Again not a lot has happened this month......seems to be a recurring theme here!!!

Basically it is go to work and back to the apartment from Monday to Friday.....then spend the weekends at the apartment only going out for a run or a swim.

The break for the week is our Tuesday night "Ladies night" at Mimi's Restaurant in Thu Dau Mot. We catch the bus in after work, do our bit of required shopping and then head to Mimi's for dinner. Ii is run by an Englishman who looks after us and ensures we always have a nice, relaxed evening. Started with a few of us and gradually the group is increasing each week. Of course for me it is at least one night when I do not have to worry about cooking a meal......something I still have not got used to having to do!!!! Recently they have got a new chef who specializes in Indian food - not for me - but everyone is enjoying the new menu items. It recently dawned on me that although I am living n Vietnam my diet is still very much Western......very different from my time in China when I almost exclusively ate local food. Disappointing to say but Vietnamese food is just plain terrible around this area and in Saigon. The only time I enjoyed any local food was when we were in Hoi An where I enjoyed the wonderful "white rose" and fresh spring rolls.


Sadly our teaching schedule does not allow much travelling which is compounded by the fact that we need to get into Saigon before we could look at going anywhere else. With only the weekends off it has proved to be too difficult to go anywhere. Fortunately I have seen most of the country on previous trips but I feel sorry for those who have come here for the first time as they will see very little of the country.


We have had one fun night when the manager and his wife hosted a Mexican night which is apparently an annual event. Everyone was required to accessorize in keeping with the theme.....ladies had to wear a mustache...men had to wear a flower headband......Lots of delicious Mexican food washed down with copious amounts of Sangria and rather potent Margaritas. Understandably it was held on Friday evening which gave everyone the weekend to recover!!!!

Our teaching quarter is almost over......only got to get through this week of teaching and then we have exams next week. It has seemed like a long quarter with many people getting sick but I think a lot of it is due to the fact that we have not had a break since January. A really crazy schedule here with all our holidays in December and January and then nothing until September......not at all like usual university semesters in any other country of the world. Well that is it for now, hope you enjoy all the photos which probably show more than i can put into words.

Bye for now. xx