For the People

So the original idea was just to hold some sort of fundraiser to raise money for Village Focus International. After a coversation with a friend (a singer) in Melbourne, the idea became more developed and we figured that a concert could be rather successful. Hanoi's expat community is rather small, and the idea was that something a bit creative and a little different might actually work.

After a month or so of thinking about it and general procrastination, came probably a good month of proper planning. My wonderful friend in Melbourne booked his flight to Hanoi and then all of a sudden it was a reality I was doing it.

Green Mango Restaurant and Bar in Hanoi was the venue, right in the centre of Hanoi - a funky place with a good vibe, and a fantastic reputation. It's owner offered a great service in hosting the concert, and has now become a good friend.

On the night, we had a mass of varied entertainment - performances of belly dancing,

kung fu,

tango,

live music,

and Kehinde, an awesome singer!.......

There were auctions,

raffles,

and extra prizes here and there.

I have raised over $1000 US in concert funds, donations and sponsors, a really really great effort I would say!

I had support from Green Mango, the performers, and my friends in Hanoi. The performers did a fantastic job, and provided some really creative entertainment in a city that can't always provide that.

Thankyou to all those who assisted me in the planning and on the night, to Green Mango for hosting, and to all the donators and sponsors!

The beneficiaries for the night were Village Focus International in Cambodia (www.villagefocus.org) and Blue Dragon Children's Foundation in Vietnam (www.bdcf.org).

Both organisations do vital work within their communities assisting disadvantaged children.

Read my following entry about my trip and experiences in Cambodia. Similar to Vietnam, yet different in so many (good and bad) ways.

Please also read about my 10km run at the Angkor Wat International Half Marathon 2008 in Siem Reap.

Peace out.

Love.
Cat.

P.S. Apologies to the "oldies" who don't/cannot use Facebook and therefore were oblivious to my movements over the last month. It has been a while since I have written due to being incredibly busy with (life) so I hope you enjoyed the update!