15th February. Morning Callers At The Front Gate - Trang-Bang.

First off, an escaped chicken en-route to market or kitchen, pursued by two women.
This freedom-loving pullet, much to the delight of the dogs, is cornered at the gate but makes another break for it before final recapture. Luckily Isabelle is powerless to intervene on its behalf as it squawks out its alarm.

Next a youngish man, not completely with-it, probably the village druggie, lurks on the pavement. The dogs bark angrily at the extended palm, the unending racket brings Isabelle's dad out of the house who dispenses some small denomination note. The young man wanders across the street then accosts a small girl in a pink dress who after a short interval wisely runs away.

A chauffered Toyota arrives, a white shirted official enters through the gate bearing a case of Heineken and other gifts for the New Year, the dogs don't bark at all. We line up to shake hands, apparently it is the Deputy Minister for the Environment, "He must have his work cut out" I comment, sotto-vocce, to Isabelle.


BIZARRE RESTAURANT DREAM.

A large breakfast bowl arrives with the usual chopsticks, a clear consomme with a dead rat still with all its fur on, half submerged in the middle. I look to Isabelle's dad for confirmation that it's 'OK'.



GOT CHANGE OF A FIVER?

I request some change for a 50,000 Dong banknote from Isabelle's dad, in the process he exclaims, "Look at this! In-credible! one Dong! ONE Dong!

At the current exchange rate this coin is worth precisely three-hundreths of a penny or if you like, thirty-thousandths of one Pound Sterling. Buying anything at all can easily lead to a mental arithmetic headache. As for buying something like a car or say a block of flats and we're quickly up in the realms of Astronomy.