Vietnamese Tết Lunar New Year

I thought I would share my understanding of the Vietnamese Tết Lunar New Year from when we lived in Hanoi.

This year, 2023, Vietnam will be celebrating the year of the Cat. Even though China celebrates the new year on the same day, they have different traditions, and, in some years, the zodiac animals may differ. This year they will honor the year of the Rabbit.

The weeks leading up to Tết is an exceedingly busy time for the families as they prepare for the big day. But, the last week of the year, the excitement levels kick into another gear. On the 23rd of the 12th month of the lunar calendar, I witnessed countless people carrying clear plastic bags packed full of paper gifts, leaving their homes, and heading to the communal furnace outside each apartment block and burning it up. Why?

I asked my friend, and he told me his version of the Vietnamese festivities of bringing in the new lunar new year, also known as Tết Nguyên Đán. Tết traditionally starts building up on 23/12/2022 of the lunar calendar, precisely one week before the Lunar New Year’s Eve.

The week starts with families buying three goldfish (golden carp), usually found on every street corner or the back of motorbikes, as vendors drive along the streets selling to passersby needing fish to offer. They also head to their local paper merchant to purchase unique paper gifts.
We walked along the famous Hang Ma Street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Where the locals buy anything from paper cell phones to shoes, designer handbags to iPads, and even washing machines, cars, houses, motorbikes, baths, and money, anything you can imagine but in the paper. Whatever they choose to buy, it’s all to be used as an offering to the Kitchen King known as Ong Tao. The residents burn incense in their homes, say prayers, and then leave offerings on their in-house altar before heading out with their paper gifts to burn their offerings in their nearest furnace in the hopes they will have good luck and prosperity in the new year. After they have burnt their offering, they take their three fish and release them into the nearest pond or river for the Kitchen God.

The story I have been told is that the Kitchen God goes to heaven riding on the carp, but not an ordinary carp, a special golden carp that can turn into a dragon. He goes to heaven to discuss each family’s situation with the Jade Emperor – The King of Heaven.

I had always wondered why I saw an enormous number of goldfish swimming around the lakes and rivers. It always seemed odd seeing the pop of orange as I would expect to see the common dull camouflaged version. Now I know why.

Vietnamese families prepare their houses for the coming new year by spring cleaning and polishing silver removing all the bad luck from the current year and being ready for a fresh start. They decorate their homes with kumquat trees, peach blossoms, chrysanthemums, and red gladiolas. They hold family meetings to resolve family feuds, ensuring the new year starts peacefully.

The main New Year’s Eve celebration will take place this year on Saturday, 21.01.2023. The families will attend festivals and watch the lion dancers perform. The lion symbolizes the removal of negative energies, as the lion is believed to bring good luck, health, and prosperity. They gift children with beautifully decorated envelopes filled with money. It’s called Lucky money, “lì-xì,” meaning gifts for good luck in the coming year. The money is given on the eve of the new year and can only be opened on New Year’s day. Then they celebrate as a family and watch fireworks displays.

Everything shuts down in the city for more than a week. It’s odd to see the bustling city become a ghost town with limited shops and restaurants open. After our first year, I learned I needed to stock up our fridge and cupboards with at least two weeks of food and drinking water to ensure we were not left with only rice to eat. It takes suppliers time to get back to work and restock the shops and return to normal.

Signing off Chúc Mừng Năm Mới on the 22 January 2023 ( Happy New Year’s Day)

#Vietnam – Đồng Đò lake

The 4th Lockdown in Vietnam seemed never-ending. They started social distancing and restrictions on a few activities from the end of April. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop there. The government placed more restrictions on the people as the numbers increased rapidly. By Mid July, they had no other choice but to restrict everyone’s movement, no travel across municipal or provincial lines unless authorised to do so.

Finally, the government lifted restrictions on the 15th of October and granted free travel between green zones. Relief at the idea we could escape, and I immediately took to google to find a getaway on the outskirts of Hanoi. We had to Escape our bubble. We were becoming stir crazy looking at the same scenery day in day out.

I found a quirky little retreat situated on the banks of Đồng Đò lake, a mere 1-hour drive from the city. The well-appointed container home featured all the self-catering facilities with a bonus of a sandwich shop and bar situated on the roof terrace. Offering us all the amenities we would need to enjoy a peaceful getaway.

The weather was perfect, sunny, NO HUMIDITY with a cool breeze. It felt like the ideal South African weather I love and certainly miss, giving it the extra home-away-away-home feeling. A bit nostalgic, lazing next to the dam, enjoying the peace, tranquillity in a beautiful setting, chilling with the family.

Wherever we go, we always miss our country and people, so whenever we get the opportunity to light a braai, we pounce on it, rain or shine, we will braai! This holiday was no exception. Good meat, Salad and toasty garlic bread hit the spot! It was fantastic to hear the Little Rascals reminiscing and laughing about all our funny moments and adventures we have had, bonding around the fire, memorable moments we will always cherish together.

As much as the scenery and bonding were fabulous, our fishing was not. The giant finned slippery creatures still elude us in Vietnam. I believe the scale suckers know we are not Vietnamese and laugh at our lines, taunting us all the way. Regardless of the fishless fishing, everything was perfect, exactly what we needed.

If you are looking for a quirky, peaceful and relaxing getaway, you will love Gisy Lake House. The hosts are friendly and accommodating and offer a unique eco-friendly experience in a beautiful setting. Look them up when you need some fresh air and tranquillity.

360 degree view of the lake

#Vietnam – Finally, 1st Jab is done Hanoian style. No taxis were available, so I hitched a lift with a friend at the back of the bike—a different view from outside a car. Hanoi roads are not for the faint-hearted!

#Vietnam – Finally, 1st Jab is done Hanoian style. No taxis were available, so I hitched a lift with a friend at the back of the bike—a different view from outside a car. Hanoi roads are not for the faint-hearted!

#Vietnam – Lockdown July 2021

As the world continues battling massive outbreaks and new COVID 19 waves, Vietnam has had its first real struggle on containing the disease. They have put up an enormous fight to keep the numbers low, but it has been challenging, sending most parts of the country into total lockdown.

Sigh, thanks to the new lockdown rules, I was forced to cancel our upcoming social distance holiday. What do I mean by a social distance holiday? I rented a private villa with a private pool situated on the riverfront for hubby to fish away from others. We planned to take our food and drink, ensuring we did not have to go near other people or leave the villa for the duration of our stay. I even booked a private car from our ‘Eco Bubble’ where we haven’t had a Covid case. It seemed like a responsible holiday plan. Anyway, now we can’t travel between provinces and districts, resulting in another holiday cancellation. I am going to call it #covidholidaycancellationisthenewnorm. No point fighting it. All we need to do is buckle down and wait it out patiently.

I can’t say life has been any more interesting when we weren’t in total lockdown. Daily life has remained irritatingly dull and tedious, but at least comfortably safe in our little ‘Eco Bubble’ since the start of the pandemic. We always had the option to venture out if and when we chose. This new wave has been very different in that we are forced to stay indoors. Unfortunately, this time we can’t go anywhere due to stringent rules, blockades, permit paper requirements, and negative covid tests that make it virtually impossible to move between towns, cities and provinces.

Usually, I would rely on online shopping to acquire everything I could not source in my 1km radius. Quick instant online order and prompt delivery from Hanoi was undoubtedly a fast, efficient and painless way to shop. This option certainly made my life easier, having everything at my fingertips. It seems pointless driving around to the different shops and malls. If I can order online within a second, saving time and energy not having to rush between shops. Unfortunately, this time I can’t order anything due to the blockades, making it virtually impossible for the delivery companies to enter Eco Park.

Now, with nothing to do, I have to wait for my vaccine patiently. You can agree or agree to disagree and have your opinion on the jab, and perhaps the pandemic is a hoax or a conspiracy theory. Still, whatever you believe it is, Covid is not going anywhere. I can only hope the majority of the community complies and accepts the injection for the world to finally reach herd immunity and grasp back the lives we seem to have lost, no matter where we are in the world. Everyone is still feeling the effects and frustrations. I have placed my name on the waiting list, but it just doesn’t seem like I’m any closer to getting my injection. I guess I have a fairytale notion of what worldwide vaccination could mean for all of us. I hope it would mean we can finally be free again? Free to travel any which way, free to walk in the fresh air maskless, and freedom to have our lives return to normal. I know it seems like an unattainable dream at the moment, as many people are refusing the vaccine. It is a silly idea believing a vaccine could eventually lead us back to our beloved way of life!

I guess only time will tell how long it will take to reach normality. Perhaps we must accept and ultimately evolve and embrace the new normal with all the restrictions, partial or complete lockdowns that intermittently happen during the new #covid-19era for a few more years.

Stay safe, till next time, take care!

#Vietnam – Hanoi

I have been racking my brain to find something positive about my time in Hanoi! I mean, this is a 1000-year-old bustling city filled with historic landmarks, Pagodas, Citadel and Markets, what’s not to love about it? For me, it’s the dirt and noise pollution that I struggle with and probably makes me one of the few foreigners that don’t enjoy the city! The streets are chaotic, most of the time, you are unable to walk on the sidewalk safely due to all the scooters parked blocking the path along with numerous food vendors camped out on the pavements, cooking over charcoal grills and massive pots. The vendors serve street food to patrons sitting on tiny plastic stools, enjoying their meal outdoors in the heavy smog. Hanoi is a complete sensory overload for me, sight, smell and sound.

Regardless that Hanoi is not my favourite place. Every trip to the city is an adventure in itself. It still amazes me how many lanes can emerge from a 3 Lane road; You can’t even make out the individual lanes as hundreds of bikes squeeze in-between the cars, trucks and busses. Complete organised mayhem! Everyone seems confident in what they are attempting to do, switching lanes, making a U-Turn into oncoming traffic whilst blocking the road behind. Everyone seems calm, with no visible road rage! Tooting the car horn is a warning rather than an aggressive gesture. We have driven with drivers who seem to have their hand always on the horn as they weave in and out of traffic, catching every gap where possible. The intersections without traffic lights are the best. I could sit for hours just watching how they weave through the interception as everyone heads in different directions and miraculously makes it safely across.

Just a thought, we should send our South African Minibus taxis drivers to Vietnam for a crash course before they can take on any passengers, they would be out of their league, they have nothing on the drivers here, ‘balls of steel’.

The streets are not for the faint-hearted, and when I think I have seen it all, I witness something next level that leaves my mouth hanging on the floor. There are many streets with a sole purpose of stocking a specific line like The Paper street or correctly, named Hàng Mã street in Hanoi’s Old Quarter where you will find shops upon shops selling the seasons decorations or cardboard gifts like scooters, mini houses, sofas, money, computers or cars etc. which the locals buy to burn on the anniversary of their loved one’s death, sending them anything they could need or desire, an offering to their ancestors. You can find a street just selling lights, or street selling sports gear or jackets, whatever you need you will find a street with many shops selling pretty much the same thing.

This undated photo shows paper offerings sold in one of Hanoi’s markets. (PHOTO / VIET NAM NEWS)

Crossing a road was something we had to become accustomed to! It is an adrenaline-rushing experience, you have to wait for a gap and don’t hesitate, whilst you bravely start walking into the traffic and have faith that the drivers will zig-zag around to avoid hitting you. The key is once you start walking, don’t turn back, commit, don’t change speed or direction, giving drivers time to anticipate your move and avoid impact. It works surprisingly well. If you are in the city on the weekends and don’t want to worry about busy streets, head over to the pedestrian streets around Hoan Kiem Lake. Thanks to the government, they close the roads around the lake, making it pleasant to stroll and enjoy the area, shops and restaurants without worrying about vehicles bumping into you.

Let me add I don’t hate Hanoi; it’s just doesn’t get me excited, unlike all the other beautiful parts of Vietnam that we have been fortunate to visit. If we didn’t live on the city’s outskirts, I would skip entirely and spend my time in places like Sapa, Ha Long, Ba Vi, Ninh Binh, Da Nang, Hoi An. Vietnam has so much to offer and so many beautiful places to explore, the locals are friendly, and I have never felt unwelcomed wherever we have travelled.

#Vietnam – Da Nang

On the 27th of October, 2019, we were ready for another adventure. This time we were heading to the tourist capital of Vietnam. Yes, you guessed it we jetted off on Bamboo air to explore the city of Da Nang. It’s a 2-hour flight from Noi Bai airport and the halfway point between Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. We hopped in a taxi to Meliá Da Nang Beach Resort. The friendly staff checked us in quickly and kindly upgraded our hotel room to one of the villas with an outdoor garden and a hop, skip and a jump away from the pool and beach. It started raining, and the porter shuttled us quickly to our villa, where we had time to unpack, order room service before heading to see the famous dragon bridge display.

Photo was copied from Meliá Da Nang Beach Resort, on arrival it was raining.

8.30 pm the taxi was waiting to take us to Da Nang Dragon Bridge, its the longest bridge in Vietnam. Still, more importantly, on weekends at 9 pm, it offers a dazzling display of lights and the intense heat as the dragon breaths out the fire, then cools down with water shooting out of its mouth. For the best view, I would suggest booking one of the boat trips and view the display on the river away from huge crowds that gather.

I have only good reviews of the hotel, and its amenities including buffet breakfast, pool bar, dinner and room service, the staff were always friendly, kind and helpful going beyond to ensure our stay was memorable. The villa was spacious, with a large spa bath and outdoor shower, even the toilet was high-tech with seat warmer and jets from all angles, think you might need a PhD to operate 😉, the kids were highly amused to find a telephone next to the toilet. They were coming up with a different reason why one would require a phone whilst completing one’s private business🤣🤣.

Our first full day at the resort was a lazy day; the weather was perfect. We started with the most important meal of the day, a buffet breakfast with a wide selection of fresh fruits, pastries, cold meats, bacon, sausages and egg prepared on the spot, there was Asian breakfast and sushi on offer a wide selection for any taste bud. After breakfast, the children were desperate to try out all the pools and play on the beach. Unfortunately, the red flag was up due to rip tides. Hence, we settled for a beach walk and morning swim before heading out to the beautiful UNESCO town of Hoi An,

Hoi An has become my new favourite spot. I loved wandering along the bustling narrow roads of the old town, popping into all their quirky shop’s selling silks, clothes, ornaments, dream catches and more. The streets colourfully decorated with endless lanterns strung across the road and dangling from windows and doors. We walked for hours admiring all the sights and smells Hoi An had to offer. The sun had finally worn us out, hot and bothered armed with pork sausage toes we finally sat down for a sunset dinner, then jumped into a taxi back to the hotel. I wish we stayed till dark to see all the lanterns glowing. Hmmm, 🤔 I have just given myself a great excuse to return for another visit.

We woke up to a very dreary wet day, headed to breakfast in the hope the weather would magically change before the shuttle bus dropped us off at Ba Na Hills. I was ready to tick off one of my bucket list items, The Hands I mean The Golden Bridge. Ba Na Hills is a little French village about 450m above sea level and serviced by numerous cableway systems connecting gardens, bridge, town and pagodas together all found at different elevation levels over the mountain.

My missed bucket list photo opportunity, unfortunately, all I have is the google photo to imagine how spectacular the view could have been.

We knew we would be disappointed, but we could only hope the weather would change and had to give it a chance. Hey ho, looking back on the day of drenched rats we can laugh at the day’s events. I’m sure it would have been a magnificent adventure on a clear dry day—another good reason to return for a do-over.

Another wet day in Da Nang, we had a few hours to kill before our flight home, so we went exploring Marble Mountain. Marble mountain is a group of five hills named after the elements (metal, wood, water, fire and earth). ‘According to ancient folklore, a dragon emerged from the water on Non-Nuoc Beach and laid an egg. A thousand days and a thousand nights followed before the egg hatched, and out stepped a beautiful girl. The fragments of the shell were left on the beach and eventually grew into the five mystical Marble Mountains’. Thankfully we didn’t have to walk up all the steps and chose a one-way elevator ride to the top and explored the mountain as we strolled down. The gardens and carving were magnificent, and I do think it’s worth a visit. By the time we were almost down the rain started to fall, and we hurried to find a taxi to take us to Da Nangs 3D and Upside down museum.

The Museum was a perfect way to kill time and stay dry. The children thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

We had a memorable vacation in Da Nang, and could undoubtedly imagine ourselves living happily in the area. Da Nang is indeed cleaner than Hanoi, and thanks to the sea breeze, the pollution levels are much lower. Another bucket list destination not to miss if you are travelling to Vietnam.

#Vietnam – My Bubble

I always wondered how it would feel living in a ‘bubble’. Now, I know!

When we relocated to Vietnam, my husband accepted a job in urbanisation called Ecopark. It’s situated on the outskirts of Hanoi and boasts 500 hectares of land. We were overjoyed to find comfortable and affordable accommodation, only 5 minutes walk to his work. Ecopark is continually growing, with daily developments of villas, semi-detached houses and apartments.

Ecopark has expanded tremendously over the years, and I am at a point whereby I have no reason to leave the urbanisation because I have access to most items I require daily. Of course, we go out, but only to explore somewhere new and exciting.

There are banks, ATMs, hospital, University, vet, schools, themed old town, cinema, pools, clubhouses, gyms, playgrounds, golf facilities, parks and recreational gardens along with a variety of shops, restaurants and much more all within walking distance, or short buggy ride.

I feel safe in our home and able to walk freely without fear. You can walk and bike ride day or night around Swan Lakes lit pathway and enjoy watching the colour changing bridges. During the day, you can have a picnic with friends and watch the swans while the children explore the rustic playgrounds and sensory play area. For the energetic enthusiast, you can hire a bicycle, exercise on outdoor gym equipment, kayak or fish from the various decks dotted around the lake. Ecopark never gets boring as they are continually upgrading the gardens with seasonal flowers, tying in different festive events. I am thankful to live in a peaceful green space far away from the cities hustle and bustle.

Ecopark is my ‘bubble’, and while I live in Vietnam, my ‘bubble’ suits me down to the ground. I need a safe green space for my children to be free running, jumping, kicking a ball or flying a kite, far away from crazy smog-filled streets in the city.

Instagram video on our life in Ecopark https://www.instagram.com/tv/Bzn543XnFjJ/?igshid=1cwp4zi150bvk

#Vietnam – Mid-Autumn Festival Tết Trung Thu

Last week I watched as the country of Vietnam, celebrate the Mid Autumn or Moon Festival. Of course, it was on a much smaller scale due to COVID, but exciting none the less. This was my 2nd year experiencing the festival, and I wanted to share my understanding of the festivities as I know it. Please feel free to correct, share or add on any information on the festival that I have failed to mention.

The festival started in China, but Vietnam has added their twist of traditions, legends and folklore tales unique to their culture passed down through the generations. It was created for children and an important time for the parents to make up for the endless hours dedicated to bringing in the harvest as well as the extended period spent grafting in the fields. It was also a time to give thanks to the Earth God for a good crop as the full moon symbolises fullness and prosperity of life. They do this by placing the worshipping platform in the garden laid with fruits, snacks and mooncakes at 10 pm, friends and family gather together and enjoy the feast and giving thanks.

During the lead up to the festival, you can expect to encounter the ‘Moon Cake’ which are eaten and gifted to friends and family during this time. The cakes are traditionally filled with salted egg yolk and stuffed with bean or lotus seed paste and coved in a decorative dough. The moon cakes have evolved, and new exciting flavours are available in bakeries and shops to sample. I must say I enjoy the eye-catching pop-up shops leading up to the festival. They have a variety of beautiful designs, but most of all, the array of brightly coloured boxes in all different sizes available to purchase. I saw the most exquisite moon cake lantern box on Facebook; if I could find one, I would have bought it as a memento. It is unique and beautifully made; it even lights up! Check out the link, isn’t the lantern stunning?

The festival is not only about moon cakes, but it’s actually about the children and giving thanks to the earth god for a good harvest. As I walked around our local neighbourhood, many kindergartens were displaying their DIY funny face masks, paper lanterns and faces painted bamboo trays. They held concerts in the evenings, watch dragon dancers and then march down the street with them singing loudly and carrying colourful lanterns of all different shapes, sizes and colours.

A work colleague gifted my children with a funny mask, glowing bunny ears and silly glasses. My children also enjoyed a fun week making their DIY lanterns, painted bamboo plates and watched a dragon dance from our balcony.

Legend has it that many, many years ago a carp spirit came down and killed many children at night whilst their parents were working in the fields. It is for that reason the children carry lanterns to protect them from the carp spirit as he terrified of light.

Another fun week #makingmemories

#South Africa – Leaving our beloved Country

How did we land in Vietnam? A place I would have never considered as my temporary home. To be honest, it wasn’t my first choice for even a holiday destination. How wrong and closed-minded I was!

My husband and I were on a mission. We desperately needed to emigrate and leave South Africa for the second time. We kept kicking ourselves at how stupid we were to have returned to South Africa in the first place after we had successfully managed to make a great life for ourselves in the UK and then Spain for nine years between 2000 and 2009.

My husband had his ten-year Spanish residence card. Next would have been a passport. Why did we give it all up? It started when the recession hit Spain, and it became exceedingly difficult with many companies closing down, a record number of redundancies and friends forced to return to the UK. We had just welcomed our beautiful daughter into the world, and we began to convince ourselves to give our beloved country a second chance. The only country we would unconditionally love like a toxic love affair impossible to end. We tried to pretend all was good and tried to forget all the wrong as we were willing it to become a country where we could feel safe, be close to our family and make a comfortable life for ourselves and our children. With heads in the clouds, we hoped ‘Mzansi could stand together as one and fight all evil’. I mean South Africa is a beautiful country, from scenery to culture and cuisine, not to mention our great climate and the big five, the number of talented sportsmen and women to name but a few. Unfortunately, the brutality is just too ghastly to accept. We had to get it out of our system. We had to accept, we would never have the freedom and security to enjoy its full beauty without fear. We could never be free from the bars we had to hide behind each night.

In September 2018, my husband accepted a position in Vietnam. It was unexpected as we never imagined a job opportunity in Asia, and we were excited to explore a world we had not encountered before. An excellent way to share it with our children. We finally realised we were living a semi-nomadic lifestyle. We were unable to settle down in one particular country or place, we seemed to be moving every 3 to 4 years. Looking for a new opportunity and new challenges. So why not embrace our lifestyle and explore a new part of the world. The experiences our children have world schooling, learning to respect different cultures, their ways of life and belief systems they come across as they interact with people of all ages

Everything steamrolled quickly. We had to give in our notice at work, sell our home contents, cars and source the countless documents required to be authorised, apostle stamped and then translated. My husband needed to be in Vietnam in October, which didn’t give us enough time. We decided that he should leave ahead of us while we remained behind to finish all tasks, and the children could complete their academic school year.

I need to give myself a big pat on my back. I did it all on my own. Ok, it wasn’t my first rodeo. We had relocated from Johannesburg to the UK, then the UK to Spain, Spain to Johannesburg, Johannesburg to Mosselbay, Mosselbay to Cape Town and now Cape Town to Hanoi. The only difference this time was the added pressure to sell the entire contents of our home, assist my daughter with her first year-end exams, organise a joint pool birthday/farewell party, and plan our final road trip from Cape Town to Johannesburg with our worldly belongings piled high in the car.

The day arrived 1 more day till we left our home in Cape Town. My wonderful mom flew in to join us on our road trip. One last night sleep in an empty home, with two beds and a washing machine waiting for collection on departure day. We enjoyed a final walk on Fish Hoek beach and finished our day off with a fabulous dinner in Kalk Bay.

With the sun shining bright we were ready. Last items dropped off at salvation army, car packed to the brim every inch of space taken up by worldly belongings. We waited for the final buyers to collect beds, washing machine and head out of Cape Town on our 1450km road trip.

Our first stop a hidden gem off the N1 Matjiesfontein! It is only a two and a half hours drive from Cape Town. The perfect pitstop and an excellent excuse to explore the restored little Victorian street. We stopped for a bite and stepped back in time.

Tummies filled and legs stretched we continued onto Beaufort West another 230km drive for a well deserved night sleep. We book the Greys House through AirB&B, the accommodation was spacious, clean and exceedingly comfortable, with indoor pool and garden to keep the children entertained.

After a restful sleep, we were ready for the next leg of the journey, approximately 500km drive to Kimberly, to visit the worlds largest diamond mine and the deepest man-made pit in history. We decided to stay two days as we wanted to explore the town and its history.

We chose to stay at Jungnickel Gastehuis in Kimberly. The guesthouse service and English breakfast were excellent. Thankfully they had a pool and shaded outdoor space for my mom and I to relax and keep an eye on the children as they cool off after a busy morning in the Karoo heat.

Our final leg and feeling very cramped in the car we couldn’t wait to see our family in Johannesburg. I needed a holiday and spend quality time with my mom, dad inlaws before flying to Hanoi.

D-Day, 20th December 2018, we were ready to start our new adventure but oh how I dislike saying goodbye! There were no dry eyes at the airport. Filled with mixed feelings of excitement, sadness and guilt as we left our loved ones behind. We had to look forward and board the Cathay Pacific flight, looking towards the unknown future, but eager to reunite with my husband. It was the longest separation we had ever had to endure, but thankful it was coming to an end.

Tired of waiting in the long queue to check-in

Jhb to Hong Kong, short layover and connection to Hanoi

As challenging and as stressful as our move was, we managed it! We all settle into our new home and the children have adapted well to their new lifestyle.

If you are lucky enough to be given a chance to move to a new country, don’t look back, don’t live in the past, but be prepared, as every country has its pros and cons, and the 1st move is never easy. The reward for trying will be making a new life, exploring a new country and enjoying the adventure along the way. I can admit our 1st move was the hardest and took about two years to settle down, but with each move after that, it has become notably easier.