The Big Move

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I am up at rooster crow - and throw on my usual gear for the beach swim. Black athletic shorts and a red singlet that was given as a gift from the fols at our favourite restaurant - Vina Ngong - for being such good and regular customers. It's been years since I have worn a singlet. I think the last time was in the military. Anyways - it's good enough to wear on the morning commute to my little beach. when I get back to homestay after the swim - it's easy to hand wash/rinse in the shower to get rid of the salt. I complete the packing and be ready to move around 12 - which is when I told the manager I would move. Minh's parents had invited me for lunch to make sure I get enough to eat. They are now concerned that until Kathie joins me I will go hungry - so now they give me standing orders to come there for lunch and dinner each day!!! I am blown away by their kindness - something I experienced when I met them back in 2012 on my second visit to Vietnam. They are so down-to-earth-people. For those who worked for NAT and stayed in the little village of Weer in Austria - they remind me of the hospitality given by Hans and Monika at the Gasthof Steixner. Meeting them for the first time meant being treated like you were a family member!!!!

We have a lunch of a couple of varieties of fish. One boiled in a broth, the other cooked in a pan with a little oil, garlic, turmeric and some spices. A bowl of "rau dung" that green-leaf vegetable that looks like so many other green-leaf vegetables, and of course - the big bowl of steamed rice. I always make sure I give myself a couple of extra units of insulin because I know there is some sugar hidden in there somewhere.

I figure that change of accommodation will take me 2 trips on the m/bike. The first one with backpack and other shoulder bag - and the second would be the suitcase. The first trip was easy. on arriving at the unit the owners/landlors happen to be in the yard - and were keen to inform me the key was in the door and I could go in and "settle". The second trip was a little more awkward. The only place for the suitcase was in front of the seat, cross-ways between my legs. The case fitted just low enough that I still had some steering movement, and the fact that it is an automatic meant that I did not need to have any leg/foot movement. Besides - there was only 3 corners to navigate from go to whoa. By about 2.30pm - I Was in the apartment and settling in. suitcase unpacked, clothes spread out on the bed in the spare bedroom so I could see what I had brought with me - and needed to take to Saigon on 11 Aug. The water and electricity meters got read - and I was shown how to use the TV control (not rocket science), the washing machine (this was rocket science) and a few other things that would make my/our live comfortable during the stay.

Time flew - and it wasn't long before I received the call telling me to come back to the family's place for the evening meal. What could I say??? A nice meal this time of some crispy prawns and some calamari. A couple of beers, and then I head back to the new "home". This is my homestay now. Mattresses in a lot of accommodation houses in Vietnam are akin to slabs of cement - so I am wondering how I am going to sleep. The mattress at the "other" homestay was comfortable - but I could tell this one was harder. Oh well - I'll see what happens and report in the next blog. I have the AC set for a comfortable level - 25C - so no need for a sheet. No TV in the bedroom - so I'll play some music from samsung.

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