One of my Vietnamese friends gave me an early Teacher’s Day gift on Saturday: a 2014 calender of Communist Posters. He’d heard that the posters were popular souvenirs amongst foreigners and I have to say I was touched by his gesture.
Putting all politics aside, I think the posters are really quite beautiful to look at. I’m even more thankful for this gift as it’s jolted me into appreciating my surroundings a little more. After developing the inevitable monotonous routine, I’ve become ignorant to the things that interested and captivated me when I first expatriated to HCMC. Posters, like these from the calender, are littered along the streets of down-town Saigon and they definitely make for a colourful walk to and from work.
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
All photos belong to CoKerri. Please report if you find these used on any other website.
This was definitely my mindset earlier today when I chowed down on, quite possibly, the best sandwich IN THE WORLD.
If I’m honest, I’ve never really done sandwiches, I could never understand the fixation; it’s just bread, butter and a filling (usually some kind of cheese or ham). They’ve always been just a tad boring for me. But oh, how naive and, well, just plain uneducated I have been!
The Hungry Pig is a relatively new breakfast / brunch restaurant on Cong Quynh Street (just off Bui Vien Street, District 1). I’d heard about it through a work colleague who was boasting in the teacher’s room of the best bacon sandwich he’d ever tasted. Like a true Brit, I love my bacon, to the point that I’m very specific in its cooking requirements. As a result, whilst living in the UK, I rarely opted for bacon when eating out to save on any disappointments, instead choosing to buy and cook my own at home. Since moving to Vietnam though, I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed the stuff. Bacon is hard to come by here, and on the rare occasion you do come across it in the supermarket, it tends to be the American style streaky bacon, which is certainly no match for Sainsbury’s meaty Smoked Back Rashers.
So, after 2 years of relentless cravings, I put all my preconceptions aside and dived into The Hungry Pig. Their menu boasts an array of bacon sandwich options, from the classic BLT to spicier Asian style varieties. Not to mention the bacon salads and the (perhaps even more tempting) Full English Breakfasts they offer every Sunday. I opted for the ‘Bacon Bagel’; a cinnamon and raisin bagel topped with Philadelphia cream cheese (the proper stuff!), bacon, rocket and cranberry sauce.
“What’s not to like?! Bacon. Good! Bagel. Good! Cream Cheese. Goooood!”
My other half chose the ‘Pepper Pig’; a spicy concoction of smoked bacon, jalapeños and cheese on a toasted pita (unfortunately, the ‘toasty’ nature of this one didn’t make for a good photo). I seriously can’t recommend this place more! Even for a fussy eater like myself, their sandwiches are quite honestly heaven on earth.
Safe to say, my cravings have been satisfied, for now. Undoubtedly I’ll be back there again soon though, searching for my next bacon fix. I’m thinking of a lunchtime trip for a BLT this time …
Today is a very proud day for me and my little blog. It’s been exactly 5 months and 9 days since the birth of CoKerri and in that short time I have gained 10,000 views from 71 countries!
I imagine this is a small milestone for some, but for little ol’ CoKerri, this is quite the ground-breaker. Thanks to all my loyal followers, family, friends and any of those who have stopped by my blog in the past 5 months – your support is sincerely appreciated.
I’m so glad that you have all enjoyed my stories, trials and tribulations. I only hope my escapades will continue to entertain!
The Saigon Opera House (Nhà hát lớn Tp. HCM)was built in 1897 and just screams French Colonialism. It’s architecture boasts a grandeur, sophistication and personality that many of the more recent buildings in the city seem to lack. The majestic building settles in comfortably amongst its surrounding colonial neighbours, namely The Rex and The Caravel Hotels and is located on the very wealthy, Đồng Khởi Street in the lively down-town Saigon.
I’ve been meaning to see a show here for months now and finally got my lazy self to the box office to book tickets. There are 2 shows running at the moment; the first by HBSO (Ho Chi Minh Ballet Symphony Orchestra & Opera) and the second being an acrobatic performance known as the AO Show. I initially was hoping to see the first of the two as I just love dance in all its forms, but most of the HBSO show times were on week nights, which is no good when you teach evening classes all week. So I settled on tickets for the acrobatic show at 8pm on Sunday night and boy, I wasn’t disappointed.
Cameras weren’t allowed inside the auditorium, so I can only hope my words will do the show justice. Orbited around the Vietnamese tradition of using woven coracle boats and bamboo canes, the acrobats jumped, flipped and flew around the stage using their props with an ease and grace that was both enchanting and terrifying. The acrobats and gymnasts told the story of both traditional and modern day life in Vietnam with such precision; a hilarious comedic skit in the middle section was a true highlight for me. Here they depicted the daily toils of modern life in the city; power-cuts, unexplainable banging at 4am, awful karaoke, peeping Toms and the famous ‘sensual’ massages; things that you could easily relate to whether you’re a local, expat or a traveller just passing through. The show represents a great mix of Vietnamese culture sprinkled with Western perspectives.
The total show time lasted just over an hour and time certainly flew by, I could have easily stayed to watch another hour or two. The artists themselves also stuck around after the show for photographs which went down a treat with all the kids in the audience.
The show is running until January 2014, if you like Cirque Du Soliel, then this one is definitely for you!
Prices:
530,000vnd – ‘Aah! Seats’ (i.e: the restricted views in the stalls)
890,000vnd – ‘Ooh! Seats’ (i.e: the central seats in the stalls)
1, 250,000vnd – ‘Wow! Seats’ (i.e: the balcony circle)
Nb: The auditorium has some icy cold air conditioning – take a jacket and don’t wear shorts!
Once a month, Boomerang Bistro in District 7 holds a Flea Market. It’s not really considered a traditional Flea Market due to the noticeable absence of antiques and second hand gems but this doesn’t take away its charm. The market offer some unique gifts, handmade jewellery, cosmetics and high quality clothing, shoes and accessories. It’s location isn’t ideal for us inner-city dwellers, being a good 30min drive away, but it does make for a nice day out. Similarly, being held above a sports bar works wonders if you like to use your other-half as a taxi; mine was more than happy sat in front of the flat screen TV with a full English Breakfast and a beer for a few hours. Not to mention the free WiFi …
The popularity of the Flea Market has certainly increased in recent months, with organizers now offering an additional monthly market at Vista Bazaar in District 2. And, as I type, I’ve just received notification that they’ll be offering 2 market dates a month in District 7, alone, as of January 2014.
I’ve visited the Flea Market a couple of times since moving out here, but have never had quite such a successful time as I did last weekend. The theme was Halloween, but short of a few pumpkins dotted around, there wasn’t anything garish or unsightly to ruin the relaxed Sunday afternoon vibe.
The stalls are spread across the 1st floor of the Bistro and spill out onto an outdoor courtyard of the Crescent Mall. I find this area can be quite uncomfortable in Saigon’s intense afternoon heat, so I always try to arrive early and get all my shopping done before 1pm. Another option is to visit in the evening; most stalls are open until 7pm.
This Weekend’s Haul
So, to share my success of this weekend, here are a few particular stalls of interest:
Hữu Là La – Here, I bought a pair of floral flip-flops and a winter scarf; 70,000vnd (£2.05) and 100,000vnd (£2.93) respectively. They also sold some interesting cushions and home accessories that would be right at home in an old English thatch cottage.
Petite Note – A gorgeous home-made jewellery stall where I bought a bronze moustache necklace and a pair of matching earrings; 70,000vnd (£2.05) and 30,000vnd (£0.88) respectively.
Shimmer Silver – A little on the expensive side (by Vietnamese standards), but offered some genuine silver jewellery. I bought two beautiful rings for 300,000vnd (£8.80)
I also loved some of the handmade pictures, signs and clocks sold by Qủa tăng vẽ tay.
The best part of the shopping experience? No-one relentlessly grabbing your arm and asking you what you want to buy and how much your willing to pay. Saigon Flea Market offers the luxury of window shopping at prices that will blow you away (in the best sense!)
Address: 107 Ton Dat Tien, Phu My Hung, District 7 & The Vista, An Phu, District 2
It’s easy to glorify the country that you’ve expatriated to. You like to see the best in your surroundings and focus on all that is positive. At the end of the day, if you just focus on the negatives, then what was the point in leaving your home town?
However, it’s also important not to lose sight of reality. Looking back over my blog entries for the past few months, it’s abundantly clear that I’ve had a whale of a time in my new home. But all it takes is the blink of an eye before the reality of your situation kicks you in the teeth.
It’s a story as old as time and one that has been retold a hundred times over. Ironically, a cautionary tale that’s told by expats like myself, to unsuspecting tourists. But last night, it finally happened to us; my boyfriend was mugged.
Waiting for a xe ôm after a meal out with his work colleagues, a man approached him and tried to put his hand in his pocket. As my boyfriend wrestled with this man, a middle-aged woman approached from behind and made a clean sweep of his phone (unfortunately a relatively new smart phone) from his other pocket. She then swiftly jumped onto a motorbike and sped away, all the surrounding onlookers just sat idly as if watching their favourite sport on TV.
What upsets me most about this situation though, is just how much we give back to this society. We’re a tax paying citizens, who donate regularly to our local orphanage and, above all, provide an education which acts as the foundation to the future development of the country. We continually give back to this society that we call home and never ask for anything in return. Unlike some of the more affluent locals, we don’t flaunt our ‘wealth’, I only ever carry around $5 cash in my bag (a Tesco’s finest bag at that) and my phone is a beaten up old Nokia brick. Similarly, my boyfriend is always wary of using his smart phone overtly in public. Nothing about our general demeanour screams wealthy, except of course, the colour of our skin …
It is frustrating, that at times like these, you expect to be able to approach the police for help. You’d assume that’s our right as tax and law abiding residents (with residency cards to prove it!), but of course you can’t. It is so important that you never lose sight of the fact that Vietnam is still a developing country, ridden with poverty.
I love Saigon, and this incident hasn’t shaken my love for the Vietnamese population in general. The number of friendly locals we’ve met certainly out-weighs the hostile ones. I think it’s just an important message to send out to any expatriates or travellers passing through any developing country. It’s easy to say, “that will never happen to me” (we’ve been saying that for 2 years ourselves) but it can happen and when it does, you unfortunately just have to accept it and move on. It’s a cruel reality, but life’s just too short.
I could hear the music pumping the moment I stepped out of the lift. Secretly hoping it was my students having the party, I skipped down the hallway. Sure enough, as I walked into my classroom, I was presented with balloons, food and drink on the tables and a huge bouquet of flowers on my desk. Not to mention the handful of students having a good old Karaoke session. I just manage to take in a breath before all my students noticed my presence and burst into a round of applause. Never a huge fan of being the centre of attention (*cough cough*) I actually felt nervous as I walked down to the front of the room.
I’ve had final lesson celebrations before and I’m no stranger to the odd gift or card from a student (as I talk about here in a previous post) but I’ve never had my students go so out of their way to make a fuss. It was so thoughtful of them. What made this act of kindness particularly special for me was the fact that this was a beginner class. Just 8 weeks ago I was teaching this bunch of teenagers how to say their age and nationality and now, here they are writing notes like this to me:
Lets ignore the spelling error of my name for now …
But really, it shouldn’t be me that takes the credit for their achievements, they have come such along way in the past 2 months and it is solely down to their hard work and determination. As I’m sure teachers all over the world will agree, it’s a rarity to find a dedicated class of teenagers. But these guys were just that; they made my job a breeze. As they shouted “thank you teacher” and offered me some Jollibee fried chicken, fries and ice-cream, I couldn’t help but think, “it should be me that’s thanking you guys”.
**Although, my stomach did beg to differ a short 4 hours later (Vietnamese fast food is the work of the devil)**
Teaching is tough, even at the best of times, especially with a youngster class like this one, but its moments like this that makes the late nights, lesson planning and exam marking totally worth it.
An old colleague sent me this video of Saigon in 1945. I especially love the old-style cyclos and the prominence of the Áo Dài! Incredible how things have changed since then.
Cô Kerri 