Saigon diary III

5. Last drink in Saigon

The last night came, besides doing the usual Ben Thanh night market, another visit to the Saigon Market for H's last minute frantic hunt, H is done for the night. On the long walk this evening, I found a cheap box of Ginger tea and ended up with an enormous "size of a man's fist" bun 包 (inside: meat, vegetables and a salted egg yolk) and a grapefruit shake for dinner.

Being the last night in Saigon and not wanting to leave without another drink, I rang up a couchsurfer M who worked in the city. He was nearby, in a pub, doing some work and having a drink. So I decided to head there alone and well, have a last drink for the trip. It gave me a hard time to locate the pub which is off a small alley! Phew, luckily I found it through a funny incident (through some people in another pub thought that I was preying for a boyfriend?!).

At Le Pub. A little accident got me acquainted with Trung, a Vietnamese and the pub's manager. His cigarette has burnt a little hole in my top, I wasn't furious (quite surprisingly). Instead I decided to lessen his guilt by asking him to buy me a drink, and so it got us talking as M was busy sorting out some work. M's friend bought me another drink. 2 free drinks, one meal (which I ended up short of 4000 VND as I wasn't expecting myself to eat initially... but got away with it with the manager). I decided to head back to get a couple of hours of sleep and do the final packing. It was then Trung offered to give me a motorbike ride back to my hotel which is about 10mins walk away.

Absolutely beautiful ending. Nice country, wonderful people... I'm a little sad I met these people a little late, as it could be a start to some nice Saigon parties. But rest assured, I'll be back some day.

Saigon diary II

3. A River so Fertile

Mekong Delta is said to be one of the world largest producers of rice (behind Thailand). And how could I miss it?! Definitely, no way;)

A 2 Days 1 Night Mekong tour was perfect. It was a lot of hours on the boat along the river, we saw countless smiling faces (happy people I call them). It suddenly made me wonder what would it be like to live among them, leading a simple and easily contented life. A life without car, stressful job, million dollars' dream and etc. Someone I met later on told me, I would be thinking otherwise if I am in their shoes (true, such is life!). At the same time, soaking in their warmth, all my happy memories floated back to me... it touched me, deeply.

The tour wasn't as great as I thought. However, an awesome company and a ever-so-willing-to-help tour guide made it all a worthy compensation. Our tour comprises of cycling in a village (which I unfortunately didn't do so after a lucky fall off Pulau Ubin, it has put me off cycling on mountain bikes on narrow paths with river; I also did not want to endanger the lives of other motorists/cyclists, LOL), a village tour, crossing the Monkey bridge (made up of planks and branches), cruising along Mekong river, a night stay in Can Tho city, plus a morning visit to the floating market.

Anton who said I looked Vietnamese

We toured with 6 Dutch, 4 French, 2 American and including 2 of us, Singaporean. The American couple are on a English teaching stint in Busan, Korea, like us they are on a short 5 days trip. The rest, however, are on a month long journey, some have just began while others are near the end of it. The 3 French are in town to visit otheir friend (Anton) whom works in Saigon and are doing the travels together. One Dutch couple has caught me by surprise, they are so organized, probably the best among us. They have booked everything well in advanced before the trip (and being rewarded with much better accommodation than us in Can Tho!). Another male Dutch couple whom I got acquainted with, one of them shared my special liking towards the smiling children by the Mekong village/river.

Kids playing marbles. Kids playing "zero point". Doesn't it remind you of something... ;)

Travel is so fun, there's always interesting people on the road.

4. Soaking wet in Vietnam

One more day left in Saigon after the tour. Back again in the bustling city with 3 millions motorbikes, crossing the road is often a challenge. The tour guide's advice: Close your eyes, and cross the road. The motorists will stop for you. I haven't had the courage to try this!

Ben Thanh night market is more enticing than the day's. Dining was good and cheap and the stall owners were less aggressive and pushy. I had the Avocado shake (which they do it with condensed milk), it was simply yummilicious!!!!!!! Lecker! They did a slight twist to my beef Pho which has a garlic soup base. Still very appetizing though.

Shopping at Ben Thanh seems to be the easiest thing to do, not the cheapest. But because of the unpredictable frequent rain, we were stuck there for lunch and unavoidably also some quick shopping. I got my lanterns at S$4 each, not the best bargain as Syndy got hers at USD3-4 for so much bigger ones.

Having heard much about Cholon (Chinatown) in Saigon, we went to take a peep. Tuesday itself, being Mid-Autumn Festival (Moon Festival the Vietnamese call it), was in fact only for kids (as we were told). There wasn't much celebration but the variety of mooncakes was something we wanted to explore. They have Shark's fin, roasted chicken, fruits, etc in them! It was near the end of the festival and there was 50% off everything which came up to about S$2 per mooncake. Cheap!

There are said to be 3 magnificent Pagodas in Chinatown but we haven't got a map and surprisingly most people there spoke minimal Chinese/Mandarin. With some help, we managed to only locate a small temple/Pagoda. Petite but sufficient for a nice short visit.

Saigon diary I

21 - 26 September 2007
Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam
Cu Chi Tunnels, Cao Dai Temple, Mekong River Stay
Hot, wet and super humid

1. A City of Millionaires

With the exchange rate of approximately S$1 = 10,000 VND, many are easily millionaires in this developing country. Many expatriates can afford a comfortable life with the lower standard of living.

This is Saigon (Ho Chi Minh), south of Vietnam.

I haven't any expectation when I set foot in this city. Taking a public bus into the city, the bus was packed with students and locals whom barely could utter a word of English. Just as I wasn't expecting much, an uncle sitting in front of me turned out to be Taiwanese. He's a regular visitor (who knows why;)), and with him, I got some better insights of the place.

It didn't take long to find Ha Vy, the hotel I booked. Ha Vy is a family-run mini-hotel and more hospitable than I thought. Laundry only costs 10,000 VND per Kg and problems with faulty flush or heater were taken care of in the shortest time.
Syndy's (member of Fab 4) last stop was in Saigon and coincided with my first day there, so we met up. It was a rainy Friday, and we had to go about in disposable raincoats. That was much fun:) We had a good authentic Vietnamese lunch (thanks to her new friend, Martin, whom she met at our hotel), visited War Museum, Vietnamese rolls for tea-break and ended off the night with a "can't get enough" Vietnamese BBQ. We nearly gave up finding the place which was so well hidden, but luck was on our side... at the last minute, this place just appeared right in front of us.

2. A Country with Sad History

Vietnam has an unfortunate history, a war so recent that it really shocked me seeing them now some 30 years later. It all happened between 1959 to April 30, 1975 - a time where most of our parents are fortunate and safe enough to be in Singapore when the Americans were dropping chemical bombs, missiles and rockets onto the country. Women, kids and elderly were not spared, the tortures they went through were so inhuman. Really saddening! Read more here.

A day trip to Cu Chi Tunnels helps you to imagine how the Vietnamese got through their days living underground. Not recommended for the Claustrophobic! I went into the tunnel (which is about 1.2m tall), being small, I could bend instead of having to crawl on fours. At one point in the tunnel, it was pitch black and for a moment I felt so helpless. Good to have a torch or mobile phone or camera with you! We also had a chance to fire a real rifle, and I tried 2 shots;)

A visit to Cao Dai Temple to witness the mass (ceremony) is indeed an eye-opener. Cao Dai , a religion derived from multiple religions - it draws on ethical precepts from Confucianism, occult practices from Daoism, theories of karma and rebirth from Buddhism, and hierarchical organization (including a pope) from Roman Catholicism. The followers, unlike those of the monasteries, are allowed to wed but they must follow monogamy. The various colored robes, different hats and even wearing of shoes signify the devotee's status.

It was also during this day trip that we befriended an Australian-Mexican family, Barbara and Paul with two very mischievous, adorable sons. They are a well-traveled family and always doing trips with the kids - lucky them at such a young age. We shared interesting stories and a dinner together.

Saigon afterthoughts

Dear Joy, and many of my regular readers....

I AM BACK!!

There is so much to write, however I've been only writing them in my head without the availability of internet on this holiday. I like that too as it is the only time, most of us take the break from sitting in front of a computer and really go do something!

First and foremost, I haven't been writing before the trip as I was actually getting fearful of the thought of traveling with someone totally new. An acquaintance. I shall further elaborate later on in this post. Besides that, I have been migrating most of my old blog entries over... I went through them, they reminded me of so much... things I did and what I thought when I was merely 22.

Back to my Saigon trip, I traveled with a new friend, H. It was very random and really weird to think of it now. We met online recently (in fact 3 weeks before the holiday), booked the trip barely 1 week after a MSN conversation, met up twice before we went to Saigon.

I didn't hold any expectation (of course) on this trip... Some of my friends actually thought I'm romantically linked to him (for God's sake, NO!). A guy and a girl on a trip, of course we're often mistaken as a pair, it didn't bother me as much as his attitude which began to really surface at many parts of the trip.

H appears to be one of the most easy-going people when I first met him. After a few shopping hunt for his shoes, I realized there is more behind this . That's only a facet of his multiple sides. He is a super-duper fussy shopper (worse than a woman). Closing one eye, you might still think he will make a good shopping buddy on a holiday.

Many things happened. I realized H can be such a MCP. E.g. on the night before we flew, he wanted to save his cab fare and decided to stay over at the airport. What more is that he expected me to do so with him??!!! I was caught with a minor cold, and decided against that, and he took it personally. I began to see the "not so understanding" side of him.

Before the trip, he was too busy so I made most of the planning as to where to visit and discussed with him. When we got there, he rather asked the hotel lady boss and wanted to change the whole plan if what she suggested seems much better than mine. I was quite tolerant towards this. It turned out that her suggestion was identical to what I have planned, so he went along with it.

We read about Vietnam could be a spot for Malaria & Dengue fever, not wanting to take a big risk, he went for the pills. I brought a spray. One night where we stayed in Can Tho (a city near the Mekong river), our tour guide had casually remarked about the existence of Dengue fever. That night we had a non-aircon room and he almost freaked out, worrying that he would get bitten that night. I wanted to laugh, but he was so so so paranoid about stuff like that. When our tour guide finally said the mosquitoes only come at dusk or dawn and mostly at the river/village area, H then let his guard down.

At many times, H was so obsessed with what he wanted to buy on the trip. He wanted to find them, so he was dying at every chance he could to find some shopping venues. When we did sightseeing, he didn't show the same enthusiasm. At one point, I was so pissed and I told him to go to where he wanted instead of following me around to visit Temples in Chinatown. Ya know what he said? "Singapore has all these temples, they are the same, why do you want to come here to see them!" So shallow and narrow-minded comment, unbelievable!!

The most hideous thing he ever said, was that Singaporean women are stupid which is why local men went for Vietnamese women. The truth is that these local men (exactly like him) are incapable of keeping one by their side, these local men are MCP and unable to keep up with our higher standards. They have only small penises and small brains - Sorry if this offends you, but this is meant for men who looks down on their own (country's) women. SHAME ON YOU!

I realized even more that an university education doesn't make one a better person. In fact, H who was or still is on NUS's Dean list, so what??? Does that mean you're more successful, much kinder or even a more sympathetic person. Unfortunately not, in this case. He's boastful, shallow, narrow-minded, MCP and even though he might be intelligent but his EQ is barely passable.

Not for the 'weak-nosed'

Only for durians' lovers. One of the locals' favorite fruits with one of the most unbearable smell is still such a delicacy I cannot resist.

On a recent preying for mooncakes, I came across 717 Trading whom specialty is durian mooncakes. Not a fanatic of durian mooncakes, even though I do love the durians, it made me decided to get something else from them. Their display was flooded with variety of durian products: durian crepe, durian coil, durian sandwich, durian pudding, durian tart, durian puff... and also some of their side products like blueberry cheesecake, strawberry chocolate mousse, etc.

This little cup of durian mousse caught my eye. At first glance, I did not realize it actually is a depiction of a dissected durian (opened into halves). Only when I was openly admiring this little artwork in my hand, that my sister casually remarked,"Aren't those boobs-alike thingy portraying the durian flesh...?" Mmmmm.... it got me wondering and it immediately came into view.

At only S$2.70, this little cup is a treasure island. Get past the cute depiction of a half durian, the cream serves as a complementing companion to the depth of durian flesh beneath. Every spoonful, you get a generous portion of flesh, dig deeper and you get to the sweet white mousse which nicely water down that pungent smell in your mouth. One cup and it really does make me yearning for more!!

Not advised for those feeling "heaty". I woke up the next day feeling like I'd soon fall sick... LOL. But once I get over that, I'm ready for mmm... durian pudding next.

Restlessness is destructive

Rat-a-too-ee... La-ta-two-ee...

Seems like most countries have different versions of the movie poster. I found the chinese one, which is pretty cool. Decided to use this against those with knives pointing at poor Remy.

The film, Ratatouille, is amazing. Seriously. One word. BRILLIANT. Period.

OK, mmm.. I realized I can't stop there at "Period.". So.. hahaa... I have to go on about how good this movie is, particularly since I have enjoyed it so much!! This is one film that has not only simultaneously touched me, excited me, thrilled me, amused me, enlightened me, it is also a master piece of wonderworking animation. I lurvvvvvvvvvvveeee it!

Something clicked in me (just as most movies I watch do a lot of the time). Even from the little rat itself, Remy, it's telling me to live that dream you always believe in but not forgetting where you come from. Be a chef. Anyone can cook. Even a rat can. So can I.

Worth it, worth it... even for the most expensive weekend ticket, it is worth every penny!

My rating: 4.5/5


Some additional insight!

Quoted from Wikipedia:
"Ratatouille is a traditional French Provençal stewed vegetable dish. The word Ratatouille comes from "touiller," which means to toss food. Ratatouille originated in the area around present day Nice. It was, originally, a poor farmers dish, prepared in the summer with fresh summer vegetables. The original Ratatouille Nicoise did not contain eggplant (which would not have been available during the same time period as the other vegetables used). Instead, it used only zucchini (courgettes), tomatoes, green and red peppers, onion, and garlic. The dish known today as Ratatouille adds eggplant to that mixture."

Photo-stories-telling

Little piggy with black-bean-eyes.
Doesn't it reminds you that Mid-Autumn Festival is around the corner?? Unfortunately on that day itself, I'll still be in Ho Chi Minh, and hopefully able to soak myself in the Vietnam's way of celebration. I suppose something will be happening at their Chinatown.

Nun in Pink.
Aren't they always in orange (for the male) and grey (for the female)?? It does look like trend has somehow influenced them too!! Pink is the "in" color now. But I still see her orange pants, time to improvise?

Giant in Giant.
I was at Tampines' Giant for the first time after having a small bite at Ikea restaurant. Finally, I am more disciplined and able to make myself get out for a nice meal. So, I dropped by Giant and somehow spotted this really tall man. His wife is somewhere below his shoulder, but his daughter is pretty tall too (spot the girl in green)!
p.s. Pea, finally someone much taller than u!

Stagnant

Weather has been rainy. Days have been too short. Life has been boring. Things have been too routine.

I feel entirely totally 100% sluggish and it is horrible to feel this way.

I am in need of more injection of "positive-thinking" fluid. I have told myself things will work out fine and soon life will pick up again. However slow it is, however dull, I must bear with it and sun will soon rise and warm the ground again. Job hunting hasn't been entirely interesting with a few dragging and failed attempts, heart of perseverance is not dead. I'll strive on.

Things on the other side have otherwise been great. Social life is not as dormant, that is a consolation. Another big consolation, I'm finally up for another OUT-OF-SINGAPORE holiday, and I can't wait. Seriously, dying to get out and breathe fresher air (tho' not exactly true in this case) but I need to see and view life from another perspective. Traveling has never failed me in that case. New travel companion. New life experience. I just love the thrill!

One bad news! Everyone whom have linked to my homepage, please remember to take it down as it no longer exists. Thanks to that "self-regarded super kind hearted hero" who has screwed up a big part of my life.