VietStuff

Ban Xeo

2007-11-16T21:55:00.001+08:00

Ban Xeo is a large crispy omelette with prawns, beansprouts and tonnes of oil. The golden crepe is accompanied with a fresh array of vegetables - the tart taste of basil, a savoury leaf (which they call the fish leaf), a large leaf that tastes like wasabi, and a range of others i have never seen before. Together the flavours fuse an incredible crispy, savoury, minty mix!

Step one : Break the Ban Xeo into smaller pieces. Use chopsticks and just jab these crispy pieces or else, just use your fingers.

Step two: Pick your favourite leaves, usually done deliberately and delicately spread them out so they serve as your base. Place a slice of the Ban Xeo inside, then roll everything together.

Step three : Dip it into the special sauce (a mix of fish-sauce and thinly sliced pickled carrots, turnip and other vegetables). Everyone has a bowl for their own serving of this dip.

Step four: Take a big bite... Yumm! Repeat...

This is how this popular dish is made

Step one : Sit very close to the ground as possible. Have several burners going at the same time. A flat, oily pan is required for each burner.

Step two: Begin the cooking by throwing in some juicy, plump prawns, and a dash of onions. Cook until fragrant.

Step three: Pour in the batter of flour and eggs and water and watnot. Slide it around so it forms a smooth base.

Step four: Sprinkle beansprouts on the top. Ladel in lots of oil until the batter and its ingredients sizzle. Turn up the fire

Step five: Put a lid on the pancake so its soft and creamy inside but crispy on the outside

Step six: When the time is right, fold it into half and its ready to serve.

All the pictures are taken from this famous Ban Xeo shop. If you're in Ho Chi Minh City, you can't give this a miss.

Vietnamese waffles

2007-08-13T00:08:00.000+08:00

The sweet scent of freshly cooked Vietnamese waffles tempt many a passer-by to make that quick purchase of this popular street-side food. The dish is always prepared as close to the dusty sidewalk as possible.

The creamy mix of milk, sugar and flour is poured carefully into the mould. There are various patterns - simple squares, flowers or hearts. Cooked over a charcoal fire until one side is done, then a quick flip of the iron moulds makes sure the other side is well-done too.

The final outcome is irresitible! -browned and crispy outside but soft and sweet inside.

Famous Wonton Noodles

2007-08-12T23:27:00.000+08:00

Ho Chi Minh City has an array of incredible food but to taste the authentic cuisine, you've got to hit the streets. There is a no-name hole-in-the-wall noodle shop that sells the yummiest noodles in town. Ignore the fact that the plaster is peeling from the walls, the wheeled cart hasn't been wheeled out for years and the floor is shiny with grease and grime. A fresh sprig of spring onions can somehow freshen up the place. Do note however that there are only two tables during the day (at night they pull out a few more so you get the cool winds and pavement view). This means this popular place gets packed quickly unless you come early.

The noodles seem to be handmade so instead of the rubbery, plasticky texture we're used to, its soft yet firm and has a taste all of its own. But the highlights are the pork-filled wontons. These Chinese gnocchi are made of thin skins of rolled out flour filled with finely ground minced, flavoured with a tasty mix of spices. The secret is where these wontons are kept. In the drawers of the cart!

We caught the chef preparing the wontons one day. I suspect the musky drawers added to the flavour of these delightful wontons.

The wonderful wontons are plopped into prepared bowls and then given a nice toss in the broth. I have never seen them throw out the rich broth - what a waste that would be. Thus i suspect this broth has been boiling for.. er.. very long time! No wonder the flavour of the stock is smooth like fine wine.

These are the secrets to this deliciously handmade noodles, topped with drawer-stored wantons, cooked in a broth that has been boiling for years! (WARNING: Readers eat at their own risk. Usually only foreigners who have survived the standard bout of a week-long agonising diarrhoea can truly savour this dish!)

Going shopping on a bike

2007-08-12T18:08:00.001+08:00

There are only a few large shopping centres in Ho Chi Minh City which have dedicated parking areas for the bikes. Here you see a double storey parking lot for bikes. You can make out the second level if you peer real closely in the centre of the pix. A ramp allows you to drive your bike up to the upper level. Stop at the main entrance to ensure the parking attendants take note of your license plate number and have your receipt stapled onto your handlebars.

For small stores - park at the open bike parking lots labelled "Giu Xe" (literally "Keep bike") or if they allow you, park right in front of the store. Most employees park their bike inside the stores (just like some residents park their bikes in their living room - usually the only room in their home!).

Once you're done with your shopping, stuff the goods in the boot... oops, i mean the seat of your bike... oops, so small ah!

Never mind you can also tie up the rest and place them on the hooks at the front of the bike. Make sure the goods are placed properly or else you might lose your balance.

Don't just zoom off. Pay for parking and make sure they check you've taken the right bike out. Fees for parking is between 2,000 VND (S$0.20)or 5,000 VND (S$0.50)(usually in town or expensive spots like the Hyatt) per entry. At the open lots, your bike is chalked with your ticket number.

The locals have their shopping balanced to a tee! They even manage to pack in a child or two ... !

Views from a bike

2007-08-12T17:30:00.000+08:00

Things whizz by rather quickly when you're on a bike. But the colours and flavours of the city still make quite an impression. Here are views of the recent* Tet decorations with traditional red buntings lining the streets.

We even caught sight of Uncle Ho conducting the traffic like it was some sort of orchestra. What a riotous melody we made.
As its the year of the pig, naturally piggies had to line the streets. Just park your bike in front of a pig and get your shot done. Then hop on again. No worries - its the normal thing to do. Generally, at the parks, you can drive your bike right up to a comfortable seat, or just sit under the shade of a cool tree and relax (or make-out - as most young Vietnamese would be found doing in the evenings).

The festive season however transforms "normal" traffic to a mad snarl. Actually, these riders are trying to find a parking space so they can catch a glimpse of the Tet evening sights. To get a real feel of riding during a festive season, check out this video. (The video's of us trying to navigate the Christmas traffic 2006. There was slightly more street decorations than Christmas 2005 but besides this, there really wasn't any great sights on the streets. We wondered why so many families were out on their bikes that night! Maybe it's just a sense of having fun. Watching Vietnamese traffic is really like having a non-stop movie pan out right in front of your eyes! - if only it was sans fumes and sound...although i guess that's part of the entertainment)

*Ok so this is a late post - at least i got it out whilst its still the year of the pig!

CLEANING the BIKE

2007-04-08T23:25:00.000+08:00

In hot, rainy, dusty Ho Chi Minh City, a bike needs a regular good wash. Your options are
(a) street cafes that double up as motorbike cleaning agencies. The bikes are handcleaned whilst you sip a cup of Vietnamese coffee. Some can even do minor fixes.
(b) or drive-in superwash

Here's option (b) in detail.

STEP 1: Get to the motorbike drive-in. You can spot these by the number of tyres hanging from the ceiling and the really wet floor. Of course there should be evidence of clean bikes around.

STEP 2: Dismount. Some of us used to driving cars may forget and may get rather wet.

STEP 3: The bike is jacked up and shown in all its elegance. Basically it also helps to get to the grotty bits especially under the wheels.

STEP 4: A superjet flushes out dust, dirt, pebbles, chewing gum and dead rats stuck to parts of the bike.

STEP 5: Professional foam soap spurts around the bike. This is no cheap bike wash ok! It costs at least 8,000 VND (about S$0.80 plus tips it'll come up to S$1)

STEP 6: A good rub down is given with some kind of gucky rag. Somehow, the guckier the rag, the shinier the bike. Maybe the gucky rag has this ability in picking up dirt and never leaving anything behind. Only in Vietnam is this possible.

Meanwhile, bikeowners can still have coffee (ordered from conveniently located cafes nearby), watch the latest Korean/Chinese/HBO movies in Vietnamese, or read the latest Tre Troi (Vietnamese Newspapers)

STEP 7: Finally, the bike is dried out usually by the street (so it can catch more dust). Everything should be fine and dandy unless you suddenly remembered that you forgot to take your precious electronic gadgets out of your now rather wet seat storage!

STEP 8: The bike's so clean you can do what every regular Vietnamese loves doing after lunch. Have a siesta on your bike!

PS: Apologies for not updating this blog for so many months. I didn't realise people were reading it until i saw the last blog's comments. Of course i also have problems with other strange visitors and i somehow can't erase those comments. Thanks anyway for keeping me motivated! More bike stories are on the way

GOING on a BIKE RIDE

2007-04-01T19:00:00.000+08:00

Going on a bike ride isn't as simple as it seems.

(1) The first step begins with the driver steadying himself. Potential passengers have to also ready themselves - pack the bag, carry other heavy "luggage" into proper position etc.

(2) The second step is preparing to sit on the back seat - or whatever is left of it after all necessary luggage is balanced appropriately.

(3) The final outcome is a picture of perfection - notice the streamlined look of the passenger, the "luggage" duly squeezed in the centre and the anxious face of the driver. Of course, the mother's face is actually more anxious than the driver's but the final picture shows that everyone arrived safe and sound. The luggage did not return as normal however - it was a little mishapen after the rather bumpy and nervy ride, due partly to the weight of the back seat passenger

Credits: Chien, Pauline, and Dylon! (and of course, Ben, the xe om driver)(Meredith was saved from this harrowing event as she was left at home)

The best way to travel around Saigon

2007-01-07T16:09:00.000+08:00

Travelling by Bus

A typical tai-tai will have her husband's driver ferry her around town. However, our daily commute to the city began on the humble public bus service. These cost 2,000 VND a ride into town (about S$0.20) but recently increased by 50% (3,000 VND). However, perks included aircondition sure to keep you "cool", a conductor who'll help you up the moving bus and down, the still moving bus so that motorbikes don't cut you down whilst you alight, and the bus driver's personal television set playing favourite Korean soaps in full Vietnamese monologue. Otherwise entertainment was a simple news broadcast or the top 10 Vietnam hits played in the background. More often though, the chit-chat of friendly commuters transformed strangers to long time friends on the eventful bus journeys. Old ladies and small children always had seats - the conductor would make sure you gave up your seat for them. On the bigger buses, vendors would board the bus and begin their sales pitch then lay out their wares (usually nice long-sleeved men's shirt) on the head of each seat for passengers to consider a possible purchase.

Travelling by Bike
Recently we have upgraded to our very own two-wheeler - the Yamaha Nouvo! Hey, its the same brand as the one Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie rode on when they surreptitiously visited Ho Chi Minh City. Ok so we don't exactly look like that handsome couple but, hey, we still got a striking electric blue that you surely cannot miss! Zippety-do-da - we're finally free to roam about town! For a pillion-rider's viewpoint of a ride on Ben's bike, check this video

A good sense of balance is required when riding the bike especially through flooded streets, traffic (which moves organically without rules), and multiple loads. Check out this group of party goers - count them - four on a single bike along with a big bag of balloons and a stool for an extra seat on the bike(?)

In Vietnam, the red light means you can continue going as long as you don't see a policeman at the junction. The green light means, continue going but make sure you look left and right incase those beating the red light happen to cross your path and there are no orange lights! Every street is a two-way street including the pavement and those which are labeled "One Way"

A biker must be appropriately dressed when travelling about town. Firstly, to prevent the dust and grime of Saigon's street from affecting one's breathing passage - remember to put a on a mask. There are many varieties to choose from - the kids have cartoon versions, babies have a netting and adults can choose from all styles including the all encompassing veiled look that covers your hair too! Women make sure their arms are covered with either a jacket or long gloves. Dark glasses keep the sun and dust out but googles do the same for the night. Finally a cap or hat to make sure the look is complete.

Incase you've forgotten something - no worries. Stalls along the street offer everything from caps to side mirrors.

Dalat train ride

2006-08-09T00:22:00.000+08:00

The train ride began with the locomotive being prepared. It wasn't the spectacular engine from the early 20th century we posed at but instead this rather boxy machine.
Typical Singaporean style we rushed in to grab a seat. It turned out to be our cabin anyway.

Everyone else had the ordinary hard-seat carriage. But then they had paid the Vietnamese price (ie about 1/3 of ours!)

The ride brought us through farmland and roadways. The scent of fertile soil and the cool air refreshed us!

The end of the line brought us to Trai Mat where the mandatory visit to the Linh Phuoc Pagoda was made.Besides the intricately carved gothic style pagoda, inside are giant Buddhas and huge dragons.

At the train station, children were taking advantage of the morning sun and cool breeze. The orange kite soared further than any train could go!

Our journey brings us back to the Cremaillere Station - a mere 8km away but a lifetime of images of rural Vietnam.

Cremaillere Railway Station

2006-07-02T16:16:00.000+08:00

The Cremaillere Railway Station
The station was a quaint building off the edge of the Xuan Huong Lake. Although it is now considered a tourist attraction for its train-ride to nowhere, the ticket office seemed busy. Vietnamese travellers were also taking the train-ride to nowhere. But there were also tickets for Hanoi offering stops at towns along the way.

The old locomotive, which seems to have been made in Japan in 1938, made a suitable background for another family shot.

But it was this clunky locomotive that would drive our train to nowhere. It took several minutes to turn this locomotive around and later we found out it was just for us. We, the foreigners, had paid three-times the price of the locals and so we were privileged to have the carriage all to ourselves (we had no choice but to pay three-times the price cos the signs said so, but this came up to S$7 per person in any case)

Datanla Falls

2006-07-02T15:15:00.000+08:00

The Cable Car station was not far from our next pit stop. The Datanla Falls! The simple entrance belied a more exciting journey down to the waterfall. We didn't realise there were so many modes of transport down to the waters. The most exciting was of course the car ride down. For those faint of heart, you can choose to control the speed of your vehicle and yes, children can be strapped in with an adult although we saw some rather large sized children who looked middle-aged rather than teenaged riding along with other adults!!

You could also take the normal mode of transportation - just walk down - a short 15 minute, in the cool air through a peaceful forest of trees. But we did not meet the promised wildlife of squirrels and birds unless the nattering chicks (Vietnamese young girls) and wandering salesmen count as wildlife.

Alternatively, you could take a pretty pony down. To be honest, we saw this horse at the journey's end and i think he was more for show (and making more dollars from a photo opportunity) than for a comfortable ride.

The Water Fall
After taking an easy stroll down, we spotted our intrepid travellers who had survived the free fall with their mini-buggy. Sunning themsleves on a rock, they then had to make the journey across the car terminal past the immense waterfall to meet us.

Here you can see the great immensity of the waterfall. If you look carefully you will also catch in the shadows a row of 'Pochahontas' - girls dressed up like Red Indians. And what the picture doesn't show you is the long queue of fellas behind this waiting to get their shot taken on the bridge. The place was crowded with picnicing Vietnamese and wandering tourists.

After a short rest, it dawned on us that we had to make that LOONG and painful journey back up.

Some of us were smart, and opted for the super car ride up instead! However, they took at least 20 minutes longer to get back up because of the long queues of returning visitors who had finished their picnic at the water fall!

The Cable Car ride

2006-07-02T13:58:00.000+08:00

Robin Hill

It was just 10 minutes away from the hotel before we reached Robin Hill. Here we caught a ride up the Cable Car for about USD$3 a person for a return ticket. The 2km journey takes all of 10 minutes and brings you close to vegetable patches at some points then rises high to give you a scenic view of Dalat's "forest" (seemed like planted trees) and arable land.

We do recommend that you come after 9.30am as there's a crowd that gathers at opening time and it takes you an extra half hour of queueing to get into a cable car. The crowd seems to dissolve after 10 am. We also would not recommend that five adults and two children get into a cable car, although they didn't stop us. For one, we noticed we exceeded the weight limit for the cable car, and secondly, we scrapped some fir trees on the way down.

TRUC LAM PAGODA
At journey's end is the Truc Lam Pagoda. Though a modern building, it reflects classical Asian features in its design. It includes large bells, mini pagodas and a beautiful flower garden.

PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES
It proved a good photo opportunit for chaps with flowers. Silas proved quite a poser, retaining his masculine looks despite holding a tiny yellow bud!

We were reminded of other hairier family members when we spotted this golden temple dog (some sort of relation to the Golden Retriever?) at the pagoda

FINALLY...
The view of Lake Tuyen Lam, with majestic mountains in the background, greeted us beyond the woody-smelling fir-trees.
But it was quite a long walk down from the cable car station.

Hotel and meals

2006-07-02T12:37:00.000+08:00

NOVOTEL

We lodged at the nice Novotel which has a rustic lift which sometimes was caught between floors. The rooms were fully booked however, cos of an international golf match. Which accounted for why the best golf course in Asia was fully booked and why the lift was sometimes caught between floors (heavy golf bags added too much weight)

SOFITEL
We did try out how the neighbouring 5-star Sofitel felt like. The chairs at least were comfortable.

For a moment we understood the feeling of owning a mansion in the sky!

THE ROOSTER CHURCH
The trusty rooster Church stood out in the new morning sun, in all its pink splendour.

MEALS

But most of us were too caught up with meal events to notice the scenery nearby.

The first evening we received a flaming Vietnamese dish that almost cooked Ruth. We realised it wasn't a typical Vietnamese meal when the chef came to take the hotpot off the table and promptly placed it on the floor. The meal ended well with only the fish nicely cooked.

Some of us were a little grumpy in the morning and took a while to get our breakfast down.

Family fun up to Dalat

2006-06-25T23:20:00.000+08:00

The family were so taken by our Dalat adventures, they decided to do a trip up too! So we hired a van and up and away we went!
Immediately upon arrival at the airport, the family were loaded onto the bus and rode non-stop to Dalat save for a few pee stops in between the 5 hour drive.

A much bleaker Dalat greeted us as it was the rainy season. The hills were blanketed with mists and clouds.

But Dalat's beautiful view still greeted us when we reached the mountain town. This was taken from the heights where the cable car rides began. Though often known for its romantic sights, the town itself is a scramble of buildings. Read on to learn more about the family adventures.

Fine Lodgings at Dalat - Bao Dai's Summer Palace

2006-05-11T23:00:00.000+08:00

Bao Dai's Summer Palace
Bao Dai was born Nguyen Vinh Thuy. He was literally the last emperor of Vietnam, ending the reign of the Nguyen Dynasty when he abdicated to live in France. The Summer Palace was built by the french but has a modern feeling to it. Their furniture and furnishings were left intact. A visit to his home gives you an insight to how royalty would have lived in the 1930s and it feels like some fine folks live in better homes today!!

The Queen
The King was married to Queen Nam Phuong, a southern Vietnamese of great beauty. Her fine features and delicate skin are evident in this photograph. However, the playboy King took many concubines and lived with a French woman when he moved to France in 1954.

Gardens
Surrounding the Palace are manicured gardens which still have beautiful blooms of roses and various cool climate flowers

Laundry
One of the more interesting rooms was the laundry room which had something like a sauna...or is that where you would dry dishes?

The Prince's room
The King had six children with his beautiful queen. The eldest son's room in the royal colours of yellow was considered luxurious for its time.

Her Majesty's room
The Queen's feminine touch is seen in her room

The Family Room
The family had a common place to sit together.

Fine Lodgings at Dalat

2006-05-11T22:54:00.000+08:00

THE SOFITEL
Outside the Sofitel
The French have left some beautiful architecture that have been transformed into hotels. One of them is the Sofitel at Dalat It had been a palace built between 1912 and 1922 and still retained the charms of the bourgeoisie. Firstly, it has a grandview of the lake and secondly, surrounding it are green gardens and silent fir trees. Finally, across it are other fine buildings to match.

Inside the Sofitel
The LE RABELAIS, the hotel's main French restaurant is a must for fine dining (a four-course dinner was only about USD$18 for a fine meal indeed. If you want something more informal we enjoyed the cosiness of LARRY'S BAR and somehow their freshly baked and cheezy pizzas tasted warmer in the cool evening.
....

It seems that there are rooms in the Sofitel that still retain a working fireplace. This one's in the main hallway of the hotel and yes, that is a real fire
No, we did not stay at the fine Sofitel but at the vintage Novotel. Unfortunately i didn't get any photos of the hotel. It does have a nice 1930s gated lift, that if you are patient enough to wait for, will bring you riding back through time.

THE CHURCH
The Dalat Church is nicknamed the Cockrel Church. It stands beside the hotel we stayed at and is named for the cockrel that sits at the peak of its rooftop. The Catholic church is a faded shade of pink. Many of its windows which presumably had stained glass, seemed patch up and the place remained dark, although there were people praying inside.

Around Dalat - Sights and Views

2006-05-11T20:33:00.000+08:00

CRAZY RIDERS
Taking the Crazy Riders
The best way to see Dalat is not the tour bus nor by trekking. Its taking the crazy riders. They're experienced bikers not quite on Harleys but their bikes are definitely big and strong.

The ride gives you an inside look at the villages as it winds through back alleys in Dalat which only the locals take. You will also get to take in the pure scents and sights of the country

Please get your Crazy Rider via a reputable hotel. Do not hitch rides from the cluster of bikers who hang around the main post-office. True Crazy Riders would also show you a valid license and offer to let you read the various compliments from various patrons in their small black book.

A TEMPLE
We were first brought to a large temple not far from the township of Dalat. The grounds opposite this temple saw some of the fiercest battles during the war. A family of six was obliterated after severe bombing. Villagers could only find remnants of bones and placed these in a single coffin and buried it not far from this hillock. The memory of this harrowing incident is still being told today

Rebuilding the temple
However, new life seems to flow even in the spring season at Dalat. Here the temple dragons are being rebuilt. Around the temple grounds are large statues of various deities such as Quan Yin and the Buddha, in the painted colours of the rainbow.

WILD LIFE
Wild life in the woods
There is much wild life in the woods of Dalat. Basically an evergreen tree life exists on the hills (though we didn't see much natural forest as it seems most had been wiped out by napalm bombing...). Look carefully between the trees and you will see the wildlife in the woods of Dalat here. These 'wild' creature are native to Vietnam's farms = translated... they can be found aplenty in the rural villages of Vietnam and they're made into the famed Vietnamese dish "pho bo".

Wild life in the trees
These creatures are prevalent throughout Vietnam (and infact all over the world). However, for me, it was first in Vietnam that i saw their prevalence in trees. Even in my own quiet home in Ho Chi Minh City, these creatures climb the lowest of trees. Somehow, in Vietnam there seems a strong affinity between these creatures and trees.

COFFEE PLANTATIONS
Coffee Beans
The hills are alive with the scent of coffee! We popped by a plantation and took a handful of beautiful red berries. They were Mocca and Arabica coffee bushes. But the berries didn't taste exactly like coffee. Almost sweet with a tinge of Mocca or Arabica...

Drying coffee beans The coffee beans a laid on floors in homes, by the roadsides, beside pens. They are raked to even the lot so all are equally baked in the sun. No wonder our coffe here are so flavourful - full of the flavour of the "earth"!

CHIPPING GRANITE
Just off the road, even the granite stones offer work. Painful, backbreaking work but these men can be found throughout the granite lined roadways chipping away at these large rocks as if they were gold

WATERFALL
Finally a view of beauty but a high price to pay for it. Bonny almost collapsed (for fear of heights, of climbing, of slipping, of falling, of climbing again...!!) but survived to take this photo. It was either the waterfall or what-a-fall... Ben, the next time you're climbing the falls yourself!

A TRIBUTE
to our Crazy Riders

Around Dalat - Children in Home Industries

2006-05-11T03:50:00.000+08:00

PIGS & RICE
Besides the pigsty is a whole pot of fermenting rice which results in the potent Vietnamese moonshine possibly 90% alcohol (based on whiff level!) This little girl is helping to stir the brew... The fermented rice is discarded for the pig's consumption making their meat both tasty as well as tender(ised).

MUSHROOMING
This little girl is helping her mother pack the earth into plastic packets. Each packet will hold the spores of future mushrooms. Each packet is strung up and kept hanging inside a dark, stank tent. But under these conditions the mushrooms flourish best and the sweet, thick meat of mushrooms bloom. These mushrooms were being readied for a harvest for Tet when they would fetch a good (read exhorbitant) price!

BAMBOO SPLITS
Bamboo grows easily but try splicing them WITHOUT splicing oneself. It is an art. Cut bamboo also offers dangers as the plant itself has a sharpness that can hurt. However, these children seem at ease in this family business. The older boy splits bamboo into strips for further work by his siblings

The girl splices them further, smoothens the edges and refines the bamboo strips so they are ready for weaving.

Two boys barely older than six battled it out to weave two strips of bamboos with their feet. Each completed woven strip took only 10 seconds to complete. They did it with such intensity and speed it was incredible! It is uncertain what the final product would be used for. Maybe fences, maybe rooftops - but these children were having more fun than if they had been playing computer games.

FLOWER POWER
Mummy, can i help with the flowers?

GUNPOWDER KIDS

Just beside this tank of water where the children have gathered for their Kodak moment, their father was chipping at an uneartherd bomb to retrieve the firearm's gunpowder. Could the firearm explode whilst he chipped at it? What would happen to these children? Yet without the financial returns from his work, what would happen to these same children.

Dalat - Arrival

2006-04-02T00:40:00.000+08:00

Dalat's cool air and hill-top views finally greet us. The rolling hills and cool temperature make them ideal for coffee and tea plantations.

Its the rushing waterfalls and large lakes that make the place romantic. Dalat town had its own large lake smack in the centre.
Check out the beautiful Lake Xuan Huong! By the way, its man-made - created when the Cam Ly River was dammed in 1919 by the French. Every morning, the townsfolk take brisk walks around the perimeter - a refreshing exercise in the crisp cool air.

Check out the other side of the lakeview - a rather cluttered, less romantic perspective (Ben is standing in the same stance so you can see the contrast...:-)... and yes, that is a mini-Eiffel Tower standing there)

This was typical of Dalat - a town of contrasts, balancing beauty and clutter in the same location. In the midst of interesting gems there were other strange sights we wondered why we visited!

Celebrating Tet Vietnamese Style

2006-02-22T10:40:00.000+08:00

VISITING PARKS
There are at least several large amusement parks in Ho Chi Min City. They include Dam Sen Park Though they charged extra for opening during Tet, the parks were overflowing with visitors. Many families came to picnic or climb into rides or just have a day out together. Some couldn't help but take posed pictures beside strange figurines.

Dogs were the creature of the day. They appeared everywhere - sculpted out of flowers or of strange tools. There were also dragons and lions, it looked like the animal residents of our own lion city.

A small bridge crossing a temporary pond (actually sited between two major road junctions) becomes so popular, a queue forms. But so do a crowd of policemen and somewhere in the shadows, the pickpockets. We saw a few chases throught he evening and the hotel (where we dropped off Kevin and Elaine) warned us about the dangers of the evening.

Flower shows sprout in nearby parks in the city centre including near Ben Thanh market and in the central Hguyen street.

Plants are shaped into creatures including this elaborate dragon (check out the red ball floating between its jaws)

Our Journey up to Dalat

2006-02-20T21:09:00.000+08:00

Dalat (Stream of the Lat People - a tribal group in the Central Highlands) is a cool escape for the hot and bothered Saigon urbanite. Its the Vietnamese Cameron Highlands complete with rolling hills of tea and coffee plantations and Swiss cottages dotting the greenery (with the air-con turned up a little more). This Valley of Love has been a romantic getaway for the locals ever since Swiss immunologist, Dr Alexandre Yersin, chanced upon it in 1893. Reminded of his Swiss home, he encouraged the government to build a resort town, particularly in Dankia with a focus on health spas. The elegant hotel that was soon built, and the lakes and waterfalls added to the element of romance although today, the 'romantic' elements may appear to some as cheesy. (Read upcoming updates for evidence)

THE BLAST UP!
You can fly up to Dalat but at only about 300 km from Ho Chi Min City, the journey takes only 5 hours by car. So we hired one and had the most adventurous ride in our lives. Can we survive the harrowing ride? Its an incessant beeping of car horns and zooming-ahead-before-the-oncoming-traffic hits you! Its like the N-S Malaysian highway, with narrower roads. But we did survive...

SCENES ALONG THE WAY
Besides little towns and rice plantations, the journey out of Ho Chi Min City surprised us with a string of beautiful churches seen every other kilometre or so on the highway up to Dalat. Some were designed like temples while others were of a modern design but all were large. Who enters these hallowed gates we wondered, besides the school children milling on their grounds?

Some sources claim that Vietnam comes second, after the Philippines, in having the highest number of Catholic followers in Southeast Asia. Read more about the history of Catholicism in Vietnam.

Strange sights greet us further on our journey - huge granite boulders bulge out onto the road. Houses were built around these ancient rocks, almost hugging them.

More about Dalat and its scenery can be found in these sites but somehow i couldn't find these scenic views on site. Hmmmm....

Huy Thien & Trung Viet. (2004) Dalat - City of Eternal Spring. Viet Bach

Dalat. WikiTravel.

(Note: The trip up to Dalat was taken in October 2005 when we were on official leave. The story is only being published now as the pix were stuck in another computer. Enjoy the next few retrospective entries)

Celebrating Tet

2006-02-16T06:33:00.000+08:00

Tet is short for "Tet Nguyen Dan" or "first day" of the lunar new year. It marks the start of the Vietnamese new year and colourful festivities often associated with family,food, flowers and fireworks! "Chuc Mung Nam Moi" is the standard greeting for the day.

VISITING
Ben made friends with Phuong at a Karaoke bar and since October, Phuong had insisted that Ben visit him on the first day of Tet. It is a privilege to be the first to visit a family during Tet - the first guest is specially picked to bring auspicious blessings to the family for the coming year. We wondered why we were chosen but felt truly honoured to usher in blessings for the family. Phuong did make several calls when we were a little late (lost) because he worried we would not come or maybe someone else would beat us to it and accidentally become the first guest...

FLAGS LINE THE STREETS
The Vietnamese flag, in stark red, became an inevitable part of the Tet decorations - not only to convey a sense of nationalism but also because its colour is so appropriate for the season.

GOOD LUCK?
Phuong's girlfriend is having her fortune read by an important visitor. This lady (on the right), although a Vietnamese, had been residing in Cambodia for some years. She was specially asked to make the trip to visit this family for the new year to make a forcast of their fortune. A pack of cards, shuffled and sorted, display the year's fortune. But the fortune-teller somehow knew we weren't into this sort of thing.

GOOD MEAL
Phuong and his father with the new year spread which we consumed in his humble one-room home. The meal included dried melon seeds, roasted cuttlefish, garlic preserved in vinegar, pork porridge, pig's ears cut into strips (a great delicacy - but er... none for me) and sweets. In between each bite, Phuong pours out glasses of liqour and gets us to down it with much requests for blessings. Ben is not in the picture by now as he has passed out! ;-) Phuong is handing out the toothpicks to mark the end of the meal. Beside him is the family altar repainted and decorated with food and sweets of the season. Behind them is the other traditional family altar - the television set.

Phuong's father had been sheltered in Malaysia at Sungei Besi amongst the Vietnamese boat people for some years. However, he had come via Cambodia where he had been living. He continues to appeal to become a recognised resident of Vietnam. Unfortunately, because of an injury to his leg, his handicap makes this difficult (although the government is accepting more and more returning Vietnamese - Viet Kieus- as part of the country). Meanwhile, Phuong's parents run a hairdressing salon nearby.

GREAT FAMILY

What is Chinese New Year without family!? We were grateful that Elaine and Kevin dropped by Ho Chi Min City for the new year (making them the first family to visit our home). Little did they realise that nothing would be open except our home for the season but i guess they were duly compensated. Here they are in their traditional Singapore dress, having consumed traditional Hue food (cooked by our helper), singing traditional American Karaoke (is there such a thing?)

CITY SIGHTS
Huge flower shows were set up in the various parks throughout Saigon. The display we went to filled the main stretch of Nguyen Hue - the main boulevard facing the People's Committe Building. For days, traffic was blocked from entering this area. Months before, a competition for the best design for a flower show resulted in this winning entry - its a display with little islands of different cultures of Vietnam scattered down the road.

Some of us think we look cool in our Oakleys

And they do recognise it is the Year of the Dog.

Tet festival step-by-step

Our neighbours & the neighbourhood

2006-02-05T18:13:00.000+08:00

THE FAMILY OPPOSITE
In the mornings, the family who live just across us, gets ready for business. They live quite comfortably in a simple wooden house. The mother operates a foodstall and every morning she gets her pushcart ready. At the front of the home (just behind the pushcart) is a nice big sofa. Its the family living room. They lounge there in the cool of the evening, chatting and dining.

THE BADMINTON GANG
All the neighbourhood streets are marked with white lines. These are badminton courts. Every morning a team of men and women string their nets across the streets and start a feisty game of badminton (Note the flashy backhand smash by the player on the lower left)

Sometimes when vehicles come by, the game takes a short pause, the net is gently hoisted to make way for cars. But the game is never interrupted for long.

VIETNAMESE TAI-CHI
Just behind the badminton players you can see a troupe of ladies. They perform a daily ritual of communistic tai-chi, danced to a rousing socialist melody. Sometimes they wave flags, sometimes they have small sticks but most of the times they are staring at Blue when he goes for his walk (making sure he doesn't poo infront of their homes)

VEGETABLE STALLS
The sun is barely up and already melodic chants of passing goods of garden greens and ripe sun-kissed fruits fill the streets. A shopfront in Saigon can be opened anywhere. Just park your cart under a shady tree and layout the goods. This vegetable stall set up shop just infront of our home (use our neighbour's humble home as a marker)

PLAYING FOOTBALL
Even though by the afternoon, the sun beats painfully bright, the boys returning home from school can't resist a game of football. Two slippers mark the goal post and large shouts, a score!

(NB: All these pictures were taken merely a few metres from our home)

Finally - our home

2006-02-04T17:37:00.000+08:00

OUR VIETNAMESE HOME
We stay in the Binh Thanh district to the East of Ho Chi Min City, about a 20 minute busride, or a 10 minute taxi ride (estimate 10 km from the city centre). It's more popularly known as Thanh Dah. Here is the major road and our lane is marked out with a blue board. You can barely see it but somehow the taxi drivers know (as long as you tell them when to turn).

The lane leads into a middle-class area well-regarded by many Saigonese who consider this "a good place to stay." Every morning this dusty lane becomes a muddy path before it dries out in the midday sun(We wonder where the water comes from).

Huong, our helper walking down the lane. Yes, she's the tall, long-haired beauty carrying the marketing home. The neighbour's busy sprucing up his home for Tet while cyclists whizz by regularly.

Huong at our front gate, walking Blue, our Husky who has become a star attraction in our neighbourhood (ok, both the dog and our tall, lanky helper!)

OUR ROOMS
BEDROOM
The bedroom where Ben can finally rest in peace (and for all the internet world to see!)We have a total of 5 bedrooms and we're on the 5th floor (Huong's taken the 6th floor bedroom). Every bedroom has its own attached bathroom,fridge, airconditioner and TV set. We welcome you to our wonderful B&B (Ben and Bon's B&B) Some bedrooms even have a jacuzzi (and if you pay us the right price you get the room with the jacuzzi)

DOGROOM

This is actually at the entrance to the home fronting the kitchen - otherwise known as the GARAGE. The dogs are playing just beside their new beds (actually they are the large cages they came in with). They are standing infront of our moat. Don't worry its dry. So if you fall in, you won't drown.

LIVING ROOM
On the third floor is our Living Room. Here Ben catches up with work as well as what's on in StarSports/ESPN, the latest movies on 'cheap' DVDs and Kara-oke bouts. Sometimes Huong and I watch Vietnamese VCDs here too - mainly cooking shows lah.

KITCHEN AND DINING
In the basement is the kitchen fully equipped with gas cooker, microwave and refrigerator. Huong whips up fantastic meals here. The dining table has a pond on one side and a moat on the other and yes, where the bar stools are, is a bar with bottles of we-don't-know-how-old liquor. Hey, who's that long-haired dame having dinner with my husband?!

WHAT YOU DO NOT SEE... the fantastic pond where you can lounge about. Its full of large koi in a spot designed like a typical Vietnamese cavern. And hanging in the centre of it is a delightful pufferfish that looks like a bloated durian. ... that's why you've gotta come and visit us!

Leaving Singapore for Ho Chi Minh City

2006-01-21T20:35:00.000+08:00

We have Lift Off
Ben had left for Ho Chi Minh City in early October. Bon finally says her farewell in January. Changi Airport is soon shrouded in rain!

Never the Same Again
Goodbye Singapore - i bet you won't look the same again when we return (reclamation works off an island - is it Tekong or Ubin, can't tell in that blurry grey) (Singapore Islands online)

Descent into Reality
A view of Ho Chi Minh City from the sky shrouded in a blanket of dust! It doesn't seem that much different from the landscape i just left a mere 2 hours ago? Bits of green seem to be evident (what a relief).

(A tourist map of Ho Chi Minh City. The city is popularly still known as Saigon although this refers technically only to the city centre and the river. This map allows you to see the different districts.) (Encarta's map with details of townships around HCMC)

Touchdown
The tarmac of Thanh Son Nyat Airport. Military hangers still dot the airbase - for budget airlines, there's still the bus to take you from your craft to the main airport. A new wing is being developed for the airport due to open soon. (Check out the Saigon Airport services online or these passengers' uncensored opinions about the airport)

*These pix were taken from a budget airline on a return trip to Spore. Artistic license was taken in piecing the journey. The actual journey down was too messy to shoot especially with an airport full of 4 plane loads of pple and two trolleys of dogs in cages and bags to push out...!! The story needs to be told in person!

Eating everywhere and everything

2005-10-22T22:59:00.000+08:00

In Vietnam, eating out is an experience. It is always joyful, relaxing and full of surprises! The flavours of dishes are enhanced with fresh (read 'uncooked') vegetables which add to the taste of soups and meats in the most psychedelic ways. Granted they say its best to take your Hepatitis A shots and with bird flu around, avoid chicken, duck and quails, but when the scent of Vietnamese dishes waft by you, you just can't resist, no matter what is served (reptiles, dogs and cats excluded!)

They sit on the tiniest stools and sup on the tiniest morsels, watching the world go by. This is the morning crowd, having breakfast before going into office. Impeccably dressed, they sit daintly on the stools, unperturbed they are so close to the ground. The same scene is repeated for tea, lunch, tea, dinner, tea... somehow tea and coffee-breaks never does end.

i asked for pho bo (beef noodles) but i got pho ba (chicken)! Must i consume this? What shall i do? ['think - bird flu....']

A tiny kitchen will do. The sooty walls add to the flavours; the handmade noodles and the chunks of unknown meats inevitably gets tastier in this sort of environment. They say, the grubbier the place, the more tasty the meal.

IN THE BEGINNING
This is how a meal begins - a multiplicity of bowls, vegetables, sauces and stuff.

GEOMETRIC PROGRESSION
This is how it progresses - bowl of soup multiplied by spoonsful of condiments plus tasty sauce minus Ajinomoto, equals multiple burps

REMAINS OF THE DAY - hardly anything gets left behind...especially if it was sheer poetry in a bowl!

I have eaten just too much
Read more about Vietnamese food.

House Hunting

2005-10-12T14:31:00.000+08:00

House hunting is the bane of all expatriates intending to stay some time in Vietnam. Homes range from simple apartments to large villas and in-between is the ubiquitous VIETNAMESE VILLA. Often tall and thin, squeezed between two non-residential buildings or standing starkly alone, the villa's interiors often attempts styles much larger than it has space for.

Here is an uncompleted Vietnamese house which would be ready in about 20 days. This type of Vietnamese home is highly marketable.

The entrance of the home showing the basement GARAGE

This is taken from the KITCHEN, looking at the staircase going up to the second floor. The living room is on the left.

And finally, this is taken from the second floor but looking down the staircase. Notice the textured wall which goes down to the GARAGE

Sane in Saigon

2005-10-07T14:30:00.000+08:00

A step out of the comfort of your air-conditioned hotel room and you're confronted with the crazy Saigon traffic and heat! But meditate a moment, and take a step of faith - you will find the whizzing motorcycles part like the Red Sea. So too the still, hot air which suddenly turns to wet thunderstorms and then stops again like a tap turned off. A reflection of - Saigon - a city that never is what is seems to be.

A CLEAN SWEEP - Saigon seems impeccably spotless for an Asian city! And all this without heavy littering fines. At a key corner opposite the Opera House, where the menfolk seem to gather for tea and a chat, helpers sweep away rain water so the streets don't turn muddy.

CRAZY TRAFFIC - Ten years ago it was whizzing bicycles but now its an endless stream of motorbikes and increasingly larger SUVs. There are no traffic rules, only an unspoken agreement to not hit you (or so it seems)! Walk confidently but make sure you catch the driver's eye before crossing. Never dash across! See how this driver teeters along the double white line. Hey, which lane is he on?! Check out the oncoming car! But all seem oblivious, noone seems worried....except the Singaporean backseat drivers.

TRADITION AND MODERNITY - The past and the future coexist side by side, each building upon the other. There seems to be a stark jump between elegant European architecture of the 19th century to functional blocks of the 1960s and 70s and then the sparkling steel-clad high-rise buildings of the 21st century. A dilapidated residence beside the spanking new hotel

WAR & PEACE - Talking to the Vietnamese, their cheerful and patient ways often belie a troubled past where many may have lost a parent or been separated from a relative in recent wars. But they don't carry their troubles like a large chip on their shoulder. Instead, their optimism is real and infectious - especially in vibrant Ho Chi Min City where the rosy economic climate seems to promise much for young couples. Here a wedding car is parked beside an American jet plane used in the war.

Buying & Selling

2005-10-02T18:28:00.000+08:00

Vietnamese handicrafts make for delicate yet attractively priced souvenirs although the cheaper end of the spectrum can get rather tacky. This includes

WOODWORK - wood is carved to make signs from Disney characters to the Simpsons. Or else they are crafted for something more functional such as stools, cutlery or jewelry boxes. Skills in sculpting result in more intricately shaped results such as an animal carved from a single piece of wood. Check out the sculptures of Thu Nguyen Lacquerware is very much part of the woodwork.

BASKET WEAVES - rattan leaves dried in the sun are woven by hand to create fine basketry. The tribal groups make unique designs (Check VVG for samples and purchases)

EMBROIDERED LINEN - White linen for the table are often finely embroidered with the flora and fauna of Vietnam. Ranging from table cloths to fine silk jackets embroidered ala Imperial China brocade, the Vietnamese literally paint with needlework. Find out more about Ngoc Anh Embroidery,

CERAMICS - Although fine celadon tableware is often associated with Thailand, Vietnam has its own industry of celdon products. Minh Long makes some of the finest pieces in Vietnam. Today tourists buy creative cups and plates, products of centuries of craftmanship. Whether antiques or the modern versions, you can buy some online instead.

FRUITS & VEGETABLES - the simplest and most traditional way of selling items may prove to be the most successful way!

A link to Vietnamese products online.

Ben's new home

2005-10-02T09:10:00.000+08:00

This is Ben's new home! It has enough room for all of you wanting to visit. You wish!

Actually this is the block to his one-room apartment. He is standing at the foyer, just beside the little red bus which brings us to town - one of the many conveniences offered(or rather a necessity considering how ulu this apartment block is)

Here he is unpacking and

here is a view to the rooms

BEDROOM - the toilet is behind and it has a bidet! We took awhile to know how it worked or why it squirted water. Use it to wash hands?

LIVING ROOM - there is a TV and internet access (all that Ben needs to survive)

KITCHEN - Fully equipped (with a rice cooker lugged from home by Bons - "what for?!" was Ben's appreciative response)

ALL OF THE MANY ROOMS TOGETHER

Cao - Hello

2005-09-27T14:38:00.000+08:00

Its easier to read Vietnamese than it is to speak it. The Vietnamese language after all has six tones and i am practically tone deaf. To be honest, beyond the seemingly familiar alphabets are weird diacritic marks that makes things more complex. Also a 'd'is not always a 'd' and nowhere is a 'g' near 'gel' although it might touch 'gold'!

The Vietnamese are always eager to share their language and teach you a word or two even though the pronunciations and terms can differ between North and South and somewhere in the middle.

Yet, language is the doorway into the heart of its people. So, its grit your teeth, mumble your way through it, and smile. For what better way is there to understand the people than to speak their language or at least try to. Fortunately (unfortunately), being a fellow Asian, we seem to get away with it (or at least get slightly better prices)!

Online Vietnamese Dictionary