Oi gioi oi

Feeling better now- thanks for your support! Hawaii sounds fun! I start my Vietnamese lessons on Saturday, so that should help me a bit with my confidence. Been buzzing around on the back of motorcycle taxis trying to get where I should be going, by writing down the address on a piece of paper and the amount of money I will pay- so far this works! Strangely I got into a taxi outside work, and was having a conversation (in vietnamese- with the help of my dictionary) with the driver, and he said you're from Denmark aren't you madam!! How strange. Either he was psychic or I'm getting a reputation...

I have a couple of sentences I can say without my little vietnamese book: Oi gioi oi- very popular in the office... and ten toi laa Shazzy :) Not sure of the spelling but also ten ban la gi - makes people smile and tell me their name :) So I'm picking it up. Vietnamese is easier to write than say... all those noises you have to make!!

Anyway things are stressfull right now but Im sure I'll get through it. So many things are wrong with this apartment it's untrue- but my landlordy people - one of whom brought me red roses at the weekend!! Seem to be fixing it all... slowly...

Better get to work. Already looking forward to the weekend!

So sad

I'm scared and alone in Vietnam. Nothing is going right. I have no friends, no family and no one seem to care at all I can't come "home" as I have no apartment. I'm not sure what I should do. I've been throwing up the last couple of days, and Im dehydrated and exausted.

I'm so scared, and have no one to turn to. I don't know what to do.

Blocked Blog

My Blog is blocked from Vietnam. That's communism for you. Found a way in today.

So things have been up and down. Visited Lang Son at the weekend, a market town on the border of china with lots of cheap chinese stuff. Fun shopping there! I was the only foreigner- it's 5 hours out of Hanoi by coach.

Things with boyfriend going well, and missing him of course.

Things here are not easy. I'm finding obstacles everywhere. Moved into my apartment but can't seem to get the bank to give me money! So I'm behind with my rent. I don't have any insurance details or any way to find out whether vaccine for japenese encephelitis and rabies is available on insurance. I am not immunised and at risk. I'm insured through my work but trying to get details from them is like pulling a tooth! Every day on the roads my life is at risk. They don't wear nmotorcycle helmets and they drive like crazy. People from work are always giving me a ride home, and so many near- death experiences. Thing is as I'm not insured I'm pretty sure if I was in an accident, I wouldn't get treated and just get left to die...

I'm very tired and stressed at the moment. Things are hard at work, and at the apartment, and having no support network out here. And I'm trying to be a motivational inspiration which drains my energy. The worst is not having internet at home. That's my life! Trying to get it though...

Opened a bank account in Vietnam today and OMG were they helpful. Taxi driver took me there via Australia though.... geeez.

Just got to stay strong and focused..

Valued in Vietnam

What am I worth? Seriously. I am a billion miles away in a foreign land, and my boyfriend has no time to talk to me. My office has no time to help me, actually on the recent staff list they sent out my team was added as an afterthought and I didn't even exist on the list! I am so upset today.

My life is in Denmark and I want so much for them to care. But Danes seem to find it very difficult to put themselves in others situation. They only seem to care about themselves. If someone at work needs a task done, they don't think about the chaos I'm in they just want it NOW. If I need help- there is no one there for me! Now the Vietnamese, even the strangers, seem to care about how I feel. I find this very upsetting, as the people who know me well don't care and these beautiful strangers do!

Perhaps it's a different mindset that the Vietnamese can see I'm very stressed trying to organise a home and paperwork all by myself in a strange language as well as work as hard as I can. Yesterday because my colleagues in denmark couldn't get themselves in gear, I had to work late. This meant I missed the banks to get the deposit for my apartment. So I had to bike round to every bank that would accept my card (not all accept foreign cards) and the maximum limit for the day wasn't enough! Bike ran out of petrol so Ha had to push it to a petrol station. Neither of us had eaten the whole day as we worked through lunch and missed out on breakfast. Went to go to dinner at the rooftop bar- closed. Of course it was. Went back to hotel around 8.30pm roomservice? Nothing left I could eat. Typical day. But all through that Ha was so sweet to me, and wouldn't even accept money for petrol!

The people I am renting the apartment from were so sweet, they even offered to lend me the money for the deposit themselves!!

I feel very very alone out here. Feels like I should just look after myself and forget the needs of everyone else.

Today I have to check out of hotel, move into apartment, find a bike, open a bank account, find a deposit for apartment, and all in my lunchtime whilst Im working like crazy.

I am so tired, so stressed, but at least the Vietnamese care...still feeling worthless though :(

More to Vietnam than Hanoi

Well, first trip organised- Ha's parents asked if I would like to go to Lang Son with them at the weekend. This is North of Hanoi- near the chinese border- 15km from the border. I think they are going to Ky Lua market- where much cheap products are sold from china. It's about 5 hours by bus from Hanoi and we will stay there overnight.

Markets here are scary- there are a few and Ha and I visited one today to get food for dinner. There was no need to get off the moped, everyone whizzes through the stalls on them, trying not to knock each other over. It's pretty crazy to see! But with so many different, fruit and vegetables- some I've never heard of- it's worth the visit- if you can communicate!

Ha's parents were so sweet to me. Her Dad asked me lots of questions about greenland and denmark, and her mum worried that I wasnt eating enough! She'd made me so much food- all gluten and pig free! And it tasted SO amazing!! I tried my Vietnamese- but the pronunciation is so hard! I start lessons soon.

Well tomorrow I sign a housing contract, hire a moped and start work- wish me luck!! Not sure which is worse really. There are no laws in vietnam. The traffic lights are merely a suggestion and everyone ignores them. Driving the wrong way down a street is normal- but joining in this craziness is kind of exhilarating- I'm looking forward to it :)

Flying around Hanoi

Have literally been flying around Hanoi the last few days- organising everything!

Hmm think I am paying too high for the apartment- but not sure what to do about that. But I have figured out that I can RENT a scooter from around 50USD (25 GBP/250DK) a month so over 6 months that would be a bit cheaper and easier than buying- plus if it goes wrong they will fix it and insurance (hopefully) is coveredhttp://www.offroadvietnam.com/eng/18-59.php :)

The following is pretty much notes to myself, but feel free to feel envious- or just come visit! :p

Hey I can fly to Thailand for 80 USD return (that's around 40 quid or 400dk!) weekend in thailand maybe.. I can also fly to kuala lumpar for around 200 usd (96 quid or 960dk) K.L is a four hour flight and bangkok is a one hour flight away! Both flights are with http://www.airasia.com/ so check if you don't believe me :) With http://www.tigerairways.com/ I can reach singapore in 3 hours for around 240 usd (115 quid/1150dk). With pacific airways I can reach Saigon in 2 hours for 127usd(60 quid/600dk). Airasia also offer packages 2 night stay in 5 star hotel including flights and breakfast= 257 usd (thats 123 gbp/1230dk!!!). With cathay pacific it's 2 hours to Hong Kong.

Anyway lots of information about Hanoi airport and the routes serviced here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noi_Bai_International_Airport

And a return ticket to europe? 838USD (400GBP 4000DK) Hmm.. should I come "home" for christmas..or stay in the sunshine...? :) or maybe more communism in russia/prague/budapest for 630USD... with vietnam airlines...

and visas required?
singapore - no gain visitor pass on entry
hongkong - no
malaysia - no
thailand - no

Anyway- off to dinner this evening at Ha's parents- my first time in a Vietnamese home. Ha's parents don't speak english so I get a chance to try my Vietnamese...wish me luck! :)

New home in Hanoi

The day before yesterday I ventured out alone- I went to the british embassy to register- after I went for a walk whilst I waited for Ha to come with me to look at apartments. I discovered a mall- and realised that I am a bit of a queen here! Everything is so cheap it's unbelievable. You can pick up an ipod for 20 quid (200dk)... the shoes are 9 pounds (90DK).. in the evening two of us ate for under 2 USD!!! I saw one apartment but it wasnt good.

My friend Ha is helping me a lot- I am very glad I have her- she is a lovely person and a good friend to me!I feel quite bad that my money is worth more here- but it's not my fault. It's very embarassing, especially as she uses her petrol and phone to help me out, I want to help her pay but she is very proud and wont let me sometimes! This makes me feel worse!

I really like it here. Despite the obvious language problems (starting lessons soon)and I have a huge challenge at work - but I like a challenge!

I'll be buying a local phone and a moped soon- necessities here in Hanoi it would seem :)

Yesterday I actually found an apartment. I had to choose between a beautiful house by the lake, and a duplex in a skyscraper. The house by the lake was 750USD a month, and was in between lots of other similar 3 storey houses. It was 2 minutes to moped to work on a quiet road, but supermarkets were a way away.

The apartment was on two floors also with 3 bedrooms. It was a bit newer, had also 3 bathrooms, but the security was better and it has a rooftop bar- I talked to the owner and he would like me to sing some saturdays in his bar :) The bar has wifi internet so I can also work there whilst sipping cocktails :) SO although there's no outdoor area- theres the roof bar which is a bonus... and a supermarket and bank on the ground level. Banks are very useful because 500 kroner (50 pounds) is about 2 million Dong!! And this is a LOT of money to carry around!!

Also the apartment people will supply everything I need machine-wise so although it's more at 900USD it seems the better option. Although I loved that house- the apartment is only 5 mins on moped from work.

But negotiations are still going on- the house owner wants 6 months money up front!! I don't have that kind of money!!! So the agent is negotiating now- I am very nervous about handing huge sums of money over- in Vietnam that is a FORTUNE!!

So anyway today I am trying to find a moped. I will try find a second hand one as new ones cost around 500 quid (5000DK)

One more thing- who are these mystery people writing on my blog?? Email me or something because I REALLY dont know who you are???!! :)

By the way the pic today is me in Vietnam- click it to see it big sized :) That's Ha's moped- I will buy one like that :)