Crawling my way through the world

Sorry for not posting lately... I've been busy. :)

Over the weekend, I went to the Cu Chi Tunnels and a Cao Dai Temple with my uncle and had lots of fun. The most fun, and the dirtiest part, was crawling through the tunnel. The guide liked to point out that the tunnel we were crawling through was actually widened for the wider tourists. Nonetheless, it was a good workout in that my quads were sore for several days afterwards.

Pictures to come soon.

Going to Cambodia this weekend. More pictures from that, I'm sure.

Saigon at night

Just a picture of the Ho Chi Minh City Hall - I guess this is where the work gets done?

I scream for ice cream!

I went out for ice cream last night at a place called "San Francisco Ice Cream" in District 3. It supposedly served Bud's San Francisco Ice Cream, whose Mint Chocolate Chip I am very fond of. However, being in Vietnam, I felt as though I should try some of the "tropical" flavors, so I got taro and durian. Taro is a purple starchy potato like thing that I absolutely love in milkshakes, so thought ice cream would be good as well. Durian is notorious for its intense smell (some say it smells like rotten eggs). It's creamy and yellow, kind of like an avocado with an intense smell, and more fibrous. I'd have to say that that was the best ice cream of the night. Seriously.

Oh, these are the pictures of the night. They were on the bathroom doors at the ice cream place. It took me a few minutes to figure out why the figures are posed as they are (yes, I can be slow at times).

Working girl

So, this is my third day at work... and it's work. That's all there is to say.

Oh, last night, I picked up a shirt that I had made for me. It fits great and I really like it (and it was super-cheap = a grand total of $23 for a custom made shirt). I'm going back tonight to see if they can make pants for me... I need pants of all things!

First day on the job

(Image source)

Today was the first day of the rest of my life. Er, not really, just the first day of my rotation in Vietnam. It's actually quite exciting and nerve-racking, for no apparent reason. I ended up just shadowing the doctor in charge, but I was able to do a lot of medical Vietnamese translation. I'm still learning obviously, but it's getting better. I'll have to ask the nurses and receptionists to work with me on my Vietnamese when they have time.

Photos, finally!

So, I've finally made the leap to adding photos! I have backposted photos to the relevant postings, so feel free to browse. There aren't many, because direct uploading them from my camera is a pain in the arse.

There will be more if someone can offer up an easy way to direct upload to blogger, picasa, or flickr from my Canon SD750.

First day at work

Last night, as always happens the night before a new rotation, I slept fitfully. Around 6AM, I got up nearly every half hour, afraid that I would sleep through my wake up time and by the time my alarm went off, I was exhausted. So, I arrived at the clinic, a full 20 minutes early, to find out 45 minutes later that the doctor, indeed, was not in. I was bummed, not because I didn't get to work (I enjoy an unexpected day off just like the next person), but more so because I had a whole day of free time and nothing planned.

No problem, I ended up venturing out and having a good time. I walked from the clinic to the post office...

... to Notre Dame Cathedral ...

(only in Vietnam would you find neon lights in a church)

... to Reunification Plaza ...

(this room wasn't labeled, but you can only imagine the things that went on in it)

(a creepy staircase near the end of the tour)

... to Cho Ben Thanh to Pham Ngu Lao.

Along the way, I had "banh kot" and "che" to satisfy my tummy.

"Banh Khot"

(image from http://www.my-que.com/img/page2/imgge.jpg)

"Che Thap Cam"

(Image from http://photos23.flickr.com/32510421_df95c4d5e4_o.jpg)

Motorbike riding

Sunrise over the Mekong:

Yesterday was a day of riding motorbikes. Woke up at 5:00AM (which, I would like to point out, is earlier than the sun rises) and left the house at 6:30AM with my two cousins and my uncle. We went on an all day motorbike journey through the delta. I took us all day, we we maybe rode 80 km the entire day. We made stops at my uncle's friends' houses, eating delicious food and fruit all day. My cousin, Hoang, and I picked longans, papaya, pomelos, and "mang" while my other cousin and my uncle took their afternoon naps. Took some great pictures, especially of the sunrise over some of the small rivers.

Oh, I also learned how to ride a motorbike! After coming home and promptly taking a nap and eating, went out with my uncle to learn how to ride a motorbike. After a few spins around an empty parking lot, took it out on the road and it was so much fun! However, it's scary as hell because other drivers and pedestrians do as they wish, not yielding to other drivers at all. I would like to be able to drive in Saigon, but that requires some nerves of steel and I don't know if I've grown those in yet.

Here's a picture of two of my cousins on motorbike. I am riding alongside them on my uncle's motorbike (he's driving, don't worry!).

Sunrise, sunset

For the last few days, I have been in the delta region, celebrating the lunar new year with my relatives (Chuc Mung Nam Moi, as we say in Vietnam!). Being in the delta, away from the city, means a different pace of life. I get up at sunrise, not by choice, but because everyone and their dog gets up at this time. Then, go to bed at an ungodly early hour (9:30 last night). You start off the day with breakfast, a walk around the market or neighborhood, and then sit and shoot the breeze with whomever is around. Then, lunch! After lunch, you take your obligatory nap and then shoot the breeze with whomever is around. Then, dinner! Again, shoot the breeze with whomever is around, and it's bedtime! Throw in a few showers here and there and you have my day for the last few days.

Oh, but a change of pace was staying up until midnight to watch the fireworks (a rather disappointing ten-minute show):

Other things that got thrown into the heap:

• Take pictures - lots of them. Apparently it's a new year tradition to take family pictures so I did that with my dad's side one day, and my mom's side another day.
• Go into an orchard of "mang" - which are these red fruits, crunchy and juicy like an apple, but almost tasteless. Actually quite addicting.
• Go to the museum, where I learned (as much as I could by "reading" the Vietnamese placards) about the history of Vinh Long province (where I am right now and where my family is from), what animals reside here (apparently lots of fish - makes sense, it's a delta, after all), and what people live here (turns out there are a good number of ethnic minorities here).

Oh, I did get to ride an ostrich. Yeah, an ostrich. Apparently, not as hard as you'd think it would be.

Tet flower festival

Tonight, I went to the flower festival, across from the New World Hotel and it was beautiful. So many flowers, some in the thousands of dollars! Totally outrageous, but totally fun to "window shop." I love Tet here - it's so much fun and so beautiful. It's also not outrageously hot outside, so it's bearable during the day (though the night is so much more comfortable).

So, these fish are actually from another flower festival, but they sure are ugly. And yes, the gold one is swimming vertically. Apparently, they're stupid as well.