11.1.14

Went in search of a tailor shop this morning, unsuccessfully, before heading into the Old Quarter. Paula and I had lunch with Mien from the hotel where my mum and dad stayed, she is so lovely and another Vietnamese friend who has been a huge help. I can't believe she is 6 months pregnant she is tiny!! The weather was gorgeous so we wandered around for a while before heading home to relax before the circus. I am soooo glad we went to the circus it was amazing, I felt like a 6 year old clapping and gasping the shole way through. You do feel bad for the animals as they were dragged off but it was an experience I am glad I had. We headed on to CAMA for what we thought was another reggae night, however after paying 50, 000 to get in we found out it was a Voodoo funk night with weird electro music and sitar sections. Still we had a good night anyway.

The following week we finally found a tailors to make our dresses, I took in a picture of what I wanted for each and apart from a few minor alterations when I went to pick them up they were really accurate. My flight home is now booked which is fairly depressing. I can't wait for Vikki to get here but at the same time I don't want to think about going home. I have to think about the oppotunity I have at home, volunteering for the Commonwealth games, which I have now been offered Opening ceremony and rugby volunteering opportunities. Once thats over I feel I will be itching to leave home again. I would love to come back and visit everyone as they finish and start checking flights.

We researched Phu Quoc accommodation and emailed the top rated place from trip advisor. We received a long email back explaining how they werent for everyone, had a close relationship with their guests and you needed a free natured spirit to stay there - great we nearly booked in to a swingers resort!

On Friday all schools had a day off to let the students relax at the end of midterm week. I went into the old quarter with some of the girls for lunch at Joma's before treating ourselves to beauty treatments. I just went in for a back massage but it wasn't the most enjoyable, it was a bit rough and I ached for 2 days. Its the first time I've been straddled by a woman and when she asked me to turn over I thought I had got myself into a dodgy situation!

After collecting my wages, well most of them some were missing again, surprise, surprise. We went for breakfast with Cat for her birthday and then got ready for the waterpark. This was really good, only a few slides there but we spent around 2 hours there before cake and the supermarket for dinner and drinks, to have while we were going to get ready. There was a new owner at Bubble bar so only managed to blag 3 for 2 drinks this time. 80's night was as advertised thankfully and it was really good to have nearly the whole group out again before we leave.

Last week in Hanoi

I can't believe how quickly this has come around, before xmas it felt like we had tons of time left and now we are down to a week. In true unorganised style our company have organised a closing ceremony on the day they are kicking everyone out. Even if I were staying for another 5 months I don't think their lack of common sense would ever cease to amaze me! I will miss the people here but not the teaching so it is definitely the right time to move on. This thought, although exciting, petrifies me but here's to seizing the day.

Spent most of this week packing up whenever I was in my room. It's amazing how much stuff you accumulate in 6 months, may have to send some stuff home as I don't think everything will fit. Most of the bag is taken over by toiletries, mosquito net and towel so not like I have tons of clothes (probably more than is absolutely necessary but I can't bring myself to throw stuff away!).

Tuesday morning I got a text to say my school was off as the temperature was below 10 degrees. Unfortunately by the time I got the text I was up, dressed and ready to leave so I felt I should be productive rather than going back to bed. After unpacking and repacking (not productive) I went to the French quarter and the history museum. The museum was ok with interesting pictures and artefacts but I didn't feel it taught me very much aboutVietnamese history. There were captions to say what things were but nothing to explain why or how they were relevant.

The last day of school felt like a real anticlimax, especially as the last class had their coats on 15 minutes before the end and my TA told me not to bother anymore and finish early! You can tell school holidays are coming up. After an awkward conversation with the deputy principle and my TA translating that was it I left the school of dreams behind. Just to finish in style the company taxi was late ... again. Some of the boys moved into their new house today which is amazing and only £220 per month. It has a great roof terrace and the rooms are big, have to say I was slightly jealous.

Saturday = kicking out day and time to say goodbye to my home for the last 5 months. Felt strange as we were not leaving Hanoi yet. The company had agreed to pay for accommodation for Saturday and Sunday night as we had been told we would not have to move until the 20th. The accommodation they had arranged whas a Nha Nghi - a guesthouse which are well known in Hanoi as sex hotels where you can pay by the hour! We gave them the benefit of the doubt and checked in but within 30 seconds I knew I wouldnt be staying there. My bed was covered in stains, Paula's room stank of crap and they guys downstairs were creepy. We dumped our stuff and went for lunch where one of the girls offered us a bed with her but we booked our own room in the hotel, well worth £7 each!

Saturday night was another housewarming and another amazing house overlooking West Lake with terraces on every level. Everyone was quite tired from moving and the night before so it was quite quiet but it was also mine and Paula's final proper night in Hanoi so we went into the Old Quarter and straight to Phuc Tan. We arrived to find a backpacker's bar crawl group protesting outside because they didnt want to pay to get in. It was a TET party (but not any different to a normal night inside) so you had to pay 100, 000 to get in but you got a free drink so entry was only around £1.50. They weren't going to back down so we shoved through and paid. We had a very good, very drunken night with the owner of backpackers buying us drinks and our Vietnamese friend slapping the bar crawl leader for talking to us.

Sunday morning brought the first good bye to Eliot. We had bacon and omelette rolls (needed for the hangover) before waving him off in a taxi. It felt very strange the first big character of the final group to leave. We spent the rest of the day recovering and watching films in the hotel room befor a final dinner with the girls and a last trip to Cong's. It was really starting to hit home now that we would be leaving the majority of the group behind. It was even stranger when most people went to work Monday morning leaving just those who were going. We met as many people as possible for lunch and said our final goodbyes. It was hard but at the same time felt like it wouldn't be the last time I would see most of them. By 4pm our sleeper bus (complete with squat toilet on board) left Hanoi. Now to see if the rest of Vietnam can deliver like Hanoi has...