HANOI
Crazy, mad traffic…
Plenty of hagglers but no hassling..
Really loud, lots of people, lots of noise, lots of smells, lots to look at and look out for.
Loretta is manic about putting on insect repellent…Mum has been mobbed by Vietnamese school students for wearing rice paddy hat…Anne is over temples…I spent the day by myself, exploring and shopping and spekaing bad french to locals, having one of the best pedicure foot massages ever and we still have a cycling tour and dinner to go.
Tres bien ..dong!
VIETNAM
In Singapore, waiitng to board the flight to Hanoi. Just stopped in for very early morning cup of tea at the Dempseys. Caught a taxi there and back and all very easy. Midnight flight was tiring but 2 sleeping tablets got me through the worst especially after Nicole’s wedding I mean formal. She looked divine and the pre pre went off with out a hitch. Met up with Paul Messenger who snuck me into Qantas Club where I eyeballed Jamie Durie..cute but way too short even for people with legs as vertically challenged as mine. About to embark on a Vietnamese adventure with Loretta and the mothers. Din Dong!
Sailing Again
This week, our instructor was Mike…a 65 year old Vietnam Vet, partly deaf and retired new car salesman with no grandkids. He obviously talked a lot, but he also taught us a fair bit more than last week. We had a short, classroom briefing where sailing partner Jill went straight to teacher’s pet with her knowledge of the tide times and wind direction. We learnt how to rig the boat…I put on the jib which was pretty much like threading a shower curtain but on an actute angle..We also hoisted the mainsail and instead of being towed out of the harbour like the schoolkids, we sailed out. This time we had to use a till extension instead of just handling the till…It stumped us a bit but all blokes even 65 year old deafies like longer poles. It goes against all female instincts to go left and push the steering utensil in the opposite direction, it won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.
We also had a quick go at de-rigging when we got back in as well, which is pretty much like laundry and folding very big sheets. Easy! Sort-of! All-in-all a very good day on the bay.
We are SAILING
Into my second year of learning french…which I must say I am still finding tres difficle….I have tackled the next on my “always wanted to do” list. Sailing. A girlfriend and I signed up for women learn to sail lessons at the Royal Qld Yacht Club. Our instructor was an accomplished sailor but at 18 giggled a lot and while we learnt to jib and tack and something else with the big mainsail when it swings around…we didn’t get a great understanding of how we were actually moving forwards and in the case of when I was steering..zig-zagging. Regardless it was great fun…The weather was clear after weeks of Brisbane rain and we did get some burts of sunshine…So while the hubby’s were at work and the kids at school and childcare ..we enjoyed some freedom. Of course we had to rush back for school pick up..SO to add to my chores of cooking cleaning and chauffering…I am now a sailor and bi-lingual…well one day…I’ll be able to sail into Marseilles and speak to the harbour master and be understood.
From fulltime to french
What do you do when you’ve worked fulltime for your entire life and then make the massive decision to be a stay home mother and wife? Why you study french of course. Bien Sur.
Well that’s me…but for anyone the french part could be anything…going to the gym or reading or learning to dance. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and like the movie Dead Poets society I have Carpe Diemed…Something like a bucket list and at the top is french…I also have on that list learning to sail, taking wine and champagne courses and opening a book store…for now french it is.
That is because (despite that I should say being a wife and mother is rewarding and wonderful etc)..it’s boring!!! Yes it is busy and the efforts of being at home for homework, dinner on time and less fattening take-outs, the kids are collected from sport and computer monitoring is under control ..it is boring. Some might argue that learning french is boring, but it is on my list…and it feels good to make a tick on that. C’est super.
Karryn Wheelans 