3 Day Weekend

Since it was Independence Day here in Vietnam, we were honored with a three day weekend.  Even though we only had worked with kids for six days, the long break was much appreciated.  We decided to spend the weekend in Saigon, exploring the city and pampering ourselves with cheap services.  Friday was a mellow day filled with errands, croissants and an outing to a new restaurant (for us, old for the city) where you are provided with all the fixings to make your own spring-rolls and then you proceed to drink beer and eat hand-made rolls till you are silly.

Saturday we had a lazy morning filled with the gym, doing laundry, and grading papers.  In the afternoon we ventured out to the downtown to visit the War Remnants Museum.  After an uplifting hour touring photographs and memorabilia from the "American War of Aggression"(which resulted in Heidi crying), we headed downtown in search of massages.  We ended up enjoying 90 minute massages.  This massage was not the most relaxing experience as we were twisted, stretched, and pulled in every direction.  The culmination of the massage was our little masseuse climbing on top of our backs and using her legs to dig into our spine.  While we both thought we might cry (again), the end result (and payment of $12 each) was not so disappointing.  We followed up the experience by happy hour at the Rex Hotel.  The hotel is famous for hosting the foreign correspondents during the war where they would sit at the roof-top bar and watch bombs fall in the city and countryside.  The view was delightful -- the cocktails even better.  Last night we visited our local "beer garden" for dinner.  While we really enjoy the food and beer, we can't help but feel that we are visiting the Hooters of District 5.  The servers are all young Vietnamese girls in short skirts and tight tank tops.  However, the beer is plentiful and the prices cheap -- our criteria for a good night out.

Propaganda poster from Australia during the War.

Adam dreaming what it felt like to be a war correspondent.

Our drinks = "Go to South Africa" a Rex Hotel Signature Drink.

Heidi cooking up the hot pot at our local beer garden.

Today was back to the grind stone with planning for the week and heading to the grocery store -- forty five minute waits in the check-out line made for one grumpy team Pierce.  To soothe the frustration, Adam took Heidi for a facial.  2 hours and a glowing face later, we are both ready to conquer a 5 day work week -- the first for us since mid-June!