All change
Having gone round the entire house deciding what to ship, store, donate and throw away we’ve now changed our minds about how much of our own furniture we actually want in Vietnam. Well, to be more accurate, we’ve thought a little more carefully about what we are going to do post-Vietnam which affects which pieces of furniture we might want to leave behind here in storage.
Who knows what the future actually has in store for us but, as best we can we have a plan and a vision as to how/where we’ll live after a few years of adventure. So, back to the drawing board and re-quote everything we thought we’d agreed.
At this rate it’s going to be March 2013 before we move!!!
I’ve already mentioned that Kevin’s partner is coming for the week end and to show what committed hosts we are we spent Saturday evening last week end testing out fish & chip shops. I’m incredibly fussy about them – the batter must be not too thick, crispy and still hot when I eat it. Likewise the chips – a good proportion of them need to be small, thin’ish and crispy. So, it’s with great relief that I’m able to report that The Lighthouse Fish Bar near Brooklands, Sale, Cheshire is ace. Phew, let’s hope J-M likes them!
Posted on 10/25/2011, in Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink. 4 Comments.
thecontemporaryexpat 
Hi
My husband and I moved to Vietnam form new Zealand at the beginning of the year, we live in the Central Highlands in Dalat. We have rented a house which is fully furnished although we bought kitchen ware,saucepans, knives and forks and an oven. Things are very cheap here so really not much point in bringing anything over except personal items. The Vietnamese love little dogs so you shouldnt have any trouble bringing your little man over. There are quite a lot of open spaces in Hanoi for a run.There is a terific Hanoi womens club where you will meet plenty of other Expats from around the world. Happy planning………………
Hey thanks for commenting Bev and it’s great to hear from someone who’s actually there. My husband’s firm are paying for the shipping so we’ll probably bring some things on the basis that they won’t return with us when we leave.
It’s interesting what you say about the Vietnamese loving little dogs – does it apply to bigger dogs too? She’s a whippet/lurcher and I’d describe her as medium sized but she’s a bit like a super model – all skinny with long legs 🙂 (oh, and the most gorgeous big brown eyes).
Thanks for the mention of the Hanoi women’s club – I’d heard about it and then forgotten about it again so great reminder, I’ll write it down! Is Dalat far? Will we have a chance to meet maybe?
Ah well, enjoy. New Zealand must be in high spirits at the moment having won the Rugby World Cup – well done to them 🙂
Hi I just found this post from Hanoi though it may interest you, from someone wanting to bring their dogs in.
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I bought a dog three years ago and I haven’t had any problems with her at all. There are lots of Hanoians who love fancy dog breeds and they tend to differentiate between “dinner dogs” and “house dogs”.
There are dog clubs (Vietnamese speakers) and lots of vets, though not too many great places to walk a dog. One place I like to go is Xom Chua Street right on West Lake. I guess any of the small lakes would be good to walk around. I always thought it’d be nice to take my dog for a walk around the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum area, but I wouldn’t dare.
There’s little to no good grass and there aren’t any dog parks, but people won’t look at you crazy for having a dog on a leash out on the street.
You do have to be careful if your dog is big or really handsome because they are often stolen to be resold or eaten. I’m told thieves particularly like big blonde dogs. Anyway, the traffic is awful so you don’t want to leave it outside unattended.
Otherwise you should be fine! Don’t count on having a garden or any lawn at whatever place you rent — your pooch will have to get used to squatting on cement.
Good luck! You shouldn’t have any problems!
Hi
I’m not sure that you will find anywhere in Hanoi to let your dog run off lead, there are beautiful lakes to walk around and I have seen people walking their dogs around the lake but there are a lot of people to dodge on these walks so not so good for running. The Vietnamese do love their dogs, well the ones they keep as pets are seriously hugged and patted and look very healthy but on the other hand ‘Dog” is also a delicacy with quite a few dog restaurants around Hanoi. Your dog sounds gorgeous, I really miss not having a dog here, we did think about getting one as we will be here for another three years but the problem is taking it back. Vietnam is on the list of countries where they are not happy to bring dogs in from so you should check out and see what the quarantine rules are.
Dalat is a really nice place in the Central Highlands about an hour and half flight from Hanoi, its called the City of the Eternal Spring, the Vietnamese like to come here to get married. The weather doesn’t change much from 18-28 degrees all year round with no humidity. Hanoi experiences very dismal winters from December to March it is quite cold, very very wet and gloomy. Spring is lovely and the summer is very hot. I personally love Hanoi, its one of the most interesting cities in Vietnam, its easy to get around and there are many nice places not to far away. It does take a little getting used to living here but the rewards are great, its certainly an adventure. We have been here since the beginning of this year living in Dalat where there are really no English speaking Ex pats so have been thrown in the deep end, luckily we get to travel to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh often. If there is anything you want to know please ask I will help if at all possible. This is a link to the blog I started really for friends and family in NZ and England, the first blogs from April may give you an insight to life here. Yes very happy that new Zealand won the world cup a great day to be a Kiwi.
Take care and happy packing
Bev
http://highlandfling-a-life-in-dalat.blogspot.com/