And then there was Singapore. I don't know what I loved more, Gardens By The Bay or eating way too much chilli crab. My guess for Johnny that it was buying not 1, but 3 pairs of shoes (in less than an hour).
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Monday, August 20, 2012
So we went to Bali and Singapore
...and Bali was surprisingly awesome. Yep, people do love it for good reason.
Friday, July 27, 2012
I love you chut chut
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Bay Mau Lake
One of my favourite things about Hanoi is Bay Mau Lake near our apartment. It's so big and always interesting to walk around just see a frenzy of activity everywhere (and you know I love booty dancing aerobics). I'd walk there more except sometimes it's that tiny bit too far and I always think I'm going to get eaten by insects/have an asthma attack. Or BOTH.
Anyhoo, a couple of afternoons ago we had the most amazing sunset so we just had to go for a walk. It had just rained and that coupled with the time of dusk made it look amazing.
These were taken with my iPhone and I'm wishing I had my SLR in hindsight. Doh!
Friday, June 29, 2012
Saigon...not so bad after all
Last weekend we went to HCMC - Johnny for work and me just to tag along. I didn't want to go actually but I'm glad I did because I became a little less of of a city hater. I still felt a tad claustrophobic but I caught up with Nikki and after we had cupcakes at L'usine, checked out a few boutiquey clothes stores and had a drink at Decibel I was a little more sold. Staying at the New World Hotel on the fancy executive floor in a bed I can only describe as a giant silk nest giving you hugs probably helped too.
Other highlights included eating Beard Papa, Warda and The Deck (staples), buying the above bunny and dinosaur knick knacks (whose names are now Nibbles & Bits) and Johnny surprising me with a new ukulele (may or may not have had something to do with him getting insanely drunk the night before).
In other news, back here in Hanoi we're putting our new Accor card to good use. You have to buy it but it means you get a free night in any worldwide hotel AND, this is the best part, 50% food at any of the hotels. You know what that means? 50% off at our beloved Metropole. #win
It's only recently occurred to us that we're heading off the Bali and Singapore next week too. #doublewin. Can't wait!
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Francesco Tristano
We saw Francesco Tristano play live on Tuesday night at a bar called CAMA ATK near our house.
I didn't know who he was but anyone who plays with Carl Craig and can cover Strings Of Life has to be a winner in my books. And he was.
Note, he played this piano live. LIVE. I quietly lost it in my own special way. It was insane.
I didn't know who he was but anyone who plays with Carl Craig and can cover Strings Of Life has to be a winner in my books. And he was.
Note, he played this piano live. LIVE. I quietly lost it in my own special way. It was insane.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Hoi An: Fantastic and fantastically bad timing
Fantastic timing: Getting back to Vietnam from Sydney just in time to make Johnny's annual work trip to Hoi An. It doesn't look like there's much work on his behalf getting done here but trust me there is. It's would just make a really boring photo.
Fantastically bad timing: Since we went to Hoi An last year there wasn't much we were itching to do except one thing- visit the amazing restaurant Morning Glory (hands down the best Vietnamese food I've had ever anywhere). We saved this for the last day and when we got there we found they were closed for renovations. That's okay I thought, they owned other restaurants I figured would be just as good. Nope, they were all closed for renovations. *Insert devastation here*
On a side note, we made a little more effort to "do something" this time round and visited the Champa ruins at Mỹ Sơn. To be honest it wasn't terribly exciting but it was worth the trip just to walk through the forest full of huge butterflies down a little path that felt like it led to nowhere (they actually said not to bother walking down there). It was also very exciting on the trip out there to see a football field full of cows and a hot pink house. Hot pink! Such a shame I couldn't score a photo but it was real I swear.
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
Oops, was that 6 months?
When I first got back to Sydney I had a hit of reverse culture shock from two things- 1) holy moly were portion sizes huge, and 2) everyone's standard of living had noticeably been upped. Scary.
But now I'm back in Hanoi so there's a lot of reverse reverse culture shock happening again. I should probably mention first that in order to get back here I almost missed both my flights, one my fault, one not. Let's just say I found out that my new Swedish Hasbeens as much as they are awesome and comfortable are most definitely not made for running through airports.
But I digress- Hanoi, culture shock, yada yada.
There were a few things that I had forgotten, namely, everything. Including my small amount of crappy language skills.
Here are a few other things:
It's hot here. Really. Bloody. Hot. Don't even get me started on sweat.
You can't just buy what you need in a convenient easy way. I rocked up to the supermarket only to remember produce there is pretty much limited to tomatoes, pumpkin, eggplant and Asian veges that taste like water or detergent. Meal and shopping planning 1, Jo 0.
I have no idea what anyone is saying. My maid was very excited to see me and chatted for ages. I think she may have mentioned something about...oh I have no idea.
I now have time. Alot of it. And all my friends are gone/ leaving. Gasp!
On the upside to this all we're heading to Hoi An this weekend. Johnny has to work but I get to hang out. Pretty much like every day.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Coffee Bean Girl
This is the closest Johnny will ever post a blog update...
*ring-ring… ring-ring…*
Coffee Bean girl: “Hello, Coffee Bean”
Me: “Morning, may I please order a coffee for delivery to VIB at Parkson?”
CBG: “Yes, what would you like?”
Me: “Can I get a small double shot cappuccino… or small cappuccino with extra shot… sorry, I always forget what you guys call it there…”
CBG: “You can have either one”
Me: “Right I’ll have – hang on a sec – what’s the difference between a double shot cappuccino and a cappuccino with an extra shot?”
CBG: “Yes, actually they are the same thing with the same ingredients, the only difference is price”
Me: (thinks carefully) “………………....huh?”
CBG: “Yes, they have exactly the same ingredients but it’s more expensive for a double shot cappuccino than cappuccino with extra shot.”
Me: “I’m in the wrong industry”
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Oh How Time Flys!
Happy new year everyone!
It's amazing how time has flown past, who would have thought 2011 would be such a big year?
Since my last post we've done a ton of things. "Like what?!" I hear you enthusiastically yell.
Well here we are:
Jo....
:: is back in Sydney and is working at ACP Magazines 3 days a week. And loves it.
:: doesn't know when she's heading back to Hanoi
:: had a wonderful Christmas at Newcastle
:: misses her apartment and bike. Alot.
:: went to Subsonic (twas freezing) and Outpost @ Cockatoo Island (twas great)
:: is still not over the KOTO Bike Ride
:: opened an Etsy shop!
Johnny...
:: was in Sydney and is now back at work in Hanoi
:: spent Christmas in Tamworth and took his grandmad to the pub
:: danced to the Locomotion on NYE
:: got horribly sunburnt on Bondi
:: finally bought a bike and now rides everywhere
:: has gone food shopping for the first time and cooked
:: MISSING JO
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