My regrets are few
If my life is mine
What shouldn't I do?
I get wherever I'm going
I get whatever I need
While my bloods still flowing
And my heart still beats...
Beating like a hammer
- Help I'm Alive, Metric
I'm currently sipping slowly from a mug of coffee, with the wind quietly and softly blowing in. This languidness is such a contrast to the fast-paced, early-bird-gets-the-worm mentality the Vietnamese have. I posted about my trip to Ho Chi Minh here sometime ago, but it wasn't complete so I unpublished it. It's completed now :
When my Mum first told me about this out of the blue trip to Vietnam, the immediate things which came to cloud my mind were : straw hats, dirt and mud, vegetables and more dirt and mud. Okay, I realized I'm having a demeaning perception (for me, what could be more degrading that being linked to dirt and mud?!) of this country before actually seeing the place myself. I wasn't ecstatic, after all - this is not Paris or Cannes so it's not something which I would lose my head over, but I didn't push it away either.
The second thing which I always think about when someone announces that I'm supposed to be "going somewhere" is, what to wear?! I underestimated the degree of the country's humidity, but I did give a good thought about lodging all my "breathable" clothes along. After all, I ain't going to North Pole or somewhere remotely close to the North Pole. The huge dilemma was, I have no fucking breathable clothes!
Healthy sandwiches I like :)
I thought my pupils and ears were being split into halves because all I hear were noises and honks from vehicles and all I see were motorcycles rushing by. I was given the impression that maybe (just maybe) all the drivers are temporarily brainwashed because I look at them and it seems that they have only one goal when they drive : To arrive at the destination irregardless. They're eyes are impossibly intent and focused, their faces itching with hidden impatience. Drivers honk every fucking 5 seconds.
If I'm a Vietnamese, I would create a petition, petitioning against the extreme lack of traffic lights. Pedestrians cross the roads, as if they do not heed the oncoming vehicle. Well, to be honest, after numerous attempts of crossing their traffic, I think I'm a master and a righteously acclaimed professional in crossing roads.
There are absolutely no mountains here.
The stuffiest and most crowded market I've ever been to, Ben Thanh market. Good bargains though.
Friendly locals :
A whole day tour around Ho Chin Minh and Mekong Delta. Pictures for your scrolling pleasure! :
Me and the greatest person in the world.
Entering unknown territory!
On one of those traditional, wooden motorboats.
To the swamps!
Wtf..
The authentic Vietnam experience : wooden boat rides!
With goofy Dad behind ;D
The next day, we had a half-day tour around the city. Scrolling time :
At the Presidential Palace, a place with absolutely no air-conditioning, leaving us damp and humidified.
Kids, no matter what part of the world you're in or what race you are, are always the same, aren't they? Skipping and running in the drizzling rain, without a care for the world.
Carving intricately with colored egg shells.
The beautiful Notre Dame cathedral :
Wtf, it was raining by now and we have no umbrellas.
The Post Office was smack on the right side of the cathedral. This is one swanky post office.
It's a sin to forget raving about the food. Here's some of them awesome food :
Pho Hoa (noodle soup). Michelle loves it as well :) I would love, love, love to have a bowl of that again! It just ain't the same here.
Spring rolls that kill.
Knowing their dependency and love for rice, they have this other kind of rice called broken rice. It is a wonder for me, the broken rice are very fine, broken into almost perfect halves.
I drank my first vegetable drink.
What they love there.
You have not lived until you drink Vietnamese coffee. It's heaven in a glass.
I feel like I eat fried rice everywhere.
They take their fish very seriously.
They have road side stalls everywhere, with quaint little chairs. Seems like everyone goes there. The hygiene level is not exactly high, so we didn't eat there. I didn't get to sit on one of the cute little chairs!
They have beautiful, green, New York Central Park-like parks in every corner of the city, something which I think our country should learn to have.
A proud urbanite. Ho Chin Minh is such a complicated city with erratic and unpredictable weather, you'll soon love it. Another wonderful thing about Ho Chin Minh is that they have so many hot Caucasian backpackers!
