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Published: April 2nd 2014
Birthday celebrations
The founder of Lifestart's birthday celebrations. That's me in pink!Isn't it funny? I keep putting off writing a new blog as I think that nothing special has happened but really, every day wonderful things happen.....either to me or people I know. Most days, I have to pinch myself as I wander around my immediate vicinity marveling to myself that "I'm living abroad!"
For the past week, I have had my (ex) sister in law here and she has mentioned a few times how friendly and generous the Vietnamese in Hoi An are. I've also noticed that from the beginning. Wherever I go around this beautiful area, I have people calling out to me "Sue! Sue!" And I think to myself "who is this?" The thing is that they are such engaging people that you end up in interesting conversations with them (which I do with lots of people each day) and, for some reason, they remember my name but for the life of me, I can't remember most of them. They all seem to know where I live, what time I go to work, where I ate the night before and who drove me on their motorbike taxi. There are no secrets in An Bang village!
Since leaving
On the beach!
Reliable rumour had it that Keith Richards (Rolling Stones fame) was in town and heading to Soul Kitchen on Sunday afternoon/evening as he was after live music. We hung around til 9.30 but then it was bedtime! Australia, I have done no exercise other than walking briskly in Hoi An/ on the beach or riding my deadly treadly everywhere which I love but can be quite harrowing when being overtaken by buses 30cms from your handlebars. The upside is that you get taken into their slipstream and go that much faster for a while (It's OK though as I've sent copies of my Accident Insurance policy to the kids)! I decided that I needed to do more so I now have a personal trainer.....a young Frenchman, Dimitri, the boyfriend of the Aussie Occupational Therapist at Lifestart. He comes to my house two days a week at 6am and we do some interval training and then down to the beach to do some crunches etc all for 100,000vnd (about $5) each time!
The weather here is warming up and a few days have been a little humid....other than that, perfect beach weather. I have started going for swims before work now to start my day off right. Once I'm at work, after my morning flat white (25,000vnd/$1.20) I start hanging out for the Kem man (ice cream) who makes ice cream in cones very similar to Drumsticks
Scenery
This is my regular route home! Pretty serene....on the highway! but better and only 3,000vnd. At that price, I can afford to shout the makers in the workshop now and again....11 of us the other day (about $1.70 worth) ;-)
Put my neck out yesterday at the homeless shelter where I go four afternoons a week....a pinched nerve, I think as I couldn't turn my head either way. Had a Blind Massage (no, I was not blindfolded but the lovely couple who provide this service are blind) which is unlike any massage you've ever had. Nothing serene and relaxing about it at all (I groaned and moaned the whole time) but soooo effective. Today I was sore and sorry (as in bruised and inflamed) but had full rotation of my neck. Not bad for 100,000vnd for an hour! Leanne, you'll all have to try it when you're here!
So many mundane things happen here every day that I become a bit complacent but it truly is a fascinating part of the world as are the friendly, funny, engaging people that I meet every day. Makes me grateful for the life I'm living!
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Robyn Wyatt
non-member comment
Always wonderful to read about ur amazing life. U really have gone out on a limb to get that fruit Susie. Will u come home one day. Lots of love xx