Day Fifty - 9/1/26
Oh my god. Fifty days already. It feels relaxed, but it’s flying.
We started the morning after another rough night’s sleep. We shuffled the sleeping setup again. Emmett moved to the lower bunk, one of the top mattresses came down onto the floor, and I slept on that. It worked better. Emmett was much quieter without rocking the whole bed, Maddie wriggled a bit up top but slept pretty well, and everyone was a little less broken than the night before. I was cold overnight and ended up putting socks on. Emmett woke early feeling cold too and went hunting for jumpers, eventually pulling on my jacket. We all woke right on seven, tired and straight into work. No pre-work coffee, although I did manage to sneak away and make one while we were getting started, which honestly saved the morning.
My task was back on the septic pipe again. We were continuing on from the previous day, digging a trench through a path and cleaning it up while waiting for the conduit to arrive. It was physical but satisfying work. Kia was on gardening duty, raking leaves and tidying the yard around the huts and houses. The kids floated around helping where they felt like it. Adults and kids moving between jobs, everyone with a bit of purpose. It felt really good.
We finished early, around eight or eight thirty. I’d had my coffee and a few people were curious about it, so I ended up making a few cups with our little drip setup. Standing around chatting and making coffee while others wrapped up their jobs was a really nice moment.
Once everyone was done, we all headed down to the nearby town for breakfast together. A long table, lots of conversation, and a steady stream of bánh mì being made. Everyone ordered exactly what they wanted. Simple, easy, and really social. After that we went to another spot for coffee. The coffee wasn’t great. Lukewarm, incredibly thick, bitter, almost tar-like. One person asked for coffee with condensed milk and got a black coffee and a separate glass full of condensed milk, which led to all of us dipping spoons in to try and save our drinks. It didn’t really work. A French couple ordered salted coffee though, and theirs looked much better. Lesson learned. Tomorrow we’ll try that. We did get hot tea, which was lovely, and the kids grabbed fresh pineapple juice from a lady across the road. Sweet, not sour, and they were very happy.
Everything out here is so cheap. Breakfast for all of us was about eighty thousand dong, roughly four or five dollars. We ended up paying for all the coffees too, around one hundred and sixty thousand dong total. Ten dollars for a table full of drinks. Hard to complain.
Back at the farm it was proper downtime. The sun was out, which made a huge difference. People chatting, hammocks swinging, nothing rushed. Lunch came around and we all sat down together again. Before eating we say “mời mọi người ăn cơm,” basically inviting everyone to eat and giving thanks for the food. I really love that ritual.
Lunch was another great shared meal. Lots of rice, tofu, vegetables, mushrooms, pickled things. Not much meat at all. The kids are in a phase where they mostly want rice and soy sauce, and we’re gently pushing for more vegetables. Some meals they smash the veg, other meals it’s just rice. It is what it is. The food is filling and genuinely good.
After lunch, from about one until three, it was pure slow time. Guitars, writing, colouring, people stretched out in hammocks. I lay there scrolling for a bit, Kia was doing her own thing, and I checked work emails briefly just to make sure nothing was urgent. Everything felt calm and shared, like everyone was in the same rhythm.
At three it was back to afternoon work. I was on the hearth task again, working on the septic pipe. Kia and the kids were on animal duties with a few others, cutting bamboo and feeding animals. We laid the pipe, tested it with water, and everything flowed properly. We ran short of finishing it completely, with a bit more digging needed through a bund wall to reach the downward slope, but it’s working and tidy for now. A surveyor, an engineer, and a project manager working together gets results. It felt good to see it come together.
After the afternoon task I still had heaps of energy. I haven’t really had the chance to burn it off since we arrived, with the rain and the work not being overly taxing. So I laced up and headed out for a run. By the time I started it was just on five. I mapped out a rough six kilometre loop around the local area, mostly on concrete back roads.
It was such a good run. Running through backcountry roads, kids chasing me on bikes, dogs giving chase for a bit, and people stopping mid-task to wave or smile. Tofu reckons some locals may never have seen a Westerner before, and possibly not someone running either, so it felt like a bit of an event. The sun was setting behind the mountains, smoke drifting through the valley from small burn-offs, and everything was glowing. I was completely engaged, just soaking it all in. One of those runs that feels bigger than the distance.
While I was out, Kia and the kids were showering and getting ready for dinner at six. I had very clear instructions not to be late. I got back around ten to six, had a quick shower, and met everyone at dinner.
Dinner was really nice again. The kids are now sitting wherever they feel like, not necessarily with us, chatting away with whoever they’re next to. It’s really cool to see how comfortable and confident they’re becoming in this environment.
After dinner there was talk of volleyball with the locals. Maddie really wanted a movie night instead, which had been mentioned earlier in the day, so there were a few emotions flying around. I’d had enough after the run and felt like staying back, so I stayed with Maddie and a few others and put a movie on in the library. Kia headed off to volleyball with Emmett, who was absolutely keen to go. Kia less so, but Emmett won. Apparently it was just a short walk away, with local women on one court and everyone from the farmstay on another. Lots of laughs and everyone getting involved.
Everyone drifted back right as the movie was finishing, around eight thirty or so. We were all pretty tired. Emmett was still cruising around the farm insisting he wasn’t tired, but as soon as he hit the bed he yawned and was out cold. Maddie was already asleep, completely done for the day. Being social and active is wearing them out in the best way.
Day 50 feels like we’ve really settled into the groove here. The nights are still rough, the toilets and showers aren’t great, but it’s all tolerable. The community vibe is strong, and I’m really feeling it now.
We’ve got a few more days here. On Sunday some local kids are coming to hang out, which should be interesting. I’m also slowly learning how to relax and just be, without needing to constantly do something or feel productive. That’s new for me, and probably overdue.
Some quiet resolutions are popping up. I’m really looking forward to starting some schooling with the kids, but we’ll probably wait until Austria and give them a full holiday break first. For now, we’re just here, learning, settling, and growing into this year.