Vietnam has a tourist layer- a blend of backpackers & Russians- that flows over the relaxed river that is 'real' Vietnam, in a fast stream of sites, booze and quick scams. When the majority of foreigners (including us) don't stay in the same place for longer than a couple of days, or in the country long enough to come to grips with the mental money conversion, there is no need for good customer service or quality business/consumer relations. This creates quit...

Two months have disappeared somewhere in the middle of watching live local football matches, learning the art of carrying bundles of dried grass on my head and long walks to villages where they touch your skin, your hair, your face, awed at the Mzungu so foreign. My stay in the beautiful Ruhanga is coming to an end, and so I will explain a little of what I've done other than making bricks and making friends. At school, there are certain lessons that volunteers c...

My African adventures have taken a little detour via South East Asia- namely Thailand and Vietnam, which is where I am now, enjoying the sun, the sea and the spice. I left Uganda rather reluctantly, with the promise that one day I will return. Unfortunately the opportunity for them to visit me is unlikely to present itself, but it does give me reason to go back to my African home. The leaving was made a little easier by a returned volunteer and lovely guy, Greg...

I have fallen in love with Uganda. The relaxed friendly open lifestyle, the climate, the people. Leaving the Lodge proved difficult, every morning I was supposed to leave I extended my stay a few more days or a week. "Not today. I'm not ready to go yet!" And so I moved in with Os for a while. (Until Denis -boss and absolute legend- requested I moved back because it affected his highly respected reputation within the community. Oops) I loved living with Os. Seein...

Here is an excerpt from an email I sent to my uncle. Names have been changed. "When I was in Nottingham, and we were at the pub quiz, you refused my £10, saying I should buy something for an African child instead. Easier said than done, apparently! There is a general vague rule at the Lodge that you shouldn't give the children presents, as it's unfair to give presents to some and not to others. Often people have different favourites, but there are always some...