THE sun is shining and there isn't a fairy light or Father Christmas in sight. In fact, the only thing I have to remind me that Christmas is just around the corner is an advent calendar sent from home. This year I'm spending Christmas with a difference, working as a volunteer in a primary school in Hanoi.

My adventure began with a TEFL course during which I learned how to teach English as a Foreign Language. Four weeks later and it was time to put the theory into practice as I stood up in front of a class of 50 Vietnamese school children. I needn't have worried too much about my command of English grammar- my students are far more interested in my ability to sing old favourites from childhood. Three Blind Mice is a particular favourite of theirs and Ten Green Bottles leads to a near riot in the classroom.

It's a far cry from my past life working in an office in Newcastle. At 33, I am older than your average gap year traveller but definitely not the oldest backpacker in town. Taking time out to reconsider career options seems to be all the rage these days. While travelling itself is a fantastic way to broaden one's horizons, the added experience of living and working in another culture exposes you to a way of life largely inaccessible to those just passing through.

Bing Minh primary school is located in a southern suburb of Hanoi. There are 600 pupils, 100 of whom have some degree of mental handicap. Lessons start at 8am with lunch at 11am. After lunch the desks convert to beds and the children sleep top to tail on the wooden benches until 2pm. During this time I eat lunch with the other teachers - it's a free for all with chopsticks at the ready at the long trestle tables. The food is great, although it doesn't always look that way and I've adopted a policy of not asking what's on the menu just in case it causes me to lose my appetite. Luckily the local specialities of dog and snake are classed as delicacies and unlikely to make it onto a school dinner menu.

I wasn't sure what to expect before I arrived here but life as a volunteer has far surpassed all my expectations. The chorus of hellos that greet me every morning and the ripple of excitement that goes round the classroom when I walk in is a feeling that I will never forget. In return, I hope that my presence will inspire the children to study English at a higher level and thus improve their future employment prospects.

Friday afternoons are always special because I assist with the mentally handicapped children. There are no special resources or development programmes, just 40 children in a classroom and one inspirational teacher, Mr Douang. The language barrier makes it particularly hard to communicate with the children but I take in crayons and books and have built up a tremendous bond with the students. I'm not sure if I'm making a difference in their lives but they are certainly making a difference in mine.

Hanoi is a great place in which to spend time. Granted, the traffic is crazy and it takes time to adjust to an initially overwhelming bombardment of sights, sounds and smells. Once you do, however, the city has an indisputable charm: old men doing Tai Chi in their pyjamas by Hoan Kiem Lake, the smiley faces of the street sellers hidden beneath conical hats and the toothless grins of the hard working cyclo drivers.

THE city has a colourful history and whilst sadly America will always be associated with Vietnam, it is the French whose influence is most visible today in Hanoi. Leafy boulevards and French-style villas vie with the modern high rise buildings of the new free market economy. Street cafes serve up baguettes and pain au chocolat - perfect when you just can't face another bowl of rice.

I'm learning the language although it is proving to be incredibly difficult. Vietnamese is tonal so, depending on your pronunciation, a word can have up to six different meanings. Pronounce "mother" in the wrong tone and she becomes a rice seedling.

Another skill I've had to acquire is that of crossing the road. The streets are awash with Honda Dream motorcycles. Pedestrian crossings are rare, and largely ignored, so the trick is to step out, walk slowly and purposefully and the traffic will swerve to avoid you. It's very hard to do when your whole being is screaming run but it gets easier, if no less terrifying, with time.

Vietnam is primarily Buddhist, which means that there will be no Christmas celebrations and no roast turkey and stuffing for me this year - just school dinner. However, we will be marking the occasion at school and I'm teaching the children to sing Jingle Bells and We Wish you a Merry Christmas in anticipation.