So the song "Khe Sanh" has been inappropriately running over and over in my head since I arrived in Vietnam last Sunday but luckily I don't know enough words for it to be too offensive. Mum and I have been living the high life for the last week, splurging on luxury hotels, watching pay TV (crappy crappy modelling and idol shows and ads for the new movie No Strings Attached - "you're miniature, you fight like a hamster!" ) and seeing the sights of Vietnam.
Let me take you back, however, to my last week in Cambodia. For my birthday, Kate and I went and got our nails done and hair straightened and I was an hour and a half late for my daily moto pick up. You can't hurry people in Asia. I was so late my non-English-speaking motorbike driver tried to call me ask me where I was. I couldn't answer the phone because it was in my pocket and I didn't want to smudge the nail job. In the end I just had to hurry over to him, flash him my newly painted French nails and shrug apologetically "Som toh, som toh" (sorry, sorry) I told him it was my birthday. It was so sweet, the next day, he had learnt four new English words: Happy Birfday to Yew. Awwww.
After finally making it into work for a 10am meeting with my supervisors, Allan and Matt- two of the Aussies from the office-, Kate and I went out for a lovely lunch of Khmer cuisine. One of each of the food groups: fish, chicken beef and pork :D
I bailed on work early to go and get a "Seeing Hands Massage by Blind Cambodian" where Kate and I put scrubs-like outfits on and got massages from blind people. It was pretty cool, although I did feel a little strange with a guy I'd just met with one knee either side of my hips on top of the table. He was fascinated by my right hamstring right up high... maybe a little too fascinated, but it needed a good massage because it still hasn't healed properly from the time I tried to kick over Chris' head at Taekwondo. He was pretty good: one hour, six dollars, bargain!
Then Kate, Colin and I had pizza, beer, strawberry chupachup infused vodka and a game of Mah Jong before the three of us and Matt headed to a bar to hear Allan and another guy in their first ever (maybe?) public gig together. Kate and I both fit on the back of Matt's motorbike, and I very classily flashed my underwear to the world for the duration of the journey because I was holding on the motobike rather thatn holding my skirt down. Whatevs, it's my birthday, I'll do what I want :P The gig was pretty nice, just chilling listening to live music. The guys are both from Melbourne so I've decided I'll be their dial-a-crowd for when they perform at the Brunswick Hotel.
I apologise for this blog being a little lack lustre... I'm watching America's Next Top Model at the same time.
For Thursday I slept in a little, taking it reeeally easy and skipping work to go buy presents for the people who'd helped me during my stay. When I finally went in to work at 3pm, I forgot my computer cord, so I had one hour's battery before I had to bail and go home. Not so productive. I did one transcription though. Looking for a quiet night, Kate and I went for a swim in a pool at one of our local pubs, only to have most of the westerners we'd met in Cambodia walk in a few minutes after we'd jumped in. How embarrassment. We did meet a lovely man, Troy, who told me that I'd want to make sure I was on the Pill if I was swimming in that pool. What a charmer.
Friday was better, and I crashed the boys' lunch for one last time and we had the biggest burger, and it must have shown in my face when the burger came out because Allan offered me words of encouragement before I'd even started. Looking for a quiet night, Kate and I went for a swim in a pool at one of our local pubs, only to have most of the westerners we'd met in Cambodia walk in a few minutes after we'd jumped in. How embarrassment. We did meet a lovely man, Troy, who told me that I'd want to make sure I was on the Pill if I was swimming in that pool. What a charmer. It was Troy's farewell the following night so he said that we should come. I'd already been invited on facebook because every man and his dog was invited. I'm not a man, nor do I even like dogs, but I somehow managed an invitation. So after Kate and I donated all our household items to the Mith Samlanh Fun Fair and then got ripped off by some cheeky cyclo drivers, we headed out. I was in a good mood so I just gave my cyclo driver/rider the three dollars, told him it was too expensive, and walked away. They laughed because they knew that we knew that they'd ripped us off, but we didn't really care. Cambodians are nice people.
Saturday Night was a big night. So much fun, but we didn't make it to either "institution". Next time.
I said goodbye to one of the lovely ladies from church, our security guards, our tuk-tuk drivers, and then I said goodbye to Kate and headed to the airport. Bye bye Cambodia, hello Vietnam.
Once my private driver had picked me up at the airport and dropped me off outside the Hotel, Mum and I had our little reunion moment and it took me all of 15 minutes to spread the contents of my pack across the room. What a mess. I don't think Mum missed that part of me.
My first full day in Vietnam we went on a trip to the Mekong Delta and I was a little scared I'd lose my buffet breakfast on the boat like I did in Siem Reap, but it was ok. We just go a bit wet from the splashes. Mum got soaked, and it was only after that our guide offered us raincoats. Thanks. We changed to a little boat and I was given an oar but it was really just to make me feel useful because I think I was actually making it more difficult for the skipper to steer. I had fun paddling along, pretending I was in charge of the boat because I was at the front.
Then we went to Hoi An (not Ha Noi as I kept getting confused... who makes two of the three biggest cities in a country anagrams of each other? Communists...) And I got some AWESOME clothes made for clinicals and a very interesting interpretation of a dress from a photo I took in. It may feature at the Whitley Ball 2011 if I can pull it off. Possibly.We shopped for two days and then went to Marble Mountain where Mum worked up a good sweat and I very sadly scuffed up my brand new tailored shoes. In the words of my mother, "it makes Pyramid Hill seem like a pimple." The caves were spectacular though, with many hidden natural symbols, pointed out by our guide, like breasts, a couple 'sharing something special', and unicorns and frogs...
After Hoi An, we went to Hanoi. I'm hot and tired and cbb continuing tonight. Maybe tomorrow morning.
Love you, see you Sunday!! xx
Let me take you back, however, to my last week in Cambodia. For my birthday, Kate and I went and got our nails done and hair straightened and I was an hour and a half late for my daily moto pick up. You can't hurry people in Asia. I was so late my non-English-speaking motorbike driver tried to call me ask me where I was. I couldn't answer the phone because it was in my pocket and I didn't want to smudge the nail job. In the end I just had to hurry over to him, flash him my newly painted French nails and shrug apologetically "Som toh, som toh" (sorry, sorry) I told him it was my birthday. It was so sweet, the next day, he had learnt four new English words: Happy Birfday to Yew. Awwww.
After finally making it into work for a 10am meeting with my supervisors, Allan and Matt- two of the Aussies from the office-, Kate and I went out for a lovely lunch of Khmer cuisine. One of each of the food groups: fish, chicken beef and pork :D
I bailed on work early to go and get a "Seeing Hands Massage by Blind Cambodian" where Kate and I put scrubs-like outfits on and got massages from blind people. It was pretty cool, although I did feel a little strange with a guy I'd just met with one knee either side of my hips on top of the table. He was fascinated by my right hamstring right up high... maybe a little too fascinated, but it needed a good massage because it still hasn't healed properly from the time I tried to kick over Chris' head at Taekwondo. He was pretty good: one hour, six dollars, bargain!
Then Kate, Colin and I had pizza, beer, strawberry chupachup infused vodka and a game of Mah Jong before the three of us and Matt headed to a bar to hear Allan and another guy in their first ever (maybe?) public gig together. Kate and I both fit on the back of Matt's motorbike, and I very classily flashed my underwear to the world for the duration of the journey because I was holding on the motobike rather thatn holding my skirt down. Whatevs, it's my birthday, I'll do what I want :P The gig was pretty nice, just chilling listening to live music. The guys are both from Melbourne so I've decided I'll be their dial-a-crowd for when they perform at the Brunswick Hotel.
I apologise for this blog being a little lack lustre... I'm watching America's Next Top Model at the same time.
For Thursday I slept in a little, taking it reeeally easy and skipping work to go buy presents for the people who'd helped me during my stay. When I finally went in to work at 3pm, I forgot my computer cord, so I had one hour's battery before I had to bail and go home. Not so productive. I did one transcription though. Looking for a quiet night, Kate and I went for a swim in a pool at one of our local pubs, only to have most of the westerners we'd met in Cambodia walk in a few minutes after we'd jumped in. How embarrassment. We did meet a lovely man, Troy, who told me that I'd want to make sure I was on the Pill if I was swimming in that pool. What a charmer.
Friday was better, and I crashed the boys' lunch for one last time and we had the biggest burger, and it must have shown in my face when the burger came out because Allan offered me words of encouragement before I'd even started. Looking for a quiet night, Kate and I went for a swim in a pool at one of our local pubs, only to have most of the westerners we'd met in Cambodia walk in a few minutes after we'd jumped in. How embarrassment. We did meet a lovely man, Troy, who told me that I'd want to make sure I was on the Pill if I was swimming in that pool. What a charmer. It was Troy's farewell the following night so he said that we should come. I'd already been invited on facebook because every man and his dog was invited. I'm not a man, nor do I even like dogs, but I somehow managed an invitation. So after Kate and I donated all our household items to the Mith Samlanh Fun Fair and then got ripped off by some cheeky cyclo drivers, we headed out. I was in a good mood so I just gave my cyclo driver/rider the three dollars, told him it was too expensive, and walked away. They laughed because they knew that we knew that they'd ripped us off, but we didn't really care. Cambodians are nice people.
Saturday Night was a big night. So much fun, but we didn't make it to either "institution". Next time.
I said goodbye to one of the lovely ladies from church, our security guards, our tuk-tuk drivers, and then I said goodbye to Kate and headed to the airport. Bye bye Cambodia, hello Vietnam.
Once my private driver had picked me up at the airport and dropped me off outside the Hotel, Mum and I had our little reunion moment and it took me all of 15 minutes to spread the contents of my pack across the room. What a mess. I don't think Mum missed that part of me.
My first full day in Vietnam we went on a trip to the Mekong Delta and I was a little scared I'd lose my buffet breakfast on the boat like I did in Siem Reap, but it was ok. We just go a bit wet from the splashes. Mum got soaked, and it was only after that our guide offered us raincoats. Thanks. We changed to a little boat and I was given an oar but it was really just to make me feel useful because I think I was actually making it more difficult for the skipper to steer. I had fun paddling along, pretending I was in charge of the boat because I was at the front.
Then we went to Hoi An (not Ha Noi as I kept getting confused... who makes two of the three biggest cities in a country anagrams of each other? Communists...) And I got some AWESOME clothes made for clinicals and a very interesting interpretation of a dress from a photo I took in. It may feature at the Whitley Ball 2011 if I can pull it off. Possibly.We shopped for two days and then went to Marble Mountain where Mum worked up a good sweat and I very sadly scuffed up my brand new tailored shoes. In the words of my mother, "it makes Pyramid Hill seem like a pimple." The caves were spectacular though, with many hidden natural symbols, pointed out by our guide, like breasts, a couple 'sharing something special', and unicorns and frogs...
After Hoi An, we went to Hanoi. I'm hot and tired and cbb continuing tonight. Maybe tomorrow morning.
Love you, see you Sunday!! xx
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