Vietnamese Electricity Bills

There are two problems with electricity bills here one is that they are written in Vietnamese which makes perfect sense. The second problem, which at the moment is more important is that the due date is also written in Vietnamese. Again this makes perfect sense but as we sit in a restaurant having dinner wondering were we can go now to do homework it is frustrating. Our electricity has been cut off - obviously the due date was before today!

Mikaela's Door Answering Service

What am I, a doorman?  This has become Kaela's catch cry.,  Her bedroom, unfortunately for her, is downstairs.  Whenever there is a knock on the door she answers it, complaining I will add, her latest is "This house is like a train station - people come and go all day" - She is right though - our house on the week end is a little like that - they come they go, they come they go - all day.   She has now taken to answering the door saying "Mikaela's Door Answering Service"  - I am just waiting for the day she asks for a tip!

Saturday

I thought today I would take photos of everything we do and share it with you.

It was a fairly typical Saturday with Chatting to Zander, Sport, Sport, Lunch, Shopping, Shopping, and Dinner. So here is our day....

Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday Zander Happy birthday to you

Soccer

Soccer finished with a 7.3 win - Yeah District 7 Hot Shots

now on to Basketball




Basketball Championships - 4 games - 2 wins, 2 loses and a big day

 

Getting ready to rebound



I didn't touch it



Eagle Bum

Basketball Team 2012 - Farewell Seniors - Kaela, Tee, Mandy and Lauren

Pho for Lunch



Shopping with Josh.  We did try and take a number of photos but Vietnamese shops don't like you to take photos, a guard came and said "Khong" (which means no)  and shock his head - so there is only the one shopping photo



Dinner on the balcony

The evening finished with homework for all the kids then a quick trip to Buds for Icecream.

So that was our Saturday the 25th February, 2012

Santa Photos at Macy's

 I guess I have watched "Miracle on 34th Street" way too many times - but Santa photos had to be done at Macy's.






The beautiful 1st floor of Macy's



You're never too old for a photo with an elf, are you?



"Hurry up mum - it's so embarrassing"

Only 4 days to go











It really is beautiful



The finished Product



Hanging Out with the Lady



What are we doing here?



Still wondering what we are doing here? But let's be Asian says Mikaela





Oh Look that's what we are supposed to be looking at



Yes Mum she is so lovely.





Ok we have seen her - can we have lunch now?





New York At Night

Times Square

Times Square

The Rockerfeller Tree

The Rockerfeller ice rink

Santa

Josh and Kaela skating at midnight

Finally New York

Rather then write an enless travel diary entry of where we went and what we did I thought I would upload photos instead.  However if I had to sum up our time in New York in a few words- Amazing comes to mind, so does Vibrant, Crowded, Busy (my family will attest to my almost obsession in keeping busy when we travel) - but most of all New York was family - we are so lucky to be able to travel and we are even luckier to create such wonderful memories as a whole family, a family of 6.
Day 1 and Day 2 Streets of New York






Friday Night

Yes its Friday Night.  Matthew is in Australia; and I am in Saigon(some things never change)  we are not long home from Basketball, and  Soccer in Josh's case.  The house is peaceful - unusual but peaceful.  The kids have all gone to the pool for a swim.  Its 7.40 the pool is closed soon but there is always time for a swim, particulary when you are feeling hot and sweaty from Sport.  So what is typical of a Friday night, Adriana is here (Gosh I will miss her next year), my girls are both home (unusual for Bella), Josh is here and the only unusual is Daniel - a friend of Bella's ( who we see often but rarely joins us for dinner), who after we teased unmericifully at dinner might never come back. 
The girls had the best basketball game all season.  Bella and Mikaela and of course Adriana played so well, I was so proud of them- they lost but to the Taiwanese School, a lose of 7 is nothing (last time they lost by 30  odd points).  The truth is the Taiwanese team is probably still doing situps for letting us get so close!
I am reading a book at the moment where the woman has moved to Paris and is writing a blog, she has so many  inspirational remarks that I feel a little shallow (ok it's a only "an airport novel" as my sisters call it)- but it has made me rethink what I write - seriously who is interested in a middle aged womens ramblings about life in Vietnam, but I have to remind myself that I am writing this Blog not to inspire people but rather just as a personal reflection of our time here, hopefully I have relieved my guilt
The only time I ever get to write is when the house is quiet - and lets face it, with teenage kids thats not very often - but that's OK I love the noise and chat.

A couple of hours have passed sinced I started this Blog - rereading it has told nothing of what has occured this week - there is no mention of half the elementary school burning down and the subsequent moving of classrooms, the muck up of Josh's reports, the 2 hours spent getting the girls health check which without we cannot get school reports, the start of the wet season of which really should not started yet , the 3 basketball games and the two soccer games which were played all over the city ,but that's life in Vietnam - it is  these things and many othrers  that drive you mental but it is also these  same things that become insubsequential to you after awhile - does that mean we are becoming Vietnamese - I doubt it, but it does mean we have become Vietnamese locals.

Once again I am sitting on our balcony, Joshua is still at school soccer, Matthew (and Robyn and Dave) is watching him, Bella is at tutoring and Kaela is studying.  So I thought I would take this moment to catch up on my Blog.    I was finally going to write about New York but a few things changed my mind.  Firstly Bella left the house in a huff to go off to tutoring - why do our children get so 'huffy' with us.  On reflection it doesn't seem to matter what country you live in teenagers get 'huffy'.  Mind you it has made me realise that we are well and truly settled in Viet Nam, how did I come to realise this?  Well life has got busy again - when we first arrived life was simple - none of us knew people, no-one played sport life revolved around just getting by - but now we are busy, maybe not as busy as we were in Sydney but busy nonetheless.  Conversations tend to revolve around who is going where, when they are going and how they are getting there/home. Life has become an endless strategic manoeuvre.

But I wouldn't have it any other way.  This week has reinforced how much I love being a part of my children's lives.  Zander is swimming Conference, which is a major swim meet for him and the colleges in his District, and I so desperately miss being part of it.  I can send all the wishes I want but it's just not the same.  I still get nervous and excited for him which has me waking up through the night checking results.  He skypes me and tells me about it but it still has me envious of all the parents that are there supporting the whole team.  So to Kaela, Bella and Josh sorry but I am going to remain an annoying, pestering, nagging, asking questions kind of mum, for some time to come.