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Tuesday 18 March 2008

The Big Move

The internet at the hotel I was staying in was awful and wouldn't let me into Blogger. So here is my first blog for a long time...

Well I have eventually moved into a house in HCM City, it's in District 1. I moved my bags by Cyclo! Which cost just over three dollars, and I have a lot of bags. It is a fantastic house with four bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, brand new hand-built kitchen, great furniture, big LG flat TV with good cable, balconies off each room and two roof terraces. It costs double what the house in Hanoi cost, but it is worth it. I am sharing with a French couple, an American guy, and an American woman. They all seem very nice and we seem to get along well. My room is huge and has a big, comfortable bed, a two and a three seat sofa plus a chair, some lovely furniture (but mosquitoes by the hundred!) and a small balcony.

So altogether I am enjoying HCM now. It has been a bit difficult, but I have found well paid work and soon I will be working seven days a week, and taking home good money. But for now I am a bit broke as the rent and deposit has to be paid plus I had to pay for a month at the hotel, and I don't get paid til the fifth of next month and that'll soon get eaten up. The area we are living (Hai Ba Trung) has lots of good, cheap restaurants and local food, so it won't cost too much to live, but it'll take a couple of months to get back some fiscal resources.


I will put up some pics of the house soon...

6 comments:

MoonKitty said...

Hey Graham! Glad you are back blogging and things are improving. Look forward to pics of the house.

7 Days a week. Watch out, man needs a day off once in a while.

How does one fight off all those skeeters?

ManinVietnam said...

Will try to take some pics today...

Well it is technically 7 days a week, but Friday is only 2 hours teaching so it will sort of my day off. But the weekend hours are going to be from 7.45am!

The first thing I did re: the skeeters is to get rid of the topless women fountain in my room! Then I plugged in the blue light that attracts them then electrocutes the little buggars.
So my room is now much better but they seem to have moved downstairs. I got two bites in about twenty minutes while watching the Simpsons yesterdsy...

Unknown said...

I am glad you have a nice house, and huge bedroom. Sounds big enough to swing 2 cats.
Enjoy swinging them.
I've missed your posts x

gmralston said...

Hai Ba Trung, slap bang in centre. If you feel like some proper bread just walk down to Pat a choux next to Pho 24 on Ha Ba Trung, the small round loaves are really good, you won't be touching their cheesecake till you get your wages though. Mozies are a big problem at the moment, I use repellent called OFF, works well and you can buy it anywhere.

ManinVietnam said...

Not sure Kevin and Sandrine would like me swinging their cat, Chausette (Socket in English) come to think of it not sure Socket would be too pleased either.

I have driven down to the opera house and not seen any pho24 place. I live opposite the pink Catholic church and it doesn't seem to be between there and the opera house.

As for the mozzies, they seem to be easing off now. I have repellent but don't think it's too healthy having deet on you too often, so I try not to use it.

I really fancy some cheesecake. Oh well maybe in a week's time, if I can find the place...

gmralston said...

Hai Ba Trung is a longer than I thought, the Pho 24 and Pat a Choux are just on the last strech after the opera house. There is another bread-cake shop further up the road, closer to you but it's far too expencive, got a french name which I have forgot.

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