I’m not a celebrity stalker. Really, I’m not. I just have the habit of bumping into them. Like the time I was having breakfast at the Kahala Hotel in Honolulu where a pro-am golf tournament was being held. A friend (who is even more celebrity-challenged than I...
Vietnam
My Asparagus Dealer
A few weeks ago, I had my first taste… and I was hooked. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The cravings were powerful. Almost daily, I’d find myself going back for more. But alas, the supply had run out. I asked everyone I met if they knew...
Photo of the Week – The Secret to Happiness Is…
Singaporeans have Singlish. Chinese have Chinglish. The Latin community has Spanglish. Where’s Vietnamglish? Vietglish? Vietnameseglish? See? You can’t even make a decent word out of the combinations! What I’ve found strange about Vietnam is that there really isn’t that much English spoken outside of the tourism industry....
Vietnamese Papaya Salad – Made from Love (And Green Papayas)
The Vietnamese call this generation the “Instant Noodle Generation”, speaking to the tendency of people today wanting everything now and fast. This applies to everything from economics (Been eyeing that 64” TV? Go on and take it home! We’ll bill you later!) to family relations, ie. youths...
Geocaching Vietnam
<a href=”http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/3996013/?claim=8hv7xjk4ys6″>Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a> The first time I remember hearing about geocaching was last autumn. I was preparing to go on a cruise so was reading through the Cruise Critic forum for my particular sailing (a great resource to hook up with other cruisers to...
Dollar Days – Shopping in Saigon on the Cheap
Times are hard everywhere. I had proof the other day when the woman ahead of me in line at the grocery store paid for her groceries all in change. I am not joking. She had a bagful of VND 500 and 200 coins. With 20,000 Vietnamese dong...
Photo of the Week – Vietnamese Family Meals
I don’t have an Italian grandma. But if they’re anything like older Vietnamese women, I don’t think I’m missing out much. I recently went to a family get-together and enjoyed an awesome meal of Vietnamese food. There was chicken ragout, egg rolls, rice flour pancakes stuffed with...
A Trip to the Supermarket (Now With Photos!)
One of the best things about my apartment is that it’s above a supermarket called the Co-op Mart. Of course, the Vietnamese pronounce it as one syllable, “Cub” Mart. I absolutely love living above a handy supermarket. Here are the reasons why. 1. Bad Lyrics T-shirts...
Photo of the Week – Vietnamese Embroidery
I remember as a kid, going through a crafts phase. First it was popsicle sticks and glue. Me: Mom! Look what I made! Mom: Another popsicle stick basket? Really? OK. Maybe she didn’t actually say that, but I’m sure that’s what she was thinking. Surprisingly, there are...
Saigon Cooking Class – Food As Art
I’m a bit of a food snob. There, I said it. Sure, I can get down and dirty with street food with the best of them, but secretly, I love it when food is not only delicious but beautiful to look at. So after seeing the chic...