Vietnam Part 1

So, I should probably post some stuff about my holiday. I had an alright time. I got pretty sick and came home to spend four days in hospital which has tainted my travel experience a bit but I did a lot of awesome stuff. Here is a best and worst list (which are terribly hip around this time of year) of some stuff I saw and some stuff that happened.

BEST

1. WATER BUFFALO
I fell utterly in love with these creatures. Every time I saw one my heart skipped a beat, I got clammy hands and wanted to squeal. I had to stop myself from running up to one and throwing my arms around its neck. They were always just hanging out in giant puddles of mud with ducks as bodyguards watching the world go by. Whilst roaming rural Vietnam I was chased by one in the dark when I was a bit tipsy and I still love them. 2.

TOFU
I had my own private three week tofu festival. I ate it raw, scrambled, deep fried, steamed, made to look like little sea creatures and in desert. It was awesome. It may have been my love of tofu that resulted in the hospital visit but I do not regret the tofu festival. Not for a moment. Highlights were “tofu dressed as little shrimp”, tofu curry baguettes, and tofu with tomato sauce which is more of a Napoli sauce then “dead horse”. I love you tofu… I love you Vietnam for what you do with it.

3. ELEPHANTS
I met an elephant and he tried to get into my pants. True story! We went to an elephant park that was like a sanctuary for these giant cheeky creatures. I had brought them some fruit as a present on my way there. I hung out with the elephant for a bit and fed him all the fruit I had. He started searching me for more food and opened my courier bag, sniffed my hair and then tried to get his trunk into my shorts. Too cute.

4. TEMPLES & MONKS
Whenever we visited a temple, I ate like a Queen. On my Birthday we went to a temple that was about 5km inland from China Beach and near Hoi An. We climbed 440 stairs to what I think was the most beautiful view I’ve ever seen. At the top of the stairs we met a tiny monk who had some vegan cake which he gave me. He then gave me some to take home with me (it was appreciated on the 10 hour train ride let me tell you!). Every single time I went to a temple I didn’t want to leave. I just wanted to help in the garden, nap in the grass and just appreciate what was around me.

5. DALAT
We spent some time in Dalat which is on top of a mountain. The weather was a cool 18 degrees, the people were indifferent (unlike everywhere else where everyone wanted to touch my pale skin) and the architecture was very French. There was a vegetarian market full of mock meat, lovely coffee, fresh vegetables and you needed to sleep under a duvet at night (which made me terribly homesick). Whilst around Dalat we had a look at a minority village, saw the palace of the last king and walked around lover’s lake which was terribly romantic. It felt a bit like Paris meets Carlton North to be honest. No wonder I loved it there.

Worst List to come shortly.

smug tram bug.

I leave for Vietnam in about a week. To be honest, I've been a bit blase about the whole thing. I knew it was coming up but hadn't put too much thought into it. Yesterday, I started packing and writing some lists and I got a little excited.

This morning whilst standing at the tram stop in the miserable cold and rain I checked the weather in Hanoi... It's currently a sunny 27 degrees and suddenly it hit me. I got so excited that my heart skipped a beat.

The whole tram trip I had a smug grin on my face, knowing that I am only 7 days away from t-shirt weather.

cmx

I’ve done all the dumb things…

I’ve done some really dumb things today. “How dumb?” I hear you say! “How is this different from any other day full of you doing dumb things?” I hear others ask! Well… So dumb I don’t think I can even really explain it here. It’s long winded and would show far too much of my irrational, jealous, insecure side which is just not fit for the internets (or sane people). What has surprised me today was my willingness to put my hand up and say “Hi! I know I fucked up and I am so very sorry. I’ll be in the corner alternating between beating myself up and scoffing my vegan humble pie(s). Come visit me. I’m the one wearing the dunce hat!”

Normally, I would seek justification for my stupid action. I would say “yeah I was kind of wrong but…” and find some thing somewhere in the universe (moon cycles, sleep deprivation, watching twin peaks too close to bedtime) to explain my utter crappiness. It doesn’t necessarily make me feel better, it doesn’t really sort the dumb thing out and I don’t like that I am kinda good at finding these excuses and justifying them…

Today, I just shot my hand straight the in the air and admitted that I was being terrible. And irrational. And out of line. That I was behaving like a twit, but I couldn’t stop (not becuase it felt SO good let me tell you!), and that I was genuinely sorry for it. I am still mortified and terribly embarrassed by my behaviour, and I still wish today had never happened. I plan to go home, make myself a cup of tea and stick my head under my duvet until the morning but I know it’s not the end of the world. I don’t anticipate that things are going to be great for a couple of days, I do however think that they will be okay after I’ve had my fill of pie.

munch munch

cmx

Hey Ladies!

hope to see you there.

cmx

cherry balls.

This morning I detected a faint whiff of cherry blossoms on my way to work and when I popped out for a coffee I got hollered at by a bunch of boys in a commodore offering me some kind of ride. Spring is coming my friends… I can feel it in the air and boys can feel it in their loins. Good times ahead!