Friends friends everywhere......

I don't know what I expected before I left Australia, in terms of friends and socialising here in Vietnam..I guess my plans all happened so fast, I really didn't give it much thought at all. I did think about the friends I would miss from home...but I couldn't anticipate the ones I was yet to meet.. I mean, how can you.....

Aside from very quickly becoming a welcomed part of life at the workshop, with all the staff and our ladies (makers) who come and go every day..

There are all the other volunteers, Lisa, Sally, Emma, Lan, Hien, Karen, Sinh, Robyn, Sondra, Phuong, Sang...I'm sure I've missed some...

Even the customers.....one minute I'm serving them in the shop, the next I'm sitting at a table beside them in a cafe...

You wouldn't want to do anything bad to anyone in this town....it's very small..

Almost every time I eat at '43' I see someone there I've met.

As I'm riding my bike around town, I see people I know and exchange friendly waves.( whilst trying not to crash again.)

Tonight as LAN was leaving the shop, she invited Andrew and I to join her and Chris her partner, for a BBQ on the beach one night.

After work tonight Andrew and I dropped into a restaurant where Andrew joined Lisa, Tan (not my landlady, another Tan)  and David, for dinner, while I was at the shop working.   

My Tan has taken me to yoga. And invited me to a family dinner, which I had to miss, due to working..

I spent last Saturday at the beach with Lisa and Sally, lounging in palapas for the afternoon, before meeting many children, and then some of the parents afterwards.

In the evening as Lisa and I made our way along the beach choosing where to eat, we saw Karen and her boys and daughter in law Phuong and Karens' granddaughter. We were invited to join them for dinner, but we just stayed for a drink, as I know family time is precious.

Whilst walking home from the shop last night ( pre Andrew getting his bike) we heard a 'hello' and it was Hien, another of our volunteers, who just happens to live in the street behind us. 

I was early morning walking Tuesday and heard someone calling "Ish" amidst the buzzing of the traffic, only to see Karen and Robyn having coffee in a lovely outdoor garden cafe, so over I go to join them. I don't have anywhere to be for an hour, so I have another opportunity to spend time with these beautiful ladies, hearing more about their stories.

 Karen has to leave, which gave me time to get to know Robyn better..She is the founder of CHIA...a children's foundation.

Emma only had about a week left of her time here before heading back to New Zealand, but every time I bumped into her, it was like we were old friends...she will be greatly missed !!

Thuy and I do a few of the evening shifts together, and have plenty of time in between customers to sit on our little bamboo stools out the front of the shop and chat...He makes me laugh.. He's so sweet. The other day, he came to work and said, " we are having lunch together today Ish " he had brought 2 lots of lunch from home, and a dish especially for me, ( as they all seem to eat their meals out of the pots they cook them in). So I shared in a meal of rice, steamed fish in chili sauce and morning glory...

All prepared and shared in a loving gesture of friendship.

So blessed !!

The lesson here is..no matter where you go in this world, if you put out love it will come back to you..

Night all....hug someone...mumma bear x