. My preferences for age were (in order from what I wanted most, to least): Primary, Kindergarten, High School, University. I ended up with High School, but I'm not disappointed. In fact, I'm ecstatic to be working with older kids. I think I actually like it better than teaching younger children.
The main thing to remember is: even if you put down specific preferences, it's not guaranteed that you'll get them. So head into it with an open mind. You may be surprised.

"3. What happens money-wise? Do I need to get organised with a cashcard...?"
I came to Vietnam with my debit card from the UK, and about US$300. Because things are so cheap, I barely spent any money! I bought my card for emergencies. When you withdraw cash from an ATM here, they usually charge you. And of course, your bank may charge you for using your card abroad as well, so keep that in mind.
As for paying for things here: everywhere deals in cash. It's very rare for people to use a card to pay for anything, and some places won't have the facilities to use a card. I get my wages paid to me in cash. I will be opening a Vietnamese bank account at some point, but only because I intend to stay here. I don't think it's a necessity if you are only staying 5-6 months.

"4. Is there anything I should be asking for for christmas - a wish list type thing!?"
Girls: stock up on makeup, like foundation and powder, because it will be hard to find stuff pale enough here (especially if you're stupidly white like me). I'd also recommend bringing tampons, as they can be hard to find.
If your family want to help you by buying you things for Vietnam for Christmas, ask them for practical stuff like: a mosquito net, smart clothes for teaching, maybe a travel hairdryer or iron.

"5. Are there any cultural taboos I should know about?"
The biggest things I can think of are as follows:
- When beckoning for someone to come towards you, do not do so with your palm facing upwards, as this is essentially telling that person you want to sleep with them. Instead, turn your palm downwards, and make a sweeping gesture towards yourself.
- Women don't smoke here, and it's seen as very rude for them to do so.
- Touching a child's head (when you don't know them) is seen as rude.
- Always take your shoes off when entering someone's house.
- Public displays of affection, or PDAs are kinda a no-no. Although you do see young, Vietnamese couples sneaking a few kisses in parks after dark.

"6. Are there any books I should read? Experiences I should try and get before arriving?""
Before I came here, I read:
- The Rough Guide to Vietnam: much better than the Lonely Planet's guide. Very informative and interesting. This is a must buy.
- The Quiet American by Graham Greene: "Into the intrigue and violence of Indochina (Vietnam) comes Pyle, a young idealistic American sent to promote democracy through a mysterious 'Third Force'. As his naive optimism starts to cause bloodshed, his friend Fowler, a cynical foreign correspondent, finds it hard to stand aside and watch. But even as he intervenes he wonders why: for the sake of politics, or for love?"
- The Lover by Marguerite Duras: "Two outcasts--an adolescent French girl and her Chinese lover--struggle to be together during the waning days of the colonial period in Indochina (Vietnam)."
I also watched these films:
- Indochine
- Apocalypse Now
- The Deer Hunter

As for experiences: Practice with chopsticks. See if you can find a Vietnamese restaurant near you, and try some of the food. Find out more about the American war. Get some knowledge of K-pop (your students will love you for it - focus on Big Bang and Super Junior).

I hope these answers have helped people. Let me know if you find them useful or not.

And to send you on your way, here are some pictures of my students at karaoke on Saturday night:

I know you're not meant to have favourite students, but on the right is Đạt, who is in my 12th grade class, and he is ADORABLE!

Illness, and what must be culture shock.

Hello boys and girls,
It's a hot, hot day in Vietnam, and I haven't eaten properly in days! I find myself suffering from a complete loss of appetite, meaning I can manage just a few spoonfuls of rice, and then I feel so full I'm almost sick. Everyone is very concerned at the school, and I've had deliveries of cake and milk and medicine to my door by concerned friends with furrowed brows.
Eventually, the worry got to such a level, that I was whisked from my room on Friday night and taken to a doctor friend of the Chairman. She runs a specialist maternity unit, but agreed to see me at short notice. It was a very surreal experience. I had my blood pressure taken as I sat sandwiched between two heavily pregnant Vietnamese women, each with their bellies hooked up to monitor the babies' heartbeats. Then I was given an ultrasound, while a crowd of women stared at my stupidly pale stomach. Odd. Very odd.
I had to be held down when they took blood from my hand, because I really, really hate needles, and started freaking out as she came towards me brandishing one.
I was prescribed medicine to get my stomach back to normal. But sadly, it hasn't worked, and I am still not eating.

Now comes the diagnosis from the Principal and Vice Principal: I'm lonely, suffering from Culture Shock, and need a boyfriend - they're very obsessed with me getting a boyfriend.
I think some of what they say could be true, although it's unusual for me to turn my back on food when I feel sad. I'm definitely a habitual comfort-eater.
Apparently, I'm being taken to another doctor this week some time, and hopefully they'll be able to help me more. And I think taking a translator would be a good idea next time.

As for Culture Shock, I think that I could be suffering from some form of it. I love this country, and the people, and it's not as if I don't want to eat the food. But yes, I do feel lonely sometimes, in the evenings, when I am sat in my room and realise... I don't have any friends that live close by, and I don't speak enough Vietnamese to make local friends...
It can be frustrating. BUT, I am learning more Vietnamese as time goes on, and I am absolutely determined to master it. I hope this 'not eating' thing goes away soon, because I'm craving some noodles and prawns in spicy sauce!

Eating unusual foods...

Yesterday, I hurried to the office before the lunch break to print out my lesson plan for that afternoon - yes, I know, short notice! On my way there, I noticed all the students' motorbikes were gone. It's not unusual for half to disappear for the lunch break, as they live close enough. But all of them? Something was amiss.
When I arrived at the office, I was informed that due to the students doing exams in the morning, there was no school in the afternoon. In fact, there would be no lessons until next week. I was flabbergasted. Kinda wish I'd been told about that before the frantic lesson planning!
The principal, Mr Tung, decided that he wanted to take Rasmus and I out for lunch with him and a few friends. Seeing as we now had all this free time, we agreed we'd go.
He took us to a really great restaurant, which specialised in seafood. There were huge plates of mussels, salads, peanuts, and I had a special dish of oysters in a sort of rice-soup. It was amazing!
There were a few more 'exotic' dishes going around, and being pescetarian, I couldn't try them for fear of hidden meat. And so it fell to Rasmus to try instead. Here's a video of the victim *ahem* I mean, willing volunteer, eating bees and pig knuckles...
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New school, new schedule, karaoke, painting.

It's been a week since my last update. Sorry, avid readers (if there even are any).

This week I started classes at a second school, and I've been settling into a new timetable. At the moment my schedule is this:
Monday - day off
Tuesday - One-to-one tutoring (the school Chairman's son, Ky-Danh)
Wednesday - 10A1 and 12A1 at Chu Văn An High School
Thursday - 4 10th Grade classes at Lý Tự Trọng High School
Friday - 10A2 at Chu Văn An High School
Saturday - 5 11th Grade classes at Lý Tự Trọng High School
Sunday - Young Learners class at Chu Văn An High School

It's not looking too bad, especially considering some interns are teaching 29 different classes a week! Schedules seem to vary from school to school, much the same with class sizes and quality of equipment.

Here are a few differences between my two schools (CVA & LTT):
- At CVA, the classes are air-conditioned, with great lighting, and are a nice, bright space. At LTT, the classes are more dingy, and only have fans.
- At LTT, you can use a microphone to teach, which is great because in some of my classes, I have up to 50 students. At CVA, classes are much smaller, so this isn't a problem.
- At CVA, the students took a while to come out of their shells and really open up in class. Of course, some students were always super confident, but now most of them speak up in lessons. At LTT, even in my first lessons with them, students were extremely confident and spoke up in class a lot, making me laugh and telling me they love me!
- I definitely felt like more of a celebrity at LTT, because the students went wild when they saw me, some of them actually screaming as I walked into the classroom. At CVA, it was a lot more subdued.

Overall, I love both the schools, and the students are really quite wonderful!

In order to keep my sanity, I must have a social life! And so, a few Vietnamese friends took me and Rasmus to karaoke last night. The only English song was We Wish You A Merry Christmas, which we had to sing not once, but twice. And we did attempt a few Vietnamese songs - kids ones, of course, so that it would be easy. We actually managed to get 100% on one of them, so I feel that was a definite achievement.

As you can see, there was a lot of bia 333 going around, as well as huge platters of fruit, and snacks.

The walk back to the school in the rain was pretty hilarious. I think one of my friends took pictures, so if I deem them appropriate they'll be up on the blog soon! Haha.

**EDIT** Some photos of us in the rain, and me singing karaoke, courtesy of my friend =)

Today, Rasmus didn't make it to the Young Learners' class. But I went along, because I love those stupidly adorable, badly behaved children. And I didn't want to leave my friend Binh - the main teacher - alone with them for another lesson (since our schedule changed, we can't attend the Saturday afternoon lessons anymore).
After that, I met some of my students for coffee, but sadly the cafe was closed. So we went to the supermarket, and painted some little statues... As you do!

The finished products:

Mine is the fish with chickenpox.

Birthdays & Mid-Autumn Festival

Oh, what a weekend!

It was Rasmus' 20th birthday on Friday (as well as two of the students' birthdays - 15th and 17th) and Mid-Autumn Festival too. And so the school threw a party for all the boarding students, any teachers that wanted to attend, and the birthday boys. They had the most fantastic hats made for them:

As well as a lovely cake:

The lovely cake didn't last long, though. Ooops!

There were also lanterns, and sparklers:

There were loads of party games, and some amazing fruit and sweets, too. As well as karaoke. Sadly, I didn't get many pictures of that, due to the amount of cake being thrown around - I didn't want to risk my phone!
It was so much fun, and I can't wait to celebrate my own birthday here!

This was a pretty photo-heavy post, and I will hopefully update again tomorrow or Tuesday with more details, but for now I'm signing off after an extremely busy weekend! Until next time! =)

Weather, gifts, food, bugs!

Oh my god, it's so rainy! But it's rainy season, surely you knew? I hear you cry. Yeah, yeah. I knew, alright. I just didn't know it would be so insane!

Last summer, I went to South Korea on holiday. It was rainy season then, and we got caught in a monsoon. I've never been so soaked in my life. I looked as if I'd jumped, fully clothed, into a swimming pool. But it didn't go on for that long.

But Vietnam. Boy, Vietnam's got some real rain. So intense, in fact, that my window started leaking yesterday:

It even left a little puddle on my floor, right by my bed:

Thankfully, I found the whole episode really quite hilarious, and happily got down on my hands and knees to soak up the flood that threatened to claim my electrical wires. Quick thinking saved the day, and sacrificed my bath towel.

Other than the crazy weather - and really, you think you know thunderstorms? You know nothing yet - this week has mostly been gearing up to the Mid-Autumn Festival, or the Moon Festival this weekend. WIKIPEDIA (a link if you want to know more).
This has been described to me as 'Tet for children', and I know that we will be lighting lanterns, and eating lots of mooncake. Which is great, because that stuff is full-on amazing. In fact, my friend bought me one today:

(for some reason, I just can't get this picture to go sideways. So the wrong way around, it shall remain!)

She also got me these, (which are already almost gone, because they're so delicious):

Have you noticed yet that I love food? =/

Another lovely gift I received this week - seriously, when will this wonderful generosity end?! - was this beautiful purse from Ben Thanh market, from the principal's wife:

I think I've been very spoiled this week!

But of course, something sour must always happen to outweigh the sweet. I found this guy lurking in my bathroom. He was huge, and ugly, and when he fell onto his back, I left him there to die. I know it seems callous, but these things give me the heebie jeebies!

Beware the cockroaches! You have been warned!

Warning: Extremely cute pictures in this post...

Hey y'all,
Sorry for the lack of updates recently, I've actually had quite a busy few days, what with having an allergic reaction to washing powder and sporting a nasty looking rash on my hands, and then teaching all weekend (no time for socialising, boo).

My 10th Grade classes are going really well. The last two lessons I taught them were all about 'Making plans for the weekend', which prompted a lot of my students to add me on Facebook, and ask me in messages, "Teacher, what are your plans for the weekend? Drinks with 10A1? Yes!"

And then there's the Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning primary classes. Get ready for all-round adorable-ness (pretty sure that's not a word, but nothing else could describe these kids).

These two are absolute monsters. The one on the right managed to split his lip open on Saturday, and I had to sit there trying to stem the flow of blood. He chatted away at me in Vietnamese, patting my arm in a comforting way and saying "No problem - Không sao." I could hardly stand the cuteness.

And here are a few of the older kids with my placement buddy Rasmus:

Now, try telling me these photos don't make you want to hop on a plane right now, and get here? That is, of course, if you're not here already (hey fellow August interns! Thanks for stopping by).

Last night, our principal took us for dinner with him and his wife, to a lovely Vietnamese restaurant specialising in food from the middle region of Vietnam, specifically Huế. It was like a taste explosion in my mouth, so many fragrant spices; so much perfectly cooked shellfish. I was definitely in heaven.
Next time, he wants to take us for karaoke. I am so up for that, you wouldn't believe!
I also told him that after the 5 month internship, I want to stay in Vietnam. Probably forever. I made this decision almost as soon as I got here, and I'm sticking by it. Yes, sometimes I will be frustrated by things here - I got frustrated by things back home, too - and the language barrier will be difficult for a while. But I fully intend on learning Vietnamese, and making a life for myself in this wonderful country, which has already given me so many more opportunities and experiences than I ever had in England.
The principal and his wife said they were pleased I love their country so much, and want to help me in my efforts to stay here. Yet another example of the generosity and kindness of the Vietnamese people.

Until next time, xin chào!

Quick picture update 3

Rasmus really wanted to go swimming. So our friend, and fellow teacher, Hồng, took him on her motorbike:

The second one is by far my favourite!

FOOD (and drinks, too).

If there's anything I love more than food, it's... Well, actually I don't think I do love anything more than food!
As I've mentioned before, I'm a pescetarian (like a vegetarian, but I eat fish) and this has been a struggle for me in Vietnam. I want any other vegetarians thinking of coming here to know how difficult it has been, but not to be put off! There are ways around the lack of veggie food in schools!

This is an example if a standard lunchtime or dinner time meal at my school:

It consists of rice, cucumber, and fried fish. Once they knew I liked fish, they began serving it every day. One can grow tired of it, to be honest. The lack of communication between me and the kitchen staff (they speak no English, I speak no Vietnamese) has made it hard to say to them, "Hey, I like fish, but could I have tofu tomorrow?". I have made a list of the foods I can - and like to - eat, and this has made things a little easier. The past few days, we've been given really delicious homemade soup. There's been tomato, carrot, sweet potato - I've been in heaven! A couple of evenings, I even came down to the canteen to find chips. Sweet, sweet, potato, how I miss you!
I guess what I'm trying to say here is that communication is key. If you are vegetarian, or pescetarian, or even just a fussy eater, write a list for the kitchen staff at your school. They'll really appreciate it. After all, they just want to please you, and make sure you're happy.

You may find yourself craving Western food. I didn't think I would, but I really have. Amazingly, we found a fantastic little Italian place in the heart of District 1, slap bang in the middle of the Backpacker's area (Bui Vien and De Tham). It was love at first sight when I saw the extensive vegetarian section.

Vegetable Lasagna:

But of course, the meat-eaters weren't left out either, with these delicious dishes:

Chilli Con Carne:

Minestrone Soup:

I don't know about you, but my mouth is watering just looking at them!

Now that I'm done salivating, let me introduce to you another love of mine: cà phê sữa đá (Vietnamese iced coffee, with condensed milk.

It may not look like much, but boy is this drink delicious. The idea of condensed milk in coffee set my teeth on edge at first, but from the first time I tried it, I was hooked. It's super-tasty, strong enough to give you a good boost in the morning, and nice and cold for a hot afternoon in a coffee-shop.
I think the best cà phê sữa đá I've had in Vietnam so far was at the house of the school Chairman, but for a very close second, there's Pressio, a coffee shop literally around the corner from TTV's office in Saigon.
Here are directions:
- Walk out of the campus and turn left at the Security booth
- Walk along the road, and turn left again at Lotteria
- Continue down this street until you see a bright green coffee shop on your left
- Stop, buy, enjoy.

Another great place to get a drink is a chain called Highlands Coffee. There's a big one right near Ben Thanh Market in District 1, and you can get gorgeous drinks like these:

They're not horrendously pricey (from about 40.000VND) and are a wonderful treat, especially if you've been traipsing around the market, looking for bargains.

So there we have it. Some food, some drink. All delicious. =)

PS. Look out for these things:

They're highly addictive, and I cannot be held responsible if you find yourself binging on a whole box now and again (I know that I did)!

How to cross a Saigon street, and other survival tips.

(originally posted here on i-to-i's Chalkboard forum.)

It's a balmy 35 degrees outside, and I'm desperately trying not to move too much, with my air-con on full blast. Despite the heat, it's pretty grey outside, as the heavens are about to open for our regular, afternoon monsoon. And even from inside, I can hear the tooting of motorbike horns.

You may or may not know that pretty much everyone in Vietnam has a motorbike. And I'm really not exaggerating! It's even more so the case in Saigon, which is already a sprawling, busy metropolis full of bicycles, street-vendors, coaches and the occasional car. The motorbikes weave in and out of this colourful streetlife, carrying everything from crates of live chickens, to a whole tree (I really saw this!).

As you can imagine, this makes crossing the road no mean feat! When I first arrived in Saigon, I was both terrified and awed by the traffic. And I knew that crossing a road on my own for the first time would feel like a major achievement. There are zebra crossings in Saigon, but nobody really pays them any attention. There are also traffic lights (rarely looked at) and clear pedestrian areas, like the pavement (ignored). Here, it seems, the motorbike is the law.

When you first pluck up the courage to edge to the side of a road, it can seem as if there is no way across - I imagine it's similar to how they may have felt before Moses parted the sea. But you just have to get to the other side, for a bahn mi, or a museum, or just because your friends are there. And so you just have to go with it.

I find the best way is to wait for a slight gap in traffic - this may be just a few seconds - and step out, sort of wandering slowly into the road. Slow and steady is the way to go, so that motorbike riders can both see you, and have the opportunity to weave around you. Cars and taxis, however, won't be so easy to manouvre, and you might find yourself narrowly avoiding being clipped by them. Just be aware of your surroundings, keep one eye on the goal, and go for it!

A few other words of advice:
- Handbag stealing: It does happen! Make sure you bring a shoulder bag with you, that you can wear across your whole body, and try to have it on your side that's facing away from the road. And girls, I know it seems annoying (especially if it ruins your outfit), but it's practical, safe, and much better than being dragged along the ground by a wannabe thief on a motorbike (which did happen to a friend of mine - she was okay, a scraped knee and ripped leggings was the only damage). Please, please be careful!

- Don't drink the tap water: Seriously. Don't! Bottled water is really cheap, so don't take the risk. Also, when getting drinks out and about, only accept ice if you are sure it's made from bottled water (most cafes and bars will do this, but watch out for street vendors). The tap water here can make you really poorly, and you definitely don't want that when trying to teach kids!

- Stares: In central Saigon (District 1), you won't get stared at so much. But be prepared for when you get to your placement! Even though I'm placed in Saigon, I'm 45 minutes from the centre. Here, people stare at us when we walk down the street, and we have been followed around the supermarket by schoolkids. Don't take it offensively. The Vietnamese are a curious, friendly people. Most likely they just want to say hello, and maybe practice their English on you. Give them a wave and a smile. They'll love it!

Being ill, schedule mix-ups, language barrier.

I've been feeling quite ill for the past two days. Nothing really serious, just a temperature, body aches, and extreme lethargy. Queue everyone at the school absolutely freaking out about it! The Vietnamese are caring to the extreme. I had a string of different people come to my room to place a hand to my forehead, and fuss around me; I was given a fistful of pills, and told to take them after eating. The nurse had to mime what each one would do for me, "Yellow!" - she held her head, "White!" - she rubbed her neck, and back, "Green!" - she stroked her throat. I had a visit from the Chairman - who, if you remember, demanded we had better beds last week - who was very concerned about me. "You must eat." He said, "You tell me what you like, we'll make it."
One thing I haven't mentioned in detail in this blog so far, is the fact that I am pescetarian, meaning I don't eat any meat but fish (it's not a moral thing, or religious choice, my parents were just kinda hippy-ish in the 80s & 90s, and raised me this way). This has been an issue in Vietnam so far. Not a major one, but an issue all the same. The canteen at the school is small, and I am the only non-meat eater, which has confused the cooks terribly. I've visibly lost weight in the past 2 weeks (not unusual - other meat-loving interns have too) and I think it may be due to my diet of rice and vegetables, rice and vegetables.
Don't let this put you off, though! I've had plenty of food in Vietnam that's been incredibly delicious. Just think to yourself: were school dinners really the same as a meal at a restaurant? No. Definitely not in my case! So I make sure I treat myself to something extra tasty and vegetarian at the weekends.

This week, we've had a schedule mix-up, through no fault of our own! Our teacher-liaison isn't actually at the school as much as we'd hope, so trying to communicate with teachers who speak very little English is sometimes hard and often frustrating. We were originally told that our schedule for last week stayed the same for this week - 2 lessons on Thursday, 4 on Friday - but apparently, this is not the case. As I've been ill, my placement buddy has had to pull two lesson plans out of a hat, and teach two classes this afternoon.
I don't know if this kinda thing is common here. I suppose being prepared is the only way around it. Always have a few lesson ideas you can use at the last minute, especially in the first few weeks, while you settle into things.

Sorry for the lack of photos in this entry. What with being ill, and pretty much bedridden, there hasn't been much of an opportunity to take any. But I'll leave you with this guy, who was hidden behind a marble column at the Reunification Palace:

Accommodation and first lessons!

First thing's first: Be prepared for extremely thin mattresses. You have been warned!

Originally, I had the bunk-bed as my main bed, but the Chairman of the school decided we deserved double beds - I'm definitely not complaining! My room is nice and big, and situated on the 3rd floor of an accommodation block on the school's campus. My placement buddy, Rasmus, is on the floor above me, and the rest of the rooms are occupied by students and people who work at the school (cleaners, cooks, maids, etc). It can be a little noisy in the evenings, as the students are pretty excitable, but it's a great room.

As for lesson planning, I've had to get organised. There's a supermarket near the school, so I've been lucky enough to score some great supplies, like box files, trays, and loads of stationary, for cheap, cheap prices. I'd definitely recommend getting some trays to keep separate class' work in, and to separate grades too.

In my first lesson, I got the class to make name cards. I was prepared, and bought in pieces of card and felt-tips for them. They really enjoyed making them, and also found it hilarious when I tried to say their names (getting my mouth around the name Nguyen is still hard, but I'd better get used to it, because it's the most common name here!)

I was really nervous going into the class for the first time, but a solid lesson plan, a few deep breaths, and a big smile really helped. I managed to get a class of 30 15-16 year olds having a fun time learning English by the end of the lesson, so I think I did something right. There were a few hairy moments, where I had a lot of blank stares, but it was bound to happen - after all, this is my first time teaching, and this was their first time with a foreign teacher! This morning, I woke up at 5:15am (as usual, because breakfast is at 6am, and school starts at 7am) to see the sun rising over the rooftops of Saigon.

It reminded me how stupidly lucky I am to be in this fantastic country, with this wonderful opportunity. I think these 5 months will be some of the best of my life!