Meet Me In Saigon

Trouble, I sense

2009-07-13T18:11:00.005+07:00

A police officer came to my rented house last night trying to make some money while trying to sound threatening, what a F*&ing B%#** (pardon my French). Oh, he made my knees shook and almost peed in my pants...(joke intended here). What a turd, he didn't get anything in return, but an embarrassed expression on his face when he left. Yeah, i think i felt his irate frustration as he left the gate. Hahaha, don't you just love it when you use the law to slap the face of a law enforcement agent who's trying to be a leeching maggot?! Loving it. Muahaha.

New Things?

2009-07-01T17:57:00.004+07:00

Perhaps a new motorbike is in store for me. What do you think about a Honda Airblade F1? I think Honda is the preferred make here in VN. The locals believe it's reliable and durable, so I will give it a try. Wait till next month to see pictures of my baby.

What else is new? Oh yes, a possible trip back to Nha Trang at the end of August after summer session ends at school. What's on the agenda, possible hitting it up in Phan Rang (Ninh Thuan), Tuy Hoa (Phu Yen), and Buon Ma Thuot (DakLak)? So i will be going for two weeks. If anyone is interested in going, just holla and we can arrange something.

Nha Trang, Again?

2009-06-09T21:59:00.010+07:00

Nha Trang's Sea Festival 2009

Is he in his underwear???

A big pool as a backyard???

The sky is on fire!!!

Whoa, too many heads tonight...lol

Yamaha pots made into Yamaha drums...lol.

Paradise...eh?

Massive chains of hotels along Tran Phu Street

Private Teaching

2009-05-27T12:21:00.002+07:00

I just love private teaching. One on one attention is so much better for me and for the student. The student doesn't need to compete with other students for the teacher's attention, while the teacher can devote more effort and time for the student's development.

It's crazy but 4 years ago i couldn't have imagined myself as a teacher. I dredded the thought of tolerating someone who couldn't understand anything; and not having the patience for it didn't really help either. But now, i just love what I do, it's such a rewarding experience and of course money isn't bad either...hihihi.

Anyways, enough prattles about my wonderful job, i'll move on to mention my plan for June. I'm gonna head out to Nha Trang on the 6th-8th of June to enjoy me some Beach Festival. It should be great since they have a lot of spectacular shows and events planned for the whole week. Oh, did i mention all you can eat seafood at a price so cheap that you're gonna say, "whoa, that's crazy!"

Okie, some eye candies when i return from my trip...until then adieu mes amis.

Rain, rain, and more rain

2009-05-23T23:03:00.002+07:00

Yep, the rainy season has started and its effects are soaking in. No pun intended. I feel the combination of a scorching day and a wet night is putting a lot of stress on my immune system. I sense I might come down a terrible cold or something. However, this weather is not about to put a damper on my spirit. I am planning a mini trip to Nha Trang on the weekend of 06/06 to get some Festival Bien (Beach Festival) and to absorb some good sun and cool breezes.

Nha Trang and the good ole days...

Oldie

2009-04-18T17:39:00.002+07:00

Troi oi, toi moi hai muoi tam tuoi roi. Toi thay tuoi cua toi rat la cao nhung toi van thay minh con giong nhu gai 18...hihihi.

Yep, i just turned 28 two days ago, but i am gonna celebrate tonight. Hopefully get drunk enough to forget the big 28. Now, who wants to see a drunken Annie? Will prolly post some pictures of me getting wild. Btw, wanna shoutout to my birthday twin, the I-am-not-a-virgin-anymore birthday boy, SaigonNezumi.

Hahaha, don't kill me!!!

Already Back

2008-11-03T11:30:00.001+07:00

Hi everyone!

Yep, been back in VN for a few months now.

Argh, can't wait for the rain to stop.

U.S.A.

2008-07-08T10:21:00.001+07:00

Back in the good ole US of A :).

First Tet in VN

2008-02-25T13:35:00.012+07:00

Tet 2008: Nha Trang, Tuy Hoa, Dalat, and Phan Rang, and Mui Ne.
Caution: Pictures are in random order and place.
Nha Trang before Tet:

Nha Trang's decorative Tran Phu Street

The cooking of VN's longest Banh Tet at 33 meters long.

Cooking: Finished

A starfish on the fishtank in Vinpearl's Underwater Observatory and Aquarium.

Beautiful tank!!!

Monsters of the water, two moral eels.

What are you lookin' at?!

Groundhog blood wine, i think!!! In Song Pha (on the way dowm from Dalat).

Hustle and Bustle on New Year's Eve (Nha Trang)

About to chomp down the tangerine and its tree :-D.

Maybe not, i'll just steal one...lol.

Party at the bottom of Song Pha pass (on the way home from Dalat).

Anyone wants some fish bellies?

View of Vinpearl's underwater observatory.

Nice and warm on Tet's eve.

Looking gorgeous under the "Mai" tree. Kekeke

Posing under the bamboo trees.

I want some tangerines for Tet.

"Neu" tree at Vinpearl.

Dalat 2007

2008-01-07T09:45:00.000+07:00

Since i don't have anything that interesting about my life, i'll just share some of my pictures taken on my two-day trip to Dalat.

Ahhhh, a good rest.

Kicking ur @$$!!!

Squeezing ur @$$ ?!

Where in the world is Kelly....?

Kicking Kelly's @$$!!!

Me being very dorky!!!

Kelly and Annie standing in a tiger's den. S-C-A-R-E-D sh#$.

Men on a mission. Actually, men on a suspension bridge in the Tiger's Den Mountain. We climbed 19K. We're superwomen, yeah!!!

We passed a waterfall on our 19K climb. Beautiful.

What the heck are those???? COFFEEEEE beans. Gave us some energy during our hard climb to the top of the world...um...at least to the top of the mountain. TASTY!!!

My very sore feet after the climb.

Flower parade on our way to Tiger's Den.

Annie and Horse had a staring contest for 5 whole minutes. Of course, Horse lost.

Ascending or descending Tiger's Den? Oh yeah, on our way up up up.

This is JungleMan, aka Tien, our tourguide. He was threatening to eat all our banh mi and vegetarian ham.

Argghhhh...No idea!!!!

Kinh woman to the left picking her nose. Minority woman on the right laughing.

A birdeye's view of the lake or river below Tiger's Den Mountain.

MERRY XMAS from NAM

2007-12-24T16:22:00.000+07:00

Merry Xmas everyone!

Hmm...Xmas this year feels a little strange, a little lonely and a little sad. Xmas is a time when family unite and celebrate, but i am so far away from home and family. I definitely gonna miss all of my presents...kekeke.

JK JK...i am not that selfish.

Season's Greetings!!!!

Back On

2007-11-29T18:46:00.000+07:00

Yes, you will see me more often, now that i have internet in my apartment. It's so difficult to get internet when your landlord lives in Hai Phong.

Everything is normal, maybe a little hectic. I teach a lot both at SaigonTech and Cleverlearn but i really enjoy it. Seeing my students' smiling faces makes it all the worthwhile to wake up early and commute 30 minutes to school. Aww, teaching is such a great profession.

Anyway, a few lines here just to let you know i am still alive and breathing. I will be back soon to post pictures.

Have a good one, kitties!

I've gone MIA

2007-09-25T20:17:00.000+07:00

Wow, has it been that long since i last updated? Man, my life is so hectic that i can't even tell you what day it is even if you ask me....hehehe. I am teaching 7 classes at SaigonTech along side Cleverlearn...i am dying of exhaustion.

Well, gotta get back to grading the homework..oy ya ya. Hope you all are doing well. I will post pictures very soon of my new classes at SaigonTech :-D.

SaigonTech

2007-07-15T21:21:00.001+07:00

Pictures of my 4 awesome classes at SaigonTech.

Party time!!!

Annie's Spankin' New Glasses

2007-06-08T07:46:00.000+07:00

Check out my spankin' new glasses. One's for teaching and the other is for outside the classroom. Which one do you like best?

Lotus, lotus, lotus...and more lotuses

2007-06-07T09:38:00.000+07:00

I love lotuses!!!

Buddha's Birthday

2007-06-01T09:31:00.000+07:00

To celebrate Buddha's birthday my friends and I went to two of the largest pagodas in Saigon. The first pagoda that we went to is called Vinh Nghiem, and that's where i bought my lotus flowers. The second pagoda is called VietNam Quoc Tu in district 10.

Rain, Sick, Poor Me....

2007-05-29T09:58:00.000+07:00

Trudging in the heavy rain for hours in the past two days has left me sick and weak. The rain is so erratic, deviating from its usual trend, sunny in the morning and a quick shower in the evening. For some reason, prolly a storm, it rained the whole afternoon into late evening. Many areas of Saigon were flooded especially in part of District 1 (at the intersection of Le Thanh Ton and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia and beyond).

In addition to that misery, i haven't had a good nite's sleep for awhile. If this keeps up i'll dig myself a hole like a Prairie Dog and hibernate until the rain season passes.

Anyway, gonna find myself areally sandals to walk in the rain...anyone wants to join???

Swing Class

2007-05-24T11:30:00.000+07:00

Two words, swing dancing. La Fenetre Soleil holds swing dancing class every Wednesdays for dancers of all level. The first hour is for beginners and the second or third hour is for, well, everyone. Lessons are free so if you find yourself free at 8 on Wednesdays then come have some fun.

Yes, i've recruited Mr. Shaun (LAXtoSGN) to be my partner for the class. He will be arriving to VN on June 5th. Let's give Shaun a big Welcome hug ;-).

Unlucky

2007-05-16T10:09:00.000+07:00

Did i mention how unlucky the past couple of weeks have been? First, i lost my glasses somewhere in the streets of Saigon; and because of that i have gone many days without reading my book and currently displaying signs of withdrawal: seizures, yawns, dullness, and boredome. Second, i broke my precious lil cheap phone this past Sunday. But thanks to Mr. Saigon Nezumi, i've got a new awesomely wicked-cool Motorola SLVR L7i phone.

Here's my old phone:

Here's my sexy lil cellie:

Don't cha wish your cellie was hot like mine?

I'm gonna get off topic here and introduce Wrap & Roll, a restaurant on 62 Hai Ba Trung. I think this place is spankin' good. The place is clean, aery and comfortable. The service is friendly, and the food caters to both western and local palettes. It's not supercheap eats, but it won't leave a hole in your pocket either. So check it out!!!!

A Day at the Zoo

2007-04-27T09:07:00.000+07:00

Spent 26/04 at Thao Cam Vien, a mini zoo, on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai/Xo Viet Nghe Tinh Street.
Aww...i love you too, mama

Desert in Saigon?

Pink Flamingo (hmm...minus the Pink)

Albino Peacock??

I think this is Paper Flower (Hoa Giay)

Lotus in big vats :-P

Path of falling leaves...reminds me of the US during the Autumn.

Lotus flowers in an iron/bronze pot.

Water puppet inside Museum of Natural Science/Anthropology

A performance in Thao Cam Vien to celebrate Death Anniversary of Vietnam's ancestral King Hung Vuong (women in traditional Ao Dai doing the fan dance)

Pictures Galore

2007-04-22T09:51:00.000+07:00

Some eye candies for y'all :-D

@ TEFL Graduation Dinner: (Lovely classmates, i'll miss all of you)

@ Ty and Tony's Wedding: (Lovely couple...and a dish of peanuts for dinner :-D)

@ Manna: (two hot transvestites)

Birthday

2007-04-17T19:26:00.000+07:00

It was a really fun birthday. Thanks for coming, everyone. Sushi was good and music at YoKo was pretty awesome too. The band was excellent.

Okay, back to more homework. Just kill me now!!!!!

TEFL International

2007-04-03T18:46:00.000+07:00

I've been terribly busy with school that i haven't much time to update this blog...thus, many apologies to my (imaginary) readers :-). To make that up, i will post some pictures of my classmates at TEFL International.

Here we are standing in front of V.U.S. on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street. (Back Row Left to Right: Chris from Canada, Tom from England, Abby from U.S.A., Tom W. from England, Nick [Instructor] from Philliphines. Middle row: Sarah from New Zealand, Dorette from U.S.A., Susan from Canada, James from U.S.A., Chris from Australia. Front row: Diem [TEFL Trainer from VN], Mel from England, Me, Suzanne from England, Diana from Australia, Amy from U.S.A., Vu from U.S.A., and Geoff from Australia).

Making weird faces

Big westerners crammed into a small Vietnamese elevator (capacity: 8 Vietnamese people = 5.5 Westerners)

View From Above

2007-03-19T08:50:00.000+07:00

Since i couldn't sleep and was already up so decided to take pictures of Saigon. This is looking from my apartment in Binh Thanh.

This was taken a few mins later...

And this is a very fuzzy picture of Saigon at night.

Saigon, Home Sweet Home

2007-03-15T08:23:00.000+07:00

Phewww....i've made it to Saigon despite the long flight and the horrendous10-hour delay. China Air suckssssssss. There are so many things that went wrong with its airline but here are just a few that i find lacking/inadequate, the quality of service, the meals and the small seats. Remind me to flight Continental next time please...

Anyway, here i am in Saigon in my huge apartment all by myself. I haven't been out exploring the city coz of the stupid jetlag. I find myself sleeping at 7 pm and waking up at 3 am. I need to get my equilibrium back, seriously. Despite my sleepiness, i have planned several trips before class starts. I am leaving Saigon to go on a tour of the southern provinces for a week then off to Danang to visit friends, and finally to Nha Trang.

Okay, enough update for today, so hungry now. Gonna go grab something downstairs to satiate this hungry girl. OHHHH, friends and strangers who want to meet feel free to email me. I would love to sit down, drink some cafe sua da' and get to know one another.

P.S. I'll post some pictures when i have them uploaded :-D.

Okay, off i go........

Sorting My Life

2007-01-27T09:01:00.000+07:00

I have started sorting, prioritizing and categorizing all of my belongings. I have separated everything i have into two piles: the leave 'em behind and the take 'em with you. It's so hard to decide which beloved items to leave behind and which to take. There are so many sentimental valuables such as albums, books and people that i will have to leave behind. Sigh! I am starting to miss all of them already. I have 10 photo albums filled with precious memories of the people i have met and known all of my life. It's going to be a teary goodbye, i just know it. I will balling on departure day for sure and no amount of hanky will suffice wiping away overflowing river of tears.

I still can't believe i am about to embark on this wondrous life altering journey. But i know it's going to be a marvelment of a trip. There are many exciting places to see, many reverable people to meet, and many non-humdrum things to do.

Anyway, enough reminiscing and musing and back to packing i must be.

Until we meet again, full speed ahead mate!!!

Texas People Can't Drive

2007-01-18T09:27:00.000+07:00

Yeah, that's right! Texans can't drive PERIOD. Now, i want to see one drive during a winter blizzard up north. It's gonna be something like in this video here.

Just this morning there was a 25-car pileup. Crazy Texas people driving 75-85 mph on an icy overpass (i reckon they've got a few loose bolts bouncing around upstairs). Thank Buddha i haven't been a Texan for too long....don't hate coz i am a yankee at heart :-P.

One Step Closer

2007-01-13T23:08:00.000+07:00

One step closer to be where i want to be...

Background Check

2006-10-08T03:32:00.000+07:00

I am going to the local enforcement agency tomorrow to get fingerprinted and to request a background check. I am getting these because for an American to work overseas I need to have an FBI Identification Record Request (aka Criminal Record History). This is to assure potential employers that I am not a felon or a convicted criminal working for them. Oy, I hope this is not a painful process.

This is good to have because employers will need to have this record to give me a work permit. Well, let's hope that I can find a teaching job in VN...*fingers crossed*. This will be a complete career change for me. And after tomorrow, I will be one step closer to my goal of living and teaching in Vietnam.