Karyn

I know it's been a long time, but work is VERY busy. Which is good, but, well, busy... I'm exhausted at the end of every day, then stagger the 84 steps up to my room (no house yet!) Last night I was woken up by the Saint-Bernard-sized RAT that has moved into my room. Then I was woken up by a really bad calf cramp. Finally, I was woken up by thousands of ants in my bed, biting me with their tiny teeth. When I tried to have a shower this morning to wash off all the ant carcasses stuck to me, I had no water... Honestly, it is difficult to project an air of professionalism at work after such an evening... But the good news is that it is Friday. Which means two glorious days ... read more

Well I've moved hotels. In the beginning I was all like "Oh, I'm uncomfortable staying in a place this nice, there's so many poor people in Vietnam, blah blah blah" - but it's amazing how QUICKLY one adjusts to luxury... My budget could only support luxury for two weeks, however. So I've moved to a hotel 2 doors down. I was staying in "The Classic: 2" (or as I liked to think, in a low-intellect, Arnie-inspired-voice-inside-my-head, "Classic: THE SEQUEL"...) Next door to that is The Prince Hotel, which is where I thought I was moving to when a guy I know said he had a friend working at The Prince and he could get me a good price there. He was talking half the price of "THE SEQUEL" and I thought 'ooh, that's good, cause The ... read more

Ha ha ha ha - I wish it was 'Freezing Hanoi'!! It started raining yesterday, and I thought "Phew, now it will cool down!" Right? Unfortunately, it drizzles on and off, somehow staying the same temperature, while the humidity INCREASES (had no idea that was possible!) It is HUMID. H.U.M.I.D. Strength-sucking brain-numbing boiling-hot humidity. I wake up sweating, then spend the rest of the day wiping my sweaty face - a nice look, really. And the Vietnamese?? Dry as a bone - very disheartening. Even worse, they talk about the upcoming months with fear - apparently THAT'S when it gets humid. And hot. Rumour is 38 degrees, 99% humidity.... Oh dear. How do people LIVE here??? And how on earth can they speak bloody Vietnamese??? I can not even conceive of some poor defenceless child learning ... read more

My accommodation was booked by my country manager at Australian Volunteers International. I was hoping for something semi-decent (after all it costs $US20 a night!), but hotels here are expensive, and I had foolishly had high hopes for expensive hotels in India (only to discover holey sheets, rat droppings, broken ceiling fans and dirty squat toilets...) Anyway, turns out I'm not in India! (who knew??) My hotel is a palace (not an actual 'palace', it is just very nice). My room is HUGE (think lounge room and kitchen of Edthel combined), with a double bed and a single bed (I could push them together and make a 'triple bed' if I wanted to!!!). I have a *TV* (a TV!!) with CABLE for gods sake. I have 80-something channels (it's hard to remember when you have so ... read more

Well I am safe and sound in Hanoi!!! It's so strange to cross the world in a day - it's like being dropped onto another planet. It's so easy to forget that this other world exists day in day out, when Australia is so QUIET!!! There are quite a few motorbikes here. With HORNS. It seems that Vietnamese motorbikes don't operate unless one hand is on the horn all the time. And when I say 'quite a few motorbikes', I mean MILLIONS of them. Just millions. (which equals 'quite a few' horns, as well...) The trip here was quite good, but felt long. Have not airport-waited for quite some time. I flew from Brisbane to Singapore in the fanciest fancypants plane I've ever been in - each seat has the equivalent of Foxtel Digital - you ... read more

Visited Countries Map ... read more

Well there's only 2 weeks left until I leave Melbourne, on my way to Hanoi!! The realisation has just sunk in, so I am madly packing, organising, and panicking... My fundraiser is only 6 days away. Oh god what have I done?? I have frames, but no prints that fit in them, no hanging wire on their backs, not enough wine, and possibly no one actually coming... (in which case the lack of wine ceases to be a problem)... read more