Adaptation

Slowly but surely Vietnam is moving back into the rainy season. After a couple of months of glourious blue skies and 90+ degree days, some cloudy, (and dare we say it)  rainy days are coming back to this part of the world. The other day we had our first rainy commute in a long time. As we have talked about, Vietnam is poncho king when it comes to the rain protection. As great as these ponchos are, they cannot fully protect you from getting wet while riding your motorbike. To avoid showing up to work wet in dress clothes, we adapted to our situation. While we did get a little wet on our ride, we were lucky that the clothes that we wore into work whisked the water right off our bodies. This look could be the new business casual.

Nothing screams professional like basketball shorts and boat shoes.

Is Heidi going to work or running a marathon? Maybe both?

Brick House

Last night, we took the family to a renowned dining establishment in HCMC.  Neither of us had ever been to this restaurant before.  However, over the past few months, it has seemed that every person we have interacted with has recommended dining at this locale.  So, we made reservations, hopped in our taxi, and crossed our fingers.  The place did not disappoint.  The restaurant is an old, traditional Vietnamese home that has been rebuilt into a variety of eating spaces.  The menu is very large and allows the patron to order any combination of Vietnamese food they deem fit.  (You want shrimp in tamarind with a side of su su?!?  Just ask and the plate of delight shall appear!).  While we were very excited to venture into a new restaurant to order off a new menu there was also another major draw to this excitement -- every time Brad and Angelina are in Vietnam, they dine at this place.  As Heidi pointed out after visiting the toilet, "Yup ... I just sat on the same toilet as Angelina Jolie."  If that doesn't make you want to order more delicious cuisine, what does!?!

We were put in a VIP table on the top floor in the old bedroom, complete with antique sewing machine.

Watch out Brad and Angie -- there's a new hot couple in Saigon.

Good thing we speak food Vietnamese because we had to order in the native tongue.

The steep stairs up to the place we dined.  We did get to watch someone fall into the pond below, which always makes for a good laugh!

Pierce Parents

For the second time in three weeks we have had the pleasure of getting to go out to the airport to greet family that has made the long journey to visit us. This time as we waited with the throngs, welcoming people to Vietnam, Adam's parent's were the ones to step off the plane and into the SE Asian heat. They had a night stopover in Hong Kong and claimed to be well rested and ready to explore. With that said we wasted no time starting our standard eating->walking->consuming tour of Saigon. The Pierces jumped right into the mix, crossing streets likes pros and quickly learning to "embrace the sweat". Their attitudes were positive and their willingness to keep the jet lag demons at bay was quite impressive. But, even more impressive was Sandy's willingness to break all tradition and enjoy an ice cold Saigon beer. Take that white wine!

Right of the plane and jumping into the mix.

Heidi showing off her informational brochure. Her ability to mix real information with fake information is second to none. If the whole education thing doesn't work out she has a future as a tour guide for sure.

Afternoon iced coffee. One part refreshment. One part pick me up.

Proof is in the picture.

Cinema

Our media is limited in HCMC.  We get about 5 English TV channels (which only seem to play Wipe Out, Desperate Housewives, CSI and The Voice on repeat), we are blocked from purchasing media on iTunes, cannot stream on the internet (something about our country not having the legal rights), and even our good old hometown Amazon does not want us to view their movies. 

So thank goodness for our recent discovery:  stores that sell DVD's for dirt cheap.  Yup ... all you have to do is walk in, search through baskets of DVD's, decide which new release you want to add to your collection, pay, and go home with fingers crossed hoping your new movie actually plays in your computer.  The craziest part is that these shop guys must know people in the movie industry because they even sell movies that are still in the theater!  Hello, pop media!

Adam with our recent purchases.  At 50 cents each, it's hard to not go crazy in that store.

It's a crapshoot.  So far only 3 of 5 work but there is still hope.

Portion Control

Today one of Heidi's students presented her with a gift. It was the smallest banana in the world. When Heidi inquired about the ridiculously small size, the student seemed a bit confused and shared that in fact that this was just a normal banana, nothing special. We wondered, how many of these "normal bananas" would one need to consume to feel satisfied? hmmmmmmmmm...

Bite size banana. It literally fits into the palm of your hand.

Add caption

It would even make for a crazy small phone...if bananas were used as phones.

Roundabouts

Traffic roundabouts are all over Saigon. In a city with so many people on the road, the roundabouts do a nice job of making sure the chaos flows on and everyone makes it to their destination safely. Many of the roundabouts here are much bigger than we are used to seeing. The magnitude of these roundabouts breeds a whole new beast. Instead of some flowers planted in the center or maybe a single small tree, Saigon roundabouts hold statues, monuments, and parks in the middle.

The other day we stopped by a roundabout that we have driven around  often. This roundabout seems to be one third park, one third statue, and one third ugly. It may be best described as a giant concrete flower rising from a pond that has a sometimes functioning fountain spiting from it. There are also lovely cement walkways crisscrossing the pond. In all reality it is not too pretty to look at, but it is always jam packed with people picnicking and enjoying the sun. In a city that does not have too many parks, you just have to take what you can get and enjoy it to the fullest.

Heidi following the stairs to the giant concrete flower.

It is hard to see but Adam is say, "this is for sure the best roundabout I have ever stopped at!!". No really, actually, it is pretty cool.

Nothing like a romantic picnic at the traffic roundabout.

Rex-top

Six months after moving to Saigon, we might have just stumbled upon our own little slice of in-city paradise.  Thanks to a friend's recommendation, today we experienced what it might feel like to be Vietnamese High Society.  For an entrance fee of $7 per person, we paid to lay in the sun, by the rooftop pool of the Rex Hotel in downtown HCMC.  Now, $14 for an afternoon of relaxation is a fairly steep price for the likes of Vietnam.  However, that $14 allowed us to lounge in the sun on comfortable chairs away from the noise, horns, and smog of the city (it did not remove us, though, from the likes of one creepy American man trying to pick up on the young Vietnamese women around us).  Despite being in the heart of it all, we felt far removed from the rush and traffic of the city.  We are sure that for the rest of our time in Vietnam, the Rex-top Pool will become part of our regular weekend rotation.

Adam lounging by the one of two rooftop pools.  There was also rooftop tennis (maybe we should learn to play first before we pay that fee).

Don't let the grey skies fool you.  It was HOT.

The lower level pool.  Just a lovely way to spend a Sunday.  It could only be better with a nice cocktail in hand.  Next time.

We Be Trippin'

Typically, the educational process works in the following manner:  teacher plans curriculum and lessons to meet or achieve certain grade level specific standards outlined by a state's educational board or by an accrediting body, students work diligently to learn and demonstrate proficiency in the standards, assessment occurs to assess the gaps in proficiency, and maybe a field trip is included to supplement the learning goals and expose students to opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. 

Flash forward to our place of employment where the educational process is thrown out the window along with standards, best learning practices, and all common sense.  Yesterday, our school decided we needed to check off the "field trip" box so we packed up the whole school and headed to .... wait for it .... a giant supermarket.  Yup, we took 4 hours of classroom time to take students to a grocery store where we were walked through the aisles (coincidence that our tour snaked us through the toy, games, candy, and soda aisles),  had our students spend 10 minutes "making bread" and then let us have "lesson time" for 2.5 hours in the middle of a grocery store.  (Note, our "principal" informed us that lessons could include comparison shopping, itemized pricing, and caloric intake options -- yeah, that will keep the interest of a 7 year old!).  The effectiveness of this trip was summed up perfectly by one student stating, "Well I had fun.  Well, it was fun to be out of class.  I thought the rest was just silly."

Big C Superstore.  Think Walmart meets Vietnam.

They made the mistake of bringing out the mascot.  Our students mobbed it and by the end, its clothes were hanging off.  Seriously!

Decked out and waiting to head into the bakery.  What did our principal have them do while they waited?  Sing.  No joke.  Yeah that's one way to make an even bigger scene.

Getting down and dirty to make some banh mi.  The highlight for the 10 minutes it took.

Goodbye Old Friends

When Heidi's family came to visit us last week they brought with them more than just their sense of adventure. Packed in their bags were a variety of items that we had requested to help us make it through the rest of the year. We didn't want to burden them too much so we tried to stick to the essentials--8 sticks of deodorant and three large boxes of Pepto Bismol. The one luxury item that they brought was a new pair of flip flops for Adam. Not to be a flip flop snob, but Adam wears only one type of sandal and needless to say they are not sold in Vietnam (not even fake ones).

So after three and a half years, ten countries, and countless memories, Adam is saying goodbye to his old sandals.Thanks for everything!

Much loved and much worn, and not nearly as stinky as you would think.

Sport Court

Our apartment looks down onto the campus of a national sports university.  We often spend our mornings watching tennis doubles and our evenings listening to the cheers of the crowds at the soccer games.  There is always some activity, commotion, or competition that seems to be taking place right outside of our window. 

Yesterday seemed to be a particularly busy afternoon of practice for our athletically inclined friends.  As we looked down from our window, we noticed all the courts were buzzing with activities -- some old returners and some new for our viewing pleasure.  No matter what is going on -- volleyball, karate, or good old calisthenics -- we always enjoy the show.  It's the constant playing of the national anthem that is getting a little old!

From top left we have soccer drills, cricket, can-can dancing/kick-line, karate, and tennis doubles.  Such variety.  Such passion!

Sopers Last Day

Today is the last day that Heidi's parents are in town. Tomorrow afternoon they are taking off to spend a little bit of time in Korea (and try and find some "Seoul food" according to Ken) and then back to the great NW to resume life.

For our last day together in the city, we hit up many of the best things that the city has to offer. There was pho on the street, there was a trip to the spa, and a rooftop happy hour. Just another lazy Sunday in Saigon. Life sure can be hard here. It has been great to have visitors and show off the place that we live. It is sad to say goodbye but good to know that they (and all of our friends and family in the NW) will get to see our ugly mugs all summer long.

Hanging outside of the Post Office.

Outside of Notre Dame. We just missed Sunday mass...shoot, maybe next time???

Well deserved rooftop happy hour.

A lineup of refreshments.

Urban Sanctuary

Yesterday Adam went to meet up with his friend Jimmy to grab some lunch. After lunch Adam and Jimmy headed to a cafe that Jimmy had been to and really liked. Cafe culture is big in Saigon, and cafes work hard to make themselves sand out to attract customers. This particular cafe that Adam and Jimmy went to had an interesting theme.

The Cafe is called Stone Gardens, and is kind of a open air oasis in the city. For their cafe "theme", Stone Garden surrounds their patrons with trees, grass, flowing streams, and LIVE WANDERING PEACOCKS!!! That is right, while you sip your coffee and hang out with your friends, it is almost certain that a peacock with grace you with it's presence. I don't know if the whole bird thing is up to health code, but regardless, it is cool.

Peacocks!

And Streams!

And greenery! Oh my!!

Pagoda Party

For the last two days there has been a nasty flu bug in the Pierce household. We both have not gone to work and posted up at home to try and get better. While our apartment is a very nice size, on day two Adam began to get a bit restless. Feeling a little better he took himself on a solo field trip to stretch his legs and visit a few of the pagodas that are right by our house. Even though we have been here for a bit now, it is still crazy to stop and think that places such as these exist right outside our doorstep. It is like every time we get complacent, Vietnam slaps us with something new and amazing. That slap...hurts so good.

Barrels of incense.

Hanging cones of incense.

Hanging cones of incense + barrels of incense= lots of incense smoke for a cool picture

Pagoda guard-dog. Do NOT mess with this guy.

The Rivalry

One restaurant in Saigon has stolen our hearts.  We have posted about "Orange Awning" a few times, and for good reason: the food is delicious, the hospitality is top-notch, and the price is right.  We find ourselves eating at this establishment sometimes three, four times a week, it is that good.  Well, watch out, Orange Awning!  There is a new kid in town. 

"Green and Yellow" has quickly become a contender for our favorite neighborhood eating establishment.  It is a "point and pick" type of restaurant that is also high quality food at low-cost prices.  Since the Sopers are still in town, we have brought them along to both establishments to help us decide who reigns supreme and deserves the title of Quan Nam's Best Dining Experience.

Tasting the spread and calculating scores!  It is based on a 10 point system ...

Green and Yellow's hard boiled chicken eggs in bacon broth.

Their BBQ chicken with a honey glaze.

Pork and egg pie.  A high scorer on the scale of delicious!

Surprise Parade

This evening we got home and met up with Heidi's parents. As we were catching up with each other and sharing about our day, we heard the sound of approaching drums from outside out apartment. As we looked out the window to see where the beat was coming from we saw a huge parade coming down our street. We rushed down to see the festivities and ended up watching a great parade for about half an hour, celebrating the end of Tet. It was a great surprise to see such a concentration of Tet celebrations .... errr .... we mean planned celebrations in honor of our company!

I don't know if anyone actually knew about this parade. Everyone watching it literally just pulled over their motorbikes and enjoyed.

Coming down the street all costumed up and looking good.

This must be a Vietnamese color guard with those flags.

Sopers in Saigon

Last night at 10:30 the Korean Air flight from Seoul touched down in Ho Chi Minh City. Among the Korean business men and vacationing golfers coming out of the arrival hall emerged Heidi's parents. For two people that had just traveled for essentially 24 hours, they walked out of the airport with big smiles, excited to tackle Vietnam. Waking up today, we all wasted no time getting out to explore and eat our way through the city. In just one day of being here, the Sopers and have:

1. Eaten pho on the street for breakfast
2. Rented a motorbike
3. Ate a big Vietnamese lunch
4. Visited the Reunification Palace
5. Lounged in Vietnamese coffee shop
6. Ate Vietnamese BBQ chicken and veggies
7. Drove the city on their bike without any accidents and/or freakouts

It seems that the Sopers brought their traveling gamefaces and will do just fine in Vietnam.

At the Reunification. Ken looking out for tanks crashing through the gates.

Pho and the street for breakfast.

The Sopers on their hog.