Miss Vietnam 2006 Mai Phuong Thuy shows her great body in the photo series “Huyen Bi Bien Dem”. The series was done by photographer Quoc Huy, make up by Viet Hung.

This is the special photo series of Miss Vietnam 2006 Mai Phuong Thuy. In the Bikini, she shows all her beauty with bust, hips and waist. What a beautiful girl she is! Let’s have a look.

They may not be glamorous, but they make me happy!!

1. Ho Su (Japanese/Korean)

2. Salad King (Thai)

3. Sea Hi (Chinese)

4. Xu Lua (Vietnamese)

5. The Keg (steak…mmm)

6. Dutch Dreams (ice cream parlour)

7. Swiss Chalet (comfort food)

8. Avenue Diner (greasy spoon)

9. Jump (somewhere fancy)

10. Pourquoi Pas (romantic – French)

There was a battle at my school yesterday—The Battle of the Football: USC vs. UCLA. For those of you who don’t know much about sports and American universities, USC and UCLA are deadly rivals. No question about it— USC is better than UCLA in every aspect, naturally. Of course, I may be a teensy weensy bit biased, but I’m pretty sure that is a well-established fact.

Go Trojans!! FYI: Trojans = USC. Bruins = (f)UCLA. Red = USC. Blue = UCLA(ss).

Anyway, let me just tell you— we USC and UCLA students don’t get along. I mean, we sell shirts that say “My maid went to UCLA” for God’s sake. And we even built a shrine for a dog which apparently chewed the Bruin’s mascot’s head off!

To celebrate, my church friends and I went on a Pho trip. Unfortunately, I have to say that while USC definitely trumps UCLA in many areas, food is just not one of them. There is just a total lack of good restaurants in the USC vicinity!

We went to apparently the best Pho place in the USC area, Pho 36:
Instantly, I was suspicious to see Korean writings on the menu:
But the owners looked Vietnamese enough, so my fears were appeased.

I ordered the PHO House special:
 Rare steak, brisket, tendon, tripe, and meatballs in rice noodle soup with fresh herbs.
They also gave me an abundant side of raw onions, basil, bean sprouts, cilantro, jalapeño, and lime slices.
The “rare” steak became cooked in the hot broth:
But it was tasty enough.

It was my first time eating Vietnamese meatballs:
 It was meaty. Very meaty. Not bad!

Call me crazy, but my favorite was the tripe:
 Chewy! Yummy!

So here’s the virgin entry to this new attempt at filling my void of activity when I’m not at work.  We eat out a lot.  By “we” I mean myself (Justin) and my fiance, Elise.  Like most people, we have our favorite places, and we are hard-pressed to risk putting our money down at a venue that we aren’t familiar with.  The purpose of this blog is just to document all of our favorites (with shiny, colorful pictures, ooh) until we reach a point at which we’ll finally venture out in the directions of others’ suggestions.

I’m a pretty simple guy, and the things I want to write in each entry are equally simple:   location, parking, service, flavor, portion, potential (of the restaurant), and price.  That said, here’s our (very) frequent experience at Hale Vietnam:

Hale Vietnam
1140 12th Ave.
Honolulu, HI

Parking is municipal, and there’s a ton of it on their side of the lot.  You’ll pay about a dollar.  No validation required.

I ordered the “Large Bowl #6 with the beef on the side” (it’s a huge bowl of pho with ‘rare steak’ and tripe, $8.75) and Elise had the Imperial Rolls (deep fried rolls filled with beef and vegetables, $8.95).  The great thing about places like this is that they also provide you with this huge pile of vegetation to toss into your soup.  Bean sprouts, chili peppers, lemon, mint, and, of course, basil (woo!).

Pinch off those basil leaves, roll them in your hands to bruise them before putting them into the steaming broth, and spray the whole thing with a lemon wedge and you have yourself a winner.  I order the beef on the side because it stays pretty rare and considerably more tender if you put into the soup at the table, rather than in the kitchen.  The Imperial Rolls are served with that nasty-smelling, but wonderful-tasting fish sauce.  Just make sure you wash your hands after.  Super stink.  Fill a large leaf of lettuce with your choice of herbs and noodles, then wrap it around one of the rolls for the “proper” eating method.

A large bowl of the pho here is always more than enough for me.  I eat a lot, and it takes quite a bit for me to register as “full,” but these portions never fail.  If you’re up to it, they also serve Vietnamese coffee (turkish-ground coffee brewed over sweetened, condensed milk and served over ice) with huge, bold flavors.  If you enjoy being on the receiving end of stink-eye and disdain, order it as a “Thai Coffee.”  We learned that from first-hand experience.

There’s a ton of potential at this restaurant, but I’ve never ventured beyond my #6 pho.  I’ve seen people with steaming bowls (like shabu-shabu) at the tables, huge non-pho dishes, and some pretty impressive desserts.  One day, one day.

Hale Vietnam is always packed.  Lunch, dinner, Monday or Sunday, this place is filled with people.  We’ve never had to wait for long since it’s just the two of us, but there’s generally a bunch of people in larger parties waiting outside.  Part of the reason I like this place is because it’s busy, and yet so fast that there’s never that awkward “where the hell is our food?” moment.  Servers are fast (to the point of rushing you, if you’re not accustomed to how they work), and your cup of water will be filled an average of 30,000 times during your meal. Service here is exceptional, business-like, and speedy like no other.

After class, Kpop Lover, Audrey, Goldie, and I had lunch together at a Vietnamese restaurant. The menu was a bit expensive, I must admit, but I thought that it’s also good to try something new once in a while. Before that, I have eaten in a Vietnamese restaurant only once. That was way back in San Francisco two years ago. All I can remember from that day was me and my mom and my uncle sipping from a bowl of noodle soup topped with a lot of what looked like strips of cabbage or lettuce. Until now, I have no idea what exactly those strips were, but I do remember that my uncle called them “grass.”

Mi Tom Thit

Audrey and I ordered a bowl of Mi Tom Thit (noodle soup with egg, shrimp, squid, etc.) and a plate of Com Tay Cam Ga (rice topped with chicken and greens). We noticed that Vietnamese food has a lot of greens. “Tastes like grass,” Audrey said. Kpop Lover and Goldie ordered a bowl of Bun Bo Xao (cold noodles with beef and a lot of grass greens), and another order of Com Tay Cam Ga.

Bun Bo Xao

When the waiter served Kpop Lover and Goldie’s Bun Bo Xao, we were like “Wow… that looks so delicious!” They really looked so yummy that Audrey and I kind of regretted having ordered Mi Tom Thit. Anyway, when our noodle soup was served, it looked good nonetheless (but the Bun Bo Xao still looked a lot yummier T_T). When I took a sip of our Mi Tom Thit, it tasted good somehow. But there was something different with it. “Tastes weird. Tastes like…chlorox!!!” Audrey said. We tried to squeeze in a little calamansi to improve the taste, but then it only tasted like chlorox with calamansi scent.

Com Tay Cam Ga

On the other hand, Goldie and Kpop Lover’s Bun Bo Xao was awesome. I loved it! We all did. If ever I would eat at that Vietnamese restaurant again, I would definitely have a bowl of Bun Bo Xao. The delicious taste of beef and strips of grass lettuce complemented with the “plainness” of the cold noodles very well. My taste buds were greatly satisfied. Our rice topping, Com Tay Cam Ga, was also good. I think I ate more than half of it when Audrey and I were actually supposed to share. Sorry, Audrey. (peace)

Also, after reading the names of the other dishes on their menu, I learned that Mi means “egg,” and Bo means “beef.” In the menu, above Mi Tom Thit was another dish which also had a Mi in its name. I read both of their ingredients and noticed that the only thing they had in common was egg, so Mi must definitely mean “egg.” Same with Bun Bo Xao, I also found another dish with Bo in its name and the only ingredient they had in common was beef. Ergo, Bo=beef! Amazing?

30

Absoloute Tw@t  They should amuptate his limbs !!!!

Uncle of meningitis amputee toddler stole £315,000 from her trust fund to pay for holidays… leaving just £239

Claims he didn’t know the £250,000 worth of cocaine capsules found in his stomach was drugs…..What a Di**head !!!

Love This Table

Drug smuggler who swallowed 67 packages of cocaine caught because of his bulging belly

A drug smuggler swallowed 67 packages of cocaine in an attempt to get through British customs. Student Fidelis Ozouli, 30, risked his life trying to hide the 1kg haul of the class A substance in his stomach. He later claimed he did not know the packets contained drugs. Officers at Manchester Airport became suspicious because Ozouli looked unnaturally bloated.  They carried out X-rays on his stomach and discovered a quantity of cocaine equivalent to two bags of sugar. It is one of the largest amounts ever found internally by UK customs officers. The drug, hidden inside scores of condoms, was 78 per cent pure and had a street value of £250,000. Ozouli left officials and a court baffled by claiming: ‘I didn’t know they were drugs.’ He added: ‘I just did not know what they were. I thought I was swallowing something else to take into Britain as a favour for a pal.’ At Manchester Crown Court, Ozouli, who is from Nigeria but lives and studies in London, pleaded guilty to importing class A drugs and was jailed for ten years – but continued to deny knowing what the haul was. Judge Thomas Gilbart QC told him: ‘I do not accept your evidence and do not believe it is credible. ‘The story is fantastical and I don’t believe a word of it. This was a calculated decision on your part to solve your money worries.’ Ozouli, of Kennington, South London, was stopped by UK Border Agency officers on his arrival at Manchester from Switzerland on September 5. He claimed he was on a business trip from Zurich on behalf of a pharmaceuticals company but inquiries revealed he had taken a lengthy and unusual route back to the UK from countries in Africa. He was arrested and the case was passed to customs officers who interviewed him. Later he was taken to a nearby hospital where he was X-rayed to ensure all the packages had been recovered.

Mike O’Grady, assistant director of criminal investigation for Revenue and Customs said yesterday: ‘Forensic tests showed that the purity of this cocaine is significantly above what we would normally find. ‘Swallowing any drugs puts the courier at risk, but with purity levels this high he was putting himself at considerable risk of death. ‘Criminals dealing in drugs with high purity levels are thinking solely of increased profits, to further fund their illegal activity.

Mr O’Grady added: ‘They show utter disregard for the damage drugs do to individuals and communities. ‘Customs is working closely with our partners in the UK Border Agency, police and other law enforcement agencies such as the Serious Organised Crime Agency to protect the public from the significant and damaging effect drugs have on our communities.’ The biggest ever recorded haul of cocaine found in a smuggler’s stomach in Britain was 1.5kg found inside 39 packages in 2003.

2 Lucky Guys

The independent Treasure Valuation Committee reached the figure after meeting at the museum.

The money will be split equally between the finder Terry Herbert and the landowner Fred Johnson, the museum said.The two men and the two museums which hope to acquire the hoard, Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent, have all approved the valuation, a spokesman added.Professor Norman Palmer, chairman of the Government-appointed committee, said: “The task of valuing this hoard required the Treasure Valuation Committee to analyse a very large amount of information in order to arrive at a fair market price and I am personally indebted to my fellow members whose energy and expertise made this result possible in so short a time.”He added: “All finders of treasure can take encouragement that the most valuable treasure find ever made was dealt with so speedily and yet so scrupulously by all parties concerned, given that the hoard was discovered only in July.”It is of course immensely important that this extraordinary hoard is acquired for public benefit and I know that the two museums are anxious to raise the funding to keep the hoard in the West Midlands as soon as they can.”

A fundraising campaign is being launched to help the two museums buy the hoard, highlights of which are currently on display at the British Museum in London.British Museum Press has published a book about the find, called The Staffordshire Hoard, and £1 from every sale is going to the appeal fund.A selection of objects from the hoard will also go on display at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery from February 13 to March 7 next year.Mr Herbert, 55, from Burntwood, Staffs, a jobless council tenant on disability benefit, discovered the hoard while searching the field near the M6 toll road between Lichfield and Tamworth on July 5 using his 14 year old metal detector.He has described unearthing the treasure as “more fun than winning the lottery” and said he hopes to buy a bungalow with some of his windfall.Mr Johnson, 65, described the valuation as a “fair and reasonable figure”.He said: “The public have to raise that money and I don’t think we could have expected anything more.”The haul of over one thousand items – most of it gold and silver and thought to date back to between 675 and 725AD – has been hailed as a hugely important find.Experts believe it was buried at the site by its owners at a time of danger and then never recovered.

Horrendous

Ten students at North Naples Middle School were sent home for a day after a girl told the head teacher that she believed she had been kicked for being Jewish, prompting further instances to come to light. Florida passed strict anti-bullying laws last year and schools that do not do enough to stop it risk losing their state funding. Margaret Jackson, the school’s head teacher, has responded to the kicking incident by setting aside the first 20 minutes of each day to teaching students – aged 12 to 15 – about kindness, respect and ways of preventing bullying. David Barkey of the Florida Anti-Defamation League said the organisation had been consulted over the incident. “You are talking about an incident that has anti-Jewish bias if not anti-semitism. You have Jewish students being singled out, harassed and assaulted,” he said. Last year, four pupils were suspended from a middle school in St Louis over a “Hit a Jew Day” in which one Jewish student was slapped in the face. The “day” had been the culmination of a “Spirit Week” organised by pupils which included “Hug a Friend Day” and “Hit a Tall Person Day”.Some believe the idea for such behaviour originally came from the satirical cartoon show South Park which featured a “Kick a Ginger Day” in an episode.

Mad…But Very Sad

The 55-year-old man from a small town in the central province of Quang Nam opened up his wife’s grave in 2004, moulded clay around the remains to give the figure of a woman, put clothes on her and then placed her in his bed, Vietnamnet.vn said. The man, Le Van, told the website that after his wife died in 2003 he slept on top of her grave, but about 20 months later he worried about rain, wind and cold, so he decided to dig a tunnel into the grave “to sleep with her”. His children found out, though, and prevented him from going to the grave. So one night in November 2004 he dug up his wife’s remains and took them home, Vietnamnet reported. The father of seven said neighbours did not dare visit the house for several years.”I’m a person that does things differently. I’m not like normal people,” he was quoted as saying.

Princess of whales: A diver’s magical encounter with a smiling giant of the Arctic deep

Hitching a ride on a Beluga whale’s back, a daring diver glides through the icy waters of the Arctic.In an extraordinarily rare encounter between a human and this beautiful giant of the deep, the white whale is perfectly at ease with her new companion – and even appears to be smiling.Which is just as well – as no one really knew how the Beluga would react to human company before Julia Petrik made this dazzling dive.

For these muscular 16ft whales can get agitated if subjected to unwanted contact and aggressively defend themselves.Thankfully, this magnificent individual was only too happy to let Miss Petrik gently cling on to him and took her for a spin through the deep.The incredible pictures were shot beneath the pack ice in Russia’s White Sea, where a pod of the magnificent Belugas are being studied for a conservation programme.Miss Petrik is an expert free diver and is able to hold her breath for minutes at a time. This avoids the need to use bulky scuba tanks, which release bubbles that can disorientate the whales.

The lack of kit also gives her more freedom to move and synchronise her movements with the whale. The only downside is that free diving in icy cold water takes a heavy toll on the diver’s respiratory system.Julia Petrik had to saw through more than a foot of solid ice just to reach the freezing water below and wears a thick rubber suit to guard against the extreme conditions.Beluga whales – the name is Russian for ‘the white one’ – can survive here because they are able to use their powerful bulk to butt through the ice to breathe oxygen, before submerging once again into the abyss.Their domed foreheads contain a waxy substance, thought to be involved in their ability to communicate.They ‘chatter’ by whistling to each other – so much so that sailors and fishermen call them the ’sea canaries’.Divers can spend weeks searching for Belugas in the wild, but some of the whales are being kept in a large netted enclosure to be studied. Due to its high salinity, the water here freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water and can drop to a bone-chilling minus 2c. But Julia Petrik, given the ride of her life by this giant of the deep, soon forgot about the cold and was having a whale of time.

Sorry Britney…But You Look Crap!!!

And in In The Jungle…..

I’m A Celebrity: Is this the most vile trial ever as Kim and Joe drink pulped kangaroo anus and cockroach juice?

Kim Woodburn and Joe Bugner were seen last night taking part in one of the most vile and stomach-retching trials the campmates have ever seen.They had to drink pulped cockroaches, pureed kangaroo anus and pulped crocodile foreskin during the Jungle Arms task.

TV presenter Kim took offence at being voted to do yet another and said: ‘You are very mean, it’s my fourth one – it’s a test of my mettle.’

Down the hatch: Kim Woodburn downs a shot full of pulped witchetty grub… then retches…

…and is sick, leaving her with slime down her chin

The first drink was Castlemaine Four Legs, a combination of pulped cockroaches and mealworms with a couple of live cockroaches as a garnish.The pair toasted each other and attempted to drink the vile mixture. But while retired boxer Joe seemed to have no trouble downing the drinks, and even seemed to like them, Kim stuggled.The second round was ‘Foreskin and Tonic’.Host Ant McPartlin told them: ‘This is pulped crocodile foreskin, garnished with a crocodile penis stirrer, once again each one is worth one star. You only have to drink the drink.’

Joe swiftly drank his, but it took Kim several goes. She branded it ‘vile’ while Joe said it merely tasted like washing-up liquid and then pretended to use the penis stirrers as fangs.’You have to pull yourself together. You’re crackers,’ Kim snapped at him.Their third round was Bum and Cokes -  pulped kangaroo anus and water.But while Joe thought it tasted like popcorn, Kim admitted it was more like ‘very sour rotten water that had pee in it’.Their fourth round was Croc-Tail – pulped crocodile tail with a croc tail stirrer.

‘The smell is atrocious, it smells like poo. The smell is so bad you could die,’ said Kim as she gagged on the drink.For the fifth and final round, Joe downed an Eye-ball – a glass of crushed crocodile eyes.But Kim had to drink a Sam-Puka – pulped Witchetty grub. She managed to drink the shot glass-full but then gagged and threw up the slimy mixture to the delight and disgust of Ant and Dec.’I’ve sicked a little bit but not much,’ she confessed.

But Ant told her: ‘We can’t take that one, will you give it another go?’Joe offered to do it for her, but was not allowed and she finally downed it after telling Ant and Dec ‘Boys: Stand aside. This is repulsing me.’The pair won all nine stars for the campmates plus an extra treat of chocolate.Joe said afterward: ‘It was disgusting but if I had to live on it, I would.’But Kim added: ‘If I had to live on it, I’d hang myself from the nearest tree.’Meanwhile the campmates are determined that actor Stuart Manning and singer Sabrina Walsh begin a romance in the jungle.Gino D’Acampo has been the chief teaser and is convinced that they fancy each other.He joked to Stuart that he thought the actor had dreamt he’d bought a new car because he kept calling out ‘Sab, Sab!’

But the pair deny anything is going on.

The two sat together on the love seat and Stuart said to her: ‘We’re just good mates, I’d understand it if I was always trying to touch you or something but nothing has happened at all.’People are obsessed, two people have got to get together – why are they so intrigued? I’m not in it to have a relationship.’And while Sabrina smiled and coyly agreed, she did look a little disappointed… Until Stuart asked her: ‘Do you want to lie down?’

Night task: Sabrina and Gino had to stay awake all night after drinking beer and eating sausages in order to turn back the hands on a clock and win a chest

She laughed it off but the glances between them continued.Sabrina said in the bush telegraph: ‘I don’t know what they are trying to do but I think it’s hilarious and I get on with Stuart just like everyone else.’Gino, in an impish mood, then starting singing Let’s Get It On as Sabrina was pushed by the campmates to massage Stuart.The chef said in the bush telegraph: ‘I know that they fancy each other. They know they are being watched by everyone so they are probably not realising their love at the moment but I know it’s there!’

Gino and Sabrina also completed an overnight challenge to win a celebrity chest for the group.They had to trek through the jungle, walk along a tightrope across a ravine and then stay awake all night in order to win treats for camp.They were given sausages and beer for the evening and spent the time staying awake in shifts, trying to prevent the hands of a clock ticking for more than 30 minutes.Inside the chest were tins of food for the camp, including a can of Spam which Gino cooked up.

Justin said: ‘Who knew that a staple tin of spam could send the entire camp into such rhapsodies.’Meanwhile George Hamilton has been regaling the campmates with tales of his famous friends such as Frank Sinatra, Anthony Hopkins, former lover Sharon Stone, Marilyn Monroe and even Puff Daddy.He said: ‘Elizabeth Taylor, we went out together, we worked together.  Elizabeth is an extraordinary human being and she’s an amazing friend.’And he added: ‘[David] Niven said one of the best things about Errol Flynn ever.  He said you can always count on Errol Flynn to let you down.’

Jimmy White asked George about Marilyn Monroe. He said:  ‘You went on a date with her didn’t you George?’George said: ‘Yeah, she was forever getting ready.  She’d come out and she’d say does my hair look… and she’d go back fiddle with the hair some more.’He told Sabrina that he was a friend of Puff Daddy. He said: ‘Puffy’s a very good friend of mine.  Puffy’s a really good friend.  I like him a lot.  Do you want me to speak to him.  Would you like that?’And he said: ‘My first movie with Robert Mitchum, he said “You know they say I don’t know any lines.”  He says, “It’s not true.  I’m just too drunk to say ‘em.”‘Meanwhile, one of three celebrities will be voted off on tonight’s show.Sam Fox, Sabrina Washington and Jimmy White were told they were all up for the vote.

Justin Ryan sobs as he misses partner Colin McAllister, who was evicted on Tuesday

The Future Mrs Robbie Williams ?

Pheww! Cuối cùng thì cũng qua được cái “nấc” này!

Những ngày vừa qua là những ngày bắt đầu ngủ lúc 2:30 a.m và thức dậy lúc 6:45 a.m! Cá biệt có hôm làm Public Speaking ~~~> ngủ chập chờn ~~~> 4h45 giật mình dậy tiếp đạn cho em Noki Candy (hậu quả của việc nghe nhạc suốt đêm). Ấy vậy mà vô nằm lại thì không sao ngủ được >.< chập chờn… chập chờn…

Phải công nhận, qua được cái nấc P.S. là khỏe gì đâu! Mình đã gói ghém chuẩn bị cho topic lần này trong vòng… 4 ngày! Điên thiệt! Con người gì mà cứ chờ nước tới chân mới nhảy là sao! Nhưng được cái mình rất hài lòng với bài thuyết trình solo lần này: topic khá tâm đắc; PP được chăm chút kỹ, đơn giản mà sang trọng ) Đây cũng là lần đầu tiên mình “mở hàng” cho bộ vest mới luôn :”>

[ type tới đây thì mưa to. Và tình hình là entry này đang được viết trên nền When the love falls - Yiruma :> ]

Sài Gòn mấy ngày nay cũng lạnh bất thường, trưa 11 – 12h mà sương mù vẫn còn bảng lảng trong TP. Nghe đâu là ảnh hưởng của áp thấp nhiệt đới, mà cũng có tin đồn là do cụ HCĐ thấy dân tình nóng nực quá ~~~> cho phun cái gì đó lên trời gây mưa ~~~> ảnh hưởng tới VN (!). Aww! Mấy chuyện hậu trường này làm sao tới lượt mình biết kia chứ )

Cũng hôm làm P.S. luôn, mình vô trường được chừng  nửa tiếng thì trời làm mưa ầm ào, mưa trắng trời trắng đất!  Mình ngồi trong lớp, bụng quặn từng cơn do đau bao tử :I ~~~> Cứ mỗi khi lo hay hồi hộp là lại như vậy. Nhưng lạ là chỉ lúc ngồi chờ mọi người làm thôi. Mười lần như một, tới khi “lâm trận” mới thấy mình thật… cool ) Ngoài kia, trời cam lè một màu làm mình lên tưởng đến trận bão bụi đỏ ở Sydney cách đây không lâu ~~~> Muốn dẫn em Liz ra chụp vài tấm mà không được :I Tiếc ơi là tiếc!

…

Chiều, nhờ Keyword chở về ( vì mặc miniskirt mà :”> ) ~~~> trời vẫn mưa như điên :I Cả bọn kéo nhau ra cổng sau, chen chúc trong cái dù của Kelly [ con nhỏ mới mua cái dù, lúc nào cũng kè kè trong túi mấy tuần nay rồi ~~~> giờ mới có dịp phát huy tác dụng  ) ]

( Ảnh: We, Nhi, My )

( Ảnh: Keyword )

Cả đám líu ríu chen chúc nhau trong 1 cái dù nhỏ xíu. Mình thì do vác theo anh chồng Divo nên phảỉ nhanh chân chạy vô cái dù chỗ mấy chú bảo vệ, kẻo không “ảnh” nhiễm nước thì mình có mà… chết! Và tại đây đã có một kỷ niệm nho nhỏ

Số là mình đang đứng chờ khi-wọt lấy xe thì nghe tiếng í ới của ai đó gọi nhau chụp hình ~~~> giật mình quay ra sau lưng thì thấy một “tập đoàn” nam thanh nữ tú, trai thanh gái lịch ( haha! ) trường mình, cổ còn đeo cọng dây vàng khè ( đặc điểm nhận dạng của khoa CNTT ) đang hì hụi bưng từng tô bún mắm ( ọc ọc! O.o ) nghi ngút khói và… hăm hở, tí toét giơ tay chữ V chụp hình

Sẵn tâm trạng đang phơi phới ( do trời mưa bất ngờ + vừa hoàn thành viên mãn bài thuyết trình ) và trên tay mình lúc đó đang cầm em Liz ~~~> lia qua chụp các bạn í luôn Nhiều chuyện ghê chưa Nhưng mà dzui cực! Ban đầu mấy bạn còn hơi ngại và bất ngờ, nhưng khi mình chụp tới tấm thứ n và nói mọi người làm dáng thì…đâu lại vào đấy ) Tự nhiên còn hơn ở nhà luôn

Thời tiết khiến con người ta dễ chịu. Tuổi trẻ khiến người ta dễ xích lại với nhau hơn Tới giờ mình cũng ko biết mấy bạn đó tên gì, khóa mấy. Nhưng nếu học cùng trường thì cũng dễ thôi, sẽ còn gặp nhau dài dài ngoài… quán hàng rong mà ) Chờ đó nha mấy bồ tèo )

( Ảnh tự chụp khi đang ngồi trên xe khi-wọt chở )

Keyword chở mình về nhà, mưa ko còn lớn lắm. Lúc đầu mình còn lui cui trùm cái áo mưa xanh lè bé tí teo của thằng bạn, nhưng đi được nửa đường thì nổi máu… quởn ~~~> ko thèm trùm áo mưa nữa mà giơ tay ra chụp lia lịa hàng quán phố xá trên đường [ xin ghi chú là em nó ngồi 1 bên và ko vịn hay ôm eo ếch ai hết ) ]. Về nhà nghĩ lại thấy không bị té lọt xe là còn may

Về nhà. Chỉ kịp thay đồ xong là lăn quay ra ngủ từ 4h30 chiều tới 8h tối :I

—

Sáng nay làm midterm Reading xong thì cũng kết thúc môn luôn. Giờ chỉ còn nằm nhà chờ final.

Vậy là xong đươc Writing, Reading với lớp Korean Grammar >”< Public Speaking cũng coi như “qua ải”. Khỏe

—

Chiều nay đi làm, nhận được email “Happy Thanksgiving” của anh Tờ Rung + 1 cái flash ngộ ngộ :> + 1 câu dặn dò mang-đậm-chất-Andy ~~~> “… but may em ignore cai background turkey o dang sau di nhe! “. Hiehiehie! Nghĩ thầm: “Ở đây làm gì có Gà Tây anh Trung ơi, ignore là đúng òi. Nhưng VN có… Gà Ta”

Này thì có party nhỏ mừng Thanksgiving!

Tối về lại cuống cuồng nhảy qua trường học bù Macro ( tự nguyện thôi ) vì chiều mai cả đám sẽ nghỉ học để đi dự hội thảo. Hờ hờ! Cả trường chỉ có 7 SV vs 3 GV đi thôi à. Ôi! Những đứa con của HUFLIT ) ) ) Mà phải công nhận là từ chiều đến tối, mình căng thẳng đến độ muốn chạy đi đâu đó hét thật to lên được >”< Quá nhiều chuyện cùng ập đến một lúc khiến mình rối!

Giờ thì đỡ hơn rồi!

Sắp tới cũng có nhiều sự kiện:

• sinh nhật Nhỏ
• SIFE bên ĐH Kinh Tế
• party với mấy anh chị trong cty
• làm test bên Pioneer
• họp nhóm vụ QHQTLT

Tình hình là mình còn mời-và-được-mời 3,4 chầu cafe gì đó.

Chẹp chẹp!

Tình hình này có về nhà được không đây?!

< Trời vẫn đang mưa và JA đang chơi tới Road to Mandalay >

]]> http://atfiveam.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/recipe-for-vietnamese-spring-rolls/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 13:22:20 +0000 desertexplorer http://atfiveam.wordpress.com/2009/11/26/recipe-for-vietnamese-spring-rolls/

Today at five AM I decided to fulfill a promise to email our recipe for Vietnamese spring rolls to a friend. We brought the dish to a Halloween party and they were a big hit.  Everyone loved them.  We have discussed bringing along the recipe on cards to hand out, as we have experienced the same thing bringing them to other parties.  But we never got that together. The next best thing is to post the recipe here.

This is a simple, delicious appetizer that can be a meal:

Spring Rolls

Rice wrappers (round, we use Mekong Rice Paper brand, 25cm. diameter, just run them through hot water, pull them out immediately and begin filling)

Rice noodles (the very thin ones, we use Buddha Brand, careful not to overcook, drain and cool before rolling in wrappers)

Chopped lettuce

Green onion- chopped very small

Cucumber- chopped in thin strips or shredded

Carrot- chopped in thin strips or shredded

Cilantro

Tofu- cut into long, thin strips and fried

Peanut Sauce

½ cup peanut butter, chunky, fresh ground

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

2 tablespoons Hoisin sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 small clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil, roasted is best

Juice of one lime

¼ cup water

Nằm yên trong máng chiền kia

This is the first verse of the Vietnamese version of “Away in a manger” that is found in my only Vietnamese hymnal, the Christian & Missionary Alliance-published Thánh Ca, where it is hymn #58. There are two stanzas, each twice as long as the English and Esperanto stanzas I am familiar with, and it is set to SPILMAN, a tune also known by its best-known text’s incipit, “Flow gently, sweet Afton” (not to be confused with AFTON WATER, Robert Burns’ tune for the text). I’m interested in knowing more about it: who translated it, and when? what exactly does it say, and does that meaning correspond closely, loosely or not at all to the English original, in whole or in part (and if in part, what part(s))? is it the “canonical” Vietnamese version of this carol? is it always sung to SPILMAN or does it also find itself set to MUELLER and/or CRADLE SONG?  I despair of ever learning enough Vietnamese to answer these questions for myself.

It begins in many ways: thanksgiving, finding veggie options while eating out with co-workers, and the final dash to finishing this monstrous task of writing 18,000 more words. IN FIVE DAYS.

So USA’s Thanksgiving. Or Canadian Thanksgiving for that matter, even though we celebrated weeks ago. Why is it such a big deal? I understand the sentiment behind it, and that it is a time for family and friends to gather and celebrate. But why is it always “I have to cook for four people, or I have to cook for ten people, or I’m having people at my house.” These statements just make me want to laugh, scoff at said person and give them a look of wonder. Honestly, I come from a family and background where having thirty people over for dinner once every two to three months is normal. We all pitch in and make seven to eight dishes. Do you see anyone here breaking a sweat? I just cannot understand why Americans or those who consider themselves purely American or Canadian have such  hard time grasping this. Ok, maybe they are not used to entertaining on a regular basis, but come on. Suck it up! I have no sympathies for you, sorry!

And now we come to food. Namely the kind of food I eat, it’s easier to say what I don’t eat. No meat, fish, eggs. That includes any type of fish, any type of broth that isn’t vegetable based and has beef or chicken broth, and any kind of salad that has bacon bits or caesar dressing in it. I went out for lunch today with co-workers to a Vietnamese restaurant. They wanted to try something different than the usual sushi or big box restaurant. I was game and they had checked in advance to see that there were a few veggie dishes. Upon reaching the restaurant, we find out everything we thought was veggie (or fit my criteria) had things in it that made it uneatable for me. So we politely asked the waiter, is there anything on your menu or anything you can make that has no meat, fish or eggs. He first gave a blank stare and then shook his head no. He said no about five times. I swear he had no decency or care or consideration for the fact that I was a customer (along with four other people who clearly had tons of choice) and I was about to have to sit this meal out. Luckily my co-worker stepped up and went to talk with another lady. She spoke in English and broken Korean and we finally got vermicelli with vegetables on it. The so called vegetables consisted of lettuce and some shredded carrots. Applause, NOT. There was absolutely zero taste in the dish, the only condiment I could find to add was hot sauce. And so I put it in and had a very un-enjoyable meal. I had also risk-takingly ordered an avocado shake to try it out. I thought the waitress forgot my order until I receive it about 25 minutes after ordering it. I don’t know if its me, but it just seems I’m cursed when it comes to eating out at new places or places where I don’t already know what I’m ordering.

This monstrous task of Nanowrimo. Ah, what can I say? We all knew going into it that it was going to be hard. The finish line is quickly approaching and I am becoming a case of nerves. I know how my story is mapped out, in my mind I just want to skip ahead, but I need the words. With about 18,000 words left and only 5 days, I have to write an average of 3,600 words per day in order to finish on time. And I must. It’s honestly been amazing having such great support of family, friends and people from the nano boards on Facebook. I need this accomplishment to propel me into 2010 with great vigour.

A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step - Lao Tzu

Forty-eight relics from the Nguyen Dynasty era donated by private collectors to the Hue Royal Fine Arts Museum are on display at the former royal capital’s An Dinh Palace. The Hue Royal Fine Arts Museum, run by the Hue Historical Relic Preservation Centre, houses a large collection of relics from the time of Vietnam’s last imperial dynasty, which ruled from 1820 to 1945.

The objects on show at the exhibition, organised by the museum, are mostly made of silver, brass, precious stones, porcelain, silk, wood and paper.

Among them are a pair of ivory tusks donated by a Vietnamese expatriate living in France, a tea set gifted by Doan Phuoc Thuan, a collector in the central coastal province of Phu Yen, and a collection of King Minh Mang’s poems written on paper donated by Frenchman Andre de Crozet.

A set of three life-size brass statues of Jesus’s mother Mary, donated by a Hue-based company, is among the most valuable relics on show.

At the time of the exhibition’s opening, Nguyen Huu Hoang donated a porcelain basin and plate, Le Gia donated a land register, and a group of collectors presented a pair of vermilion-lacquered gilded wood panels.

The exhibition will go on until the end of the year.

How to say Merry Christmas in different languages. Send these to your friends around the world.

Afrikaans: Gesëende Kersfees

Afrikander: Een Plesierige Kerfees

African/ Eritrean/ Tigrinja: Rehus-Beal-Ledeats

Albanian:Gezur Krislinjden

Arabic: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah

Argentine: Feliz Navidad

Armenian: Shenoraavor Nor Dari yev Pari Gaghand

Azeri: Tezze Iliniz Yahsi Olsun

Bahasa Malaysia: Selamat Hari Natal

Basque: Zorionak eta Urte Berri On!

Bengali: Shuvo Naba Barsha

Bohemian: Vesele Vanoce

Brazilian: Boas Festas e Feliz Ano Novo

Breton: Nedeleg laouen na bloavezh mat

Bulgarian: Tchestita Koleda; Tchestito Rojdestvo Hristovo

Catalan: Bon Nadal i un Bon Any Nou!

Chile: Feliz Navidad

Chinese: (Cantonese) Gun Tso Sun Tan’Gung Haw Sun

Chinese: (Mandarin) Kung His Hsin Nien bing Chu Shen Tan

Choctaw: Yukpa, Nitak Hollo Chito

Columbia: Feliz Navidad y Próspero Año Nuevo

Cornish: Nadelik looan na looan blethen noweth

Corsian: Pace e salute

Crazanian: Rot Yikji Dol La Roo

Cree: Mitho Makosi Kesikansi

Croatian: Sretan Bozic

Czech: Prejeme Vam Vesele Vanoce a stastny Novy Rok

Danish: Glædelig Jul

Duri: Christmas-e- Shoma Mobarak

Dutch: Vrolijk Kerstfeest en een Gelukkig Nieuwjaar!
or Zalig Kerstfeest

English: Merry Christmas

Eskimo: (inupik) Jutdlime pivdluarit ukiortame pivdluaritlo!

Esperanto: Gajan Kristnaskon

Estonian: Ruumsaid juulup|hi

Faeroese: Gledhilig jol og eydnurikt nyggjar!

Farsi: Cristmas-e-shoma mobarak bashad

Finnish: Hyvaa joulua

Flemish: Zalig Kerstfeest en Gelukkig nieuw jaar

French: Joyeux Noel

Frisian: Noflike Krystdagen en in protte Lok en Seine yn it Nije Jier!

Galician: Bo Nada

Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil agus Bliadhna mhath ùr!

German: Froehliche Weihnachten

Greek: Kala Christouyenna!

Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!

Hawaiian: Mele Kalikimaka

Hebrew: Mo’adim Lesimkha. Chena tova

Hindi: Shub Naya Baras

Hausa: Barka da Kirsimatikuma Barka da Sabuwar Shekara!

Hawaian: Mele Kalikimaka ame Hauoli Makahiki Hou!

Hungarian: Kellemes Karacsonyi unnepeket

Icelandic: Gledileg Jol

Indonesian: Selamat Hari Natal

Iraqi: Idah Saidan Wa Sanah Jadidah

Irish: Nollaig Shona Dhuit, or Nodlaig mhaith chugnat

Iroquois: Ojenyunyat Sungwiyadeson honungradon nagwutut. Ojenyunyat osrasay.

Italian: Buone Feste Natalizie

Japanese: Shinnen omedeto. Kurisumasu Omedeto

Jiberish: Mithag Crithagsigathmithags

Korean: Sung Tan Chuk Ha

Latin: Natale hilare et Annum Faustum!

Latvian: Prieci’gus Ziemsve’tkus un Laimi’gu Jauno Gadu!

Lausitzian:Wjesole hody a strowe nowe leto

Lettish: Priecigus Ziemassvetkus

Lithuanian: Linksmu Kaledu

Low Saxon: Heughliche Winachten un ‘n moi Nijaar

Macedonian: Sreken Bozhik

Maltese: LL Milied Lt-tajjeb

Manx: Nollick ghennal as blein vie noa

Maori: Meri Kirihimete

Marathi: Shub Naya Varsh

Navajo: Merry Keshmish

Norwegian: God Jul, or Gledelig Jul

Occitan: Pulit nadal e bona annado

Papiamento: Bon Pasco

Papua New Guinea: Bikpela hamamas blong dispela Krismas na Nupela yia i go long yu

Pennsylvania German: En frehlicher Grischtdaag un en hallich Nei Yaahr!

Peru: Feliz Navidad y un Venturoso Año Nuevo

Philipines: Maligayan Pasko!

Polish: Wesolych Swiat Bozego Narodzenia or Boze Narodzenie

Portuguese:Feliz Natal

Pushto: Christmas Aao Ne-way Kaal Mo Mobarak Sha

Rapa-Nui (Easter Island): Mata-Ki-Te-Rangi. Te-Pito-O-Te-Henua

Rhetian: Bellas festas da nadal e bun onn

Romanche: (sursilvan dialect): Legreivlas fiastas da Nadal e bien niev onn!

Rumanian: Sarbatori vesele

Russian: Pozdrevlyayu s prazdnikom Rozhdestva is Novim Godom

Sami: Buorrit Juovllat

Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou

Sardinian: Bonu nadale e prosperu annu nou

Serbian: Hristos se rodi

Slovakian: Sretan Bozic or Vesele vianoce

Sami: Buorrit Juovllat

Samoan: La Maunia Le Kilisimasi Ma Le Tausaga Fou

Scots Gaelic: Nollaig chridheil huibh

Serb-Croatian: Sretam Bozic. Vesela Nova Godina

Serbian: Hristos se rodi. Singhalese: Subha nath thalak Vewa. Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa

Slovak: Vesele Vianoce. A stastlivy Novy Rok

Slovene: Vesele Bozicne. Screcno Novo Leto

Spanish: Feliz Navidad

Swedish: God Jul and (Och) Ett Gott Nytt År

Tagalog: Maligayamg Pasko!

Tami: Nathar Puthu Varuda Valthukkal

Trukeese: (Micronesian) Neekiriisimas annim oo iyer seefe feyiyeech!

Thai: Sawadee Pee Mai

Turkish: Noeliniz Ve Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun

Ukrainian: Srozhdestvom Kristovym

Urdu: Naya Saal Mubarak Ho

Vietnamese: Chung Mung Giang Sinh

Welsh: Nadolig Llawen

Yugoslavian: Cestitamo Bozic

Yoruba: E ku odun, e ku iye’dun!

My sister used to live in Brooklyn, in Sunset Park, a block in either direction from both delicious & cheap tacos (as in, order-in-Spanish-unless-you-want-to-feel-like-an-idiot tacos) and delicious & cheap dim sum (as in, eat-until -you-almost-barf,-but-hopefully-on-account-of-overstuffing-rather-than-of-having-tried-the-fried-chickens’-feet dim sum).

Now, I know I’m from Michigan and great culinary experiences (though in no way nonexistent!) may be fewer per capita and/or more geographically separated here — so yes, I’m open to the possibility, maybe even the likelihood, that I’m more easily impressed than someone in a more cosmopolitan location such as NYC, where great food of any and every national origin is never more than a short(ish) train ride away.  But I also have faith that really good food has the power to transcend individual differences such as personal experience and location.

So while some may be skeptical of my wide-eyed puppy love for any particular food item, I’m telling you — I know a god-damn delicious sandwich when I taste one.

But the sandwich in question… oh, this is so, so much more than a delicious sandwich.  This particular sandwich — a Vietnamese sandwich, or “banh mi”, from this place Ba Xuyen a few blocks from my sis’s former P.O.R. — is the only food I will ever need, and the only food I will ever love.  Or, at least that’s what I 100% believe to be true during the all-too-fleeting moments when I’m actively enjoying the miraculous creation that is this particular banh mi.  (Seriously — it’s really good.  I think it’s the #8 if you want to go try it.  Please bring me back one if you do.)

The banh mi — my banh mi (yes, I own it, it belongs to me — it will always love me, and it will never cheat.  I’ll share it with you only because I know that a higher power demands I spread the love of this sandwich like the most ardent cult fanaticism)… anyway, my banh mi from Ba Xuyen is a masterful ballet of ill-defined pork products (maybe barbecue?  Maybe pâté?) piled high with lightly fresh-pickled julienne carrots and cucumber, a mass of cilantro, & spicy sauce that would permanently disfigure a baby — all on a crunchy & soft freshly-made Vietnamese take on French bread.

I was heartbroken when my sister moved from Brooklyn to Texas and I could no longer use visiting her & my nephew as an excuse to get this sandwich.  Would it really be such a ridiculous thing to occasionally fly to New York, fill my carry-on with banh mi, and turn around & come back?  The sandwiches are very reasonably priced at a mere $3.50 a pop — compare that to the price of Jimmy John’s, and hell — if I buy enough of them, the trip will pay for itself!  (This is what my dad calls “female math”.  He’s wrong — it’s hungry math.)

I spent weeks going back & forth in my mind trying to figure out a solution to my banh mi procurement problem.  I moped.  I paced.  I began muttering to myself in public places.  I’m embarrassed to say that it’s clear to me now that during this time, I really let myself go.  Basic grooming practices went out the window one by one.  I started to smell.  My mom didn’t even want to call me anymore.  I became an untouchable.

And then, at rock bottom, I came to a realization that I should have accepted from the very beginning.  I’d have to find a suitable replacement.  I think the reason I had resisted this notion for so long was that I found it impossible to believe that anything could even come close to touching The Sandwich.  My love was so true — how could something so pure, so utterly perfect, be replaced?  But at my lowest moment, a voice — maybe my saving grace — spoke to me, and it said: “I dunno, man.  Maybe it can.”

Wait — what’s this?… Hope!  YES!  I would find a NEW banh mi to love!  Maybe it would not be the same, but that’s no reason why it couldn’t still be FUCKING AWESOME.  (This is impermeable logic.  Don’t even try.)

And so my business partner (who was now fully on board the banh mi worship wagon) and I tried to recreate it.  Pretty good, I had to admit… but not close enough to the one I wanted.  (The pickled veggies are an absolute must.  Next time…)  We looked and looked for a Vietnamese place near us, but none that we found served banh mi.

Until we discovered Que Huong in Madison Heights.  I’ll admit I was skeptical at first — what were the chances that this new place could win my heart after I had loved so hard?  Could my delicate emotional state withstand the pain of another “miss”?  (Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a very real thing, you know.)  For that matter, could my posture recover from such a prolonged period of me walking around like a live-action Charlie Brown, head hung low, or would my spine break along with my heart?

Obviously, to give this new place a chance potentially carried with it some very serious medical repercussions.  Such a decision could not be made hastily.  But then… was a life of banh mi and shower withdrawal really a life at all?  And so I was a woman with nothing to lose.

Since those dark days, everything has changed.  Que Huong did not disappoint.  These Vietnamese sandwiches are fabulous.  And they’re all between $2.50 and $3.50, which means, of course, that it’s perfectly acceptable for me to eat two in one sitting, even though each is regular-sandwich-sized.  No, they’re not exactly the same as The Old Sandwich — for example, I prefer the thinner julienne of T.O.S.’s cucumber to the single fat spear in these (though even that is growing on me), and I miss the chili sauce and mysterious pork pâté of yore.  But Que Huong’s BBQ pork is absolutely heavenly, and their French bread is to die for — amazingly fresh & delicious when made, and then again in a whole new way when the 2nd sandwich is popped in the toaster oven the next day to reheat and it gets all crusty on the outside.

And since this place is only a 40-minute drive from home, it’s almost reasonable to go every couple weeks to get my fix.  Sometimes I feel a little guilty enjoying this new sandwich as much as I do.  But I know that The Old Sandwich would understand, and would want me to be happy, at least until we meet again.

Due to the lack of Vietnamese restaurants in New Westminster, it is always intriguing when a new one opens up. Recently, Purple Lotus Viet-Asian Cuisine took over the spot once held by Young’s Cafe on 12th Street. By all accounts, Young’s was a popular Chinese/Canadian greasy spoon. Purple Lotus still offers up burgers and breakfast but with a variety of Vietnamese and Thai dishes on the menu.

So, on one of those chilly, wet Sunday afternoons, I got a major hankering for soup. Not wanting to go on a major excursion, I stayed local and decided to check out their Phở.

Phở bò tái nạm (Rare beef and well-done flank noodle soup). It always seems that the worse the weather is, the better the soup is. In this case, it really didn’t matter. The broth was about as average as it could get. Although nice and hot, it lacked the necessary depth of flavor. The flank was extremely tender. Perfect, actually. Unfortunately, once the rare beef was cooked through in the broth, it became almost leathery.

Chả giò (minced pork rolls). The Spring Rolls matched the Phở perfectly…pretty decent flavor-wise but weakly seasoned. It’s too bad they opted for the wheat flour wrappers in place of rice wrappers. For a Vietnamese Spring Roll it makes a huge difference.

Although my meal would rank on the average side, I would probably visit again. Some early reviews said they were very heavy on the MSG. I didn’t find that to be true. In fact, I didn’t notice MSG at all. That tells me they are starting towards developing flavors the right way and not relying on enhancers. Simply put, Purple Lotus has a load of potential.

This is truly one of the easiest dish to make – very little prep and short cooking time.  Any type of fish would be good – halibut, salmon steaks, or catfish.  I’ve used steelhead fish for this particular recipe.

This is good with a hot bowl of white rice.   Traditionally, a side dish of some type of boiled greens (rau den or amaranth, rau moung or water spinach) would be served with this soup.  You would eat the greens by dipping it into the soup.

Pineapple Fish Soup (Canh Cá Kho Nước)

Serves 4-6

2 lb fish filet, cut into portion size (4oz each)

3 medium tomato, roughly chopped

¼ pineapple, roughly chopped

6 cups of water

4 tbsp fish sauce

½ tsp crushed black pepper

2 stalks of green onions, chopped.

1.  In a medium size pan, lay the portioned size fish into the bottom of the pan.  Layer on top of the fish, the chopped tomatoes and pineapple.  Add enough water to just cover the contents of the pan.  Add the fish sauce, crushed black pepper and  half of the chopped green onions.

2.  Bring to boil over medium high heat.   And then reduce to medium heat and simmer for 12-15 minutes.

3.  Serve by placing a piece of fish into a soup bowl and ladling over it some tomatoes, pineapple and broth.  Serve with a bowl of hot white rice.

Pinneapple Fish Soup, originally uploaded by simpleviet.

]]> http://jasminewanders.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/vietnam-locals/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:19:01 +0000 jasminewanders http://jasminewanders.wordpress.com/2009/11/24/vietnam-locals/

Creating this blog has made me think about all the awesome, memorable times I’ve had on my travels.  My favorite experiences are always mingling with locals and my experience with animals (riding elephants, laying with tigers, feeding wild monkeys, holding snakes, etc.).

One of my favorite memories is when I was in Hoi An, Vietnam.  Every day I would take a motorbike to Cua Dai Beach and chill.  It was low season for tourists, which I always prefer, so there weren’t that many people around.  On one of the days I went, there was a local fishing event/celebration.  There were at least a thousand Vietnamese people from the surrounding area playing games on the beach, having contests, and racing each other.  Most of the other foreigners decided to stay where they were, but I’m naturally curious and I wandered over to get in the mix of things.  I attracted a lot of stares, and kids looked at me like I was an apparition.  One mom attempted to hand her kid over to me to hold, but I think the little girl was pretty freaked out.  She had probably never seen a foreigner before