life in progress...

Go RISD !!!

2008-11-18T08:27:00.002+07:00

I was just browsing through my favorite T-shirt shopping website, Threadless and noticed that they have a select section. After the click, who do I see but my old professor, John Maeda, and a bunch of designs from RISD students. What a fun and creative way to get money for scholarships! Makes me want to apply to grad school at RISD... Who knows, maybe in a few more years. Check out the designs.

In other news, I find it kinda funny how the Vietnamese help each other to avoid getting traffic tickets by the cops. This morning on the way to work, we were driving down this small one-way street with cops standing at the corner. Of course, most Vietnamese do not care its one way or not, they will drive anywhere they want. So as we are driving, we see a whole bunch people going the wrong way. Suddenly, everybody behind us is screaming at them,"There are cops at the end of the road, turn around!" and like a school of fish, every one of them just switched around and headed the right way. With all this screaming, it a wonder that the cops didn't hear....

those teen years again? damnit....

2008-10-22T11:20:00.002+07:00

I feel like a teenager again and not in the good, I have tons of energy sense. But more along the lines of breaking out and having my face covered with blemishes. I didn't really experience this when I was a teenager myself, so its a bit weird for me trying to figure out how to get my face back to normal again. I guess as you get older, your hormones sometimes changes and goes haywire. For the most part I just find it very annoying that I look even younger now. Sigh. I hope it all clears up soon.

paint allergy?

2008-07-29T19:01:00.002+07:00

I think I might be allergic to paint. I have been trying to redecorate the place that I live in and was painting the other day. After a couple of hours, I noticed some hives. They went away, but the next day, I woke up with a fever. Whoa... didn't feel so good, after downing tons of liquids and talking Tammy into making me some comfort food, her amazing burgers, I recovered fairly quickly. Yay!!! But yeah, so much for a painting career. Oh well, I'll stick to fashion and watercolors.

on hiatus

2008-03-02T23:09:00.001+07:00

Due to my current workload, I am taking a break from any form of blogging altogether. I barely have time to put in 8 hours of sleep a night, so something must GO. Unfortunately it will be this blog for the next three months. Hopefully in three months I wil have adjusted to the workload and be able to make time for blogging again.

tet in saigon

2008-02-08T07:35:00.001+07:00

This is the first year that I've spent Tet in Saigon. When you're not around family, there is not that much to do this time of year. Most of the shops and resturants are closed, since everyone has taken the holiday off to spend some quality time with the family. I've been out and about, roaming the streets of Nguyen Hue, which has been decorated with thousands of flowering blooms, lights, and statues of rats. (Will post pictures soon) Along the way, I met Hoai Linh, a famous Vietnamese comic who has a tendency to dress in drag for his skits. Bumped into a few photographer friends and spent Tet Eve chatting with them about their work.

One the first, my landlady invited me to have breakfast with her family. She's been very nice and sees me as part of the family. I just don't like imposing. Later, a friend asked me to have dinner at his grandmother's place. She is a sweet eighty year old grandmother who just can't sit still and will always comment if she thinks you're doing something improper.

As I am bending down to get something from my bag, she stares at my chest and says "You really need to wear more so you don't get sick..." Ummm... I was also wearing a jacket... Instead of a tank in this hot weather, I guess I should really be wearing a turtleneck. Sigh...grandmothers.... My friend found it extremely amusing.

I should be used to it by now....comments about my chest and bum...since all the other vietnamese women here are skinny sticks. Eat people, eat!!! There is so much food here, why don't they gain weight?

rocking in hcmc

2008-01-22T17:11:00.000+07:00

Footage from the My Chemical Romance concert. It was quite fun. Crazy the amount of people that showed up, but don't take my word for it, see for yourself:

MCR in Vietnam from Tuyet Nguyen on Vimeo.

my chemical romance

2008-01-19T07:26:00.000+07:00

As mentioned in the previous post, there is a following for metal music here in Vietnam. One of my former students asked me if I would be attending the Unite 08 concert featuring the band My Chemical Romance. Wow, really? MCR is coming here? I actually like this group. She even offered to win free tickets for me. So sweet of her. The tickets are not being sold but are instead being given out as prizes to games being played in the bars around town during the week of 1/12 - 1/19. The concert is being held on 1/20 and is sponsored by Tiger Beer.

The beer companies have been sponsoring a lot of music events lately. Just last month, Heineken brought world dj Ferry Corsten to liven up the Christmas festivities. Hopefully this trend continues and Saigon will be able to host more concerts, so people don't have to fly off to Singapore or Hong Kong any more to see artists that they like.

uncensored

2008-01-18T12:09:00.000+07:00

This week has been a bit enlightening. First off, I went to the movies with a friend to watch Ben Stiller's "Heartbreak Kid". There was a sex scene in the movie that lo and behold was surprisingly not cut out. What the??? Vietnam is quite conservative and usually any form of nudity is ripped from the movie before it is shown in the theater. But in this case, you could see the woman's entire breasts...there was even dirty talk and translations for the dirty talk. Oh my..... Whoa.... totally didn't see that coming.....

Yesturday, there was an artist talk by Uudam Nguyen at San Art. I didn't know who this artist was but a few friends had asked me to come, so I did. It is most likely one of the most phallic artist talks I've ever been to. I actually felt bad, but couldn't help laughing sometimes, when the translator struggled with how to translate words such as "Got Fucked" or "Dildo". I mean those words and the concepts associated with them don't come up in public conversation often here. I found his later work and more conceptual pieces interesting though.

Another thing that I never expected to do in Vietnam was attend my first and most likely only Metal concert. So surprised that there is such a huge underground following of this genre here. I wonder why? Again, friends were going, so I tagged along to see what it was all about. It turns out that one of my former students was in a metal band that was playing that night. He spotted me and excitedly said that they would be the 3rd band on. I nodded.

All I can say about the experience is that it was Loud, I saw a bit of Moshing Action, and after 30 mins decided that it gave me a headache. Yes, so I did not stay long enough to see my former student's performance. But hey, its turns out its just not my kind of music.

delicate metal

2008-01-11T07:41:00.000+07:00

Cal Lane has some nice pieces on her website. She is an artist that uses steel as a medium for lace work. Really beautiful.

Cal Lane
Turning Steel into Lace

holiday season round-up

2008-01-09T07:26:00.000+07:00

This holiday season was spent with family and friends. My brother and his family were in town, so I was able to spend some time with my nieces. They are growing up fast :)

We all went Danang to visit more family there. Here is our Weekend in Danang together.

As for the evenings, when it was the kids bedtimes, I would meet up with friends at all the various holiday events around town. As you'll soon find out, at the heart of Ho Chi Minh City, it is a party town for the young professionals crowd. Not much of a family oriented kind of place.

And my New Year's Eve was spent with some of the creatives in Saigon. Art rules :p

On that note, John Maeda just wrote a post about Why Being Creative is Good and David Ngo answers the question "what is design?"

"Creativity is Courage" ~ John Maeda

dear readers

2008-01-08T11:19:00.000+07:00

Hello. Wow, I didn't realize there were so many people who actually read my blog. Sorry for not posting of late. I've been using Facebook instead because its been so much more convenient to share and tag photos. Also for some reason, I have not been able to access Blogger at work between classes, when I'm the most reflective. They seemed to have blocked the site completely ...

Anyways, now that you have brought it to my attention, I will resume posting on my blog again. Do accept my apologies and expect more frequent posts from now on.

~ Snowtweety

perfect moments

2007-12-17T16:32:00.001+07:00

With eyes sparking and a giggle, she comes bounding towards me
Leaps and wraps her chubby little arms around my neck
Squeezing tightly,
Her whole body tenses
Relaxes
and then she laughs

Her hair smells of sweat and innocence
I shower kisses on her already pink cheeks
She smiles and just as quickly
Sqirms and lets go
to attack yet another with her unconditional love

When she tires
We sit on the swing
I hum
as she sleeps

the comfort of routine

2007-11-22T01:49:00.000+07:00

I realize that I have not been posting a lot lately. This is partly due to me being a bit lazy and the fact that life has taken on a bit of a routine, which can be a bit boring and comforting at times. I don't really have to think about what my days or weeks entail, but know the general outlook and plan. Maybe having a set routine is a sign of getting older and knowing what you want....

Anyways, here is what a normal week for me looks like.

Mondays and Thursdays, I consult.
Tuesdays and Fridays, I teach.

Wednesdays are my day off, so I learn. I go to classes to learn more PHP and oil painting. Brushing up on coding and getting back to my creative side to balance things out. My teachers are friends of mine. Its nice.

Saturdays, sometimes I will consult, otherwise I will work on lectures or random projects.

Sundays are chill: sleep in, read, paint, maybe frisbee, and hanging out at friends' places for game nights.

Weeknights sometimes I will try yoga, go out to dinners with friends if they are free, or just around the corner by myself. People always look at me weird when I go eat by myself. They are are not used to seeing it here I guess. I like it though, watching the scene of family, friends, and couples around me. People watching is fascinating, the interactions. Its harder to do with other people cause you feel this need to have a conversation, but when you are by yourself, that need isn't there. You can just watch.

Weekend evenings are for attending events: fashion shows, art openings, going dancing and checking out new DJs.

Simple routine, but keeps me busy and pretty content. I'm sure most of people have their own routines as well.

navigating loneliness

2007-11-08T07:33:00.001+07:00

"Do you know what happens to babies when you leave them alone? They die...." uttered by a friend this morning as we headed to an orphanage that she works at.

My students are working on a multimedia project for her, creating an informational CD to be shown to potential volunteers, chronicaling the process for caring for these babies, some of which are handicapped and ill.

Its quite a humbling experience as you walk in and see literally dozens of babies. A couple of my students just didn't know what to do. They were afraid to hold them, touch them. There was this fear of the vunerable and fragile, I guess.

These babies are resilient though, that's why they are still here. How can you be afraid of babies? Its so easy to make them happy. Just a little touch and smile and their eyes light up. Even so, some are just not ready to reach out and make that connection. These children don't really have a choice about whether or not they are left alone.

Which is very different from adults. As we get older and become more self-reliant, in some of us, there is this preference to be alone and dwell in loneliness because its more productive somehow. I read an article this week on Charles Shultz, the creator of "Peanuts" and the man liked to be depressed, he clung to it.

But "He's an artist." That's always the explaination, isn't it. A brilliant artist is most likely a depressed artist. They draw creativity from their depression. Having been there once, I might just have to agree, depression is very productive creatively. But if depression is always a part of the equation of being a brilliant artist, I choose not to be. I guess I'm not hardcore, I don't live for my "Art", I live for my happiness.

What then are artists seeking to accomplish in their work? Is it understanding more? Communicating? Bridging a gap among different communities of people? Creating empathy? I attended an artist talk this evening and listened as these international artists spoke of their work. The majority of it was about finding their "identity", reaching out to their community to seek answers, or showing the beauty in the life of ordinary working people.

Yet as I left the event early and waited for my xe om driver, I looked back at the glass doors of the gallery. A crowd of local people had gathered outside, curious, peering in at the group of artists, yet afraid to go inside, feeling unwelcomed. One local women did go in to clean up a spill and was quickly asked to leave. Why couldn't she stay? What was oh-so-important that someone had to shoo her away?

As she stepped out, everyone around her asked, "What is it about?" "It looks like an important meeting." Although she only experienced just a glimpse of what was inside, she was somehow privileged, part of something that people on the outside weren't.

Sigh....Lofty talk about art for and about the people, yet the people that are being used/portrayed in some of the work do not feel welcomed enough to go in and see it? WTF? So what if they don't understand the language. One can still appreciate art and music without knowing the words.

Way to go, you're really connecting with the community now. If I was a smoker, I would have had a smoke then. What a long day its been. I am privileged and I am grateful, I will remember that.

Below is an article about Charles Schultz.
Passages: The Life and Times of Charles Schulz

spoken word

2007-11-04T09:39:00.001+07:00

Was going through some of my archive DVD's and found an old video I took of Bao Phi at the APIA Spoken Word Summit in 2005. Check it out :)

Bao Phi Spoken Word from Tuyet Nguyen on Vimeo.

teaching again

2007-10-25T09:52:00.000+07:00

I started teaching again a couple days ago and I'm actuallay pretty excited about it. The projects that the students will be working on will give them industry experience working with clients. Woo-hoo!!! One is for an animation studio, another for a fashion company, and possibly two working with orphanages and non-profit groups. Should be an interesting semester. Excited :)

aquafina pure fashion

2007-10-06T08:08:00.000+07:00

I attended the Aquafina Pure Fashion Show last night. It was a very long show that could have been edited a bit more. Imagine over 35 different collections.... The event started at 7:30pm and didn't end until 10:30pm, 3 hours + is way too long. Lot of great designs, one even incorporated glowing LED lights. Pictures will be uploaded shortly :)

Some of my favs from the show:

Blue jersey knit dress from NTU

Gray jersey knit dress from NTU

Below are all from student designers. Very impressive.

I love the tiered ruffles.

This one is just fantastic. Great for an intergalatic costume party.

This is the one with the glowing blue LEDs. Ran out of memory, so wasn't able to take a photo of it in action. Very cool though.

saigon's week of art

2007-10-04T01:26:00.000+07:00

Apparently there is a whole week of art events going on now. I missed one at the beginning, but managed to catch another one of the events today. You're away for 2 months and no one sends you mail anymore! Sheesh....

Anyways, back to ART. Today I attended "Future, Tuong Lai" , the opening exhibition of a new gallery called San Art, an independent artist space run by Dinh Q. Le, known for his woven image tapestries.

Its a great space for local artists to show their work. What's also great is that they have a reading room where you can browse through art books and magazines. Its a small library right now, so will need donations to grow. Anyone interested in donating? Yay for more BOOKS !!!!

Another art event begins tomorrow, "Le Mois de L'image" ( A month of images ), from Oct. 4 - Oct. 20. Participating Venues include the Musee des Beaux-Arts de HCMC, Galerie Quynh, Idecaf, and the Association des Photographers.

This will be a busy week :)

1 day left

2007-09-28T10:12:00.000+07:00

So I have one day left before I can use Facebook again.

Not one day has passed where Facebook has not been mentioned by friends both old and new. "Oh yeah, you can get in touch with me on Facebook. Email? You want my e-mail? Why? Its on Facebook." Christ....

With one week off, I've realized that Facebook is a CULT!!!
When the hell did the rest of the world join? Its so much easier to get in touch with people and find contacts there.

Is this how everyone else that is NOT using this site feels. Annoyed that they are somehow left out of the loop?

So what was the upside of this? I actually got a lot more work done and found that people seemed to be missing my presence. Got more text messages and emails than I've gotten in a while. Awhhhh... how sweet.

As for the rest of my week, its been busy, littered with meetings with potential web clients, finishing up one design, mini-breaks here and there.

Last night, I finally tried "painting" with Uyen-My. My painting was of a sheep stuck in a man's fro. Its weird. I had nothing to look at. Yeah, don't ask me to paint from my imagination. I suck at it. Usually, I do tons of sketches and research first before I begin a project. Very much a planner. Spontaneous strokes here and there is so not me.

Gonna buy a few canvases this weekend and attempt to paint a "bike" for my sis Kim. Wish me luck :)

damn nice graphics

2007-09-21T11:56:00.000+07:00

Transformers: The Best Special Effects Ever?

I love watching this movie for the amazing graphics, so smooth and well-done. Just saw it again this week. This is when you really need a big screen to appreciate it all.

gelaskins artist interviews

2007-09-20T08:48:00.000+07:00

Gelaskins just started a blog with interviews of their artists. The first one is Nanami Cowdroy. Her "Blowfish" skin is the one I bought for my mac.

Art On - Vol.1 with Nanami Cowdroy

just one more game

2007-09-20T08:14:00.000+07:00

I'm playing one last game of Scrabulous on Facebook with my sister Kim before taking one full week off from that addictive social networking site. Usually I don't get addicted to things. Its very unlike me. The side benefits of this are that most likely I'll be blogging more. Woo-hoo! Man, my page needs pictures. ( When did it become so text heavy) Next on the list :)

getting local

2007-09-20T00:08:00.000+07:00

I've been trying to be good and cutting back on western food, eating more and more Vietnamese food. Sometimes its hard. I get cravings for burgers and chips, but there is also a lot of great Vietnamese food out there that I have yet to try, I'm sure.

Earlier tonight, Ha took me, Kym, and Kevin out to one of her favorite seafood places in District 4. There was this amazing Curry Shrimp dish, really strangely shaped long mussels and oh man, Crab with Tamarind sauce, one of my favorites. Unfortunately, I haven't been carrying around my camera of late, so have no pictures. But next time, I'll be sure to take some and post.

no more drama

2007-09-16T10:00:00.000+07:00

Its been a strange month back here. Several people I know have broken up or gotten separated from their partners. From the outside looking in, its got me wondering,

"So what makes a relationship last?"

Relationships are complex, aren't they? Or do people make them that way out of boredom, lost of interest?

From what I've seen of successful relationships, they can be very simple. It has a lot to do with communication, mutual respect, trust, and a complete acceptance of the other person, of who they are, not trying to change them into a version that you think is better. Easier said than done, I know. It takes effort. The fact that it takes effort though does not make it complex. Counting from 1 to 1 million is challenging, but that is fairly simple. It just requires a great deal of patience and fortitude. Little steps at a time.

People only change of their own volition anyways, not for anyone else. In the end, they must see that there is some kind of advantage for them. It may sound harsh, but people are selfish. This is not a bad thing, its logical.

Example: "What is best for ME?", "What is best for MY wife?", "What is best for MY kids?" , "What is best for MY family?"

There is reflection of self in all of these statements. So for a relationship to work, you do put your self-interest first. That self-interest may of course include that of your partner's and your family's. You are then willing to make sacrifices and compromises for the greater outcome for all involved, but in the end it still boils down to "What are the advantages for me?" "What will make me happier?"

So cut the drama and be honest, we're all selfish. "What's in it for me?"

Hey! Where's the "Love"? you ask.... Love is selfish. Love also fades, what's left is Loyalty and treating the other person fairly.

the knock-off business

2007-09-07T16:42:00.000+07:00

An interesting read on the knock-off industry and what fashion designers are doing to fight against it. Quite amazing the huge effect that the internet has played, to the point where knock-offs enter the market before the originals do. A ridiculous turnaround time of just 14 days for samples. My goodness.

At least orginal prints can be copyrighted.

Before Models Can Turn Around, Knockoffs Fly

head vs. heart

2007-09-04T08:07:00.000+07:00

Its been raining a lot lately in hcmc. I know that it is rainy season, but it seems to be much more than it was last year. At times, I do enjoy the rain... the sound and sight of millions of tiny droplets hitting the pavement surface, reflecting the streetlight overhead in a rippling pattern. Seeing people play soccer outside my window as lighting flashes in the background.

But other times, it just makes me kind of sad. The city becomes this dark, damp, cold place, heavy with disappointment as the places to go out and cure the boredom becomes more and more limited unless you want to be drenching wet by the time you get there.

Besides watching movies in, I've been reading a lot lately and that has helped. Its been a long time since I've read a novel and not some techie programming book. Character development is always interesting. What makes one become the person they are? Their enviroment, their goals, their morals, or their heart ?

Of heart and mind
When in conflict
Which does one follow?
A match among equals

hong kong

2007-09-01T09:33:00.000+07:00

So after spending a week in California with Yoko, Kimchi, Bernie, and Cong. I headed to Hong Kong to visit my old college roomie Hanna, who's been living there for the past three years. I spent most of my days walking around the city. It has a great public transportation system, so everything was really easy to get to. This online map of HK by Centamap was also indepensible.

I love love all the so very tall tall buildings, although I didn't like how that trapped the heat and made the city so humid. Went to Victoria Peak to check out the skyline, ate a lot of food, checked out the a fashion exhibit at the Hong Kong Heritage Museum and the Asia Art Archives, in its new home on Hollywood Road, and basically wandered around exploring the different areas of Hong Kong, Kowloon and Lantau Island.

Met up with some friends from college, Tina and Jocelyn, so a bit of an unexpected Wellesley reunion, which is always nice :) I have had a lot of those this summer, mini reunions with family and friends. Summer has been perfect :)

Some pictures of Hong Kong

Now back to work....

re-adjustment

2007-08-30T11:50:00.000+07:00

Although I haven't been away that long, there have been so many new things popping up. New resturants, shops, lounges.... so many things to explore. Still a bit jet-lagged for some reason. Keep falling asleep around 10:30pm. So early!!! Hopefullly, I will get adjusted this weekend.

liquid space

2007-08-24T09:18:00.000+07:00

Diesel's recent fashion show. Amazing concept and execution. Great marketing, but I doubt anyone was paying attention to the clothes. Wish I was there.

japanese fashion

2007-08-24T07:56:00.000+07:00

Japanese fashion runs the gamut. Its fascination with everything western is still very odd to me, especially the extreme black-faced girls.

Part 1

Part 2

some summer photos

2007-08-22T10:37:00.001+07:00

Ok, okay.... I'm still a bit addicted to facebook and will try to write updates about my summer soon. I am currently in Hong Kong visiting my friend Hanna and will be back in HCMC city next Monday, where I'll have consistent wi-fi access and can update faster. For now, enjoy some pictures that I posted on Facebook.

Summer Food and Friends
Livermore Wine Tasting with Mary, John, Kimchi and Bernie

saigon ultimate

2007-08-10T02:04:00.000+07:00

If you're bored in Saigon and need some exercise, you can always join Ultimate. Liquor shots and a bit of craziness required. Great video Anne :)

Vietnamese Newscast about Ultimate

favorite place in Italy

2007-08-06T13:23:00.000+07:00

If you ever get a chance to go to Italy, check out Cinque Terre. Its lovely. I went there my junior year of college when I was studying abroad in Florence. My favorite town is Vernazza. The people are very friendly and the hike through the towns is quite nice. My only advice is to start at Riomaggiore and work your way towards Monterossa al Mare. My friends and I had gone the other way and the hike was much harder because there was more uphill trekking.

when a million$ is not enough

2007-08-06T12:41:00.000+07:00

In Silicon Valley, Millionaires Who Don't Feel Rich

A perfect example of the corporate rat race. Isn't it depressing that what one has is never enough and that people are always comparing their life to someone's elses? Why put all that pressure on yourself when in actuality all that expensive stuff that you can't afford is decreasing your quality of life. Working so much that you don't have time to enjoy what you buy anyways? Downgrade people, downgrade!!!!

Forget keeping up with the Jones. The important thing is to make enough to take care of your family. Everything else is extra and quite unnecessary stress.

wish I had known

2007-08-06T11:58:00.000+07:00

About this installation on "Slow Dancing" that happened in New York recently. It looks pretty amazing. Its going to L.A. in September. Bummed I missed it while it was on the east coast.

Apple Pro profile of David Michalek , the filmmaker

the chinese harry potter

2007-08-01T22:40:00.000+07:00

Chinese Market Awash in Fake Potter Books

Yes, piracy is a huge problem in China, but the fact that a father actually sat down and wrote his own version to the ending of Harry Potter for his son is quite endearing. He just shouldn't try to pass it off as J.K. Rowling's work, but his own.

I see Harry Potter as a fairy tale, one that will most certainly not end with this last book because as with most other fairy tales, the characters will live on and change through interpretations by others. For example "Little Red Riding Hood". The most well known version of this story, by the Brothers Grimm, was not the first. The original tale is much darker, but most people forget that.

In the case of this father, I hope that he is able to get a publisher cause I'm curious about how he tells the story. This world is big enough for both versions. Why limit creativity if in the end it does not affect you financially? I'm certain that J.K. doesn't need the money. After all, the biggest form of flattery is not imitation, but inspiration.

simplicity

2007-07-31T04:34:00.000+07:00

A NPR interview with John Maeda on the subject of "Simplicity". I was surprised to hear my old professor's voice on the radio as I was driving into Boston last week. He's an interesting fella.

In an Age of Gadgets, Life Gets Complicated

are you hardcore?

2007-07-28T12:03:00.000+07:00

25 Reasons You Might Be A Hardcore Graphic/Web Designer

Funny list, completely agree with number 5 and 6. Lol.

this is prison?

2007-07-28T05:36:00.000+07:00

Cebu inmates take to dancing as exercise.

Strange... very strange.

a company to love

2007-07-24T21:55:00.000+07:00

Innocent Drinks

Its great when companies give back to the community and in such a clever fashion. Wonder if they will ever come to the U.S. ?

naivety

2007-07-22T10:54:00.000+07:00

My sister Jo and I took one of our nieces to an Amusement Park today, Canobie Lake in New Hampshire. The last time I was at this park was my senior year of college with my friend Chi. On the way there, I had asked my niece if she liked getting older. She's only 8. She responded, "No! It fun to be a kid." Smart girl, I couldn't agree with her more. It was definitely fun to go on all the rides and just be a kid again. It would be nice not to get older....

On the flip side though, with age comes wisdom, or so one hopes. When we got home, I decided to go through and clean out all the boxes and boxes of stuff that I left in the basement. Found some of my old journals, before there were blogs, and read a few of the entries I had made when I was in college. My goodness, boy was I naive then. Threw a bunch of them away. Looking back, at 20, I didn't know anything. How fast life changes..... Enjoy your childhood folks cause unfortunately time does not go backwards.

modern ao dais

2007-07-18T12:41:00.000+07:00

As featured on the runway of the Miss Vietnam Global Pagent 2006.

Part 1 - time 7:28

Part 2 - time 9:48

Some of the modern designs are downright ugly i.e. the one with the missing shoulder. What was that girl thinking? And what's with the long trains. Good way to fall down the stairs and knock yourself out, I say.

My ao dais are much prettier :p

The one item that I did like is the hostess's dress. Beautiful.

smart penguin

2007-07-17T22:08:00.000+07:00

Bringing Penguins into Boardroom

This is an interesting article on how effective teaching can be when the subject has been repackaged into something that seems less threatening. Thinking outside the box !

viral fashion marketing

2007-07-12T23:29:00.000+07:00

Its seems that everyone is jumping on the "Fashion" bandwagon. All kinds of companies and organizations are just throwing random fashion shows to introduce their new product lines. Sometimes it is all a bit ridiculous.

Case in point, this recent "Condom Fashion Show" for the Fourth China Reproductive Health New Technologies and Products Expo. Would you really want to waltz around town in a dress made of condoms? I'm also quite doubtful that it raised any awareness about "AIDS", which was supposedly the main purpose. The money to put on the show could have been better spent elsewhere on education.

my best friend's wedding

2007-07-10T22:26:00.000+07:00

So one of my best friend's from college just got married to a guy I apparently introduced her to, not intentionally by the way. Who knew she would like him and they'd get hitched :P Certainly not me.... I was quite shocked when she told me they were dating. "No... you can't be serious. Him???" Sorry Tan, I know I'm bad. You're a good guy. I'm working on it....

Long story short, they're actually really cute together and I'm extremely happy for both of them. Pictures from Susie's and Tan's wedding:

Lin, Susie, and Me up sharing some stories, chocolate chip cookies, and milk.

Tan sneaking a peek at Susie the morning of the wedding. Such a punk...he wasn't supposed to see her yet.

With Lin, who zipped her into her dress.

Her mom helping her with her veil.

All ready to go...

The guest sign-in table with pictures of their parents' weddings. Awhhh....

Walking down the isle with her dad.

Making their vows.

Tan asking "May I kiss the bride?" because the officiator forgot. Lol :)

The answer, "Of course!!!" So he did.

The newly married couple in outfit number 1.

In outfit number 2. I designed her Ao Dai. Gorgeous, isn't it? Thank you, thank you :P

And in outfit number 3, both of them in traditional Korean clothes. Love it!!! Such bright, vivid colors :)

A Wellesley group picture with the beaming bride.

fourth of july, 2007

2007-07-06T06:36:00.000+07:00

I spent the Fourth of July at my cousin's house, doing what most families do when they get together: Cook, Eat, and Hang Out.

Lana and Elisabeth tuckered out after running around all over the place.

With Kim, trying to get the nieces to stay still for a pict.

Food being grilled on the BarB.

Eating the goodies.

Preparing Jo's Birthday Cake

Play dough sillyness

Family Photos

kids say the darnest things

2007-07-03T13:03:00.000+07:00

"This is better when we're HIGH."

Uttered by my 8-year old niece, in reference to our movie theater seats for Ratatouille. We kinda went twice. The audio track was bad in the first showing, where we had sat closer to the screen. After an hour, we switched to a later showing with better audio and moved to higher seats.

Loved the movie. Great storytelling. Brad Bird has done it again.

distracted

2007-07-03T12:59:00.000+07:00

If you're wondering where I am, I've been a bit distracted by Facebook lately and all of their applications. When did they come up with so many? Don't worry, this novelty will wear off eventually.... Countdown to Susie's wedding, 4 days and I'm off to Dallas.

no wonder...

2007-06-28T10:51:00.000+07:00

Americans are fat. Check out what we eat compared to everyone else:

What the world eats.

lets play telephone

2007-06-25T10:16:00.000+07:00

So one of my friends is learning Vietnamese by listening to a CD and repeating what she hears. She plans to visit one day.

The man on the audio CD says:
"Anh có hiểu tiếng Anh không?"
Do you understand English?

My friend says:
" Anh có ỉa tiếng Anh không?"
Do you SHIT English?

Lol. Good job, babe. Good job :P

efficiency defined

2007-06-20T10:06:00.000+07:00

"I hate knives....I want a laser!"
quote made by Kimbo as I was washing dishes, a knife in particular.

home again

2007-06-13T22:11:00.000+07:00

I am home again, back in Salem. Arrived 36 hours ago and have been on the DL, hanging with the family. Have spent most of my time with my nieces. They've all grown so much and have become very talkative, especially Lana and Elisabeth. Pretty soon, they will outgrow their auntie.

The girls with Jo :)

Last night, after a dinner of sushi at my favorite place on Route 1, Sake, my sisters decided to work out. I attempted to do Pilates with them... but yeah, I stink at it. Half the time, I'm trying not to laugh at all the weird positions. Actually, my dad had a good laugh himself when he walked by. The "grasshopper" move is killer by the way.

This morning I watched as everyone went to work and for a minute felt like a "bum". That soon passed though, when the nieces walked through the door. Made them some macaroni and cheese and remembered how much I actually enjoyed cooking. I know, macaroni and cheese is not real cooking, but still... you get the point. Will have to look up some recipes to try while I am here. Spent the rest of the morning watching a DVD, "Eliot Chang", an Asian American comic. He's hilarious.

celebrity designers

2007-06-08T22:58:00.000+07:00

Everytime I hear about a celebrity starting their own fashion line, I cringe. Its been going on for awhile now, starting maybe six years ago with P.Diddy, JLo, and Gwen Stefani, but when people like Hilary Duff have their own line, which by the way is called "Stuff by Hilary Duff", come on, you gotta be kidding me, what kind of name is that for a fashion line anyways...Something has just gone terribly terribly wrong.

Stealing the Scene Along With the Store

I agree with Vera Wang. If you're a celebrity designer, you should be wearing only your own clothes to public events.

funny quotes

2007-06-08T06:58:00.000+07:00

These are from Overheard in New York, so random.

Hell Is Other People With No Style
Hope These Two Crazy Kids Realize They Belong Together
There Should Be Just One Word Per Meaning
Keds? Really?
Pre-Class Registration Starts Once A Month
Lindsay Reps Her Own Urine These Days
Got a Match?

And my favorite: Some Things You Just Shouldn't Joke About

end of stem cell debate ?

2007-06-07T18:20:00.000+07:00

According to this article in the NY Times, scientists may have found a solution to creating stem cells without using embryos.

Biologists Are Making Skin Cells Work Like Stem Cells

did you say something?

2007-06-06T02:08:00.000+07:00

Imagine if the hot model in the billboard you're staring at starts talking. Cool or Creepy as hell? It could happen. Check out this story:

Talking Paper Made by Scientists

anh bi got hitched

2007-06-03T17:27:00.000+07:00

The Happy Couple

Me and my favorite uncle, who flew in from Danang just the night before.

My cousin, whom I call Anh Bi, got married last week. Apparently I can no longer call him Anh Bi, but Hai or something like that... Bi was his nickname, hmmm... didn't know that...so its no longer proper for me to call him "Bi". Rules, so many rules...

Anyways, being the only fluent English speaker, I was assigned to sit next to his former boss from Mitsuibishi and translate what was going on. Later on during the day, I find out that his former co-workers think that I'm the boss's new wife. Sigh. This is what I get for being nice.... After it was clarified to them that I was a relative, that seemed to make things worse. After the evening reception was over, I start to head home. Get into an elevator by myself, when all of a sudden a bunch of guys jump in. Argghhh....If that wasn't bad enough, they start talking stupid.

"We know why you jumped in." one guy says to another. "Of course, I planned it from the beginning. Now wouldn't it be great if the elevator got stuck?" "Not a problem, just push that red emergency button." " What would be better is if all the lights went out."

Dear Lord, make me GAG. Soon as the door opened, I was outta there. Seriously, how rude !!!

hanoi hustle

2007-05-30T13:39:00.000+07:00

Thanks Kevin :) Made me feel better today.

pop goes my heart

2007-05-28T14:12:00.000+07:00

A great parody of the eighties :)

OMG

2007-05-24T23:38:00.000+07:00

I can't believe this site actually exists:

Don't Date HIm Girl

LOL!!! I remember several conversations with girlfriends regarding dating and how they wished they could do a background check on a "potential". A sorta database of all the guys in HCMC. Since I don't think it exists, this site might have to do. Geez. I wonder if there is an equivalent website for the guys.

audrey kawasaki

2007-05-24T22:03:00.000+07:00

She just redesigned her website. Its beautifully done.

Audrey Kawaski

more artsy stuff

2007-05-23T21:42:00.000+07:00

Here are two other sites with cool stuff:

Poketo
I bought two wallets from them once. Loved them :) I wonder when they started offering T-shirts?

Etsy
I've never actually bought anything from this site, but its fun to browse.

slipping on some skin

2007-05-23T21:09:00.000+07:00

So I've been working on a website for a client lately. They sell electronics, ipods, games, etc. They also sell accessories such as silicon skins. Wouldn't it be cool to have customized ones with your own artwork for your ipod or computer?

How to make your own ipod skins

Now if you are a bit lazy, but still want something nice and support artists out there, check out Gelaskins

I quite like this one for my laptop:

by Nanami Cowdroy

an option for the boys:

by Stella Hultberg

in the nude

2007-05-23T11:38:00.000+07:00

Public nudity is something that I'll probably never really get. Why the heck do you want to be naked? There is so much pretty clothes to wear.

Anyways, I get freaked out at just the prospect of going into an "Onsen". Had visited a friend in Japan a few years ago and one day she decided that I should experience the public hot springs. "Public? What do you mean public? I have to see you naked?" Oy!!!! "It'll be fine, we have the same stuff?" "Uhhhh....." "I've seen my mother naked" "Ummm... yeah, I haven't and....uhhhh" So I prayed and prayed that there was some way I could get out of this experience without offending my host.

We started walking to an Onsen, me dragging my feet all the way. Get to the door. It was closed. Woo-hoo!!!
"Can't do it. Its a sign, I'm not meant to see you naked."
"There's another one down the street."
"Geez, you are persistant."

Get to that one... Closed Too...
Next one...Closed.

Huh, what's going on...
Turns out it was a Holiday and they were all closed :) Such a relief.

Now, imagine seeing 20,000 people naked. I'd probably pass out.

Striking a naked pose in Mexico City
Spencer Tunick

saigon eclipse

2007-05-16T09:31:00.000+07:00

Ha, Thu, and I went to the primere of "Saigon Eclipse" yesturday night. You know how people tell you that "If you have nothing nice to say, then you shouldn't say anything at all." Well then, I'm keeping my mouth shut.

I will however, quote another movie-goer as he was leaving the theater, "That was SHIT, SHIT, SHIT!". Okay, you have been warned.

been a long day

2007-05-10T23:54:00.000+07:00

life is so weird sometimes... just my thought of the moment. nothing further.

americanese

2007-05-10T11:24:00.001+07:00

Is a new Asian American film due out in theaters this August. Its based on a book called "American Knees". Looks promising.
Americanese

who knew?

2007-05-10T11:08:00.000+07:00

Vietnamese girls could move like this. DAMN!!! Surprising, what you can find at a fashion show.

don't touch my birdie, manila girl

2007-05-09T12:04:00.000+07:00

Funny quotes from our holiday weekend last week spent in Mui Ne at Lucy's Resort. "Don't touch my birdie" and "Manila Girl" were also two Filipino songs that Lester and Anne decided to grace us with when we went for some kareoke. Jay sang a really strange one by Weird Al that I'd never heard of. Hmmm... wonder what makes a song popular in the Phillipines?

We also had one Jumpin' Party. That was a lot of fun :)

i won a printer - updated with picts

2007-05-09T12:00:00.000+07:00

Upon the urging of some friends, and plenty of advice, I entered a fashion contest for HP and won the grand prize, one of their 3800N series printers. Now just have to find someone to sell it to. Fashion show updates to come later because I'm running on only 5 hours of sleep in the last two days. All-nighters projects, man do they do me in. Going to sleep....

So a little bit about the contest. The contestants were asked to design a collection of 10 pieces and produce 3 of them. It was required that print-outs from the HP Color Printer be used as a part of the designs.

There were two categrories: Student Designers and Professionals.

Student Skeches and Final Products:

Student Contestant 1

Student Contestant 2 - This one completely changed his designs. It looks awesome!

Student Contestant 3

Student Contestant 4

Student Contestant 5

Professionals' Skeches and Final Products:

Contestant 1

Contestant 2

Contestant 3

Contestant 4

Me. I only like the first two. I'm not very fond of the third one, need to rework it. Ah well, only had one week to get everything done.

I am so glad I was not a part of the Student Group. They had some really good stuff. Well, they also brought along a team of friends to help too, so I guess they had a bit of an advantage. I was the only one with no team at all. Some of the people felt bad for me, thinking I had no friends or something... lol. My friends just have better things to do then help me sew, like real work. It was an interesting experience none-the-less.

Student Winners: 2nd place, 1st, and 3rd.

favorite podcasts

2007-05-04T08:09:00.000+07:00

Speaking of ipod, what are your favorite podcasts?

I've been listening/watching "Comedy Central: Stand-Up". Hilarious. I miss going to comedy shows. Also a few Learning Chinese ones to refresh my memory. What other good ones are out there? Comment Away!!!

dear men

2007-05-04T07:27:00.001+07:00

Do not make "kissing" noises when I run or walk past you. Whoever taught you that it was a good way to pick up women is completely and utterly WRONG!!!!

Went running yesturday and normally have my headphones on to drown out the noise of the city. But unfortunately, I forgot to charge my ipod, leaving me vunerable, unprotected. The ignorance that tends to accompany me was gone. Instead I was greeted with "kissing" noises from random men sitting on the benches along the park. If it was not for the fact that it would break my stride and doubtful that they would learn anything, I would have gone over and slapped EACH and EVERY one of them.

Instead, I will remember to charge my ipod, so that I can enjoy my run basked in music and pretend that all men have manners.

primere party

2007-04-24T09:30:00.000+07:00

In response to Hang's comment. I've already seen "The Rebel", at its premiere party this past Friday. Knew some friends that got me in. Thanks guys :) Won't ruin it by telling you what I think, since many have not seen it yet.

Me and Thu.

Andy and Danny. They did the the "Behind-the-Scenes" documentary about the filming.

Press Junket

Its all about the food. Lol.

After party at Xu's.

exercising

2007-04-20T08:50:00.000+07:00

I think I've finally gotten into the whole idea of it. Started running three times a week for half an hour and it really does help boost one's energy level during the day. Also allows you to think and work out a bit of healthy aggression. I've found my pace, now wondering if I can work my way up to running a marathon. Only thing about that is that people's toenails fall off.

I kinda like my toenails.

In other news, the movie "The Rebel" is finally opening this week is Saigon. Hope its good.

you want me to what?

2007-04-16T16:27:00.000+07:00

"Knit me a Chewbacca suit." Tino calmly replied.

Wendy, Steven, Tino, Kym, Kevin, Mai, and I were all hanging out over brunch at X-Cafe when the sudden request was directed my way. Instead of my usual device of distraction, a.k.a. my computer, I had brought some knitting. I am making a scarf that my grandma wanted for the winter months in Danang. Khanh is coming next week to visit, so I wanted to finish it in time for him to take it back to Danang for me. Anyways, it is apparently not a very good idea to knit in public here, you get a lot of ragging and requests for strange things such as a Chewbacca suit. Why in heavens would anyone want a knitted one. It would take months to make, cost a bundle ( specialty fur like yarn is expensive ), and hot as hell. Crazy people...

Anyways, the group then digressed into the topic of "Zombie Movies". Plans are in the works for an attempt to freak normal Saigonese people out by walking around dressed as Zombies, then filming it. Anyone out there who want to join and be a cast member, ring Tino. He wants to start filming in two weeks. Let the hilarity ensue. My bet is the Saigonese will ignore everything we do. Zombies, totally normal.

wedding season

2007-04-12T07:47:00.000+07:00

I have been to three weddings in as many months. Just got back from 2 in Danang and have two more coming up, one in May and another in July. Why is everyone getting married this year? Ah well, another excuse for me to get ao dais made. That's always fun.

Me, Ha, Minh and Thu at Chi Lan's and Tuan's wedding.

Ha and I hanging out at kareoke afterwards. Like my ao dai? I designed it myself :)

My cousin Den at 5 a.m. in the morning anxiously awaiting for his wedding ceremony to begin. He's is oh so happy.

Him and his new bride, Phuong Linh.

The wedding reception was held at his parent's home, so the family was busy busy busy cooking all day. It was madness in the kitchen. There was over 300 guests. A long but fun day, more picts here: Co Den's Wedding

Last but not least was Khanh's and Phuong's wedding, which they did not inform me about until two days before just because I happened to be in Danang. Was not prepared to dress for a formal wedding reception at all. I came in what I had, jeans and a T, being the most underdressed person there. Sheizers.... Note: Important to inform guests of appropriate attire... and in a decent amount of time. 2 days is not enough! Me with the groom. I call him "Popeye", such a punk!

Phuong and Khanh

Khanh belting out a song for the audience.

farewell

2007-03-29T10:42:00.000+07:00

To Al and Luke. Luke was here for a short visit of just a couple of days. I took him out to eat a few times and bowling at Diamond Plaza. It looks completely different with comfy zebra striped sofas, a VIP room, and the new Pizza Hut. Costs a lot more too. Geez. And I don't like the new shoes, the smallest size is too big for me.

Yesturday, we also went to Al's going away party. That took me by surprise, since I didn't even know he was leaving. A lot of people are leaving this summer, but I guess that is how it goes, making room for the next wave of ex-pats.

which is bigger?

2007-03-25T22:19:00.000+07:00

Pomelo or my head?

How about here?

Anyway, I just uploaded all the picts from my recent trip. You can find them in my smugmug gallery for Southeast Asia.

There were many funny moments during the trip and below are some that Lin and I remembered on our last flight together:

"I can't believe she can't speak Vietnamese, its so easy"
one of my older male relatives to Lin ( Da Nang )

"Harder. Harder."
me to my weak-@ss masseuse ( Chiang Mai )

"And this is for growing WEED!"
Alek explaining a sand drawing of his dream future. ( Railey )

"I know why you're looking at him, you like him." "No, I don't." "Ahhh, I caught you. You thought I meant 'like LIKE', but I mean'like Like', you know what I mean?" "What?! You lost me"
Conversation between Lam and me. ( Railey )

"Like my SEXY truck?"
Alek offering us a ride to the airport in the most beat-up truck I've ever seen. ( Railey )

"You're this one because you have big tits, and you're this one because you have a big butt."
Alek commenting on the Bangkok Ultimate Hat disc that Lin gave him. ( Railey )

"I do not have big tits!"
me in the airport, apparently loud enough to disturb a mother and son in front of us. Ooops, sorry.... ( Railey )

"What can I DOOOOO?"
Sunshine, our tuk-tuk driver, while he was thinking during our card games. ( Siem Reap )

"I want to see you again. I wanna play cards."
Manil, another tuk-tuk driver, when he saw us later in town. ( Siem Reap )

"Awhhhh, you're not Cambodian?"
Some Korean tourists that spotted us in town and randomly asked to take a picture. They were a bit disappointed when we told them we were not Cambodian. ( Siem Reap )

"Can I kiss you? "
Lin's massage girl to her. Me thinking, "Lin's getting hit on by a girl?" ( Siem Reap )

"She has big breasts."
Lin's Popo to Lin about me. Geez, what the heck? I really don't. ( Taiwan )

"You know you look like a DOG. They LIE! "
Christine on the subject of running marathons. ( Taiwan )

"It's because Chinese people are CHEAP."
Christine on the subject of why Chinese people don't wear make-up. ( Taiwan )

"Don't be a cat or dog woman."
Christine on the topic of marriage. ( Taiwan )

"Your Chinese-Vietnamese, right?" "NO, I'm Vietnamese-Vietnamese."
Chat between James and I. ( Taiwan )

" Wo gen mama shuo gen dian hua ni...." "Lin, what are you saying?"
Lin talking to her Popo and me trying to follow. Dude, your chinese grammar is bad. ( Taiwan )

"She is sick because she ate too much. She had an orange last night and one this morning. And she keeps eating those Japanese rice seedweed wraps. Tell her to stop eating so much!
Lin's Popo. ( Taiwan )

Lin's picts

2007-03-20T15:20:00.000+07:00

Dang Lin, you are fast! She already has pictures from our trip up. I'm still wading through the hundreds that I took, so I'm gonna be a little bit slower. You can check out Lin's picts for the following places:

Vietnam
Thailand
Cambodia
Taiwan

back in bkk

2007-03-16T12:29:00.000+07:00

So I am back in Bangkok and just in time for Bangkok's International Fashion Week. Yay! Didn't even plan that. Went to a few of the shows yesturday, there is 13 in all, and will go to a few more tomorrow before I have to leave on Sunday to fly back to Saigon. Metallics and natural colors appeared in a lot of the shows with an emphasis on hemlines and men style tailoring. I really like the designs of of Number 27 and Kloset. Interesting prints and attention to detail.

I also went to a talk yesturday by a group called "Ecletic Method", who are doing pretty interesting work in the field of video dj-ing, dj-ing with not just music, but images as well, making dancing a full on multisensory experience. They are playing at a club in town tonight and were cool enough to put me on the guestlist so that I didn't have to pay the 500 baht cover. Nice :) If anyone from Hanoi is checking out this blog, Eclectic Method will be doing a gig in Hanoi, Vietnam on March 21st at the Hanoi University of Fine Arts.

Today, I am spending my time at TCDC, Thailand's Creative and Design Center. Its absolutely awesome, with exhibits and a library boasting 15,000 books. I love it!!!! I've got a computer to myself and tons of fashion books sprawled out. Perfect end to a vacation :) Ok, back to reading.

mountains in the mist

2007-03-10T19:01:00.000+07:00

Yesturday, the weather was still wet, drizzling, but not so bad as earlier in the week, so I took a trip to see Yangminshan National Park, where the annual flower festival was being held. Lin had decided to spend time with her grandma, so I was on my own for the day. As the bus was heading up the mountain, you could smell the sulfur and see the smoke from the hot springs all around. Higher and higher, the foggier it became.

When I got off the bus and started walking towards the park area, I noticed that there was no one around. Just me and the trees. A bit eerie, but also tranquil.

Once in a while I would run into a couple and they would ask me to take a picture for them but for the most part, I enjoyed the solitude, wandering in the fog and being surprised around every corner.

Exploring only half of the park, I went back today to see the rest. The weather was nicer, no rain, no fog. But that also meant that tons of other people went as well. Ah, such a contrast. Too crowded, too noisy, completely different atmosphere. So if you ever go, go when the weather is not so great, much more pleasant.

rain, rain go away

2007-03-07T20:22:00.000+07:00

We made a one day pitstop in Bangkok to catch-up with Patricia. Too bad she'll be gone when I'm back in Bangkok. It was fun seeing her again and finally have both my former roomies meet :)

I am currently in Taipei with Lin and her grandmoter, chilling in the apartment.　It is raining outside, so no checking out the night markets here so far. Must wait til the weather gets better. We arrived in Taiwan a few days ago. Took a trip down to Kaoshiung, the second largest city in Taiwan where Lin's Uncle Frank lives. They were great hosts showing us around their city, taking us to their favorite places to eat, the nightmarket, and the Latern Festival. While we were down there, we also went to see Kending National Park. It is huge and Windy. Our guide was telling us how a hotel, golf course, and airport had all been built along its coast but were unused because the area was so windy. He renamed the airport "Mosquito Airport". Lol. Sunny was amusing. Also saw an area of natural gas fires. The gas would seep through the cracks in the earth and once they hit air, they ignited. The aborigines made use of the natural fires and used them to cook potatoes, eggs, and even some popcorn.

Being the awesome hosts that they are, the Kuo's also took us to one of thier family banquets, which was basically a 15 course meal. My stomach that was starting to recover from Danang came back with a vengence. One of the uncles kept urging us to try everything saying, "Wan shang he shui." "Tonight, drink water". No dinner, just water. Indeed, no dinner was had that night.

We got back to Taipei yesturday afternoon, taking the new bullet train, just one and half hours to get from south to north. Very nice. Lin's Uncle William and her aunt then took us out to dinner, a vegetarian buffet, where yeah I kind of had a slice of all the desserts. Dude, no more banquets or buffets. It'll be the end of me....

Today, we went to see Taipei 101, the world's tallest building. It took only 35 seconds to reach the top in the high speed elevator, ears popping the whole time. Nice view, a bit too bad it was rainy. After that went to a bookstore and Memorial Hall. There are a lot of hiking trails around Taiwan, so we're hoping the weather gets a bit better to take advantage of it soon.

congratulations!!!

2007-02-28T17:14:00.000+07:00

To Susie and Tan. Damn that was out of the blue!!!
And Lin for finally joining me in being 28 :) Its gonna be a helluva a year.

watted out

2007-02-27T21:00:00.000+07:00

Lin and I are currently in Siem Reap. It is our fifth day here and well there is not that much to do in Siem Reap besides temple hopping. On our first day, we went to the old market area to look around and then took a boat ride through one of the floating villages in Tonle. The next day, we bought a 3 day pass to explore the ruins of Angkor. Oh my goodness. There are so many temples!!! and it was hot out. I mean HOT! Climb up, take pictures, climb down, drink water, sweat, drink more water repeat... The first day was the mini tour, the second day was the grand tour, and on our last day, we went kinda crazy and woke up at 5:30am for the sunrise. A bit cloudy, but the weather had cooled down immensely. The last group of temples at Roulous were probably my favorite of all the ruins. They were small, picturesque. Not so huge.

Today, we went to a silk farm to see how silk is made. Very interesting process. About 80% of the worms are killed, while 20% are recycled. The looms were quite impressive and the natural dye colors are really beautiful.

After that we went to Western Barray, a resevoir and local hangout, and chilled in hammocks along the beach, playing cards and eating mangos with our tuk-tuk driver. A couple more days and we'll be heading back to Bangkok, where I'll get to catch up with Patricia.

fun in the sun

2007-02-24T21:02:00.000+07:00

After Chiang Mai, Lin and I took a train to Bangkok, explored the Chinatown area for a few hours and then hopped on a flight to Railey in Southern Thailand. On the first day, I was tired from traveling and just slept while Lin, who managed to sleep on the train explored the island. The next morning we took a half-day rock climbing course that was really fun and real rock is quite a bit easier to climb than indoor rock walls. I did four climbs :) Woo-hoo! Really fun.

We saw our instructors later that day playing frisbee on West Railey beach. Lin joined them in throwing the disc around while I sat and watched. One of the instructors, Nu, invited us out to dinner with his friend Bo and then took us to the Gecko bar where his younger brother, Lam, was the DJ. The rest of the rock-climbing guys were there as well. Not only are they rock-climbers, but apparently fire-breathers also. Three of them, Alex, Pak, and Ti, put on a fire show for the crowd. We went to bed early cause we had an early start the next morning.

The next day, we rented a kayak and explored the area around the island for 2 and a half hours, had lunch and ran in Alek, one of the fire-breathers. He took us to another part of the island where people were bouldering. Not much later, Nu and the rest of the rock-climbing bunch (Yawt, Lam, Boi, Ti, Pak, and Tack) joined. Nu is preparing for a rock-climbing competition in Malaysia at the end of the month so was timing himself. He climbed up the rock-face to the top in 50 seconds. It was quite amazing, but apparently, his best time is 30 seconds. Crazy!!! Spent the rest of the day playing water frisbee, had dinner, and then went out. The island is so small that we ran into Alek and Nu again walking along the beach and joined them at Jah Bar, where the other guys were as well. Spent the night playing Connect four, dancing and chatting til late.

On our last day, we saw the crew one last time on our way to the Lagoon with Alek. It was gorgeous. Afterwards, he drove us to the airport. So nice of him. Lin gave him her Bangkok Hat disc as a gift. Thanks to all the guys at Krabi Rock Climbing and Cliffman's for showing us around :) We had a lot of fun.

chiang dao trekking

2007-02-18T14:17:00.000+07:00

Happy Lunar New Year's everyone!!! Just got back to Chiang Mai yesturday from 3 days of trekking in the mountains of Chiang Dao with Luke, Ethan, Angela, and Mike. Uphill was killer. I find that I have a hard time breathing at higher elevations or possibly I'm just in really bad shape, which wouldn't surprise me considering the week at Grandma's. The first day we went hiking and did a bit of spelunking in some caves. Really beautiful rock formations, some sparkly, some of which were hollow and we could play them like the drums. Lin has a audio file of the acoustics somewhere. Second day was spent visiting a village, more hiking, and lunch in the woods. Our guides made us chopsticks and serving dishes out of freshly chopped bamboo, so resourceful. We spent the rest of the night in the village playing cards by candlelight. On the last day, after another hour and a half of hiking, we went to ride some elephants. The elephant that Luke and I were on decided it was bit hungry and went charging off the path, taking us on a surprise ride through some branches to snatch a young banana tree for a snack, pulling it from the ground by the roots. During the 10 or so seconds the elephant was charging, the trainer turned over and kept repeating to me,"its okay, its okay." I was surprised, laughing, and just trying not to get hit by a tree branch. Lol. Luke, who was riding on the head of the elephant, luckily did not fall off, but thought the ride was awesome. Crazy dude. We ended the trek with a some bamboo river rafting and a little friendly race.

Then back to Chiang Mai to rest and celebrate my birthday :) You would think that a massage would be a nice present to myself, but somehow it turned out to be the worst massage experience of my life. So yeah, not all massages in Thailand are good. Take note. Oy! The masseuse had no strength or pressure at all. I keep telling her "harder", "harder". It was like she was just patting me. WTF? Ok, I got to stop before I get frustrated again.

Thankfully, Som saved the day. She came and took us to a nice Riverside restuarant, where we enjoyed some great Thai food, desserts, and some headbanging music. Thanks Lin for the ice cream cake :)

thai women are strong!

2007-02-11T22:52:00.000+07:00

Just got back from another massage here in Bangkok, I've been here three days and have gotten 3 massages :) Needed them all though. We got here on Friday and I went with Lin to the Ultimate Frisbee Registration. There were a lot of people there. A few familiar faces from Saigon including Tino, Anne, Jae, Lester, Aaron, and David.

On Saturday, as Lin spent the day sweating out on the fields, I kept myself busy in probably the largest fleamarket in the world, Chatachuck. It has everything. So large I got lost a couple of times. Luckily I had a map and did find my way out eventually. Didn't buy that much, some earrings that I really liked, a few t-shirts, teva-like shoes for trekking next week, and a pair of white polka-dotted turquoise flats for $5 bucks. They're so cute :) Oh and a canvas bag to stuff it all in. Almost forgot that. So handy!

Today, I went to check out Lin and her white team. They won both of their morning games. Woo-hoo! Good start. I then headed off to visit The Grand Palace and Wat Po.

So the area around The Grand Palace is known for jewerly scams, which I was aware of but slightly forgot because of the heat. Anyways, after visiting The Grand Palace, very ornate I must say, I asked directions to Wat Po. I should have brought a map.... Ask several people and after 15 minutes of not being able to find it, one of the guards comes up to me and speaks to me in Thai.... umm... Where is Wat Po?...no help... ok, so a lady standing next to him tells me she is a officer and I could take a tuk-tuk there and should visit other locations in the area as well, some Golden Mount temple and a Thai Cultural Center. It so hot, if this will get me to Wat Po faster, why not.... Well, after going to the Gold Mount, where you can get a bird's eyeview of the city, the Thai Cultural Center turned out to be no cultural center at all. I walk in and its a jewerly shop. Damn.

The man asks, "Would you like to buy something for yourself?" at which I answer, "Do I look like I can afford it?" "Where is your boyfriend?" "You tell me. Do you see him standing next to me?" Then I walked out and told the driver to take me to Wat Po. I was a "poor" target, pun intended.

Wow, the buddha at Wat Po is HUGE! So many steeples.... After all the sun, headed home for a nap, went to dinner with Lin, who's team made it to the finals. She even got a medal. Go Lin!!! We ate at this vegetaran place called Tamarind on Soi 20. Really really good desserts. Thanks Angie. I'm going back just for desert tomorrow :)

Yeah, all that walking left me with sore legs and all the shopping bags with sore arms, so massages are oh so necessary. Compared to the Vietnamese masseuses, Thai women are really strong, so gonna take full advantage of it while I'm here.

lost in hanoi

2007-02-09T07:42:00.000+07:00

Lin and I arrived in Hanoi yesturday morning and spent much of the day walking around the city. I tried really hard not to go shopping, but sigh... I failed. Got a bit lost walking back to the hostel and saw some cute shorts at a new store that apparently just opened 10 days ago. The shop is called Kelly Bui. She's a new designer. After my purchase I asked the saleslady for directions and she called an older man to help her out. He told me it would be confusing to explain so he would just drive me. Turns out he was the designer's father and she is fairly young, only 26. Anyways, I quite like her style, interesting cuts, understated color, a bit funky. Will definitely have to visit again next time I'm in town.

Afterwards, I finally met Julie and her friend Mike at the very chill Chim Sao resturant on 65 Ngo Hue. Great atmosphere and food, highly recommended. Thanks Julie !

We then headed to Dragonfly, a lounge/bar that Julie thought would be nice. Its too bad that she wasn't able to join us, but we had a good time nonetheless. Her friends Jimmy and Ben, collectively known as thirstythong showed up and we has a blast sipping our "Woo Woo" and "Yum Yum" while playing Jenga.

To Julie, Mike, Jimmy, and Ben :
It was great to meet you guys and thanks again for taking the the time show us around a bit :) We had lots of fun. See ya in Saigon.

Ok, gotta go get ready for the next flight. Picts will have to come later. Ciao for now.

my poor waist

2007-02-05T12:09:00.000+07:00

I've been in Da Nang for less than a week and think I've put on at least 10 pounds. My relatives are constantly feeding me and Lin. Its not helping that its the end of the year and everyone is throwing end of the year banquets and they won't let you leave the table until you've eaten at least three bowls, one bowl too many...

Lin thinks its funny cause she's never seen me with a belly before...not pretty... I am so going on a diet after I leave Da Nang. Thank goodness we have plenty of trekking planned in Chiang Dao :)

We fly out to Hanoi on 7th and then on to Bangkok on the 9th. 10th and 11th will be spent there so Lin can play in the Ultimate Frisbee Hat Tournament. I'm hoping to get some shopping in and maybe check out the nightlife.

planning a getaway

2007-01-27T14:19:00.000+07:00

My college roommie, Lin, is in town and we're planning on taking a month long trip to Bangkok, Thailand and Angkorwat, Cambodia. Possibly Luang Prabang, China, and Taiwan as well. Recommendations for what to do/see welcomed.

So this blog might not be updated very much for the next month or so. We'll see if there is internet along the way.

You can check out Lin's blog and her travel adventures here.

so true...

2007-01-23T00:23:00.000+07:00

grabbed from a post made by noodlepie

grabbed from a post made by thirstythong

drag queens

2007-01-22T09:32:00.000+07:00

Last month, the first ever drag queen fashion show in Vietnam was held at Yang's, a.k.a. Duong's. There were 10 models wearing the fashions of Nguyen Cong Tri. My camera kind of crapped out on me, so don't have that many pictures.

It was a fabulous event though: completely over the top make-up, hair, and clothes. Everything a drag show should be :)

vietnam model awards

2007-01-21T16:10:00.000+07:00

Ok, so finally the internet is sufficiently fast enough and my baby is all better. I guess I'll start the re-cap with some beautiful people.

Vietnam held its first Model Awards this past December and I managed to talk myself into the the show, convincing the management that I was a reporter, which technically was partially true. AsiaLIFE had asked me to do a write-up if I could, but I'm not really one of their official reporters.

Besides the half hour delay on the first night of competition, the show was a surprisingly very well co-ordinated event with some very lovely clothes and a couple of good entertainers. As for the models, I thought that Xuan Lan, Phuong Zenana, and Ngoc Quyen were very good: confident and sexy. They didn't win though. Boo.

The Event Poster outside of the Stadium with the 18 contestants.

The catwalk before the show.

Backstage getting hair and make-up done.

A bit of dancing opens the show.

Modeling ao dais designed by Vo Viet Chung

More entertainment by Dam Vinh Hung and Ngo Thanh Van, who is also the lead actress in Saigon Love Story. Wonder if it will actually be screened in Vietnam anytime....

Models strutting their stuff on the first night of competition: Pham Ngoc, Thanh Van, Ngoc Quyen, Xuan Lan, Phuong Zenana

The Awards Ceromony began with dancing as well.

And then a dedication to the older models that paved the way. Dang... still smoking...

One last walk-off: Thanh Hang , Thuy Huong

And the winner is......

Actually every one won something...MIss Congeniality...etc. etc... Its oh-so PC....

Thuy Huong, the model on the left, was awarded Best Body, leaving Thanh Hang as Model of Year.

They're all so skinny!!!!!

Here are the results in English and Vietnamese.

And my article in AsiaLife : On the catwalk

Ahhhhh!!!!!

2007-01-16T10:17:00.000+07:00

My computer was running really slowly and just crashed the end of last week. Luckily, I made a backup... have been re-installing tiger and apps all weekend. Almost done, just a few more apps to go and I can start uploading and posting again... Argghhh...

inspire re-do

2007-01-07T00:07:00.000+07:00

Just completed a re-design of the Inspire Vietnam website. It is a non-profit organization that builds libraries in Vietnam.
Check it out here:

Inspire Vietnam

jam-packed

2006-12-29T08:10:00.000+07:00

So much has been happening. It will take me a while to update...there was Thanksgiving and Christmas, friends leaving :( , me moving :), drag queens, runways, and an earthquake in Taiwan that's crippled the internet here.....

but I must finish writing an exam first and then go see grandma... updates when I get back

addiction - post 200

2006-12-07T10:54:00.000+07:00

I've become addicted to listening to the Grey's Anatomy soundtrack, in particular the track "Chasing Cars", by Snow Patrol.

And also the TV Series Heroes. Its so good. My favorite character is Hiro, he's hilarious.

going goth

2006-11-29T17:09:00.000+07:00

A party invite was sent out. It was requested that people dress up:

Be Sixty. Be Sassy. Be Sparky. Be Gothic. Be Manly. Be Naughty.

Dressing up is always so much fun, so Ha and I went all out, from the big wild hair down to the black nails and studded cuffs.

Memorable moments throughout the night, but the best was the first. Ha and I were just stepping into the elevator at her apartment complex on our way out and there were two little girls in there. One was around 10 and the other one a bit younger. I felt a little bit awkward, thinking that we must look kind of scary to them, kinda like in spiderman2 when he's in the elevator, trying to avoid direct eye contact. The 10 year old shyly looks up at us, then checks us out a bit more thoroughly and simply says, "You look great." The elevator door opens and holding her sister's hand, they both leave. Did she really say that...? Awhhh....so sweet :)

At the beginning of the night...

By the end...

It was quite a party. There was live music:

Craziness all around...

Plenty of tongue. Can we say....Oral fixation???

And some late night dim-sum sillyness.

killywell video shoot

2006-11-29T16:16:00.000+07:00

A lazy Sunday afternoon, enveloped by sunlight and the soothing ephemeral rhythms of killywell, nostalgic, a lingering sense of moments past.

press pause

2006-11-29T15:34:00.000+07:00

Taken at Singapore's Botanical Gardens

Along a path in Sapa