attack of the mopeds!

emerging out of the hotel each morning, i take a glance toward the street, and it is already inudated with a massive number of them.  my ears are filled with the noises of their rattling engines and endless honking coming from every which way [to caution you that they are coming through and that you should get out of the way].  they are like working ants, crawling with intent in all different directions.

mopeds aka "xe may honda" is the primary source of transportation in vietnam and much of southeast asia.  it is quite a scene to marvel at if you haven't already witnessed it.  imagine the hustle and bustle of hundreds of mopeds within a 2-block radius... some with multiple people piled on, including babies... others hauling great, big packages holding groceries or other goods.  these mopeds maneuver through the streets with great agility, dodging cars, pedestrians, and other mopeds.  in vietnam, there are not too many traffic laws and rules making this disarrayed sight easily described as organized chaos - cars and mopeds traverse the streets in any way that they can, and sometimes it's quite dangerous!  everytime i'm riding in the back of a taxi cab, i cringe at the way vietnamese drivers/riders switch lanes and make turns onto different streets - it seems as if they are always so close to hitting someone!  i'm surprised there are not more accidents that occur.  since i've been here, i've only witnessed two accidents.  pretty darn good for the crazy streets of vietnam, i'd say.  good thing helmets are required; chaos and  mopeds don't mix very well in regards to safety.  

driving on the highway is pretty bad.  there are usually two lanes for each direction: one for cars and one narrow lane for mopeds and bikes.  what do you do when the car ahead of you is going slow and you want to go faster?  you can't pass on the right because the lane is too small and there are always tons of bikers, who ,without a doubt, travel slower than cars.  the drivers pass on the left, facing on-coming traffic.  sometimes i feel as if we are playing chicken - i grasp onto whatever i can put my hands on and brace myself for some kind of collision, and thank goodness nothing  serious happened.  

props to vietnamese taxi drivers - i could never do what they do.  my car would be all dented in and i'd probably have multiple lawsuits against me for hitting people.  haha!

i would develop the absolute worst case of road rage here in vietnam - there is so much traffic as you can see from the photos.  i think i'll stick to driving in america - more traffic laws, less chaos, more safety!

[i do not take credit for these three photos.]

the following are some videos that i've captured of this moped craziness on the streets of saigon.  trust me... it looks a lot worse in person!

 

it's been swell, nha trang.

the couple of days spent in nha trang have been more than wonderful. it is a gorgeous coastal city, with ocean-blue waters and beautiful islands that i very much enjoyed. next time i'm back in vietnam, and who knows when that will be, i am definitely coming back to nha trang; it made an awesome first impression.

my family and i got to nha trang on thursday night at around 7pm, so it was a bit too late to enjoy any of the local attractions. we settled into our hotel, freshened up after our 14-hour long drive, and enjoyed dinner at a bayfront restaurant with our driver.

the following day, the weather decided not to cooperate with our beach activities but that didn't quite hinder us from going out and visiting some local spots. 

• po nagar [the complex of temples built by the cham] - it was raining quite a bit, so we decided to pack up and leave after about 10 minutes
• live seafood restaurant - we picked our own live seafood and had it prepared however we liked. it was uber fresh and delicious! nomnomnom!
• cafe - had some drinks and listened to the DJ mix a few jams
• manicures and pedicures - my mom and i left the guys to enjoy a couple more drinks while we got some beauty treatments [the service was just ok, but can't really complain because it was extremely cheap... and when i say cheap, i'm talking about a few dollars cheap... oh the life in vietnam].
• cho dam - a flea market type of place where we picked up some knick knacks
• dinner at the hotel with a free-flow of wines - gulpgulpgulp!
• riding on a xe loi/cyclo up and down the street of tran phu

saturday, we spent the day island hopping, which was so much fun. we went to the aquarium at one of the islands and looked at all the different sea creatures. we saw a puffer-fish [a fish that has a deadly nerve toxin in one of its organs], which was featured on one of the episodes on the simpsons. we then took our private boat around a couple other islands without stopping by [just enjoyed the scenic sights] and finally made our way to vinpearl island, where miss universe 2008 was held.

there is much to see and do on vinpearl island: an assortment of rides, giftshops, picture-taking with the different statues, eye candy [beautiful views], restaurants, and enjoying live shows. we rode the cable car back to the mainland and that enabled us to marvel at the wonderful views one last time before heading back to the hotel to take a dip in the infinity pool [gorgeous!].

saturday night, we headed to pho 24, to, or so we thought, enjoy some pho. to our dismay, we discovered that there were ants in our driver's soup. everyone immediately checked their bowls, and although i didn't see any in mine, i had lost my appetite and refused to eat the rest. ugh. afterward, we went to paramount cafe and bar to sip on some margaritas.

on sunday, we departed the beautiful city of nha trang at 5am heading toward saigon. i thoroughly enjoyed our stay there and am looking forward for next time, when we might actually have time to go on more adventures.  overall, an awesome, short beach trip!

anddddddddddddd... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER, TRI!  today he turns 26!

hello, nha trang!

after a 14 hour car ride from can tho, my family and i are finally here in beautiful nha trang. it was definitely worth the long drive; this place is gorgeous. we’re staying at the sheraton nha trang resort and spa located on tran phu street [ocean front accommodation for easy beach access] and it is quite a spectacular hotel.  tran phu street is regarded as nha trang's most beautiful street, with seaside views and is sometimes labeled as vietnam's "pacific coast highway" [california's state route 1].  we had to book two rooms [they only allow two guests per room - lame], but at least the two rooms are adjoining. this sheraton has an absolutely stunning infinity pool that i can’t wait to jump into, and i am excited to play with the clean, white sand and frollick in the crystal clear waters of the south china sea.

our plans here include lounging and relaxing, basking under the vietnamese sun, island hopping, sight-seeing, and doing a little bit of shopping around as usual. it's a shame my family isn't into snorkeling and scuba diving [if i'm even capable of going that deep into the water without freaking out] because this is a very popular spot for those activities.

i also read about po nagar, a cham temple near nha trang, that i hope my parents want to go see.  it looks amazing, and i would love to learn the history and background of it.

we are here until sunday morning then back to saigon for the rest of the vacation. i’ll let y’all know how it goes here! 

[1st photo: the view of the ocean from the hotel room balcony - without a doubt stunning!]

[2nd photo: the view of the bay from a restaurant we had dinner at.  apparently, nha trang bay is considered one of the world's most beautiful bays.]

vietnam: understanding life in a third world country.

hey, y'all.  it's about 12:30pm here in can tho, vietnam and 1:30am back home.  just taking a break from walking around and i decided to do a post.

my sojourn to vietnam has been a swell one so far.  i've actually been able to eat a lot of the food here without worry, and i haven't had an episode of the shits... not yet, anyway [apologies for the rather disturbing image].  i've been enjoying all the delicious, exotic fruits that i can't find in the US!  nomnomnom!

being in vietnam gave me a profoundly eye-opening experience.  after spending a few days here, i realized [once again since 2000] that the citizens of vietnam [most of them, anyhow] are very unfortunate and have quite a difficult time getting by financially.  it saddens me to see 5-year old kids begging passerbys to buy their lottery tickets, women walking around trying to sell fruits and desserts, and teenage girls offering happy endings to dirty perverts after a massage.  i instantly feel a tinge of remorse when i decline to buy anything they offer.  i am, afterall, much more fortunate in many aspects than they are.  what's worse is seeing people who have medical problems who don't have enough money to get the help they need.

yesterday, my cousin was celebrating his 19th birthday.  we went out to eat and drink and apparently some of his friends didn't help dish out money to help him pay for the bill.  we were planning to go to a karaoke bar after eating, but he didn't have enough money to pay for it.  his mother [my aunt] suggested we go to her house to hang out instead.  of course, my cousin was pretty disappointed, i suppose, from the fact that his friends are cheap and that he couldn't afford to do karaoke.  tru and i stepped in and offered to pay for the room and drinks [it wasn't much at all - about $30 USD for plenty of drinks and a private karaoke room] and that made him a happy camper.  i felt awesome that i could make his birthday celebration a better one; he was all smiles by the end of the night. :)

my parents always tell my brothers and me that we are privileged to live in america, the land of opportunities.  they said, "you have no idea what a rough childhood is like."  they gave me the whole generic story - "we walked miles to go here and there", "we didn't have the luxury of so and so" etc.  i don't come from an extremely wealthy family but am able to afford/attend college and attain a very respectable profession.  families in vietnam must have a lot of money to be able to send their kids to college, and those families are rare to find in vietnam.  in vietnam, its either you're poor or you're rich, and like america, the rich get richer and the poor remain poor; there aren't many cindarella stories here.

realization: my brothers and i are lucky... very lucky.  thank you mom and dad for a more comfortable lifestyle and the opportunity for success!

flying funk ups

what time is it? i don’t even know… all i know is it’s almost 7am ET friday morning. and where am i? somewhere above russia, i think…

anywho… the entire start of my vacation to vietnam has been quite a nightmare. my family and i were originally dated to leave on september 8, but apparently the flight from chicago to hong kong was delayed, preventing us from catching our connection to vietnam once we landed in hong kong. because of this, we really did not have any other choice but to leave the next day on the same flights. and of course, there was another delay due to mechanical issues when trying to leave chicago. after sitting on the plane for about 3 hours, the crew had to deplane the travelers for legal purposes. by then, everyone who was catching a connecting flight into saigon knew that it was impossible to catch it. UNITED AIRLINES, YOU SUCK!

to make a long story short… i complained [lost 2 days of vacation time, work related opportunity costs, hotel reservation losts, tired of waiting around!] , was referred to a specific site, filled in some information, and reeled in $650/person in travel certificates for my family. and the icing on the cake was that the connecting flight to saigon decided to wait for our flight to get there before they departed [sorry for those travelers who had to wait in hong kong for us]. but AWESOME for us.

and here i am, uber bored on this 15-hr flight, so i decided to type out this blog so i can post it when i get some internet connection. i’m on my 4th movie [the back-up plan, the joneses, iron man 2, just wright], my nose is all dry [i feel like it’s about to bleed at any second], my back hurts, and i can’t sleep. I CAN’T WAIT TO GET OFF THIS PLANE!

oh, and you know what really grinds my gears?? asian people. i know, i know. i’m asian myself, but what i meant to say was… asians who can’t speak/understand english. we’re in america… learn the language! these asians hold up the line, need things repeated to them multiple times, don’t follow instructions, etc. it’s annoying, but oh well. time to sit back and relax with the movie. 5 more hours left of this flight. that’s not too bad, right? let’s hope not.

EDIT: 12:10am hong kong time/12:10pm ET time [friday]

OMG. there’s about 40 minutes left of this dreadfully long flight. i can’t wait to be able to get out of my seat for more than 5 minutes at a time. everyone on the entire flight looks like zombies – it really is hard to rest on an airplane, let alone get sleep, unless, of course, you’re in the 1st class or economy plus cabin.

and it’s awfully cute how my parents are “making friends” with a bunch of the other Vietnamese people on board. and they’re even nice enough to help the others who don’t know english [ahem…!] with translations and filling out paperwork and whatnot. thumbs up for them!

oh, and there is a typhoon/hurricane brewing in hong kong, so we’re going to be experiencing a bit [alright, actually a lot] of turbulence. it’s like an amusement park ride! sorta. see you soon, city of lights! then right back on the plane to head to vietnam. FINALLY!

EDIT: 7:13am vietnam time/8:13pm ET

finally in vietnam.  right when i stepped out of the airport, the smell of the air was quite familiar.. the smell of vietnam.. lol.. finally at the hotel, showered, and hopped on the wi-fi connection to FB, gchat, and blog! time for breakfast then heading 4hrs down south! toodaloo!

for the love of sparkling crystals: swarovski.

elegant.  cute.  edgy.  classic. 

swarovski, founded in 1895 [wowsers.. that's some old stuff] by daniel swarovski, is one of those stores that i cannot walk past without looking at the window displays.  the crystal figurines and jewelry catch my eye and lure me in with their hypnotizing sparkle.  honestly, what girl can resist the adorable and glittery charms and pendants?  i know i sure couldn't.  i, for one, love the elvis and erika pendants [photo to the right].  i had an elvis necklace but he was beheaded and eventually was stolen [along with my purse and a ton of other things.. ugh].  i swear, he was the cutest piece of jewelry that i owned; i received so many compliments on him!  i think i'll replace him soon with another. :)

along with jewelry, swarovski also produces other crystalline items including tiaras, chandeliers, collectible figurines, bedazzled USB drives, and a variety of home decor among other things.  swarovski even sells individual crystals so you can personally bedazzle your phone, your laptop, and other items.

for those of you who are fans of swarovski, like myself, gilt.com is hosting a swarovski sale tomorrow [thursday 9/9] at noon ET.  there will be brooches, cocktail rings, pendants, tiaras, and charms on sale, so be sure to check it out.  i'm sure these items will sell out quickly, so don't be late!  i'm hoping i'll be able to find wi-fi at o'hare in chicago so i can peruse the merchandise for a purchase!

black eyeliner: my best friend from my make-up bag.

black eyeliner and mascara are my two best friends when it comes to make-up.  i love how the two work together to define the size and shape of my eyes, making them bold and beautiful.  but these beauty enhancers don't always obey my commands and sometimes smudge and flake everywhere.  not so pretty then!

i recently went into a sephora at tyson's corner in virginia and picked up a kat von d tattoo liner pen.  the kat von d tattoo liner is a water-resistant pen that works on the eyes and skin for temporary tattoos.  the design of the brush tip gives you easy control for drawing/writing on your skin and for creating those clean, eye-defining lines to give you that dramatic, sexy look. 

to be honest, the only reason why i wanted this pen in the first place was to touch up my fading jagua ink temporary tattoo [live.laugh.love] that i got while in miami. i even used the liner on my boyfriend's arm and it stayed well... lol.  i never had the thought of using it as an eyeliner until i forgot my usual eyeliner at home, and after that first time, i fell in love.

my usual eyeliner is from estee lauder [in jet black].  i really like this eyeliner, but the downsides are that the tip is not too sharp [giving you dull lines] and it smudges so easily.  by the end of the day, the jet black color turns into a grayish hue and is rubbed off in the inner corner of my eyes.  the kat von d tattoo liner retains its lines and color, keeping your make-up looking as fresh as when you first put it on.

so, girls, if you're looking for a great liner that is smudge-proof and water-resistant, i would suggest picking up the kat von d tattoo liner.  hopefully you'll like it as much as i do!  it can be found at sephora for a price of $18.  there are multiple colors available [gray, purple, brown, blue, black] allowing you to create inspired and artistic looks.

labor day: unofficially saying goodbye to summer.

labor day marks the symbolic end of summer: for kids, the start of a new school year... for sports fanatics, the start of the NFL and college football seasons (yay). this weekend, the air will carry the aroma of burgers, hotdogs, kabobs, and chicken sizzling on the grill and will be the host of extravagant displays of sparkling fireworks.

summer has definitely come and gone with a blink of an eye. i hope all of you spent it well; i know i sure have with all the traveling that i've done, and i still have one more trip to go on [vietnam, as you probably read in my previous post].

although i absolutely love summer and its warm temperatures and "beach season" status, i am quite ready for the fall and cooler days [there have been some insanely scorching hot days this summer in philly!].  i love driving down the PA turnpike and seeing the leaves turn to all the beautiful shades of red and orange [stan's favorite color, btw].  i always try to take a snapshot on my phone's camera of the stunning view [yes, it is indeed beautiful... to me anyhow] while i'm driving down the turnpike [i know, i know... that's not safe], but of course it always turns out blurry.  i'm going to need to bum a ride home with my brothers one of these autumn days so i can take a photo and share it with y'all.

alright, enough babbling from me for now.  i still have yet to pack for vietnam and i only have a couple hours to do so!  i hope you all enjoy the labor day weekend and the end of summer BBQs. be safe!  and to all you in the philadelphia area, enjoy the cooler temperatures this weekend! 

back to the motherland: vietnam.

in one week, i will be heading back to the motherland.  it's been ten years since i've set foot on the soils of vietnam, and i'm quite excited to see all the changes and renovations.  i'll be there for 16 days and i hope i get to enjoy all the delicious foods without the worrying too much about how sanitary the process of preparation was.. or if it will upset my stomach.  i'll make sure to bring along an adequate supply of pepto bismol.

the stops in vietnam include: saigon, cantho, hanoi, and nha trang.  ten years ago when i went, the main purpose was  to visit my sick grandmother, so we didn't really tour around the country much.  i never had the opportunity to meet her so my dad planned a last minute family trip to vietnam to see her before she passed.  this year's trip will be mostly for pleasure and sightseeing, along with some time to visit family. 

harrisburg to chicago to hong kong to saigon are the flight connections; i'm not really looking forward to the 15-hour flight from chicago to hong kong.  i'll make sure i have lots of reading material and have my ipod and phone charged up to listen to music.  and thank goodness for wi-fi in the hotels.. i need my daily fix of social connections while i am there!  

the start of twistie and toddie.

have you ever met someone that fit every aspect of your criteria-for-a-partner checklist?

i've recently met [though really i met him about a year ago.. just didn't pay him no mind since i was in a relationship at the time] a guy who has marked off all the criteria on my checklist.  he is sweet, charming, funny, handsome, tall, educated, independent, not a douche [at least i don't think he is.. lol], and so much more. 

i met this fellow in miami.  he tagged along with one of my very good friends and i found myself instantly attracted to his sense of humor and charm.  and he has one of the best smiles i've seen on a guy, and i am a sucker for a great smile.  sometimes, when trying to get know a person, i feel uncomfortable and distant, but the best thing about being around him is that there are no awkward moments whatsoever [at least i don't think so] and i feel so at ease in my own skin.  i don't have to pretend to be someone i'm not with him; he accepts me for the nerd that i am [and i accept him for the geek that he is - a major one at that].

one may ask about our nicknames, twistie and toddie.  "twistie" derived from something that happened at this place called twist in miami [i won't go into detail because it may embarrass him.. lol] and "toddie" came from usher's song, "hot toddy".  we weren't sure what a toddy was, so we looked it up on urbandictionary and discovered that it was an underaged goodlooking girl.. and since he thinks i look younger than my age, he called me his "toddie".

i can see that this is the start of something quite extraordinary. ♥