Family farewell for Emma

Six months are just about up and Emma is flying home to England in a few days. She has been a much loved teacher here with her bright, bubbly personality and infectious enthusiasm. I know the teenagers  especially will miss her tremendously. Tonight Gene and Becki cooked up a roast beef, beans and smashed potatoes for dinner. On the way home from my late afternoon class I stopped off at the market and bought some fruit for a fruit salad for dessert and made it just as dinner was being served.

We laughed our way through dinner as we recounted some of the highlights of the past few months... and there are so many when you include stories from Emma, Will, Gene, Becki and me!  Since we'll all be going our separate ways in the next few months, maybe we should plan for a reunion in ten years' time...

Becki had to duck off around seven to teach a class, but we were still sitting at the table when she returned a couple of hours later. We were enjoying her home-made Kaluah.

 Will and Emma  

Don't you love the colour of my new top? Mr Cường said it was "Number one!" when he picked me up. I bought it in Hà Nội last month but I haven't worn it before because it's sleeveless. Tonight I could, because I was going to be with just Westerners, and they don't feel compelled to grab my arms and exclaim how enormous they are...

We had a lovely night. These gorgeous people have been like a family over the past year so it will be hard to see Emma go... then Will... then Becki. They will all return home by the end of September, then Gene will relocate to Thailand in November and in December it will be my turn to go home. Ex-pats are such a transient lot.