Busy Busy Busy

As the blog title suggests, it has been a very busy couple of days!  Yesterdays main achievement was to go indoor plant shopping.  I paid 3 million dong for 3 big palms, 2 medium sized I don't know whats, 5 small I don't know whats and 1 magnificent Bonsai. It sounds like a lot but in actuality it is about $190 Aus. Not bad considering that includes delivery and beautiful pots.  I cannot believe the difference it has made to the apartment!  It looks fantastic.  The 3 big palms are in the lounge area.  The 2 medium are in the bar area (yes, we have a bar area), the 5 small are in the bathrooms and the bonsai sits proudly in the middle of the dining table. I also went out this morning to fill the house with Orchids.  It may sound decadent but at 10,000 dong a stem (63 cents) it is well worth it.  The last lot lasted nearly 3 weeks.  So for $8.80 there are flowers in the lounge and also my bedroom.  Not just flowers...orchids!  Who has flowers in their bedroom?  How lucky am I?  I also went out today to get some pebbles to put over the bottom part of the plants to hide the dirt and keep the moisture in.  I guess the most extraordinary thing about all of this is that it is not as easy as popping into Bunnings. I had to find a plant supplier, find my way there, troll through a mini urban jungle and then negotiate in my very limited Vietnamese. A great sense of achievement.

Todays missions were a bit of an adventure  but with a little more help.  I had the maintenance guys come up and hang all of our photos which again, has really added to the homely feel of the place.  I had Quyen, Lena the cleaner, the 2 photo hangers and the 3 air-conditioning repair men in the apartment and they all gathered around to ooh and ahh over the pictures. It was quite a moment and I can only imagine how they view our adventures through China, East Timor, Italy, Greece etc.  We must seem so rich! (mind you, all fun and games until Lena said I was fat in some of the photos...they do call a spade a spade here and unless you are a size 8 you are a hippo....but that is another blog!)  I then went out and was introduced to a framing guy who is going to frame some paintings I bought in Cambodia.  I then also bought 5 clocks.  Strange I know but all will be relieved. I have blatantly stolen a brilliant idea from the gorgeous Tan and can I just say...wait till tomorrow when I post some pics!

Nick has gone out tonight.  When I explained to Quiddy that Daddy had to go out he gave me a lesson in "he does not have to go out....he WANTS to go out....there is a difference".  That kid is so switched on.

Better go and get these kids to bed.  Standby for the pictures of the fruits of my labour, even if it was a labour of love!