3 weeks into Vietnam, 1 week remaining!

Holler!!! hehhehe

Man, I really have a sinus problem... I'm getting into this really bad habit of taking medication everyday!! I take Claratyne daily and Polaramine nightly! (thank you for organising the meds sis!) There is not much I can do when I've already been told that I'm allergic to dust... hmph! But yesterday I bought some fresh leaves to make Green Tea (as tasted in Hue) and I'm loving it! I'm hoping that it can replace all my medication and so when I'm feeling sick, I'll just drink the tea (add some ginger in it) and all will be good! -therefore Eucalyptus can be my last option ;)

SO the last weekend i went to Chau Doc (Kent, i totally forgot you were born in Vietnam!) and the travelling is such a bugger. A 9hr drive to just visit a temple is not worth it in my eyes.The road is simply crap- it is so bumpy I could hardly keep my eyes closed and get some rest!- though it was really overwhelming to see so many ppl from all over Vietnam come to one spot! It is overly crowded- much more than what you would normally see at our temples during the Chinese New Year!

Well, my mum is now in Vietnam with me (yay!) and she's here to stay for 10days (everyone here were spewing coz i didn't tell them!) I'll be leaving here next Tuesday to Myanmar and she'll be leaving 2days after me and heading back to AUST. It was so hard to hide the fact that my mum was coming to Vietnam from her sisters when I was with them 24/7 on the Chau Doc trip!!! hehehe I had to lie to them so many times and in the end they were suss that something was up but were never certain hhehehe Well, Mum and I had 2 relaxing days in Saigon when I got back from Chau Doc. There in Saigon we went for a 1hr body-massage at Dermalogica (which was muchly needed) and costed us each 140,000VND which works out to be about $12AUS!!I'll probably go back for a 1hr facial before I head off. Everything is soooooo cheap here I've been spending so much!!! BUT so far, i'm within budget =)

I've been pretty well lately... I've been sick a few times but nothing major. All I can say though is that I'm really sick of rice. I've had it for almost every single meal and yesterday and the day before I swear, i wanted to throw up after every meal! At first I didn't know what it was that was giving me the stomach pains until I thought about rice and ugh, i felt even worst!! So since then I've been steering clear of rice and all is well =)

Billy- yes I went to visit the tombs and some of the kings' palaces back in the ancient days but unfortunately I didn't understand much coz my tour guide was vietnamese. But the palaces are crazy! It is somewhat like in the chinese movies we see. In Hoi An i didn't get anything tailored but I probably will get a tailored suit in Thailand when I get there.

What I realise in Vietnam is that ppl love to eat! And I know back home a lot of ppl do also ( for sure my girlfriends back home do!!) but here ppl go out purposely to buy food to eat and bring home to cook! When I went to Chau Doc i swear my relos kept on stopping along the way to buy food to eat in the van!! Throughout the whole journey they ate ate ate whereas i tried to sleep sleep sleep. The food they were eating just didn't appeal to me.... it required peeling or cutting which means you have to get your hands dirty to dig into the food and I didn't want to do that. I can't stand to have sticky hands on the trip (or even the slightest!) If there is water closeby, maybe that's another story =) But overall, the food really just didn't appeal to me. Whilst they all looked around for food to buy at Chau Doc I was looking for something else to buy.. something to use or wear! hehe but there was no luck of that. Whereever I go ppl are always buying food. I would love to get accustomed to it and know how it feels to eat like there is no tomorrow (I'm sure both Trinh and Oanh would love it if I do hehe) but since schooling days my motto has always been "I eat to LIVE" and not "I Live to EAT" hehehehe- if only!!!!

I went to Cho Ba Ria today to buy some materials to make some long pants to wear in Myanmar since there are no pants over here that is regarded as long on me. Their long pants become my 3/4 length pants and as my sisters always tease me, i definitely look "dorky" in them hehe! So i went to buy materials to purposely have some long cool pants to wear in Myanmar where the weather can get really hot. Apparently ppl in Myanmar cover up quite abit also so that's another reason for the long pants. I can't wait to hit Myanmar... there it will definitely be a culture-shock for me (not like Vietnam as this is my 4th time being here) and I'll definitely be on my own for a good month without knowing anyone or having anyone to rely on. I've got a luggage load of warm clothes for when I hit the UK after Myanmar and Thailand and unfortunately I will have to lug it up 3 levels to this Guesthouse that Terry has organised for me to stay at in Myanmar! There are no lifts so I'll have to ask the taxi driver to help me lug it up. So i should stop my shopping in Vietnam now before my luggage gets too heavy for the taxi driver to lug it up 3 levels!- and worst, i then wouldnt be able to buy anything else in other countries!!!

My sinus is really driving me crazy. Last night I slept in one room with a fan whilst 6ppl (including my mum) had to sleep in the next room with the aircon on. I feel really bad for hogging the room but it is better that I have one room to myself because throughout the night i sneeze, blow my nose, cough and toss n turn. Anyone who sleeps beside me will definitely won't be able to sleep! There are nights when I sleep soundly but as long as there are dust and an air-con around, i can't guarantee when those days are.... ahhhh!

Anywayz, I have 1 week remaining in Vietnam so I'll make the most of it. A few more days stay at my grandparents place beforeI spend the last 2 nights in Saigon.

Time to go and eat another meal...

P.S. Girls- hope you all have a blast at Bunnary's hen's night!!!!! Shame I have to miss out but continue to keep me updated with those emails- have fun!!!