May in Hanoi

The major event in May was the annual KOTO graduation ceremony at Daewoo Hotel, Hanoi, on Monday 7 May when classes 16 and 17 received their diplomas and headed off to make their way in the world. They'll always remain part of the KOTO family though and many will return to KOTO as staff members sometime in the future to pass on the skills they've learned.

The evening featured pop singers, spectacular break-dancing by class 19 and 20 trainees, play acting, a classical music quartet and professional dancers as well as the handing out of diplomas. With over 400 people attending, it was a robust affair as previously graduated classes got together for reunions with their old classmates.

Quoc Anh, class 16, and Chien, class 17

 Break-dancing by Class 19 and 20 Trainees

At the graduation with some of the great kids from Class 19

Included in the Class 16 graduates was Mr Quoc Anh who, a few years ago, was destitute on the streets of Hanoi after losing a leg in a motorbike accident. He appealed for help to KOTO founder and father-figure, Jimmy Pham, who gave him a bed and a job and also managed to get him a better prosthetic leg. Quoc Anh was later admitted to the KOTO training program and was determined that his handicap wasn't going to hold him back. He took on extra english lessons and learned how to negotiate steps with a full tray of drinks/food on only one good leg. His efforts paid off and he's now a barista at the upmarket "St Honore" French bakery and bistro on West Lake. I dropped in on him yesterday and he looked happy and well. 

There was a happy reunion with Class 19 at the KOTO Training Centre as training got under way again but it was a shock to learn a startling statistic. Of the twenty-three kids in this class, eighteen of them either have no parents (and were raised in institutions) or have only one parent (their mum). Even some of those with only one parent ended up in institutions as mum simply couldn't cope. It's sad to reflect on so many kids growing up without the love of parents, siblings, grandparents or other family members and you could excuse them if they were angry, sad, pessimistic, and generally disenchanted with what life has dished out to them. But they are, like most KOTO trainees, happy, grateful, enthusiastic and eternally optimistic!

One is my foster son, Hiep, who has never known his father, has no siblings or grandparents and ended up in an institution when his mother developed mental problems and was unable to raise him. Over lunch recently I asked him what he wanted to do when he finished his KOTO studies. 

Many trainees look forward to being a top-flight bartender dishing up exotic cocktails at a flash joint like the Sunset Bar at the five star Intercontinental West Lake. The list of desirable possessions that such a job may makes accessible includes an i-phone, i-pad, and a Honda Airblade motorbike or something similar.

So what does Hiep want to do?

He wants to be another Jimmy Pham and "help the poor people of Vietnam"!  Such a big heart in such a tiny body.

With Hiep, Class 19

As well as Class 19, two other classes are currently studying at KOTO Hanoi; 20 and 21, the latter having been on the job for only about a month.  A lack of funds meant that a number of staff had to be laid off recently and KOTO now only has one full-time Vietnamese english teacher which means plenty of work for volunteers like me! Normally I wouldn't meet Class 21 until they've completed their full orientation and been segregated in Kitchen and Front-of-House trainees but we've already met in the classroom. There are only 17 of them as opposed to the usual 23 - 24 in a new class  but most have completed high school and they are an enthusiastic bunch.

Class 21

Class 20

KOTO family competed in the recent National Cocktail Competition run by the multinational Monin cocktail syrups company in Vietnam when Ms Giang and Mr Binh from Class 18 and staff member Mr Thuong (Class 12) made the semi finals. Ms Giang did well to win the semi finals despite still being a trainee but was wiped out by the professional bartenders from Ho Chi Minh City who took out first, second and third places in the finals. Still, it was a great effort and good experience for all who participated.

Giang at the Monin National Cocktail Competition

Plenty of visitors turned up in May too so social life has been busy! Mac's friend, Sze Tho from Malaysia came over for the KOTO graduation and then took ten of his own hospitality trainees from Johor Bahru to visit KOTO Saigon's restaurant. While he was in Hanoi we tried out the new upmarket Pots n Pans restaurant which is associated with KOTO. Ian Henry's grand-daughter, Melanie, also paid a visit before heading off on a grand tour of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia and we caught up for dinner at KOTO restaurant on a quiet Saturday night. Athol Gardiner and wife Liz have also been visiting their son, Aaron, in Hanoi and we met up for dinner at both KOTO restaurant and Pots n Pans on either side of their trip to Sapa. http://potsnpans.vn/

The dining room and wine cellar at Pots n Pans restaurant

And foster son, Lam, also brought his beautiful daughter, Dieu Linh, to visit one Sunday morning.

Dieu Linh on the phone

Dieu Linh on the milk

Travels in Laos

Peter came over to Hanoi on 1 December along with Jim and James and, after a few days in Hanoi, we headed to Luang Prabang in northern Laos - only an hour's flight away with Lao Airlines. What a paradise this place is - mountains, forests, rivers (the Mekong and the Nam Khan), beautiful Buddhist temples and pagodas, friendly people, peace and quiet. 

We stayed at the Apsara hotel and ate one night at the French restaurant, L'Elephant. I thought I had died and gone to heaven! The food, the service, the atmosphere, the wines, the staff were all excellent. If you ever make it to Luang Prabang treat yourself to dinner at "L'Elephant"!

 Wat Ho Pha Bang, in the grounds of the former Royal Palace

About to cross the Mekong for a visit to Pak Ou caves

James, Peter and Jim at Luang Prabang

Further travels in Laos took us to Vientiane, the capital, where we stayed in a riverside guest house and ate at Makphet restaurant, which operates on similar lines to KOTO in Vietnam. It was only small but the food was good and the service friendly.

Sightseeing in Vientiane included Buddha Park which hosts a bizarre collection of statues including a "crazy house" and a huge reclining Buddha. It was worth the excursion!

Wat Si Saket

Reclining Buddha, Buddha Park

Inside the "Crazy House", Buddha Park

James (frightened) in the "Crazy House"

Patuxai, central Vientiane

An hour and a half's flight on Lao Airlines took us further south to the capital of Champasak Province, Pakse, where we were met by our guide, Mr Mee, and driver, Mr Toi, who looked after us for the next three days. Based in Pakse we took in the Bolavens Plateau, Wat Phou pre-Angkorian temple and the "4000 Islands" and waterfalls in the area. I had never been to Southern Laos before and didn't know what to expect so discovering that it is incredibly beautiful with mountains, forests, spectacular waterfalls, good roads, incredibly few tourists and friendly people was pleasant experience!

Tad Lao falls

Tad Fane falls

Tad Suong falls

Tad Fane falls - over 120m high

Wat Phou

Wat Phou

James at Wat Phou

Apsara carving at Wat Phou

An hour and a half long elephant ride through the forest was a pleasant experience!

We spent a night on Khone Island, a small island in the group of 4000 islands in the Mekong River near the Thai border. During the colonial period, the French built a railway on Khone Island in the Mekong to allow the transfer of freight, passengers and sometimes the boats themselves around the falls. The original hospital building still stands and is now upmarket accommodation with three self-contained suites in "The French Residence".

Mekong River, Khone Island

Relaxing by the Mekong, Khone Island

Mekong River, Khone Island. French railway bridge in the background

"The French Residence"

Mekong River, Khone Island

Jim and James on the French railway bridge

Mekong River Khone Island

Mekong River traffic

"Niagrara Falls" of the Mekong, Khone Island

With our guide, Mr Mee, on Khone Island

Mid November Update

Table Decoration - Class 18 Assessment Dinner

Social life has slowed recenlty but included an invitation to KOTO class 18's assessment dinner where the trainees had to provide an a la carte dinner for about 40 people including Vietnamese media personalities. I chose the fresh prawn spring rolls followed the salmon fillet and wasn't disappointed. A glass of excellent Argentine Malena cabernet/shiraz followed the "Warming Feel" cocktail (which lived up to its title).

A drink with Jimmy before dinner

My colleague, Janet, and her son on the left. Ms Hanh, KOTO senior staff, on the right.

Class 18 with guests on the night of the dinner

My English Section boss, Ms Dung, with Class 18 kitchen trainee, Mr Hung.

A welcome surprise recently was the visit to Hanoi by James Rees who lives at Bungendore near Canberra and who has been a close friend for many years. He's manager of business in the House of Representatives in Canberra and was chaperoning a bipartisan group of five politicians and three spouses on an ASEAN Liaison Visit to Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore. We all had lunch at KOTO restaurant last Sunday where they met Jimmy Pham and heard the KOTO story. With all four levels at the restaurant fully booked the place was a madhouse but feedback from the group was positive. James and I had a chance for a quieter encounter a few days later when met for drinks and dinner.

Drinks were at "La Fee Verte" bar in the new Accor Group's five star Hotel de L'Opera. Fee verte (green fairy) is the French slang name given to Absinthe and reflects the fact that this is the only bar serving Absinthe cocktails in Hanoi. They're delicious, by the way, especially when prepared by KOTO class 13 graduate, Mr Huan, who is now bar supervisor there.

Lobby at the new Hotel de L'Opera, Hanoi

La Fee Verte bar

Dinner at KOTO restaurant followed where James had a more relaxed opportunity to meet KOTO trainees and staff. The French Marsanne Chardonnay nicely complemented the grilled Sea Bass. He generously bought a "brick" for KOTO Saigon's restaurant for $100.

The excellent English language weekly newspaper, Thanh Nien, (which often criticises Vietnamese government policies and practices - including corruption) featured KOTO Saigon's new restaurant in a full-page article recently. The restaurant has also been getting good press reviews.

Thanh Nien Weekly's article on KOTO Saigon's restaurant

Traffic in Hanoi (and in Ho Chi Minh City) gets worse every year as the emerging middle class buy cars to replace their motorbikes and those that can't afford cars continue to buy motorbikes! Commuting to KOTO's training centre out at Westlake and other destinations by motorbike every day isn't too bad provided it's not during peak traffic periods but is still a hassle. When the road is congested, the footpath becomes a secondary road and pedestrians lose their territorial rights and must scatter to avoid speeding bikes. The pleasure of a late afternoon walk is thus diminished!

 Bikes on the footpath - Pedestrians, run for your lives!

I'll leave you with this photo of one of the many derelict bikes in the car park of the Horison Hotel nearby, where I'm a member of their fitness club. This bike has a delightful little moss garden growing on its seat. And yet another photo of my grand-daughter, Dieu Linh.

Mossy bike

Dieu Linh

One Month Already

Where did a month go? At this time four weeks ago I was having a post prandial snooze on the Vietnam Airlines flight from Melbourne to Ho Chi Minh City and now I'm trying to recall the interesting things that have happened in the four weeks since then.

Baggage not turning up at Saigon airport was a bit of a disappointment but the airline did provide USD40 to buy jocks, socks and toiletries. Funds also stretched to a couple of shirts - one of which impressed the receptionist at the hotel although it only cost $5.

The first major event during of the week-long stay in Ho Chi Minh City was the National Barista Competition at the International Exhibition Centre in Saigon South, not far from KOTO Saigon's training centre. Three KOTO graduates competed (plus one trainee who wasn't allowed to compete because he was still a trainee). Mr Quyen made it to the finals but was under a lot of pressure because he actually won the event two years ago. Competition this year was keen and last year's winner also won again this year.

KOTO Saigon trainees at the Barista Competition - KOTO assisted in managing the event.

Mr Quyen, KOTO Hanoi class 14, in action at the Barista Competition

Next major event on the social calendar was the official opening of KOTO Saigon restaurant at 151a, Hai Ba Trung street, Saigon. HBT street is a prestigious address so location couldn't be better. It's been a long hard battle to get the restaurant up and running in Saigon but it all came to fruition on 4 October when the Australian Consul-General did the honours.

Jimmy Pham receives a glass from Australian Consul-General, Graeme Swift at the opening

The trainees sang their hearts out

Those of us who can't sing were content just to drink champagne

Flew to Hanoi the next day and installed myself in the Ha My hotel where I've stayed in previous years - a bit old but they provide a small flat with a large kitchen, full-size bathroom, lounge/bedroom, cable tv, internet and a small balcony. The botanic gardens are just across the road and it's actually possible to go for a long walk around the Ho Chi Minh museum and mausoleum complex without having to deal with the chaotic traffic on Hanoi's congested streets.

Verdant outlook from my balcony

Work at KOTO started straight away but not before an invitation to yet another social event arrived. The Australian ambassador officially launched Tracey Lister and Andreas Pohl's new book, "Vietnamese Street Food" at Tracey's Hanoi Cooking Centre on 7 October. With the venue only 20 minutes walk from home, there was no need to ride the motorbike and limit the uptake of hospitality!

Ambassador Cox with Tracey, Cynthia and Andreas

At KOTO I've been teaching classes 17, 18 and 19. Everyone said class 18 was a model class and class 19 would be a problem as they are relatively young (many are just 16 years of age), new to KOTO (only been here six weeks) and "exuberant" (read hyperactive and talk a lot). Well, I'm no stranger to loquacity but in the event I found class 19 to be fun to teach.  And there are some characters, as with all KOTO classes...

With class 19 

Social life has quietened down since arrival Hanoi but there is always KOTO restaurant about 20 minus walk away from home whenever I feel the need for company and my foster son, Lam, drops in on the weekend for a visit and help with improving his english. My grand-daughter is 12 months old now and just beautiful. One Sunday recently Lam invited me to visit his house out near the airport and have lunch. Only having been to the airport by taxi before I made the mistake of trying to ride my motorbike on the upper level of the huge Thanh Long bridge which crosses the Red River. The Police stopped me and relieved me of 200,000 dong (about $10) before turning me around an pointing me in the direction of the lower (railway) level that motorcycles are supposed to use. From my observations, they were raking in about $100 an hour as they stopped at least five people in the fifteen minutes I was "negotiating" with them. Anyway, lunch at Lam's was delicious and it's only the first time in eight years that I've had to deal with the "Yellow Dogs" as the traffic police are know here.

My grand-daughter, Dieu Linh, and her Dad, Lam

Have also been teaching at Blue Dragon Children's Charity again and they always find something interesting for me to do. Blue Dragon helps two teenagers with mobility problems (in that they are paraplegic) and asked me to help with their English at their home (which is about the size of our bathroom at Curtin). 

Despite their problems, the pair are cheerful and already speak quite good English - the elder brother especially. 

Speaking a little Vietnamese means I can also help with English for KOTO staff who have never learnt the language - typically the cooks, cleaners, drivers, security guards and house mothers. Like most  mature-age people who have never had the opportunity to study, they're keen to learn and make the most of it. It's all about basic communication for their jobs so there's no need to delve into the past perfect continuous tense....

I'll leave you with this photo of Mr Van Vu, KOTO Saigon class 1, who asked me to take a photo of him with a KOTO publicity brochure that used his picture for the cover. I love this photo.

Mr Van Vu, KOTO Saigon class 1, with himself.