Mr. D

2012-02-04T14:36:00.000+07:00

Decided to reactivate this blog
A catch up my travels
my last blog effort was about living in the motherland back in 2007

Since then I've visited to Korea to interview some KADs for my thesis in 2008... I believe.

This time the blog is about what comforts me culturally and stirs my emotions politically

2007-01-02T06:36:00.000+07:00

You'd expect to bump into Ziyi Zhang.

"Zhang brings a most particular sangfroid to the role of Empress Wan, a young and beautiful woman whose skill with a sword is legendary in the nation."

Toronto International Film Festival 06

Hmmmm, a handy skill to have these days.

2007-01-02T06:31:00.000+07:00

Whoa- like yours scrambled?

2007-01-02T06:28:00.000+07:00

The new class of youth!

2007-01-02T06:18:00.000+07:00

Office Boy!!!

2007-01-02T06:12:00.000+07:00

DVD shipping crate sale- damn they're real cheap too-around 400,000plus VND

2007-01-02T06:05:00.000+07:00

The corner of Dong Khoi and Le loi Streets, opposite the Continental the bomb scene in the Quiet American with Michael Cane and Brendan Fraser and Do Hai Yen

2007-01-02T05:50:00.000+07:00

At Phu My Orphanage in the centre of HCMC, a care centre for children with disabilities- over 400 children are looked after here.

2007-01-02T05:45:00.000+07:00

Vietnam is combatting the bird flu with success- but illegal breeding and dumping of dead birds is creating problems.

2007-01-02T05:32:00.000+07:00

School it is, sunday school, notice the green ties- red ones are for normal school

2007-01-02T05:25:00.000+07:00

the temple is a church is a temple

2006-12-14T14:05:00.000+07:00

From here Nam is a blurr, of coffee houses, bia hois, the final exams at Saigontech, packing, re packing, last minute purchases of culturally relevent material.

2006-12-14T14:00:00.000+07:00

Some of my students at an another teacher's going away party. Which means my time is nearly up.

2006-12-14T13:56:00.000+07:00

A Vietnamese Father Christmas. WOOHOO!!!!!

2006-12-14T13:47:00.000+07:00

A Viet xmas is not with it's foil displays and trillions of fairly lights.

2006-12-14T13:41:00.000+07:00

Its hot its warm and it's the season to be JOLLY.

2006-11-30T09:26:00.000+07:00

The coffin makers... do a bustling trade

2006-11-30T09:20:00.000+07:00

Just a little reminder Vietnam has signed on to the WTO- expect more factories, sweatshops, rural development schemes, and the likes of Country Road, Burger King etc.

And Maccas is not in town...yet

2006-11-30T09:12:00.000+07:00

The masked avenger- well ok maybe not, just the guy protecting himself from the fumes, the dust, the smog

2006-11-30T09:04:00.000+07:00

rub that belly and good luck will come...

considering the size of the dude, hope I'm showered with gemstones, gold bars, women, BMWs, big fat wads of dollars, and diamonds.

2006-11-30T09:01:00.000+07:00

The gold temple of love

2006-11-30T08:55:00.000+07:00

2006-11-30T08:50:00.000+07:00

Spooky stuff
so be good boys and girls

2006-11-27T11:09:00.000+07:00

Buddhist painting up on a the wall and ceiling

2006-11-27T10:41:00.000+07:00

Buddhist sculpures and Vietnamese icons

2006-11-27T10:23:00.000+07:00

After a long day of wedding photo shooting

2006-11-27T10:05:00.000+07:00

All covered up.

2006-11-27T10:00:00.000+07:00

Monk on the Run

2006-11-18T13:05:00.000+07:00

One park in HCMC is an expansive outdoor restaurant, with stage, pool, gardens BBQ areas, private thatched roofed dining - so incredibly romantic.

2006-11-18T13:02:00.000+07:00

Apartment block C "room with a view"

2006-11-18T13:00:00.000+07:00

Make a nice postcard eh- blue skies

2006-11-18T12:52:00.000+07:00

Kinda hard to believe I'm sitting in an American diner in the middle of HCMC

2006-11-13T11:45:00.000+07:00

The massive silver colour statue of Ho Chi Minh- at night he is lit up glowing a golden colour- impressive stuff

2006-11-13T11:37:00.000+07:00

A rice mill, creates bran, brown rice, polished white rice, and broken rice.
there are 6000 mills in the Mekong Delta which produces 18 million tonnes of rice a year.

2006-11-13T11:35:00.000+07:00

The shrine Nguyen built

2006-11-13T11:30:00.000+07:00

Hey piggy. Hmmmmmm bacon
oh there are French tourists in the background.

2006-11-13T11:20:00.000+07:00

Rice paper, for cold fresh rolls.
1.rice and water mixed.
2.liquid poured on to a soft hot plate and steamed
3.rolled and layed out on bamboo mesh
4.and dryed in the sun ready to packaged and exported.

2006-11-13T11:16:00.000+07:00

2006-11-13T11:13:00.000+07:00

Floating Banh Mi (bread roll).

2006-11-13T11:09:00.000+07:00

The guy who rowed the boat amongst the floating market.

2006-11-13T11:06:00.000+07:00

Salad anyone?

And yes people do wash their veges in the river.

2006-11-13T10:58:00.000+07:00

At the floating market selling your produce.

2006-11-13T10:49:00.000+07:00

Cho Can Tho- the next day I bought myself some new sandles/loafers
cheaper than HCM

2006-11-13T10:42:00.000+07:00

Yes me again this time with my tour group all Europeans, she's from Germany. The others from Norway, Spain, and France (the French are a funny mob (seems like the French dislike everyone else, and everyone else dislikes the french).

2006-11-13T10:34:00.000+07:00

Boating fuel station, cool eh.

2006-11-13T10:25:00.000+07:00

A thin crispy craker making, poring a liquid or batter into a mould.
Sweet tasting

2006-11-13T10:19:00.000+07:00

Popping the rice.

hot sand and rice is mixed together and shifted.

the rice popped is then mixed with suger,and malt to form a cracker.

2006-11-13T10:15:00.000+07:00

The happy reception people get in Can Tho. In fact 90% of the kids and families wave, say hello, and a keen to engage with you.

Hey got me thinking, maybe I could move to this side of the Mekong Delta

2006-11-13T10:12:00.000+07:00

All in the family- the busy preparations to the dinner for Ba's birthday

2006-11-13T10:09:00.000+07:00

Nothing like a happy well fed Viet kid

2006-11-13T10:05:00.000+07:00

Family feast

2006-11-13T09:40:00.000+07:00

Ong's(grandpa)is a tailor he makes his own clothes.
This sewing machine and table Brother is Japanese still with it's brass seal with Nippon, it is dated from 1957.

2006-11-04T11:45:00.000+07:00

Coconut candy

1. an old mature coconut is broken and shredded.
2. the shredded coconut is pressed for it's juices.
3. the coconut juice is mixed with 10% sugar and 30% malt
4. the mixture is boiled for 45 minutes.
5. left to cool into a dough which is rolled and pressed into the mould.
6. the candy is cut into portions, wrapped in rice paper, and wrapped in grease paper and packed ready for export.

2006-11-04T11:40:00.000+07:00

2006-11-04T11:33:00.000+07:00

My boat man, happy looking chap

2006-11-04T11:29:00.000+07:00

The hotel I first stayed in at My Tho

2006-11-04T11:27:00.000+07:00

One of the many hundreds of ferry trips on the Mekong River.

2006-11-04T11:22:00.000+07:00

how to keep your garden green

Oz draught- bit of hard luck- but think about all those folks who lost their homes from the typhoon, two typhoons in Da Nang

2006-11-04T11:17:00.000+07:00

Yo up for some snake dish?

2006-11-04T11:13:00.000+07:00

Honey wine is soooo fine

2006-11-04T11:12:00.000+07:00

A quiet strum and lying in a hammock

2006-11-04T11:08:00.000+07:00

The young waitness helping prepare the cold rolls

2006-11-04T11:00:00.000+07:00

Elephant fish, I shared it with a young Indian-Malaysian couple on their honeymoon.

2006-11-04T10:41:00.000+07:00

Outdoor dining along the river

2006-11-04T10:38:00.000+07:00

Ahh but today our former enemy are our hope and for better economic prosperity

2006-11-04T10:32:00.000+07:00

My tour guide said:
"The VC, the Viet Cong used to ambush the enemy, the Americans around here in these narrow canals- the Americans could not fight here unlike out in the open river of the Mekong".

2006-11-04T10:20:00.000+07:00

Watch the birdie, there us something very Chinese and Vietnamese culture which always has the princess, concubine, fair maiden and a caged dird each singing their own tune.

2006-11-04T10:08:00.000+07:00

Where sleeping dogs lie

2006-11-04T10:06:00.000+07:00

Home sweet home on the Mekong River

2006-11-04T10:04:00.000+07:00

Forward into the depths of Ben tre

2006-11-04T09:53:00.000+07:00

The oarswoman who guided my rowing boat up the canal, wanted to give her a tip, but she left after dropping us off.

2006-10-14T18:53:00.000+07:00

Sure I'm half Japanese / Oz tourist.

2006-10-14T18:47:00.000+07:00

Even the locals have trouble taking in the smell of brewing, salty, nouc nam.
below is a series of shot in the process of how fish sauce is made.
1)caught and brought to shore
2)sorted
3)dried
4)salted
5)pressed into vats
6)left to sit
7)drained out of the vats
8)strained
9)bottled

2006-10-14T18:40:00.000+07:00

2006-10-14T18:32:00.000+07:00

2006-10-14T18:22:00.000+07:00

Where image is everything
but the truth is
beaches are for Westerners to relax, sip martinis, pig out on BBQ sea food.

for the Viets it's work.

2006-10-14T18:17:00.000+07:00

Double Beef burger with cheese, egg, bacon, lettice, tomato, mustard and ketchup

2006-10-14T18:14:00.000+07:00

shorting the shrimp
honey KING prawns

2006-10-14T18:11:00.000+07:00

conical hot city market

2006-10-14T18:04:00.000+07:00

Peaking duck

2006-10-14T17:56:00.000+07:00

at the butcher

I ask for a porterhouse, continental sausages, chicken loaf, scotch fillet, rolled roast?

2006-10-14T17:53:00.000+07:00

intestine, sausage, pigs ear sandwich for lunch?

2006-10-14T17:49:00.000+07:00

dried fish jerky
Yummmmm

2006-10-14T17:45:00.000+07:00

natural phenomina on the red dunes

2006-10-14T17:41:00.000+07:00

Just a short reminder of Phoenix Arizona's public art

2006-10-14T17:33:00.000+07:00

One of seven kids who followed me up the dunes wanting me to buy a slide
I said no, no slide man.

they then demanded I give em 100,000 VND cos they were my "guide".

huh, you made the choice to follow me and I said from me beginning no slide, besides you are being corrupt and your way too young.

You provide a service, I don't need no slide, so I don't pay, you gotta learn Vietnam is now part of the free market man.

please you give me 100, 000 we share around seven people.

Sorry kids

2006-10-14T17:29:00.000+07:00

The Red Sand dunes
like outback oz

2006-10-14T17:25:00.000+07:00

fishing port
sent all the weekend eating sea food

2006-10-14T17:18:00.000+07:00

remember that jeep well I took a tour in a similar jeep around Mui Ne, felt like i should've had my military dress uniform on and sporting Raybans

2006-10-14T17:15:00.000+07:00

The aliens are HEEEEERE.
they too like a tan

2006-10-14T17:11:00.000+07:00

just a girl looking after her parents catch

2006-10-14T17:02:00.000+07:00

footseps and the moving sand under my feet
much like Vietnamese culture
it is constantly moving
fwd & bck
every moment is a negotiation

2006-10-14T16:55:00.000+07:00

row, row, row ya boat
gently out ta sea
tow, tow, tow ya catch
gently ta te shore
cos ya family needs
te dong

2006-10-14T16:46:00.000+07:00

Sunset over Mui Ne- quite romantic really
suitable for any closing shot for a Meg Ryan film

2006-10-14T16:38:00.000+07:00

Not unusual to see a grave right out side the home. This mass grass site sat on top of a mountain overlooking the sea guaranteeing ghosts and A class view. My guide as a little hesitant to go in, spooky after 7 pm

2006-10-14T16:15:00.000+07:00

with raising oil prices, the cost of fuel, war in Iraq, possible war with Iran, and Nth Korea playing funny buggers- i'll stick with my cow drawn cart thanks

2006-10-14T16:11:00.000+07:00

Ahh... working during the low season

2006-10-14T16:04:00.000+07:00

Just across the road form my Resort is how the locals live in shacks, the disrepency in wealth and lifestyles are so polar. Like Vegas x 10

2006-10-14T15:59:00.000+07:00

Seafood basket
Yummmmmm!

2006-10-14T15:38:00.000+07:00

Shorting through the tangles.
Life.