from the back of a honda...

its hard to believe i am actually here. two feet on the ground, one husband in hand, in the middle of vietnam. wow. what a country. after an amazing wedding that just went perfectly, ben and i jumped a plane to this other world. we have been riding in a cyclo through chaotic hanoi, sailed the murky waters of halong bay aboard the most luxurious junk and motorbiked through the back markets of hoi an. all of it - amazing.

i am currently sitting in reception at our beautiful resort. Hoi An beach resort not only has two pools and sits on the edge of a busy river, but its also across the road from a stunning beach with water so warm you can walk into it without shuddering (just like in the movies!) Ben has taken our motorbike into town this morning to do another muesum tour. i feared my head my just pop right off if i had to look at another temple. there's only so much 'ooing' and 'ahhing' one can do in a third world country before you start to deem yourself down right idiotic.

thing is, i love this place. in abundance! but i am struggling with the stunning beauty of this place verus the one room corrigated iron rooftops of the local abodes. its seems so strange to label everything beautiful when in reality this country and its people struggle most days to make money. call it my tourist guilt if you like. i just dont want to come off as some wanker aussie looking for a cheap holiday at the expensive of the people of this miraculous land.

*sigh* so glad i got that out! now onto more positive things. the food here absolutely rocks. we found Mr Kim last night. a flamboyant local who has a set menu every night and welcomes tourists like they were his family. 'meat, seafood or vegetarian' he asks. i yell 'vegetarian!!!!!'. within minutes our table was full of five traditional dishes each with a different accompanying dipping sauce. sheer delight was felt. cold beer, hot chili and my husband benny - it would make any girl happy! sitting beside the river, watching young vietnamese lovers share fruit shakes or ride tandem on their bikes is the loveliest way to pass a hoi an night. there is so much to see here. so much to learn and appreciate. i want to come back. i want to come time and time again. before people, tourists just like me, turn it into just another place on earth that looks the same, smells the same and feels the same. now, isnt that ironic...

two more sleeps.

i feel like in the last few weeks i have been completely absent from this blog. i guess that's what happens when you are planning a wedding and hopefully the best holiday of your life. this crazy journey of arranging our biggest celebration to date has really touched me. perhaps in ways i never thought it would. i always thought weddings would stress me out. it hasnt. i always thought i would fuss over details and have a dress that was bigger than ben hur. i dont. i also always thought that i would be more worried about the reception than the ceremony. i can comfortably say i couldnt care less if they served up shoelaces dipped in batter and seasoned with arsenic. as a beautiful young woman once said, 'as long as i am there, and he is there, and the rings are there and the celebrant is there, that's all that really matters'.

on that note, i leave now, to go and get myself married to my best friend, my lover, my confidant and hero, ben.

part four: the wedding.

i'm going to make this one short. i know i havent been around for awhile, but with the wedding plans and work being to god-damn hectic, i havent found a moment for my thoughts. until now, that is.

in little under a week i will be marrying ben. *sigh* this makes me so happy. i can hardly believe that such a great amount of time and planning has gone by and now we are in the final stages of the week before our wedding. i had a dress trial with my sisters and mum on saturday and all fit in the spots that it was meant to. i was pleased with this. my dress is vintage and altering it would have been a nightmare.

we have finalised details for the day. all the things i forgot...like where presents go, or jackets hang or who's going to stand outside the toilet and make sure no one hogs it. you know, the important stuff. my dad has decided, that whilst he likes the sound of a winery, he cant be sure its going to please his irish blood. so he's also going to stash a few slabs of guinness in the back of his car just in case.

ben and i both celebrated our ending single life with a hens and bucks party. they were both, equally wonderful nights. we woke the next day and shared the whole evening with each other, marveling at how well our two families and friends came together and celebrated our love. there is no better love that the one that is supported by all the other people in your life you love. ben and i are so lucky in this respect.

*ahhh* ok, thats where i end it. i have a running sheet and music to burn and visas to aquire last minute (dont even ask) i will post some photos from saturday night as soon as they arrive in my inbox. nite!