We just returned from spring break in Vietnam.  Vietnam has always had a certain mystique for me, since our history includes a lengthy and controversial war with them.  Interestingly they call the war, “The American War,”- just that slight change gave me great insight on how different your views are based on which side you’re on.

 

We spent a few days in Hanoi enjoying historical sights including the “Temple of Literature” and Ho Chi Minh Masoleum.  A fellow traveler called it Disneyland for Vietnam.  People of all ages line up for an hour to shuffle past Ho Chi Min’s preserved body for a few minutes.  We skipped the viewing of his body but enjoyed the grounds. 

 

We travelled by rickshaw through the market streets where the streets are named after the items they are known for.  We also enjoyed a water puppet show.  I have never seen this done anywhere else and it was amazing.  The puppets are on long poles and people, standing up to their waist in water, maneuver the puppets in front of them.  It’s hard to describe so take a look at the pictures.  The kids really enjoyed this.

 

We then travelled by overnight train about 9 hours to the north to see how ethnic minority tribes live.  It was a bumpy ride in a very small space, but the kids were giddy with the adventure of it all. 

 

We visited people that are so poor.  They have only had electricity for 2 years.  They have no running water and sanitary conditions are grim.  They work hard and live off the land, growing their own crops (mainly rice), making their own clothes, etc.  It was both beautiful and heartbreaking. 

 

I knew that trip was making an impression when Jonathan said, “They work so hard…rice should be a lot more expensive.”  These people only grow enough rice to sustain themselves, but all over Vietnam are rice fields filled with laborers stooped over in the fields.  Vietnam is the 3^rd largest exporter of rice.  The next time you pick up a bag take a look at where it is from.

 

We spent one night in a hotel near Sapa and then travelled back by overnight train, which had lost much of it’s glamour the 2^nd time around.  

 

From there we travelled to Halong Bay.  An UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been.  We spent the night on a boat with side trips to caves, hiking, and some beach play.  It was the perfect way to end a vacation.  We travelled back to Hanoi for the night and returned home the following morning.

 

 

 

Apparently, when your apartment complex tells you that the "lift will be homed" from 9 am to 3pm for servicing, that means your entire building will be without power the whole time.  I walked up and down 10 flights of stairs 3 times today.  My pedometer went crazy! 

Today I plugged in the toaster, placed my bread in the slots, and pushed down the lever.  Boy was I surprised when, instead of toast, a gecko popped out.  I screamed!  Loud!! Mostly out of shock not fear.  As the poor creature lay writhing on the counter ( I think he got squeezed or electricuted) my daughter ran in and yelled "There's a GICKO on the counter.  Poor Gicko!"  I felt really bad until I realized my toaster didn't work anymore.  Then I was mad.  The toaster gets used at least 5 times a day and the thing was brand new.  Luckily it turns out the little "gicko" blew the whole circut, not just the toaster.  After a little electrical reset we were ready to get toasty.

 

Hello All!

Let me begin by saying, "You have to be really
COMMITTED to have Thanksgiving in Singapore."  We have
embraced many local things but there is something very
comforting about the familiar. 

Holidays not only help mark the passage of time in
this otherwise unseasonal location but I hate to jump
straight from Halloween to Christmas like they do
locally (not that Halloween is big here- but the
stores do carry a few items.)  November 1st they put
up the Christmas decorations- including gigantic
snowflakes over Orchard Road (the main shopping area).
Nothing makes me laugh like giant snowflakes and the
grocery stores playing "Let it Snow" while you're
shopping. 
I digress...back to Thanksgiving.  Another American
family invited us to join them for Thanksgiving
dinner.  We divided up the food assignments and she
agreed to cook the turkey.  This was a relief since my
oven is only slightly larger than a toy "Easy Bake
Oven."  She proceeded to special order the turkey from
the butcher.  Apparently, Americans are one of the few
people who eat turkey.  So the turkey order had to be
placed a week in advance and flown in from the United
Staes.  She ordered a 5-7 kg turkey (10-13 pounds)
which cost her a grand total of $85. Committed?

I shopped at every grocery store on the island
looking for french fried onions to make green bean
casserole and ground cloves for pumpkin pie.  I almost
gave up on the french fried onions and was going to
make a spinach and strawberry salad but I couldn't
locate poppy seeds either.  Finally, I found the
french fried onions but never located the ground
cloves.  I thought I could grind them myself in my
bosch food processor or blender.  It ground the cloves
to a "rough ground" state but never did pulverize
them.  They only things pulverized were my blender and
food processor bowls.  The cloves are so hard that
ground bits embedded themselves into the hard plastic
of my bowl and blender.  No amount of scrubbing will
remove them.  Committed?

I will have to order replacement bowl/blender from the
U.S. I can still use them but everything I make has
the strong essence of cloves.  Ok for smoothies...not
okay for cheese or vegetables.

The pumpkin pie did turn out delicious, as did the
rest of the meal!  It was a really nice day to eat,
enjoy friends, and reflect on the many blessings we
have.  I'm so glad we didn't skip it! 

l