Sooo just about come to the end of my time here in Hanoi and trying to think how to sum up my experiences here! Had quite a non-stop last couple of weeks working with lots of other volunteers from all over the world to try and decorate the children's play area beyond a few yellowing pictures from 1997 on the wall, and see all of Hanoi in a few days (I failed miserably). Still, apart from one brief anti-cultural phase last week where us volunteers went to see Pirates of the Carribean, I've still managed to squeeze in a few authentic Vietnamese experiences.

A definite highlight was spending last weekend in my family's home town: a tiny village in the countryside outside Hanoi. Was very interesting to meet all the relatives from both sides of the family, who were all extremely curious about me and kept dragging me off to their own houses where they either attempted to communicate via pointing and miming, just sat silently staring at me or tried to teach me some Vietnamese. They all found this last one hysterically funny, which concerned me just a little as this language could almost be designed for trying to say one thing and coming out with something highly offensive! Yen, the daughter, also took me round the rice fields early in the morning where it was very interesting to see how this globally essential crop was harvested and processed. We then came back to the Vietnamese equivalent of a lunch party to celebrate some relative's marriage two weeks previously. Lunch was delicious, although we started eating at 10 and then everyone just went to sleep for the afternoon (it was very, very hot) before going home in the evening. An excellent format, I thought! One thing that did strike me however, was how similar the dynamic, atmosphere and all the relationships within this family are to my own at home - it's just hidden by a completely different context!

Otherwise, all us volunteers, feeling slightly guilty about our cinema outing, went to see the water puppets perform where I particularly enjoyed the live, traditional music. As long as they don't sing, it's really not that bad! Also went to see the Temple of Literature, Vietnam's oldest univeristy, where I trouched the a sacred statue of a turtle, which apparently garuntees sucess in your studies for the next year which should come in handy! We also had a last days at the hospital. It was a shame in a way, that all this decorating, which looks great, somewhat took our attentions away from the children, but it's still been fun to work with them and experience their hospital environment for a decent length of time. A few of us medically minded people have also been trying to work out what's wrong with them going by the fact we've been mostly in the nephrology department; it's amazing how many conditions, which look completely different at first sight, seem to be kidney related!

The weather has greatly improved since the weekend with the arrival at huge tropical storms which have been happening, regular as clockwork, precisely during the 5 pm rush hour every day. Me and my poor bicycle have been drenched nearly everytime as they come so quickly, there's no preparing! You can even watch the sheets of rain approaching the crowds of people scrambling for cover. Can't really complain though, as they improve the temperature by at least 10 degrees.

Despite the scant protection it offers from the rain or the torrents of water on the roads, the bicycle has also been great. I've had a couple of slightly hairy moments and the brakes are definitely beginning to make strange noises, but my improvised handlebar stabiliser has been working splendidly and it's been a great way to travel after enduring the bus system here. Not to mention excellent practice for managing the 8 o'clock Cambridge rush hour! However, I will need to dratistcally change my current attitude to red lights, staying in the right lane, indicating and most other rules of the road before I even go near a vehicle in England!

So, saying all my goodbyes at the moment and it's just hit me that I'm leaving Asia having been here the past 11 weeks! A small part of me would quite like to stay and see more of it, although maybe taking in a little more relaxation and beaches like most travellers, while the rest is very, very excited about Australia. A tiny, tiny part would quite like to go home as I've had another set of stressful last days with lots of things going wrong (seems to be the case whenever I leave a country) and also with all this talking about my family and homelife, but I'm pretty sure it will be easily persuaded otherwise when I arrive in Sydney...........

Love to you all xxx