Travel | Daily life of the life of Benoit Trudel in Vietnam in 2009

Daily life in Vietnam 2009

This page contains daily life snippets which were originally in the section This Week but have become "old news". I choose to keep them here since these stories really reflect our experience of living and working as a volunteer in Nepal. Hopefully, some of you will find these interesting in some ways and perhaps even relate to them...

December 5, 2008

In transit in Seoul

The last time I was at Seoul airport, it was over 8 years ago. And now they have a new airport that rivals the ones in Bangkok and Kuala Lampur - it is modern, huge, bright, with good food, shops, a nice play area for kids (see photo below) and a Transit Airport Hotel on site. We arrived last night past 1 am, tired, but I first had to check and make sure Roxy was fine. We could not take her out, so it took 30 minutes to convince Korean Air to just look in on her to see if she had enough water. Since our transit time is very long, 18 hours, I then had to tackle the problem of where to stay. The information desk said the Transit Hotel was full, but it was the same lady who looked in on Roxy so by then we were friends and she found us a room at a good price, right at the airport. We settled in past 2 am and slept until noon! I was able to access Internet so I caught up on some urgencies while Rémi watched cartoons. Had lovely sushi for dinner and Rémi had his favorite, dumplings, or momos as they are called in Nepal. Now 2 hours to go, with huge windows that allow for a great view of all the planes landing and taking off, much to Rémi's delight (see photo above). Seoul airport is definitely a nice place to transit, and the Koreans have been ever so friendly. Life is good. The only worry or cloud in my mind is whether Vietnam customs/immigration will let us take Roxy with us right away. Stay tuned for more soon...

December 6, 2008

Our family is reunited in Vietnam!

I must admit that when I travel with Roxy, it is always a huge stress because so much is out of my control - whether they will "lose/forget" her somewhere in transit, whether the pilot will remember to put oxygen in the cargo hold, whether it will be too cold for her, whether customs will let us thru. By the time we landed in Hanoi, I was anxious yet hoping for the best. Well, Roxy was fine and they let us out of the airport without looking at her health papers or asking any questions at all! What a relief! So we arrived at our hotel at around 1 am, got somewhat settled in and then went to bed. This afternoon we go to see some houses for rent, then dinner at my NGO Head Representative's house. A new life unfolds here for us with more to tell very soon...And on Sunday evening, we met up with our friend Karen who is visiting here from Nepal! We went to a traditional Vietnamese restaurant that serves only fried fish, cooked at your table with hot coals. She now goes on to visit Central Vietnam, then Cambodia and she should be back to celebrate New Years with us, in our new house!

December 10, 2008

Getting our life on track in Hanoi...

We have been staying at a hotel since we arrived and it has worked out pretty good. The room is large and I have access to the kitchen downstairs to make my "real strong" coffee in the morning. We managed to get Rémi settled at his school and he just walked in his new classroom and said "bye papa!". They say kids adapt well, but Rémi wins the big time award! His teacher says he is wonderful, listens in class and works well. What more could I ask for? I spent yesterday at the Air Cargo trying to get all my boxes which had arrived from Nepal. Thank God I had the VECO translator with me because we had to go to about 10 different counters, fill in various forms, get stamps and signatures, copies of this and that before they brought my stuff. In 2 hours we were through and glad for it. In the meantime I have been looking at houses but most of them are typical Vietnamese - very narrow and 4 or 5 floors up! You can have the kitchen on the first floor, the livingroom on the second, and one bedroom per floor. I can just imagine Rémi yelling "papa" and me having to climb 4 floors each time. No way! So I am trying to find places that at least have the kitchen and living room on the same floor and 2 bedrooms per floor. I have ALWAYS been lucky with finding the most perfect/amazing places in any country, and I think I have already found the right place - near Rémi's school, very modern and fully furnished! But rent in Hanoi is SO EXPENSIVE! Most places are over 1000 US$! This place is 1000 US$ but furnished. So now we need to work out the details, the 6 month rent advance payment and the contract/lease.

December 13, 2008

We have found a house to call home...

Over the week we got a nice routine going, getting a motorcycle taxi that they call here Xe-Om to pick us up at the hotel every morning at 8:15 am. He takes us to Rémi's school, we drop him off, and then I either came back to the hotel if I have to go look at houses or I go to the office. Then at 4:45 pm, he comes again, and we go to get Rémi at school. After looking at many houses - some quite old and dark, others near main noisy roads, some too big, it finally came down to 2 houses which stood out against all the others - they had both been completely renovated so they were clean and modern, both near Rémi's school. In the end I chose the one that is the closest, and negotiated with the owner on the furniture she would put - washing machine, 3 air con, beds, kitchen table, wardrobes. We still have much furniture to get, and then all the small things like dishes, blankets, brooms, bookshelves, pillows, etc. It even has a very kitch plastic bamboo plantation corner with crane birds and pastic grass in the kitchen and another set-up in the livingroom (pictures to come later!). I wouldn't necessarily have chosen it, but why not, hein? Wednesday Nov. 17th is the big moving day, so I look forward to this. I have been battling a cold all week, at times feeling a bit low on energy. Today is Saturday so we went near our hotel to a little lake where they have "pedalo" (pedal boats?) in the shape of swans. We went around the lake a few times and that was nice. Rémi gets a lot of attention from everyone who all want to know if he is Vietnamese and if he speaks the language. Funny thing about Hanoi, NO ONE speaks English here. It is quite stunning to go to the airport, supermarket or anywhere, and people just don't speak English. So I will need to start Vietnamese lessons soon tho the little I learned last time is coming back to me and it is quite useful.

December 14, 2008

Rémi can drive a car...

Next to the lake where we went yesterday, there is an amusement park with a zoo integrated. So this morning I went with Rémi, and we first went for the go-cart. He wanted me with him, but after a few rounds he was doing so well that I got out and just let him drive on his own. He did great, but he was easily distracted and kept looking all around and not where he was driving. Well, he has another 11 years to improve his driving skills! Then we went on other rides, saw the animals in cages like the tigers, and saw also a nice peacock showing himself off. There were a lot of people, but to my surprise I was the only foreigner there. Then we went to the market near our hotel for lunch with deep fried spring roll, nem, and some tofu. We met a Vietnamese woman who spoke perfect French, so I asked her if she knows anyone who could come and do housework for us. She'll get back to me...

December 21, 2008

Moving into our new house!

I was just a mad mad week again. Wednesday was the big moving day where I took Rémi to school, then rushed back to the hotel to finish packing our bags and load everything in a taxi. I brought it all to the new house, then went to a supermarket to do some shopping - soap, dishes, kettle, oven, glasses, pots 'n pans, etc. Then off to a friend of a friend's house to pick up some of his furniture since he's leaving the country and had sold me a few things, mainly a sofa set and a bicycle. Then unpacking of things, washing up so that by 5 pm, I am ready to pick Rémi up at school and make dinner. Whata life! And all day long, workers are in the house fixing up hot water tanks in each bathroom plus 3 air cons, and bringing in furniture. The next day, off to work and same with Friday. I went shopping for an electric scooter, made up my mind, went to the bank and called back to have it delivered to work. So no more taxi, and now all I have to do is figure out how to get around this huge Metropolis. On Friday evening all my office staff was invited to our Country Rep's house for a Xmas party, and that was very nice. There were many kids around so Rémi had a great time. Plus of course, there were nice presents from Santa Claus tho he did not make an appearance in his red attire.

Saturday - more workers to deliver the washing machine, more furniture and other repairs while I unpacked our stuff. Saturday evening, I ventured downtown on my scooter and got lost big time, so I kept having to ask the way to people. I was to meet my cousin Guy who is visiting here from Canada with his girlfriend. So we met up and went for Korean Food for dinner. It was nice getting to know each other and hearing about their impressions of Vietnam. Then I tried to get home but got lost again and had to ask directions. One guy asked me where I was trying to go, and I answered - "home!". Eventually we made it. Then by Sunday, the house was a mess and filthy, so I cleaned from top to bottom. In the meantime I have been interviewing women for the job of housekeeper/nanny, but so far no one "feels" right. Too young, no English, too expensive, etc. Today Rémi played in the street with the neighborhood kids all afternoon and it was such a blessing to see him having so much fun, and it gave me a break. For sure now he will pick up Vietnamese quickly since that is all that the kids can speak, of course.

Our house is really nice with 5 floors, tho only 3 that we will use regularly. The first floor is the kitchen but it has cathedral 2 floor high ceiling and you can see the stairs going up to the livingroom on the second floor. The third floor has 2 bedrooms, mine and Rémi's. Then 2 more bedrooms on the 4th floor, and finally a storage/prayer room on the fifth floor with also the washing machine area and the terrace. So when I am doing laundry and the doorbell rings, I have to go down 5 floors! This will require some space and time management, and provide for some great exercise for big papa! This year I won't be able to take Xmas holidays since I just started my new job and there is much to be done. We have been so busy and away from the Xmas craze of home so it doesn't even feel like Xmas is just around the corner. Granted, there is no snow either. Tonight we just had dinner with one of my colleague who is Nepali. He is here with his wife and 2 kids, one daughter who is 3 and the son who is 7. We had a nice time, and I am sure we'll do this often. Contrary to my time with CECI, here I do not know any expats or Canadians, so my social life for now is a bit dim.

December 28, 2008

A quiet Xmas at home...

By 5 pm on December 24th, I was so exhausted I was ready to fall flat on my face. Too much to do in too little time, tho yet again I must stress that all went well. Still, the only Xmas wish for this papa was rest, and that is what I got. On Xmas day I started our new house help Huong, and that was a relief otherwise I would have had to clean the house top to bottom. But thank God she came at the right time, and even cooked us a nice rice noodle dish with shrimps and veggies that we both enjoyed for Xmas night. It was the first time that I felt that I had caught up to everything, and our life was now on track and in order. A few more things to buy like a table for the laundry room, chairs, heaters and some food shopping got things done. I had taken off Dec 26th so that I could have a long weekend, so Rémi was off to school (thank God they have a Xmas program off regular school schedule) so I rested some more. In the evening we were invited with other VECO staff to an expats' house for a party, so I took Rémi along. Not much action over the weekend, except more rest and some shopping. I also set up with another woman to help out on the weekend, mainly on Saturday to take Rémi so I can have a break, and also 2 nights per month so I can go out with friends for dinner, when I do end up making friends that is! Her name is Mrs. Hop and she's older and very nice. She also does the dishes on Saturday when she comes by. We love our house which very much feels like home. One thing I enjoy is buying beautiful fresh roses for about 1$ a dozen, so I have them in the kitchen and livingroom much to my delight!

January 4, 2009

A new year has come...

I had a very quiet New Year and I was sleeping when others were doing the count-down. No regrets tho as this was right thing for me this time around. Nothing special on January 1st either, and that was fine. I had planned to take Jan. 2nd off work but in the end I had to go to the office. Next week we are planning to go to the field for the first time to visit the vegetable farmers and meet the local partners. So I had to prepare for this, make an agenda with appointments of key partners, set objectives and get the things underway. I will be gone for 4 days, and this will be the first time I put our nanny to the test, and see how it goes. Of course she'll have to stay at the house and care for Rémi. Let's hope for the best...

We just had 2 days with our friend Karen who has bee traveling through Vietnam and Cambodia. She passed through Hanoi and stayed at our house, in our guestroom on the 4th floor! On Friday we enjoyed Huong's cooking of vietnamese rolls and stir fry as well as grilled salmon. Saturday we went to the zoo and invited my friend Thang who worked with me a few years ago as translator. It was great to see him again, and he came with his nephew who is 8 years old, so Rémi had fun running after him. We went on rides together at at times just the kids, then came home for lunch. That night, we went to a floating restaurant which had huge aquariums filled with fish. When a table ordered fish, the cook went to the aquarium, got the one desired, put it in a bucket then showed it to the table before heading to the kitchen to hit its head and chop it. Rémi followed him around and came back to the table to explain how the fish had gone from the aquarium to the plate - "Papa, le monsieur il prend le poisson, puis les gens dit ok, puis le monsieur frappe la tête du poisson, puis il coupe la tête, puis il le prepare et le met dans l'assiette. C'est ça papa?" !

Today is Sunday and Mrs. Hop came by the house to do the dishes and then left with Rémi. He will spend the day at her house and then come home at 4-5 pm. This will give me time to relax, recoup and do some chores around the house. It has been gray and cold for weeks now, with no sun and chilly temperatures. Oh yes, Karen loved to hear every morning on the loudspeakers just outside my house the morning propaganda and revolutionary music from 6:30 am to 7 am. What a way to wake up feeling like you should rally for the communist cause! We only get a break on Sundays...

January 11, 2009

Going to the field

I have read enough reports and studies and now came the time to see things for real and hit the field. I planned this with my Chain Development Assistant and we went in search of data on the safe vegetable project. What are SV, you may ask? A broad answer would be between regular vegetables and organic - that is they use less chemicals and try to use more natural ways of growing vegetables. Is this a certified and scientific process? No. But it is my job to see how we can support these farmers with production, certification and more leverage in the chain - agreements with canteens or restaurants for regular supply, opening their own stall in the market, etc. So we went to 2 cities where we support SV farmers, met with the farmers groups and cooperatives, collected data, asked many questions and left with a better idea of what the task at hand entails. During that time, Huong was home looking after Rémi but things did not go so well. Apparently she missed her son too much and by Friday, she quit. Great, the same pattern as in Nepal is repeating itself. I interviewed a couple of ladies and opted for one who has more cooking experience. She starts tomorrow. So let's keep our fingers crossed and hope that she'll work out and stay with us for 2 years...

January 12, 2009

Dog meat, kayak and a new nanny...

Yep, when we go to the market nearby our house, we have it all - vegetables, fruits, pork, beef, chicken with their legs up in the air, fish and dog meat. We can easily tell dog meat apart by the way it looks - it is sort of glazed and you always see the tail end and the face. So no worries about wanting to buy beef and going home with dog meat. The fish is also fresh in the water basin - and we watched a stall keeper take a long live fish out of the tank, lie it on the cutting block and cut its back end. The fish was still moving. Then the next client came by and he cut another chunck off - and of course the fish is still moving. By the time they got to half of the fish which was gone - the fish was still moving. I could not take it any longer - what a weak sentimental I am. But I just wish he'd hurry up and kill the fish before selling it off in pieces - but when it is moving, there is no doubt with the customers that it is fresh, fresh.

I ventured on West Lake yesterday on kayak with Rémi and it was nice. This is the kind of activity that I love to do in Québec and miss so much from my house by Lac Achigan. The lake here is actually quite big and I managed to cross it and back. Today the new housekeeper/nanny started work since the other quit last Friday. I hope she does a good job and stays with us for 2 years. Even tho I just started her, I have to leave for the field and have no choice but to leave her in charge of Rémi. It breaks my heart to have to leave him like this with almost a stranger when we have not had the chance to get to know her. But we soon fall into the lunar new year and the whole country will shut down for 2-3 weeks with everyone taking extended holiday and annual leave. So this week is the last one before things start to shut down. And I need field details to work out my intervention plan for the chain development program. Let's just hope for the best....

January 17, 2009

Tea please !

It was a big week trying somehow to do the annual report for 2008 even tho I was not here and the chain development program had not quite started. A hair-pulling experience and little sleep trying to figure out what to write. Then we really had to hit the field for 3 days to visit the tea farmers - this would be our last chance before the lunar new year holiday when the whole country will shut down for one week, plus 2 more weeks when people are not available because of year end and new year parties, annual leave, etc. I had just started the new nanny/housekeeper Thuy on Monday, and after 3 days I sure did not feel like leaving Rémi with a stranger. Bad father, hein? But I really had no choice and just had to trust. Once in the field, we met with government officials who hope to sign an agreement with us to do activities and get funding. Then we met with the 3 main tea processing factories to find out how we could get them to deal directly with the farmers and not through traders who pocket all the profits. The strategy is to form a farmers' group who would harvest once or twice a month, then the volume would be interesting enough for the factory to bring a truck to pick up the tea. Sounds easy? That's what we'll soon find out.

The whole country has gone nuts in the last minute sprint before the holiday weekend and the lunar new year next week. Prices have gone up by at least 50% (flowers, meat, food) and you see colorful red and gold cookie and candy boxes, small trees with blossoms, kumquat (small oranges) trees filled with fruit and gift baskets. Traffic is bad during normal times, and now it has gone mad. The supermarket today was packed shoulder to shoulder. And once the new year hits, the whole country shuts down, including the supermarkets for at least 5-7 days. Hanoi will turn into a ghost town, really! So like the bear, I am making provisions and filling up the cupboards, fridge and freezer with necessities. In Vietnam to say happy new year we say Chuc-Mung-Nam-Moi! And finally the ABBA song of Happy New Year should soon stop playing in repeat mode.

January 26, 2009

Happy lunar new year!

It really feels like we've been wishing happy new year for 2 months, and we have. On Saturday Jan 25th, New Year's Eve according to the lunar calendar, we were invited to share dinner at Mrs. Hop's house. She looks after Rémi on the weekend and lives just around the corner. She has a small house, but they had prepared a nice feast with traditional dishes - chicken, vegetables, nem or spring rolls, pork sausage and sticky rice cake stuffed with beans and fish. It was nice meeting her 2 grown-up daughters who can speak some English. Then on Monday, new year's day, we went to a friend Minh's house to celebrate with his family - again with the same dishes and great hospitality. A big chill has fallen on Hanoi so it was about 7 C in the house, with doors wide open. I was glad that I thought of bringing our house slippers and warm hats. Rémi is rich now - it is custom to give children small amounts of money for luck, and now he has about 5-6 $ in his pocket. What will he spend it on?

February 7, 2009

New school for Rémi, new papers and a sister ?

I went with Rémi to the large International French School called Lycée which has over 500 students from 3-18 years old so primary and secondary studies in compliance with the French curriculum. Since the school where he goes only has kindergarten, he will go to the Lycée in September. In April we will do his pre-registration, and then in June he will have to take some kind of evaluation to see if he is ready to start primary level Cours Préparatoire (CP) or if he should continue a bit longer in kindergarten. Now that we have received his change of name document from Québec authorities, I will apply for a new passport under his Canadian name Rémi Trudel. Then after we should change his citizenship card as well. I also took Rémi to the International Adoption agency here in Hanoi and they were happy to see him again after 3 years. And I mentioned that I want to adopt a girl. I now have to wait 4 more months until I have been here 6 months before I can apply. Let's keep our fingers crossed...

When one of the staff at VECO office has a birthday, we usually get a present and a cake to mark the occasion. Which we did this week for Chau's Bday. This year, 3 guys at our office, myself included, will turn 40! I usually only celebrate every 10 years, and when I turned 30 I was in Japan and had invited all my friends to the restaurant. This year I hope to do something at my house with the few friends I have here. The past 10 years have been wonderful and so much has happened. It is amazing that in that short a time, I went back to school - got a Bachelor's and a Master's degree, worked with coops in Qc for 2 years, bought and sold my dream house, worked overseas in development in Vietnam, Nepal, and Burkina Faso, adopted a son and got a great job back in Vietnam. And most of all, I have made incredible friends with whom I share this journey. Not bad for a busy life, hein? I can only wish for as rich a life for the next decade!

For those of you who still wonder what my job is about as Chain Development Coordinator, here are a few concrete things. With the safe vegetables chain (which is half-way between organic and super toxic maximum chemical use), we have 83 farmers in 2 groups. They all sell their produce individually to traders and collectors who then resell. So what I will now do is a chain analysis to mainly understand 2 things - 1. what is their production plan in terms of varieties of produce, quantities and availability (in other words, what have they got to sell, how much and when) 2. who are potential buyers and what are their needs again in term of varieties, quantities and calendar. Then we'll try to match our farmers with the best buyers (restaurants, canteens, food shops) and make adjustments to their production plan if need be.

February 15, 2009

Heat wave

Just last week we were wearing warm clothing, jackets and heating the rooms at home and at the office. And I fully expected the "winter" with 10-15 C to continue until April as it did when I was last here 3 years ago. But alas, summer seems to have arrived early. Already doors and windows are open, we are down to T-Shirts and have already been using fans and yes, air cons. We just had the visit from the director of our NGO who came from Belgium, and we took him to the field to show the safe vegetables and tea projects. All went well and it was a very interesting experience, talking to partners, farmers and local staff. And of course, many meals with lots of alcohol shots one after the other, the inevitable Vietnamese bonding experience.

This weekend was quiet, having to work all day Saturday and staying at home Sunday. Remi is a growing boy and has outgrown his small green bicycle that we bought in Burkina Faso. Plus it was sort of falling apart. So off we went to get a nice bigger yellow bicycle, and he has been going around and around the neighborhood with it all afternoon. We gave the other one to the neighbor's 3 year old kid. Our new nanny is working out ok and I mainly appreciate her cooking skills. She excels at making meat loaf, honey-BBQ chicken, creme caramel, carrot cake, a super decadent chocolate cake stuffed with custard, spring rolls, lasagna, and much more. I guess I should now be honest and give up on ever losing weight and returning to the figure of my youth!

February 22, 2009

Doing a chain analysis for safe vegetables...

I hit the field again this week with my work colleague to do our first chain analysis. Before being able to undertake a chain development intervention, we first need to understand the farmers, their product, the main actors in the chain and their roles, market demand, price and conditions. So first we went to the vegetable central market which starts at 4 am but we got there at 6 am. We were a bit late and I think we missed some wholesalers but still, we walked around with a questionnaire and asked away, trying to understand origin of produce, buyers, etc. We interviewed fixed stall owners/retailers as well. Then during the day, we met with restaurants as well as factory and school canteens to try to understand their supply chain - who they buy from, conditions of contracts, price setting, payment, etc. It was an intense 3 days which will continue again next week. Then will come the report writing, and I am sure the result will be very useful to guide us in elaborating a strategy and intervention plan.

March 1, 2009

This and that...

The goldfish in our balcony pond with cascading water have all died one after the other. I got medicine to try to save them, a water pump and filter to improve their condition, but no cigar. Finally I emptied all the water, cleaned it thoroughly and bought new ones. Thuy our housekeeper decided to buy a turtle which started to eat the smaller fish, and now they have started dying again. And the turtle has found a way to get out of the pond so she runs away and I have to look for her in my kitchen, then put her back. I am seriously wondering if our little pond is worth the hassles...

3 years ago there were no international fast food restaurants like McDonald's or KFC. But since, KFC has sprouted all over the city and there are now 6 of them. That is where we went today for lunch, not too far from our house. On the up side, I have now signed up for an organic 3 kg vegetable bag straight from the farmers which gets delivered near my work. This week was the first time, and I was happy to find a great variety of really tasty veggies - red spinach, broccoli, celery, herbs, cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes and more. So from one end of the spectrum - fast food - to the other end - organic food. The two together should provide a balanced diet, right?

I still read novels a lot and am a bit sad after the dozens of great used books stores in Kathmandu to find only a small one here. Still, I try to find new authors and books by my favorites - I have now read all 20 Ken Follett books, have had a few bad ones with Dean Kootz so I am taking a break, but I found a novel by one of my favorite authors - Nicholas Evans. I had read before The Divide and loved it, and now I am starting The Smoke Jumper. If you want to know more about the great books I have read, check out Benoit's book Review!

March 9, 2009

Going out with friends

One of my work colleagues invited me to join his friend for a day activity on Sunday. At first I said no mostly because a whole day with Rémi and adults is no fun for me. But in the end I decided to switch babysitting days with Mrs. Hop from Saturday to Sunday so she looked after him. There were 6 of us, 4 guys and 2 gals who got in a car and we visited a school friend's ornamental tree plantation in the suburb of Hanoi. Large bonzai trees all around, going for a mere 20 000 US$ a peace, payment in cash, no credit cards. So I held back and was content with window shopping. Then we were invited for lunch with the family, a great feast with 1 hot pot on each table, and we threw in fish, tofu, vegetables, green bananas, pineapple, etc. It was lovely, we even had a 100-day old home brew made with sticky rice, and it was actually quite nice and not as strong as the usual 30% alcohol rice wine. It was a very fun and relaxed atmosphere, only to be broken when we re-entered Hanoi and faced traffic jams and the usual flow of chaos.

I am now off to the field to a new district, a first for me there. I will visit 3 communes and meet with farmers and collectors to try to figure out which commune needs our support the most. And where can we implement chain development with the best chance of success. All farmers there grow tea but also dry it, unlike in other districts. So if we form a farmers' group, can we get enough volume to deal with bigger traders and get better prices? We'll have to do some snooping around to get some answers. Following this trip I should be able to identify problems/constraints in the chain, strategies, main activities, and potential partners for implementation. A tall order for just a 3-day trip, hein?

March 13, 2009

Adoption anniversary and school carnival !

Today is a great day because 3 years ago, I was signing the register at the adoption ceremony of Rémi which officially made him my son. A lot has happened since and tho it has been a huge challenge being a father, I would not have it any other way. Having Rémi has made the journey on earth so much more rich and I love taking care of him. Today his school organized its first parent-student event with a carnival. The children were dressed as clowns and performed songs and dance. It was wonderful seeing Rémi interact with other students and to meet parents. They sang a famous song of Carmen Campagne who is popular in Québec - "Nous sommes les musiciens". And he even did a bit of gymnastics jumping and rolling through hoops.

March 22, 2009

Air Con Therapy and tank tops

Most of my friends overseas have only seen me in sleeveless tank tops because of the heat. In Africa as well as here, that is all I ever wear outside of work - the less clothes the better. And it is not even hot yet, only around 25 C but with very high humidity. In our house:

the floors have not dried in 5 days and remain wet;

the wall rock formation behind the plastic bamboo grove and my African mask have started to grow dangerous mold like a mushroom factory;

toilet paper falls apart in your hands before doing the job;

towels do not dry from one day to the next.

So then I do the only thing that puts a smile on my face - I close the doors, turn on the air con and read a book for a few hours. With the cold air blowing on me, everything falls into place and life is good.

Rémi loves coloring and my mum asked that I send her some drawing. Exceptionally, this week he did a few really nice ones, so this seemed the right time to go through the trouble of scanning and sending around. In the end I will put them in our scrapbook which I still diligently keep up to date, on top of the web site. Last weekend we met with a Belgian woman who adopted a girl here who is now 2 years old. She was referred by a friend, and we had lunch together. When it heats up more, we will surely go to the pool with the kids and hang out.

March 29, 2009

Swimming pool season has begun...

For all of you back home cursing the winter and waiting for spring to arrive, you probably don't want to hear that it's warm here. And all week, Rémi has been asking if we'll go to the pool. Today I met with our Belgian friend and her daughter and we headed to the Hanoi amusement park called the Water Park by West Lake. Not too sure what to find there except the big ferris wheel which we can see from afar, we arrived early. For 3$, Rémi was able to go on all children rides - small train, carousel, go-car and a big climbing structure with a ball pool, slides and all. But even tho it is called the Water Park, no sign of water or a swimming pool on site. Tho the whole place was not open yet, so maybe they are still getting it ready. So after the park, Rémi still whined to go swimming so off we went to a pool and he swam with his floaters for a good hour. I have a feeling we will be doing this every weekend for the whole summer...a déjà-vu feeling is creeping up on me!

I got myself a real fancy mobile phone, the latest from Samsung - the Omnia i900 which is a copy of the IPhone - touch screen, internet, GPRS (satellite connection), GPS, Windows Mobile (Word, Excel, and all), camera. The works... it's all there. Now I just need to figure out how to use it! I spent the whole day running around to Samsung Service Centers and Vinaphone company to try to get the GPRS going. This means that even in the boonies, as long as I have phone connection, I can get my emails. And I will install Skype mobile, so then I will be able to call home from my phone at 2 cents per minute anywhere in the world! It's amazing how technology is advancing and I want to keep up. I just pray that I never lose or drop this 600$ phone!

April 8, 2009

Going back to Ba Thuoc...

A friend of mine from Québec, Nathalie and her 10 year old son Thiery, are visiting Vietnam and so we met up on Friday. They will be doing the usual tourist tour of Halong Bay, Hue, Hoi An and Saigon, so I suggested to them that we get off the beaten track and hit the countryside - Ba Thuoc, Thanh Hoa province, where I lived for one year in 2005-6. So we took the bus at 7 am with our friend Thang who was translator 3 year ago and is now a good friend, and we finally arrived at 3 pm! It was really nice to see my friend Huyen again, her husband and son Minh. We had a late lunch, then walked over to the bamboo floating bridge to Tan Lap commune. The scenery was beautiful, the air was calm and it was just lovely to hang out. That evening, we were invited for dinner at Huyen's room where she had prepared a feast! The next day, we went early to the market and that was the highlight of the trip. People recognized me and Rémi and were so happy to see us again. Nathalie and Thiery attracted even more attention, and everyone was really friendly. People of all ages would pose for our endless photo opps and the contact with each was positive. Then we visited a school and a health clinic, before heading for our farewell lunch. At 2 pm, less than 24 hours later, we boarded the bus for a 7 hour journey back to Hanoi. It was a lovely weekend and one we shall not forget soon...

April 19, 2009

Happy birthday to me!

I must say that I don't really celebrate birthdays each year and if I do, it is very low key. But the milestone years - of which there are not so many - I do want to usher in with a big bang. The last one was when I turned 30 which seems like a lifetime ago. I was ending my 5 year stint in Japan, and invited all my friends to the Garlic Restaurant in Kanazawa. I would have to dig in boxes to find pictures and remind myself who was present, as this was before the time of digital photographs. So this time is the big 40 and I feel better about aging than ever - my life is full and rich so the years are "well-spent" with no regrets whatsoever. That counts for a lot, right?

I really enjoyed the preparation of this party like deciding on the menu, discussing with my cook Thuy what we could do, then preparing all week to get ice in the freezer and buy all that we needed. The result was lovely with a feast on the table, fruit punch, wine, and cold beer. I had even moved up to the 5ht floor terrace a lot of furniture - bamboo couch and chairs, tables, nice lights and ice bucket for beer. The dining room with the high ceiling is where food and drinks were laid out, and to my surprise that is where most people stayed. No one lounged in the living room and few trekked all the way up 5 floors to the terrace. All together about 30 people showed up - we ate, drank and played a few games like passing the marble with a spoon clenched between teeth, and guessing the name of the famous person written on a paper stuck to your back. And for my Bday, I bought myself a new painting for the dining room. Do you like it? Oh, and many people were surprised that Rémi was not present - he was being babysat by Mrs. Hop so that I could have and enjoy this evening and put aside being a dad for a few hours. Is that too unreasonable?

April 26, 2009

Swimming every Sunday

I must say that we went to the swimming pool every weekend our first time in Nepal and the whole year while in Burkina Faso. By May last year, I had overdosed on swimming and needed a break. So for over one year, I have not gone swimming except the odd time. Rémi went last summer in Nepal with his nanny, but never with me. And now it feels good after a break to go swimming again, and with the heat and not much else to do, why not? So off we went again to Hotel Tay Ho, and this time there were many other kids and even kids from Rémi's school as well as his "maitresse" so we stayed for over 3 hours. Last night we had a Canadian friend from CECI, Kathleen, come to visit us and stay for dinner. She is usually based in Kathmandu but will be in VN for a few weeks for work. It is nice to keep an open dialogue with CECI management. Not much else to report. Life is good.

May 3, 2009

Rémi is socializing...

I have been Rémi's whole world for a bit too long, and have hoped and waited for him to turn to his surroundings for friends. And slowly, it is happening. We went to the swimming pool yesterday and a man arrived with his two boys, one 4 and the other seven years old. Rémi followed them around the pool and at first, they seemed to be running away from him. But just when I was thinking that they didn't want to play with Rémi and he should back off, they hit it off. They spent 3 hours running, jumping and screaming while I got to know his father - they are Germans who just got Canadian citizenship, so he was eager to know about the major Canadian cities since he still does not know where they will settle in Canada. Regretfully, they left and we returned home. But more and more, he is playing with kids in the street, and that is a relief. He still speaks to them in French, and maybe at some point he will start to pick up some Vietnamese. This week, I took off the side wheels on his bicycle and am coaching him to ride on two wheels. Just 5 minutes a day and slowly he is getting the hang of it. I just found out that there is a big park a bit far from our house which has slides and climbing structure for kids. And there's even a permanent circus in Hanoi. So with few activities to do here with kids, we will sure check this out in the next couple of weeks. Stay tuned for more mundane stories on our little life in Hanoi!

May 11, 2009

Rémi the plastic gangster!

Yep, I swore I would never buy Rémi toy weapons like guns and swords but when it came right down to it, I said ok last week and gave in. So first I got him a set of guns and we had fun shooting at each other in and around the house. But then he really wanted a sword, which I got for him over the weekend for less than a dollar. So now I have a fully armed-with-plastic warrior running around having fun with other kids. He even begged to bring it to school today and I surrendered. Am I getting softie or what? On Sunday we went to Lenin Park where they have western style climbing structures for kids, rides and a small train that goes around the large park. There we bumped into our German friend with his 2 kids, and all they talked about was going to the swimming pool, despite the cloudy-grey day. Once again I surrendered and off we went, back home to get our gear and off to the hotel pool on the other side of town. Then we visited a French family who has a boy Remi's age and whom we had met at the pool a few weeks back. Then off to friends' in their super luxurious apartment for pizza dinner. Ouff, no nap for papa so I was done for by the time I put Rémi to bed.

May 17, 2009

Busy weekend, Vietnamese food...

Wow, we had a busy weekend with a friend of a friend who came to visit from Saigon in the south of Vietnam. He arrived on Friday, so we had dinner at home and got to know each other. He is a mix Swiss and Vietnamese so he speaks good French, which was great for Rémi. On Saturday it was hot and humid so while Rémi was with Mrs. Hop, we headed downtown for a stroll. But soon we were sweating buckets so we had lunch in an air conditioned restaurant before coming home, and turning on air con in the living room. Saturday evening he went out with some friends, and I went to a well-known vietnamese restaurant called Lotus (Sen) with my friends Thang and Duong. It is a very large place with a Western/Chinese style buffet, most of it nothing special, except they also have little stalls of authentic Vietnamese food, which was ok. It was really expensive tho and the bill for 3 people was 50$!

Today, Sunday, it was sunny but first we had to go to Rémi's school for an Open-house for new students/parents with food, activities and a bit of a circus. We were only able to stay one hour, but man oh man was it humid again today. I got home drenched, then with Denis and Rémi we headed for the newly opened Sao Mai pool. It is the largest in Hanoi and it is just wonderful. Once in the water and cool, the smile came back to my face. By 2 pm, we had to rush home, say goodbye to Denis who was headed for the airport to catch his flight back to Saigon, get the babysitter to my place, then head out again. I was meeting work colleagues from VECO Indonesia and Laos who just arrived for a learning workshop that we are co-organizing. Thang and Duong recommended a better Vietnamese restaurant, Quan An Ngon, and that is where I took them. This time, a more traditional large house again with little stalls where you could order different kinds of Vietnamese foods from all over the country. It was just absolutely delicious and I never knew Vietnamese food could be so good! And the price was more than reasonable, so for sure I will be back there regularly. The weekend is over, and I am pooped. And tomorrow we start our workshop and I have to give a presentation in the morning. So I will go to bed early...

May 23, 2009

A workshop for VECO Asia...

On Sunday our colleagues from VECO-Indonesia and VECO-Laos arrived for a week long workshop on learning in dealing with private sector actors in our respective chain development programs. I met them at the hotel and took them around Hanoi to see the shops. For dinner I took them to a famous Hanoi restaurant - Quan An Ngon - which is set in an old house, with a large garden and booths all around with dishes from all over Vietnam. The food was sublime and everyone enjoyed it as their initiation to Vietnamese cuisine. The next day the workshop started, with each country presenting their program and learning, myself included for Vietnam. For dinner, we were all invited to another good restaurant - Cum Viet - where even Hilary Clinton, the wife of Stephen Harper and other celebrities had dined. On Tuesday, we had presentations from different partners and that was very interesting. Dinner on a boat which went around West Lake near my house. Then Wednesday, off to the field to show them the tea and fish project, meeting with farmers and tea factory. Thursday, off to another area to show the safe vegetable project, then back to Hanoi. It has been a busy week, and they leave on Sunday, tomorrow. So I will meet again with them tonight for one last supper to say our farewell. It was very interesting to meet with them and see how differently we implement our chain development program. As for family life, it won't be a surprise to you if I say we are off to the swimming pool again, right?

June 1, 2009

Meeting another single man with adopted son...

Last weekend we overdid it at the pool so on Monday, Remi was sun-stroked with a bit of fever. I gave him medicine and took him to school, but soon they called and asked that I take him home. The teacher insisted that with sun-stroke, it is at least 2 weeks in bed at home. "Chill honey", I thought. He'll be back at school tomorrow. And he was. But I did realize that I have to be more careful because the sun here is so strong, and 2 hours at the pool is probably enough, no matter how much sunscreen we use. Friends told me that there is another single man, an American, 50 years old, who adopted a boy in Vietnam, now 3 years old. We met for the first time at the Sao Mai pool, and it was great knowing someone who lives a similar experience to mine, being a single father.

This weekend we met with our new friends, Steve and Zach and we went to Al Fresco's restaurant. It's a very western type place with ribs, steaks, pizza, pasta and Mexican food. And on the top floor, they have a kids area so you can eat and relax while kids have fun. It was just great, and I noticed that Steve is much like me with his son - loving but firm. And that is nice for me to see also. Then Sunday we had planned to go the circus, but even tho we went early, all tickets had been sold out. So we went again to Lenin Park, but since it was International Chiildren Day, the park was packed with people. Soon, i couldn't take it anymore so went home. And now, a few more hours to relax before the busy week starts again...

June 7, 2009

Our house is getting gloomy...

Oh dear.... our house is completely built between two others so of course, we have no side windows. Our house is long and narrow like most here, with only windows at the front and at the back. That is up until now. Behind our house they are building, and the new place goes right up to one meter from our house. So now we get no light in our kitchen and need the lights on even during daytime. It is going up 5 floors and as of this week, we see a brick wall from Rémi's window. See photo before (left) and after (right). So now I think we will only stay one year after all, and move out in December to a better place.

This week Rémi had the evaluation at the International French School so that they can assess if he is ready to start primary school in September. He went into the one hour session with 3 other kids, and when he came out I was told that he had not listened or done any of the exercises they had asked him to do. So it was pretty much impossible for them to assess him, in which case he will probably not be accepted. Which would mean back to kindergarten for another year. That was a bummer but I still hope for a miracle as I wait for the official answer. Today we went to the swimming pool and now Rémi is off the shoulder floaters. Instead he now wears goggles so he can put his head underwater. And slowly, with me holding him, he is learning how to swim. I usually pop by a western type deli on our way there and buy pizza, cheese and cold meats for our lunch, which I keep in a mini cooler. Now back home to relax a bit before the week starts tomorrow...

June 14, 2009

What to do with Rémi and Roxy?

Well, the verdict is in - Rémi has not been admitted at the International French School. With this new reality, I now need to start to think about what to do. I realized that I don't want to leave him in kindergarten for another year, even if in the French system. It is time for him to move on to Grade 1 of primary school, so what are the options? I started going around the English schools, and so far all of them seem very open to admit him, even if he doesn't speak English. Most are used to students with low language abilities and have an ESL program to help them along. But many factors have to be considered: Tuition of the French school is very cheap at 6,000$/year, whereas the English schools are between 10,000-12,000 US$. If I choose an English school, I would need to get Rémi a French tutor at about 4,000 US$/year. The good news is that the director of the primary level of the French school who seems to have an allergy to Canadians is leaving this summer. So one strategy is to wait for the replacement to arrive, and ask for Rémi to do again the evaluation in August. At any rate, even tho I look at options now, I don't think I will decide anything before August...

Roxy has been sick now for 3 months, scratching herself and developing scabs and sores all over her skin. I took her to a vet who said it was fungi, but it didn't get better. So then I went for a "second opinion" to another vet, and he first said it was hot spots. It still did not get better, so then I went back and saw a different vet at the same clinic who said it was bacteria, and it still did not get better. So now we are back to the first vet, and he still claims it is fungi. We put Roxy on a treatment, and will see yet again if it improves or not. If not, there is a 3rd vet office in Hanoi that I will try to contact, but I have to make sure that I have enough time to give treatment before I leave for Canada on July 3rd. The vet shaved Roxy this week and it broke my heart to see the state of her skin. Oh, and she has been throwing up for 2 days now, so another worry to add to the lot. What to do?

June 21, 2009

50°C in the sun, 38°C in the shade and 32°C in the house...

Dear oh dear. How hot can it get? Well, we just found out this weekend with record breaking heat and it will be much like this for all of July. I feel like I am right back in Burkina Faso. I stand in my kitchen and sweat runs down my back as I make my coffee at 7 am. We have 3 air cons in the house - one in the living room, one in my bedroom and one in Rémi's room. I have one on at all time, either in the living room or all night in my room. Rémi now sleeps on a mattress in my room. I was worried a little about the electricity bill from using so much non-stop air con, but I just got it today and it was still reasonable - 70$ for the month. Thank God we also have air con at the office. With the sun blazing, it is now even too hot to consider going to the swimming pool. We'll have to wait till a cloudy day, or August when we return.

Regarding the adoption, I finally got all my papers done but the DIA (Department of International Adoptions) says that they won't accept it until I find a child. After many requests, I finally got from them a list of orphanages, but just like I suspected, when I called them they all said that they did not have children available. Each orphanage is usually linked with an international agency in a foreign country and bound by agreements. So then I got the names of 2 facilitators who have links with orphanages and can look for me. The cost is high, but it is worth it. I am asking for a 1-2 year old girl from the north of Vietnam, since flying to the south for all the paperwork and visits is very difficult and time consuming. A friend said her mum knows an orphanage which just got a 6-month old girl. Altho I plan to try to go visit her next weekend, I still feel that it is too young for me. An infant would require more intensive care and hiring of a full-time nanny. But I am keeping an open mind and all options open. So keep your fingers crossed for me to find Sophie/Alice/Lucie. Those are the name choices for now....

June 28, 2009

Have we found Lucie?

It's a race against the clock trying to get my work on track as much as possible so that "chain development" activities with the tea chain with our selected partners continue during my absence. Plus I am doing a crazy last minute pig chain analysis for 3 days right before leaving. So it will be a busy week. The 3 facilitators I have asked to look for a 1-2 year old girl for adoption have so far turned up with nothing. My friend Duong's mother has found a 7 month old baby girl in an orphanage 2 hours from Hanoi, so we went to visit her yesterday. Her name is Tam An, her birthday is November 26 2008 and she was abandoned at the hospital shortly after birth. The director of the orphanage who was supposed to meet us was called away at the last minute, and by law they have to wait another month to see if the mother turns up to claim her daughter after they put notices in newspapers and on TV. She's very young and it would be a challenge for me to take care of an infant, even with the help of a full-time nanny. But for now we just wait and when I return, we'll see if the director agrees to meet with me if the girl is still "available".

August 21, 2009

Back in the saddle...

It is nice to come home after the run-around of the summer, and I will look forward to staying put for awhile. It was great to see Duong who did a wonderful job of keeping our house in order and the thieves at bay, with the help of Roxy of course! And I was thrilled to have Thuy who can now take over from me the house duties of cooking, cleaning, laundry and washing dishes. Oufff. A nice break. Now all I need is to watch what I eat so i can lose 1 kg or 2, otherwise I will need to buy new clothes to fit into! Remi stays home with Thuy and she takes him to the swimming pool every morning. It feels great also to get back to work, see my colleagues (the few that are left!) and catch up on the commodities and activities which need monitoring and support. Already on this first week, I am off to the field to meet with tea farmers and partners. Life is on track and as long as I have air con, things will be fine....

August 30, 2009

Rémi is finally signed up at school...

After 2 months of waiting to make the decision about which school to send Rémi to, the verdict is in. I waited for the French school to re-open last Tuesday and went to ask if they would re-do his evaluation. I was informed that the primary level director was not yet in-country, not sure when he would arrive and even less sure when he would be able to give me an answer. That did it - enough! At the same time, someone put me in touch with a fellow Quebec family who have 6 year old twins and they faced the same difficulties as me with the French school. In the end they decided to sign them up at Uniworld, the English school I had also chosen and the only one still with places left. So I signed Rémi up, knowing that there will be at least 2 francophone kids just like him in his class who speak little or no English. They are still in Quebec tho and will move to Vietnam in one month. Their mother Isabelle was here to prepare their arrival. So there it is.... Rémi will learn English and start Grade 1 tomorrow! I have also spoken to his old school Petits Princes and asked that she find a French tutor for Rémi, 1 hour per day Mon-Friday. Isabelle has said that she wants to team up for this and also offer her kids French tutoring. So as always, in the end it does work out...The photo above is of our friend Anna - we went to the pool together with Mum and had a nice time, then relaxed by West Lake. Rémi looks like he would make a good older brother, don't you think ?

September 6, 2009

A crazy and stressful week

I had given up on the French school, signed up Rémi at the English school, managed to convince the director there to let him start even tho they had not yet received payment, and then... the French school called to say that the new director would see me! So I met him, and found that he was kind and considerate. Still, the only thing he could offer was to redo Rémi's evaluation, aware that he may not pass, and also that at this time there was no place left in Grade 1. So in the end it seemed too much of a gamble, which would have required that I take him out of the English school with no guarantee, so I didn't. At the parent teacher meeting on Thursday, the shocker for me was to find out that they will teach him Chinese 5 periods out of 35 each week, and that this is compulsory. I was furious that as a parent, I am not given a choice as to what languages my son will learn. But in the end, I just have to accept it for now and see how it goes. It just seems a lot to throw 4 languages at Rémi - French, English, Vietnamese and Chinese. As for the rest, it sounds good - he will do sports, play music, do drama, math and arts. A well rounded program.

The challenge now is also getting our new routine organized, which means getting Rémi to school at 8 am and picking him up at 3 pm. The school is a bit far from the house, so I had proposed to Mrs. Hop that she do it and she accepted. She did one day and then the next day walked out saying she would not work for me anymore. So then I had to find a moto-taxi who would agree to do the run, and go with him a few times to make sure all was well. On Friday, with the help of translators, I had a long talk with Mrs. Hop as she complained about everything under the sun, with the main issue that she wants more money. I could easily have let her go, and wanted to when hearing so much whining, but in the end I decided to give her what she wants and give it a try. So now she gets quite a bit more money to take care of him on Saturday, and doing the run to school Monday-Friday morning and afternoon.

We almost gave our notice to move out of our house this week as well. Even tho the house is new and I am the first tenant, most things are made cheap with pieces made in China. So every week it seems, things break down and I have to call the owner to come and fix them. And every time, she complains about how difficult I am and whines on and on. But this time, she said she might take back the house. Dear, dear, never bluff to Benoit because I'll call you on it. When I pay 1000 US$/month, a price no Vietnamese tenant would pay, I expect that she will repair things and stop complaining. I asked that we fix a date for me to move out, happy to oblige and leave if she wanted to. But she backed down, and then did everything to convince me to stay.

Can you believe that even tho it is still 34 C here and hot as hell, September marks the beginning of fall and winter so swimming pools are starting to close! The water last week was at 28 C! And still a few pools have closed already. It is still way too hot for me so I have air con on all the time around the clock. So today we went to the large Sao Mai pool one last time since it will close tomorrow and reopen only in May. With outside temperature at 40 C today, it is hard to think that "winter" is coming anytime soon. We met Lieve and Anna, swam for hours and ate a nice lunch of fruit, hummus, smoked salmon and cheese...

At work it was also a big week because we finally met our new boss and country representative, a man from the Philippines who arrived with his 20 year old daughter. We had a welcoming lunch for him, and now we wait and see how it will go. Ouff, a busy week with lots of emotions and decisions...

September 13, 2009

Kitchen gas scam

Most Vietnamese probably have heard of this scam, but I hadn't. Two guys dressed in the blue gas company uniform came to my door and started talking to me in Vietnamese. As usual, when I don't understand, I go along thinking that the meaning of the situation will reveal itself. They came in the house, checked the gas burners, said they were fine, kept checking, then said oups, you're out of gas. By then I was for sure wondering who they were and why they had come. I was also stumped because we had just changed the cylinder a short while ago so I checked that the valve was fully open and it was. I called Duong and put her on the phone to talk to them, but when she asked if Thuy (my cook) had called them, they said yes. So I off we called to get a new cylinder to replace the "empty" one which they brought quickly with their phone number plastered on it, and new gas documents for future orders. When Duong came home we discussed this, and realized we had been scammed. The cylinder was not empty. This is the way of this company to get new clients - to replace the cylinder of their competitor with theirs. And it worked. So Duong called them to complain about their practice and of course they denied it. Then I asked Thuy to call and she yelled at them on the phone and threatened to go to the police. 10 minutes later they came at our door with supposedly our old cylinder (no way to be sure) and our money thinking they would take their cylinder back. But Thuy refused, took the money and asked them to leave. Now this little event serves as a warning to be more vigilant. I should have known that something was off when the guys came in and were "too friendly and chatty". We'll be more careful in the future...

September 20, 2009

Troubled waters...

Generally, Rémi's integration at Uniworld school seems to be going well, and he is learning English words quickly. Mrs. Hop brings him to school in the morning and picks him up in the afternoon, but I make it a point to pop by to speak to the teacher at least once a week. He gets lots of homework which we do diligently and already, he's learning basic math so we use stones and play cards to practice. He also has a French tutor everyday for one hour at this old Kindergarten school and this is going well also. But not sure if it's because of all the changes, but Rémi has started throwing good tantrums again, which has me really down. This happens mostly evenings now that I am trying to get him to sleep in his room again. Because of the heat here, he has slept on a mattress on the floor in my room for awhile, and also while we were in Canada. So now trying to get him to sleep in his bed is impossible - he wakes up screaming many times, keeps coming to my room, etc. Plus he still says no to everything and speaks incoherently which makes communication hard and strains our relationship. Another storm of parenthood to weather thru I guess...

Today Sunday we went to the Jafa restaurant and pool not far from our house. It is becoming our favorite place because the food is so good, and many other parents with children go there so it is like a little social club. Other news.... not much. We have a rat that keeps coming into the house, eating Roxy's food. So we close the "balcony door" off the kitchen to keep it out but it gets too hot. So the next step is to try to get some poison, and use it safely at night when Rémi and Roxy are not around. Another thing that adds to my troubles is that I am not sure if our cook/housekeeper will/should stay. No matter how much money I give her, she really spends as little time as possible at the house so the work is done quickly and not carefully. This week she mixed colors with whites and ruined many clothes, despite all the previous warnings I gave her before about laundry. But she is a good cook, and the last thing I feel like right now is looking for someone new and starting over...

September 27, 2009

Silver lining...

To help Rémi re-integrate sleeping in his room, I decided to decorate it will cartoon images on the wall and animals, plus I got him a fish lamp. So now it is better and he has gotten into the habit of sleeping in his room again. His school teacher mentioned that his behavior is not so good so she reports every day on this with 1 to 3 stars, and I try to encourage Rémi to behave and listen to the teacher. But I think this is a symptom of the frustrations he feels with a new language and a level at school which is beyond where he's at. They're already doing pretty advanced math, when Rémi doesn't even know 1 + 1 yet. And somehow they write full sentences when I thought all you needed to start Grade 1 was knowing the alphabet. So this has led somehow to more temper tantrums at home which have been harder to manage then the ones 2 years ago. For sure he is becoming more and more stubborn but we'll see. His birthday is coming up in 10 days!

The 3 construction sites around our house are finally pretty much finished. But a new one just began in front of our house. I can't bear any more the noise for the next 7 months, 7 days/week, so I gave my 2 month notice to the owner. Today I will take pictures of the house and post on the net to try to help find a new tenant, hopefully for November 1st. Duong and I are already excited about going house-hunting and we share similar tastes and criteria. It has been fun having her as house-mate and we get along nicely. Rémi spends more and more time out in the streets with his friends, and somehow he still does not seem to pick up Vietnamese. He talks to them in French and English, and of course they don't understand. And now a new phase started as well - kids have started to come into the house to our living room on the second floor to play. I have put the rule at a maximum of 2 friends at a time to try to keep things under control.

October 6, 2009

Vive le Québec....!

Well, now it is official - a family from Quebec with 4 kids working for SNC-Lavalin, a huge construction company in Canada, has arrived in Hanoi. The 2 youngest are twins - one boy, one girl, and they are 6 years old. They have started Grade 1 in the same class as Rémi, and speak no English at all. So this will be good company for him. We met them last weekend and went swimming, and will meet again next weekend... for Rémi's birthday and more swimming. It is great to have them here, and I think the parents will get along as well.

October 11, 2009

A good birthday "week" for Rémi...

He's been really excited since last week to know that his birthday was coming up. Came Wednesday, the Bday, papa was all ready. With Thuy we made a huge chocolate cake with 1 kg of pure chocolate and I had the honor of decorating it. The teacher told parents that it's not her job to throw bday parties for each child, so if we want one then the parents have to organize everything. So I showed up with the cake, balloons, party hats, paper plates, plastic utensils, cups and juice. Together with all his classmates we first played musical chairs. You can see the Quebec twins Louis and Marie-Flore on the picture right. Then of course we all sang Happy Bday, ate and off I went back to work one hour later. In the evening, I gave Rémi his presents - a plane, a new plastic sword, plastic heroes with skateboards, etc. and we invited the neighbor's kids over for cake.

And then today just to make sure we had celebrated his birthday fully, I organized one final party at the Jafa pool and restaurant where we go every week. I wanted to invite mainly non-school friends and at first, it didn't look like many kids were going to come. But in the end we had over 12 kids, balloons, a face painting artist, and presents of course. The cake was made with spiderman on top, plus there was ice cream also of course! We played musical chairs and it was a fun afternoon. I'm glad we had such a good turn-out. But now I am tired, happy that there won't be another bday party for one year!

October 18, 2009

Adoption of a girl - a step forward?

After I finally gave up on finding a girl of 2-3 years for adoption, I told my facilitator to begin looking for a baby girl. And last week, one was proposed to me. She is 3 months old now cared for by a Hanoi orphanage. This week I went to visit her but I was not allowed to take pictures. The waiting period of 4 months required by law is not over yet, and during that time the orphanage has to publish ads on TV and in newspapers in an attempt to find the parents/relatives. If none come forward, then by February or March we should be able to submit the application for adoption of this girl. And now the processing time has increased significantly with the new director, going from 2 months to about 6 months. So it seems like even if this girl is my future daughter, we probably won't have her in our arms and in the house for another 10 months. But she is very beautiful and worth the wait, which is all we can do now.

Today we went to the Hanoi circus, something I had been wanting to do for a long time. We met our Quebec friends with mum and the twins at 9 am, and to my surprise the show was a good two hours. There was everything that a circus should have - clowns, acrobats, skilled bears and monkeys riding bicycles and of course, elephants standing on one leg like ballerinas! And all this, for a mere 2.50$/person ! Of course, we all wonder about the care and health of the animals, but in the end we need to focus on the entertainment. The kids loved it, and for me it was the first time ever to see a circus. Then we came home and had lunch, the 2 parents talking mostly about school while the kids played and screamed. All in all a nice weekend.

October 25, 2009

Benoit's Stupendous Dark Rum Xmas Fruitcake

Fruit cake is one of those holiday season traditions that people either hate, tolerate or love. For sure, it used to be something that was homemade, but it is rarely so today. Today, all supermarkets offer a great variety of dark and light fruitcakes, and most of my friends have no idea how to make one. Well, this year I decided to make it myself (mainly because we can't buy it here!), so I searched the web for recipes which of course I adjusted to my liking (and availability of ingredients). The result was 2 fabulous dark rum fruitcakes which are now in the fridge, aging for the next 4 weeks. Here is my secret recipe:

2 cups of pitted dates, 2 cups of pitted prunes, 2 cups of dried apricots, 2 cups of raisins, 1 cup of green cherries, 1 cup of red cherries;

2 cups of pecan nuts, 1 cup of silvered almonds;

5 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking powder;

7 eggs, 1 cup of creamed butter, 2 cups of sugar;

1 cup molasses, 600 ml of dark rum;

3 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground cloves, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon of cardamom.

Put all the dried fruits and nuts in a sealable container. Add one tablespoon of molasses and 1 cup of rum. Let sit one day. Repeat procedure for 6 more days. On day 7, put in bowl cream eggs, butter and sugar. In another large bowl, add dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, spices and mix well. Slowly (or quickly if you can't wait like me!) integrate to the dry mix the egg mix, then the rum soaked dry fruits. Mix well. Put mix in 2 greased rectangular pans and cook for about 2 hours at 350 C, until an inserted knife comes out clean. De-pan and let sit to cool. Wrap in aluminum foil and put in a plastic bag, then store in the fridge for 4-6 weeks. Serve and brag about your talent to all your friends and family (like I will be doing soon!). And most of all, enjoy!

November 8, 2009

Xmas plans ....

I am so excited because this year, we'll be able to hit the beach in the south for Xmas! I decided for Cambodia which is near here, takes a short 2 hour direct flight and cost peanuts (700$ for both of us!). I am now looking at affordable resorts where we can have a mix of peace and quiet, families, security and no parties. The last time we went to the beach was in 2006 when we went to Thailand. The following year, when we were in Burkina Faso, I went to Senegal at Xmas to visit Marie-Annick and last year, we had just moved to Vietnam from Nepal so we stayed here. I am looking forward to it and hope that we meet some nice families so Remi can play while I read tons of novels and sip pina coladas....

Last night we went to our favorite restaurant Al Frescos with Steve and Zach. The 2 boys had fun running around while we caught up on each other's lives. Then today we went with our Quebec friends to the amusement park (yes, again, I know). Our 5 kids had fun of course, and then we went to Lotus restaurant for brunch. Now back home to enjoy the last few hours of our Sunday, but I will go with an agent in a little while to look at more houses to rent.

Rémi is doing better in school lately. It seems that because he finds it difficult he gets frustrated and aggressive. But slowly now maybe it is getting better. But already they do math with + and -, plus he has to read and write and lots of homework every day.

November 15, 2009

We have found a house - Amen!

After 2 months of looking at houses with many agents, I finally saw a house not too far from here that suits our needs. I am planning for 5 people to live there - for now Duong with her own bedroom and bathroom, Rémi and myself - and in the hopefully not too distant future, our baby girl with a full-time nanny. So really, we needed 4 rooms. I considered moving closer to downtown, but in the end I really wanted to make it easy for Rémi to go to school, we I decided to stay in the neighborhood. I preferred new houses like the one we have now with brand new bathrooms - it just feels and looks cleaner. But in the end I took an older house. The big draw is that we'll have a huge front yard with a mango tree, large enough to park 4 cars, something which is very rare in Hanoi. This means our house is a bit removed from the street, so not as noisy and Rémi will be able to play in the yard instead of in the street. The combined living room, dining room and kitchen is huge, and the dining table can sit 14 people! We even have a billiard table! The house comes fully furnished of course. No worries, I will soon post photos after we move in December 1st...

Last week was really hot and hit 34 C on most days, but thank God it has now cooled. Today it is a mere 17 C which is a huge drop. So I took out all of our moldy winter clothes and have been doing laundry one load after the other all day. I wore jeans for the first time and it feels great! For the next 4 months, I should be comfortable and happy, unlike many Vietnamese who prefer heat to cold. But there's not much to do now on the weekend with Rémi. With our friends from Quebec, we have been to the amusement park every weekend, but we need to figure out other things to do...

December 8, 2009

We have moved to our new house...

This was truly a crazy week, which is why I have not up-dated my web site in more than 2 weeks! I returned to Hanoi from Belgium on Sunday at 6 am, then spent the whole day packing boxes and bringing all our stuff to the ground floor. I had not slept on the flight, so I was heavily jet-lagged. Then on Monday, the movers showed up at 8:30 and loaded all our stuff with a minivan, the only thing that could fit down our small alley. We made 3 trips and got everything to the new house, then in the afternoon I went to work. I spent the next few days working and unpacking, and on Wed-Thurs, I even had to go to the field. So by Friday, I was beat but like a good Aries, the house was pretty settled in. We are happy with the new place which is spacier, brighter and it has a great front yard. We even have many fruit trees - mango, grapefruit, star fruit and papaya! The only dark cloud in the sky is that the owner did not do all the work on the house that he promised, so I had to get an electrician to come and fix things. I will most likely need to get another worker to come since plumbing in kitchen is faulty, door handles are missing, etc. I will post more pictures soon and even a video tour of the house so stay tuned!

December 13, 2009

House-warming party...

Since we have just moved to a big house with lots of room to entertain guests, and with Xmas just around the corner, I couldn't resist throwing a big bash. This was similar to my 40th Bday party in April, meaning that Thuy, my cook, and I worked in the kitchen all day to prepare a feast. I had invited many people but had gotten few confirmations, so I really had no idea how many would come. The turn-out was not so high, but it was a lot of fun lasting until midnight. This time I decided to go for "kids welcomed" so there were 6 including Rémi, running inside and outside of the house. I unveiled my Xmas rum fruit cake, served cheese and chocolate from Belgium, chicken nuggets, spring rolls, salads, hummus, banana cake, strawberry cake, etc. Today is "the-day-after", so a bit of rest is in order to recup for the week.

We still don't have Internet at home but we should be set up tomorrow with wifi. This way I will be able to listen to Radio-Canada music stations on my iPhone, which I am looking forward to very much. One week to go and I will take off with Rémi for Cambodia, where we will beach at a resort for 11 days. Xmas and New Year with the crashing of the waves at our feet, seafood dinners, reading, resting...That sounds like a good plan. I almost fired Mrs. Hop this week because while I was away in the field for work, she looked after Rémi. She decided to take him to her place, and left the house unlocked (because she has no keys yet)! I was furious and it took me a few days to cool off. In the end I decided to avoid having her babysit Rémi at my house when I am away, and will try to get Thuy to do it. But for now I don't have the heart to fire her and look for someone else. We've had enough changes for awhile...

December 14, 2009

Good news - adoption

Well, some of you may remember that my papers are all ready but a new rule at the Ministry of Justice is that now they won't accept application until one finds a child. This is disappointing for many reasons - my papers have been ready for 6 months and have now expired, so I have to start over again, and once my dossier is accepted, it is simply one more step ahead. Well I found out that other singles adopting now managed to get them to accept their application, without having a child identified. So I went back last week prepared for a fight. Nothing is ever easy in adoption. But on the contrary, this new woman I met acknowledged that many of my papers need to be redone, yet she still accepted my dossier. I now have an adoptant number - 492/CA. And today I got a surprise call from the orphanage - it seems like the papers of the girl might be ready soon, in a couple of weeks! So off I go to Cambodia next weekend and return January 2nd, and hopefully by then I will truly be able to proceed with the adoption. Keep your fingers crossed for me...

Oh, and we finally got Internet at home, this time with Wifi. So now I can listen to Radio-Canada Espace Musique on my iPhone with great speakers, which thrills me to bits. It's like being home away from home. I even get to know the weather forecast and local news... In Vietnam it is now strawberry season at about 2$/kg, so I am buying like crazy, putting in the freezer, making jam/strawberry deserts and just loving it!

December 19, 2009

What a week!

Again, what a crazy week we had. Does life ever get boring for us? Rémi's school was having a Xmas recital on Wednesday, with each class doing a performance for the Holiday spirit. The problem was that VECO staff were scheduled to leave for 3 days from Wednesday for a team building workshop 3 hours away from Hanoi in Hoa Binh. I was torn between going or not to Rémi's recital. Finally I did, and I was happy to be there. The kindergarten groups were so funny because they were completely stunned with only one boy in the first group clapping his hands will others looked dazed and confused on stage. The next two groups were even funnier with happy music while some kids were crying on stage. A hoot. Rémi of course is older, so his group did very well and it was great to see him. Just the look on his face when he saw me in the audience was worth the effort of making it. But then I had to take a taxi to catch up with my colleagues to join the workshop. We had to sleep in a dormitory for the "team spirit" which I was not happy about with no toilet or shower in the building. I also didn't eat much for 3 days since whole fish with head and tail I can't eat, or duck or other "special" dishes. I was happy to return home on Friday to find Lasagna cooked by Thuy.

But now it looks like I may have to fire Thuy. Mrs. Hop and her have not gotten along or talked to each other since the beginning, which makes it difficult when I am away in the field. This time, they had a fight and Thuy yelled at her, insulted her and even threw a motorcycle helmet in her face. Plus when the old neighbor complained that we put out bags of garbage that are too big, she told her to mind her own business. In Canada, you could get away with this but not here. The neighbors all came over to see what the row was about, and Thuy talking down to older women is completely unacceptable. Her version was that Mrs. Hop hit her, which neighbors say is not true. So on top of that she is lying. Not good. So now I have told both that I don't need them while I am away, and I will decide what to do when I return. Dear oh dear, what to do?