June 3, 2010

►Vietnam

Vietnam is a cool place to visit.

My short trip there was definitely enriching. Only a tiny winy bit of shopping and much visiting to the touristy places there. I must say Ho Chi Minh is a bustling city. No matter how early or how late, the city will always be bustling with people, vehicles and roadside stalls!

I must say I really enjoyed the things that I experienced there. I especially like the paddle pop vehicle, where a man will push his motorbike that will produce the 'paddle pop, paddle pop' song and sell his ice cream to whoever stops him. It has been years since I last heard the paddle pop song man!! Next was this amazing measuring height and weight machine that will produce a 'my heart will go on' song as the man pushes it around. you got to pay the man 5000 vietnamese dong (about 40cents sing) to measure your height and weight. I couldnt resist that temptation to just get on that machine and I did. The best take-away definitely wasnt getting to know my height and weight, but getting a video of me trying out that machine! (Thanks to Vanessa!)

Well, I really enjoyed the cuchi tunnel, mekong delta, horse-carriage ride, boat-riding, nice scenaries, vietnamese food, vietnamese coffee, cheap shopping etc etc! But there's two things that definitely made me miss home.

1. It is super hot there!!
2. Crossing roads there is such a disaster!!
Seems like there is no traffic rules there. Traffic is so bad there. Do you know?...17 people die from car accidents in Ho Chi Minh everyday? and 304 people die from car accidents in the whole of Vietnam everyday. How shocking! But well, to overcome the fear of crossing the crazy roads there, we just follow the locals!! They are SO PRO in crossing the roads. If I were alone, I think I can stand there for hours and start crying not knowing how to cross the roads. When trying to cross the roads there, I recalled how I was stuck on the other side of the road in Penang when becca and zw was already on the other!!!!

We rushed from one place to another since the moment we landed and all the rushings were so worth it. The best part was visiting this kindergarten opened by my friend's friend. The kids there are SOOOOOOO cute!!!
But of course, the trip wouldnt have been possible without them: