5 months

Shit. That's all the time we've got left here. After 8+ plus years in Asia it's about time for a nasty rash of reverse culture shock. But 5 months... sheeez... blink and you'd miss it.

We were both keen on moving to Tallin, even if it's heading to naffsville. Never been there, can't quite say why the place appeals. It's a gut thing. In reality, we're far more likely to move to the south of France. I'm in the process of lining up work - mostly new media & blog related at the mo' which is bloody perfect - I'm already working freelance for a couple of UK companies in this area and one of those contracts looks as if it could develop into something permanent. It's a bit hush-hush, how's yer father, check for bugs, secure the perimeter, employ a beefeater, a mucho-plenty paranoid type thing at the mo', but I'll blab the beans on it when we launch.

In the meantime, I'm on the look out for more work - journalism, new media, blog projects and corporate writing - UK-based or wherever. I don't mind. I'll be talking to more folk in the coming months, but there's no harm in putting the notion out here. Any leads, great or small, gladly received. As for noodlepie, I'll redesign, flag all the Vietnam content in a clear, easily navigable way. I might farm the design work out to some, as yet imaginary, cutting edge creative. Contact leads for someone like that would also be gratefully received.

Comments

[hugh]

Goodluck with the move. Personally, I think Tallin sounds interesting, but the South of France might be warmer.

[andrew]

Good luck indeed. I hear good things about Tallin. Though not about their noodles.

[Pille]

Tallinn is very nice and warm during summer, which helps to get through the -20C temperatures of the moment. And noodles? Nope, they're not really big back home indeed. Sorry.
Pille, born&bred in Tallinn, though currently a happy foodblogging resident of Edinburgh:)
PS it's Tallinn, not Tallin.

[Neil]

> "I'm already working freelance for a couple of UK companies in this area"

Hmmm, have you found a way of getting someone to pay you to blog?

Liked your Press Gazette piece, by the way. Made me think - again! - about getting a blog going.

Neil

[robyn]

South of France, eh? Life's hard, isn't it? ;-)

So pieman, what will you miss about Saigon?

[pieman]

Thx all. Pille, if I can't even spell it what hope is there...?? No, I'm not blogging for cash in the UK Neil, but I'm working on blog related stuff for cash. As for starting a blog, let me know if you do...

I've been thinking about that question a lot Robyn. Apart from the obvious, i.e. 95% of the contents of this blog, it's difficult to say until we leave, maybe you would be able to tell me better? You've been gone what? 6-7 months?

Things are gonna be a bit tougher in Europe. You don't need an awful lot of cash to have a fairly easy time of it in Vietnam. But, that's the thing in many ways, it's just too bloody easy.

I am really looking forward to parks, open spaces, quiet, something of a cultural life, books, newspapers, foraging, markets, the beach and being anonymous again.

[omih]

Parks? Open spaces?

You should come and live in Hanoi, we've got loads of them ;o)

I'll be four months behind you in my plan to leave. It's strange, I love my home city of Newcastle upon Tyne but I never really missed it. But I can spend a long weekend in Hoi An and find myself longing to be back in Hanoi.

It's become something of a ritual with the many leaving parties you attend if you're an expat...you wave people goodbye and say: "you'll be back". And they invariably are. There is something about Hanoi that gets its hooks into people.

My next moves are quite so clear cut but still have a hankering for wonderful Nicaragua for a couple of months at least. Then, I think, I'm signing up another two year volunteer stint. The beauty of that is is that you could end up anywhere. I rather like that idea.

South of France would be nice, but I have a feeling everywhere might be a little dull after Vietnam. You're right though, it is easy to live here...eventually once you've cracked it.

[pieman]

OK OMIH - I should've said "nice hassle free parks" ;)

I couldn't imagine going back to live where I grew up, nothing much but sheep, cows, one village pub and a local town famous for kicking an odd shaped ball, a posh school and drugmusic. I still have a few friends there who seem quite happy, but just not for me.

As I've said to you before, Nicaragua would indeed be nice. France might be a bit dull in some ways, but sometimes dull can be attractive. Dunno, but time to move on and find out.

[matt]

damn another one down! Is it just me or are all the expats in Saigon fleeing at the moment.

Best wishes with the move Pieman, and enjoy your last few months in the sun.

[JRLA]

Sad to hear you are leaving Vietnam - I have only just discovered your superb site, so I am catching up on the archives at work.

Coud you help a fellow Brit? I am going over to Vietnam in May for three months to blow some cash and intend to travel the country. Is the theat from malaria and dengue fever all over or just the north? Do you take Larium etc. in Hanoi?

Don't go to France.....too close to Rugby.

Thanks

[matt]

JRLA - the odds of getting those diseases here is aroundabout the same as the odds of you getting mad cow disease there. Go to a doctor, get some shots for the obvious stuff, you will be fine.

[Lil]

best wishes for your move pieman, and i'd say, go to france, go to france... south of france, plenty of good food, close to spain and italy, more good food... yuumm...

[JRLA]

Thanks Matt,
If you had three months to spend in Vietnam and $5000-6000 where would you go other than Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi, Hue and Sa Pa?

Would you spend most of the time in HCM or Hanoi?

Cheers

[omih]

JRLA - on that budget you can live like a king.

Hoi An is a beautiful town well worth a few days there.

I also rather like Mui Ne - hey it's hardly steeped in Vietnamese culture but its a lovely place for a little bit of beach living. I can totally reccommend the Sailing Club there.

I also hear wonderful things about Phu Quoc Island. Never been myself but yet to hear anyting bad about it...you can fly from HCMC.

[robyn]

Apart from a few dishes and the lower cost of living, there's nothing I miss about Saigon - think you know I was itching to leave by the time we did. I never had an emotional attachment to Vietnam ... you must, having been there as many years as you have. And we're still in Asia, so all that is "easy" about Vietnam in equally easy here in KL. I enjoy the 'mod-cons'; you know, well-stocked bookstores and such, developed country-standard medical and vet care, dependable DSL line, etc.

But I have to admit that as much as I'd like to imagine living in Italy, France, or Australia, I would find it a bit boring after a while. At least at this point in my life. Asia still stimulates.

Ah, anonymity is a nice thing, though.

[Michelle]

JRLA, my sis spent, in total, around 2500 CAD with her husband (so that's about 1250 CAD per person) to travel the entire country passing Saigon, Hue, Nha Trang and Hanoi. She was with Saigon Tourist and according to her they're pretty reliable.

[Mr. No Star Travels]

Robyn, please tell me where fast DSL is KL, ideally near Chinatown. I was there a couple weeks back and didn't have much luck, though better than in Penang. And surprisingly, Singapore is either mad slow or crazy expensive. Honestly, Vietnam was always the fastest I could come across, though then again, I worked in a place with a lease line. Still, uploading photos from my travels is about the most frustrating part of my week.

Ideas? Thanks!

Pieman, enjoy the remainder of yer stay.

[omih]

Agreed with NSW - Vietnam internet is pretty decent. And every other cafe seems to be wifi these days - it's become almost the norm.

[Robyn]

Mr. No Star, the fast DSL is the line out of my house in KL! So not much help to you - I've not gotten online here anywhere else except in an upscale hotel. I will admit though that when it rains (which is almost everyday) it can get maddeningly slow.

I would suggest you head for a business district and find an internet cafe. Is there one in KLCC? Chinatown is not going to be the focus of installation of dependable internet lines (as you've found).

I couldn't get DSL where I lived in Saigon ... but did hear that when you can get it, it's quite reliable.

Happy travels.

[Hsien Lei]

Funny everybody talking about what they miss about Saigon. I've got a piece coming out in the April issue of Saigon Inside Out moaning about missing pho, low prices, face-to-face contact, inexpensive taxis,.... ;)

Glad you're taking us on to the next step in your journey instead of abandoning noodlepie and leaving us hanging, pieman.

[Khanh]

First Virtual-Doug, now you! Man, I'm going to have to find some new blog to read... :) Kidding aside, good luck with your move. May be we'll meet up in Vietnam someday. I'm coming back in 2007 or 2008.