Tourleading: Vietnam 26Nov-02Dec

Sin Chao!

"Hello" in Vietnamese

The Lotus is the National Flower of Vietnam

Was sent to Vietnam for a 7 days tour leading assignment.

Day 1: Singapore/Hanoi
Day 4: Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)
Day 7: Ho Chi Minh City/Singapore

I surprised myself by saying this, but I enjoyed this trip more than my Korea & Japan trips!

Perhaps it's the the wonderful local guides (who are both male *wink wink*), delicious food and great customers on my group!

And the main reason is there's not much shopping to distract me! I only spent around US$100 in total! Just bought some tidbits to snack at night, cashew nuts & coffee powder for Pipimon and some souveniers for my colleagues.

But my customers bought loads of stuff. Snacks, souveniers, tee-shirts.. blah.

So though i don't earn more on this trip compare to other destinations, but I really spent very little money! Compared to shopping paradise Japan & Korea where I can buy comestics, beauty products, blah blah blah.. And spend more than I actually earn..

Mickey Mouse at T3!

That's my shiny shiny red luggage which never fails to grab everyone's attention on the luggage conveyor belt. Everytime my customer will comment that my bag is so "Ang Kong Kong".. well, it's easier to distinguish from all the black and dark blue luggages mah!

After my group passengers checked in their luggage, I ate lunch with Pipimon and it's time to say Goodbye!

View from the plane

From Left: Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Presidential Palace, Ho

Chi Minh House on Stilt, Ho Chi Minh Museum

Spent 3.5 hours walking from each attraction to the other.. weather is cooling, around 25degrees celcius, but the sun keep shining down.. wah piang. I am super black now!

Ho Chi Minh's body is preserved after death and kept in pristine condition in the Mausoleum. It's kinda creepy seeing him lie inside the crystal coffin cos it's so clear, and unlike glass, it has no reflection.. so it almost seems like he's sleeping on a bed but guarded by many many policemen.

Temple of Literature, Hanoi. This is Vietnam's 1st University, and has almost 1000yrs history.

Ha Long Bay, Hanoi.

This is a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is currently in the running for a place in the New 7 Wonders of the world. Scenery is similar to Guilin, China (which is only a boat ride away from here).

Various types of food I ate

Mekong Delta, My Tho Province

Mekong Delta, My Tho. Boat Ride down the river!

Model Couple of the Century

Uncle is 80 years old, and Auntie is 79 years old.. But they still go on holidays together and Uncle is sooooo loving towards her! He holds her hand, and is very protective towards her. Super patient with her and never has a harsh word. Super sweet lor. I told them I hope that I can be like them with my future husband.. Blissful marriage.

My 22nd Birthday Celebration!

Met my colleagues for 5 hours of karaoke fun at TenDollar Family Karaoke @ Smith Street, Chinatown.

From Left:
Vivien, Me, Tracy, Nathaniel & Choco

They bought me a chocolate cake to surprise me~!

We couldn't finish, and I brought some home for Pipimon to eat.. and he said it's super delicious - Anything "chocolate" = delicious to him. kua kua kua.

We were singing along to Black Eye Peas, Pussy Cat Dolls, Britney Spears and many other fast head bopping songs, cos Tracy is a Vietnamese and she don't really understand Chinese.. But we also sang some emo chinese songs, and she sang some of her favourite Vietnamese songs.

Took some group pictures with the self-timer function on Nat's camera...

They were striking different poses; cute, emo, cool, sexy and fun.

I also drove them crazy with exasperation cos I kept on taking self pictures and was not really interested in singing. HAHAHAHAH. Choco kept on tsk-ing me and ask me to take the mic to sing, but I was more interested in using Nat's 10 megapixel camera to take pictures. HEE!

Nat says I look prettier, slimmer and very "girl girl" in pictures, but in real life I am like a monster.... fierce, ah lian, vulgar (cos I am always spoiling for a fight or quarrel with "blind" people who knock into me on the streets even though the street is sooo wide. damn fuckers should die, or have their eyeballs dug out so they can really be truly blind")

Well my dear Nathaniel, only one word to describe... PHOTOGENIC!
The camera loves me. That's why I look prettier in pictures!~ Tra la la la la...
Anyways, a big thank you to my dearest colleagues for holding this mini belated celebration for me. MUACKS~!

21st Birthday Holiday Trip with Wany!

The reason I choose to go overseas instead of spending time in Singapore with Pipimon cos we had a horrible fight last year during my 20th birthday and I don't want history to repeat itself. He always turn into a monster when it's nearing my birthday (maybe he don't want me to grow up so he can have a young trophy girlfriend?) so the best thing to do is avoid him!

I asked Wany if she can accompany me to Bangkok and she said ok! :)

Wany bought me this cool bday card! :)

Departure: 20th October 2007

Venue: Changi Airport Terminal 2

Wany's mummy woke up so early to send us off! So sweet right? Where to find this type of mummy?

But I'm not jealous lor, cos I very "ku pi" one. Like to be alone. And since young I'm not close with my own mother, that's why for the past 2 months we never see each other I also won't "miss" her. And btw, she didn't even know nor care that I'm going overseas.

Anyway, we arrived in Bangkok safely, and checked into Prathuwan Princess Hotel.

I thot it's champange, wahaha.. But actually is some sweet drink that has a sugar cane/barley taste.

The room is huge! With 2 queen size beds, and each of us have a whole bed to ourselves!

Wany straightaway bounced on the bed and made herself at home. LOL.

The swimming pool damn chio right? All angmohs basking in the sun! We didn't go swimming cos I don't like the sun, and Wany says she can't swim. Hur hur.

Went next door, to MBK Shopping Centre!It's linked to the hotel lobby, so it's really just a stone's throw away!Strangely, everywhere we go, hotel lobbies, shopping centre lobbies (even the ulu entrances), blah, there's a metal detector and a security guard! I think they're afraid of bombings or something, cos every single vehicle is screened for bombs before they're allowed to enter the hotel area.I told Wany that at least we won't die of bombing, even if we die from the heat. Strolling in MBK, we came across Wany's fave shop..

I spotted it first, and Wany nearly hyperventiled and died on the spot. It's like me seeing a Hello Kitty/Marie Shop. hahahaa. She RAN (and she never runs for anything) to the shop and shrieked so loudly, everyone stared at her lor.

Paiseh can? -______________-

Anyway, I told her we can go anytime to buy cos it's just next door from our hotel! Wah piang. Had to drag her away lor... lol.

I secretly took a pic, before the staff noticed and told me off, cos strictly no pictures allowed. So uppity for what. BAH! It's just donuts!!!!!!!!

We got ripped off by taxi drivers so many times, we lost count. Dammit.. But what to do? Tourists mah!

We like to choose pink taxis though.

Anyway, we spent all the time there browsing through shopping malls and buying nonsense stuff that we don't need/use.

Central World!

Look at Wany's shopping bags!

There are two outlets in Central World. One huge one on the first floor where lots of Japanese and Singaporeans are grabbing stuff like it's free, and one on the top floor, which is so ulu and quiet, i got a shock. haha.

The NARAYA stuff that we bought!

I don't use any of these now, either worn out or hidden somewhere, cos in Vivocity, there's a NARAYA and it seems so many people are carrying these bags.. Except for the large pink one which I will use for my toiletries when I go overseas again, and the tissuepaper holder :)
I don't like commodities remember?
And talking about commodities, SO MANY MUCH MORE people are using HTC Phones now, especially my model. Urgh. It's the Pink V3 nightmare all over again!

**Pink V3 Nightmare Recap**
I saw on the internet that many Hollywood stars are using the Pink V3, and since I love pink and was using the silver one then.. me damn excited about the pink one lah! I keep calling Starhub everyday asking when they'll be stocking the pink V3, and on my 1274974th call, the operator told me it'll be avaliable at Starhub Tampines Mall the next day, so I camped out at Starhub in the morning on the next day and bought the V3 in cash and was so elated! On top of that, I was told by both the operator and the stupid counter girl at Starhub TM that the phone is limited edition, and they'll be bringing in a 1500 sets only.
2 months later, 80% of the aunties on the MRT and on the streets are using Pink V3, the price dropped to $0 with a mobile plan, and everywhere i go i see aunties using that phone with the "Lao Shu Ai Da Mi" techno version ringtone.
I wanted to die of anger/shock/humiliation/regret.**End of recap**

Anyway, I went to dye my hair and poor Wany had to wait 2 hours for me, sitting in the corner.

Idiot Wany keep laughing at the "alien contraption" behind me. BAH!

She wait until she wanna faint from hunger, but i rewarded her with A&W, and she become happy again.

Weekend Market

Chinatown (most shops closed cos it was a Sunday)

Wany overcoming her fear of Thai streetside food (cos her hunger was overwhelming. LOL)
We took the train, and they're still using farecards!

So old school! Wahahaha. And the ticket dispensor machines look like our old machines!

Inside the station, there's no escalators lor. Wany climb until she wanna faint, cos she's a old lady. HEH.

4 Faced Buddha

Random Pics of Wany

Went to MK restaurant, and i felt so nostalgic going there, cos the last time i went was 8 years ago with my mum, and the shopping centres across the road were just empty land.

Time goes by.....

Anyway, nothing changed, just that it looks the same and the service is better now.

Remember i said they had dancing waiters?

Every 1 hour the music will start, and all the waiters must drop anything they're doing, get into position and do a silly dance to "entertain" the guests.


Well, we were both entertained! Laughed until stomach pain. BWHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Our Buys/Loot

Wany surprised me with my birthday present while i was preparing to go to bed.

So sweet right?

I am sorry to say until now i've not wear the pendant yet.. cos i no money to buy a white gold chain to replace the silver one. (And wany, don't feel bad that you didn't buy the white gold chain, cos the pendant is expensive enuff!)

I will go and buy the chain soon to wear! I promise! (at least before my next bday. hee)

Our Last Supper (at the hotel)

And the lovely yummy sugar cane slushee that I'm craving for now...

I WANT!!!!!! I drink this everyday while i was there! Wany says it's drugged with addictives or something. LOL.

But it's super nice lor. Hai.

The hotel breakfast buffet is very very good, even though the location is good as well, we would prefer somewhere near Platinum Mall (where we did some crazy last minute shopping and had no time for pictures) cos MBK has nothing much to buy and the stuff are quite expensive.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable trip with Wany, and many thanks to Mr Pipimon for my $500 shopping money (bday present cos he dunno what to buy for me).

Oh, I'll end with this siao ta po picture i took from a show I was forced to watch in the hotel room cos Wany says he look hilarious and insist on staying on this channel.

He looks constipated lor!

" I WANNA PANGSAI!" (I wanna shit!!!)

Instead of fierce and charging for war...