Happy New year!!

Hey all!

We're back in Ho Chi Minh city at the moment for tonights big New Year Eve stuff!

Birthday was yesterday and after being woken up with Steph jumping, lots of hugs and Ben staking on top of me in bed- had a top day! Was missing everyone back home but the group of 20 people we're travelling all get on so great that I had a bunch of great friends around me despite being in a diff country!

We finished all 10 houses that we'd be building- and I got a 'Number 1' from some of the builders due to my brilliant rendering abilities- so if anyone needs a house built.... :)
The last week I was feeling really tired- 1 bad nights sleep and it's over! and also developed some kind of funky rash on both my forearms- both a almost gone now so it's all good!

It's funny that all the families we built houses for had top of the range TV and sterio sytems but walls missing to their houses and some couldn't afford to send their kids to school- TV's a prob heaps cheaper over here but still might be a priorities thing to! Or maybe having a house with 4 walls isn't that important here.

Today we visited an orphanage and saw heaps of kids badly affected by 'agent orange'- sad. I was able to feed a baby who had been left at the gate just last night and she fell asleep in my arms so good to see she's adjusting ok- good place though, we played with a group of mentally and physically disabled kids and their've got recorces and great staff to look after them all.

Been reading heaps of books by a Paulo Coleho (not sure about the spelling!) guy and they[ve got heaps of bible references that most wouldn't notice- not sure I agree with everything he says but deffinately interesting and thought provoking- and you can buy them cheaply for kids off the street who I figure prob need the money more than the author!!!

Off to dinner now before partying in the year of the Pig!

Will write all my incredable deep and profound thoughts on my return!

Xin Chaio from Vietnam

Hi From the post office of a small village in the middle of vietnam!


The internet is quite slow so won't write much other than having a great time.

so much to talk about- today was great, got some building done, laying bricks and carrying a lot of building equipment, then visited the local primary school and did the hokey pokey and they sang us some songs, then played a massive game of soccer with all the locals!

We're staying at a Buddist temple which is very comfortable, mats on the floor for sleeping and mostly squat toilets, but the foods been great- lots of rice and noodles and the Nuns do everything for us!

We're treated like celebrities- everyone watches us and wants to talk and the kids all come over and hang out- so great to develop friendships with the locals!

might write again soon!