Closing chapters

Like I’ve said before it’s starting to feel more and more like the end of the film.</p> <p>The old <a href=” alt=”" />KOTO at 61 Van Mieu is no more.  The new KOTO at 59 Van Mieu, the focus of our work for over the past two years is days away from opening.

Last week I wandered around the old place.  Anything of any value had been removed.  Only the shell remained.  The memories I have of that place are tremendous.  Multiplay that by 200 KOTO trainess, 100 or so more staff and volunteers and thousands of customers.  That place has touched so many lives.

Then I looked around the new KOTO.  It was only just starting to look like a restaurant.  There wasn’t that much to see but day by day it’s taking shape.  You can already see that the roof terrace is going to be a big favourite.  Overlooking the Temple of Literature I can see it being perfect for private parties.

Elsewhere a bar area gives KOTO a night feel that it’s previous version didn’t have.  The new place will still have the day time coffee bar friendliness with a little evening sophistication thrown in.

In the end though it wasn’t ready for the KOTO bike ride.  That was yesterday.  The date of the after ride party will be scheduled as soon as the restaurant is ready.

As ever I nearly bust a gut over organising the bike ride but it was a great day.  Going back over the photos and uploading them I noticed all the smiles of the entrants.  This year we had double the turn out for last year and somehow it went off like clockwork.  Largely thanks to the excellence of my colleagues particularly the Miss Oanh and Mr Huy who were just awesome once more.

I’m very happy it went to well.  I have to admit I am even happier that next year’s event will have someone else organising it.  I am tempted though to come back to Vietnam to take part as a punter.  We’ll see.

All the bike ride pics are here. In addition, bloggers here and here are already writing it up and saying nice things.  Thank you good people.

Next week is already shaping up.  My final two days work should see me doing reports for my employer and for VSO but there’s no time.  I’ve promised a newsletter and some website news updates before I go.  Then over my Christmas break I’ll forward my final KOTO reports and suggestions back to Vietnam from the UK.

On Tuesday KOTO is doing me proud with a leaving do – fruit and pop with the trainees then beers and food with the staff.  It’s only two more days and yet I still can’t imagine saying goodbye.

In the meantime, today was my first day in weeks when I had no responsibility and nothing to worry about.  I’ve strolled very contendly around a curiously still-warm Hanoi.

My third and final bike ride done.  The new KOTO restaurant all but completed  There’s only a couple of pages left in this final chapter.

* Pics are all from the 5th annual KOTO bike ride – more here.