Monday 20th October 2008
At the weekend, Mark decided to move to a house that Judy had found between here and school. It’s in a new district off the main road and close to the river, which is hidden by trees. Most of the houses look quite basic but this one with its immediate neighbours looks very new and the rent is very reasonable; just 4M (4000,000) Dong a month, which is about £120 without electric, which could be another 1M or £30. The rent for my apartment is 3M including electricity and I have the use of two rooms, one of which houses the Buddhist shrine, where I can get online, and a combined shower & loo, but the internet connection costs extra and I don’t have a kitchen.
Like most houses here, Mark’s new house is as wide as a generous garage and the front security concertina doors, like in lifts, open into one long living room, where the bikes are also kept at night. Behind this are a loo/shower room and a kitchen with a narrow open space at the back for drying clothes. It really is quite a beautiful house, not huge, but perfectly adequate. It’s very clean with tiled floors and half-tiled walls, but best of all is the real kitchen with fitted cupboards, tiled worktop, double sink and all! Mark already has a fridge-freezer, washing machine, microwave, small calor-gas ring and kitchen utensils so at last we can cook for ourselves.
A very elegant winding marble staircase leads from the back of the living room to the first floor and three bedrooms with another loo and shower room. Mark has claimed the bigger front bedroom with small balcony for his giant bed, while I’ll have the back room next to the loo. Behind my room is a kind of balcony area that would be very attractive with potted plants. The only essentials missing are Air Conditioners, but the landlords, a very nice couple, waived the customary three months deposit on the understanding that Mark will install these as he can afford them, the cost of which will be reimbursed at the end of his tenancy, whenever that may be.
On Sunday after Cinema club at the school, everyone helped move his belongings out of his rooftop room to be transported in a small removal van. Luckily, we had the use of the lift to descend the 5 stories. It didn’t take long to unload but with all the exertion we were bathed in sweat and Mark’s T-shirt was literally wet through. It was dark before we took a break for a meal with Michael before returning to assemble his bed, which meant screwing the heavy framework together before he could sleep there. As soon as we buy a bed for me I’ll be able to move in.
I’ll be sad to leave the tranquillity of Co Mai’s property as we’ve achieved a certain rapport over the past month. As a Buddhist, she has a spiritual teacher and does good works for the poor. I believe they also help to support other family members and an orphanage. We communicate on a very basic level and I think she possibly understands me more than I do her, but we smile and hug a lot. I was looking through a bookcase in my room containing books and CD’s in Vietnamese, except for one that’s bi-lingual; Louse Hay’s ‘I can do it’. Isn’t that wonderful?
Mark would have liked to live here, but the accommodation offered is just too small for what he wants to do, which is to have his own private students. There are also a lot of insects here and although my bug-zapper seems to be doing its job, I still get an occasional bite. Also my mattress is on the floor, which I’m not too happy about although I’m OK about the geckoes that zip across the walls from time to time; they only come in to catch insects.
Because I have no cooking facilities, if I get hungry I have crackers and cheese or bread and peanut butter. Actually, if I’m here all day when Mark’s busy and I’m not teaching, Co Mai often invites me to share a meal or brings me something while I’m busy on my laptop, exhorting me to; ‘eat, eat!’
Tuesday 21st October 2008
When Mark picked me up this morning to have lunch at his house, (cooked by the lovely Judy,) he’d bought a bed for me and it was already delivered and assembled, so all I need now is some bedding. As it will take a few days for the internet to be installed I’ll probably move on Friday, just as my month here is up. Actually it will be much more convenient to share with Mark again.
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