Interesting?

Cafe, the Vietnamese way... time consuming.

A local delicacy, found at every corner of Ho Chi Minh. Vietnamese burger!

What it's like here...

I'm writing this from my perspective, as a new foreigner in Ho Chi Minh. Possibly, it may not reflect what a local or long-stayed visitor would say.

I'm currently putting up in Phan Xich Long St (pronounced fan sik long). The Company to employ a driver for business use, and is at my disposal during my stay. However, they've overlooked the possibility that their visitor may want to travel without chaperone, and had neglected getting a driver that speaks English! So now, though I may want to go somewhere, calling the driver on the mobile, and communicating is near naught. Add the difficulty of pronouncing the names here...

This city is large. Perhaps nowhere near what I've seen in Jakarta, but then again, I've not seen it all. Till now, I'm still moving about in the Phu Nhuan District, which is located NorthEast to District 1, the heart of Saigon. On foot, it may take me about 30 to 45 minutes walk, amidst really chaotic traffic, reverse traffic flow, and swarms of motorcyclists.

The international airport, Tan Son Nhat Airport, in located to my east (Tan Binh District).

The environment here is truly a mixture of many that I've seen. People go about casually dressed in simple, none-branded clothes, yet some dressed up to their nines (ladies in particular) to walk about. The streets and buildings by the side reminds me of Bidor Town in Ipoh, but a somewhat larger and modern version. Most buildings along the streets are 3-4 storeys high, with build in lifts. It could be a residential, commercial, or combination of both. It is also the setting of the cheap hotels.

Walking about, you'll find many massage and spa joints, or beauty and hair wash parlours. Whilst I was assured that the business are decent, some do exude that dubious air of clandestine activities. Believe it, once pressed further, my guides do admit there are available services when asked correctly. Hahahaha.... what city wouldn't have.

For a tourist, the attractions would mostly be the buildings and sights of old churches, colonial era structures, the self-pampering services, and the food.

Speaking of food, I've seen the French cafes (couldn't pronounce the meal, what more stepping into one. Perhaps later...), the Japanese restaurants (tried one. Rather good, and fresh salmon to boot), the expatriate Singaporean restaurants of chicken rice, curry chicken rice, frog porridge (pricy places). No Malaysian fare yet, though I did notice Nasi Lemak on a menu in a Singaporean joint. Not seen the laksa, roti canai stuffs.

The beef noodle (pho, pronounced fer) is rather tasty. Stock soup, maggi like noodle, sliced of tender beed and raw beansprouts and fresh basil leaves. It's good.

First morning in Ho Chi Minh

The Main Street - Phan Xich Long

This is the Ho Chi Minh office. Initial's located on the 3rd floor, Rentokil on the 2nd floor, and some other businesses inside.

I'm starting to see why my colleagues here tell me the Internation Driving License is useless here. Omigod! There's no traffic rules here! Everything goes.....

It's amazing how those motorcyclists could manouver around town and avoid collisions. Our driver was on full alert the whole time, observing right, left, back, front, right again, front again, oops, a motorcycle cut into the lane, left again...

This, is Driver's Hell. Survive this, survive anywhere else...

I'm in Vietnam!

I've touched down in Vietnam, 3.40pm local time.
First thing I notice - the weather is somewhat warm and less humid. Very dusty, yes. It's currently in the region of 29C, and is said to be the colder period of the year. Uh oh...

My flight.

Hotel Cali, located directly opposite the office. This is my budget home for the next two nights, until the big boss comes back and sort out the accommodation.

I cannot really describe the use of the bed-length mirror on the wall ????

I'm all packed and ready to go

That's it. 2 bags, and my notebook. This is going to tide me thru the next 30 days, and 12 months to come. Let's see if I'm coming back with the same, or a 20 footer loaded with Vietnamese exports... hehehe...

I'm on flight MH 758, departing 2.45pm, ETA 3.40pm.

Cheerio!

Happy 2008

It's the time of the year again, to bid farewell to time gone by, and welcome the new. What's in store for us in 2008?

Before dwelling into that, let's take a look at 2007. I started the year full of energy, which quicky seeped out of me by April. Things weren't going all that great. Troubles here and there. At work, there's always excitement of sorts. New stuffs this, new people that... At home, it's a peaceful front. Hospital was a regular joint for me in 2007, having done off the lump of flesh in my heel.

Friends were all around, family's all supportive. I even spent some time travelling to Hong Kong and Macau. Did 2007 went well? I reckon so. I believe I've managed to achieve more this year, than I had in the past 2 years.

So what am I to expect in 2008?
Let's see...

~ A new Country to live in;
~ A new language to learn;
~ A new boss to work with;
~ More travelling;
~ Pressure to learn, fast
~ Pressure to achieve, fast
~ Lose weight (Somehow this resolution always rate high on many's list)
~ Learn patience (I did in 2007, but seems that is still insufficient)
~ Safe more moolah!

I think that's about it. The main aim - complete my task and return a Hero by Christmas 2008.

Damansara Village

We just had dinner at Damansara Village, reputed to serve "live" Pulau Ketam seafood. Ordered a set meal for 5 person, at RM119.00 which came with:

• Choice of Pompfret, Snapper or Cod
• 500gm of clams, 300 gm of Tiger Prawns, 2 pieces of Flower Crabs
• 2 sets of Damansara Village ingredients (mixture of the usual steamboat ingredients)

No photos from this meal. Maybe next time. What made the meal so good was the freshness of the seafood served. Our prawns were still struggling on the plate when brought to us.

Wanna know where? Check out the link in the name above.

Cool canine

The you-ain't-taking-the-ball-away-from-me look.

Watch out you. I'm gonna wipe the smug off yer face pretty soon. Another day and you'll be the bald and skinny-looking frankfurt.

Gathering @ May Li's

May Li's potluck gathering... there's food, there's Vodka, there's Wine...

And there's Pictionary!

What's "bone idle" anyway?

Ukrainian wine - Sweeeet...

Dinner @ Chili's, 1 Utama

I was given a farewell from some really, really good friends from the office (ex-office, actually). To top it up, it's also to congratulate a new Manager, eager to take the helm of the legacy I'm leaving behind. Hope it won't give him too much grief.

Kate Chong

CK Tan

Nicole Ong

The Dinner

The Dessert

Xmas Eve Dinner

Another round of home-cooked meal. This time I get to be the Chef; ie decide the menu., prepare the dishes, make it all look nice and Chrismassy.

I didn't make those cookies. It's courtesy of Cold Storage.

Nope, didn't bake this either. Check out Cake Sense in SS15, Subang Jaya for this.

My favourite - brussels sprout. It's got the bitter, crunchy taste of healthy stuff (I hope).

A relative made this. He baked the turkey for us, every year.

This I made - Baked salmon, in butter dill and white wine.

And I made this - Baked tiger prawns in white wine.

And those mince pies - a team effort by Jo, Cheng, Lindy and I.

Fancy something bitter, yet healthy?

Located in Taman Megah, this place serves all sorts of chinese dishes with bitter gourd as part of the ingredient.
For a guy that dislikes the taste of bitter gourd, I found the dishes rather good. Somehow, they've managed to remove most of the bitter taste from this healthy vegetable.

Bitter gourd juice, anyone?

Noticed the bitter gourd in almost every dish?
The rates are quite reasonable, with the exception of the fish. The meal for 6 adults = RM100+

My Christmas Gift

I managed to coerce my sister for a Targus backpack for my travelling use. It's a compact little unit, suitable for 15" notebooks. Muahahahaa.... my early Christmas gift!

Kum Hon & Pooi Yee's Wedding Dinner

Strangely, I was at Kum Hon and Pooi Yee's wedding, but my camera does not have their pics. Can someone please send some over, pleaseeeee....

Lovely Ladies posing

The budding photographress

Happy couple... Just Married Too

Lovely ladies, again

May, "I wanna join in the chat!"

Hmph!

Steady... steady...

Huh?