VIETNAM VIETNAM: full of surprises

VIETNAM

The blogging has been lacking for the last 3 weeks or so because Mumma was on board the Odyssey and we traversed India and Dubai, then headed back to Vietnam! Ahhh Vietnam! Every time i go back to Vietnam, I am caught off guard. There's this amazing familiarity and peace as I look out the window, half asleep but smiling quietly to myself. Home. Second home. Saigon. I hadn't been back to Vietnam for 9 months but it didn't feel distant. 

The winding of the Mekong, the rice paddies, the sparse housing then more condensed and then the traffic. It all seemed to flow from above. The hooting of the horns. Less than Mumbai and somehow seemingly more orderly even though from a birdseye view, there diefinitely was a rice in traffic.

Stopping at a traffic light (yes, they actually do stop and abide to street laws these days), i turned my head out the window and saw a kid at the front and another toddler sitting in reverse, wedged between dad and mum. The toddler smiled and i smiled back, a warmth inside me brewing, probably because it was just nice o see such innocence and naivety in the world still existed.

The sky turned dark and my cabbie said it was about to rain. Surely, it did. 5 minutes later, it poured and motorbikes and scooters scattered to the sides of the roads to pull out their ponchos. They were clearly used to this.

I have an amazing set of friends in Saigon so catching up with all of them was ridiculous fun. I had the instant 'in' places and new restaurants to hit up. This time, it was a Vietnamese BBQ place on top of Temple club (delicious!!!), Sky Gardens (known for its seafood and seriously, the guava salad is tops!), Koh Thai (order the salmon sashimi, it's a thai twist on japanese cuisine), and a street stand called 197 on Vo Van Kiet ... and Hoa Tuc (after hours menu at Blanchy's which you can order til 3am .. TO DIE FOR!!! talk about the best Vietnamese ever!)

The favourites are of course L'usine, Quan Ngon, Pho Hung, Chill Sky Bar (for the views) and I paid them a few visits naturally!

Of course other than food and bars (of which i still gravitated around the same places - Blanchy's, La Fenetre), there were the fashion houses which i adored:

Lam Boutique

Devon London

Valenciani

I've replenished my designer wardrobe with personal assistance and chit-chats with all the designers.

I shot with the amazing Alexandre Garel (unluckily for us, we were caught out in the rain but still produced quite a few shots which we were both happy with). Thanks goes to Dior Make Up Artist, Lam, who so finely glammed me up to just-the-right point!

Four out of my 12 days in Vietnam were spent in Central Vietnam with the extended family, going to UNESCO World Heritage sites like Phong Nha and another cave - amazingly beautiful, huge and well worth the flights that I really didn't need).

New friends were made, a concert was performed and I am so so excited in coming back to Vietnam to do some projects with creatives! it's a definite watch-this-space :) end of 2013 and 2014 are SUCH exciting moments (not that right now isn't, but seriously SERIOUSLY EXCITING!!! WEEEEE).

And for the RIGHT NOWs:

Fav food: glass noodle seafood salad from Hoa Tuc inside The Refinery, Saigon.

Reading: Shantaram. Absolutely amazing!

Wishlist: a completely soundless 8 hours sleep. this WILL happen in Hong Kong tonight (i hope please please please)

Current city: Saigon

Listening to: Bastille

Fav clothing item: Charles & Keith loafers. resort, perfect for travelling!

Next destination: Hong Kong, HK!

Missing: home. truly. i'm ready to come home for a bit :)

22 Things Happy People Do Differently

Aloha from the motherland :)

Something I read online and had to copy and paste because it totally encapsulates how I am right now and how I approach life ... almost to the TEE! You realise that some people can't be happy for you because you're happy. Maybe they're miserable with their own lives and hate on people because they hate their own lives. I couldn't agree more to what all this has to say:

There are two types of people in the world: those who choose to be happy, and those who choose to be unhappy. Contrary to popular belief, happiness doesn’t come from fame, fortune, other people, or material possessions. Rather, it comes from within. The richest person in the world could be miserable while a homeless person could be right outside, smiling and content with their life. Happy people are happy because they make themselves happy. They maintain a positive outlook on life and remain at peace with themselves.

The question is: how do they do that?

It’s quite simple. Happy people have good habits that enhance their lives. They do things differently. Ask any happy person, and they will tell you that they …

1. Don’t hold grudges.

Happy people understand that it’s better to forgive and forget than to let their negative feelings crowd out their positive feelings. Holding a grudge has a lot of detrimental effects on your wellbeing, including increased depression, anxiety, and stress. Why let anyone who has wronged you have power over you? If you let go of all your grudges, you’ll gain a clear conscience and enough energy to enjoy the good things in life.

2. Treat everyone with kindness.

Did you know that it has been scientifically proven that being kind makes you happier? Every time you perform a selfless act, your brain produces serotonin, a hormone that eases tension and lifts your spirits. Not only that, but treating people with love, dignity, and respect also allows you to build stronger relationships.

3. See problems as challenges.

The word “problem” is never part of a happy person’s vocabulary. A problem is viewed as a drawback, a struggle, or an unstable situation while a challenge is viewed as something positive like an opportunity, a task, or a dare. Whenever you face an obstacle, try looking at it as a challenge.

4. Express gratitude for what they already have.

There’s a popular saying that goes something like this: “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.” You will have a deeper sense of contentment if you count your blessings instead of yearning for what you don’t have.

5. Dream big.

People who get into the habit of dreaming big are more likely to accomplish their goals than those who don’t. If you dare to dream big, your mind will put itself in a focused and positive state.

6. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Happy people ask themselves, “Will this problem matter a year from now?” They understand that life’s too short to get worked up over trivial situations. Letting things roll off your back will definitely put you at ease to enjoy the more important things in life.

7. Speak well of others.

Being nice feels better than being mean. As fun as gossiping is, it usually leaves you feeling guilty and resentful. Saying nice things about other people encourages you to think positive, non-judgmental thoughts.

8. Never make excuses.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “He that is good for making excuses is seldom good for anything else.” Happy people don’t make excuses or blame others for their own failures in life. Instead, they own up to their mistakes and, by doing so, they proactively try to change for the better.

9. Get absorbed into the present.

Happy people don’t dwell on the past or worry about the future. They savor the present. They let themselves get immersed in whatever they’re doing at the moment. Stop and smell the roses.

10. Wake up at the same time every morning.

Have you noticed that a lot of successful people tend to be early risers? Waking up at the same time every morning stabilizes your circadian rhythm, increases productivity, and puts you in a calm and centered state.

11. Avoid social comparison.

Everyone works at his own pace, so why compare yourself to others? If you think you’re better than someone else, you gain an unhealthy sense of superiority. If you think someone else is better than you, you end up feeling bad about yourself. You’ll be happier if you focus on your own progress and praise others on theirs.

12. Choose friends wisely.

Misery loves company. That’s why it’s important to surround yourself with optimistic people who will encourage you to achieve your goals. The more positive energy you have around you, the better you will feel about yourself.

13. Never seek approval from others.

Happy people don’t care what others think of them. They follow their own hearts without letting naysayers discourage them. They understand that it’s impossible to please everyone. Listen to what people have to say, but never seek anyone’s approval but your own.

14. Take the time to listen.

Talk less; listen more. Listening keeps your mind open to others’ wisdoms and outlooks on the world. The more intensely you listen, the quieter your mind gets, and the more content you feel.

15. Nurture social relationships.

A lonely person is a miserable person. Happy people understand how important it is to have strong, healthy relationships. Always take the time to see and talk to your family, friends, or significant other.

16. Meditate.

Meditating silences your mind and helps you find inner peace. You don’t have to be a zen master to pull it off. Happy people know how to silence their minds anywhere and anytime they need to calm their nerves.

17. Eat well.

Junk food makes you sluggish, and it’s difficult to be happy when you’re in that kind of state. Everything you eat directly affects your body’s ability to produce hormones, which will dictate your moods, energy, and mental focus. Be sure to eat foods that will keep your mind and body in good shape.

18. Exercise.

Studies have shown that exercise raises happiness levels just as much as Zoloft does. Exercising also boosts your self-esteem and gives you a higher sense of self-accomplishment.

19. Live minimally.

Happy people rarely keep clutter around the house because they know that extra belongings weigh them down and make them feel overwhelmed and stressed out. Some studies have concluded that Europeans are a lot happier than Americans are, which is interesting because they live in smaller homes, drive simpler cars, and own fewer items.

20. Tell the truth.

Lying stresses you out, corrodes your self-esteem, and makes you unlikeable. The truth will set you free. Being honest improves your mental health and builds others’ trust in you. Always be truthful, and never apologize for it.

21. Establish personal control.

Happy people have the ability to choose their own destinies. They don’t let others tell them how they should live their lives. Being in complete control of one’s own life brings positive feelings and a great sense of self-worth.

22. Accept what cannot be changed.

Once you accept the fact that life is not fair, you’ll be more at peace with yourself. Instead of obsessing over how unfair life is, just focus on what you can control and change it for the better.

With love and grace,

Van-Anh <3 font="">

And for the RIGHT NOWs:

Fav food: guava salad from SH Garden.

Reading: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts

Wishlist: more saree silks from india.

Current city: Saigon

Listening to: Bastille record.

Fav clothing item: tutu skirt from Lam Boutique <3 audrey="" font="" sooo="">

Next destination: Hue, Vietnam

Missing: I've said it before and i'll say it again. My friends in Sydney!

KOCHI, KERALA, INDIA: the land of palms

KOCHI, KERALA - INDIA

Sitting at dinner alone sipping a Cosmo with a random selection of String Quartets and Trios playing on the hotel soundsystem whilst waiting for another sublime Indian meal to arrive, I can finally reflect on the day. Wow! I didn't expect it to be this fulfilling but it was exactly what I expected and thought of India. The last few days had been a bit of a warm up but today was what I was waiting for.

Talk about a magnificent day. I had booked a tour online because I really wanted to see the Kerala Backwaters and I totally lucked out. I'd read on tripadvisor and other sites that the Backwaters had been destroyed by commercialism, too many tourists, houseboats hitting one another. 

I was picked up by a lovely private car from the Trident and taken to the pick up spot of the boat. The area was sprawled with palm trees and small islands. Jumped onto the boat where a man gently manoeuvred me down the river. I didn't really see any houseboats. We passed a few houses that littered the river bed. A few interesting smells of rubbish, cooking, spices, plants and animals grazing put me right into what I expected India to be all about.

We passed people who were catching fish. 2 people were in the water, moving around slowly which I soon gathered that the water was quite shallow. There was one man on a boat pulling a string with bits of white ribbon tied intermittently along the longer rope. Peter, the tour guide explained to me that as the rope is put into the water, the white ribbon flickers against the sun and it scares the fish. The fish then bury themselves in the mud and the men in the water catch them with their bare hands. How smart! The rope stretched for 300m or so and both men had a hold of it, forming a semi circle almost. Peter said for these men to work about 4 hours, they would make about 8000-1000 rupees ($140-$180US). Not bad for a days work here in Kerala. 

We climbed up onto dry land, walked along the waterfront and approached a house which had cashew nut trees and piles of coconut shells on the floor. And i mean PILES of it :)

Peter explained that there is a juicy fruit attached to the cashew nut which has an oil that can set on fire. The nut needs to be roasted to help crack it, and the juicy fruit can be eaten when ripe.

cashew nuts anyone?

We then moved into a smaller boat where the water was clear and we moved slowly down the canals. We moved up to a junction and as we turned, I realized this was truly special. The water was very shallow, to the point where you could see the mud beneath - most likely about 50cm deep. This was where the peace, calmness, serenity that I was searching for lay. Birds tweeted, crickets cricketed. There were weeds floating thickly through the waterways but they were going yellow meaning the saltwater was killing them. Peter explained that around June during the rainy season, they will start growing again.

happiness :)

We moved along the canals and saw crab nests, kingfisher nests, quite a few cormorand birds and literally nestled ourselves amidst the thousands of palm trees, pushing our way through greenery and getting whiplashed by leaves and growth as well as fallen palm branches.

into the wild :) 

The beauty of this trip was that there was not a single tourist around. Not another boat. I, was the only one. I was dumbfounded. Peter explained he owned 15 acres and the government monitor this area very closely so no concrete jungle is allowed to be constructed, nor were there any other tour operators allowed. He'd ran his business for the last 17 years and had the Taj Hotel group as a client for 16 years as well as having very important people come through like representatives of Obama's election campaigns, a group of 60 doctors (next month) and a few other delegates from around the world.

totally at peace.

No wonder it had kept its authenticity. We stopped by a canal bed and walked around to a man who was up in the palm trees. He was abstracting 'toddy'. Apparently this liquid was a coconut liquor, only taking 4 hours after extraction from the roots of the coconut trees to start fermenting. Its alcoholic content is only 2% and all three men agreed that it tasted better than coca-cola or Pepsi! All organic and natural. 

collecting and fine-tuning the coconuts.

The guy who was maneuvering the boat grabbed a bottle out of a tiny casket and it was filled with this white milky-looking liquid. He squeezed it and a bit of liquid overflowed and to my horror, a couple of flies came out of it too. They then offered it to me. Was i game enough? Heck. Why not! Was this a death trap? I asked for a tiny bit and sipped it. Yes, it tasted like coconut. Yes, it tasted like alcohol! Not bad at all. If i'm still alive and writing entries in the next 24 hours, you'll know I haven't been plagued with the 'Dehli-Belly'. 

This man who was extracting the toddy owned 16 palm trees. In the area we were in, he owned 4. How on earth were you to pick which one was yours in this forest of palms? Craziness! He knew exactly which ones were his.

yes, i did it! forward AND back!

We continued back down the canal and the man who was extracting the toddy got in his slither of a boat (if I stepped on it, I would have flipped completely!), overtook us and was not to be seen again. 

peace, serenity, calmness.

stepping on Kerala soils. 

We got back to the house we started at and a meal was brought out to me. All home cooked and tasted delicious. Instead of a plate, they had banana leaves and all the food, condiments and rice was placed in small pods. I got a spoon whilst Peter was eating with his hands. I couldn't bring myself to do it, there was a real technique to it and i surely was not going to master that anytime soon (just thinking about how I'm such an unco with chopsticks is enough for me to stick to a spoon). Food was delicious, flavorsome and authentic!

eating lunch with a local family.

yum yum yum! culinary experience, eating on banana leaves.

Once the meal was done, another lady showed me the technique of separating fibres from a coconut to make rope. They then manually made rope with the fibres, a spinning wheel, and i somewhat assisted and was given the rope as a souvenir of Kerala! Perfecto.

separating the coconut fibres

spinning wheel! literally! 

my bud, the Turkeyyy :)

We made our journey back on the boat to my driver of whom drove me back towards my hotel via a saree tailor, spice store and souvenirs. Indeed, i have a saree being tailored as we speak! I can't wait!!!

fitting and trying out all different colored sarees

The man from the saree shop sold rugs, carpets, sarees, shawls, jewelery and furniture as well as decorative statues/homeware. It was beautiful and i said to him 'I would buy this if I had a home of my own. I don't have my own house anymore. I don't even have my car anymore'. Bob, the shop owner said 'and boyfriend? married?'. I laughed and shook my head. 'I have nothing'.  He said 'I had a girlfriend who was from Perth, then another from France but no more. But i have a car, and i have a house. That's good'. I laughed as he walked me to the till and handed me a card.

Bob's wise business card :)

As I looked at it, i nodded, smiled and said 'YES. YES. YES. What a way to live life. This is what i'm going to do'. 

I was spent by the end of the day. Both physically and mentally - there was a lot to process. Kerala literally means 'the land of palms'. That, it truly was! I felt like I had really felt India more so than the past few days that I've entered this fascinating country. I smelt it, i felt it. I've met locals and I've added to my mantra. And with that, the smells of curries and irresistible pappadams call me to put down this entry and fall back into the wonderful world of India.

Love, peace and respect,

VANANH

And for the RIGHT NOWs:

Fav food: gooseberry jam.

Reading: nothing because I am bookless (left Blink on the Pride! BOO!)

Wishlist: another saree

Current city: Cochin

Listening to: Braveheart OST. I know, random!

Fav clothing item: my new leather clutch from Cochin.

Next destination: Mangalore, India

Missing: the gym. Never thought i'd say that but I feel SO heavy right now with all the food i've eaten. 

MANGALORE, INDIA: temples, churches and a near miss of imprisonment

MANGALORE, INDIA

My sheer excitement of entering India for the first time clearly got the better of me because you know that annoying feeling when you want to sleep so much but you end up waking up before your alarm clock goes off because of some sort of anticipation? Well, that was me. I woke up, perky, bright-eyed and jumped out of bed to peer out the window. For a minute, it felt like i was sailing down the Saigon River. Industrial, murky waters, a faint smog across the sky at 7:30am. Our ship moored and it still seemed industrial.

We headed out and got into town by the City Centre Mall. A swift walk up a few floors of this mall proved that it was rather eclectic. In between activewear stores like Nike, Reebok and Puma, there were department stores, local stores which sold sarees and traditional garb, a food court, KFC (of course!), and a Bazaar Market selling knock-offs, trinkets and an array of tailors. All of a sudden, all the lights int he mall blacked out. Aaron looked around and said "stay out of the shadows" which made me burst out laughing, but only for a split second then looked wearily around myself. 10 seconds later, lights were back on. No harm was done :)

We walked out and waved a tuk-tuk down which took us first to the Kudroli Temple. The tuk-tuk ride itself was a highlight. Tuk-tuks amidst cars, scooters, trucks and people do not having the concept of staying on one side of the road - it's straight down the highway. We arrived at the temple with two large elephant statues at its gates. 

We had to take our shoes off and walking on the tiles in the middle of the day meant a walk became a brisk power walk which became a hip and a skip from temple to temple before we burnt the bottoms of our feet off! Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take any photographs inside the temples but all the different Gods were really colorful and this new temple of Mangalore had a nice mix of old structures and modern architecture.

The next stop was the famous St Aloysius Church. There was a high school attached to it and we went into the church, following a few other Indian people. We walked around very quietly, admiring the painting on the walls. I sat down by a pillar and soaked up the high ceilings, amazed that it was only one painter who painted this entire insides of the church with amazing artworks and moments of the Bible. Taking one shot of the ceiling, i was alerted with an 'excuse me. Not allowed to take photos'. A man from the balcony upstairs yelled down to me and a hasty scurry of feet was heard. He was coming down to me. 

'Hand over the camera' he said. 

'No', was my first answer. 

'Hand it over', he said, gesturing his hands towards him and he was quite aggressive. Alarmed, I handed it over, thinking he was just the church warden and that he'd hold onto the camera or get the picture deleted. 

Aaron turned around and said 'we'll get your camera back at the end. Don't worry'. 

I nodded and we walked around for about 10 minutes and the man was nowhere to be seen. I wasn't panicking yet but he turned to Aaron and said 'umm, let's get my camera and go'. 

Suddenly one of the guys who walked in with us at the start, his phone went off and the guy who took my camera surfaced again, yelling at this man for his phone going off and walking them out of the church. We confronted him and requested for the camera and he said 'go to over to the blue building where the office is, they have it'. I was confused, why would he send it to the office?

Aaron and I walked across but all the doors were closed. Our tuk-tuk driver tried to help us and spoke to a cleaner who pointed us back to the church.

Went BACK into the church, the guy was nowhere to be seen so I proceeded up the altar where I heard voices in the back room. I stood by the entrance of the backroom and said 'excuse me?' of which the guy who took my camera and another guy turned around. He walked towards me. 'Why must you walk up here? Step back. You don't need to be here. I will walk out to you'. He smelt of alcohol. Uh-oh. This was not good. He walked us out to the door and pointed to a sign which said 'no photography allowed. Please switch off mobile phones'.  We apologised and said that the door was held open and therefore we didn't see the sign, otherwise we would never take the photograph. He didn't seem to understand or want to understand this and pointed us back to the blue building, telling us to go up the stairs to the office.

We went back over, found the stairs, went up and walked into what was like a counter with those bank teller plastic covers with three men sitting behind it. They led us to another room around the corner with another similar setup, this time with two women sitting behind it.

Aaron ramped up the seriousness of the matter and said sternly 'I am a cruise director on Seabourn. We want our camera back. We don't want to start bringing port agents into this'. The girls seemed a bit baffled and started dialling three different phones profusely. They told us to sit down. I really didn't want to sit down. I was getting really edgy and my patience was wearing thin. I kept looking over to Aaron and muttering 'I don't know what the problem is'. Aaron kept looking at his watch. It took them 10 minutes, speaking to each other and over the phones to then tell us that we're not allowed to take photographs in there. This was getting REALLY frustrating. We apologised profusely and said we can delete the picture but they kept saying we weren't allowed to take photographs. OK, UNDERSTOOD. BUT WE WANT OUR CAMERA BACK. They said ok, go back over to the church. They will talk to you.

For the third time, we walked over to the church. We stormed in and the guy who smelt like alcohol came out of another room, this time with another man who must be the one who ran the church because he had an official ID tag on his shirt.

'This is my brother', the alcohol induced man said. 

The guy with the ID tag pushed us out to the door. 'Come here, come here, look at this', he pointed at the door. 'You see what it says?' I literally yelled back at him 'Yes, we see it, but it was an honest mistake and we walked in with the door already open so we didn't see it'. 

'There's another sign over there. You don't take photos in other chapels. It ruins the paintings. For this, you need to pay a fine. It's $2200 Rupees'. WHAT THE HELL? a fine? I was fuming. I did quick calculations in my head and ok, it was about $50US but it was the principle which made me so mad.

'There's a sign which says we can't take photos, where's the sign that says we have to pay a fine if we do take a photo? And this was an honest mistake', Aaron said. 'We are NOT paying that'.

'It goes to the restoration of the paintings' he replied. He was not budging and persisted on us paying. I took a deep breath. This was not looking good. All i could think was being thrown into jail. This exasperating and getting out of control and never getting my camera back.

Aaron moved forward and put his hand on the man's shoulder. 'Look, we don't mean any disrespect. All we did was an honest mistake. If we saw the sign, we would never have taken the photo. We just want the camera back, we'll delete it in front of you, we will spread good words about the church...' yada, yada, yada. A whole heaps of arse-kissing for about half an hour and he finally calmed down and we asked for our camera back and FINALLY got it back. No fine. No jail. 

We jumped onto our tuk-tuk, sighed a sigh of major relief and it made me realise how trusting I still was. I was careful in checking that my bags were always zipped up. That I wasn’t wearing valuables. That I had a male friend travelling with me at all times. Moral of the story: don't give your camera to a stranger, especially in India, EVEN if you are in the house of God. 

It made me think to Slum Dog Millionaire to that scene where the missionary used Christianity to persuade kids to beg on the street of which the head-honcho ended up reaping all the rewards. And that was using religion as a means to coax tourists like me into believing it was safe, or it was a good thing that they were doing.

It was a true ‘welcome to india’ moment and I’m glad it happened there whilst Aaron was with me. We went into the Central Markets in search of the colored powder that we’d heard about for the Holi celebrations. We did find them however it wasn’t really celebrated South but Aaron bought some. I truly hope it goes to good use J We walked through the fruit and vegetable market and goodness me, the smells were a mix of fabulous exotic fruits through to fruit and veg that was rotting. We bought a kilo of sugar bananas for 40 rupees (less than $1US).

Headed back on a tuk-tuk to the Mall and grabbed a great deal from Nike. I went in for new trainers and ended up with matching playsuits to run in! Typical J Couldn’t help myself with a good bargain.

What an introduction into India. I loved it and it was also a wake-up call to be even more alert than usual. Feeling blessed to be around good energies and people who are street savvy to say the least :)

Much love and peace,

VANANH

And for the RIGHT NOWs:

Fav food/drink: french martini

Reading: Blink, by Malcolm Gladwell (still…digesting the awesomeness)

Wishlist: a sneaky camera which doesn't make a sound so i can take pics without getting blackmailed lol

Current city: Goa

Listening to: the voices of White Collar on TV! slightly hooked.

Fav clothing item: definitely my new playsuits!

Next destination: Mumbai, India.

Missing: my friends back in Sydney!