Josh's Soccer Tournament

Day 1

Over the last few weeks Josh has been involved in a soccer tournament. It only went for 3 weeks and unfortunately Josh was committed to school soccer on one of the days which meant he only played two games, the two games they won I will add.. Game 1 It rained and rained and rained. Game 2 It was Hot, Hot hot

Day 1

Day 1

Day 2 - yes it is 41 degrees at 2.56pm

They came 2nd

When 2 years become 3

Do we stay or do we go? That was the question we faced. Our time here in Ho Chi Minh City has flown by and its now time to decide whether to extend our contract or go home. There are huge pluses for both sides of the argument. We all miss family and friends so much that that is an enormous reason to go home. Mikaela will more then likely return before the year is out and I am not sure whether I am brave enough to send yet another of my children out into the world without me by their side. But if you can separate the emotive reasons from the practical ones that leaves us with Bella and Josh. If we return to Australia Bella will somehow have to slot back into senior years, whereas if we stay she can finish school here. And then there's Josh, we left Australia before he graduated Primary School is it fair to ask him to leave Viet Nam before he graduates Middle School. Then there is Italy. I dreamed of holidaying in Italy as a family years ago - but we eventually holidayed here instead.. Now an opportunity has arisen for us to go to Italy this summer, which I have to say I am so excited about - but it does impact on our plans for next.year. What about Zander? if we stay another year here by the time we go home he will have only one year left of studying in the States, what will he do, I don't know but it is still a consideration.....

All the above was written quite a long time ago now - well it seems a long time ago but in reality it was probably about 5 months ago. We have since made the decision, not easily I will add but to quote my good friend "we made the decision and have since murdered the alternatives" ( thanks Christine). We are staying.
Have we made the right decision? Who knows but I can say we will be home by this time next year and that in itself is exciting but scary. After 3 years away will we just pick life up again as we once knew it - I can't imagine we will, for our experiences as expats, our experiences of life in a third world country country as well as our many opportunities to travel - have changed the way we see the world.
But as I sit Under the Tuscan sun and think about the last few years I have to be grateful for the opportunities that I have been given and for my family that willingly gave up the normal and accepted this challenge.

My Greatest Challenge Yet

After all most two years living in this city, I have decided to embark on my hardest challenge yet - to learn how to ride a motor bike. Don't get me wrong I can never imagine myself riding anywhere but around our quiet neighbourhood, but still I need to learn. So this week end, being a 4 day long week-end I decided was the time. Poor Matthew is the one burdened with teaching me, which is no easy feat as I am absolutely petrified. Who knows why but I am.  I did do a 2 day course in Australia before we left, which I failed. I am not sure but I think it was because I panicked and left my training zone, went down a hill into an advanced group of riders at which point I jumped off and the bike fell over.
Well I have just had lesson number 4.  I can now go forward do a very shaky u-turn and go around the block - as long as there are only left hand turns - I can't drive and monitor traffic - all this at the racing speed of 20.  Though this sounds slow, traffic here moves slow, well maybe not that slow but slow.
My first few lessons involved a very wide quiet street where there was no traffic or parked cars - there was a  Vietnamese man who was in his hammock trying to nap but he didn't get any sleep that day, because he was too busy watching me ride and listening to Matthew call instructions.  The next day we went back to the same spot only to find the same man pottering around in his front garden, when he saw us he promptly jumped into his hammock for another show!

When you look at traffic here, everyone rides a bike -babies are carried in their mothers arms,  little kids sit on portable chairs or stand in front of there parents when they are old enough to stand, riders carry all manner of things from groceries to mattresses, people text, kids do homework and even eat breakfast So they just know what to do . But for me that sense of balance is not there so I guess it comes down to practice.  When Matthew hears me say "let's go for driving practice" I know he cringes and is wishing he was back in Australia with one of the kids asking that question rather then his very uncoordinated, bike riding challenged wife.