5 Christmases

Finally, this evening, not only do I get a break from AIS and from HCMC, I return home for Christmas for the first time since 2001. The last five of Jesus's birthdays have been spent abroad, in various locations, and here for the sake of god knows what, I will recall them briefly.

2002 - Sydney, Australia

Fresh out of University, traveling the world with three friends, Sydney is the stereotypical British backpackers Christmas - you can tell that by the 20,000 other people in Union Jack swimming trunks, and that's not even mentioning the Irish population around Bondi. Christmas Eve we hit the town in Kings Cross, Syndey's notorious backpacker/red light district (strange how those two always go together...). Here's a pic from that hazy night.

Yes, that's me in the middle being strangled by a Vodka drink. Xmas Day and it was off to the beach -- not joining the barmy army down at Bondi for the predictable embarrassment of a nation (the Brits abroad), we opted for a much more low key affair at nearby Bronte Beach.

2003 - Seoul, South Korea

The picture has nothing to do with Christmas, so tough. But it is in Seoul.


After getting the train into Seoul, this was a much frostier affair where Christmas Eve was spent fruitlessly looking for a dorm room on the campus of a huge city University (our accommodation via a friend) -- eventually giving up at 10.30pm and heading to the bars of Hongdae. Rolling out of the clubs at 4.00am we were lucky to be saved from sleeping under a bridge by a friend, who invited us back to her house. We enjoyed a traditional Christmas breakfast of rice, soup, fish and kimchi, sat cross-legged on the floor.

2004 - Koh Lanta, Thailand


Christmas here was uneventful, a holiday where I followed my family's Explore package holiday around. Unfortunately, Boxing Day was the most memorable for us, it was the morning of the 2004 Boxing Day Asian Tsunami, but that is another story altogether.

2005 - Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam


This time the parents visited Vietnam, and Chi entertained us at her mother's house with a wonderful Christmas dinner.

2006 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia


This picture was taken inside the KLCC.

KL was alive and kicking on Xmas Eve, with what seemed like a million people thronging the city center around the Bukit Bintang area. Streamers, silly string and foam were flying through the air, rowdy groups of teenagers spraying passers by, and everyone was in the spirit. In the festive melee poor old Chi and I got separated -- she turned up three hours later at the hotel, around 1am...! Still in one piece however.

2007 - Bournemouth, England

Coming Soon.

Helmets Everywhere

I am sure this won't be the first blog on this topic....but here we go.

We've all seen the headlines, and driven under the red banners strung out around the city. We've heard the whining, the complaining, the excuses. But now is judgement day. According to the article 'Nation to dole out swift justice for those spur new helmet law', "beginning December 15, thousands of traffic policemen, special task forces and traffic inspectors will be deployed to supervise the wearing of helmets by all motorists." The fine is $9, or 150,000 VND.

So it was with an intrepid and curious eye I stepped out this morning. Happily there is a 99% compliance on the streets this morning.

I only saw two traffic policeman on my drive, much the same as a normal morning, only the helmetless woman they had pulled over was being photographed by the press!

Making Connections Grow (Facebook style)

My business, the infant travel agency Connections, has just grown. We have relaunched the website, www.connectionsvietnam.com. I have tried to make it more Google friendly -- added a Guide section including 'Eat', 'Drink', 'Stay' and 'See'. Also added a links section. Added our new services as well, our Saigon packages. We are putting our four city services (Cook, Meet, Learn and Dine) together into one night / two day and two night / three day packages -- all excellent value for money if you ask me. But I would say that.

Love it or hate it, Facebook is one heck of a powerful tool. There are nearly 16,000 people in the Vietnam network now, so it makes sense to create some kind of presence. The best way to find out 'what's on' in Saigon is through the Vietnam network...especially now the most popular expat mag has gone out of business (allegedly). I am still just skimming the surface therefore, with 118 members in my Connections Vietnam group. What happens is this : I created the group and invited all my friends. They of course joined not wanting to offend me, then the group shows up as a popular one in the Vietnam network. Networkers, socalites and business people browsing these groups then join to, well, 'Network'. And nothing against these people, I do the same thing. It is marketing and networking without leaving your living room. Of course, getting off your arse occasionally helps a lot too, I really must consider that sometime. See you at the next Saigon networking event people!

Thu Thiem

Saigon is a large, heavily populated city. I have visited, driven through, worked in, or lived in almost all the districts of the city. Thu Thiem however is an exception. For years I have watched the bikes streaming off the ferry and entering the flow of traffic on Ton Duc Thang. For years I have gazed at the old SANYO advertising board over the river and wondered what lurks behind. In my mind, it was a row of old sheds and not a lot else. So one Sunday when passing and with little else to do I ducked onto the small ferry, paid my 1,500 VND fee, and finally took a look at Thu Thiem.

Of course, it mostly looks like the rest of the city, and the first route I took was an anti climatic road leading to the bottom of the Saigon Bridge. That ain't nothing new. Eventually, heading back into the heart of Thu Thiem, I found what I was looking for, or at least what I suspected was here.

To me, this was amazing. After resigning myself to the fact that Saigon is a chaotic jungle full of choking fumes and ruined by traffic, I find this -- a peaceful countryside lane within ten minutes of District 1.

The road led to the Saigon river, and a view out over District Four and Seven and their various ports.

Of course this little hidden corner of the city, so far protected by water, will soon be opened up massively by the East-West highway project (including the tunnel under the Saigon River). A bridge from Binh Thanh to Thu Thiem will be finished by TET, and eventually will link to the highway, another bridge linking from Thu Thiem to District 7.

Here's the highway under construction, looking back to District One and the tunnel under the river.

Kien Giang & An Giang

A horrific amount of my time is monopolized these days by such laborious things as 'responsibilities', 'work' and others. When I see TFW scratching around on the floor like a dying, wounded animal, a pang of guilt and remorse shudders through me -- yet more often than not, pass by that poor creature I must.

Last week we flew to Rach Gia airport in Kien Giang province, transferred to the bus station and took Mai Linh's 'express' service to Ha Tien. Kien Giang is in the bottom left of Vietnam (for the geographically challenged), or if you want to be technical, the 'south west'. Phu Quoc island is also part of KG.

We jumped out of the cab around 30km from Ha Tien at Ba Hon where the road forks onto the Hon Chong Peninsular. The peninsular was beautiful at one time, but the drive out to the bay was pot marked with half quarried cliff faces and smoldering cement factories. Beyond the industrial mutilation of nature, the road hits a windy, forested section through which eventually emerges the 3 kilometer bay of Hon Chong.

We stayed in the 'Green House' which looks like this:

and had a fantastic room which looked like this - large, airy, with a private veranda outside and a wonderful view :

At the other end of the bay, the end of the road in this part of the world, is Hai Son Tu, or Sea Mountain Temple. A temple is entered through a large cave, the pathway leading past neon glowing Buddhas and onto a small beach where you would be faced with Hon Phu Tu, or Father and Son Isle.

After one night enjoying the fresh air and the views, Ha Tien was the next port of call. The end-of-the-line in Vietnam, Ha Tien is around 6km from the Cambodian border. The countryside surrounding the town, from Ba Hon to the border, is stunning. Miles of irrigated flat paddies and the occasional fringe of palms charm you into submission.

From the Thach Dong Cave Pagoda a few ks out of Ha Tien not only can you see the beautiful countryside of this area...

but you can also peer over the border into Cambodia...

It is down the road in the picture above, you'll eventually come to the border gate.

This border has been open now to foreigners for some time. According to the guard, it is possible to get a visa for Cambodia in Ha Tien, although I didn't look into this any further. The border is open from 6am to 6pm. The border opens a new way for backpackers to travel from Phnom Penh to HCMC. Previously, the only options were the bus from HCMC to PP via Moc Bai, the boat from Chau Doc, or flying. Now, those travelling on the Cambodian side can head down to Sianoukville (as many do anyway) and then take the coast road through Kampot and Kep, enter Vietnam and come through the Delta this way. From here they could take the boat from Rach Gia to Phu Quoc, then fly one-way to HCMC, or travel up through the delta themselves. Of course, they could do it all in reverse. And this is why Connections is looking at the Mekong entry/exit tour from/to this area to/from HCMC! Anyway, that's another story.

Day three - having looked around the town itself (that was a damn fine ten minutes by the way) and the surrounding attractions (a couple of hours) on day two, I jokingly suggested we should go to Chau Doc. By 9am I was in charge of a little Neo, driving back down the coast road to Rach Gia, looking for the turn off to An Giang province. Back at Ha Tien`s premiere hotel, the knowledgeable staff had said around two hours to Chau Doc. One suggested it was 50km away. My ass suggested otherwise. In fact, after the speedo count on the way home ( yes, I had a bike with a working speedo), it was a 123km trip there, so a 250km round trip. I couldn't sit down again for two days. After roughly three hours driving, and we arrived in Chau Doc. Entering the town was the main reason for my wife's -- let's call it a 'strong desire' -- to come to Chau Doc, the Temple of Lady Chua Xu. People come here and wish for whatever they require. Happiness, luck, etc. Those who get it often donate things to the great Lady -- often gold, or large dresses for her to wear on her great throne inside the temple.

Here, all the dresses that have been made for the lady are stored.

You don't drive for three hours in the tropical sun without rewarding yourself -- hence heading straight over the the Victoria Hotel in the heart of Chau Doc to sip an expensive but refreshing lemon juice on the banks of the Mekong River.

Finally, it was over to the market to pick up some of this famous 'mam' which I think is 'mám', but my wife is not here to ask so it's only a guess. Bizarre, foul smelling stuff -- and she bought three kilos of it.

After expressing disgust and horror solely through facial expressions, defeat was admitted and the mam went between my legs on the Neo.

The next morning, we were horribly late for the plane, arriving 5 minutes before departure time. The plane was waiting on the tarmac, all we had to do was get through the security check. Everything was fine, except the mam. I looked to my left and saw the VN airways guy walking towards the tarmac. Everything is in slow motion now, and off to my right, the misses is in full flow with the surely green-uniformed women at the x-ray machine. Left again, VNA man is raising his hands and making a cross sign to the staff manning the steps up to the old prop plane -- he means, that's it, close the doors. I march over to him with my finger raised in teacher style and say something like 'Excuse me Sir, I would much prefer it if we could get on that flight so kindly ask them to wait a few more seconds....'. Chi gives up and leaves the building with a volley of verbal abuse, we trapse across the tarmac, one with steam coming out of their ears, and settle down for the return to relaxing Saigon....

Visions of 2020 to come true...?

Back in March this year I wrote a piece called 'Will 2020 ever come to Saigon'. In it I said :

What I envisage for the city is a pedestrian area encompassing Nguyen Hue, Dong Khoi and Lam Son Square. I am no urban planner and maybe it's too late to build the parking that would be necessary, but wouldn't it be nice.....

It looks like we may be on the first step towards this, according to a column inch in Thanh Nien recently (this taken from their new printed English version.

One can only wonder how much truth there is in this article, and how long it will take to implement such a plan. The word used is 'consider', so they are still only thinking about it. Personally, I think it's a great idea!

The footy

Yes, this is what we deal with, in fact the above picture is nothing too dire. Awful awful pitch, and the game finished 4-4.

Saigon Raiders (my team) have a new website, you may recognise the writing style in the news sections and the match reports...check out our team profiles at http://www.saigonraiders.com/.

We are four games into the new season and our record is won two, drawn one, lost one. The Saigon International Football League also has a new website, again you may recognise the writing style on the homepage...(and you wonder why I am not posting much these days). Check out the league and all the teams at http://www.sifl-vn.com/.

Errr

Umm.....

Errr....

On Kim Jong Il....

He was born in a log cabin at his father's guerrilla base on North Korea's highest mountain The event was reportedly marked by a double rainbow, and a bright star in the sky.

From the Washington Post :

SEOUL -- Han, a Communist Party official in North Korea, was walking home from work when he heard he was in trouble. He had smuggled a radio back from China after an official trip. He listened to it late at night, huddled with earphones on and shades drawn, to hear music that brought him a whisper of sanity and took him away from the horrors of his day.

Now, someone had found it, or someone had told.
"It could have been my children who said something outside. It could have been my friend; one knew," said Han, 39, who spoke on condition he be identified only by his surname.

"If a farmer or laborer had a radio, he could have been released," Han said. "But I was an official. In my case, it would have been torture and a life sentence in a political prisoners' camp."

Although not the greatest follower of this news source, from CNN....

Human Rights Watch has estimated there are 200,000 political prisoners inside North Korea; Pyongyang denies any camps exist.

North Korea is the last Stalinist regime, a closed one-party state founded on a personality cult, a rogue regime known for repression of its people, a nearly bankrupt nation, where, in the 1990s, the U.S. government says more than 2 million people starved to death during a famine. Kim Jong Il denied the famine even existed.

And from the BBC today : Flood hit North Korea 'faces famine'.

Less of the state visits hey....how can the smiling faces on the front page of the paper be anything to be proud of?

Stormy Pics

Once again, a massive delay between posts, but I am submerged. Lots of material in my mind, lots of pictures to take, just finding the time.

For now, just some pictures I took last night. One of many things I would love to learn more about, photography. Vietnam is like a photographers wet dream...or is that too graphic. As I arrived home the encroaching storm was swaying palms and scattering trash across the street, with purpely-black clouds looking more menacing than a forest bear after you just slapped his wife and called her a ho. In the other direction, all was light and serene.

Now turn around slowly....

Back in the other direction, here she comes....

Eventually night falls....

And the storm broke....and then it was too dark to take any more pictures. I thank you.

Pathfinder

Pathfinder is a magazine published in Vietnam for expats and travallers. I find myself contributing to said magazine, and learning a trade that I am really quite enamoured with and would like to get to know better in the future. Here is a well lit and professional picture of said magazine.

Pathfinder is due for relaunch in the next few months. To continue the shameless plug and self publicity (hell what are blogs for, did I tell you about Connections?), I will link to some of my work on the Pathfinder website...

You'll recognize the pictures on Saigon Street Fare and Quan 94 from my previous entry right here (scroll down...). I'm also raving about La Hostaria on the site. Enjoy!

Fish Soup and Crab

Vạn Kiếp is a small street running between Phan Xích Long and Phan Dăng Lưu. Unusual in HCCM, a collection of street food style vendors straddle under the one canvas selling all manner of things.

Bún Mắm was one such dish being sold, a fish broth choc full of prawn, pork, eggplant and squid. Very fishy, but not bad at all (I am no food critic).

Other stalls in this short row were selling things like bun bo hue and Chinese noodles.

Over on Dien Tien Hoang is crab heaven. Can you spot the number?

Chả Giò Cua Biển, in English, crab spring rolls. And my my, crab spring roll is no lie. Check out the white, succulent contents of these puppies.

Chunky crab spring rolls go well mashed up in a bowl with soft white noodles, the usual addition of herbs and salads and a sprinkling of fish sauce - I can still taste it now. I often read travellers criticising Vietnamese food -- show them to my door, the fools.

Learn

Students who have signed up to participate in our service 'Learn' presented a demo on Sunday afternoon in front of a panel of Vietnam residents, all foreigners. I wasn't sure what to expect - and we started badly with heavy rain delaying the start. Location was hardly perfect and we had to wait for it to subside as the tin roof just above wasn't conducive for presentations.

Now, in Gladiators style, students......ready?

Visitors......ready?

Our group, these from RMIT University, started with a presentation on Vietnamese history, from long, long ago until today. Nguyen headed this one.

It became apparent there were some mistakes in the presentation, this being the first time we'd all seen it, me included. Of course Nguyen was disappointed and understood the need for historical facts (especially dates) to be absolutely spot on. One thing the audience did like was the fact that they heard about recent Vietnamese history from a Vietnamese perspective. A slightly delicate situation maybe, all my guest were American and it only dawned on me a little late. We moved on to the food demo.

Thao showed the audience how to make spring rolls with pork, vegetables and fish sauce, then invited them up to try it themselves.

After this, our latest star Vu from International University gave a presentation on TET holiday, with some interesting background and legend (Vu I do have a picture just at home, I will edit it in later...).

The concept of 'Learn' is one I am determined to work with. I like the idea of a one hour workshop which includes these presentations and demos. There are some practical difficulties with Learn however. The content is no problem, it can be refined and perfected, and the students are so enthusiastic. The difficulties I see are these:

• It is not worth doing unless there are at least 8 people signed up for a session, therefore we need to target tour groups rather than independent travelers. However, I'd love to offer it to anyone at a daily time.
  
• We need a better location than present. The roof was leaking.
  

I thank you.

Connections Stash

As old friends of mine would have said, stash!

We've been on the streets of Saigon giving out some Connections fliers to tourists. My wife first did it with some of our young student volunteers. It was tough, she said. The common answer was 'we're leaving tomorrow', if any answer was forthcoming at all. I tried it one Sunday morning. I thought it would be pleasant to be able to simply chat with a few backpackers, see where they are going and where they've been, but nay. The first people I approached who were bent over a map on a bench literally recoiled in horror as my lips moved in their direction. I felt dirty. Then, I started to think about it, and of course some random white guy roaming around Saigon striking up conversations would probably be incomprehensible to a SE Asia weary, tout hardened, paranoid backpacker.

Stash, we used to refer to at Uni and on our travels, is basically free stuff or something you can add to your collection. For example, the Island Divers T-shirt we all bought on Koh Phi Phi after completing dive certs was most definitely 'stash'. Hence the picture of my Connections stash.

So the idea behind the stash is to give our students a bit of an identity if they are direct marketing. I am cautious about both T-shirt and hat together, it's pushing the boundary on good taste and it's not really the message behind what we are trying to achieve, stepping away from horribly organised tourism. The T-shirt by itself is quiet smart, so I declared thou shalt not wear ye hat together with thine T-shirt. Tis cheesy.