23/01/2012 by Russell.

Year of the Dragon – Tet

Finishing school early and on the road from Hai Phong to Chu Lai some 1,000km away by car was like doing the Top Gear (BBC tv) road trip in reverse. So Tom, Tam and myself set forth with the car all packed.

Leaving around 12.45pm, we left under cool grey clouds for Vinh, our target for an over night stop, about 300km away, a long drive.This took until 10pm at night with one pit stop for a sandwich. Clever Russell, handed duties to break the bread for a sandwich, went and nearly cut his thumb off with the sharp knife. Well tomato ketchup was as fresh as it ever would be for sandwiches.

Blood pouring out the locals administered first aid. First, tobacco was applied to the wound, still not sure why, but must have a chemical to stem the flow, sellotape to hold the tobacco in place until a plaster and liniment and iodine could be administered.

Hotel in Vinh for $7, sleep to the rumble of a disco somewhere in the night, up at 6.20 and off before 7am to Chu Lai. A long drive, a short pit top after 2 hours for a coffee and breakfast, a new dressing and a fuel stop.

Somewhere on this trip I have lost my glasses, I think it was at the mid morning fuel stop, my reading glasses have disappeared. I think it was at the petrol station where I took my hoodie off ready to drive.

I drove for about 5 hours non-stop, eating a ham sandwich as we went along. It is all steady, only supposed to do 80 kph, but squeezed some 100kph stretches into the drive as they slept.

A stop near a town to Doc Mieu, the first thing we noticed was the temperature, a comfortable 28 degrees, a place where I got a new pair of glasses. No opticians here, just a market stall, which after determining I was +2, lenses were ground down to fit a pair of D&G frames, all for 350,000 VND, $17 (£12), they fit and I can read, not as good as my prescription glasses, but hey I am able to read!

Oh and a pair of sunglasses for $6 or $7.

The AH1 is the main road from North to South, and at Hue it turned into Central Drive, Wingerworth, for about 20km. The road pitched and rolled the car from left to right on the road, it had more pockmarks than a kid with acne.

Finally, we were on the last stages of the journey, into Da Nang to pick up children, sister-in-law, and to Tam Ky for food and to leave Tom with Tam of Tam ky.

Da Nang had changed in the last 3 months since I ws there, a new shopping mall, market and looking like a city on the up.

Arriving in Tam Ky, was the first time Tom met the woman of his dreams (?). She grabbed him as if it was a trolley dash at the supermarket.

We ate and made the final 20km home to Chu Lai, around 10pm. An estimated journey time of around 20 hours on the road, door to door.

Days ticked by until new years eve on Sunday. In the meantime we visited relatives and the graves for worship in Tam Ky. At the graves we pray and burn clothes and money so their spirits too can have new clothes for new year. But it was unfortunate vagabonds roam the site, offering their services to clean the headstones of the dead. If you don’t offer a tip to the 15 or so kids who follow you, then the likelihood is the grave will be damaged. Even young men were here. Shame for this is something the Vietnamese revere, they respect their dead ancestors here, and new year is part of remembering the dead ancestors.

To cap all this off, couldn’t get to see City/Tottenham or United/Arsenal live on tv. Had th wrong channels, BBC Radio five live cut off as the game kicked off because of broadcasting rights, couldn’t get an internet feed..so was reduced to web text. Good result for the Reds, 2-1, bring on Liverpool on Saturday.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi (happy new year) the year of the Dragon

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30/10/2011 by Russell.

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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20/10/2011 by Russell.

Well apart from trawling round the Big Supermarket and going to the Parkson Mall with concessions and a bowling alley and a cinema, there is little else to do but eat and drink.

We have noticed the Vietnamese go to Big C en masse around 8pm, to just go and walk round a big store, it is like a tourist attraction, with its KFC and coffee bar.  As for Parkson, that is full of western goods, way too expensive, so is like a museum, to all but the very affluent, and it seems us westerners are in that category.  No-one buys the tv’s fashion goods or furniture, only cosmetics or the food in the food court before going to see a movie.

Then there is a 20km trip to Do Sun and the beach, which by comparison to other beaches in Vietnam is poor.   No wonder the Americans didn’t get this far, they must have heard how poor the beaches were up north.  Far better at Vung Tau, Mui Ne, China Beach et al..all in South Vietnam.

We had a little R and R with Tam’s parents and extended family in Chu Lai last weekend.  Alan and carme joined us for a very wet and thundery weekend, but we still managed a trip to the beach and sank many beers in shop tv, karaoke, food and cards.  So a very full weekend, the only thoughts on Monday was would we be able to get back to Da N ang.  The rain was flooding all the fields and some streets.  Boy oh boy was it heavy rain.

We arrived back, only to find most of our afternoon classes were cancelled, we keep missing lessons because of monsoons, strikes (once) and the afternoon school has inter school competitions cancelling days in the week.  All disruptive and so we are not really getting the hours of teaching we want to earn that little bit extra money to keep us going.

I am flying solo on the moto - only because Tam is with her family in Chu Lai, so she cannot criticize me…ha ha ha! freedom at last.  I am scooting here and there, just as if i have been on a motorbike for years.  I never realised how thrilling driving a bike could be albeit only a 125cc, but it is more powerful than many bikes here…what’s that advert?…. Zoom Zoom!! so true. Alan and I were bth cauht speeding today…clocked at 49kph (30mph) on a triple highway, a big dual carriageway, I should have been doing 40kph. (24mph)

Tam is back on Friday, so I guess I have to boring again…..no freedom, except I do now have a bicycle, I can exercise at last.  The bike was bought in Da Nang for half (yes) the price of an exact same Giant Bike for 5,400,00VND.  As a comparison, Alan’s moto cost the same, no comparison is there?  I am so out of condition, hamstrings and stuff are feeling the strain after my firstride out to the airport here in Hai Phong, a guess of 6km away, I did two laps, somaybe 10-12km.  There are no hills here to getthe challenge of using the bikes gears - all 24.  The gearing is very weak, I am able to cycle comfortable in 20th gear.

Here are a few pics of what’s been going on..

.

With Tam, Tom (American), Alan (Eire) and Moi and cake!

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22/07/2011 by Russell.

Yes, this is it, new found freedom of contract (Just like Nasri) is good, only because I have something to look forward to with a fresh start in Vietnam.

Timing is good, so I can finally attempt to pull all the strings together, it is still a mammoth task, I mean how do you leave a country? the only thing I can think about is the tax office in Salford.

I have so much to do, house clearance, chucking things I though I would never do,  and the saddest thing is I don’t really need that much apart from me telly!

A local firm quoted £2,400 to ship to Da Nang in Vietnam, the cost is for 1 item, 3 items or 40 items, the going rate is the same. As Tam would say “very money” .

I have only family photo’s to take, a bicycle and some files.  I will try to DHL it all for £250.  I will take 2 suitcases with me next week, and return and take two more cases and a tv.

So how do I feel?

After all those years at College looking after HE, my life was on the treadmill, as we all seem to do out of necessity.  Kids grow up, Emily to University, Greg to College. These are two very special people in my life, whom I love dearly, they are in many respects in my core, unshakeable, and unmovable from my heart.  Understandable, but this step, as Neil Armstrong took all those years ago, does seem a giant leap into the unknown.  However, it is a small step, the world is smaller by the good fortune of air travel, I never look at miles anymore only travel time.  I have a network in place in Vietnam.  And who’s to say I wouldn’t be left behind in England when Emily and Greg get their lives on track by moving to warmer climes elsewhere, leaving me to stew in England?

Many people have said ‘don’t do it’, and others have said - ‘go for it’ life is not a rehearsal, I cannot live with regrets, I have had many in life, so I take this opportunity with both hands and I know it will all be fine, my worry is not seeing Emily and Greg.  Emily at Uni will be away from home for 4 years, so there will be less opprtunity to see her term time, and as Greg gets going with his course and footy - our weekends will get less and less as he goes out with his mates.

I on the other hand, have internet, I have skype, I have a telephone, you’ll be surprised at how many ways people can stay in touch.  Besides, a holiday in Indochina is much better than Benidorm - that I can promise you.

So Tuesday I jet off on part 1 of my transfer to Vietnam….

..

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09/07/2011 by Russell.

Truly the end is in sight.  It all began last year, when colleagues at West Herts College returned to work after the Summer break, to be told the School of Higher and Professional was being disbanded and staff allocated to different departments.  I being on the othe side of the world had no knowledge of this until the new year and my return to work.

I found myself in a strange new purpose built building and with a new set of colleagues.  Nothing wrong there, I just got on with it, my teaching was not in the areas expected and the degree programme which my colleague - Freda - and I had fought to get revalidated was being pulled by the University.  It was all change, and the morale of my old colleagues was desperately low. I on the other hand was on a high having completed my sabbatical, can’t be all that bad I thought to myself.  Courses had disappeared and students were even less motivated than before I left for South Africa.  Give it time, nope, my time’s up.

So here I was in my place of work, a job I had many great memories, trips abroad, running around on desks, on scooters down corridors, on tv shows, I had a good run, but felt within myself it was time for me to reflect and consider my options. One option uppermost was Vietnam and Tam.   I had already made my decision to go back and it was just a question of time.

Opportunity knocks all too infrequently in life, and so I spotted a little opening when I was informed my role, job title and teaching hours was to change, so I politely asked the question of ‘my role is redundant’ and this has lead me to where I am now, looking at a redundancy package to leave the College which has been my bedrock for nearly 20 years.

So what of the people I have met, far too many, but I had great days with Keith Seed, what an odd couple we were, and the life and soul of HND teaching, Marilyn Farmer, great colleague, Ruth Hickmott such positivity, David Williams mister motivator, Anne Waring and all her colleagues (Christine, Anne etc..) have been an enormous help and support, reprographics over the years with Ali and her team.  More recently Rob and David have been good colleagues and buddies, Rob especially with cycling and trotting off to Norfolk for a bike ride and David with his counselling. I am sure there are many names I have lost, forgotten, Steve Culliford, Priscilla, Vic Davies (top man) whatever happened to Bill Broadbent? Sam Mukerjee? Sylvia Wheeler? Andrew Bragg? Brian Jeffries many escaped to UH, Veronica Earle great buddy, Paul Smith…

And now it will soon be my turn for people to say - ‘do you remember Russell Preston?’, well I hope people do, and remember me for good reasons.  So I plan to leave at the end of July, and quietly slip away.  My territory was always the old building, my presence etched into the old corridors where I was king, the sterile new building will never have the same secrets,  too many windows, or allow characters like me to exist.  I am too much of a maverick teacher, great with the students and hopefully staff found me knowledgeable and supportive.  The King is dead - Long live…..?

So it will be out with the old, and all change….life is too short, and I remembered this from my travels, don’t know where it came from but:

‘Life is an opportunity’ 

(I want mine before it is too late)

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14/05/2011 by Russell.

Here I was at Easter, minding my own busines,  little did I know that Mama and Papa with Tam, had bee planning house renovations.  The idea being - so I thought was to fix the leaking roof, which I wanted to attend to, and make space to accommodate a car.

Then it was decided to make Tam and mine’s bedroom, larger, - so okay, I will go with that because we needed a new bed etc..

When the day arrived did I realise renovations of this nature were about to take place.  I understood the roof was going to be repaired and the rooms were going to be changed, and space for a car..but little did I realise the following would happen, look on and enjoy, renovations, the Vietnamese way.  No half measures here.

I guess I knew it was going to be serious business because we started by lifting the tiled floor….

..Following this we went to Vung Tau and Saigon before I returned to the UK.  Renovations should be finished in 2 weeks (around 21st May).  All change for when I return.

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23/12/2009 by Russell.

‘Let it Snow…Let is snow..’ is the line from the song and boy did it snow Monday afternoon.

Emily, Greg and I had a lovely shopping day in Milton Keynes, all under cover, no worries of the weather, we left to get a frame from IKEA about 4ish.  leaving IKEA an hour later, a few snow flurries appeared, and thought nothing of it since travelling at rush hour, plenty of traffic, no worries………….

By the time we reached Dunstable, it was settling and it was a slower pace of 20mph.  And we ploughed on up the hills to Tring, which we liked so much, we decided to take it steady and take in the Christmas snowscape.  We waited patiently, and moved and waited all the while the snow lay deep and crisp and uneven.  Wilst we slewed to the Total petrol station in Tring, one kind gentleman asked me to pull over so he could park outside his house, queues of traffic in each direction, numpty! we had already crashed into a kerb by this stage in Dunstable.

Well we waited and waited (hour and a half later) then we made our move, being kindness itself we let a Vauxhall (front wheel drive) out from the petrol station, bloody numpty number 2, he came to a standstill at the r-about, when we we cruising nicely…20 mins later after pushing him up the hill to Tesco’s it was my turn.

Out Emily & Greg went into the snowstrom, push and push with others, and I was off, I ain’t stopping - see ya! Santa’s sleigh ain’t seen anything like it - Emily and Greg chasing after me…once on the flat I went back to help others, but once we were on the flat, we saw a huge queue of cars in the opposite direction, amazing for a slight incline in normal conditions suddenly becomes the North Face of the Eiger.  Cars all over the place.  We stopped to help a car up the hill, the next car in line to tackle the hill (well more like anthill) was a Z4, uhm I knew he wasn’t going to make it, my rear wheel drive was suffering, so I knew what was in store for him.  Oh dear!

We abandoned the Merc on the high street and walked 5 mins to the sanctuary of tv and jacket potatoes. 3 hours later, for a journey of 50 mins
Sadly there was one person who I know would have loved it, my Dad.  He and I have great memories of snowy escapades, Wingerworth 1967, Lavender Hill, handbrake turns in a van, Chesterfield to Manchester 1981, such fun…where are you Dad? I hope you are smiling up there!

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26/11/2009 by Russell.

can I? am I brave enough, am I at the tipping point? the edge?…………..

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