Last night in Vietnam

saigon
Originally uploaded by jaymce.

I leave for Kuala Lumpur tomorrow and I feel some trepidation, some relief, some sadness.
The last few days have reinforced my assertion that Vietnamese hospitality knows no bounds. I have been shown so much kindness here, from the TVU folks to my Tra Vinh landlady (who reimbursed my September rent and had a dress tailored for me as a going-away present) to the women on the bus to shared their fruit, gum and scented oils on my many trips to HCMC. People here have given me directions, translated for me, driven me around, carried my bags, given me free stuff and advised me on purchases. Once you get used to this place it can really grow on you. It has, of course, been tough going, as you all are well aware if you have been reading this blog, but it certainly isn't because people are unfriendly.
That being said, I am glad that I am going to have work soon, because as much as one might bemoan its trials, being without it is worse in many ways.
In KL I will stay with a former intern Michelle and her fiance while I look for a room to rent. It seems that is how to live affordably as an intern in that city, so it will be roommates for me once more.
First on the list will be to get a new SIM card for my phone, because as I learned in Cambodia, without it I feel like I have lost a limb. What can I say, I live for communication.
Wish me luck as I take the next, of what seems to be many, plunges into the unknown. What a year, and we still have a quarter left!