January 14, 2002
QUEENSTOWN, NEW ZEALAND
Adventure capital of the world.
Hey, so since we last wrote, we spent a day driving westward to chase the sun down and went to Franz Josef. It was raining in Queenstown so Kim and I detoured towards the West Coast where it had been raining the week before (this prepared us for lots of outrageous waterfalls). We took our time driving through Arthur's Pass National Park which lies across the Southern Alps, Greymouth (a coastal town), past Shantytown, through Hokitika to get to Franz Josef by evening with a gorgeous view of the Franz Josef Glacier.

Next morning, we woke up early to head to the office where we put our boots, ice gear & extra layers on to get on a chopper that took us 3 km (about 2 miles) up the glacier ridge. There, we landed atop the blue ice and began our little trek around the glacier, through the ice sculptures, a little ice hole, and between some slick blue ice walls. Kim and I went camera crazy and took lots of photos that you will soon get to see. Hike over, back on the chopper, back to town, and then back in the car for the most amazingly spectacular drive we've ever (or at least me) been on.
click photo to go to album


The drive was dramatic with lots of waterfalls, lake views with mountainous backdrops, and beautiful panoramas. We stopped at Thunder Creek Falls and Fantail Falls before passing the Haast Pass which is the main divide between the western and eastern sides of the Southern Alps. We took a slight detour to Lake Wanaka to stop for food at the very charming small town, and onward past the most beautiful Lake Hawea as the sun set across the mountains across the lake and causing the like to shine. Kim and I made it to Queenstown by nightfall and spent our first day here on a tour to Milford Sound which is actually a fiord - the 14th of 14 along the coast. It even has a Mt. Kimberly with a waterfall whose name starts with S but we can't remember and it's height is 3 times that of Niagara falls, which appears unbelievable in sight because of the sheer size of the rocky mountains around it.

Queenstown is gorgeous with Lake Wakatipu as its center (our hotel window faces on the water), and the Remarkables - an incredible mountain range that runs directly on a north-south line on earth. Tomorrow Kim and I have a full day of adventures which we shall remark upon if we're not beat, and the following day we attempt to get to Kaikoura for some whale watching.

New Zealand is incredibly beautiful - I've never seen a country like it. I could die here.
Life rocks.
We are both really happy here down under.

January 11, 2002
CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND
We've arrived in New Zealand and it's COLD! In the low to mid 50's and I'm not used to it. Plus, I've only got one long-sleeved shirt with me so I'm borrowing some clothes from Justin's mom - we're staying at the McErlains' nice home in Christchurch (Justin's parents).

Turns out we're on a pretty tight schedule here, but if all goes well, Kim and I will be on a Glacier heli-hike tomorrow - that is, a helicopter ride over the Franz Josef Glacier and then a two hour hike over the ice and crevasses.

Since we last wrote, Kim and I spent the 8th and 9th in the Wooroonooran National Park south of Cairns hiking in virgin rainforest. Our first day was about 14 km through rugged terrain climbing over fallen trees, through prickly branches, and over boulders to get to camp nearby a small waterfall. The most common form of wildlife we saw was a gigantic spider in her huge web across our path (many times). We refilled our water at the fresh water rivers and after doing that, jumped in to cool off from the incredible heat we felt from the strenuous hiking. Kim and I decided that "We're fit!"

About seven hours after we began our journey into the forest, we made it to camp where we hung our hammocks and discovered what it feels like to be leeched. YUCK. Kim and I both got several leech bites (as did others) and it was a pretty nasty experience, especially the part where you have to grab and yank 'em off your skin. Gross. Norm, one of our tour guides, told us that if you want to be bitten by anything, it's a leech, because they're so clean. No thanks.

In the morning we woke up to a nice hour hike to the Muchupa (sp.?) waterfall, the best one we'd seen since we were in Australia. We got into our swimmers (that's what they call suits here) and had a nice cold blast of water to wake us up. Swimming underneath the waterfall was one of the highlights of our trip in Australia, as we were surrounded by the rainforest and its unique sounds. We asked Peter (our funny guide) what Muchupa means in Aborigine. He said "Mom eats dad." After another thought, he said "cow eats dad" and we decided we were better off trusting Norm with our questions. Back on track with camp packed up, we made it out of the rainforest after about 12 km of climbing uphill to the finish. We made it - even with our injuries. Injuries? Well, minor, but they hurt like hell. Kim's feet slipped out from under her on one of the boulders by the waterfall and she landed on her tailbone - who knew that it hurts your butt to sneeze? Now we know. I on the other hand, slipped on a rock and nearly face planted into another but managed to keep my nose off the rock and instead hit a shin. My next injury came when we had to climb onto a log to cross the river. My knee went up and - oops - discovered a log. So, bruised and battered (and there are a lot of spiky ferns in the rainforest, mind you), we made it out alive and well and returned safely to Cairns.

About 10 hours after returning to Cairns, we left for the airport at 4 a.m. to get to the airport for Sydney for our layover to Christchurch. Once at the airport, we discovered to our great dismay that my connection was unconfirmed (even though we were told it was earlier) and the flight was overbooked by 14 passengers. Not happy with my travel agents, Kim and I rushed to the Qantas counter at the airport to get myself onto the Christchurch flight. Gary, the supervisor on hand who looks a lot like Anthony Hopkins, was kind enough get me onto that plane. Phew! With all of that over, Kim and I headed to town to do BridgeClimb - climbing to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, about 438 feet above the water. Very cool experience and great views. As soon as we finished with that, our nonstop selves returned to the airport and got on our flight to Christchurch, arriving at my friend Justin's parents' house at about 1 in the morning.

It feels so good to be in a home and not in a hotel - the McErlain's are taking great care of us, feeding us, warming up the beds with the electric blankets, and warming up our bath towels on the great towel rack warmer. We spent the day in town browsing around and taking the historic little tram.

We're in a bit of conflict with the weather, but we've decided to change our itinerary so we can chase after the sun and avoid the rains where we can. After the glaciers, Kim and I will head to Queenstown - the Adventure Capital of the World. Don't worry moms and dads - we're not stupid enough to go bungee jumping.

All right - good night to all - we've got a long drive ahead of us.

CAIRNS, AUSTRALIA
January 7, 2002
Cairns is soooo HOT. The further north you go, the hotter it gets - that's what happens on this side of the equator! In just two days, Kim and I have an unbelievable lot to tell you. This morning we headed up to the Kuranda Scenic Railway built a hundred years ago through the Atherton Tablelands from Cairns to Kuranda, a small village that is inhabited by many aborigines. The railway went by Creek, and Barron Falls, but unfortunately the waterfalls were not falling because of the drought in recent months - 60mm of rain instead of their usual 600 at this time of year! We spent time at the Heritage market and the Butterfly Sanctuary and wandered through town before taking the SkyRail back to town where we went to the Tjapukai Aboriginal Park. There, Kim and I both tried playing the didgeridus and practiced throwing boomerangs, and Kim even practiced throwing spears. Interestingly, the targets are kangaroo silhouettes in lieu of America's typical human target. We got back to the hotel where we had to prepare our bags for our big rainforest hike tomorrow where we'll be camping at the top of another waterfall.

Yesterday, we flew in over the Great Barrier Reef (magnificent from the airplane) and into Cairns. We dumped our things at our hotel and headed out for our half day tour on the reef. We started in the "yellow submarine" - a really touristy sub type thing with glass below and to the sides. We got some great views of the reef at Green Island and Kim even got a cool video with her new digital camera (go mom! we said). Looking like funny frogs, we got our snorkeling gear on and went snorkeling in the reef - Kim saw a shark and we high-tailed it back to the shore. After mustering up a bit more courage (and getting used to breathing through our mouths and not our noses), Kim and I headed back out in the water and managed to finally get the hang of snorkeling (saw a parafish and others) by the time we had to leave.

Back on the hydrofoil, Kim had a canned rum and cola - recommended by Todd, one of our skippers - and I had the lemon lime with vodka premixed in a can as well. Good ideas, we thought and not bad, either!

So it's time to stop as we're running out of time. There was much more to blog about but we'll get to it later as we're both being eaten by bugs. (p.s. I had a Morton Bay Bug last night. You will have to wait till we get back from the rainforest to find out what that is).
Hani & Kim.

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
January 5, 2002
Finally, Kim and I have our Celsius menu in front of us so you can read on and be envious of our first meal in Australia. For starters, I was given a shrimp bisque and Kim had the Roma Tomato & Saffron Tea Consomme in a tea cup. Very yummy complimentary gift of the chef. For our primi piatta (first course for those of you who can't translate), Kim had the Roasted Tomato, Pepper & Egglplant Roulade, Marinated Goat Cheese, Tapenade, & Olive Bread. Sounds good, eh? I was served the Roma Tomato & Saffron Tea Consomme with Basil & Zucchini Tortellini. Kim and I are getting hungry just repeating our menu to you. Oi vey. Okay, secondi piatti (second courses, if you haven't caught on) - for Kim the Pan Roasted Ocean Trout Fillet (without the Grilled Scampi because she has been cursed with a shellfish allergy), Dill & Fennel Vinaigrette. Me, I had the Grilled Swordfish on Kipfler Potato, Asparagus & Black Fungi, Cabernet Vinegar. AND there's more! Our third course (I forgot how to translate "third") was Grilled Aged Grain Fed Fillet of Beef on Asparagus, Roasted Shallots & Trompettes de Mort for Kim and for myself Pan Roasted Rib Eye of Lamb on Spiced Egglplant, Roasted Garlic & Grape Tomatoes, Basil Oil.

We haven't even gotten to dessert yet and it's a good thing we skipped the Cheese course!

We were graced with another complimentary dessert starter which was so amazing, we were talking about it for days - panna cotta with fresh raspberries and a strawberry sauce. Next, our cappuccinos came out with the truffles and petit fours. We finished off with passionfruit souffle served with mango ice cream and fresh whipped cream!!!

It's time for Kim and I to go have another dinner now. We're starving!
We've had at least four or five meals of comparable grandeur for a fraction of U.S. prices! Someone recommended to us yesterday to just become fruit pickers to stay in this country and travel and eat. I think I could do that...

Okay, now that you've got all that in mind, here's how we've been burning off the calories:
Today Kim and I walked all around Brisbane, beginning at the Queen Street Mall where we each purchased additional luggage to carry home all the damn gifts we bought for you. Then we crossed the Victoria Bridge over the Brisbane River where we walked along a beautiful bricklined path at the Brisbane Arbour area with purple bougainvilla vines overhead. We browsed through the Saturday Market (buying your gifts to fill our luggage) and went by a really funny artificial beach along the riverside called Brekka Beach (something like that) where the locals seemed to thrill in the chlorinated pool-beach.

We walked onward across the brand-new Goodwill pedestrian bridge (back across the Brisbane River) to the Botanical Gardens which we're sure would've been gorgeous in Spring. That's a lot of walking - enough to burn off one of those dinners. Now it's time for us to refuel with another dinner in Brisbane.
Cheers to good food, good wine, and the good life.
Kim & Hani

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
January 5, 2002
On the road yesterday, Kim and I went to Mt. Warning yesterday and wanted to trek up to the top of the mountain to be in the spot where the sun first hits the eastern coast of Australia. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, we realized it would be a 4-5 hour hike and we would've been caught in the rainforest at nightfall so we settled for a short hike (for "training"), caught a glimpse of the rainforest, came across a few wild turkeys (no wombats), and heard an array of cool bird calls.

Kim and I did, however, manage to go to the lighthouse while at Byron Bay where walked to the easternmost point of the Australian continent.

This morning Kim and I had a taste of toast with VEGEMITE, quoted in the song by Men at Work. It's a Kraft brand product and is basically the leftover yeast from beer. Gross. We both give it a thumbs down. We did manage to get a free hashbrown for smiling at the waiters, and will do a nice little walk around Brisbane and the Brisbane River this afternoon that the waiters recommended. So far, all the food we've eaten has been amazing and CHEAP compared to the States. Kim and I have had Italian, Thai, Indian, Australia (which is like fusion cuisine), and Japanese food. The Australians are great cooks and they have wonderful presentation - we haven't been disappointed by a single meal.

Oh, I forgot to tell you guys - Kim got to feed a giraffe at the zoo in Sydney. That was cool. We also saw a Tasmanian devil who gallops around (he doesn't look anything like the cartoon), an echidna who waddles, a dingo (looks just like a domestic dog), a platypus (funny creatures they are), and wallabies and kangaroos.
Okay, that's all we can remember for now.
More to come (you can bet on it).
Kim & Hani

BYRON BAY, AUSTRALIA
January 4, 2002
We drove up much of the coast yesterday, stopping at Hawkes Point for a good overlook of the ocean (and short hike for our "training"), as well as taking a scenic drive from Hunter Valley further up north. Kim and I drove through a smoky area, with small fires on the side of the road, and blackened forests as well. There were firemen out on the roads and we later found out on the radio that the PCH had been closed off in the area we drove through a few hours after we passed. The bush fires are mostly further out and have not curtailed any of our trip, however, it was very sad to see all those trees dying so close by!

We stopped in charming Coffs Harbour for some fish & chips, and caught the sun setting over the harbour but unfortunately, all hotels and motels were booked solid so we drove onward toward Grafton where we stayed the night and have just duly arrived in Byron Bay - major beach town. We'll hang out at the beach for the morning & afternoon, then head to Mt. Warning - a volcanic plug - where we'll hike up to the first spot where the sun hits the Australian Coast. Cool, huh?

By evening, we'll be in Brisbane (where dad tells me there's the bluest sky he ever saw - of course, that was back in the 60's) to spend a couple of days there before we fly to Cairns for our rainforest adventure. Off to the BEACH!

HUNTER VALLEY, AUSTRALIA
At the library.
January 3, 2002
Kim and I have just enjoyed a lovely morning eating breakfast by the vineyards in Hunter Valley, one of Australia's oldest viticulture areas. We did a speed tasting tour of six wineries yesterday as soon as we arrived - I managed with purchasing only one bottle of wine while Kim's damage was much more severe - eight bottles. We think we'll have to consume a couple before we fly onward so as to lighten her load back to the States. The vineyards and countryside here are beautiful and we've been met with sunny weather. Each vineyard has its unique charm and many have rose bushes that line along their roads.

Yesterday we rented a car - and Kim and I have perfected the use of the windshield wipers - the turn signals are on your RIGHT! So we at least warn all the cars around us that we don't know what we're doing and then they can steer clear. We've managed to stay on the correct - that is, the LEFT - side of the road most of the time. On the right turns, we remind each other: "Go to the FAR side!" It's definitely a blog experience, we declared, to be driving on the wrong side of the road.

Before leaving Sydney, we went to see the Shackleton Adventure on the largest IMAX screen in the world - eight stories high - about the trials and tribulations of the Antarctic voyage of 27 men - which made the AIDS ride look like a cinch. We also managed to have dinner in under an hour - quite speedy for these Australians! Our dinners generally take nearly two hours (usually more) and are generally about four or five courses. It's a good thing Kim and I are "in training" for our rainforest trek so we've managed to walk a lot of it off.

Now we head further up the Pacific Coast (also Route 1 here) on our way to Byron Bay, where we will (maybe) stay the night. We'll try blogging from the road!
Cheers,
Hani & Kim

BONDI BEACH, AUSTRALIA
January 1, 2002!!!
Last night we had another exquisite dinner at the hotel restaurant before heading down to the Circular Quay and the Sydney Harbour / Opera House courtyard area to watch the fireworks over the Sydney Harbour bridge. I have lots of pictures of the Opera House - too many: Opera house from the ferry, Opera house from the bridge, Opera House from the quay, Opera house with New Year's Eve Crowd, Opera House with Hani in front, Opera house from the east, Opera House from the west, opera house with fireworks, Opera house with full moon, and so on. Kim took her own set. We ended up meeting a bunch of Columbians who were there studying and headed to Hyde Park afterward for some salsa dancing (at least for the Columbians), which they were all born to do and I was not. So Kim and I turned in early, leaving the park close to 2 am so we could get an early start today.

The Sydney bush fires caused a bit of haze and smoke our second and third days here, but by today it's completely cleared up although it's a bit hotter than the last few days. We just got back from Watson's bay, which has a nice eastern seaside small town feel to it, and where there's The Gap (perhaps namesake of the clothing brand?). Kim and I just walked ourselves to the beach, will check out the lay of the land, and set more to report later as we're both ready to get to the sandy front and out of this internet cafe!

Now to the beach - Kim and I are going to be sure we "Stay between the Flags" and I suppose that means "within the shark nets" as neither of us would like to be dinner for Jaws tonight.

Happy Happy New Year!!!

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
December 31, 2001

Kim and I set foot on Australian soil two days ago and so far managed to get ourselves into a five star hotel only blocks from the Circular Quay and started off with a magnificent dinner that I will describe in detail later! Our days have been full - we've hung with some sharks, seals and man rays and touched an anemone at the Sydney Aquarium. We took a cruise around the bay, had a massage at our excellent japanese restaurant during lunch, and we head to the zoo this afternoon. More to blog later.

Hope you all have a happy happy new year!
Love,
hani

Bangkok, Thailand.
December 27, 2001

I've arrived safely and I swear, the hotel must have a cable or DSL line, AT LEAST ! for I am not left waiting for byte by byte to download.
I'm at the Narai hotel, and will rest for an early morning awakening to head to the Grand Palace, a load of Wats, and a walk through Chinatown. Am not feeling up to much right now for wandering the city alone at night as it's my first night and it feels so incredibly foreign. Am not much in the adventuring mood yet. That'll kick in when I go hiking in the rainforests in Australia. Or maybe by daylight over here. I'm right in the heart of downtown on Silom Road, which is great - everything is really in walking distance.

It's strange - how foreign Asia really is to me! Although in Bangkok, the roads are much better - more like in the States and the variety of cars and vehicles is similar - I keep seeing my Honda Civic everywhere, which is a rarity in Saigon (Saigonnese who own Hondas usually get the higher end Accord). Of course, the language is totally new and so is the script. Gratefully, everything is also in English.

Prices are relative to that in Vietnam, and bartering is similar common practice. Hopefully I'll be better at it here than I am in Vietnam. I'll mostly do some sightseeing, and doubt I'll do any shopping since I don't want to lug it all around Australia with me. On the way back, I am only here overnight for about 12 hours so doubt that I'll head back into town.

OK. A shout out to my peeps back in Saigon. Gone one day and already, I miss them. You know who you are.
Love
Hani

Saigon, December 25, 2001
Christmas does NOT feel like Christmas here. I had chicken noodle soup for dinner tonight and I'm exhausted - I'm going to bed soon.
Spent all night playing cards (teaching Gin Rummy & Hearts to my vietnamese friends) and then went straight over to the Mekong Delta and across the new My Thuan bridge which was built in conjunction with (or by) Australia. It was a 3 hour drive that really resulted in a small boat ride to a lychee orchard, and then back 2 hours to Saigon.

In my exhaustion, I fell asleep while grammy was talking to me earlier about past life events, after she told me that my brother (Forrest Gump) got a 100% raise and how that good news has made her aching bones a little bit less achy. So, good night. I'll try to log on from Australia.
h.

by the way, emails are always appreciated.
you've got the address.
knowing what you're all up to gives me incentive to actually keep blogging, even if you're just describing a visit to the grocery store. It makes me less homesick!

saigon, december 24, 2001
so tonight i'm going to a vietnamese christmas party - who's to know how it'll be, but i'll send a report afterwards.
tomorrow i head to the mekong delta with cousins Hung & Heather only for the day. Reports on that as well. should be fun.

day after i gather things for the trip to australia and then i'm off down under
hope you're all enjoying your holidays
cheers,
h.

I've added the Halong Bay photos and I'm working on the Perfume Pagoda ones...
Sapa Valley photos to come.
H.

Okay, just got through writing a blog report when the computer crashed. So, in brief – I’m hanging out here with Hung and Heather who’re visiting from Northern Cal (Hung is our first cousin on dad’s side) and I get to speak ENGLISH and it’s GREAT.

Bought my one-way ticket on Thai Airways today to Bangkok – I travel on Thursday and then leave on Friday for Sydney (arriving Saturday morning) and meeting with Kim at the airport. Then we’re off to enjoy some rainforests, hiking, camping, coastal driving, snorkeling, maybe some glacier walking and we’ll pass on the bungee jumping.

Hope you all enjoyed your latkes without me, and the rest of you I’m wishing juicy turkeys for Christmas.

Happy New Year, all! I’ll try to write from Sydney!
Love, Peace, and JOY
HANI

Nha Trang photos are up!

I added photos to the Hanoi link - check it out again.
I'm moving Chuong's stuff in tomorrow & the day after, holiday party at the ex-office, and running around to the Consulates to get my visas for Thailand and Australia (none needed for New Zealand!).
will be spending only one full day on my own in Bangkok before heading down under. Anyone have any suggestions?
h.

Saigon.
It's late. Sorry you had to read about such boring topics as moving into a new apt. However, much is going on, and I've little time on the computer nowadays as I am retired and do not own one.

I will ink more later.
h.

Saigon, December 18, 2001.
Okay, and how cool does THIS sound for Australia:

Rainforest Adventure Hiking
Day 1 (LD):
Travel up the Goldsborough Valley to the Atherton Tablelands. Spend the day trekking along ancient Aboriginal rainforest trails. Swim in crystal clear mountain streams and explore the rainforest before reaching camp for the night, at the top of a 50 metre waterfall. After a hot meal and discussing the days events, snuggle into your sleeping bag and waterproof hammock for a good nights sleep under a canopy of stars and suspended over a luminous mushroom plateau, in the middle of an ancient rainforest wilderness.
Overnight: Hammock Camp
Day 2 (BL):
Experience the joy of waking up to a myriad of bird sounds in the wilderness. After breakfast and a relaxed start to the day set off to explore one of the last unspoilt rainforest areas left on earth. Returning by a different route we cross mountain streams and pass magnificent waterfalls in the shadow of Mt Bartle Frere. At lunch, swim and relax at the Upper Chucka Lunga crossing, leaving in time to walk out and return to Cairns.

Let me answer that. VERY cool.
I will tell you all about it.
Hani

A forward from my sister, Kaly. It's a Thomas Friedman editorial from the New York Times and worth the read:

December 9, 2001
Ask Not What . . .
By THOMAS L. FRIEDMAN

News anchor Tom Brokaw tells the story of meeting a young New York City fireman a week after Sept. 11. The fireman had just participated in a memorial service for some of his fallen colleagues and the two of them talked about the tragedy. "As I said goodbye," Mr. Brokaw recalled, "he grabbed my arm and his expression took on
a tone of utter determination as he said, `Mr. Brokaw, watch my generation now, just watch us.' " As the author of the acclaimed "The Greatest Generation," the story of the World War II cohort that saved America from Nazism, Mr. Brokaw told me he knew just what the man was saying: " `This is our turn to be a greatest generation.' "

There is a lot of truth to that. I have nothing but respect for the way President Bush has conducted this war. But this moment cannot just be about moving troops and tracking terrorists. There is a deep hunger in America post-Sept. 11 in many people who feel this is their war in their backyard and they would like to be summoned by the president to do something more than go shopping. If you just look at the amount of money spontaneously donated to victims' families, it's clear that there is a deep reservoir of energy out there that could be channeled to become a real force for American renewal and transformation - and it's not being done. One senses that President Bush is intent on stapling his narrow, hard-right Sept. 10 agenda onto the Sept. 12 world, and that is his and our loss.

Imagine if tomorrow President Bush asked all Americans to turn down their home thermostats to 65 degrees so America would not be so much of a hostage to Middle East oil? Trust me, every American would turn down the thermostat to 65 degrees. Liberating us from the grip of OPEC would be our Victory Garden.

Imagine if the president announced a Manhattan Project to make us energy independent in a decade, on the basis of domestic oil, improved mileage standards and renewable resources, so we Americans, who are 5 percent of the world's population, don't continue hogging 25 percent of the world's energy? Imagine if the president called on every young person to consider enlisting in some form of service - the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, Peace Corps, Teach For America, AmeriCorps, the F.B.I., the C.I.A.? People would enlist in droves. Imagine if the president called on every corporate chieftain to take a 10 percent pay cut, starting with himself, so fewer employees would have to be laid off? Plenty would do it.

I don't toss these ideas out for some patriotic high. There is a critical strategic point here: If we are going to be stomping around the world wiping out terrorist cells from Kabul to Manila, we'd better make sure that we are the best country, and the best global citizens, we can be. Otherwise, we are going to lose the rest of the world.

That means not just putting a fist in the face of the world's bad guys, but also offering a hand up for the good guys. That means doubling our foreign aid, intensifying our democracy promotion programs, increasing our contributions to world development banks (which do microlending to poor women) and lowering our trade barriers for textile and farm imports from the poorest countries. Imagine if the president called on every U.S. school to raise money to buy solar-powered light bulbs for every village in Africa that didn't have electricity so African kids could read at night? And let every one of those light bulbs carry an America flag decal on it, so when those kids grew up they would remember who lit up their nights?

The world's perception of us and our values matters even more now, and it is not going to be changed by an ad campaign, or by just winning in Afghanistan, as important as that is. It will be changed only by what we do - at home and abroad. This war can't end with only downtown Kabul on the mend, and not downtown Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles. Remember: the victims on Sept. 11 were a cross section of America - black, white, Hispanic, rich, poor and middle class - and that same cross section has to share in the healing. If we've learned anything from Sept. 11, it is that if you don't visit a bad neighborhood, it will visit you.

The first Greatest Generation won its stripes by defending America and its allies. This Greatest Generation has to win its stripes by making sure that the America that was passed onto us, and that now claims for itself the leadership of a global war against evil terrorists, is worthy of that task.

Mr. President, where do we enlist?

-Thomas Friedman, New York Times, December 9, 2001

Spent most of today running more errands for the apartment.
In between, I invited my entire office to Dong Du Cafe for lunch, 11 of us, and ice cream for dessert.
Yum.

Saigon is a small world. Today I met a french man who knows my aunt and he recognized me from a restaurant wherein I had dinner the other night. "Tres forte, sa presence," he exclaimed. Then I met a couple who has been to my parents' home in Arlington and the guy is a first cousin of my now former boss from my job here in Saigon.

Life is generally good. I'm planning a few more trips over the next weeks. I'm getting things done in Chuong's apartment. Soon it will be livable!
Oh, and I saw Hung and Heather a couple of days ago. Hung is our first cousin (his mom is dad's sister) who lives in northern California and they're in town for a visit. Hopefully we'll head to Mui Ne together before the holidays. More to write, but I'm feeling lazy.
h.

Just posted a few pics of Hanoi from my first trip...

Sai Gon. December 16, 2001
Have just spent lots of time over the weekend eating good French food with dear French friends and working on improving Chuong’s (my) new apartment. I carried a chair up to the third (Asian third is like European third which is American Fourth) floor even though the cab driver didn’t think I could do it. Hell, I used to lug the mountain bike all over New York up and down the subway stairs (why does one take subway when one has a bike? Ask a NYC biker in training). I can carry a chair up a few flights of stairs.

The ugliness in the apartment is slowly subsiding with small improvements. Hopefully by week’s end, I’ll be able to move in, although I still have much to do before I go to Australia.

Vietnam is funny right now because there are Christmas decorations everywhere. Although there are quite a lot of Catholics here, almost all Vietnamese celebrate Christmas for fun and they are sooo un-P.C. about it all – they don’t know about dreidels and Hanukkah here. But it’s odd to see Christmas trees and garlands while it’s still in the upper 80’s and we’re all in shorts.

Kim and I are getting the details ironed out for our trip to Australia. We’re going to try to drive up the coast, go to a rain forest, do anything cool that we encounter and head to New Zealand. I’m also going to squeeze in a trip to Bangkok in the beginning of my trip, and spend two days there. So cool. I can’t wait.

It's nearly 3 am. I'm still online 'cause Kim - who is going to Australia & NZ with me - and I have just decided to skip Melbourne so we can go scuba diving in the GREAT BARRIER REEF in Cairns. HA! We're spending New Year's in Sydney. It's summer in Australia! (Not that it isn't tropical here, but hey...)
cheers
h.

December 12, 2001.
A day and a half off and besides sleeping in, i've been pretty busy.
Last night, Chuong and I went to the remembrance ceremony commemorating the 3 month anniversary of the attacks in America, held at the US Consulate here in Saigon. It was brief, though moving, and I'm glad I went. I then dropped in on a friend's holiday party where we had an authentic turkey & homemade stuffing dinner. I was THRILLED. For an evening, I felt like I was back home.

I spent all day today running around town with my friend Tina (my former boss's wife) to buy lighting, shelving, furniture, linens, and everything else I’ll need to be comfortable in my new apartment. New apartment? Oh, it’s Chuong’s, really, but he’s out of town about three weeks a month and his place is yards away from Dong Du Cafe, smack in the middle of the city center (about 100 meters from the Opera House). So, as his lucky auntie, I get to be the official housesitter and interior decorator. [sigh of relief!] Finally, my own space!

Once I’m finished dealing with the construction and cleaning, I’ll be ready to move Chuong in at 10 am on Saturday morning (mid-lunar month) which we’re told is a “prosperous” day for us to move him in according to the laws of geomancy. His friend Phung is bringing the fruit and incense to offer to the Buddhas and then I can let the movers bring his stuff up. I told my friend Lan to get me a bag of rice – it’s what mom and dad give us when we move into a new place – symbolic for always having food on the table.

I’m trying to upload as many photos as I can for the albums, but I don’t have much time. I’ll try to get the rest up by Monday.
I am still being eaten by mosquitos.
xo,
H.

December 11, 2001.
I've been damn busy so sorry to the last 10 hits... I've only had time to change a bit of the blog look, but none to update.

In brief:
I stopped working.
I am on vacation until March or April.
I am going to Bangkok, Australia, and New Zealand from December 27 to January 18.
I am going to eat like a queen for the Tet holidays in Vietnam.
I am going to Angkor Wat in January.
I am returning to the USA on February 18.
I am going to Dalat, Danang, Hoi An, Phu Quoc, and the Mekong Delta sometime in between now and my return.
Life rocks.
H

December 6. Saigon.
i'm working out new templates and looking for some color palettes...
of course, also recommended by the lovely Lisa, who introduced me to Blogger in the first place!

Oh - AND DID YOU NOTICE? NO MORE ADS!
Lisa has generously sponsored my site to be AD FREE!
So a round of applause and bacione for Lisa, since you guys don't have to see those pestery things anymore...

Saigon, December 4, 2001
I’m at the office – on another deadline as we send films out day after tomorrow. I plan on working till around the 21st and then, if all goes as planned, head down under. If I can help it, I’ll spend Hanukkah in Vietnam, Christmas in Australia, and New Years in… New Zealand? Flights from VN through Bangkok are only about $600 to get to Australia. That’s as cheap as NY-CA!

Last week I went to see the London Festival Orchestra at the City Opera Hall. It’s a beautiful building, built in 1900 most likely by the French. It’s very western and made me feel (a tiny bit) like I was back in NY listening to live orchestral music (and I wasn’t in a loud horns/soft strings dead spot like in Avery Fisher Hall). There was a bird fluttering around the dome near the upper tier of the hall – I actually wondered if it was a Vietnamese stunt or a poor trapped bird. By the time we were through with Tchaikovsky, the bird disappeared just at intermission.

Life goes on in Vietnam. It’s still hot, though it’s winter. That means bearable heat, opposed to unbearable heat. Much construction continues in Vietnam, including the main road along the Saigon river where we live. They’re working on expanding the road and gentrifying the area over the next two years. It also means that a lot of people will lose their businesses and their homes (on property that actually belongs to the government anyway, but then again – the government owns all the property in Vietnam).

Oops. Mike just popped up on messenger. I’ll finish up later!

All right – word just in on what a blast Lisa's brunch was. For the New Yorkers that missed Lisa Kirt’s fabulous Sunday Brunch and Holiday Studio Sale in Brooklyn today, YOU STILL HAVE ONE MORE CHANCE! And if you have good taste in design, and a stomach for authentic Italian pastries, then you MUST present yourself at Lisa’s on Sunday, December 16 for your chance to get gorgeous KleinReid Ceramics and a first hand visit of their studio.

Here’s the excerpt of Lisa’s invitation (extended to all of you), and you ought to RSVP (to lkirt@yahoo.com) to make sure you get your share of the pastries!

you are warmly invited to my annual december brunch and holiday studio sale

for those of you receiving this email for the first time, this is your chance to buy near perfect seconds and discounted firsts at KleinReid, designers and producers of hand-cast porcelain. dansk has produced several lines of KleinReid dinnerware, they've been profiled in the nytimes, their work has been featured in every major design magazine, and their vases are sold at fine stores around the world. all objects are useful, beautiful, and affordable (prices start at $10). and the boys are from OHIO! go figure!

italian pastries, coffee, juice, holiday salsa & jazz at my house, then visits to the studio, which is just one block away. you can drop in any time either day. you can also
just come over to hang out or mambo in my kitchen with me -- shopping is optional. and i can point you toward bedford avenue, if you want to check out the hip shops and cafes.

i'm doing two brunch/sales this year, to offer people more options -- and to try in some way to make up for the fact that KleinReid is not opening its own store (read here:
economy). it's been a hard fall for everyone, and artists are no exception.

here's the scoop:

sunday december 2
AND
sunday, december 16
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

RSVP by responding to this email with the date you'd like to attend. feel free to forward this email along, and to bring friends. the more, the merrier. ALWAYS.

566 metropolitan avenue, #4 / williamsburg, brooklyn / 718-963-0879
lorimer stop of the L train / metropolitan ave stop of the G train

detailed directions upon request - my house is just 10 minutes from union square.

and you can also check things out on www.lisakirt.blogspot.com (I’m clickable)

So, on my recommendation, GO! And you will NOT be disappointed!

I will write more about Vietnam when I can find more time, as I seem to have left some of it in Hanoi. Just back from a 2 week vacation and we're preparing for films for the new magazine so I'm off to get more work done (I have to remind myself sometimes that I'm retired, and this is really just for fun...)

November 26, 2001
If you have an online log or website, click on Link & Think which is dedicated to World AIDS Day (December 1) and connect your site!

I have been back at the office only one day though it feels like an eternity. I heard from the bike tour company today that they will be sending applications at the end of December so it is still hopeful that I can be a bike tour guide in Europe. Of course, that all depends on how the tour season might turn out this coming summer. I'll keep hoping and we'll see.

I ran into my aunt's fortune teller at Dong Du Cafe today and she wanted to tell me my fortune. Since I was in a hurry and on my way out the door, I told her my fortune to save her the trouble - that I'll only encounter happiness and ease and luck in my life. The others around her asked if that was true and she said "you can see it in her face" so I guess that's a good thing, huh? I didn't have time to tell her the rest of my future - that I'll never be rich in dollars but I'm rich in family and friends, and that I'll be happier working with people outdoors or in schools or other meaningful places, and not in 9-5 office buildings. I'll especially be happy if I could be a bike tour guide in Italy and France next year. We'll see how lucky I really am.
h.

Sai Gon, November 24, 2001
Jeff has just headed back yesterday and stopped in Singapore. We had a very full trip that began in Hanoi with beautiful weather. We took a day trip out to the Perfume Pagoda outside of Hanoi and hiked two hours to the cave pagoda. The highlight of the trip is the boat ride to get to the Pagoda path. I'll send pictures, as I can't really begin to describe it to you.


A couple of days spent in Hanoi, and I also met with some friends in the north. I saw a surprisingly well performed play in Vietnamese while Jeff got caught up on jet lag his first day in Hanoi. Another evening, we went to see the water puppetry, a traditional and ancient Vietnamese entertainment.

We headed to Halong Bay on Monday for a day trip. There are over 1500 islands that dot the landscape and small grottoes and caves worth exploring. The Vietnamese tourism has done some work to assist tourists, but they've only managed to make the caves look a little bit like the It's a Small World ride at Disney World.


Sapa Valley is a wonderful cultural exhibit and we went with a small tour (seven people total) where we had the opportunity to sit with some of the local ethnic minority families of the H'mong and Dzay tribes. It was like a field trip to the Museum of Natural History, only real and contemporary. We hiked three hours our first chilly day there, and five hours on our second day, which happened to be sunny and beautiful. Jeff and I took the overnight train back to Hanoi and I froze for the 10 hour trip in my bunk as it was only 12 degrees Celsius on the train and I hadn't a blanket.

In Saigon, Di 10 treated us royally and had wonderful meals prepared for us, as I had expected she would. All vegetarian / seafood dishes and lots of Nelly Natural Italian Ice Cream. Jeff and I spent a day going to Cho Lon (Sai Gon's Chinatown) where we rented cyclo drivers who took us around the city to seven different pagodas.

Mr. Ngoc & Mr. Thuong, directors of Saigon Mui Ne Resort paid same kindness and VIP treatment to us in Phan Thiet. They invited us for drinks at the bar, then dined with us, and Jeff was given all the free Nelly ice cream he could consume. They also gave us a sauna & massage treatment on the house, and a souvenir t-shirt to each of us. We again were met with great weather, and were able to take side trips to the Cham temple, the red sand dunes, and the Mui Ne bay.

After rest and relaxation on the beach in Mui Ne, Jeff and I headed back to Saigon and home where we had a very beautiful Thanksgiving seafood lunch ("like eating at a gourmet restaurant," Jeff says). We then headed back to the city to run our last errands, go on a final shopping spree, and eat auntie's great pizza and gnocchi at her restaurant for our Thanksgiving dinner before getting home to get packed.

Friday morning we were off to the airport, and although I had hoped to get to Dalat to meet up with Chuong in the afternoon, flights were full and so I said goodbye to Jeff at Tan Son Nhat International and played hookey from work for the day. Our trip really seemed to fly by, and in some ways, it's hard to believe that Jeff was really here in Vietnam! It was wonderful to hear my native English and to be able to really go around Vietnam like a tourist with Jeff. I have lots of pictures to show for it!

Anyone else interested in visiting? I'm running out of time here (and mom and aunt 5 and aunt 8 are all coming in January)

Sai Gon, November 19, 2001
I'm back in Saigon with Jeff and we wandered about a little bit today. We spend another day in Saigon and then on Tuesday head for Phan Thiet / Mui Ne to the beach. It's late and everyone in the house is asleep but I can't rest, though tired. However, I am too lazy to really write much except to say that Jeff and I have been able to visit Sapa Valley, Halong Bay, and the Perfume Pagoda in northern Vietnam. Much to report that I'll send later.
h.

Hanoi. November 13, 2001
Jeff and I are okay and traveling well. We leave for Sapa Valley tonight by night train and arrive there early in the a.m. tomorrow. We had a relaxing day today since it rained (our first day of rain as we've had beautiful and perfect weather these last few days) and each had a massage. Yesterday we were at the renowned Halong Bay and got beautiful landscape shots of the countless limestone structures jutting out from the sea.

We heard the bad news today and it's sombering, but we are moving forward with our travel plans despite how depressing the news is.

On Friday we return to Hanoi and will head southward. Till then, H.

November 7, 2001.
Saigon. In the midst of a deadline. I’ve been at the office late. It’s nearly 9 pm and I still have much to do before we prepare films tomorrow. Jeff is really on his way (got an email from him while in transit in Seoul) and I’ll see him on Friday.

Can’t wait. More later
Hani

Belated posting
Saigon. November 5, 2001
Just back from a long weekend in Nha Trang, one of Vietnam’s coastal towns, with Chuong. I left the office at 2 on Friday and was sitting on the beach in Nha Trang by 4. The flight is less than an hour, and the airport is about 200 meters from the coast. Chuong picked me up from the airport and took me straight out to the Café Lousiane where we hung out on the beach chairs in the unseasonable sunny weather we were lucky to have. We then dropped by some friends’ where we were staying, and later in the evening went back out around town. Chuong also took me to the Ana Mandara resort – one of Vietnam’s nicest – where we sat at a private table on a dock and shared Grand Marnier’s with the full moon and its glorious reflection.

Our weekend in Nha Trang met us with perfect weather – it rained only at night or while we were indoors – and we managed to take a little motor boat along the Cai River, where Chuong owns some property. He also drove me all around the small town by motorbike along the main roadway where kids play soccer in the middle of the street. Nha Trang is really sweet, but unfortunately, it’s undergoing a lot of construction. Chuong and I have decided that what each town in Vietnam needs is an Aesthetics Director. The Vietnamese have supremely bad taste in quite a lot of things, and the construction of a WATER PARK along BEACH FRONT property is typical of their inanity.

Chuong was raised in Nha Trang, and half the town still knows his father. We had a jellyfish noodle soup at a place he frequented for 40 years. I also got to go to Hon Chong, a rocky overlook near a small bayside area of the ocean (I’ll send a few photos later) and had snails, cuttlefish, and clams by the shore. Sunday afternoon we spent outside of the city at Anh’s house, a friend of Chuong’s, where we had a local dish called “Goi Ca.” It’s a salad dish with fresh fish and endives that you roll in rice paper and dip in a special soupy egg-drop sauce. By late afternoon, he and I were back on the plane to head for Saigon and I was ready again for western cooking (this time, I’m craving good salsa and enchiladas).

I’m back in the office with a book to layout by Thursday and a flight to catch on Friday. It looks like Jeff is coming for REAL and we’re gonna visit the north by week’s end.
H.