Saigon & Nha Trang

I love Southeast Asia!

Upon arrival to this city, it being nothing that i could even relate to, I was exactly what you see in the picture. I figured, something, anything, in this city would give me some sort of comfort. Hell, I’m surrounded by more food then I’ve ever been and couldn’t open up my mouth to even order because I strayed away from where people speak english. I was chained to a tree, very hungry, wondering how the hell did this trip turn out like this so quick.

You want english, you pay…55.000 for a bowl of pho, which will taste like shit, they won’t smile at you nor will they make any effort to show that they are thankful that your me chong ass is purchasing food from them, but they speak your language and this is what you think you need. Simple conversation seems priceless when no one understands you, even eye contact, as it isn’t so common here.

Out of no where, I gave up. I realized there is better soup, and it shouldn’t cost more than 15-17.000. Pick a hut, a vendor, someone at ben thanh market, something that you are afraid of and it’ll blow your fucking world away. So what they can’t understand a thing you say. You point at food or your belly “Pho Ga!?” all is said and done. One or two minutes you have a perfect bowl of pho in front of you, and you can tell the people (family) who is running the shop is thankful for your business. Prices aren’t marked, they can charge you what ever they want and know you will pay it (thinking you are getting a deal) with a smile and a big thank you but instead they basically give it to you for free. Cafe sua da and pho ga for 25.000 (17.500 = $1) (!!!!).

The guesthouse (Miss Loi Guesthouse) that I’m staying at is tucked away down two alley ways. I would have never found it as its a 15 minute walk away from pham ngu lao (stereotypical in a very good way) backpacker district.

13$ a night (SOOO much nicer then the 15$ a night I was paying for a small, small room with one crappy bed), I leave my room key at the desk and I don’t have to worry about shit. They don’t even want my money until I check out. I love it. I could leave my laptop (if I would have brought it) in the lobby with a stack of money on top of it and it would be there two days later. I wake up (no later than 545am, its impossible to sleep in here, I don’t know why, but you wake up when the city wakes up, again another unexplainable feeling here) to free breakfast consisting of fresh pineapple, banana, banh mi, tea or coffee. Again, life doesn’t get any better then this. Keep reminding yourself this, because it does. (somehow)

Unexplainable feelings have pretty much been the entirety of this trip. Sad thing is I have to leave this town in a day or two to head north. Very hard to believe, but this trip gets better as you head up north, then through Laos, Cambodia, then back down. I’m traveling to places I never imagined I would do in my lifetime. I’m one of the lucky ones, fortunate to have felt these feelings, and even more so because there is a good 4 weeks left in my trip. A few videos are up on my flickr. I can’t promise you that I’ll have an update, or any at that, in the near future. We will see how things go, but I’m sure you will hear more than enough one I get home.

Where to start?

Noah And The Whale – Peaceful The World Lays Me Down. LISTEN TO THIS ALBUM!

I had dinner at Sezmu on Saturday night. By far, the most inspiring meal I’ve had to date. For the next month I will be going there once a week which means not more Vietnamese until I’m actually in Vietnam. Everyone knows how much I love Vietnamese food, how I can eat it 7 days a week and all, but this food is different. The fact that its American / French influenced means I understand it more then Vietnamese. I had a nice mind and body high for the next 24 or so hours. I didn’t think I would feel that way form cooked food, obviously and thankfully, I was wrong.

I haven’t been to yoga in three days. The next 12 hours will fly by due to sleep and after that, I will be inside you Yogic Lounge, loving life even more.

First things first..

• http://www.pandora.com
• Create an ‘El Ten Eleven’ radio station
• Proceed to reading my blog!

Where to start..KARMA! As of the last two months or so it has been coming and going around nicely. I’ve bought lunch/dinner for friends and at the same time from other friends, the favor was returned. I woke up this morning, made my cacao/banana smoothie and drank some water as I watched some new TED.com talks. This is such a great web site, you should really check it out if you haven’t. Headed over to Kiva.org, found someone in Lebanon, and made another donation.

Christmas eve consisted of a bowl of Pho and some Cafe Sua Da. I like how I have managed to be able to walk in to my friends restaurant after they have started shutting it down early for Christmas eve and still manage to have soup. It was nice not having a single customer in the restaurant, just me and the owner shooting the shit over great food. I didn’t buy anything for anyone, and there is nothing that i could possibly want. I still have a gift I’m going to get for a close friend of mine who has came in and out of my life over the last 2 years, the last year being one that brought us closer.EcoReno will be getting a visit, along with a purchase.

Part of me questions the whole Christmas thing. I’m not bitter about it, I just don’t understand it. This Americanized holiday that is supposed to bring you closer to your loved ones. This time of year seems to remind people that for the last 9 months or so you have taken much for granted, now take a day or two off and remember what you have, then go back to work and forget about it. All the random stuff that is made to be wasted on December 25th. Wrapping paper, gift bags, bows, where does all this stuff go the next day? How many people recycle it?

I went to a corporate piece store a few days ago to steal some more Polaroid film, that stuff will be like gold soon. Acroyoga tonight, friends, and hopefully I can squeeze some Indian or Ethiopian food in my budget over the next two days.

Take good care.

Merry Christmas people.

Two more months as of today, until I leave this country.

Yes.

pho – losophy

First things first. Go to Pandora Radio, and create a radio station with “hammock” as your search.

Listen.

Thats the best advice I can give you for today…

There are some things in life you want and some things you know you need, but at times you end up neglecting them and just keep moving on without. Out of sight, out of mind. This comes easy when dealing with something you haven’t seen in real life (outside of television). Sometimes all it takes is a close friend to tell you to go ahead and that its alright to give in. I would have never thought that a bowl of rice noodle soup would be my deciding factor for my trip to Asia. @nopantsdance being the reason why I’ll have a better Canon body for the trip. I’ve been obsessed with Asia since the fifth grade, and to this day I can really say that I’ll drop whatever it is that I’m doing to watch a documentary about this area of the world, but who would have thought that a little bowl of soup would push me over the ledge and bring me to where I am at right now in life. Thats a little pholosophy for that ass, tao of pho for the win.

Tonight’s gonna be fun, Bistro 7 is having a damn good party with some really good djs. Before that there will be some pre-partying at Ed’s place. Its always nice to have new friends in your life who can make you laugh. I’m thankful as all hell for the things that continue to happen in my life. Even though I’m not making a lot of money right now, its nice having a job that is just a job. No drama, everyone gets along, and when I’m off, I’m off. Sure its not what I was born to do, but I don’t feel like I’m wasting my life just because I have a day job and not one that primarily deals with my hobbies. I’m happy..

Save your breath and get down with me..

 

Started this morning off with yoga at The Yogic Lounge, followed by lunch at Rawjuvenation with @gcrush.  I’ve been wanting to check this place out ever since I heard they started serving food.  Went to work, made $65 in 3 hours then went home early.

If I can make decent money tomorrow night at work, then me and blue eyes are going to Rickshaw’s on Thursday.  I’ve been craving sushi there for the last month or so.  Me and Brandon have managed to eat at a few places over the last month and nothing still can compare to Rickshaw.  I still haven’t been to Sushi Boat, Aloha Sushi, and I’m sure I’m missing one or two more. (excluding casino sushi, I refuse to spend my money on anything served in a casino.)

I think thats about it.  I can’t wait for Acro Yoga on Friday, we are all so fortunate to have the only two certified instructors in the state of Nevada, here in the same studio.  I could have used a few more bucks so I could have made another Kiva donation, but the month isn’t over yet.  I hope everyone is finding some sort of peace and contentment this time of year.  When I was younger (20-23ish) I would get lonely and slightly depressed when the cold would come around.  Once I realized I didn’t need anyone to complete my life, I became happier and more at peace with myself.  Life kicks ass, I’m going to Southeast Asia in two months and some change!  I miss my friends in South Mississippi, New Orleans, and South Florida, but I’m glad to have handful of keepers here in Reno.

Goodnight everyone, take good care.

Acro

 

 

 

 

Sitting here, I managed to put thoughts and feelings that couldn’t be explained, onto paper (wordpress).  Long story short,  Pandora messed up and safari crashed, and I lost my post on wordpress.  I’m not going to try to even explain what I was trying to earlier.   When I wake up tomorrow I’ll stretch, and try to compose something remotely close to what I had written tonight.  Acro yoga is beyond sublime, and I’m leaving it at that.  Take good care everyone..

numnum num num

This is form of drink is my holy grail.  Though I’ve been making much unhealthier versions (they seemed healthy to me, and by all means are still healthy for most people) for the last 5 years or so, I’ve managed to figure out what exactly it is that makes me come alive in the morning.

 

• Kale or Spinach (2 cups, give or take)
• Agave Nectar
• One or Two bananas
• Five to Six Strawberries
• Ice cubes and a few. oz of water.

Cacao powder is also something i like to put in, but only with bananas, or anything else that goes with it.  There are tons of recipes out there, and I for one, and no expert at all.  Search for ‘green smoothie recipes’ and you will find your fare share.  Today I’m gonna take some photos in Sparks with Dominic, have a perfect meal at Saigon 88, and then make up for my a.m. missed class with tonight’s acro-yoga class.

 

I’ve been reading <a href=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China_Study”>The China Study</a>.  Its quite the read, and I’d suggest it to anyone who is open to reading it.  That being said, I’m gonna get back to VN’s Craigslist..

Take good care.

Two.Five Months Away!

 

So, this is it, my blog.  Its been a good long while since I have dabbled in the blog-world. (Circa 2002-04, via livejournal)  Back then I was a good teenage, bi-polar candidate.  Who filled his journal with complaints, a good bit of point & shoot photos, and another good bit of complaints.  I guess things have changed since then.  I’ve became healthier, wiser, happier, and I guess I’ve just managed to grow up and be fortunate that my stupidity hasn’t killed myself yet.  Somehow, I’m here, in the now and loving every moment of it.

 

The blog was started on behalf of a trip I’m about to go on in February.  I moved back to Reno in the spring of ’07.  Had a small list of jobs, and really came-to about 3 months into my job at Imperial.  I realized that if I didn’t get off my ass and see some of this world, that I would end up regretting it and never forgive myself.  Along came job #2 (bellman) at the Peppermill.  I worked for 3 months straight, had two days of rest, then worked for 4 months straight.  7 days a week, 2-3 16 hour days in a row.  Needless to say I didn’t get out much.  When I wasn’t working I was sleeping for 12-14 hours at a time, or 4-5 hours at a time.  After too many 14 hour shifts at the kitchen, a 20 hour shift at the Peppermill, and a couple 36 hour days, it was time to step down and just work one job.  I realized that for the first time in  a good while I had accomplished something that really wanted to do.  Six months out, I bought my plane ticket and visa to Viet Nam.

As of now, I’m just taking it easy.  Working 4 or 5 days a week, trying to save money if possible, and spend time with friends.   I want to get used to having a wordpress, so I can provide you with as many updates as possible while I’m literally lost in Viet Nam.