Being a tech person and familiar with computers I like to offer solutions when I think I can.
Hương needed a new printer and also wanted her daughters' computer, in a different room, to be able to use the printer if possible. We went to a local store and looked over a number of printers. She settled on an HP M1132 printer, copier, scanner with my help.
The solution to printing from another room? A print server. We bought a D-Link DPR-1020 print server at the same time as the printer.
Vietnam amazes me with services available for little or no cost.
At no additional cost, purchase was about $250US, a technician delivered the printer and print server and set them up!
Unfortunately the print server didn't work reliably. Hương's laptop has Windows 7 and the daughters' computer Ubuntu Linux. According to D-Link's web site the print server works with both. A little digging on my part and I discovered the problem was the print server's compatibility with the printer. I found plenty of posts that it didn't work with the particular printer regardless of Windows or Ubuntu on the computer sending the print job.
The typical reaction I'd have would just be "return it." Not so fast. Seems in Vietnam merchants accepting product returns is not a common practice. So first Hương called to make sure we would be "allowed to return it." Her words, not mine. Once that hurdle was cleared we went back to the store with the product and the receipt. Then things got interesting.
First we went to the purchase desk where payment for a purchase is made. From there we were directed to the merchandise pickup desk where purchases are delivered to the buyer. They looked our paperwork over and directed us upstairs to the testing department. Testing looked the print server over and sent us back downstairs to the purchase desk. They filled something out and sent us over to merchandise pickup again. Merchandise pickup took the device back, gave us some more paperwork and sent us back to the purchase desk. They filled out some more paperwork, called someone, and we waited. The "called someone" came to us and we followed her to the 3rd floor and waited outside an office. After a while she came out of the office and gave us some paperwork. It included a new receipt without the print server on it. Now, at last, we went back downstairs to the purchase desk, gave them the paperwork and got the refund!
I told Hương that next time she's in the US we're going to buy something and return it just so she can see how easy the process is here.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Stuff I Ate In Vietnam
My first trip to Vietnam I was really intent on trying foods that are unique or uncommon compared to common fare here in the US. On my fifth trip I really didn't do gastronomic exploration. Even so I had some opportunities this time that I didn't plan for.
This particular lunch Hương and I were meeting a friend of hers for some chit chat and to talk about introducing her to a friend of mine.
As I often do I asked Hương to make the order for me. My Vietnamese is very limited and I only recognize some dishes at this point. She'll generally ask if I like this meat or that, what sort of noodles I want, etc. and then make the selection.
In this case she asked if I wanted to try pigeon and of course I said sure. This is a portion of what was delivered to the table.
It really is quite tasty meat. I was surprised at the breast. I like dark meat best and am always eating the legs and thighs of chicken instead of breast. The breast was the meatiest part of the pigeon and really quite dark. It reminded me in many ways of a good chicken thigh. Tender and savory and dark. Not at all dry.
The thighs and legs were good too. Being a pigeon though there really wasn't that much too them.
For good measure, and not to miss an opportunity eating unusual food, I ate the head too! How do you eat the head?! Just put it in your mouth and bite. It's like a soft little ball. The skull gives no resistance and doesn't break into sharp bits of bone like you might think. The brain is about the consistency of chicken breast but doesn't have the fibers. I didn't notice the eyes separately at all. I didn't eat the beak but did get the tongue.
Certainly the way this was prepared I'd eat it again, head included.
One other thing before I forget we also got a serving of pig uterus. Sorry I didn't get a picture. I think most of it was eaten before I knew what it was. Suffice to say it was tasty also and for sure I'd have more prepared the same way.
As I often do I asked Hương to make the order for me. My Vietnamese is very limited and I only recognize some dishes at this point. She'll generally ask if I like this meat or that, what sort of noodles I want, etc. and then make the selection.
In this case she asked if I wanted to try pigeon and of course I said sure. This is a portion of what was delivered to the table.
It really is quite tasty meat. I was surprised at the breast. I like dark meat best and am always eating the legs and thighs of chicken instead of breast. The breast was the meatiest part of the pigeon and really quite dark. It reminded me in many ways of a good chicken thigh. Tender and savory and dark. Not at all dry.
The thighs and legs were good too. Being a pigeon though there really wasn't that much too them.
For good measure, and not to miss an opportunity eating unusual food, I ate the head too! How do you eat the head?! Just put it in your mouth and bite. It's like a soft little ball. The skull gives no resistance and doesn't break into sharp bits of bone like you might think. The brain is about the consistency of chicken breast but doesn't have the fibers. I didn't notice the eyes separately at all. I didn't eat the beak but did get the tongue.
Certainly the way this was prepared I'd eat it again, head included.
One other thing before I forget we also got a serving of pig uterus. Sorry I didn't get a picture. I think most of it was eaten before I knew what it was. Suffice to say it was tasty also and for sure I'd have more prepared the same way.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Kids parties and fire hazards
We just celebrated Hương's oldest daughter's, Nhật Mai's, birthday.
The celebration was in a multilevel building narrow and long. One corner of the rectangle was devoted to stairs, another to a bathroom. The rest of each level consisted of low tables with legless benches around them and throw pillows on the benches.
We arrived and were seated at a long table on the 2nd floor which, in this place, was actually the 4th floor by my count. There was another larger square table and shorter rectangular table in our seating area as well. At first we were the only ones there, ten girls 11 1/2 to 12 1/2 years old, Hương and me.
Kids' fare was served including pasta and a kind of omelette. The signature item at this place, different kinds of milk tea with tapioca pearls, was served as well. Hương and I had also bought a birthday cake.
The girls all seemed to have a good time and later Nhật Mai told Hương this was her favorite birthday party.
While we were there the other two tables filled. Mostly girls at the large square one and boys at the smaller rectangular one.
It got quite rowdy. The kids at the other two tables were loud and running around the tables quite a bit. I was waiting for someone to crash across our table because the quarters were so tight and the kids seemed totally oblivious to the surroundings.
Then at the boys table someone broke out sparklers! That's right the kind made from metal bits that burn hot, shower sparks and have metal rods down the center. I watched with real concern as they were lit and showered sparks over everything at the table and onto the pillows as well. And once they went out a few more were offered up to keep the pyrotechnics going. I finally relaxed a bit when they all went out and no more were offered up to be lit.
Once all that was over the other girls' table started smearing the cake frosting on each other's faces and a bit on the arms. Then the boys' table started the same. Hương told me smearing cake frosting on each other's faces is something that has become quite common at kids parties.
Our table of girls didn't run around and didn't smear cake. A relief for me. I was near the maelstroms but not in them.
The celebration was in a multilevel building narrow and long. One corner of the rectangle was devoted to stairs, another to a bathroom. The rest of each level consisted of low tables with legless benches around them and throw pillows on the benches.
We arrived and were seated at a long table on the 2nd floor which, in this place, was actually the 4th floor by my count. There was another larger square table and shorter rectangular table in our seating area as well. At first we were the only ones there, ten girls 11 1/2 to 12 1/2 years old, Hương and me.
Kids' fare was served including pasta and a kind of omelette. The signature item at this place, different kinds of milk tea with tapioca pearls, was served as well. Hương and I had also bought a birthday cake.
The girls all seemed to have a good time and later Nhật Mai told Hương this was her favorite birthday party.
While we were there the other two tables filled. Mostly girls at the large square one and boys at the smaller rectangular one.
It got quite rowdy. The kids at the other two tables were loud and running around the tables quite a bit. I was waiting for someone to crash across our table because the quarters were so tight and the kids seemed totally oblivious to the surroundings.
Then at the boys table someone broke out sparklers! That's right the kind made from metal bits that burn hot, shower sparks and have metal rods down the center. I watched with real concern as they were lit and showered sparks over everything at the table and onto the pillows as well. And once they went out a few more were offered up to keep the pyrotechnics going. I finally relaxed a bit when they all went out and no more were offered up to be lit.
Once all that was over the other girls' table started smearing the cake frosting on each other's faces and a bit on the arms. Then the boys' table started the same. Hương told me smearing cake frosting on each other's faces is something that has become quite common at kids parties.
Our table of girls didn't run around and didn't smear cake. A relief for me. I was near the maelstroms but not in them.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Elevators and floors
Vietnamese floor numbering is an adjustment. A building that I would say has five stories they would call a four story building.
However... get in the elevator to go to the fifth floor, press 5 on the panel, the rooms and suites on the floor the elevator opens at will be numbered in the six hundreds!
This really threw me for a loop when visiting mẹ in the hospital. It wasn't only that I pressed 5 on the elevator panel but also when the doors opened there was a large column in front of the door with a giant shiny 6 on it.
I paused before stepping out and confirmed the floor number the elevator stopped at was 5. Very strange feeling to step out of an elevator that stopped at the fifth floor and step onto the sixth floor!
Sometimes it definitely feels as if I've taken the red pill.
However... get in the elevator to go to the fifth floor, press 5 on the panel, the rooms and suites on the floor the elevator opens at will be numbered in the six hundreds!
This really threw me for a loop when visiting mẹ in the hospital. It wasn't only that I pressed 5 on the elevator panel but also when the doors opened there was a large column in front of the door with a giant shiny 6 on it.
I paused before stepping out and confirmed the floor number the elevator stopped at was 5. Very strange feeling to step out of an elevator that stopped at the fifth floor and step onto the sixth floor!
Sometimes it definitely feels as if I've taken the red pill.
More about hospitals
The hospital mẹ is in has a design common to buildings in Vietnam. It has many vertical vents from the lowest floor to the sky to allow ventilation and help keep the interior comfortable, at least for Vietnamese.
In the case of the hospital two of the vents, one at each end, are actually large courtyards on the ground floor. The floors above are open to the sky and so have hallways that oversee the perimeter of the courtyards. Attractive open configuration actually.
The less savory features are in the details. Hương and I entered the hospital through the first floor, not the ground floor. To exit it seemed if we used the ground floor we might get more directly back to the motorbike. So down to the ground floor we went.
Walking towards the direction the bike was parked brought us through one of these large courtyards. In it I saw two cats. Cute, I like cats, but they didn't appear to be pets and besides what are cats doing in a hospital? Then I saw a rat. A big one. Big enough I thought the smaller of the two cats might actually be at risk if it tried to predate the rat. And of course I didn't think "cute" when I saw the rat. I thought "what's it doing in the hospital?"
We continued walking and came across several exit doors. All were locked from the inside with a padlock that went through flanges that had been attached to the doors after the fact. They weren't integrated into the doors, they were bolted on. I thought "fire safety hazard" and "how do people get out in an emergency?"
At this point we had to retrace our steps and go out the way we went in. Our alternate path out of the hospital was blocked.
In the case of the hospital two of the vents, one at each end, are actually large courtyards on the ground floor. The floors above are open to the sky and so have hallways that oversee the perimeter of the courtyards. Attractive open configuration actually.
The less savory features are in the details. Hương and I entered the hospital through the first floor, not the ground floor. To exit it seemed if we used the ground floor we might get more directly back to the motorbike. So down to the ground floor we went.
Walking towards the direction the bike was parked brought us through one of these large courtyards. In it I saw two cats. Cute, I like cats, but they didn't appear to be pets and besides what are cats doing in a hospital? Then I saw a rat. A big one. Big enough I thought the smaller of the two cats might actually be at risk if it tried to predate the rat. And of course I didn't think "cute" when I saw the rat. I thought "what's it doing in the hospital?"
We continued walking and came across several exit doors. All were locked from the inside with a padlock that went through flanges that had been attached to the doors after the fact. They weren't integrated into the doors, they were bolted on. I thought "fire safety hazard" and "how do people get out in an emergency?"
At this point we had to retrace our steps and go out the way we went in. Our alternate path out of the hospital was blocked.
Hospitals
Hương's oldest brother, Ban, was admitted to the hospital this past weekend. He was having shortness of breath and other issues that seemed like heart problems.
And then her mom, mẹ, got admitted Thursday.
Seems things will work out for everyone. Ban got out the day mẹ was admitted. And mẹ, even thought she asked to stay in the hospital for testing, is comfortable and expects to be out in a few days. Imagine being kept in the hospital for observation because the patient asked.
Hospitals and health care here, at least what I've been exposed to, are completely different then at home.
The hospital Ban was in is brand new and specializes in cardiac medicine. It was barren. The halls were empty. The floor he was on had wide empty halls. There was no nurses' station, no medical personnel in sight. Stepping off the elevator there was something that could have been a reception desk with nobody there. And no "stuff" around as if people were usually there and just were away at the moment. It was barren.
In the room there was no equipment on the walls, no hookups for patient monitors and no nurse call button. The bed was a heavy frame hospital bed that could raise or lower at either end but it was mechanical not electrical operation. There were no side rails to keep the patient on the bed. Plus, and seeming somewhat odd to me, the door had a key lock and the keys were in the lock on the room side of the door.
I also observed Ban getting some treatment. Someone came in to give him a shot. No gloves, didn't see an alcohol rub, didn't see a band aide applied. Knowing how we are in the US about transferring contamination, even in a doctor's office much less a hospital, this all seemed very strange to me.
Hospitals and health care here, at least what I've been exposed to, are completely different then at home.
The hospital Ban was in is brand new and specializes in cardiac medicine. It was barren. The halls were empty. The floor he was on had wide empty halls. There was no nurses' station, no medical personnel in sight. Stepping off the elevator there was something that could have been a reception desk with nobody there. And no "stuff" around as if people were usually there and just were away at the moment. It was barren.
In the room there was no equipment on the walls, no hookups for patient monitors and no nurse call button. The bed was a heavy frame hospital bed that could raise or lower at either end but it was mechanical not electrical operation. There were no side rails to keep the patient on the bed. Plus, and seeming somewhat odd to me, the door had a key lock and the keys were in the lock on the room side of the door.
I also observed Ban getting some treatment. Someone came in to give him a shot. No gloves, didn't see an alcohol rub, didn't see a band aide applied. Knowing how we are in the US about transferring contamination, even in a doctor's office much less a hospital, this all seemed very strange to me.
Mẹ's hospital was much the same in the room. The hospital's halls were much narrower though and there were plenty of patients. Some were watching TV in the hall and there was a small nurse's station at the intersection of the main hall and the hallway to mẹ's room. Me's room was a double. She asked to move to a four person room because her insurance covered that. She didn't want to pay the $17/day room charge for the double. That's right $17US/day!
Hương has also gone to the hospital on at least one of my visits and she's brought the girls for treatment of cough and fever over the year and a half we've known each other. It's pay as you go.
The hospitals Hương's been to, different from Ban and mẹ's, have had a receptionist that she pays for service. We get a receipt and only then see a doctor. However you see the doctor and get treatment quickly. I've accompanied Hương to the hospital and she's been treated and released in 30 minutes!! At home I've waited that long in the emergency room just to be seen by the receptionist so we can start waiting to be seen by a doctor.
Hương has also gone to the hospital on at least one of my visits and she's brought the girls for treatment of cough and fever over the year and a half we've known each other. It's pay as you go.
The hospitals Hương's been to, different from Ban and mẹ's, have had a receptionist that she pays for service. We get a receipt and only then see a doctor. However you see the doctor and get treatment quickly. I've accompanied Hương to the hospital and she's been treated and released in 30 minutes!! At home I've waited that long in the emergency room just to be seen by the receptionist so we can start waiting to be seen by a doctor.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Plumbing problems
The sink drains worked very slowly. One barley flowed at all. And there was a slow leak under the sink. I decided to fix things.
Sound like trouble?
First order of business disconnect all the pipes. Easy enough, hand tight plastic nuts on flexible plastic pipe.
All the seals were bunged up. Looked like whoever screwed the nuts on didn't bother to be sure the seals were seated flat on the coupling. I tried to flatten one so it would seal and hopefully not leak under the sink. Just the little twisting I did to turn it flat caused it to tear. Uh oh! Now I've decided to replace the seals rather than flatten them.
I was prepared to go out and buy replacements. Hương said she'd call the building superintendent and they'd replace the seals. She called, someone came after a bit. He said he'd be back in an hour or so. When he came back he replaced the pipes, not just the seals.
However he didn't replace one pipe. The one that almost didn't drain. (dramatic music now...)
I disconnected it and found it was almost completely plugged. So I started shaking it and a sludge sausage started working its way out. The more I shook the more came out. This was encouraging.
So I kept on shaking. More kept coming out. Then the pipe cracked. Sigh. Brittle. And now began an adventure trying to find a replacement. I walked around Ho Chi Minh for about three hours stopping in every plumbing shop I saw. A few shops had longer pipe but nothing in the needed length.
There's plenty of shops. All small or very small businesses. No one had a replacement. Hương came home and we drove to a market that specialized in tools and parts and we couldn't find anything there. Then we went to where she bought the sink and they said it couldn't be bought, they'd have to send the broken item back to the factory and a replacement could be ready in a day!
Finally we went to one of the shops that had a too long piece and bought that. I installed it and everything's draining again.
Moral of the story? In Vietnam it isn't always easy to get what you want. Your experience with Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, Joe's Plumbing, etc. gives you expectations that don't apply here, even in Vietnam's largest city.
And another thing, sellers don't offer alternatives. If they don't have it they're likely to say it can't be bought rather than suggest another shop or another solution. It's like if they aren't the solution they'll tell you there isn't one.
Sound like trouble?
First order of business disconnect all the pipes. Easy enough, hand tight plastic nuts on flexible plastic pipe.
All the seals were bunged up. Looked like whoever screwed the nuts on didn't bother to be sure the seals were seated flat on the coupling. I tried to flatten one so it would seal and hopefully not leak under the sink. Just the little twisting I did to turn it flat caused it to tear. Uh oh! Now I've decided to replace the seals rather than flatten them.
I was prepared to go out and buy replacements. Hương said she'd call the building superintendent and they'd replace the seals. She called, someone came after a bit. He said he'd be back in an hour or so. When he came back he replaced the pipes, not just the seals.
However he didn't replace one pipe. The one that almost didn't drain. (dramatic music now...)
I disconnected it and found it was almost completely plugged. So I started shaking it and a sludge sausage started working its way out. The more I shook the more came out. This was encouraging.
So I kept on shaking. More kept coming out. Then the pipe cracked. Sigh. Brittle. And now began an adventure trying to find a replacement. I walked around Ho Chi Minh for about three hours stopping in every plumbing shop I saw. A few shops had longer pipe but nothing in the needed length.
There's plenty of shops. All small or very small businesses. No one had a replacement. Hương came home and we drove to a market that specialized in tools and parts and we couldn't find anything there. Then we went to where she bought the sink and they said it couldn't be bought, they'd have to send the broken item back to the factory and a replacement could be ready in a day!
Finally we went to one of the shops that had a too long piece and bought that. I installed it and everything's draining again.
Moral of the story? In Vietnam it isn't always easy to get what you want. Your experience with Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, Joe's Plumbing, etc. gives you expectations that don't apply here, even in Vietnam's largest city.
And another thing, sellers don't offer alternatives. If they don't have it they're likely to say it can't be bought rather than suggest another shop or another solution. It's like if they aren't the solution they'll tell you there isn't one.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The boys will be jealous!
I've ridden many miles around Ho Chi Minh City on the back of Hương's motorbike. Yesterday and today I did the driving!!!
Some of those rides, and traffic in general, have been chronicled in other posts.
Yesterday we went to Hương's brother's home in Vung Tau. It's a small island and much less traffic than in Ho Chi Minh City. We were offered a motorbike to ride around and take in the sights.
Hương let me drive without too much hesitation. I've already driven a little, from the parking garage a few hundred meters down the street to the first intersection and from a local market back to the parking garage (maybe 2 km, two right hand turns and no busy intersections).
In Vung Tau I drove us around the whole island. Around a 40 minute drive. Plus about 15 or 20 minutes driving around her brother's neighborhood.
Today I drove in the big show, in Ho Chi Minh City! And for about 10 - 15 km in busy traffic. Not rush hour but actual normal daily traffic. Hương didn't scream once the whole trip and actually said I'm ready for my Vietnamese motorbike license. Oh yeah.
Of course three months learning the ins and outs behind Hương and baby steps driving the bike short distances at quiet times made it all possible. I'd have been road kill if I tried such serious driving much before today.
Eating better than ever
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| mmm... breakfast - phở bò (beef soup) |
Meals nearly always include rice in one form or another, plain, noodles, a cake or paste. Then fresh meat, as in never frozen or refrigerated, most often pork followed by fish, beef and chicken. Then any of a variety of dark green vegetables. The vegetables are often boiled or softened by simmering in a hot pan with vegetable oil and then served alone or they are combined with carrots and potato or tarot and some meat in a soup. Greens are also served uncooked on a plate to pick from. If the green has a large leaf then it may b,e used as a wrapper for the other items on the table.
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| lunch - spiciest meal I've had, curry in this one |
I like pretty much everything I've had every trip here. This is the first repeated exposure to home cooking and it's very good.
Sweet desserts or cakes are not served very often. And they aren't laying around on the shelves at home to pick up and snack on. The sweet desserts I've had are mostly some variety of che dau trang. Sweet, sticky (glutinous) rice, cooked with coconut milk and various kinds of beans. Several different individual sized servings are presented and you pick the one you want to eat. Of course I've been offered a taste of all the ones I didn't pick and they have all been very good.
Dinner itself is put on the table with each dish in an individual bowl or plate. Each diner gets a small bowl, maybe 3/4 of a cup, that's filled with white rice. Then you pick a bit of food from one of the common serving bowls, move it to your bowl of rice or just hover it over your bowl and then bring to your mouth. There is no portioning of servings to each diner. Basically each mouthful goes from common plate to your rice bowl to your mouth.
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| dinner - fish, beet leaves, cucumber, scallop spring rolls, soup |
I've read that one way to reduce what you eat is to use small dinner plates. It seems to me the small bowl for rice and single mouthfuls carried over from serving dish to rice bowl to mouth have the same effect. At least I find I feel full and am not stuffing myself and believe I'm eating less than I would normally or at least fewer calories. We're not eating any processed foods.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Takes a licking, keeps on clicking
Today, getting out of a cab in Vung Tau, I dropped it. Or I should say it fell off my neck. Don't know how, the strap has been very secure, or so it seemed. Today, when I climbed out of the cab it fell from my neck. So it hit the pavement from about waist height.
I imagined disaster. Fractured or at "best" misaligned lens elements and no more pictures. Or perhaps the camera wouldn't even turn on. Happy to say it seems to be working fine.
On inspection I found both ends of the strap came free from the camera body! Have no idea how that could have happened. And seems it would be impossible for them both to come free at the same time, but they did.
The lens is surrounded by a metal barrel and the end of that where the lens telescopes in and out when turned on or zoomed has been deformed. It is now slightly oval shaped. It isn't so oval to keep the lens from moving in and out. And the lens doesn't scrape against it while moving.
I found all the pieces of the strap that came free on the ground where I stepped out of the cab. Refastened the ends of the strap to the camera and all seems well again.
Very glad that I'm not replacing my camera yet.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Forest pig for dinner
A friend of my wife, Linh, and her husband, Ket, invited us to dinner. Linh helped keep Huong sane while preparing for the marriage party back in July.
I got to know Linh a bit through emails we exchanged about preparing for the party. I also sent her a few pictures of Huong in the USA which Linh got included in the slide show played at the marriage party.
When I heard we would have a small forest pig for dinner I imagined a pig served on a platter at the table.
We were seated and I missed a photo I really wish I'd gotten. At the far end of the table a small scale was placed on the floor. And then a sack was laid on the scale so Linh could read the weight. Up to this point I was only peripherally aware this was going on. Then the sack moved and caught my attention! Seems there was a live forest pig in the sack and it was about to become dinner!
The sack and scale disappeared before I gathered my wits and thought to take a picture. My bad.
When the first serving of pig came to the table it was steamed meat served with lemon grass, ginger and a leafy green. So no pig on a platter to photograph. After the steamed meat came liver and sausage from the small intestine. That was followed with grilled meat and finally soup containing bone with meat on it.
I have to say, just like every other wild animal I've ever eaten, the pork was gamy and not a flavor I enjoy. On the other hand, and much to my surprise, the intestine and liver were very tasty. And the soup was good as well. For some reason the meat in the soup didn't have the same gamy flavor as the boiled or the grilled meat.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
a familiar mascot
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| a gecko in the house |
The Geico mascot is very visible in Vietnam. Every hotel and home I've been in has had one or more as a guest. Usually seen in the morning or evening they quietly scramble along the ceiling, floor or walls looking for whatever is their prey.
I do wonder what they're eating. That's because there's an obvious lack of insects everywhere I've been. Now I'm sure they must be somewhere but I hardly see any.
Food and fruit left out on the table at home doesn't attract a swarm of small flies. There's no bugs around the trash can. The rubbish on the streets isn't attracting swarms of bugs. I don't attract mosquitoes even though this is a warm humid place with plenty of water.
At this point I've spent a total of three months in Vietnam, all within the last year. This lack of bugs is very apparent, totally unexpected, and I have no idea yet why this is so.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
The traffic dance
As ever traffic here continues to fascinate me. This video is from my July trip with my two youngest boys. If you're feeling mellow and want to vege out for less then a minute now's the time to sit back, relax and enjoy the dance.
No stoplights. Motorbikes, cars, trucks, buses and pedestrians just merging with one another at a traffic circle in a continuous ballet. Almost no one comes to a full stop.
No stoplights. Motorbikes, cars, trucks, buses and pedestrians just merging with one another at a traffic circle in a continuous ballet. Almost no one comes to a full stop.
Monday, October 1, 2012
It's wet, live with it...
I got caught out in the rain with my wife yesterday while shopping for a laser printer. Or rather I should say it rained while we were out, since it is the end of the rainy season and there's not really much question whether you'll be out in the rain at some point!
People here don't seem to react much to it. If someone doesn't have a poncho or some other covering they simply continue about what they're doing much as if it wasn't raining. They might hunch their shoulders a little but, unlike general reaction in the US, they don't hold things above their heads, sprint for the nearest doorway or in other ways display an aversion to being wet as would happen at home.
And while we were in the store shopping I saw some people come in pretty drenched. Not one went through the shaking/shuddering routine to get the water off. They just walked into the store and began shopping, trailing little puddles in each step behind them.
I guess it's one of the adaptations to living here. You're going to get wet, so just carry on.
People here don't seem to react much to it. If someone doesn't have a poncho or some other covering they simply continue about what they're doing much as if it wasn't raining. They might hunch their shoulders a little but, unlike general reaction in the US, they don't hold things above their heads, sprint for the nearest doorway or in other ways display an aversion to being wet as would happen at home.
And while we were in the store shopping I saw some people come in pretty drenched. Not one went through the shaking/shuddering routine to get the water off. They just walked into the store and began shopping, trailing little puddles in each step behind them.
I guess it's one of the adaptations to living here. You're going to get wet, so just carry on.
Traveling with two boys...
My two youngest boys were in Vietnam with me a few months ago during summer break.
We came here for my marriage party and so the boys could get a glimpse of the land their mom was born and grew up in. They said they enjoyed the trip.
My plan was to spend time in Ho Chi Minh City, Vinpearl Island, Ha Long Bay, Ha Noi, Dong Hoi and back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Dong Hoi would give us a base to visit Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and see the caves there. We went to Carlsbad last year and really enjoyed it. The Phong Nha caves are even bigger and are seen by boat. The caves were carved through mountains by a large river.
By the time we reached Dong Hoi the boys, who really suffered a lot from jet lag, decided they "have seen enough caves" so plans changed. We just enjoyed the beach resort hotel in Dong Hoi and took a respite from traveling around Vietnam.
After Dong Hoi we went back to HCM, a day trip to Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple, a free day in HCM and then back to the USA.
We came here for my marriage party and so the boys could get a glimpse of the land their mom was born and grew up in. They said they enjoyed the trip.
My plan was to spend time in Ho Chi Minh City, Vinpearl Island, Ha Long Bay, Ha Noi, Dong Hoi and back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Dong Hoi would give us a base to visit Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and see the caves there. We went to Carlsbad last year and really enjoyed it. The Phong Nha caves are even bigger and are seen by boat. The caves were carved through mountains by a large river.
By the time we reached Dong Hoi the boys, who really suffered a lot from jet lag, decided they "have seen enough caves" so plans changed. We just enjoyed the beach resort hotel in Dong Hoi and took a respite from traveling around Vietnam.
After Dong Hoi we went back to HCM, a day trip to Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple, a free day in HCM and then back to the USA.
Vietnam home life
I'm back in Vietnam again. This time I'm staying with my wife in her home. It's our first opportunity to spend some serious time together. And my first opportunity to gain direct experience with day-to-day differences between living in the US and in Vietnam.
One thing that we've done is stop to see the local police. We needed to register the fact that I'm staying in her home. There's something called a "resident book" and it needs to be updated with who's living in the home.
Of course it seems unusual to me that one needs to register with the police where they are living. In some ways it seems a bit threatening to have to inform the local police force where you are. On the other hand, in the US, the police could certainly find my home address if they felt the need.
This feels very different. And I certainly feel "reporting to the police" chafes at me.
One thing that we've done is stop to see the local police. We needed to register the fact that I'm staying in her home. There's something called a "resident book" and it needs to be updated with who's living in the home.
Of course it seems unusual to me that one needs to register with the police where they are living. In some ways it seems a bit threatening to have to inform the local police force where you are. On the other hand, in the US, the police could certainly find my home address if they felt the need.
This feels very different. And I certainly feel "reporting to the police" chafes at me.
Friday, February 10, 2012
Water puppets!
I've seen performances with finger puppets, sock puppets, marionettes and other sorts of puppets. Until I knew some Vietnamese people I'd never heard of water puppets and I really had no idea what they are. I imagined they would be something similar to the already named varieties dangling over a water stage or with a water stage in the foreground.
When there was an opportunity to go see a water puppet performance I was very excited to go. I expected to be bored, eh just another puppet show, and was very glad to find I enjoyed the whole performance.
There were four short stories played out with different sets of puppets. Each performance lasting 5 to 8 minutes. As you can see in the story posted here it is quite dynamic with a lot of splashing about, hiding and reappearing of puppets and puppets crossing the stage from one side to the other.
I enjoyed the performance quite a lot and being a very concrete thinker also left wondering how the puppets are controlled. They cross from one side of the stage to the other both in front of and behind the other puppets. How's that happen without controls getting crossed? They move long distances side to side pretty rapidly. Water's a high resistance medium. It seems to me it should be very hard to swing a several foot long stick underwater that rapidly. Plus just swinging a stick would mean the end, the puppet, moves in an arc. You'll see the puppets can move in a straight line parallel to the stage front. So in addition to enjoying the performances I also left wondering how exactly the puppets are controlled.
I hope you enjoy the performance I've posted here.
When there was an opportunity to go see a water puppet performance I was very excited to go. I expected to be bored, eh just another puppet show, and was very glad to find I enjoyed the whole performance.
There were four short stories played out with different sets of puppets. Each performance lasting 5 to 8 minutes. As you can see in the story posted here it is quite dynamic with a lot of splashing about, hiding and reappearing of puppets and puppets crossing the stage from one side to the other.
I enjoyed the performance quite a lot and being a very concrete thinker also left wondering how the puppets are controlled. They cross from one side of the stage to the other both in front of and behind the other puppets. How's that happen without controls getting crossed? They move long distances side to side pretty rapidly. Water's a high resistance medium. It seems to me it should be very hard to swing a several foot long stick underwater that rapidly. Plus just swinging a stick would mean the end, the puppet, moves in an arc. You'll see the puppets can move in a straight line parallel to the stage front. So in addition to enjoying the performances I also left wondering how exactly the puppets are controlled.
I hope you enjoy the performance I've posted here.
A standard building - narrow and deep
This picture on the right shows clearly the "standard building" form. A standard building is about 5 meters wide at the front. It may be any depth and have any number of floors. The front though is 5 meters. This form is applied everywhere. Even a building on a clear lot or out on a country road will be a long rectangle 5m wide at the front.I'm told this relates to two things, street addressing and taxes. Wider than 5 meters means the building has more than one address and more than one address means more taxes.
There's probably other reasons as well or maybe entirely different reasons. When I mentioned the taxes reason, given by one of my tour guides, to my finance she disputed it. She didn't have another explanation but didn't believe taxes are a cause for this design.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
The drinks, so many to try
One of the enjoyable things being in Vietnam is the very tasty variety of drink options available. There just doesn't seem to be such a variety of choice in the USA. If there this variety it isn't in my area.
You'll see about a month's worth of samples in this collage. If I looked harder I could probably find additional options but they would be things that aren't commonly found in Ho Chi Minh City. I'm going north to Hanoi and Ha Long Bay this week and maybe I'll find some new items there. If I do I'll post an update.
Quite a few of the drinks, like the Aloe and the Bird's Nest, are viscous. And viscous or not many have little gelatin like bits suspended in them. That's an unusual drinking sensation compared to America. There viscous drinks are mostly limited to milk shakes, frappes and smoothies. Drinks with chunks, especially suspended chunks, are not to be found. The closest I can think of is bubble tea with the tapioca balls at the bottom of the glass.
With all the varieties I've tasted so far I can honestly say the only thing I wouldn't, haven't, gone back for more of is the Ginseng drink. Everything else I enjoyed a little or a lot. The Ginseng I didn't like a bit. Not gag me bad but definitely not choosing to drink any more.
...and an update. Nearly forgot these drink tablets! Artichoke flavored effervescent tablets. Drop them in cold water and enjoy your artichoke flavored drink in a few minutes. They appear to be made in Germany, either Munster or Frankfort. Can't read either language on the label, Vietnamese and German, well enough to say for sure. The store package is two tubes of tablets with 20 tablets per tube. I think I've had about 5 tablets so far. I like the taste so I'm sure I'll use all the tablets. Who'd a thought artichoke would be a good drink? Another thing from Vietnam that I'll miss.
You'll see about a month's worth of samples in this collage. If I looked harder I could probably find additional options but they would be things that aren't commonly found in Ho Chi Minh City. I'm going north to Hanoi and Ha Long Bay this week and maybe I'll find some new items there. If I do I'll post an update.
Quite a few of the drinks, like the Aloe and the Bird's Nest, are viscous. And viscous or not many have little gelatin like bits suspended in them. That's an unusual drinking sensation compared to America. There viscous drinks are mostly limited to milk shakes, frappes and smoothies. Drinks with chunks, especially suspended chunks, are not to be found. The closest I can think of is bubble tea with the tapioca balls at the bottom of the glass.
With all the varieties I've tasted so far I can honestly say the only thing I wouldn't, haven't, gone back for more of is the Ginseng drink. Everything else I enjoyed a little or a lot. The Ginseng I didn't like a bit. Not gag me bad but definitely not choosing to drink any more.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Fashionable, NOT !!!
No one's ever accused me of being a "sharp dressed man". And I readily admit my limited sense of what's fashionable. I didn't realize until I was already out and about how poorly I chose on this day.
Huong and I asked a passerby to photograph us while strolling around to look at Tet decorations and sales items. Unlike most who are handed a camera and asked to take a shot you can see this woman framed us very well. And made a record of my fashion choice for the day that is now available for all the world to see.
Maybe better next time?
Huong and I asked a passerby to photograph us while strolling around to look at Tet decorations and sales items. Unlike most who are handed a camera and asked to take a shot you can see this woman framed us very well. And made a record of my fashion choice for the day that is now available for all the world to see.
Maybe better next time?
Sunday, January 29, 2012
...and more stuff moves through the streets
Back to the topic of carrying loads around Saigon. This time its carrying big or unwieldy loads on motorbikes and bicycles. When my fiancée visited me in the US over Thanksgiving she gave me the book "Bikes of Burden" packed with photos of overloaded motorbikes. It inspired me to try and get some similar photos and videos for myself. This video is a montage of several overloaded motorbikes and bicycles. Kind of a "flavor" of the typical sights seen while riding around the city.
Many motorbikes at the end of the video are carrying various sorts of plants. Those shots were taken in the days before Tet holiday. It seemed everyone was getting some type of tree, shrub or flower to celebrate Tet. There's also a clip of a family of four on a motorbike. Not a commercial load but still an overloaded bike. And I'm sure there's more motorbikes in the background of the other clips overloaded with people.
Also note the way people dress. Many are fully covered with long sleeves, hoods, gloves and long pants. The daily temperature is about 90°F±! The Vietnamese are protecting themselves from the sun but why they don't get heat stroke in the bargain I can't understand.
Perhaps these clips are not as awe inspiring as the bicycle rider/delivery guy. However this activity goes on morning to night. Like busy ants working tirelessly to support the colony. At some point I might not take notice but for now it continually intrigues me to see all these oversize loads carried on small vehicles crisscrossing the city throughout the day. The motorbikes are typically 105cc I'm told. And of course it's just legs when its a bicycle!
Update: Apparently the typical delivery motorbike is only about 70cc and a decade or two old. The 105cc bikes belong to people better off than the delivery drivers.
Many motorbikes at the end of the video are carrying various sorts of plants. Those shots were taken in the days before Tet holiday. It seemed everyone was getting some type of tree, shrub or flower to celebrate Tet. There's also a clip of a family of four on a motorbike. Not a commercial load but still an overloaded bike. And I'm sure there's more motorbikes in the background of the other clips overloaded with people.
Also note the way people dress. Many are fully covered with long sleeves, hoods, gloves and long pants. The daily temperature is about 90°F±! The Vietnamese are protecting themselves from the sun but why they don't get heat stroke in the bargain I can't understand.
Perhaps these clips are not as awe inspiring as the bicycle rider/delivery guy. However this activity goes on morning to night. Like busy ants working tirelessly to support the colony. At some point I might not take notice but for now it continually intrigues me to see all these oversize loads carried on small vehicles crisscrossing the city throughout the day. The motorbikes are typically 105cc I'm told. And of course it's just legs when its a bicycle!
Update: Apparently the typical delivery motorbike is only about 70cc and a decade or two old. The 105cc bikes belong to people better off than the delivery drivers.
More Tet
One of the things that happens during Tet is lots of people head back home to visit family and friends for about a week. For most home isn't Ho Chi Minh City. So the city gets a bit empty and quiet compared to the rest of the time. Nearly all shops and restaurants are closed. Crossing the street is no where near the thrill it is on a regular day. You can even be out on the street for 30 seconds or a minute without seeing a taxi.
It's an enjoyable calm that settles over the city.
The people left in HCM spend their time visiting, eating and gifting each other with lucky money. The visiting and eating remind me a lot of the Thanksgiving to New Year's holiday season back in the US. Lots of visiting and way too much eating. Here's a little evidence of the visiting and eating.
On two successive days Huong had visitors in her apartment and served everyone dinner. Since there were more people than could fit at the table we all sat on the floor. Lucky for me I'm still flexible enough to be able to sit on the floor with legs crossed in front of me. It was a bit of a stretch but the company and the food made it all worthwhile. It was clear to me everyone was enjoying themselves.
The lucky money gifting is a bit like Christmas because of the gift giving. Different though because the gift is always the same. A red envelope with some small amount of money in it. The emphasis in giving the gift is to wish the person well for the new year and not the amount of money in the envelope. From what I saw the lucky money is usually given only to children and the family patriarch or matriarch. Though there is also some lucky money exchanged between friends.
It's an enjoyable calm that settles over the city.
The people left in HCM spend their time visiting, eating and gifting each other with lucky money. The visiting and eating remind me a lot of the Thanksgiving to New Year's holiday season back in the US. Lots of visiting and way too much eating. Here's a little evidence of the visiting and eating.
On two successive days Huong had visitors in her apartment and served everyone dinner. Since there were more people than could fit at the table we all sat on the floor. Lucky for me I'm still flexible enough to be able to sit on the floor with legs crossed in front of me. It was a bit of a stretch but the company and the food made it all worthwhile. It was clear to me everyone was enjoying themselves.
The lucky money gifting is a bit like Christmas because of the gift giving. Different though because the gift is always the same. A red envelope with some small amount of money in it. The emphasis in giving the gift is to wish the person well for the new year and not the amount of money in the envelope. From what I saw the lucky money is usually given only to children and the family patriarch or matriarch. Though there is also some lucky money exchanged between friends.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Ice Skating in Ho Chi Minh
Turns out not really. The link I found said it closed. My fiancee called and found that it is open. So we headed out with her two girls to give it a try.
The linked article says the rink is kept at "180C". Since that's well over boiling I figured it's a error and really the place is kept at 18°C. That's a much more comfortable 64°F. The thought of spending some time indoors at that temperature after nearly a month mostly above 90°F really was appealing to me.
We got there and it didn't seem to me to be air conditioned at all, bummer. The last few days have been really comfortable though, mid 80's, so I wasn't roasting on the rink.
Turns out it isn't an ice rink at all. That's a disappointment. I was looking forward to skating on some real ice. This is some kind of synthetic material almost like a nylon cutting board.
We rented skates for the four of us and had a good time. Huong and her girls tried to glide around. They all started by holding onto the barrier along the side. Eventually they all let go and were going around on their own, more like walking than gliding though.
For myself I was able to skate with some difficulty. The surface friction seemed to change a bit from place to place on the "ice" and the different parts of the skates' blades grabbed the surface differently. So I was able to skate but it was a kind of herky jerky motion.
That's okay though. We all had fun. Though I've never before perspired so much when skating!
The linked article says the rink is kept at "180C". Since that's well over boiling I figured it's a error and really the place is kept at 18°C. That's a much more comfortable 64°F. The thought of spending some time indoors at that temperature after nearly a month mostly above 90°F really was appealing to me.
We got there and it didn't seem to me to be air conditioned at all, bummer. The last few days have been really comfortable though, mid 80's, so I wasn't roasting on the rink.
Turns out it isn't an ice rink at all. That's a disappointment. I was looking forward to skating on some real ice. This is some kind of synthetic material almost like a nylon cutting board.
We rented skates for the four of us and had a good time. Huong and her girls tried to glide around. They all started by holding onto the barrier along the side. Eventually they all let go and were going around on their own, more like walking than gliding though.
For myself I was able to skate with some difficulty. The surface friction seemed to change a bit from place to place on the "ice" and the different parts of the skates' blades grabbed the surface differently. So I was able to skate but it was a kind of herky jerky motion.
That's okay though. We all had fun. Though I've never before perspired so much when skating!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới 2012
It's now the end of the first day of the new year. Need a lunar calendar to see things that way. Năm Mới is a big celebration in Vietnam.
Last night, starting at midnight, there was a fireworks show that lasted for 15 minutes to celebrate the beginning of the year. After that there were dragons in the streets preceded and followed by folks with drums and cymbals.
There were still a few dragons around this morning. As I left the hotel this is the sight that greeted me at the door way.
The big round red face is meant to represent the earth. Should always be a fat guy or someone with padding who takes this role. The earth is full and abundant and someone who's fat or padded represents this. The dragon is because this is the year of the dragon. Haven't asked if a goat, tiger, snake, etc is used in other years.
Everywhere I walked people wished me "Happy New Year" and were really delighted when I gave my reply as "Chúc Mừng Năm Mới". Got quite a few people to stop, smile and shake my hand at that.
Things I've seen the last few days... The new year is a time of renewal and everybody has been preparing by cleaning house. The activity has been visible from the street for the last week with everyone brooming out the house, hosing down the floors (the water is in the street and since the doorways are about full with of the home, 5 meters, what's being done inside is visible from the street), washing motorbikes and painting. I'm told the tradition is to have everything done by the end of new year's eve because no cleanup work is supposed to happen new year's day. That's because everything is supposed to be fresh and ready for the new year.
Most businesses are closed. Some began closing two days ago and will stay closed as long as a week.
Visiting family and friends happens new year's eve and day. The visits are short, 1/2 hour to an hour. It's meant as a time to give best wishes for the new year, give "lucky money" in colorful envelopes and head to the next stop on the visit list.
Nice custom. It doesn't emphasize the gift but rather the idea behind it, wishing health and prosperity for the new year.
Last night, starting at midnight, there was a fireworks show that lasted for 15 minutes to celebrate the beginning of the year. After that there were dragons in the streets preceded and followed by folks with drums and cymbals.
There were still a few dragons around this morning. As I left the hotel this is the sight that greeted me at the door way.
Everywhere I walked people wished me "Happy New Year" and were really delighted when I gave my reply as "Chúc Mừng Năm Mới". Got quite a few people to stop, smile and shake my hand at that.
Things I've seen the last few days... The new year is a time of renewal and everybody has been preparing by cleaning house. The activity has been visible from the street for the last week with everyone brooming out the house, hosing down the floors (the water is in the street and since the doorways are about full with of the home, 5 meters, what's being done inside is visible from the street), washing motorbikes and painting. I'm told the tradition is to have everything done by the end of new year's eve because no cleanup work is supposed to happen new year's day. That's because everything is supposed to be fresh and ready for the new year.
Most businesses are closed. Some began closing two days ago and will stay closed as long as a week.
Visiting family and friends happens new year's eve and day. The visits are short, 1/2 hour to an hour. It's meant as a time to give best wishes for the new year, give "lucky money" in colorful envelopes and head to the next stop on the visit list.
Nice custom. It doesn't emphasize the gift but rather the idea behind it, wishing health and prosperity for the new year.
Monday, January 16, 2012
A little taste of home
I wanted coffee. I do like Vietnamese coffee, especially cà phê sữa nóng. When I saw Starbucks I decided to try it and see if or how it changed for Vietnam.
Look at the picture and you'll see, it changed by not being Starbucks any more! And there are some other differences too. First there's only one size of coffee and second the price is reasonable. As for similarities the coffee is good perhaps even better. Told you I like Vietnamese coffee.
Look at the picture and you'll see, it changed by not being Starbucks any more! And there are some other differences too. First there's only one size of coffee and second the price is reasonable. As for similarities the coffee is good perhaps even better. Told you I like Vietnamese coffee.
Oh yes we are walking across THAT street!!!
Stopped to do some shopping at a Coop Mart. Needed some things like another tooth brush. Stores in Vietnam don't carry the same selections of goods that are found in US stores. So even though the Coop Mart is somewhat comparable to a Walmart there are certain things that just are not there and must be purchased elsewhere. Example goods that aren't stocked are cards, pens, stationery of any kind. I needed a card and across the street from the Coop Mart was a book and stationery store. So across the street we went.
The stationery store didn't have much of a selection. Only two subjects on the cards, "Happy New Year" (Vietnamese New Year) and "Happy Birthday".
Crossing to get to the book/stationery store was mind blowing. Standing on the curb looking at the street it's hard to imagine crossing. Crossing back to return to the motorbike I decided right away to record the trek. Watch and you'll see why.
To cross was not just embarking on some foolhardy tourist adventure. You'll see plenty of other people crossing too, when they're not obscured by traffic that is.
Listen closely at the beginning and you'll hear the nickname for buses and why they are called that.
The stationery store didn't have much of a selection. Only two subjects on the cards, "Happy New Year" (Vietnamese New Year) and "Happy Birthday".
Crossing to get to the book/stationery store was mind blowing. Standing on the curb looking at the street it's hard to imagine crossing. Crossing back to return to the motorbike I decided right away to record the trek. Watch and you'll see why.
To cross was not just embarking on some foolhardy tourist adventure. You'll see plenty of other people crossing too, when they're not obscured by traffic that is.
Listen closely at the beginning and you'll hear the nickname for buses and why they are called that.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
We don't need no OSHA!!
This goes under the heading of "you're not in Kansas anymore". Being a born and breed American you get used to looking at things certain ways. And one of those ways is OSHA and another would be the Consumer Product Safety Commission. I think we're all aware of them and that awareness colors our perception of how things should be done. We may decry excesses like, "caution hot coffee can cause burns", but in general I think they've contributed to our well being and safety. And I think having that undercurrent of safety makes it even more amazing when our standard everyday cautions are thrown to the wind. How can it be done? Aren't people getting hurt? Etc.
Here's an example of getting it done in Vietnam or being suicidal in the US. Things to note: no traffic control not even warning cones or a flagger up the street, two guys and a ladder where's the cherry picker?, and best or worst of all moving to a new spot to work.
Here's an example of getting it done in Vietnam or being suicidal in the US. Things to note: no traffic control not even warning cones or a flagger up the street, two guys and a ladder where's the cherry picker?, and best or worst of all moving to a new spot to work.
Green means go
...and red doesn't necessarily mean stop! I'll beat the traffic horse for a while. Saigon traffic still fascinates me. Below is a video taken at a red light. We're stopped. The light changes to green. We go. The intersection isn't clear, the other traffic hasn't stopped and this is how Saigon traffic is. Watch the progress through the intersection. Just amazing.
Don't miss the traffic's composition. Buses, cars, motorbikes a bicycle and 3 pedestrians!! In Hochiminh kids are taught how to play in the street, it's a life skill.
Don't miss the traffic's composition. Buses, cars, motorbikes a bicycle and 3 pedestrians!! In Hochiminh kids are taught how to play in the street, it's a life skill.
How about working in traffic?
Hochiminh is a bustling city. There's life and activity on every corner and along every block. And there's plenty of traffic to and fro to bring activity to every block. Traffic is a feature of the city. It's written about in papers and magazines. And its talked about on television. So it really wasn't a surprise to see this photo/video shoot going on down the centerline of a four lane road entering/exiting a busy traffic circle. It wasn't a surprise but it was still worthwhile to stop, watch and shoot the action, from the safety of the curb.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Getting stuff from one place to another!
One of the things you'll see in Vietnam is there aren't many large trucks. At least not in the city. So things are transported in small quantities using all manner of vehicle. There's the ubiquitous motorbike that carries everything and is loaded down like the Grinch's sleigh, there's motorized and pedal powered 3 wheeled carts, very small trucks (think smaller than a light duty pickup truck) and bicycles. And the wondrous thing is all this traffic mixes together.
Here's a short example of a guy on a bicycle delivering a load somewhere. Watch it and wonder. And watch for the loaded motorbikes going by too.
Here's a short example of a guy on a bicycle delivering a load somewhere. Watch it and wonder. And watch for the loaded motorbikes going by too.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Siem Reap Angkor National Museum and Angkor
Saturday and Sunday I was in Cambodia. My plan was to see Angkor and the temples there.
By lucky coincidence my hotel was across the street from the Angkor National Museum. So I spent Saturday afternoon looking through the exhibits there. This is an excellent museum! It has a guided floor plan that introduces Buddhism and Hinduism, the "historical periods" that Angkor's temples, their architecture, statues and engravings span and the distinctive characteristics of each period. Then it leads you through exhibits illustrating each of these things.
It also has very good multimedia presentations that all worked. And all could be played in a number of languages including English, Khmer, Japanese and Chinese. I'm certain there were additional options on the language menu I just didn't recognize what languages they were.
On Sunday it was off to Angkor. Our guide made clear that Angkor Wat is a specific temple site within the city of Angkor. So... off to Angkor.
One piece of trivia our guide passed on, one of the Ta Prom temples was featured when filming Raiders of the Lost Ark. I'll let the pictures do the talking from here.
You can find a map of Angkor here. Or see Google Maps satellite view here.
It also has very good multimedia presentations that all worked. And all could be played in a number of languages including English, Khmer, Japanese and Chinese. I'm certain there were additional options on the language menu I just didn't recognize what languages they were.
On Sunday it was off to Angkor. Our guide made clear that Angkor Wat is a specific temple site within the city of Angkor. So... off to Angkor.
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| Ta Prom temple detail |
You can find a map of Angkor here. Or see Google Maps satellite view here.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Leaving Cambodia
Sieam Reap is a quiet airport. For some reason there are three international flights leaving at nearly the same time. So it's gone from empty to capacity in a few minutes. Will be nice to get out of here. Boarding should be starting in a few minutes I hope.
On the way to Cambodia
Last visit to Vietnam I didn't start planning travel right at the beginning so I missed some sights I hoped to see. This time around I started scratching things onto the calendar from almost the first day. And so this morning I'm sitting in Than Son Nhat International Airport waiting to board a flight to Siem Reap, Cambodia.
Once there I'll visit the national museum across the street from my hotel. Then Sunday I take a day trip to Angkor Wat. Then back to the hotel for a ride back to the airport and a flight back to Hochiminh City tomorrow evening.
Friday, January 6, 2012
Snow ball's chance in hell...
Around town businesses are busily taking down Christmas decorations and putting up Tet decorations.
Even so there's still plenty of Christmas stuff up. I have to say they really do put effort into putting up a good display and it looks nice.
I do find it amusing to see all the snow, snowmen and winter time motifs in the displays though. There's not a snowball's chance in hell to see such a thing for real here. December/January is the coolest part of the year. So far the lowest temperature I've been aware of is 80°F.
Ain't gonna be no snowmen here!
air quality -- the pictures
An update to my previous post. Two pictures looking at the BITEXCO Financial Tower taken from locations about a block apart. The one where the tower is barely visible reflects conditions that prevailed for about four days this week.
In the clearer one the air is visibly better. Even so it isn't as clear as when I was here in September.
In the clearer one the air is visibly better. Even so it isn't as clear as when I was here in September.
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| The bad air - the tower is barely visible |
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| ...and the "good air" - different camera at about 1/3 the resolution too! |
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Air quality...
Sucks!
When I was here before I noticed the air was bad. In the morning it started out okay and through the day it got worse and worse. Some days I could "feel" the air on my skin.
Well that was then, the end of the rainy season, with rain at the end of every day or in the night.
This is the dry season. The temperatures are much more tolerable for me so that's a relief. However without the daily rains, not a drop since I landed a week ago, the air quality is worse.
My own explanation for this is more dust and dirt is kicked up by traffic because it isn't stuck to the ground from being wet. The really fine particles stay in the air longer because there's no rain coming down to wash them out and back onto the ground. And then there's the traffic which is continuing to make its same contribution, wet season or dry.
We talk about alternate fuels in the US. If reliable reasonably priced electric vehicles could be introduced in Vietnam I have no doubt there'd be health benefits realized in short order.
When I was here before I noticed the air was bad. In the morning it started out okay and through the day it got worse and worse. Some days I could "feel" the air on my skin.
Well that was then, the end of the rainy season, with rain at the end of every day or in the night.
This is the dry season. The temperatures are much more tolerable for me so that's a relief. However without the daily rains, not a drop since I landed a week ago, the air quality is worse.
My own explanation for this is more dust and dirt is kicked up by traffic because it isn't stuck to the ground from being wet. The really fine particles stay in the air longer because there's no rain coming down to wash them out and back onto the ground. And then there's the traffic which is continuing to make its same contribution, wet season or dry.
We talk about alternate fuels in the US. If reliable reasonably priced electric vehicles could be introduced in Vietnam I have no doubt there'd be health benefits realized in short order.
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
It's the same... only different
Being in Vietnam continues to be a stimulating experience. Everything is familiar and yet everything is a little different.
There's a variety of stores, grocery, electronics, pharmacy, clothing, etc., with all the products that are expected. Take a closer look and the differences start showing in the details.
It dawned on me yesterday as I was getting a splash of Listerene, bought here, for my attack on morning breath that there is no need to squeeze the sides of the cap to get the bottle top off! Apparently there's not much concern for safety or the ability to easily open common health products doesn't create liability for the producer.
Soda and juice cans seem the same size and shape but they're not. Instead of 12 oz, 354.9 ml, they're 320 ml. That is just 1.2 oz shy of normal size in the US. Not enough to be immediately apparent when you're holding the can in your hand.
Escalators go up on the left and down on the right. Something I didn't even realize in the US until a couple of attempts at getting on the wrong escalator here.
Saying "thank you" or in local speak "cảm ơn" isn't expected. As a matter of fact saying it routinely gets odd looks from people its directed at. In the US we'll say thanks when wait staff takes our order, then when they leave drinks, then the starters then the main course and then when the table is cleared. Here it isn't the habit and the wait staff start giving odd looks about the 3rd "cảm ơn". Same holds true for getting some help from the desk clerk or asking assistance in the grocery store.
It feels odd for me not to say it but then it obviously feels odd to hear for those its directed at.
I'm sure there's other things I haven't put my finger on yet. What it all amounts to is everything is the same with just a little different wrinkle to make it feel not quite exactly what you already know.
There's a variety of stores, grocery, electronics, pharmacy, clothing, etc., with all the products that are expected. Take a closer look and the differences start showing in the details.
It dawned on me yesterday as I was getting a splash of Listerene, bought here, for my attack on morning breath that there is no need to squeeze the sides of the cap to get the bottle top off! Apparently there's not much concern for safety or the ability to easily open common health products doesn't create liability for the producer.
Soda and juice cans seem the same size and shape but they're not. Instead of 12 oz, 354.9 ml, they're 320 ml. That is just 1.2 oz shy of normal size in the US. Not enough to be immediately apparent when you're holding the can in your hand.
Escalators go up on the left and down on the right. Something I didn't even realize in the US until a couple of attempts at getting on the wrong escalator here.
Saying "thank you" or in local speak "cảm ơn" isn't expected. As a matter of fact saying it routinely gets odd looks from people its directed at. In the US we'll say thanks when wait staff takes our order, then when they leave drinks, then the starters then the main course and then when the table is cleared. Here it isn't the habit and the wait staff start giving odd looks about the 3rd "cảm ơn". Same holds true for getting some help from the desk clerk or asking assistance in the grocery store.
It feels odd for me not to say it but then it obviously feels odd to hear for those its directed at.
I'm sure there's other things I haven't put my finger on yet. What it all amounts to is everything is the same with just a little different wrinkle to make it feel not quite exactly what you already know.
Monday, January 2, 2012
More food - duck embryo anyone?
My former father-in-law ate fertilized duck eggs. I've forgotten what the believed value of eating the fertilized egg is. However the egg simply being fertilized didn't necessarily make the egg desirable. The more desirable egg had a well defined duck embryo inside!
I can remember seeing him relish eating eggs with a clearly identifiable duckling, head, eyes, bill, webbed feet etc. all clearly visible. The eggs are eaten hard boiled.
Well, I never ate one and neither did any of his other sons in law.
Yesterday Huong took me to a hot pot restaurant. Never seen anything like it before except in a video game my kids had. You order a hot pot with broth which goes into a recess in the counter at your seat. There's a conveyor just beyond that which goes past all the seats in the restaurant, like an airport baggage carousel. On the conveyor are dishes with various ingredients that you pick off and dump into your hot pot to make your own meal. This conveyor had the fertilized duck eggs on it.
I was at the restaurant with my Huong and her oldest daughter. She asked me if I wanted one of the duck eggs and said it is one of her girls' favorites. Before I could think about it there it was in my hot pot. So I ate it. As it turned out mine didn't have a really well formed embryo so there was no visual of a little duckie being eaten. There were lots of veins in the egg and plenty of downy feather filaments though.
Now that I've overcome my reluctance to eat a fertilized egg I may need to try again, and again, until I get an egg with duckling inside. Then I'll know what it's like to eat one of the really desirable eggs.
I can remember seeing him relish eating eggs with a clearly identifiable duckling, head, eyes, bill, webbed feet etc. all clearly visible. The eggs are eaten hard boiled.
Well, I never ate one and neither did any of his other sons in law.
Yesterday Huong took me to a hot pot restaurant. Never seen anything like it before except in a video game my kids had. You order a hot pot with broth which goes into a recess in the counter at your seat. There's a conveyor just beyond that which goes past all the seats in the restaurant, like an airport baggage carousel. On the conveyor are dishes with various ingredients that you pick off and dump into your hot pot to make your own meal. This conveyor had the fertilized duck eggs on it.I was at the restaurant with my Huong and her oldest daughter. She asked me if I wanted one of the duck eggs and said it is one of her girls' favorites. Before I could think about it there it was in my hot pot. So I ate it. As it turned out mine didn't have a really well formed embryo so there was no visual of a little duckie being eaten. There were lots of veins in the egg and plenty of downy feather filaments though.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
More Food
I like to try all kinds of food. George Carlin set me off on a quest for the "blue food" ages ago. Like him I still haven't found it but I've come across plenty of mighty tasty things in the search.
Last night I went to a food festival in Hochiminh with my fiancee and her daughters.
Huong broght back to our table some grilled meat on skewers. Turns out one was deer and the other crocodile.
I've had deer before in the US. It's usually a bit gamey and tough. This deer was much the same.
On the other hand the crocodile was tasty. I would definitely enjoy having more. "It tastes like chicken" is often used to describe unfamiliar meats. In the case of crocodile it actually does taste something like chicken. The meat has a texture like beef though. It makes for an enjoyable combination of flavor and texture. I'll be having me some more of that!
And now that I'm back in Vietnam I need to get back on track sampling the unusual meats I didn't get to sample last visit. So still to come cat, rat, snake, cricket (bugs are meat, aren't they?), horse and I'm probably forgetting some.
Last night I went to a food festival in Hochiminh with my fiancee and her daughters.
Huong broght back to our table some grilled meat on skewers. Turns out one was deer and the other crocodile.
I've had deer before in the US. It's usually a bit gamey and tough. This deer was much the same.
On the other hand the crocodile was tasty. I would definitely enjoy having more. "It tastes like chicken" is often used to describe unfamiliar meats. In the case of crocodile it actually does taste something like chicken. The meat has a texture like beef though. It makes for an enjoyable combination of flavor and texture. I'll be having me some more of that!
And now that I'm back in Vietnam I need to get back on track sampling the unusual meats I didn't get to sample last visit. So still to come cat, rat, snake, cricket (bugs are meat, aren't they?), horse and I'm probably forgetting some.
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