Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Teacher of 3 weeks Award :)
Yesterday, I was awarded "Teacher of the Month" by the staff at my school. The award was followed by a 30 minute stroking session in the hot seat, where I had to listen to the entire staff tell me how great I was! Funny thing is, I haven't even been at the school a month yet! The whole thing was embarrassing and unnecessary, but hey, I got a free spa package out of it, so I probably shouldn't complain.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Marble Mountain/Ngũ Hành Sơn - Oct. 24, 2010
Marble Mountain/Ngũ Hành Sơn - Oct. 24, 2010
Yesterday, we took our first mini road trip to Marble Mountains, a group of 5 mountains, located about 8 miles south of Da Nang. The five 'mountains' are named after the five elements; Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth). Theses mountains rise out of the surrounding flat plains like monolithic monuments. Thuy Son (water) is the largest of the five and offers an amazing view of the city from its peak rising 105meters straight out of the sand. The climb to the top took about 20 minutes and the stairs were extremely steep. I was so grateful for the railing, especially on the way down when my knees were shaking like crazy and I it felt like my legs were gonna give out.
After such an intense trek, we decided it was time to take a fiver and enjoy some fresh coconut juice. First, you suck down all the juice with a straw, then hack it open and dig into the delectable seed.
Yesterday, we took our first mini road trip to Marble Mountains, a group of 5 mountains, located about 8 miles south of Da Nang. The five 'mountains' are named after the five elements; Kim (metal), Thuy (water), Moc (wood), Hoa (fire) and Tho (earth). Theses mountains rise out of the surrounding flat plains like monolithic monuments. Thuy Son (water) is the largest of the five and offers an amazing view of the city from its peak rising 105meters straight out of the sand. The climb to the top took about 20 minutes and the stairs were extremely steep. I was so grateful for the railing, especially on the way down when my knees were shaking like crazy and I it felt like my legs were gonna give out.
After such an intense trek, we decided it was time to take a fiver and enjoy some fresh coconut juice. First, you suck down all the juice with a straw, then hack it open and dig into the delectable seed.
The juice of the coconut is clear, mildly sweet and slightly salty. The white, meaty flesh of the coconut is firm, sweet and nutty!
The main attractions of the mountains are the numerous caves and grottoes, with some made into pagodas and shrines, once inhabited by monks. However, on the day we visited, the main attraction was Piotr! We were stopped at least 4 or 5 times by swarms of teenagers begging to have their pictures taken with him. Dang! 5,000 dongs a picture and we could of had dinner paid for the next month:)
My favorite cave was the one with 3 openings at the top where sunshine poured in, spotlighting the incense smoke that filled the room.
After spending a good couple hours exploring Thuy Son, we decided to check out the scene in the village at the base of the mountain.
The third picture totally reminded me of a lizard sticking its tongue out :~
Lunch was scrumdittilyumptious!
Fresh greens and cucumbers, grilled shrimp, broth, a heaping plate of rice and grilled pork.
The best way to eat is to scope out what the Vietnamese peeps are eating, and when you see something you like, just point. Works every time:)
While exploring the outskirts, we happened upon a few fellow motorbikers waiting for the ferry to carry them across the river and decided to join them.
I swear, the woman I am sitting next to gave me the ok to sit by her, but the look on her face says "Who the hell are you and why you sitting next to me?" Gotta love it!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Destination Egg Sammy
Destination Egg Sammy
Awoken by the sound of signaling motorbikes, babbling children, and mawkish Vietnamese ballets, I longed for a snooze button that would silence the sounds of the streets, and give me just 9 more minutes of precious sleep. Instead, I opened my eyes to bright rays of sun reaching in thru the patio window, spreading their fingers across the room.
The dawn of day brought on a desire for something delicious. Hmmm....but what to have? We decided to mull it over over a cup of cà phê sua đá (sweetened coffee with ice). By far the best coffee I've ever had and at the low low price of 5000 dongs (25 cents), how can't it be:)
After a cup-a-joe and much consideration, we had decided on egg sammies for breakfast. The only questions that remained were where to find it and what to call it? Luckily, thanks to our infallible friend "googletranslate" we found the words for "fried egg sandwich" and headed out to the local street vendors in search of breakfast. Destination "egg sandwich" landed us around the corner from our hotel. It was a small joint, decked out in "kid size" red plastic chairs, metal tables, pinkie size lizards scurrying along the walls, and a sign advertising Bánh mì as its specialty, it was the quintessential example of a street side restaurant. Bánh mì is a french baguette sandwich stuffed with grilled meats, pork pâté, or fried egg, plus fresh herbs and vegetables, and can be found on almost every street corner. Needless to say, we ordered ours with fried egg, and as a bonus got a serving of chicken broth and a pitcher of iced tea.
Before our full bellies had time to bulge, we knew we had found our new breakfast spot. A filling and tasty breakfast for two at the affordable price of only $1.60. I could definitely wake up to this deliciousness on a daily basis. Til tomorrow....
Awoken by the sound of signaling motorbikes, babbling children, and mawkish Vietnamese ballets, I longed for a snooze button that would silence the sounds of the streets, and give me just 9 more minutes of precious sleep. Instead, I opened my eyes to bright rays of sun reaching in thru the patio window, spreading their fingers across the room.
After a cup-a-joe and much consideration, we had decided on egg sammies for breakfast. The only questions that remained were where to find it and what to call it? Luckily, thanks to our infallible friend "googletranslate" we found the words for "fried egg sandwich" and headed out to the local street vendors in search of breakfast. Destination "egg sandwich" landed us around the corner from our hotel. It was a small joint, decked out in "kid size" red plastic chairs, metal tables, pinkie size lizards scurrying along the walls, and a sign advertising Bánh mì as its specialty, it was the quintessential example of a street side restaurant. Bánh mì is a french baguette sandwich stuffed with grilled meats, pork pâté, or fried egg, plus fresh herbs and vegetables, and can be found on almost every street corner. Needless to say, we ordered ours with fried egg, and as a bonus got a serving of chicken broth and a pitcher of iced tea.
Before our full bellies had time to bulge, we knew we had found our new breakfast spot. A filling and tasty breakfast for two at the affordable price of only $1.60. I could definitely wake up to this deliciousness on a daily basis. Til tomorrow....
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Traffic and Honking and Helmets, Oh My!
Fumes and Masks and Motos, Oh My!
If there is one thing I'm scared of in Vietnam, its the motorbike madness. One miscalculation of speed, direction, or the intent of the other drivers and its Crash, Bang, Boom and Burn Baby! The rules of the road are: Look and Listen. Look ONLY at whats ahead of you and Listen for the "honk honk honking" of horns signaling "on your left." This works well when you're on a straightaway, but as for intersections, its every man for himself. Natives have a blithe disregard for the rules of the road, weaving in and out of lanes, driving against the grain of traffic, and 5 giant crates full from using the rearview. For a foreigner who lives by the motto "safety first", this kind of situation is intimidating to say the least.
Fears, Fractures and Fatality aside, we had our first go against the traffic this weekend. Piotr as driver and me as passenger, we hit the streets of Da Nang on a Red Honda Wave fit for two. The bike was loaned to us by the lovely Kathleen at Bread of Life, one of our new fave restaurants. Up until this point, we had been relying on our legs and feet as our main form of transportation, which made us stick out even more so than the color of our skin or the length of Piotrs legs :)) The motorbike to a Vietnamese is an extension of themselves, a bionic limb that delivers door to door service come rain or shine. Walking is an absolute last resort.
Possessing a motorbike is like having a disguise that allows you to roam the streets, concealed from the gawking stares and pointing fingers that foreigners, especially those on foot, are often subject to. Add to that a helmet, face mask, and elbow length gloves and you are practically invisible.
My ensemble consists of a smurf blue face mask with a cream, felt squirrel stitched on the front to match my smurf blue helmet with a sassy pink rabbit decal on the back. The helmet was a surprise gift from Piotr :) Rabsy Babsy sportin her rabbit helmet. He wouldn't have it any other way!
Piotr, on the other hand, went for a more subtle, manly look, with a red and black helmet and a navy, white and black plaid face mask. As for the elbow length gloves, well, what can I say, we foreigners like our sunshine and we're still getting used to the heat. Guess we'll have to settle for a "fit" thats not quite complete :)
If there is one thing I'm scared of in Vietnam, its the motorbike madness. One miscalculation of speed, direction, or the intent of the other drivers and its Crash, Bang, Boom and Burn Baby! The rules of the road are: Look and Listen. Look ONLY at whats ahead of you and Listen for the "honk honk honking" of horns signaling "on your left." This works well when you're on a straightaway, but as for intersections, its every man for himself. Natives have a blithe disregard for the rules of the road, weaving in and out of lanes, driving against the grain of traffic, and 5 giant crates full from using the rearview. For a foreigner who lives by the motto "safety first", this kind of situation is intimidating to say the least.
Fears, Fractures and Fatality aside, we had our first go against the traffic this weekend. Piotr as driver and me as passenger, we hit the streets of Da Nang on a Red Honda Wave fit for two. The bike was loaned to us by the lovely Kathleen at Bread of Life, one of our new fave restaurants. Up until this point, we had been relying on our legs and feet as our main form of transportation, which made us stick out even more so than the color of our skin or the length of Piotrs legs :)) The motorbike to a Vietnamese is an extension of themselves, a bionic limb that delivers door to door service come rain or shine. Walking is an absolute last resort.
Possessing a motorbike is like having a disguise that allows you to roam the streets, concealed from the gawking stares and pointing fingers that foreigners, especially those on foot, are often subject to. Add to that a helmet, face mask, and elbow length gloves and you are practically invisible.
My ensemble consists of a smurf blue face mask with a cream, felt squirrel stitched on the front to match my smurf blue helmet with a sassy pink rabbit decal on the back. The helmet was a surprise gift from Piotr :) Rabsy Babsy sportin her rabbit helmet. He wouldn't have it any other way!
Piotr, on the other hand, went for a more subtle, manly look, with a red and black helmet and a navy, white and black plaid face mask. As for the elbow length gloves, well, what can I say, we foreigners like our sunshine and we're still getting used to the heat. Guess we'll have to settle for a "fit" thats not quite complete :)
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Day 1. Check.
Vietnam: Day 1
Passport. Check. Tickets. Check. Bags packed and weighing under 23 kilos. Check... again!
Minus the rearranging and forfeiting of heavy items at the check in counter (surprise surprise), our departure from Poland went smoothly. We left Warsaw on Wednesday at 5:30pm and arrived in HCMC on Thursday at 5:30pm. The seemingly endless flight was no more than a cat nap thanks to the Xanax and red wine I consumed shortly after the onflight meal. Next thing I knew we were preparing for landing.
Passport. Check.
Immigration. Check.
Luggage. Check. Check. Check. Check.
Name of the taxi company that won't rip you off. Check.
Feeling ready, or as ready as we'd ever be, we emerged through the airport doors to a barrage of eager-eyed taxi touts and an incredible wall of heat and humidity.
Welcome to Vietnam Baby!
After a few minutes of haggling with the taxi lady, we were on our way to meet our new friends Anne and Josh, a couple of fellow Americans who are also livin it up in the Nam! The taxi ride gave us a glimpse into the chaos that is Ho Chi Minh City! Motorbikes rule the roads transporting every imaginable (and unimaginable) item you can think of, including an entire family. As I stared out the window I was mesmerized by the jumble of images in front of me. Flashy neon lights, sleek skyscrapers, and designer shops fill the spaces between the teeming markets and ramshackle wooden shops selling silk, baskets, safes, spices... you name it, they've got it.
Needless to say it was a LOT to take in in the short 20 minute ride to the apartment. So close to the madness, yet so far away, the unpretentious air of the apartment made me feel like I was home again. A modern, two bedroom apartment with all the amenities you could need or want to live comfortably, couch, TV, shower, washing machine, and most importantly, the access to unlimited air conditioning! Now this I can handle :)
After we got ourselves settled and had bombarded Josh and Anne with every Expat question possible, we decided it was time to go back out into the chaos and try out some local cuisine. We chose a place that probably has a name, I couldn't tell you what it was, but was known for its Lemon Grass Chicken Chili. I dined on the house special and tried out a local beer, 333 (pronounced ba ba ba) and Piotr had some beef dish. The food was good, but I have to say it was the $12 tab (4 meals plus drinks) that was excellent!
Good on the grub, but wanting more beer, we headed over to a popular expat bar where Josh was showcasing a collection of his photography, mostly pieces from his travels throughout Vietnam. Check out his stuff here at: http://flicker.com/photos/vnsmiles/sets/
An hour or so later, now full from the tastes and images of a novel place, we all decided it was time to head home, get some good sleep and prepare the busy day ahead.
Day 1. Check.
heartangie
Passport. Check. Tickets. Check. Bags packed and weighing under 23 kilos. Check... again!
Minus the rearranging and forfeiting of heavy items at the check in counter (surprise surprise), our departure from Poland went smoothly. We left Warsaw on Wednesday at 5:30pm and arrived in HCMC on Thursday at 5:30pm. The seemingly endless flight was no more than a cat nap thanks to the Xanax and red wine I consumed shortly after the onflight meal. Next thing I knew we were preparing for landing.
Passport. Check.
Immigration. Check.
Luggage. Check. Check. Check. Check.
Name of the taxi company that won't rip you off. Check.
Feeling ready, or as ready as we'd ever be, we emerged through the airport doors to a barrage of eager-eyed taxi touts and an incredible wall of heat and humidity.
Welcome to Vietnam Baby!
After a few minutes of haggling with the taxi lady, we were on our way to meet our new friends Anne and Josh, a couple of fellow Americans who are also livin it up in the Nam! The taxi ride gave us a glimpse into the chaos that is Ho Chi Minh City! Motorbikes rule the roads transporting every imaginable (and unimaginable) item you can think of, including an entire family. As I stared out the window I was mesmerized by the jumble of images in front of me. Flashy neon lights, sleek skyscrapers, and designer shops fill the spaces between the teeming markets and ramshackle wooden shops selling silk, baskets, safes, spices... you name it, they've got it.
Needless to say it was a LOT to take in in the short 20 minute ride to the apartment. So close to the madness, yet so far away, the unpretentious air of the apartment made me feel like I was home again. A modern, two bedroom apartment with all the amenities you could need or want to live comfortably, couch, TV, shower, washing machine, and most importantly, the access to unlimited air conditioning! Now this I can handle :)
After we got ourselves settled and had bombarded Josh and Anne with every Expat question possible, we decided it was time to go back out into the chaos and try out some local cuisine. We chose a place that probably has a name, I couldn't tell you what it was, but was known for its Lemon Grass Chicken Chili. I dined on the house special and tried out a local beer, 333 (pronounced ba ba ba) and Piotr had some beef dish. The food was good, but I have to say it was the $12 tab (4 meals plus drinks) that was excellent!
Good on the grub, but wanting more beer, we headed over to a popular expat bar where Josh was showcasing a collection of his photography, mostly pieces from his travels throughout Vietnam. Check out his stuff here at: http://flicker.com/photos/vnsmiles/sets/
An hour or so later, now full from the tastes and images of a novel place, we all decided it was time to head home, get some good sleep and prepare the busy day ahead.
Day 1. Check.
heartangie
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