Not a Menu I'm Used To. . .

Well last night's dinner was interesting.  We all met Scott at a nice restaurant for dinner.  It had a rather large menu, several pages.  Scott wanted me to try this certain fish so I just let him order for me.  (So far he hadn't steered me wrong on anything edible; therefore, I trusted what he was going to order.) 

Here's the front page of the menu.  It had about 12-14 pages.

Here's the Shrimp Appetizer.  That "orange" to the side is a flame all around the bottom of the bowl which they keep going with wax. The shrimp "cook" like this at the table in the juice of the coconut.  The flame heats the liquid in the coconut to boiling and it cooks the shrimp. Then the waitress peels the shrimp and puts them back into the liquid.

As I was browsing the menu, I came across this page and couldn't believe it.  Had to take a picture.  Yep, that's FIELD MICE on the menu fixed four different ways.  35,000VND = appx $1.35 each.  I, of course, said something about "mice on the menu" and Van said, "It's not your regular type city mice, it nice country mice."  OMG!

More Menu Surprises.  Eel anyone?
115,000 VND = appx. $5.50

And let's not forget the "Specialty Dishes" like
 Copperhead and Weasel.
I think that's "Price on Request"

Then Dinner arrived-- This big 'ole fish.  Before the waitress opened it up and removed the main bones, I had to get this photo of the presentation.

The fish was actually good.  Tasted a lot like crappie. I ate it with chop sticks like I was supposed to. 

Then Van ordered Chicken.  Notice the head and feet still attached? The liver and gizzard are out in front of the plate.  Isn't that lovely?

There were also the "live" tanks where you could select your own dinner.  These things are Snails and they looks nasty.  My description of them would be even nastier so I'll just let the picture do the visuals.

Or. . .  you could have had a Roasted Suckling Pig which was being prepared right at the entrance to the restaurant.  Isn't it cute?

Modern Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City and specifically District 1 which is referred to as Saigon is in a continuous renovation and upgrade mode.  It's being modernized with LOTS of money from the Koreans and the Chinese primarily. It's looking more and more Americanized with tall modern buildings and shopping centers and boulevards. The hotels in District 1 would rival those for luxury anywhere and the streets have stores with names like Louis Vitton, Coach, Rolex, etc.  The REAL ones, not the fake ones you find on the side streets. Modern skyscrapers are going up all over the area and high rise apartment buildings everywhere.  The famous REX Hotel is undergoing a major renovation. The Caravelle and the Majestic Hotels have already been renovated.

This same renovation effort is proceeding just across the river to District 7.  They have built a new bridge (actually 2 bridges) across the Saigon River and are proceeding to clean up the old shanty areas in prime real estate locations to build high rise apartments and condos. One of those apartment complexes is just up the "street" from where Scott and Van's house is.  I actually saw a Bentley being driven into the construction area a few days ago. 

This isn't the best photo but the tall structure is the new Hundai office building being built. The circular structure over the edge is to be a revolving restaurant.  At present, it's the tallest structure in Saigon.

Notice the tree lined boulevard and the "orderly" traffic. You only see this here and this was a slow day.

View from Restaurant of Saigon Street

These are the areas that will eventually be replaced and removed.  Yes, people do live here. Right out back of nice houses and where more nice houses and apartments are being built.

Where I Am - Where I Went

Just to give everyone a little perspective on the weekend trip we all took (all 14 of us), I thought I'd show you on the map. 

Before I show the map, I had to add this photo of the ugly cat from the resort. 

 

 

HCM to Phan Thiet (Mui Ne)

From HCM to Phan Thiet (Mui Ne) on that big red line is about 100 miles.  That big red line is not a four lane highway.  It's two lane at best but it's a major highway and it took us 5 1/2 HOURS!!!!!. Let me mention again, there were 14 of us -- in a mini-bus.  It was a Vietnamese Family Adventure. On the way back, there were 15 of us, but it was much quieter.  The kids (and adults) were tired AND Scott was with us.  Still took 5 1/2 hours, but the scenery was nice and I got to see a part of the country that I wouldn't have seen otherwise.  There are lots of dormant volcanoes, lots of rubber tree plantations, and lots of Dragon Fruit groves.

Dragon Fruit

Dragon Fruit Groves (That's what I call them)

Vietnamese Food

Vietnamese eat well and they have good food.  And then they have some food that I prefer NOT to have.

Great Shrimp!

Some sort of fish (with head) and there was NOTHING left when they got thru with it.

Squid

Two almost 4 Lb. Lobsters -
 Before Being Cooked.

Lobster Thermidor

 I was going to show what was left of this lobster, but there was not anything left except the outer thin shell and it was sucked dry.  Even the feelers were sucked clean as a straw. 

Mui Ne, Phan Thiet -- Viet Nam Beach

Sunrise First Morning on South China Sea

This place is beautiful and interesting.  The beach is narrow but the tide goes out enough in the afternoon for the young boys to have a rousing game of soccer on the beach under my window.  There are not a lot of people on the beach, but early morning I see the "basket" boat fishermen going out along with the other fishing boats.

Really Hard Work

This guy showed up every afternoon to seine the sand for salt water snails that they serve in restaurants.  The long pole is a wide tooth rake with a net attached.  The belt around his waist helps him as he walks backward dragging the rake deep through the sand.

Scott & Jenny on the Beach

 

 

 

The second morning we all got up and went to the Sand Dunes at Mui Ne.  This is an area they call the Little Desert where people go and rent mats and slide down the sand dunes.  Sound like fun? 

Me, Scott & Kristen in front of the little sand dunes.

This little girl was one of the kids who followed you around asking you to rent a mat for sliding.  She spoke very good English.  She asked me, " Madam you slide?"  I told her, "Madam too old to slide."  She said, " If Madam slide, she be young." 

Catching Up from Viet Nam

I've been without internet service at the house for several days so couldn't post anything news here for a while.  However to catch up on what's been going on. . .

Thursday, August 19, Scott came home from Jakarta.  He met me and Van at a restaurant downtown where we had gone on Van's motorbike.  We all had a really nice lunch and then it started to look like it might rain.  Just before meeting Scott, Van and I had gone to a quilt store where I bought a handmade beautiful quilt; so before going home we had to go by and pick up the quilt. The logistics of all this is that Van and I ended up taking a cab home, along with Scott's luggage, briefcase, and my quilt; and Scott rode Van's motorbike home.  In the meantime, it started raining.  Really, raining-- like a driving pouring rain.  Scott got completely soaked on the motorbike.  When he got home, he took all his clothes, threw them in the washer. (There's a reason for the set up for this story.)

The next morning we were to leave for a trip to the Beach at Mui Ne, Phan Thiet, Binh Thuan. Van said we would leave at around 6:00 a.m. to avoid the traffic.  We ended up leaving at 7:15 a.m. Oh, I forgot to mention that it was a "family" trip-- the entire family-- Van's two sisters, her sister's family (husband and two kids), her mother, her father, her older brother and his girlfriend.  Now with us, that includes 14 people!!!

Remember me telling you about Scott getting soaked on the motorbike, well, MAJOR PROBLEMS from that. His passport was in his pocket and it got SOAKED as well.  That technically make it a "Damaged Passport" which is not acceptable.  Therefore, he couldn't leave on the trip with us and had to stay and see what he could get done about his passport and included visas. (Without the passport and specifically the visas, he can't leave the country to go back to work in Jakarta or to come back to the States with me as originally planned.) He would follow us later to the Beach via taxi.

Trying to get all the luggage loaded into the mini-van.

Our trip to the Beach took a little over 5 1/2 hours.  Maximum speed was about 40 MPH and the total distance was right at 100 miles from HCM, Yes, we did stop about 45 minutes out for breakfast of pork chops and rice which took about an hour.  But it was still a very LONG trip.

Scott found out that he was basically screwed as far as his passport was concerned.  He had to apply for a new replacement passport from the States and now has to apply for all new Visas.  Even with a "rush" and "emergency" placed on them, it could take a minimum of 2-3 weeks.  So that means he will be working in HCM until he gets his papers in order.

Monday on a Motorbike in HCM City

Monday morning was to be Jenny's first day back at school.  Did I want to go?  Of course I did.  I thought we would get a taxi and head to school.  Wrong.  We ALL got on Van's motorbike to take Jenny to school ---- it was much faster.

Getting Jenny "motorbike" ready

Oh, boy!  This was going to be my first experience in busy HCM traffic on the back of a motorbike. Well, when in Rome as they say --

Van said, "Don't worry, I'm a good driver."  It's not that I'm worried she's a bad driver; it's just the way that ALL Vietnamese drive on motorbike!!!! Later in the afternoon as I felt a little more comfortable, I took out my video camera and shot a little traffic cam which I'll post on my blog. (I tried couldn't get it posted)  That way you can also "hear" the traffic.

Climbing off and on the bike also presented me with it's own set of challenges.  My short little legs were lacking just enough that I couldn't quite swing that leg all the way over to "hop" on.  By the end of the day I'm so achey!!!

After we dropped Jenny off at school, Van and I motored all around town for the entire day, until time to pick her up at 3:30.  We first went to breakfast at a local sidewalk cafe (I call it a cafe for a lack of a better word) for some shrimp noodle soup--- yep, breakfast! 

Entrance to Jenny's International School

Next stop was the market where we did a little local browsing and then we went to the bank and then to the coffee shop.  Then next we went to get our hair washed.  Now that's not as simple as it seems.  It's more like we went and had our head neck and shoulders massaged, and a facial that lasted about an hour.  After than Van's friend joined us and we went for drinks and coffee at a local outdoor cafe until time for school to be out. As I looked around at the cafe, I noticed I was the ONLY American in the place.  Kind of an odd feeling. 

I'm sitting on a bike in the middle of this. Notice the "overhead" power lines.

As for the kids, Jenny doesn't really like me very much.  She didn't like me when she was 18 months and she didn't like me at 3 years.  I'm not forcing the issue, but the only time she has anything to do with me is when she doesn't want me to pay attention to Kristen.  Yeah, I know-- sibling rivalry.  But at least Kristen likes me.

This is Kristen sucking on a crab leg at dinner.  It's kind of blurry because the child is always moving.  I'm going to have to find "action sport" setting on this camera when I take a photo of her.
She is still on "coji" (homemade Vietnamese babyfood) but she basically will eat anything.  And happy all the time.






Here are some various photos from around HCM:

Mangosteen and Dragon Eye Fruit

Women selling Pumellos

Here's a photo of Scott & Van's house.  In Vietnam, the houses go UP and are narrow because of the price of land. 

Vietnam Is Rapidly Changing

Went out this afternoon, but not by motorbike.  It was too hot.  Van, Jenny, and I went to a new area that Van wanted to show me.  It was an upscale, modern NEW high rise mall that drips of money and name brand logos. It was like being back home in a galleria or such.  But the apartments in the area that are being built are all going for around $2,000,000 U.S. and construction is far and wide.

 Family home and fishing nets shown in the middle of the river.  What you don't see are modern homes on each side of the banks of the river.

 I told Van that I wanted to go back to the "old" places she took me before on my previous trips.  I like that other side of Vietnam with the narrow little streets and vendor stalls, and markets, and of course good deals. I want to get Vietnamese items -- not logo'd Americanized items. But Vietnam is changing SO FAST!!! There is so much money in this country from outside investors.  It's amazing how fast it's growing and progressing. It's almost like watching bread dough rise it's increasing it's fold so fast.

This is the front of Scott & Van's House.  Did I mention that it's five levels? Did I mention that it's 81 steps from the bottom floor to the top floor?  My room is on the 4th level. Lots of steps every day.  Good exercise for me, right; especially combined with the constant sauna that is the weather around here.

The metal doors in front open into a small courtyard and then into an area where you drive in to park your motorbike. This first level also has a very nice formal sitting area and garden and also a play area for the girls in the back. The next level is the kitchen, dining level. The third level has the girl's bedroom and Van's mother's room.  The 4th level has my room and Scott and Van's room. The uppermost level has another room, a laundry room, and a beautiful roof patio that wraps around the house.  I like to go up there early in the morning and watch the city wake up.

Arrived in Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh City

Well, the flight over wasn't as weary as expected.  The longest leg of the trip, Dallas to Japan was in business class (thanks to upgrade with AA miles) and the Business Class seat actually reclined completely flat like a small single bed.  The layover in Japan was okay and the 5 hour flight to HCM (not business class) at least wasn't full. The flight arrived early (which it never does). I got thru customs with no problems and quite quickly; gathered my bags and got thru security and out the door to wait for Van, my daughter-in-law, to pick me up.  She wasn't there. I waited and I waited and I waited; but I didn't panic.  What did bother me was (1) the cab drivers who wouldn't leave me alone  and (2) the heavy cloak of humidity that immediately fell on me as soon as I stepped outside of the airport.  I kept getting moister and moister.  But, Van did arrive with Jenny and a cold glass of ice tea.

Their new house is about 30-40 minutes from the airport, across the Saigon River, across from downtown in District 2.  This is an area that is "developing" with new houses, Vietnamese style -- tall and narrow-- and lots of construction is going on.  I counted this morning - 5 -- 81 steps from ground to top floor. My room is on 4th floor.  Kitchen/dining room is on 2nd floor.  Steps---- lots and lots of steps.

Jenny is warming up to me because she wants my attention and doesn't like sharing it with her little sister.  Sounds like a typical 3 year old.  Still a beautiful little girl and very smart.

Jenny will start back to school on Monday at International School.  She switches from talking Vietnamese to her mother and grandmother to "sometimes" speaking English with me. She has a stubborn streak in her just like her Dad.

This is Kristen. My first time to meet her. Van said when she was born, Kristen looked more like her. Then at about 6 months, one day they looked at her and saw my face. . . .
This child is fearless and more open and different personality. Jenny is more intense and Kristen is more happy go lucky -- so far. It's hard to get a picture of Kristen, because she's always moving.







It's taken me a couple of days to acclimate, but I am resting well and I feel pretty good.  Today, for the first time I feel like I'm on VN time.  Scott will arrive from Jakarta on Thursday and be here until Tuesday before he has to go back. This afternoon will be my first outing with Van on her motorbike.  Wish me luck.

Till Later.
BB

Getting Ready For Travel

Started packing today. Need a bigger bag.  It seems that my clothes are the least of things that I am taking. The gifts and toys for the girls and the special requests take up a lot of "bulk". Oh well, that will just leave me more space to fill with things to bring back from Vietnam.  There are some advantages to packing BIG bags. I also have a "check list" that is getting rather lengthy.  One more day and a lot to get done.

I leave Kansas City at 6:00 AM Thursday Morning for Dallas. 
Leave Dallas at 10:10 AM for Tokyo and arrive at 1:05 PM the following day.
Leave Tokyo at 5:50 PM for Ho Chi Minh and arrive at 10:05 PM

20 Hours 50 Minutes in FLIGHT -  7 Hours 20 Minutes Total Layover Time
Lots of time to "relax"

Jenny and Kristen

These are the two beautiful little girls I'm going to visit in Viet Nam. Jenny just turned three and Kristen is just one.  I have never seen Kristen in person.

This is an old photo of Kristen who is now walking and I know has changed a LOT!. Can you see in the photo that they pierce their ears at the hospital. They put little ribbon/thread in the holes.

This is JENNY in her school uniform.

She already speaks English and Vietnamese.  Good thing since her dad doesn't speak Vietnamese. Thank goodness her mom speaks both languages.

My son, Scott, is a chemical engineer in Southeast Asia. The picture of the platform is what he does over there.  If I'm not mistaken, he was the project manager on this particular platform which had him involved in all aspects of the design and function.  Looks like that college education is paying off.

My Beginning Blog

Saturday, August 7, 2010

This is my first attempt at a blog.  I decided to try this way of communication with my friends and family while on my trip to Viet Nam.  I'll start today by commenting on my short trip down to Warsaw, Missouri to visit my friend, Marty.  It was a beautiful Saturday morning for a drive (except for the lake traffic and the construction and the pokey drivers). But Tom and I arrived at Jim and Marty's about 11:00 am, visited for a few minutes and then went for a nice healthy lunch. Seems we're all trying to watch what we eat at this time in our lives and while the salads were really good, the desserts would have been really good.

As you can see, we always find something to laugh about.