January 2013

We are in the middle of the crazy lead up to Tet Festival or Vietnamese Lunar New Year. It all happens at the end of next week and everything has taken on a different feel much like our lead up to Christmas except this involves everyone putting things right and straightening things up in time to see in the lucky Lunar new year.
Houses are being painted, gates replaced, spring cleaning, new clothes, lots of burning of offerings & incense to ancestors and prayers for the new year, coloured rice tossed all over the roads, fruiting cumquat trees appearing on display, flowers ready to be cut and sold, big food donations rolling up on a daily basis to the outreach centres I work at, people calling in their debts, cooking like mad, shops overflowing with all sorts of strange and unidentifiable goodies - this week we are trying the toasted water melon seeds and today I was given a bag of black moosh to try (no idea what was in it but ate it anyway and am now hoping for the best).
Today the Lifestart workshop workers had  prayers for the new year and a celebration lunch which Pete and I went along to. It was lots of fun and great to be included in some of the rituals of hospitality around this time. I even had the elderly lady in the neighbouring shop sing me a Vietnamese Opera item which was gorgeous. Apparently she was a famous singer in her prime.

            The offering table and yes that is a whole chicken in the foreground

 One of my good buddies who comes 3 times a week to our exercise group and is just an all round good woman despite a lot of setbacks

         The exercise group girls and some of the team of makers at the workshop

            Our feast:  Banh Xeo (country pancake), shredded chicken salad number, pork bits, secret satay-ish sauce, rice paper, green bean & ginger pudding, mixed salad leaves including 'evil weed' - my nickname for one item I just cannot swallow.

      Receiving my impromptu Opera song gift - one of the great unexpected moments over here

In terms of my work I am not expecting anything to go to plan from here on and just as well as I found out today that only 2 people are planning to come in to see me next week, and even they may not show up.

Next blog entry should be interesting once Tet has actually arrived. We are going to stick around for the first few days to enjoy the festivities and then leave everyone to it for the week as we head to Thailand for another quick break for a week.
Another great highlight of the last couple of weeks has been spending time with the Smiths, our friends from home. We had a lovely few nights catching up and eating lots of meals together and hearing all about their daytine shopping escapades and also meeting another family they knew that was in town at the same time.

                                  Smith's first night in Hoi An

                                   Feasting at the BaLe Well Restaurant

It's usually Ok in Vietnamese restaurants to leave your used serviettes under the table. The kids took this to the extreme on this particular occasion (!!)