Apparently it's 86 degrees outside today, but since the norm is upwards of 95, it feels a lot cooler, even the humidity is down, it's a beautiful day by my standards. Everyone keeps saying we skipped the hot season and have gone straight to rainy season, and it is QUITE rainy, if it rains, you're soaked in three seconds, but it's completely tolerable... for now. I'm still struggling with the Celsius/Fahrenheit conversion.
Tuesday I went to Lush, which I think if I skipped just ONE Tuesday my roommates would have me replaced in the apartment. It's always a really good time, but I always end up staying out too late. "Why is Tuesday so much fun and Wednesday the worst day of the week?" "Because Tuesday is ladies night and Wednesday is hang over day." Touché.
St. Patrick's Day was quite an adventure, everyone around the world, not just in the US, thinks they are Irish on this day. Which is funny because I'm pretty sure they don't celebrate St. Patrick's Day this way in Ireland (Just like they don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo in Mexico as well celebrated as it is in the US). No "Irish potatoes" to be found anywhere though... that was intensely disappointing, also not a worldly food, it might just be a Jersey thing based on my limited research. I met a nice group of Australians, that have since gone back or to London, in what I suppose could be considered an Irish Pub. That's something that I don't think I'll get used to, the transience. I've also noticed where the US has a lot of people with Italian or Irish backgrounds, a lot of people here are Australian or German. That's easily my favorite thing, meeting so many people from so many backgrounds.
I am still settling overall. I have to work this Saturday due to silly office politics, no sense complaining about things I can't change. But I think Julien (the French head of marketing at my company) and I are going to meet other people from the office in Vung Tau (the closest beach to Saigon) when we get off at 12. I'm hoping to head up to the Mekong soon, I hear it's a good day trip. My roommates are trying to convince me to go to Kuala Lumpur, and I'd like to, I just am not quite ready to shell out the money for that. I am, however, ready to spend an entire day at the spa (full body massage, hair wash, cut and dry, manicure, pedicure, and facial) for ten whole dollars. Unbelievable.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Not everyday is great, but great things happen everyday
I thought it was the 11th or 12th to give you some idea of how quickly time is going. It’s been a while since I wrote, almost three weeks, I’ll have to piece things together through emails and Skype conversations. The internet has been even more unreliable since about a week ago. As it turns out there’s a damaged cord in Vung Tau, particularly the connection from Vietnam to America. Rumor has it we’ve got another week or two before it’s repaired. I have to admit it’s easier to be zen about things when you finally have some sort of answer to the question, even if it seems mildly ridiculous.
Things are settling down a bit and I feel like I’m falling into a routine. Not every day is good, but something good happens every day; if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 100 times. Plenty of negative thoughts cross my mind, often multiple times a day, but like I implied I’m trying to be more zen about everything.
Last Thursday I moved into my new apartment with Tracey from Manchester and Lizzy from Ann Arbor. I still don’t know if she has a friend or sibling old enough to know Pete Creekmore. The acquaintance you hold with people is so strange. Vietnam is proving how small the world really is.
Danielle helped me bring all of my stuff up and we went for dinner and quiz night at Le Pub. I’ve heard such wonderful things about it, but I found it rather dull. I decided to head home out of exhaustion. First night in my beautiful apartment.
Wednesday I worked and that was about it. I was completely exhausted. The girls and I watched most of Never Let Me Go, but all decided to head to sleep around ten. I think majority of my exhaustion stems from the heat, walking around in it, and sweating out all of the energy you consume. Now I’d really like to finish the film, but I don’t know what happened to it.
Thursday was another uneventful day, I think. I almost prefer them, at least for now. I may have gone to Scoozi with Danielle, Romy, and Bill… pretty amazing pizza for the other side of the world. Were we not sitting outside under an awning in the rain, were the servers and pizza makers not Vietnamese, and were there not cockroaches scuttling up my legs, I might have believed we were in New York.
Friday my exhaustion continued. Home and asleep by 10:45.
Saturday I met Isabelle by the opera house to have lunch at a Japanese restaurant – best chicken teriyaki ever. Ernst joined us. Good chat about retaliation against thieves and Harry Potter. Predictably, McGonagle and Snape are their favorites respectively.
Isabelle and I walked and walked. We stopped at the equivalent of Starbucks for a drink to let the heat dissipate. We walked back to my apartment and then got dinner at the restaurant around the corner from my apartment (Papaya). Went our early ways, another early night in bed.
Sunday I woke up early, did a little Skyping when it worked and went down to Bui Vien to Bobby Brewers to get out of my apartment but also out of the heat. I stuck around for How Do You Know and Sanctum before walking home. A wonderful way to kill a hot afternoon. It’s only going to get hotter, I have no idea when I’ll make it to the zoo or the War Remnants Museum (even though that’s inside).
Monday was uneventful.
And here we are at Tuesday. I walked home, as usual, bought some really cute pants along the way. We’re all getting ready to head out to Ladies Night at Lush, our first true outing as roommates. Work was dreadful; the internet is dreadful and this piece I’m working on is so factually incorrect. I did get to work on Klimt, Rodin, and Monet in between. Friday is my deadline, so hopefully the internet picks up a bit so I can get all my fact checking done efficiently.
Things are settling down a bit and I feel like I’m falling into a routine. Not every day is good, but something good happens every day; if I’ve said it once, I’ve said it 100 times. Plenty of negative thoughts cross my mind, often multiple times a day, but like I implied I’m trying to be more zen about everything.
Last Thursday I moved into my new apartment with Tracey from Manchester and Lizzy from Ann Arbor. I still don’t know if she has a friend or sibling old enough to know Pete Creekmore. The acquaintance you hold with people is so strange. Vietnam is proving how small the world really is.
Danielle helped me bring all of my stuff up and we went for dinner and quiz night at Le Pub. I’ve heard such wonderful things about it, but I found it rather dull. I decided to head home out of exhaustion. First night in my beautiful apartment.
Wednesday I worked and that was about it. I was completely exhausted. The girls and I watched most of Never Let Me Go, but all decided to head to sleep around ten. I think majority of my exhaustion stems from the heat, walking around in it, and sweating out all of the energy you consume. Now I’d really like to finish the film, but I don’t know what happened to it.
Thursday was another uneventful day, I think. I almost prefer them, at least for now. I may have gone to Scoozi with Danielle, Romy, and Bill… pretty amazing pizza for the other side of the world. Were we not sitting outside under an awning in the rain, were the servers and pizza makers not Vietnamese, and were there not cockroaches scuttling up my legs, I might have believed we were in New York.
Friday my exhaustion continued. Home and asleep by 10:45.
Saturday I met Isabelle by the opera house to have lunch at a Japanese restaurant – best chicken teriyaki ever. Ernst joined us. Good chat about retaliation against thieves and Harry Potter. Predictably, McGonagle and Snape are their favorites respectively.
Isabelle and I walked and walked. We stopped at the equivalent of Starbucks for a drink to let the heat dissipate. We walked back to my apartment and then got dinner at the restaurant around the corner from my apartment (Papaya). Went our early ways, another early night in bed.
Sunday I woke up early, did a little Skyping when it worked and went down to Bui Vien to Bobby Brewers to get out of my apartment but also out of the heat. I stuck around for How Do You Know and Sanctum before walking home. A wonderful way to kill a hot afternoon. It’s only going to get hotter, I have no idea when I’ll make it to the zoo or the War Remnants Museum (even though that’s inside).
Monday was uneventful.
And here we are at Tuesday. I walked home, as usual, bought some really cute pants along the way. We’re all getting ready to head out to Ladies Night at Lush, our first true outing as roommates. Work was dreadful; the internet is dreadful and this piece I’m working on is so factually incorrect. I did get to work on Klimt, Rodin, and Monet in between. Friday is my deadline, so hopefully the internet picks up a bit so I can get all my fact checking done efficiently.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Welcome to my humble abode, please remove your shoes at the door
My room isn't ready for viewing. Surprised? I didn't think so. Tempted to come visit? I know.
xo, L
Monday, February 28, 2011
I'll be across the water
I haven't committed to a blog site and I'm not intelligent enough to figure out how to post a video to YouTube. But I just wanted to say:
Despite this being a really awful, trying weekend; I had a really wonderful day. I talked to my mom, Courtney, and Michael, I got a lot of correspondence done, and I'm still not done :/ Though it's nice to be so loved that I have so many people to tell that I am well. I saw a bit of Burlesque, which I saw back home, but it was free and in aircon, so why not? And I went to a bbq/pool party with the Euros; that's what I'll call them, I think.
I met some more wonderfully nice people. Everyone is on their own journey, it's amazing. Some days are amazing and others I really wonder why I'm here. So far, overall, so good.
Past my bedtime, as usual.
Despite this being a really awful, trying weekend; I had a really wonderful day. I talked to my mom, Courtney, and Michael, I got a lot of correspondence done, and I'm still not done :/ Though it's nice to be so loved that I have so many people to tell that I am well. I saw a bit of Burlesque, which I saw back home, but it was free and in aircon, so why not? And I went to a bbq/pool party with the Euros; that's what I'll call them, I think.
I met some more wonderfully nice people. Everyone is on their own journey, it's amazing. Some days are amazing and others I really wonder why I'm here. So far, overall, so good.
Past my bedtime, as usual.
Friday, February 25, 2011
First week's rundown
It’s been a solid and good first week here in Saigon. Seven days and I feel like I’m already forgetting.
I went to see Love & Other Drugs with Julie and Laurant. In the middle I wanted to get up, buy a plane ticket, and hitch home. Now at the end, I’ve decided no more “RomComs” for the next year.
My birthday was alright, nothing to really “write home about” as they say. Dinner with Danielle, Julien, Romy, Romain, Julie, Laurant, Ernst, and Isabelle. then one drink at Boston Bar with Danielle, Romy, Romain, and Julien.
Today was rough – wrong way to the bank, sequestered to pay for directions, told I was FAR from the bank by a xe om (motorbike driver). The text I’m reading gets worse every day. Plenty of expletives later, I’m happy to be back in my hotel. There will be more days like this…
I wish the internet was more reliable here. Oh, the bosses bought me beautiful flowers for my birthday – turns out everyone gets lunch or flowers. Had I been given the choice, I would have picked lunch. Romain also gave me flowers, which Danielle says is just him being French; what ever it is, it was really nice to feel completely welcomed by a practical stranger. It was nice of everyone to come out and help me celebrate my birthday when I’m so far away from my loves.
Thursday: Arrived. Two hours at immigration. Hard Rock with Danielle and her roommates for some DJ, drinks and dancing. Sleep over at Danielle’s.
Friday: Bullshitted around. Checked in Madam Cuc’s 127. Fake eye lashes; one and a half hours and one eye glued shut later, drinks at Lilly’s. Quick tour of the city and shopping for Danielle’s birthday thing. Back to her place, dinner, booze with her friends, T&R (a bar with open iTunes), Pho (all beef, so I didn’t have any), Go 2 (I’m convinced there’s no one in there that you’d want to see in the daylight. I do not plan on going there again). Bed at 5am.
Saturday: Walking and getting to know district 1 (tourist district) on my own. First xe om ride! Dull apartment, sort of a hole with a bed. Bill’s friend’s band with everyone.
Sunday: Successfully got a phone with no help from anyone. Another dull apartment visit. Drinks wit Danielle and Romy to meet Tracey and Hannah at Le Pub. T&R with Tracey and Hannah… new roommate?
Monday: First day of work, dull text about landscapes. Early night in zZz.
Tuesday: Work. Facial with Dani and Isabelle. Dinner at Le Pub. Lush for ladies night with Tracey; met Lizzy from Ann Arbor, a guy from Ventnor (!), and few wealthy Vietnamese girls, and Chris from Chicago (who insisted on buying shots to celebrate my birthday after midnight). Got to utilize “Rory.”
Wednesday: Happy birthday to me! Lunch at Angel’s Garden, dinner at Coriander, drinks at Boston Bar. First outside Vietnam Skype contact.
Thursday: Work. First bad day. Amazing bruchetta on Bui Vien. Cheap DVDs (Entire Audrey Hepburn collection and Season 4 of Mad Med for, like, $4). Bed early.
I went to see Love & Other Drugs with Julie and Laurant. In the middle I wanted to get up, buy a plane ticket, and hitch home. Now at the end, I’ve decided no more “RomComs” for the next year.
My birthday was alright, nothing to really “write home about” as they say. Dinner with Danielle, Julien, Romy, Romain, Julie, Laurant, Ernst, and Isabelle. then one drink at Boston Bar with Danielle, Romy, Romain, and Julien.
Today was rough – wrong way to the bank, sequestered to pay for directions, told I was FAR from the bank by a xe om (motorbike driver). The text I’m reading gets worse every day. Plenty of expletives later, I’m happy to be back in my hotel. There will be more days like this…
I wish the internet was more reliable here. Oh, the bosses bought me beautiful flowers for my birthday – turns out everyone gets lunch or flowers. Had I been given the choice, I would have picked lunch. Romain also gave me flowers, which Danielle says is just him being French; what ever it is, it was really nice to feel completely welcomed by a practical stranger. It was nice of everyone to come out and help me celebrate my birthday when I’m so far away from my loves.
Thursday: Arrived. Two hours at immigration. Hard Rock with Danielle and her roommates for some DJ, drinks and dancing. Sleep over at Danielle’s.
Friday: Bullshitted around. Checked in Madam Cuc’s 127. Fake eye lashes; one and a half hours and one eye glued shut later, drinks at Lilly’s. Quick tour of the city and shopping for Danielle’s birthday thing. Back to her place, dinner, booze with her friends, T&R (a bar with open iTunes), Pho (all beef, so I didn’t have any), Go 2 (I’m convinced there’s no one in there that you’d want to see in the daylight. I do not plan on going there again). Bed at 5am.
Saturday: Walking and getting to know district 1 (tourist district) on my own. First xe om ride! Dull apartment, sort of a hole with a bed. Bill’s friend’s band with everyone.
Sunday: Successfully got a phone with no help from anyone. Another dull apartment visit. Drinks wit Danielle and Romy to meet Tracey and Hannah at Le Pub. T&R with Tracey and Hannah… new roommate?
Monday: First day of work, dull text about landscapes. Early night in zZz.
Tuesday: Work. Facial with Dani and Isabelle. Dinner at Le Pub. Lush for ladies night with Tracey; met Lizzy from Ann Arbor, a guy from Ventnor (!), and few wealthy Vietnamese girls, and Chris from Chicago (who insisted on buying shots to celebrate my birthday after midnight). Got to utilize “Rory.”
Wednesday: Happy birthday to me! Lunch at Angel’s Garden, dinner at Coriander, drinks at Boston Bar. First outside Vietnam Skype contact.
Thursday: Work. First bad day. Amazing bruchetta on Bui Vien. Cheap DVDs (Entire Audrey Hepburn collection and Season 4 of Mad Med for, like, $4). Bed early.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Alone in a big little city
I’m alone in my adorable hotel room. Danielle says she refuses to baby me and has left me on my own, with her cell at least. I’m going to get my own as soon as I recover from my most recent walk in the oven they call Bui Vien. I bought a bag less likely to be stolen and had lunch. I know where to go for a cell phone, I think. And I called “Mr. Jon” to look at an apartment.
I wouldn’t mind so much if she babied me. I didn’t come here to learn how to figure it out on my own, particularly since Asia was never in my plans and it’s unlikely I’ll have such a difficult time figuring life out in any other county. I wouldn’t have come had I not had a friend here already.
Most of her friends speak French… sure they all speak English, but one person goes off in French and they all follow. A tad annoying.
Her birthday last night was pretty fun. One could quickly adjust to the night life here.
The internet isn’t working on my laptop in my hotel. A sign of what’s to come? Alright, off to get a phone and see this apartment!
I wouldn’t mind so much if she babied me. I didn’t come here to learn how to figure it out on my own, particularly since Asia was never in my plans and it’s unlikely I’ll have such a difficult time figuring life out in any other county. I wouldn’t have come had I not had a friend here already.
Most of her friends speak French… sure they all speak English, but one person goes off in French and they all follow. A tad annoying.
Her birthday last night was pretty fun. One could quickly adjust to the night life here.
The internet isn’t working on my laptop in my hotel. A sign of what’s to come? Alright, off to get a phone and see this apartment!
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Destination Vietnam, complete.
I’m here, I made it to Vietnam. It’s almost one in the afternoon and rather warm. I’m tired, but adjusting well, I think. It’s Danielle’s birthday; should be an interesting evening.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Obama is cool around the world.
Still rather unsure about the time. I have a good feeling it’s the 17th here. I’ve definitely been traveling since 12pm Tuesday, February 15… it’s currently 1:30am Thurs Feb 17th in Jersey, so it’s been a solid 37 hours and I’m still not landing in HCMC until 6. A nice guy, I missed where he’s ACTUALLY from, but he lives in the Philippines, said I look for for my long travel time and little rest. He proceeded to tell me his girlfriend is my age and that he’s nearing 60. I felt the need to relocate.
En route to my gate, which I’m continuing the trend of being as far away as possible, I heard a 10-13 year old kid say, “Obama’s cool.” His 14-16 year old sister, presumably, said, “We don’t even live in America.” I winked at him as she badgered him about his grades.
Traveling alone is so freeing and yet extremely lonely. Lonely and alone don’t usually go together in my book. I like being alone, but on the other side of the world, there’s no one to comment on the sights with.
I’m carrying $10HK out of the country, mostly because nothing here is that cheap and I don’t want to exchange any more USD.
En route to my gate, which I’m continuing the trend of being as far away as possible, I heard a 10-13 year old kid say, “Obama’s cool.” His 14-16 year old sister, presumably, said, “We don’t even live in America.” I winked at him as she badgered him about his grades.
Traveling alone is so freeing and yet extremely lonely. Lonely and alone don’t usually go together in my book. I like being alone, but on the other side of the world, there’s no one to comment on the sights with.
I’m carrying $10HK out of the country, mostly because nothing here is that cheap and I don’t want to exchange any more USD.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Welcome to Hong Kong, meet Jackie Chan
I think it’s 8:15am here in Hong Kong, I can’t be sure. Of course, and this should come as no surprise, I managed to lose something. Luckily it was just my cell phone and I’m organized in my own personal chaos. It was in the back of the seat on the plane. Jackie Chan (please laugh because I did) helped me get it back. Turns out, having it doesn’t make a difference because I’m roaming so far from Verizon satellites that the time won’t even adjust. I’m now in search of a charging station. This is a very interesting airport and damn humid. A precursor to my year to come, I suppose.
Tangled up in Blue
It’s next to impossible to get any good sleep on here. I finally found a solution, which wasn’t really a solution because my neck is killing me, but anyway the couple across the aisle from me, who I shared a few laughs with teaching them to use the remotes to the entertainment system despite our language barrier.
Anyway, they woke me up with their fighting, I have no idea what was being said (duh), but she was beating the shit out of him while he sat there and took it. She fell into a catatonic heap just before the woman in front of her complained to the flight attendant. The woman wouldn’t budge or speak to them and the husband continued to sit there like he had nothing to do with it. Now she’s sobbing and I can hear her through my cranked up Tangled Up in Blue…
That’s been the only really interesting thing that’s happened on he flight. Seven more hours of this 12.5 hour leg. (That’s a long time to be trapped in small quarters with someone you’ve fought with.) It’s night in Vietnam, I think. I’m really lost on all the time differences and changes. So, I think it’s 12:30, so I should probably try to sleep a little more.
I wouldn’t recommend 127 Hours without having some place to walk away to. Crazy film. I also wouldn’t recommend Going the Distance before going a distance from people you love. OR flying 18 hours with small children.
Anyway, they woke me up with their fighting, I have no idea what was being said (duh), but she was beating the shit out of him while he sat there and took it. She fell into a catatonic heap just before the woman in front of her complained to the flight attendant. The woman wouldn’t budge or speak to them and the husband continued to sit there like he had nothing to do with it. Now she’s sobbing and I can hear her through my cranked up Tangled Up in Blue…
That’s been the only really interesting thing that’s happened on he flight. Seven more hours of this 12.5 hour leg. (That’s a long time to be trapped in small quarters with someone you’ve fought with.) It’s night in Vietnam, I think. I’m really lost on all the time differences and changes. So, I think it’s 12:30, so I should probably try to sleep a little more.
I wouldn’t recommend 127 Hours without having some place to walk away to. Crazy film. I also wouldn’t recommend Going the Distance before going a distance from people you love. OR flying 18 hours with small children.
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