A Moate man in Vietnam

David Minnock, from Lakeview Drive in Moate, has just spent his first Christmas away from home.

He moved to Vietnam in 2019, and is based in Ho Chi Minh City. David is a son of Ronnie and Anne Marie, and has two brothers, Andrew and Eoin, and a sister, Rachel.

He recently answered these questions for our 'Christmas Away From Home' feature in the Westmeath Independent.

* How did your move to Vietnam come about?

I am a primary school teacher and, like many other Irish teachers, I lived in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates for two years. Following this, I moved to Ho Chi Minh City with my girlfriend, Michelle, from Limerick. The opportunity to work in great international schools with people from all around the world, while also getting to travel to other countries, is one we have really enjoyed.

We have always loved to travel and experience other cultures, so Vietnam seemed like a great location for us to live and to use as a base for further travel. Obviously, with the travel restrictions, this hasn't gone completely to plan for us, but we have been lucky enough to travel all around Vietnam since moving here in July 2019, as well as squeezing in holidays to Japan, Cambodia, and Malaysia before the Coronavirus outbreak.

* What are the best and worst things about living in Vietnam?

The best and worst things about living in Vietnam during the Coronavirus outbreak are actually much the same: we cannot leave Vietnam.

The number of amazing towns, cities, and landscapes that exist all over the country is just unreal. Not being able to fly anywhere this year meant we actually had the opportunity to travel and explore Vietnam itself. We went to towns and cities we otherwise would not have seen had there been international flights, as we would have gone on holidays abroad. There is so much to see and experience all over the country.

However, while we are so grateful to be able to live a normal life here and travel around the country, we do miss getting home once or twice a year to be with our family and friends.

* What was 2020 like for you?

Despite the craziness this pandemic is causing all around the world, Vietnam has had very few cases and life has been relatively normal here for most of 2020.

St Patrick's Day actually led to the worst outbreak that Vietnam has experienced thus far. Hundreds of Irish people, ourselves included, went to a St Patrick's Day party. It transpired that somebody who had also gone had tested positive for Coronavirus.

The Vietnamese Government's swift reaction was to gather all attendees and isolate them at centralised quarantine facilities (with no mattresses or air conditioning, I might add). The conditions were not as good as our friends in the Athlone Sheraton might offer but, looking back, we understand why the Government enforces strict centralised quarantine here because it meant that our lives have been normal for the vast majority of the year.

We taught our students online every day for six weeks as schools were closed, which was a difficult task when you teach seven-year-olds! But, for the most part, it has been all systems go here.

* What's the current situation with Covid-19 in Vietnam (as of mid-December)?

There were four positive cases a couple of weekends ago, but there were no cases for ninety days leading up until then. Our GAA Christmas Ball and staff party were postponed, in response to the new cases, but they were rescheduled once all contact tracings had been identified and people quarantined. We had a great time at the GAA Christmas Ball, with over a hundred other Irish people that couldn't get home for Christmas, so it was a small comfort to feel that Irish connection there.

* What are the main things you miss about Christmas in Ireland?

Spending Christmas Eve at my granny's house. Being home by the fire on Christmas Day with my Mam, sister, brothers, and Dad coming up to the house with the black bin bag full of presents. Spending time with my best friends that I don't see often enough. Doing our annual 12 pubs of Christmas pilgrimage. Pints of creamy Guinness in Don's Bar, Terry Coughlan's, and P. Egan's.

Also, my niece, Willow, always calls by on Christmas Day with my brother and his fiancé Shannon, who is expecting another baby in March, so that will be a birth I will miss.

I cannot wait to get home to you all in the summer! #Fusion4Ever X