Starting Tuesday with a slightly sore head today, after having a great time at a party last night to welcome keepers and volunteers from other parks in Save Vietnam’s Wildlife’s network.
This week SVW are running a series of learning events to share knowledge around enrichment and animal husbandry best practice. It’s not all work work work though, and I got to experience a fun night of drinks and delicious food at the restaurant in the park.
Vietnamese parties seem to involve lots of toasts, which is great fun – either during the course of conversation of when someone comes to the table from elsewhere, a toast is proposed and then everyone gets their little wine cups filled, we clink cups and drink. Then some hand shaking (and if you are shaking the hand of someone more senior than you, there’s a special way to shake – hold your chest, shoulder or under your arm with your other hand), and everyone waits to sit down again.
We had multiple courses of food as well, served family style all on the table. The food was delicious – normally I’m a veggie, but for this night I wanted to try everything so put it aside. I had some delicious cubed pork, chicken and beef with sesame seeds. Also fried slices of potato, shredded cabbage (really good) and tofu in tomato sauce. My favourite were what I can only describe a large, deep fried mochi balls – glutenous and sweet, with a little yellow bean inside. One of the guys I was talking to also made me a little spring roll from a salad leaf and a bit of everything – delicious. I was surprised to see that salad cream has made it to Vietnam – it was a surprise to taste it so far from home!
The constant speedy drinking does mean that the party was fairly short – we started at 6.30pm and I went home at 8.30pm. The short cycle back to my room in the cool night was lovely, and I slept like a log.
Pestering pangolins 
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