About

I’m currently living in Hanoi, Vietnam. Stranger things have happened! Joking aside, it is quite strange. It’s been a major culture shock. When I moved from South Africa to the UK in 2006 it somehow was not so difficult. Same language, cars, supermarkets, people and more. None of the above applies in Vietnam.

There is the language barrier. Vietnamese is so difficult to learn. Somehow learning Spanish for instance is not so hard. There are some similarities. One can guess the odd word. In Vietnamese the closest word that I have been able to guess is ‘xe ô tô’. And that’s for motor car.

Then there is the culture! Constant learning and understanding required. As adventures go, this one is a big one.

So what got me to Vietnam? I was fortunate to be accepted by VSO as a volunteer. And suddenly I found myself in Hanoi, working for Hold the Future a centre for disabled young people. It’s supposed to be all about business development but seems to be going towards a pure fund raising position. Whatever.  The future will tell.