Janie Lawson - A Life Less Ordinary In An Expat World. London To Vietnam.

October 16, 2020October 17, 2020

This Too Shall Pass

Traffic fumes and horns couldn’t be blocked out, even by the surly guard at The Resort Hotel. They drifted over him laughing, “You can’t catch me!”

I skirted the hotel restaurant, pristine chairs in place, table runners immaculate. Napkins rolled and caged in bamboo irons, aching to be set free and fluttered into laps. Their life cycle was to be gobbed on, washed and re-caged.

August 14, 2020October 17, 2020

Why Move To Vietnam With a Family?

You may well ask! Weeeellllll- it was most definitely not an overnight decision.

The first time we came here was 2012 – I remember that year because it was the year I found out I was pregnant with my second child, exactly two weeks after Hubbs had booked and paid for a round the world trip.

We’d already packed our London house and found tenants. Tickets for our trip for me, him and our one and a half year old were already tucked inside our passports in the safe. Why did we still go after finding out daughter number two was on the way? Well that’s another story, and I’m sure I’ll get around to telling it to you sometime. (And when I do I’ll add a link here!)

July 18, 2020July 19, 2020

“I Love You” Is Not A Coat Peg.

Emily wanted him to tell her he loved her. That would make it all OK. Make her OK. She thought love was like a coat peg on the door that you could hook your life on to. Once you had that peg you were safe from floating away and drowning in the soup of life.

April 24, 2020July 18, 2020

Lock Down Eases In Vietnam

Here in Vietnam the Covid 19 lockdown is easing. I feel so lucky to be living here, in this country that had a pandemic plan.

Most businesses and shops are now open, although beaches, spas, gyms and bars remain closed. Today was the first day that I was back at the writer’s group in person- rather than on screen.

Our writing prompt today was, “Today I Noticed…”

April 19, 2020October 17, 2020

My Truth – Gripping The Tightrope

My feelings as the Coronavirus Fear started to bite. (10 minute writing prompt.)

My truth is that I’m so fucking tired. I juggle all the things that I think I should. My face mostly calm while I do so – my feet gripping the tightrope – my leg muscles constantly adjusting to the tension of a new ball to juggle. Kids, autism, dyslexia, dyspraxia, dysgraphia, work, venues, customers – vegan customers, high maintenance customers, low maintenance ones – relationships, support, love, irritation, anger, laughter. I juggle all these things and more, and mostly I do ok.

But now a strange menace has crept into my arena and is pulling the tightrope, tugging it and pinging it.

April 2, 2020October 17, 2020

The Facebook Post That Got Me In Trouble

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about what partners for home schooling parents should be doing to help during the Covid 19 pandemic.

Although it went down well with my friends – with my husband – not so much. This is definitely not going to be a parenting blog (God forbid,) but I still thought I should put it here so you can see why I needed to move across to a website for my writing!

March 21, 2020October 17, 2020

How this writing thing started.

We left London just over two years ago to start a new life in a beautiful town on the central coast of Vietnam.

All our friends congratulated us on How Brave we were. It was only when my very close friend told me over wine that How Brave was actually a stand in for, Completely Mad- what the hell are they doing? – that I began to understand that maybe this is not normal!

But this is not a travel blog, or a why you should uproot your family and go and live in another country blog. No, this is a blog where I get to say what I think about how I’m feeling in the world right now.