Well things have been moving over the last 2 weeks. With the end of the wet season we are experiencing unpredictable weather. We were sent home early on 6 November due to an impending severe tropical storm which eventuated into nothing and then last week we were watching anxiously as Typhoon Haiyan unleashed itself on the Philippines and then headed in our direction. Fortunately it did not impact on us but it is dreadful to see the devastation it has caused. The northern parts of Vietnam have experienced some flooding and storms but here in the south we have just had hot weather and the occasional shower of rain.

As we should all have our work permits soon and will be moved out of the hotel which has been home for the last 2 months the hotel manager decided to have an early Teachers Day party for us. What a night is turned out to be. Lots of wine and whiskey and a veritable feast of Vietnamese food was put on for us. One of the teachers bought out his guitar and we all sang (rather badly in my case!) much to the amusement of the Vietnamese staff. It was a lovely night and a fitting farewell to the Thien Ha Hotel for me.

My work permit finally came through and my visa is now a multiple entry visa for 6 months – I have the freedom to travel at last!!! Of course with these two things in place it meant moving to the apartments that the university provide for us. Tuesday was the big day and after many days of scrubbing and scouring I can finally sit here and contemplate my new home.

Moved in after work having had to catch the bus back into town, pick up all my belongings from the hotel and then catch a taxi out to the apartment. The apartment is about 15-20 minutes from town. Only managed to clean my bedroom and bathroom that night before I fell into bed knowing I had to teach at 0730 the next morning. Have done a bit of cleaning each night after work and then spent this weekend finishing it all off.

The apartments are all relatively new but were filthy dirty – even though they had been cleaned before we moved in!!! Each apartment is 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom with a lounge area, dining area and a kitchen. They are furnished with basic furniture but NO washing machine which seems quite bizarre given there is no where to get washing done here. Some of the teachers have gone out and purchased a washing machine but, as I don't know how long I will be here, it is a huge expense that I will have to live without. Hand washing for me which won’t worry me too much......just not sure of how I will manage the sheets and towels!!!

Have had to go out and purchase all the household goods – plates, bowls, cups, cutlery, kettle, pots, pans etc etc etc . This has involved an epic journey (as well as several million dong) to several shops, then finding a taxi to get back to the apartments and then lugging all these heavy bags up to our apartments. My back is killing me with all the heavy lifting this week and I would love to have a massage....which of course is a 20 minute taxi drive away. You have to ring up and wait for a taxi to come from town. There is no public transport. Seems I am also going to have to learn to cook......and to top it off I have gas hotplates and have never used gas in my life. Petrified I am going to blow myself up!!!!

Gradually finding out what is/is not included in this "free" apartment. As I said above no washing machine is provided. I have to pay for electricity and for gas. A bloody big plasma screen TV is provided on the wall but I have to pay for the connection. Likewise, with the internet access, which I won’t have until I can get to town to buy a router (??) and then I have to pay for the access – hence why this blog will not be posted today!!. NOW those who know me well know just how techno savvy I am not so this is all rather stressful for me and I really have no idea what I am doing.

The apartments are about a 5 minute drive from the university and a car picks us up and brings us home. If the weather was cooler it would be an easy walk. Basically there are 2 towers of apartments – 17 storeys high – and I am on the second floor – with a fountain in the middle. This fountain looks very pretty at night as the lights change colour. They are still putting in the gardens around the apartment complex. Apart from a small convenience store and a cafe downstairs there is NOTHING around here. Trust me I am not exaggerating. This is going to be a “new city” but it is not built yet. They have put in bloody great 4 lane roads, there is some construction of other apartment blocks going on but the rest of the city is still an architect’s dream. They have put up billboards of things that are going to be built (like a shopping plaza) but this is of little comfort to me at the moment. The teachers that have lived here for a while tell me there are a few shops and a new restaurant close by...but on further questioning they can only really be reached if you have a motorbike. It seems that this is far more isolated than I was lead to believe........

I can only hope that there is more around than what people tell me. Otherwise I am going to find it very hard to live here and will probably have to look at getting out every weekend to keep my sanity. One of my friends also does not ride motorbikes so we could end up travelling together. I am beginning to understand why they are going to give us a $250 USD a month apartment allowance – this money will go towards the taxi costs associated with getting in and out of town which is necessary to do any shopping let alone for enjoyment!!!!!

It is Sunday afternoon so I sit here and wonder what a new week will bring........

Bye for now. xxx