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Due to the lack of inaction by our landlord and our employer, or so it seems, we have a Police raid, looking for illegal immigrants working in Hai Phong, living in a house which is not safe.

That is about the nub of it all.

Truth? We will never know, but it seems immigration are waiting for some papers from our employer, so are sticking to a national crackdown on all foreign workers in Vietnam, ie, hounding them to see that they have the correct status to work. We have but somehow, a 4 week operation to get immigration papers cleared, is now turning into a 3 day job? Hmmmmm bribesville.

As for the landlord, he has to register us as foreign tenants and pay tax, and therefore has been slow in doing this, so much so we have had the owner of the property who lives in China flying in this weekend to sign some papers so the property can be declared safe for us to live in. So for the past 5 nights we have all had to retire to a hotel, specified to us by the police. If we were to be found here when they raided the house, we would have $1,000 on the spot fine.

In the end its all about money, everyone seems to want a slice of someone else’s money for doing very little, other than ticking a box.

To add insult to injury, we are told some neighbours have written to the police telling them that they do not like us living here, a form of racism? I think that is more harmful than some petty issue for my previous employers (West Herts College) to investigate. Racism against another individual because of where they are from is far more concern than whether a cup of coffee is white or black.

So we continue in our world of school by day, hotel by night and my possessions still being in Saigon.

Tam is off to Saigon this week to go to DHL and vouch for my possessions and hopefully get them finally delivered.

Tam will have a week in Chu Lai, and I will go by bus Friday night, arrive Saturday morning, sign some papers on Monday and fly back, a round trip of 2,000km for a one night stay. Ooomph!

Also, whilst on my soap box, the police say that a 35 yr old woman and a 52 year man cannot stay under the same roof without a marriage licence. Alan and Carme, have had to prove they are married, the Stasi does exist.

The three stooges who came round with the landlord and the local community chief dropped all this bombshell over a glass of water around our table. Photocopies of passports and papers were exchanged like it was an international football match where pennants are exchanged.

Ah well, at least I know my teaching is good here, number 1 of course, just as always.

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