Downtown Hanoi

On the Xe Om


Em at lunch

Well, just did my first Xe Om (motorbike taxi). Well fresh. Went and met Em for lunch and met some of her work colleagues and saw the office. Wasn't too keen on the pigeon in the window, or the wierd long wings with feet, perhaps frog??

Hanoi

OK, well kniod of a bit settled here. Basically living right in the middle of the city. My rputine is get up, lounge for a bit, venture out a different way on the streets and luckily find my way back each day. The streets in the city are stright(?) and diagonal, so it's eay to get lost and recover ground you have previously. There's a street for everything, like shoes, silks, art galleries etc. Got into some more shopping last night. The galleris are amazing, with artists painting the most extraodinary reproductions of all styles of painters, Van Goh, Kandinsky and Dali amongst others. Em and I go for a wander about to explore the streets after she gets in from work, go and eat and just wander about. I have her use her basic Vietnmese to ask how much things are, lots of places let you know in US dollars which is interesting.
The traffic is crazy, but not quite as crazy as Mumbai, though 90% of the vehicles are motorbikes and scooters. Crossing the road is fun, dogding in and out of these. You look at the raod and it's clear, 1/2 way across there's 100 motorbilkes coming at you! I haven't seen blue sky since I got here and the air is quite polluted. I've got a goddamn cold which doesn't seem to be getting any better, but just like Mumbai, it'll take longer because of the air. We're thining of taking off to Nha Trang this weekend and Ho Chi Minh City to have a look about, and Em needs to check some of these places out for work.
Aplogies for the lack of photos recently but I have real issues uploading them from here and I cannot view my blog either. I only know it's happening as Luke from work confirmed it for me.
Out for now, Chevlis in Vietnam.

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Traditional Malay houses on stilts in Sibu on the Rajang River.

Sibu

Downtown Sibu



Just like this photo.

Rambutan Lane

Rambutan Lane.



Rambutan Lane. My grandparents house.

Sibu

My Uncle Raymond.


My cousin Mark while we were out in KL. Boy knows how to have a good time.

Below my Uncle Joe. I reckon he lloks like Albert Ben Simmons :)

More

Fake kicks.
Uncle and Aunty

Well, I've done Malaysia and am now in Hanoi. Malaysia was awesome, especially good to catch up with Uncles I only see once every 15+ years. The food was great and it was good to see Sibu, where my dads from as I hadn't been there since I was 6 months old. My uncle Raymond still lives in my grandparents house and he took me about showing me a bit about the Fuchow and thier journey to Sibu. I stayed with my Uncle Joe and wen to a dineer the first night there clebrating 105 yrs of the Fuchow in Sibu. A bit daunting being the only 'westerner' there and everything was spoken in chinese. We seemed to be constantly eating, but I wouldn't complain as the food was so damn good. Everything. Best balachan I've had in a long time. I was there for 3 nights and thenwent back to KL with Joe as he had some business to attend to, which was fine with me as I wanted to go back for some shopping. Had time to go and get some more stuff, prices comparable to home, but gear I couln't find in Australia, hence me buying 5 pairs of sneakers.

More Kuching.

ABC. An awesome refreshing desert. My auntie Nancy will laugh, as I'd never eat it when I worked with her :)

The Kuching waterfront.

The view across the river from the hotel

Family

My Uncle Lawrence, his kids, my cousins, Wendy and Boniface. They took good care of me while I was in Kuching, and made sure I ate plenty, which seems to be the way over here. My uncle had just gotten out of hospital this day. Get well uncle.

Kuching

"Doris"

Malaysia. Game On.

What can I say? The food is more than I could've ever dreamed about. Noodles and Char Sui (BBQ Pork) on the way home last night. Mouth watering Yum Cha for breakfast and incredible curry noodles for dinner. Dinner cost me 4MR today. About $1.50 aus. Went and had a look in the city today, some shps, China town and Petronas Towers. It was closed for tickets to go up, so that was bit of a shame, but it's an absolutely hige structure. I beleive the second tallest int he world. Almost scary after being used to the little buildings we have in Adelaide. Need to come back here with an empty suicase for shopping. Very seriously. understand how people can go on shopping holidays now. It was only not being able to take the wieght on the plane which stopped me from buying 10 plus pairs of fake kicks.


Thank god for Japanese girls who want their photo taken. Got me one too.

Game Over.

Well, I'm leaving India tonight. Gonna leave some good people, good food and a very different place with so much to offer. Never a place I would have gone if I had the choice to travel, but after 7 weeks and a few different places, I know I'll be back sometime. Work was cool, a great change from the norm. DJ's and clubs left a bit to be desired, by my expectations, however did come across one cool club called Club Escape. Not necessarily my styles of music, but the DJ was good and kept the crowd rockin'. Also come across a Bangra version of Next Episode, I'll post it when I get home. But who wouldv'e thought I'd catch Kool and the Gang here.

Made some good friends who I'd love to visit again when I return. Picking up some Hindi is the key, though I didn't. Found it very interesting in the way a whiteboy (or close to) sticks out like a sore thumb, Raph Boogie got your whole setup comin' undone. Hang on, a tangent. Was a bit disappointed that I couldn't take my Ipod into the Taj, had a great playlist ready for the occassion. Doh.

Is wierd seeing how everyone lives, yeah, there's poverty and slums like I never imagined. Makes you wonder what some people complain about, rather humbling. Makes me wonder why I've spent so much on wax over the past years. Maybe time to move on and go digital. Everyone just gets on with their shit, no matter what that be.

More photos to come as I get sorted.

The Chinese Elvis signing off from the land of many and the land of less. Back home for 2 days and then my pilgrimage to my fathers homeland, Malaysia,a nd then to see my sweetheart in Vietnam.

To everyone I've met along the way, worked with and had the odd boozy night with, cheers and word 'em up for the many good times. You know who you are. You kept me sane in an insane environment.

Some crew . .

Vignesh has got the B-Boy pose goin' on!!

Red Fort

From the outside, this overlooks the Taj Mahal from across the river. Where emperor Shah Jahan was imprisoned by his son for building it. At least he got to overlook his creation everyday, apparantley surround by concubines.



The view across.



Unfortunately you can't see the whole fort,as it's still 2/3 occupied by the military.

Taj Mahal, Agra Fort

And the pics in the previous post are of Akbah's Tomb, the father of the dude who built the Taj. DOn't you love my historical correctness?

Delhi

Went ot Delhi and Agra to see the Taj Mahal over the weekend. Also saw Akbah's Tomb and the Agra Fort, commonly known as the Red Fort. Pretty amazing stuff, especially considering most of it is well over 4000 yrs old. The Persian architecture is absolutley impressive and the acoustics inside these tombs is awesome. I reckon the Taj would make an excellent vocal booth :)

I found the peeps in Delhi to be a bit scamish, but perhaps as I was a bit more wary being on my own. Would love to bring Emma over to do the journey, maybe later in the year.

The work crew

Optus and Covergys crew.

Poor Dan .. oh, and Goa

The Beach @ Goa. Perhaps India aint that bad . . .

Mauled by dogs, oh actually that was me. The results of too much drink and a high powered scooter :)

Some more stuffs....

Been a bit. A quick throwie aroudn the corner from the hotel. Was a bit wierd when the blue flashing lught came though the tunnel. Made me think I shouldn't be about too long.

Me and Bonnie meet a Lolliphant down in Goa.