Saturday, September 30, 2017

My heart settled in Vietnam - I have a partner and a dog


Below, after the text, you can find some youtube videos and photos, telling about my life here.
If you are unable to see the videos here, you can go to my Youtube channel: timsippala


Tim walks, this was the name of this blog until this year.  Tim walks now locally in Vietnam, no more around the world: well, in Europe, South East Asia and Australia. I have never walked in Africa or Latin America.

I am enjoying the simple life in the countryside. We have lots of flowers here, beautiful green environment, nice rivers and canals. I enjoy my early morning walks with the Kito dog, and I enjoy th lovely vegan food that my love is cooking for me.  I came here from Ukraine in December 2016 and stayed for 3 month in this village and nearby towns of Lai Vung and Sa Dec. I wanted to stay but since I had promised to go back to Ukraine and Finland,  I spent about 3 months apart from my love.
Than I came back in June 2017 and found the little puppy that she had adopted for us.

I stayed another 3 months until the end of August. Then I paid a short visit to Thailand to get a new visa. This time I  managed to get a one year visa, so I can stay here until Spetember 2018 at least. Compared to Thailand, it is much easier to get a long term visa to Vietnam: either a tourist visa for maximum 3 months or then a long-term business visa or even a temporary resident card.

So, I came back from Bangkok and Pattaya and continued my lovely morning walks and simple daily routines. September was rainy since it is the monsoon season now here. Rice fields are flooding, so we can not grow rice there but people keep ducks there. We need a boat to go around the fields.

I have adopted the custom to take a walk in the morning, partly running and then in the late afternoon we go by bicycle, Kito sitting in the back in a basket.

I enjoyed my teaching in Ukraine but the city environment isn't for me so much, and the climate there is still a bit harsh for me. I feel much better here in the hot tropics.

As in life always, there are, of course some things to improve.  As a vegan I really do not enjoy living in a farm where they keep pigs, chicken and ducks for meat. And the pigs really smell. So, I wish I could some day get a place of my own and start growing fruits and vegetables, plant lots of flowers around the place. I would keep cats and dogs, of course.