However, this bad start to the day, combined with the fact that I still had not received a copy of the promised contract, and M having found some interesting jobs to apply for in Oz, started us talking. Our visas run out in a couple of weeks, as does our lease. And with no great job prospects on the horizon for either of us after 2 months of looking, did we want to reinvest in Vietnam, or maybe do something different?
We started tossing around a few ideas. In the afternoon, I had been asked to go out again to District 12 to see Ms U. I felt doubtful, but still there was a glimmer - perhaps there really was a contract? I had to go and see. So I dutifully caught the shuttle bus there, which took about 50 minutes. And then there were the usual delaying tactics - finally I received a copy of the contract. But further probing questions from me revealed that there really wasn't any job - as far as I could tell, it was really just to be on 'standby,' at a majorly reduced rate, to be on hand just in case. Not exactly a great career move, I thought. Feeling rather dispirited, I left and caught a bus back to District 3. Or so I thought. Unfortunately, the information I got wasn't right, and in my distracted state I didn't realise until I was far away from where I should have been! The bus drivers were very helpful in getting me to the right bus, but it took me about 2 and a half hours to get home, instead of an hour.
Tuesday we spent thinking about our next move. The internet wasn't working, so we went out for coffee, and saw that the wires in our street had been cut, which possibly explained our lack of connection. We realised that we were really tired, and the noise factor is really starting to affect us. Now we have jack-hammering on the other side of the building too, enough to vibrate the light on the wall.
So anyway, we have decided that the end of our visas will mark the end of phase 1 of the Vietnam experiment. We're going to do some travelling, and, pending other job applications, will perhaps be back in Oz earlier than expected! This morning we woke up feeling excited and that it was the right decision. So we're now working out where we'll go. Possibilities include Malaysia, Thailand (with an eye on the July 3 election) and Laos.
