Internet frustrations ...

Monday – Tuesday …

The last couple of days we had either very slow or hardly any Internet or access to blogger, the program we use to write this blog. Uploading photos took over 15 minutes, it's usually done in one may be one and a half minutes.

On the positive side, we did some CBA - online banking recently, payed bills and checked the account. Brilliant, what would we do without ??? It is so easy and convenient, sit in your hotel in Sai Gon and check your credit card, your bank account, use Bpay to pay some bills ... just brilliant.
Next year it will be even better, CBA Sai Gon we will have Internet banking. That will be interesting. Money transfer here is a little more complicated. We have an AUD account; our funds stay in AUD unless you spend money. CBA converts it into VND upon withdrawal at a CBA ATM and give you the AUD balance on the printout.
For transfers to other banks you have to fill in an A4 transfer form. Yesterday we transferred some funds and when we got back to the hotel we received an e-mail from Vu, our banker at CBA. The receiving account is a US$ account. Transaction not possible. We have to find out if the organisation has a VND account.

Same problem with Company of Grace had a long chat with Hoa about money yesterday. CoG does not have a VND or an AUD account. I said sorry, we can only pay in VND ... I'm sure Hoa and Loc will find a way. After all, they would like to receive the donations.

Enough about Internet and money. We had a sort of a rest day on Monday. Breakfast at STELLA's with our friends Bob and Hien. Later Matt went and checked out the computer stores in the area. Whenever I wanted to find out something, there was the language barrier. I had the feeling people thought I was only a tyre kicker ... today I go with Mark and I'm pretty sure we will get results.

Tuesday went to the bank and transferred some money. Vu our banker was very helpful. We forgot to bring a passport, again!!! Id is required. Happened before, but this time we were lucky. Vu just searched for the photocopy he made a week ago and copied it again. It took us half an hour to get everything done.

Walked from the bank to the TAX department store. We had to buy a prize for Rose. She was the first one to answer our little quiz on Sunday.

Afternoon was massage time. Took a taxi to the hotel and when we were trying to go to the 4th floor we were told that it is been renovated and will open late September.

Back on the street we decided to walk back to our hotel as some sort of exercise. Took us half an hour, but it was a good.

Will now attempt to upload photos again ...