Sweating Bricks

Okay - d-day minus one.

Tomorrow we offically launch the great brick appeal.

Today has been one of those days when I realise the culture difference between Vietnam and the UK.

Despite me talking about the brick appeal in meetings and despite the fact that there has been a 30ft representation of a "new home for KOTO" painted on the wall. Apparently the front of house staff knew nothing of the event.

To be fair, it's my fault. I hadn't briefed them. I had assumed someone else would do. I'm quickly learning "never assume".

So there was a bit of rushing around trying to explain the concept and what was needed tomorrow night. Then, when we got the menu from the evening's celebrity chef, we realised what we thought would be finger food was actually a full blown hot meal.

A bit of a reshuffle later and we've decided to turn it into a buffet. Basically we have enjoyed a last minute surge of numbers. What we conceived as a quiet little affair has taken off. We thought about 20 KOTO supporters - we've doubled that and it could yet be more.

Today we stuck our toe in the water during a presentation to a tour group. Would they go for the whole brick idea? Would they pay $50 to support KOTO and get their name on a brick in the new restaurant?

We shouldn't have worried. One lady promptly wrote out a cheque for $500 for a single brick. Gettin.

It also appears that the Australian Embassy has got a hold of the press release that we sent out, and has forwarded it to its entire database. The result - more people want to attend and more people want to buy bricks.

My family are buying, my friends are buying. You good people in blogland are buying and linking and things are taking off. There was a whisper of TV interest from a "major UK network" today.

All in all, before the offical launch we have sold around 40 bricks. Not bad going. We have to keep it up.

So despite my nerves things are looking good. My boss and the celebrity chef fly in tomorrow at 8am. I have the briefs written for their speeches ready.

I've borrowed a data projector to show a short film we have that'll have them weeping in the isles. The staff are now clued up.

As mentioned we also have this huge great picture of a new KOTO home that has been painted on our walls by a couple of local students. For every brick sold we will ask the purchaser to sign a brick. And hopefully, over the weeks, the bricks will fill up with names and messages of goodwill.

All in all it feels like it is growing in momentum. It feels good and I'm still nervous as well.

By the way, before I go into the plug and explanations I just wanted to explain the title. I was rushing around on the back of a bike, as ever, and it's warm today. Anyway I burst in on the restaurant in a hurry to check out the wall painting. One of the KOTO kids burst out laughing. "Meester Steeve," he said, pointing at my chest, "you are smiling."

I looked down to see a perfect smiley crescent of sweat on my t-shirt. Nice.

Okay the explanation. Hang on. Just remembered. We have press. You can read their version here - it'll save me keying it in again.

But if you want a brick then email me at ourmaninhanoi@gmail.com.

Those of you who already have, thank-you, thank-you, thank-you and I will have the forms with you to sign very soon.

And remember this is a hell of a cause.

There is some more press for you to read, here and here. It's old but it tells the story and can fill you in on a little of the KOTO history.

Oh I nearly forgot. I will probably have to make a short speech at the do tomorrow night. Not my favourite thing at all. By pure luck we actually had a course on public speaking this week.

At the end of the course we all have to do a little five minute presentation. It was hard enough for me to do but, as always, the Vietnamese had the harder task, making their presentations in English.

Finally upstepped my Vietnamese colleague. Everyone else had already spoken. His English is good, if not great. Anyway, he started to tell the tale of his old life on the streets before KOTO took him in, gave him training and found him a job. No cue cards. No planning. No audio visuals.

It was far and away the best and most moving speech of all.

The next chapter in his story? Well, in a couple of weeks he gets married to another KOTO graduate. She sold tea next to where he sold postcards.

Yet another success story. Yet another tale to melt your hearts. There are plenty more.