Friday, May 10, 2013
I haven't written a blog for awhile, but since I've deactivated my Facebook, I think this will be good.
For a first post, I just want to say "Hi!" from Seattle. Here celebrating my one-year anniversary with my angel, Thuy. Getting in was a horrid experience, with mechanical problems causing flight delays and then a bunch of confusion with our car rental, but when I woke up this morning to move the car from the street to a garage, I felt the crisp air and felt better already. Looking forward to this trip because Thuy and I haven't been able to go on a trip on our own for awhile.
Everyone keeps talking about how great Seattle is. Hoping to see that first hand!
Friday, March 9, 2012
Stop hating on "slacktivists" - Kony2012
STOP HATING ON "SLACKTIVISTS."
I suspect that many of you out there were like me - you knew nothing about Joseph Kony until you saw Kony2012. Kony2012 set out to make him famous, and guess what? IT'S WORKING.
I watched the Kony2012 video with great interest. Aside from Arab Spring and our de facto invasion of Libya, news about recent conflicts in Africa don't get into American mainstream media outlets that often, so I've learned about some of the regional conflicts and their international implications through other sources who were much more aware. These other sources were aware of these conflicts because they CARED about what happens in Africa. That set me down the path to learn more about what was going on in Africa and I now consider myself better informed. That impacts how I perceive American foreign policy and how I decide to cast my vote in future elections, particularly federal elections where foreign policy is always an issue.
Skeptics take the default position that people who only watch a video, post a Facebook status, or change their profile picture for some cause make themselves feel valuable without actually contributing. Skeptics may also question the value of an awareness campaign, feeling like they're time is being wasted by people who don't do anything to solve the problem. Get off your high horse.
First, if you have EVER done any advertising for a cause without participating in it, whether it was online or not, then call yourself a slacktivist. You ever heard of the Day of Silence? The day where you participate by not speaking, but handing out flyers explaining that by being silent, you're bringing awareness to the oppression that LGBTs who are still in the closet feel? What about rocking a yellow ribbon for the troops? And don't think that because you spend a little bit of money on buying some form of advertisement that you're more than a slacktivist. That $1 yellow rubber band from Lance Armstrong doesn't make you better than a person who changes their FB status.
Second, awareness itself is a legitimate end. I can agree with the sentiment that doing more about a cause is better than just knowing that the cause exists, but there are issues all over the place that only have a specific demographic that really does anything about them. When protests were sweeping across Tehran challenging Achmedinejad's re-election, how many of us actually knew who Achmedinejad was? (President of Iran). Or where the hell Tehran was? (It's in Iran). Those protestors asked us in the social media community to tint our profile picture green to show support for their cause. Yup, I did it. I'm proud that I did it, even though I didn't fly into Iran to protest with them. Seeing all of those green images EMPOWERED the people doing the actual protesting to keep up their fight. Awareness moves those who were not aware before forward because now we know. Building awareness can also motivate those who have long been involved and have fought for that issue because we are also showing our support for them when we do something small, like change a Facebook status or our profile picture, at their request.
Finally, it is fair to suggest that people do their research on an issue before even taking the small step of reposting or whatever the trend happens to be. It is right to ensure that groups like Invisible Children and campaigns like Kony2012 have legitimate goals and methods. However - and think about this really hard now - if you're bashing on others who are reposting for some selfish reason, stop hating. If you're annoyed that someone is filling your newsfeed with something that they're passionate about or have an interest in, don't read it. If you want to make yourself feel better by bashing on others who show support for a cause in some way, you're a jerk. If you want to make yourself stand out by appearing to go against the trend, really?!?
We're talking about Kony now, when I bet most of us didn't know who Kony was on March 7. We're talking about foreign policy again, when most of us don't think past what happens in our daily lives like school, family, and work. Among all of the most industrialized nations in the world, Americans are the least informed when it comes to world affairs. Welcome the discussion - be a part of it. If you don't want to, then don't. Just don't be a jerk about it.
Disclaimer: I don't think the Kony2012 video was that great. I don't plan on getting an action kit, though I am interested in seeing how it plays out. I don't know yet if I'll be calling my federal representatives to support the continued presence of U.S. military advisors in Central Africa because my natural disposition is to be against military involvement in disputes in other countries.
I suspect that many of you out there were like me - you knew nothing about Joseph Kony until you saw Kony2012. Kony2012 set out to make him famous, and guess what? IT'S WORKING.
I watched the Kony2012 video with great interest. Aside from Arab Spring and our de facto invasion of Libya, news about recent conflicts in Africa don't get into American mainstream media outlets that often, so I've learned about some of the regional conflicts and their international implications through other sources who were much more aware. These other sources were aware of these conflicts because they CARED about what happens in Africa. That set me down the path to learn more about what was going on in Africa and I now consider myself better informed. That impacts how I perceive American foreign policy and how I decide to cast my vote in future elections, particularly federal elections where foreign policy is always an issue.
Skeptics take the default position that people who only watch a video, post a Facebook status, or change their profile picture for some cause make themselves feel valuable without actually contributing. Skeptics may also question the value of an awareness campaign, feeling like they're time is being wasted by people who don't do anything to solve the problem. Get off your high horse.
First, if you have EVER done any advertising for a cause without participating in it, whether it was online or not, then call yourself a slacktivist. You ever heard of the Day of Silence? The day where you participate by not speaking, but handing out flyers explaining that by being silent, you're bringing awareness to the oppression that LGBTs who are still in the closet feel? What about rocking a yellow ribbon for the troops? And don't think that because you spend a little bit of money on buying some form of advertisement that you're more than a slacktivist. That $1 yellow rubber band from Lance Armstrong doesn't make you better than a person who changes their FB status.
Second, awareness itself is a legitimate end. I can agree with the sentiment that doing more about a cause is better than just knowing that the cause exists, but there are issues all over the place that only have a specific demographic that really does anything about them. When protests were sweeping across Tehran challenging Achmedinejad's re-election, how many of us actually knew who Achmedinejad was? (President of Iran). Or where the hell Tehran was? (It's in Iran). Those protestors asked us in the social media community to tint our profile picture green to show support for their cause. Yup, I did it. I'm proud that I did it, even though I didn't fly into Iran to protest with them. Seeing all of those green images EMPOWERED the people doing the actual protesting to keep up their fight. Awareness moves those who were not aware before forward because now we know. Building awareness can also motivate those who have long been involved and have fought for that issue because we are also showing our support for them when we do something small, like change a Facebook status or our profile picture, at their request.
Finally, it is fair to suggest that people do their research on an issue before even taking the small step of reposting or whatever the trend happens to be. It is right to ensure that groups like Invisible Children and campaigns like Kony2012 have legitimate goals and methods. However - and think about this really hard now - if you're bashing on others who are reposting for some selfish reason, stop hating. If you're annoyed that someone is filling your newsfeed with something that they're passionate about or have an interest in, don't read it. If you want to make yourself feel better by bashing on others who show support for a cause in some way, you're a jerk. If you want to make yourself stand out by appearing to go against the trend, really?!?
We're talking about Kony now, when I bet most of us didn't know who Kony was on March 7. We're talking about foreign policy again, when most of us don't think past what happens in our daily lives like school, family, and work. Among all of the most industrialized nations in the world, Americans are the least informed when it comes to world affairs. Welcome the discussion - be a part of it. If you don't want to, then don't. Just don't be a jerk about it.
Disclaimer: I don't think the Kony2012 video was that great. I don't plan on getting an action kit, though I am interested in seeing how it plays out. I don't know yet if I'll be calling my federal representatives to support the continued presence of U.S. military advisors in Central Africa because my natural disposition is to be against military involvement in disputes in other countries.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Day 21 - Chilling in Saigon
Day 21 - Chilling in Saigon
My last full day in Vietnam was calm. In the morning, we got breakfast at a Hue restaurant. It was a late breakfast, so we all ate enough for breakfast and lunch. We had banh khoai, bun bo hue, cha hue, egg rolls, and nem cung, which is something I haven't had before. It's like cha, but wrapped in tofu. Overall pretty good, though the bun bo hue was better in Hue.
We headed back to the hotel to sit for a bit before we went out again. We saw the big church that's in downtown Saigon, but it was closed and nobody could get inside. We head over to An Dong market next, which is waaaaaay better than Cho Ben Thanh. If you guys want to shop in Saigon, go to An Dong market first, and if you can't find it there, go to Saigon Square or Cho Ben Thanh. Those two spots are much more crowded and overcharge you.
We couldn't find any snake wine there, but we FINALLY get some over at liquor store corner, where they sell all kinds of alcohol. I'm pumped. Jess, on the other hand, is nervous. In fact, she won't let me take it home right away. She's going to hold on to it until SHE gets back from VN, which is the 31st.
After spending HOURS at An Dong, which is typically for Jess and her shopaholic auntie, we head back to the hotel again to chill. Since it was my last night here, we HAD to try to crawfish, so we went to the crawfish place in town, which charges MORE than American prices, and it's the same guy who owns SJ Crawfish. It wasn't bad, since it tasted the same as what we got in the states, but I wouldn't say that it's worth $30 USD per kilo. We also had fries and fish sauce chicken wings. mmmmm.....
Anyway, time to sleep. Last minute packing tomorrow and meals with everyone. See yall soon!
BE TRAN! I KNOW YOU'RE READING THIS! HIIIIIIIII! Tell everyone I miss them! Including Be Sen!
My last full day in Vietnam was calm. In the morning, we got breakfast at a Hue restaurant. It was a late breakfast, so we all ate enough for breakfast and lunch. We had banh khoai, bun bo hue, cha hue, egg rolls, and nem cung, which is something I haven't had before. It's like cha, but wrapped in tofu. Overall pretty good, though the bun bo hue was better in Hue.
We headed back to the hotel to sit for a bit before we went out again. We saw the big church that's in downtown Saigon, but it was closed and nobody could get inside. We head over to An Dong market next, which is waaaaaay better than Cho Ben Thanh. If you guys want to shop in Saigon, go to An Dong market first, and if you can't find it there, go to Saigon Square or Cho Ben Thanh. Those two spots are much more crowded and overcharge you.
We couldn't find any snake wine there, but we FINALLY get some over at liquor store corner, where they sell all kinds of alcohol. I'm pumped. Jess, on the other hand, is nervous. In fact, she won't let me take it home right away. She's going to hold on to it until SHE gets back from VN, which is the 31st.
After spending HOURS at An Dong, which is typically for Jess and her shopaholic auntie, we head back to the hotel again to chill. Since it was my last night here, we HAD to try to crawfish, so we went to the crawfish place in town, which charges MORE than American prices, and it's the same guy who owns SJ Crawfish. It wasn't bad, since it tasted the same as what we got in the states, but I wouldn't say that it's worth $30 USD per kilo. We also had fries and fish sauce chicken wings. mmmmm.....
Anyway, time to sleep. Last minute packing tomorrow and meals with everyone. See yall soon!
BE TRAN! I KNOW YOU'RE READING THIS! HIIIIIIIII! Tell everyone I miss them! Including Be Sen!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Day 20 - back in Saigon
Today wasn't too exciting of a day. We started off with a vegetarian breakfast at one of Jess's auntie's favorite places, then drove around to try to buy some more stuff. I had banh hoi, which never actually needed any meat in the first place, so it was still good. After driving around, we headed back to the hotel to pack and spend more time with some of Jess's relatives before heading to the airport.
The experience at the Nha Trang airport was the easiest by far. No hectic lines, no crazy crowds, no rushing into check-in stands, or anything like it. Thank God. Only the train was worse than flying from Saigon to Hanoi and then to Hue. Being in each city is cool. Getting to the cities can suck.
After a chill flight to Saigon, we spend a couple of hours looking for hotels again, but end up back at the same hotel that we stayed at when we first got here. We rest and settle in before we head out for dinner, which is a great banh xeo place.
That was really it for the night. In other news though, congrats to the new uNAVSA board! They're very diverse have a lot of energy, so I look forward to seeing what this new board will do. Congrats to old board too for surviving the 2-year term! haha...
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Dear uNAVSA family,
It is with great pleasure that I formally introduce your newly elected Executive Board. Led by President Dan Huynh, I am confident that the Executive Board, through their collective leadership, will take our organization to new heights. Each member of the Executive Board brings a significant amount of experience to the table, all having impact with uNAVSA and regional UVSA's.
President Dan Do Huynh began his involvement with the Vietnamese-American youth community during his sophomore year of college. Since then, he has discovered a new sense of identity grounded in his Vietnamese heritage and has spent the following years working with and giving back to that same community. Dan is the President of the Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations (uNAVSA). He previously served as President of the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of the Midwest (UVSA-MW), helping guide the organization through its first two years of inception. Prior to this, he served as the President of the Vietnamese Student Association of Minnesota (VSAM).
Dan is currently an information technology manager with the Office for Business Community and Economic Development at the University of Minnesota. He is a graduate of the University of Saint Thomas where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurial Management. Dan is a technology enthusiast and a lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan.
Internal Vice President Lisa Nguyen began her involvement with the Vietnamese Student Association at the University of Colorado at Boulder as a freshman in 2002. During her summer internships with Toyota Financial Services in California in 2006, she discovered Unionof North American Vietnamese Student Association and has since been compelled by and supportive of the group’s causes. After graduating with a B.S. in Finance and Management, she moved to New York where she now works at the headquartersof Teach for America. In the spring of 2008, she helped bring together creative Vietnamese Americans on the East Coast in her role as Director of Communications for the first Hay Qua Conference. From 2009 to 2010 , she spearheaded the most successful CPP Campaign to date, exceeding the fundraising goal by more than $20,000 for the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation's "500 Oral Histories Project."
External Vice President Anh Nguyen enjoys leveraging her own State Farm business as well as her business connections to help give back to the community as much as she can. Prior to being elected to uNAVSA's Executive Board, she served as the External Vice President for the Mid-Atlantic Union of Vietnamese Student Association (MAUVSA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a region that serves the different universities throughout Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Additionally, she is a Board Member of VietAmCham, a national Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce that outreaches to local businesses to help create a unified voice for their members and provide resources for them to take their businesses to the next level. Her other interests include cooking, singing, flag football, and spending time with friends and family.
Treasurer Long Thanh Nguyen is the current Historian of the Mid-Atlantic Union of Vietnamese Student Associations (MAUVSA). He previously served one term as Treasurer and two terms as President. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 2004 with a degree in psychology and a minor in economics. He now works for Northrop Grumman as an accounting analyst. Long has also been involved with the Ket Doan summer leadership camp, the Vietnamese American Youth Leadership Conference (VAYLC), and the community Tet Trung Thu festival. He enjoys comic books, pro-wrestling, and movies.
Secretary Thoa Kim Nguyen was born and raised in the state of Colorado. She is currently pursuing her B.S. degree at Johnson and Wales University with double majors in Marketing and Advertisement and a minor in Business Management. Her involvement with the Vietnamese American/Asian Pacific Islander Community began her sophomore year in college. During 2009-2010 Thoa served as the Southwest Regional Representative and also worked under the Public Relations Committee for The Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations. Simultaneously with her representative position she operated as the Marketing Director for the uNAVSA-7 Conference in Washington D.C., July 2010. Aside from her passionate work with youth leaders and school, she enjoys yoga, traveling, and reading.
Please join me in welcoming the Executive Board. I am very excited to see the progression and growth of our organization under their leadership.
Sincerely,
Brian
--
Brian Vo
Union of North American Vietnamese Students Association
Brian.Vo@unavsa.org
The experience at the Nha Trang airport was the easiest by far. No hectic lines, no crazy crowds, no rushing into check-in stands, or anything like it. Thank God. Only the train was worse than flying from Saigon to Hanoi and then to Hue. Being in each city is cool. Getting to the cities can suck.
After a chill flight to Saigon, we spend a couple of hours looking for hotels again, but end up back at the same hotel that we stayed at when we first got here. We rest and settle in before we head out for dinner, which is a great banh xeo place.
That was really it for the night. In other news though, congrats to the new uNAVSA board! They're very diverse have a lot of energy, so I look forward to seeing what this new board will do. Congrats to old board too for surviving the 2-year term! haha...
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Dear uNAVSA family,
It is with great pleasure that I formally introduce your newly elected Executive Board. Led by President Dan Huynh, I am confident that the Executive Board, through their collective leadership, will take our organization to new heights. Each member of the Executive Board brings a significant amount of experience to the table, all having impact with uNAVSA and regional UVSA's.
President Dan Do Huynh began his involvement with the Vietnamese-American youth community during his sophomore year of college. Since then, he has discovered a new sense of identity grounded in his Vietnamese heritage and has spent the following years working with and giving back to that same community. Dan is the President of the Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations (uNAVSA). He previously served as President of the Union of Vietnamese Student Associations of the Midwest (UVSA-MW), helping guide the organization through its first two years of inception. Prior to this, he served as the President of the Vietnamese Student Association of Minnesota (VSAM).
Dan is currently an information technology manager with the Office for Business Community and Economic Development at the University of Minnesota. He is a graduate of the University of Saint Thomas where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration and Entrepreneurial Management. Dan is a technology enthusiast and a lifelong Minnesota Vikings fan.
Internal Vice President Lisa Nguyen began her involvement with the Vietnamese Student Association at the University of Colorado at Boulder as a freshman in 2002. During her summer internships with Toyota Financial Services in California in 2006, she discovered Unionof North American Vietnamese Student Association and has since been compelled by and supportive of the group’s causes. After graduating with a B.S. in Finance and Management, she moved to New York where she now works at the headquartersof Teach for America. In the spring of 2008, she helped bring together creative Vietnamese Americans on the East Coast in her role as Director of Communications for the first Hay Qua Conference. From 2009 to 2010 , she spearheaded the most successful CPP Campaign to date, exceeding the fundraising goal by more than $20,000 for the Vietnamese American Heritage Foundation's "500 Oral Histories Project."
External Vice President Anh Nguyen enjoys leveraging her own State Farm business as well as her business connections to help give back to the community as much as she can. Prior to being elected to uNAVSA's Executive Board, she served as the External Vice President for the Mid-Atlantic Union of Vietnamese Student Association (MAUVSA, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a region that serves the different universities throughout Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Additionally, she is a Board Member of VietAmCham, a national Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce that outreaches to local businesses to help create a unified voice for their members and provide resources for them to take their businesses to the next level. Her other interests include cooking, singing, flag football, and spending time with friends and family.
Treasurer Long Thanh Nguyen is the current Historian of the Mid-Atlantic Union of Vietnamese Student Associations (MAUVSA). He previously served one term as Treasurer and two terms as President. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 2004 with a degree in psychology and a minor in economics. He now works for Northrop Grumman as an accounting analyst. Long has also been involved with the Ket Doan summer leadership camp, the Vietnamese American Youth Leadership Conference (VAYLC), and the community Tet Trung Thu festival. He enjoys comic books, pro-wrestling, and movies.
Secretary Thoa Kim Nguyen was born and raised in the state of Colorado. She is currently pursuing her B.S. degree at Johnson and Wales University with double majors in Marketing and Advertisement and a minor in Business Management. Her involvement with the Vietnamese American/Asian Pacific Islander Community began her sophomore year in college. During 2009-2010 Thoa served as the Southwest Regional Representative and also worked under the Public Relations Committee for The Union of North American Vietnamese Student Associations. Simultaneously with her representative position she operated as the Marketing Director for the uNAVSA-7 Conference in Washington D.C., July 2010. Aside from her passionate work with youth leaders and school, she enjoys yoga, traveling, and reading.
Please join me in welcoming the Executive Board. I am very excited to see the progression and growth of our organization under their leadership.
Sincerely,
Brian
--
Brian Vo
Union of North American Vietnamese Students Association
Brian.Vo@unavsa.org
Friday, August 20, 2010
Day 19 - A WHOLE day of Nha Trang
So today we were blessed with clear and sunny skies! We got breakfast at the same place, but this time, I tried their mien xao thit cua, which is fried clear noodles with crab meat. Pretty good, but not spectacular.
We had arranged to go on a tour of some of Nha Trang's islands, so we headed back to the hotel. The bus took awhile, so we all got kinda lazy, and when the bus finally did arrive, we scrambled out to the bus late. In fact, it had to circle the block for us because police don't allow buses to wait in place for too long on their beach boulevard.
The bus takes us to the docks, where we board one of many tour ships. The ship is old and designed to fit 60 VIETNAMESE people, so let's say that even without 60 people, our ship felt a bit cramped, but it wasn't bad. The tour guide was actually pretty funny. He got an Australian woman to come to the front of the ship, spread her arms out facing the ocean, and singing "My Heart Will Go On."
The trip to the first island took 45 minutes, where we went snorkeling. The beach itself was rocky and slippery, but if you swam out far enough, the corals and fishes were pretty cool. Da Nang was much better though.
On our way to the second island, we were served lunch, which had a bunch of stuff in it, but nobody really ate any of it. They had left it out for awhile, so everything was cold, and flies were attacking it the moment it came out. I was starving, so I had one bowl of rice and ate the cleanest parts that I could find out of everything, but after that, I let it be.
At the second island, we didn't really get to see the island. We stopped at a floating station near a second island, where you could jet ski, parasail, and other stuff. I was super down for the parasailing until I found out that it was $20 for 2 or 3 minutes. Instead, I got off the boat for some stability and non-waving grounds while the tour guide folks pulled out a keyboard, a drum set, and guitars and performed for everyone. The tour boats then kinda formed little circles with each other and created a floating bar in the ocean. We started jumping from the boat into the deep waters to swim and drink light Vietnam wine. At a certain point, our tour guide stood up on the floating bar to do a booty dance. He also climbed up to the top of the boat and jumped in the water. I jumped in the water myself for a few glasses and then climbed back on board.
At the third island, the beach was dirty, so instead of swimming, we took a break and played 13. It was a much needed rest anyway, since everyone else was tired. Me? I love the ocean. Besides, I napped on the boat.
At the fourth island, we visited an aquarium. I have to say that we're spoiled by Monterey Bay, which has super clean windows and well lit up tanks. It was kinda hard to see some of what they had, since their tanks were dark and dirty. The eels were the coolest though. They were HUGE. In fact, most of the fishes in this aquarium were huge. The only display that had similar sized fish in Monterey is the deep sea exhibit.
After all of that, we headed back to the hotel to rest. The tour went all day, so we didn't get back until 5. We cleaned up and rested for a bit before we met with Jess's aunt for a lobster dinner grilled at the beach. I thought it was very nice, though it was a bit dark, and the lobster tasted good. We finished our dinner at the hotel though, since the mosquitoes were enjoying their own buffet of jess's legs (apparently my legs have been Vietnamized, because they didn't touch me at all.)
It was a nice end to our stay in Nha Trang I think, though I have to say that for everything I heard about Nha Trang, I thought Da Nang was MUCH better. The beach was better, the snorkeling was better, and the food was better (though I did enjoy the lobster). I just hope that Da Nang doesn't turn into a big tourist attraction like Nha Trang has kind of become.
Heading back to Saigon tomorrow.
We had arranged to go on a tour of some of Nha Trang's islands, so we headed back to the hotel. The bus took awhile, so we all got kinda lazy, and when the bus finally did arrive, we scrambled out to the bus late. In fact, it had to circle the block for us because police don't allow buses to wait in place for too long on their beach boulevard.
The bus takes us to the docks, where we board one of many tour ships. The ship is old and designed to fit 60 VIETNAMESE people, so let's say that even without 60 people, our ship felt a bit cramped, but it wasn't bad. The tour guide was actually pretty funny. He got an Australian woman to come to the front of the ship, spread her arms out facing the ocean, and singing "My Heart Will Go On."
The trip to the first island took 45 minutes, where we went snorkeling. The beach itself was rocky and slippery, but if you swam out far enough, the corals and fishes were pretty cool. Da Nang was much better though.
On our way to the second island, we were served lunch, which had a bunch of stuff in it, but nobody really ate any of it. They had left it out for awhile, so everything was cold, and flies were attacking it the moment it came out. I was starving, so I had one bowl of rice and ate the cleanest parts that I could find out of everything, but after that, I let it be.
At the second island, we didn't really get to see the island. We stopped at a floating station near a second island, where you could jet ski, parasail, and other stuff. I was super down for the parasailing until I found out that it was $20 for 2 or 3 minutes. Instead, I got off the boat for some stability and non-waving grounds while the tour guide folks pulled out a keyboard, a drum set, and guitars and performed for everyone. The tour boats then kinda formed little circles with each other and created a floating bar in the ocean. We started jumping from the boat into the deep waters to swim and drink light Vietnam wine. At a certain point, our tour guide stood up on the floating bar to do a booty dance. He also climbed up to the top of the boat and jumped in the water. I jumped in the water myself for a few glasses and then climbed back on board.
At the third island, the beach was dirty, so instead of swimming, we took a break and played 13. It was a much needed rest anyway, since everyone else was tired. Me? I love the ocean. Besides, I napped on the boat.
At the fourth island, we visited an aquarium. I have to say that we're spoiled by Monterey Bay, which has super clean windows and well lit up tanks. It was kinda hard to see some of what they had, since their tanks were dark and dirty. The eels were the coolest though. They were HUGE. In fact, most of the fishes in this aquarium were huge. The only display that had similar sized fish in Monterey is the deep sea exhibit.
After all of that, we headed back to the hotel to rest. The tour went all day, so we didn't get back until 5. We cleaned up and rested for a bit before we met with Jess's aunt for a lobster dinner grilled at the beach. I thought it was very nice, though it was a bit dark, and the lobster tasted good. We finished our dinner at the hotel though, since the mosquitoes were enjoying their own buffet of jess's legs (apparently my legs have been Vietnamized, because they didn't touch me at all.)
It was a nice end to our stay in Nha Trang I think, though I have to say that for everything I heard about Nha Trang, I thought Da Nang was MUCH better. The beach was better, the snorkeling was better, and the food was better (though I did enjoy the lobster). I just hope that Da Nang doesn't turn into a big tourist attraction like Nha Trang has kind of become.
Heading back to Saigon tomorrow.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Day 18 - Day delayed due to rain!
So our first day in Nha Trang kinda washed out. We got breakfast at a restaurant right next to the hotel, which was a lot of orders of banh mi op-la and an order of banh mi steak covered in good cream sauce. Right as we started finishing up though, the rain came. Instead of the tour that we planned on attending, we tried to explore as much of Nha Trang as we could that was indoors, which was just the mall. I actually found a pair of slippers that fit me though! I think my feet measure 45 something over here.
We headed over to Cho Dam afterward, where I tried my hand at negotiating and bought some handmade bookmarks at 9k each that were originally priced at 15k each. Jess thinks that I was probably ripped off anyway, but you know what? I got it down 6k. BOO-YAH! I'm guessing that I can get the price %50 off for my next purchase.
We headed back to the hotel to get out of the rain for a bit, and then got a late lunch. Lunch was com nieu, which is pot-made rice. We ate that along with rau muong, more soup, fish in tomato sauce, fish-sauce chicken wings, squid, and shaky beef.
After lunch, we headed to the Cham Temple, which was actually very cool! Huge chunk of the temple had been destroyed by the government during the war, and they are now trying to rebuild it. Unfortunately, the government killed all of the Cham people who knew how to create the structures, so they tried to figure out how to do it on their own. Let's say their parts of the temple don't really look authentic.
As we were exploring the temple, a group of Cham dancers got together and performed traditional dances. I was REALLY impressed with their second dance, which was where they danced with pots on their heads. The pots stayed on their head during the whole performance WHILE they were doing little jumps and spins.
In the showroom, there were pictures of the old temple compared to the reconstruction that was happening now, so we can see what's being done right now. Apparently the Cham dedicated reproductive organs to different parts of the temple. When we left the showroom, I went around the temple to take more pictures. At one point, I think I may have straddled one of these dedicated reproductive organs to get a good angle for one of my pictures.
The rain picked up again, so we couldn't stay long. We ended up back at the hotel to hope for the rain to go away. Didn't happen, so our day was kinda half washed.
Jess says that she wants us to wake her up at 5am to really enjoy the beach. She insists that we drag her out of bed, so her auntie and I will see what happens tomorrow morning.
PAYCE.
We headed back
We headed over to Cho Dam afterward, where I tried my hand at negotiating and bought some handmade bookmarks at 9k each that were originally priced at 15k each. Jess thinks that I was probably ripped off anyway, but you know what? I got it down 6k. BOO-YAH! I'm guessing that I can get the price %50 off for my next purchase.
We headed back to the hotel to get out of the rain for a bit, and then got a late lunch. Lunch was com nieu, which is pot-made rice. We ate that along with rau muong, more soup, fish in tomato sauce, fish-sauce chicken wings, squid, and shaky beef.
After lunch, we headed to the Cham Temple, which was actually very cool! Huge chunk of the temple had been destroyed by the government during the war, and they are now trying to rebuild it. Unfortunately, the government killed all of the Cham people who knew how to create the structures, so they tried to figure out how to do it on their own. Let's say their parts of the temple don't really look authentic.
As we were exploring the temple, a group of Cham dancers got together and performed traditional dances. I was REALLY impressed with their second dance, which was where they danced with pots on their heads. The pots stayed on their head during the whole performance WHILE they were doing little jumps and spins.
In the showroom, there were pictures of the old temple compared to the reconstruction that was happening now, so we can see what's being done right now. Apparently the Cham dedicated reproductive organs to different parts of the temple. When we left the showroom, I went around the temple to take more pictures. At one point, I think I may have straddled one of these dedicated reproductive organs to get a good angle for one of my pictures.
The rain picked up again, so we couldn't stay long. We ended up back at the hotel to hope for the rain to go away. Didn't happen, so our day was kinda half washed.
Jess says that she wants us to wake her up at 5am to really enjoy the beach. She insists that we drag her out of bed, so her auntie and I will see what happens tomorrow morning.
PAYCE.
We headed back
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