I did not do any study for today’s two classes and just as well, they gave me the wrong pages once again. I have had both these classes before and they are a good bunch about eight to ten years old. We get through the work and play a lot of games which allows me the chance to get rid of excess stationary as prizes. Only the staff know I am leaving (and they think I am coming back but I doubt it) so as we are finishing the last class I write my plans on the board and get some kind words from the kids, they will miss me too.
Anna and Lisa won't leave until I pack up my things and shadow me out of school to Wah's bike for one last high five - so sweet.
Tessie, Hoon, Me and Han
I have not told Wah that I am leaving yet but in a very odd piece of synchronicity for the first time in about thirty trips to and from the school, as we leave he turns left at the first corner instead of straight ahead as we always have and we take a different route back to the Blue River
When we arrive back at the hotel I ask Hai to translate to Wah that I have finished teaching and I am leaving Thursday, tomorrow morning we will go and (fingers crossed) collect my pay for one last trip.
After a quick shower I head to Dung café for lunch and top up my phone credit along the way, I have finally used up fifteen dollars after five weeks. After lunch I go to the GO2 for a slow relaxed beer, listening to my MP3 player, get my weekly fix of the “Daily Telegraph” and have a chat with Doyen. She requests that I come to see her Wednesday to say goodbye before I go, I was going to anyway.
I wander to the massage place where Trang sorts out the minor aches and pains I have, I am treating myself to some indulgence today. I am fairly tired so I head back towards the hotel trawling the seven elevens for peanuts, my latest food craving. I don’t want to hang out with the drinkers and drink more beer at Santa café but I could do with a coffee and a chat before I crash out when suddenly a hand appears on my shoulder, it’s Dan who is having a coffee just near our hotels (he’s only about five doors up from me) so we hang out for an hour, it is five in the afternoon so i'm not going to crash out now anyway. I have a special bond with Dan in that “brother from another mother” kind of way, we are very much in synch with our thoughts and plans. During our coffee Thay turns up so I buy some chewy from as her as promised in my funny slip up last night and closely behind is Lan who stops by for a chat, I offer her some time before I go for some English tutoring as we discussed last night, I think she will miss me, I will miss her.
I go back to the hotel to wash off the massage oil after wandering to watch the sun go down in a beautiful display over the park and find some peanuts, it’s crazy you can get cashews by the bucket load in any shape or form but a simple packet of salted peanuts is harder to come by.
After a short rest I head out for dinner at Dung café where I get a call from Dan and he comes down to meet me for dinner. He just got a mobile phone back from a repairer that his English girlfriend had been using until she returned it to him a couple of months ago when he was in England but she did not think to delete certain upsetting information he has just discovered so for the first time in five weeks he has decided to have a drink. Although I am very tired I have just started my holidays so a couple of drinks suits me and what are friends for? We head down Biu Vien for a couple of vodkas, nibbling on peanuts and quail eggs from the street food ladies and discussing betrayal. I reach my limit (two vodkas ago) and he is happily chatting away to a stunning girl so I leave him to it, say goodnight and head back to my room to finally get some sleep, it has been a glorious day!
