Yay! 1 more night and i will see Manila again!Now, need to go back to work and pack some more stuff!!
See you very soon Pinas!
Friday, January 28, 2011
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Tet's Bachelorette Party - Last Wild Night
My very good friend Tetet is getting married next week so we have decided to throw her a "last wild night" party fit for a bride to be. It was difficult for me to think of a way on how i can surprise her since we both live in the same apartment complex, we work at the same school, we are together almost everyday. So i asked the help of our friends to prepare things and bobs for her whilst i think of a way on how i can make her believe that i am inviting her for a Friday night drinks somewhere in AnPhu. For people who know me, one will definitely wonder why all of a sudden i am in the mood for drinking! :) But she's very dear to us so we have to push this through! AND WE DID!! it was amazing to see how pretty the girls'house turned out to be (shoutout to Precious, Inna, Tara, Chrissy and Joanne) with all the trimmings and preparations they made for this night!
(That is Tet - our bride to be)
(This is US - thanks girls for all the fun stuff you prepared!)
(A bridal shower won't be complete without the games! - taken at the kitchen area (1st team was Tet and Tara)
(Photo taken after 2 bottles of tequila)
I thought the girls only prepared things to be done in the house, but I, myself was surprised that they have planned to take both of us to Apocalypse Now! The last time i set foot here was years ago! and it was fun to be honest. It was definitely a good, clean fun, last wild night especially for a dear friend of ours.
I thought the girls only prepared things to be done in the house, but I, myself was surprised that they have planned to take both of us to Apocalypse Now! The last time i set foot here was years ago! and it was fun to be honest. It was definitely a good, clean fun, last wild night especially for a dear friend of ours.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
A Simple Post-Birthday Dinner
I had a very low-key birthday dinner sans the husband. WE have decided to just celebrate it back home with our families. Paolo's been very busy at work this month as he has to meet the magazine's deadline on Monday, just in time for our flight back to Manila next week. So my simple post bday dinner was with my very good friend Tetet. Both of us have been craving for Japanese food lately, so what a satisfying dinner we had at Sushi Bar. Right after mass, we went straight to this Japanese restaurant located at District 7. There are are other branches in the city but we opted to dine in quietly at Phu My Hung, since we both live in the area.
We feasted on salmon sashimi, california maki, ebi tempura and miso soup! I tried passion fruit ince cream for dessert.
(It was my first time order and taste passionfruit ice cream and i quite like the refreshing taste compared to the usual sweet flavor of vanilla or chocolate ice creams.)
We feasted on salmon sashimi, california maki, ebi tempura and miso soup! I tried passion fruit ince cream for dessert.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Vietnamese Lunar New Year
If the Philippines celebrates Christmas in a major big way, Vietnam has its own version of the festivity called TET (Vietnamese Lunar New Year). This year it will fall on the 3rd of February, same time as the Chinese have theirs. Tourists, expats and locals know and feel that Tet is near when different exciting decorations spruce up the city.
Take a quick look at some men changing the decors along Dong Khoi st. in District 1.
(not minding the danger of falling over or vehicles smashing against the scaffolding they are using!mind you, they are hanging all these things in broad daylight)
Dong Khoi looks more beautiful at night when all the lights and decorations are lit. The whole city centre has been "prettified" with various concepts such as "cat" (year of the cat - for Vietnamese and year of the rabbit - Chinese), lotus flowers, a huge watermelon on top of Saigon Tax etc.
Take a quick look at some men changing the decors along Dong Khoi st. in District 1.
Dong Khoi looks more beautiful at night when all the lights and decorations are lit. The whole city centre has been "prettified" with various concepts such as "cat" (year of the cat - for Vietnamese and year of the rabbit - Chinese), lotus flowers, a huge watermelon on top of Saigon Tax etc.
Monday, January 17, 2011
It's my BirthWEEK!
Today marks my birthweek (yes, you read it right!) and what a great way to start it with a surprise from my class!
I was caught off guard from the gesture they made because i did not realise that they will actually start celebrating it today! All of them (20 children) came inside the classroom holding the cake and singing the sweetest birthday song one could ever hear. After i blew the candle off, there were screams and laughters from them as they started telling me that they wanted to have a piece of cake. One teacher asked them how old i am and there were different answers given! One said, i was 4 years old! :) and there's another girl said 20!(i wish i could only be 20) but there is 1 boy who said 28 whilst pointing at the candle on top of the cake!
I was extremely blown away by their surprise and I couldn't ask for more to have a great start this week!!
I was caught off guard from the gesture they made because i did not realise that they will actually start celebrating it today! All of them (20 children) came inside the classroom holding the cake and singing the sweetest birthday song one could ever hear. After i blew the candle off, there were screams and laughters from them as they started telling me that they wanted to have a piece of cake. One teacher asked them how old i am and there were different answers given! One said, i was 4 years old! :) and there's another girl said 20!(i wish i could only be 20) but there is 1 boy who said 28 whilst pointing at the candle on top of the cake!
I was extremely blown away by their surprise and I couldn't ask for more to have a great start this week!!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
I am just CLUELESS...
Have you asked someone (stranger/worker from a home service company) to come over your place to fix something or do a little chore for you only to find out that he actually gave himself the "right" to use and do what he wants!!???
Oh well, that happened to me twice over the 7 years that i have lived here.. First was a couple of years ago, in my old apartment. I asked a worker to fix the leak from the AC and whilst waiting for his colleague to come, he took a cigarette out his pocket, lit it and puffed some as he lay on my couch!!! can you believe that? I am not usually a confrontational person but when I just saw him, i knew that I had to give this person a fright!
I called the home service company this morning to have someone come over my apartment to hang some wall decors i bought from Phnom Penh and to check the tap in the toilet. After he drilled holes on the wall, he immediately proceeded to the toilet, shut the door and a few minutes later, I heard the toilet flushed! Wtf! Did he just use my toilet to urinate?! I don't know, if there is something wrong with me, but that is my toilet, if he wanted to excuse himself, he could have asked me and i would direct him to the living room toilet and not the one that we use! When he finished fixing the tap, he went out and I saw his face and hair wet! so did that mean he also washed his face?
That is now my question? are these men clueless of the word respect? or am i just clueless of the social norms here? do they vary from country to country? From where I am, people will not do that, it is definitely rude to just barge in someone's personal and let me say private space and do things that you normally will do in the comfort of your own house. THAT IS A BIG NO!! especially if you are a stranger!
I might have to get used to this but i know for sure that it will take me a long time to accept and understand that those actions might be normal and accepted here.
Oh well, that happened to me twice over the 7 years that i have lived here.. First was a couple of years ago, in my old apartment. I asked a worker to fix the leak from the AC and whilst waiting for his colleague to come, he took a cigarette out his pocket, lit it and puffed some as he lay on my couch!!! can you believe that? I am not usually a confrontational person but when I just saw him, i knew that I had to give this person a fright!
I called the home service company this morning to have someone come over my apartment to hang some wall decors i bought from Phnom Penh and to check the tap in the toilet. After he drilled holes on the wall, he immediately proceeded to the toilet, shut the door and a few minutes later, I heard the toilet flushed! Wtf! Did he just use my toilet to urinate?! I don't know, if there is something wrong with me, but that is my toilet, if he wanted to excuse himself, he could have asked me and i would direct him to the living room toilet and not the one that we use! When he finished fixing the tap, he went out and I saw his face and hair wet! so did that mean he also washed his face?
That is now my question? are these men clueless of the word respect? or am i just clueless of the social norms here? do they vary from country to country? From where I am, people will not do that, it is definitely rude to just barge in someone's personal and let me say private space and do things that you normally will do in the comfort of your own house. THAT IS A BIG NO!! especially if you are a stranger!
I might have to get used to this but i know for sure that it will take me a long time to accept and understand that those actions might be normal and accepted here.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Ironing woes
If there is one house chore that i choose not to do, that would be IRONING! I am not a big fan of the iron and its partner (aka ironing board). And i dread the time when all the laundry has been washed, dried and folded, because i know the next step to that is something that i am not happy about:) I know I can always ask someone else to do the task for me, i have had a few instances where i brought the load of clothes to a laundry shop and ask them to iron it for me. There was one time when I ask someone to come to our apartment and finish a mountain high of clothes! But those 2 options are something that i am not quite proud of myself.
That's why i miss life in Manila, where i have my mum and helpers who will do things for me even if i don't ask. This is the life of being an OFW (overseas filipino worker) and i have been living like this for the past 7 years but to be honest i am still trying to get used to the routine of house chores especially if it requires pressing and folding.
Don't get me wrong, you can ask me to do any chore in the house and I can definitely finish it with flying colours! I enjoy doing things around the house but not ironing in particular. I guess for 2011, this task should be flagged as HIGH PRIORITY!
That's why i miss life in Manila, where i have my mum and helpers who will do things for me even if i don't ask. This is the life of being an OFW (overseas filipino worker) and i have been living like this for the past 7 years but to be honest i am still trying to get used to the routine of house chores especially if it requires pressing and folding.
Don't get me wrong, you can ask me to do any chore in the house and I can definitely finish it with flying colours! I enjoy doing things around the house but not ironing in particular. I guess for 2011, this task should be flagged as HIGH PRIORITY!
Monday, January 10, 2011
A quick getaway - January 2011 (Phnom Penh)
Paolo and I had a quick weekend getaway to Phnom Penh, Cambodia which is approximately 6hrs bus ride from Ho Chi Minh City. I booked a bus ticket through Mai Linh Express and paid 40$ for a return fare for both of us. This trip was the second for me so i opted to take Mai Linh as i had a bad experience with the other bus company I took last time I went to Cambodia. Before purchasing the ticket, i already warned Paolo about the long drive that the trip entails so i wanted to make sure that I will not hear any harsh comments from him. Thankfully, he was up for an adventure! And the whole weekend was a breeze for both of us as we both enjoyed the capital, a glimpse of its very interesting history and last but not the least the TRAVEL!!
We left Saigon (Pham Ngu Lao) at 6.30 am and reach the Moc Bai border 2 hours later. At the border, we waited for a few moments to have our passports stamped by the immigration officer. All these were handled by the bus company, so we did not worry about the whole process. After it was stamped, we headed towards the Cambodian side, which was the Bao Vet border, it was the same process only that we were the one who went inside the immigration office. It was very easy since we are Filipinos and we can stay in Cambodia for up to 21 days free of visa. For those other nationalities not included in the ASEAN countries, you need to pay 25$ for a single-1 month entry visa.
It took us almost another 3 hours to reach the port (i forgot the name) where we will be transported by a barge/ferry across the Mekong river to get to Phnom Penh.
When we arrived in Phnom Penh, a tuktuk driver from the hotel was already waiting for us. He then introduced himself to us as Mr Smiley :) and yes, his name was in fact a really good description of what he is. He was very friendly and patient of us the whole time we were there. Btw, we checked in at Blue Tongue Cafe and Hotel, which was a nice hotel considering that i only paid 40$ for it. It was decent enough that you won't need to worry about the noise and happenings despite of its closed proximity to Central Market and Sorya Shopping center.
Our first stop after we checked in was Central Market. It was lovely to see how it looks like inside. The first time i went to PP, i was not able to visit the market, since it was already closed. I like how the colour shimmers during the day and the sunlight reflects on it.
(view of the Central Market from outside)
It was a perfect time to go to PP because the weather was still cool, actually it was a bit cold especially in the morning. We rode tuktuk the whole time we were there, even when we visited the Killing Fields, which was a 40-minute ride from the city.
This trip was a first for Paolo to take "tuktuk". When we were in Thailand a couple of times last year, we never had a chance to experience the ride, so when I asked him whether he opts for a taxi or tuktuk, he willingly obliged to take what most locals use.
(sira "tuktuk" - he told me to use this caption just for this particular photo)
After we went around Central Market, we headed to an airconditioned shopping centre called Sorya. We had our lunch here and we devoured on, guess what? chicken! BBWorld, is the fastfood restaurant that i raved about when i first came to PP before.
I did not buy anything at Central Market because i am saving my energy, time and money at the Russian Market. And i was right to save it for later, because i found what i have been wanting to get at PP. The first visit i had with Tet, i bought myself some house decors and cambodian silk table runners but it was never enough that i still longed for some more. Hence, the trip to the Russian Market. I will post pictures of them once i am able to hang them on my apartment wall.
To finish this post, let me leave you with a few more photos of what PP has to offer.
(just one of the many "temples" in Phnom Penh)
(a park in the city centre)
And last but not the least, they say that a Cambodian trip won't be complete without visiting the Killing Fields. So here it it, as i pay respect to those people who were perished in PP from 1975-1979.
(a stupa inside the Killing fields)
We left Saigon (Pham Ngu Lao) at 6.30 am and reach the Moc Bai border 2 hours later. At the border, we waited for a few moments to have our passports stamped by the immigration officer. All these were handled by the bus company, so we did not worry about the whole process. After it was stamped, we headed towards the Cambodian side, which was the Bao Vet border, it was the same process only that we were the one who went inside the immigration office. It was very easy since we are Filipinos and we can stay in Cambodia for up to 21 days free of visa. For those other nationalities not included in the ASEAN countries, you need to pay 25$ for a single-1 month entry visa.
It took us almost another 3 hours to reach the port (i forgot the name) where we will be transported by a barge/ferry across the Mekong river to get to Phnom Penh.
When we arrived in Phnom Penh, a tuktuk driver from the hotel was already waiting for us. He then introduced himself to us as Mr Smiley :) and yes, his name was in fact a really good description of what he is. He was very friendly and patient of us the whole time we were there. Btw, we checked in at Blue Tongue Cafe and Hotel, which was a nice hotel considering that i only paid 40$ for it. It was decent enough that you won't need to worry about the noise and happenings despite of its closed proximity to Central Market and Sorya Shopping center.
Our first stop after we checked in was Central Market. It was lovely to see how it looks like inside. The first time i went to PP, i was not able to visit the market, since it was already closed. I like how the colour shimmers during the day and the sunlight reflects on it.
It was a perfect time to go to PP because the weather was still cool, actually it was a bit cold especially in the morning. We rode tuktuk the whole time we were there, even when we visited the Killing Fields, which was a 40-minute ride from the city.
This trip was a first for Paolo to take "tuktuk". When we were in Thailand a couple of times last year, we never had a chance to experience the ride, so when I asked him whether he opts for a taxi or tuktuk, he willingly obliged to take what most locals use.
After we went around Central Market, we headed to an airconditioned shopping centre called Sorya. We had our lunch here and we devoured on, guess what? chicken! BBWorld, is the fastfood restaurant that i raved about when i first came to PP before.
I did not buy anything at Central Market because i am saving my energy, time and money at the Russian Market. And i was right to save it for later, because i found what i have been wanting to get at PP. The first visit i had with Tet, i bought myself some house decors and cambodian silk table runners but it was never enough that i still longed for some more. Hence, the trip to the Russian Market. I will post pictures of them once i am able to hang them on my apartment wall.
To finish this post, let me leave you with a few more photos of what PP has to offer.
And last but not the least, they say that a Cambodian trip won't be complete without visiting the Killing Fields. So here it it, as i pay respect to those people who were perished in PP from 1975-1979.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Tron Legacy (3D)
Paolo rarely watches movies in cinemas here in VN so when he asked me out the other night, i was extremely delighted! When posters of Tron were first hung up at Lottemart, i told Paolo i wanted to see it and find out what the raves were all about. And the raves were right, it was a good movie to watch, reliving the game from the arcade way back. This movie was a first for Paolo to watch in 3D, but sad to say, the 3D glasses were too small for his face and head to fit properly :)
But despite the lack in size of the glass, it did not stop us from enjoying the movie. Although, it started way behind the scheduled time and Paolo has to get out of the movie house and asked someone about it (imagine watching series of advertisements 6x!!!, we managed to enjoy our "movie date" together!
I sure hope this was not the last of our "movie date" and will be looking forward to random invitation from him.
But despite the lack in size of the glass, it did not stop us from enjoying the movie. Although, it started way behind the scheduled time and Paolo has to get out of the movie house and asked someone about it (imagine watching series of advertisements 6x!!!, we managed to enjoy our "movie date" together!
I sure hope this was not the last of our "movie date" and will be looking forward to random invitation from him.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Cafe sua da
Presenting my first "cafe sua da" for 2011!!
I have kicked coffee out of my system for quite sometime now but whenever i go out, i always come back to the original "coffee" Vietnamese style. Whilst waiting for Paolo to finish work, i spent my time at Highlands coffee shop (think Starbucks) reading The Word magazine and sipping on this heavenly and heart-pumping drink. Gloria Jeans and Coffee Bean are sprouting like mushrooms here in Saigon but nothing beats this concoction made up of coffee, condensed or sweetened milk and ice.
Every tourist in Vietnam, coffee-drinker or not, should try "cafe sua da" and experience this lovely drink everyone raves about after visiting the country. There are many coffee shops here and you can always find small "coffee" stalls along the road. And each one of them has their own distinct taste and like any other coffee it is definitely addicting!
I have kicked coffee out of my system for quite sometime now but whenever i go out, i always come back to the original "coffee" Vietnamese style. Whilst waiting for Paolo to finish work, i spent my time at Highlands coffee shop (think Starbucks) reading The Word magazine and sipping on this heavenly and heart-pumping drink. Gloria Jeans and Coffee Bean are sprouting like mushrooms here in Saigon but nothing beats this concoction made up of coffee, condensed or sweetened milk and ice.
Every tourist in Vietnam, coffee-drinker or not, should try "cafe sua da" and experience this lovely drink everyone raves about after visiting the country. There are many coffee shops here and you can always find small "coffee" stalls along the road. And each one of them has their own distinct taste and like any other coffee it is definitely addicting!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Happy New Year!
1st day of 2011 went well for me. I did some cleaning in the apartment, took the christmas tree down:( and at the moment, waiting for the chicken to cook for our new year dinner. I just stayed at home since Paolo has to go to work, yes, you read it right! Vietnamese people do not really celebrate new year as compared to the rest of the world. They celebrate it big during the Tet holiday which is the Chinese new year. Although, they are starting to widen the idea of the celebration since more and more foreigners flock the country for work and pleasure.
Last night, I watched the fireworks display on TV and was quite surprised at how much spectators went to the city to witness this much awaited event!
Anyway, to everybody, I hope you all have had a great 2010 and is now ready to embrace the things 2011 will bring. Let's aim high and work to attain all those aspirations!
To 2010, i thank you for giving me many opportunities to grow as a person. To continuously enjoy what i am doing as a wife to Paolo, as a member of my family, as a teacher to my interesting students and as a person to all my friends and people i met along the way.
I know 2011 will bring more challenges and blessings to me and i know that I am supported by HIM and with HIM i know i can take anything unscathed. That's the spirit!!
Last night, I watched the fireworks display on TV and was quite surprised at how much spectators went to the city to witness this much awaited event!
Anyway, to everybody, I hope you all have had a great 2010 and is now ready to embrace the things 2011 will bring. Let's aim high and work to attain all those aspirations!
To 2010, i thank you for giving me many opportunities to grow as a person. To continuously enjoy what i am doing as a wife to Paolo, as a member of my family, as a teacher to my interesting students and as a person to all my friends and people i met along the way.
I know 2011 will bring more challenges and blessings to me and i know that I am supported by HIM and with HIM i know i can take anything unscathed. That's the spirit!!
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