Packing and getting to Ho Chi Minh!
Current Tuneage: ‘Finding My Way’ by Rush
Lists, lists, lists!!! They were everywhere on my walls and although it's important to be organised for this kind of trip, I probably still missed something... But I have all the important documents (with just a few loose ends to tie up in the UK), which are generally a passport, a letter from the company you are working for or the Vietnamese Embassy (UK) and/or be prepared to fill in Visa on Arrival forms when you get to a Vietnamese airport, and the cash for the above visa (USD). There’s also specifically for teaching, my degree certificate and my CELTA certificate, as well as police check which I did through ACRO Subject Access.
http://www.vietnamembassy.org.uk/
https://www.acro.police.uk/subject_access.aspxÂ
I went through stages of packing, probably a bit like the common stages of grief. This was in between finishing work in the UK, saying the goodbyes, and shouting loudly at the people of Preston to buy my wares at a local car boot.
Here’s a rough list of what I packed: T-shirts and band t-shirts <3, ‘floaty’ trousers, light shorts, summer dresses, underwear, bras, socks, a skirt, a jumper, me Doc Martens, two pairs of pumps, two pairs of smart shoes (bought a second pair as wasn’t sure what was available, but feel like a wally now because there’s plenty of shops and I can get men’s stuff if necessary), a waterproof jacket, no sandals (haha oh dear), a few shirts/blouses, smart trousers and a dress for teaching. I also packed a few light things for teaching like stickers and some books, of course a cheeky jar of Marmite got in there too.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, my skates and protective kit, my ukulele and my band (battle) jacket.
So, I did my last ramble down Fishergate Hill in Preston, England on Wednesday. As I walked, I tried to imagine the traffic at three times the volume, and tonnes of mopeds and motorbikes whizzing passed. I even tried having my legs ready to jump out of the way if say, Mrs. Wilkes in her Toyota Yaris fancied getting home a bit quicker to Penwortham via the pavement! But nothing could prepare me for the (fairly organised) chaos.
A day later and a dude with my name on a sign picked me up from Tan Son Nhat (Ho Chi Minh) airport. I was so busy watching the traffic I didn’t even make awkward taxi conversation (usual in any country, right?). The constant movement across lanes probably meant we did some extra mileage. Every bit of road had either a car or a tonne of mopeds/motorbikes. Young couples, a man with an impressive beer crate mountain, and even the odd family of five. It’s definitely the way to get around, and the faces that seemed so calm in the chaos made me chuckle. It’s just the way it is around here.
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