Ed and Karen Rock Hanoi, Vietnam

Lombak Island

2011-05-22T03:52:00.000-04:00

Karen thought it would be a good idea for us to take the Public or Discount ferry from Gili T to Lombak Island. You can clearly see the island from Gili but it was a lot farther away than you would think, as we were about to find out. We walked the half K up the beach road to the dock and bought our tickets, which at 10 IDR clock in at about a buck ten.
The boat was leaving right away. We could see the little ferry rocking back and forth in the surf and I was suddenly worried. This was not the sturdiest looking vessel I had ever seen. We were told it had a 25 person capacity. I was thinking it would be a little tight with 25 people but shouldn’t be too bad. Karen and I got on early and took a seat towards the front of the boat. We then watched with our concern growing, as goods and equipment were also loaded on the boat. We watched horrified as person after person got in or on the boat. At last count there were well over forty people stuffed inside, on top of and on the side of this rickety inboard motor boat.
“These are exactly the kind of boats you hear about sinking on the news” I said just as we pushed off. We sat patiently as the captain spent five minutes trying to get the engine to turn over. Finally the motor roared to life and lilting dangerously to the right, we sped off toward Lombak Island. The entire trip, luckily, only took 25 minutes.
We landed, luggage in tow, and attempted to get a taxi. A real taxi, not an animal powered one. This island was much bigger and had actual motorized vehicles on it. We hooked up with a British girl who was going to the same area as us, so we decided to share a taxi. I stood back in the shade while Karen and the Brit bartered intensely with the taxi driver. Eventually an acceptable price was agreed upon and we set off. It was a good thing we were not traveling by horse because the drive took an hour by car. On a positive note, it was one of the prettiest drives I have ever experienced. The entire ride was made up of winding roads through the mountains that had expansive panoramic views of mountain peaks and ocean below. Truly stunning.
The resort is nestled in a valley with oceanfront acreage. Literally in the middle of nowhere, there was not a lot for us to do except enjoy the ocean and the pool at the resort. We eventually got a little stir crazy and decided to take a taxi to the nearest town and try to drum up some excitement.
As soon as we got out of the taxi the sellers surrounded us. “look here boss!”, “Check it out boss.” They overwhelmed us. I immediately got claustrophobic and pushed my way passed them, trying to be as polite as possible. I know it is how they make their living, but the aggressive hard sell while competing with other sellers doing the same thing is a bit much for anyone to take. We escaped to a market where there was a live performance of Indonesian stick fighting going on with much fanfare surrounding it. We tried to see it from the ground but were not very successful. We decided to hop into one of the restaurants with balconies overlooking the grounds.
The view of the stick fighting was great, but the best surprise was the food. We dined on calamari rings and steak that was delicious. We left the restaurant bursting with fantastic surf and turf. The sellers were at it again and we fought our way through them and into a taxi to take us back to the resort. We found ourselves fairly stressed after the short little trip into town. It is too bad that such a wonderful place has to come with such an aggressive human element. Don’t get me wrong I understand that these people are just trying to make some money from the tourism, but I don’t know if I would ever return to this place due to their overbearing tactics.
Anyway, I am sitting at the pool bar looking out at the ocean as I write this and am thinking that maybe the sellers aren’t enough to keep me away from here after all. It is a truly beautiful place. Karen grows impatient with my blogging so I am going to sign off now and join her for a late afternoon cocktail on the beach.
Cheers for now,
Ed

Gili Trawangan Part 2

2011-05-22T00:33:00.000-04:00

We checked out of our hotel the next morning and went directly to the resort where after a short delay checking in, we were in the pool and relaxing at full capacity for most of the afternoon. At some point in the afternoon we took another attempt at the beach but unfortunately it was the same situation. Sharp shells and sharp coral all over the place sucking every ounce of enjoyment out of the ocean, once again. We decided the only way to enjoy this ocean was to be underneath it and booked a scuba dive for the next day.
We pulled ourselves out of the pool at 7pm and decided it was time to eat. A couple of showers and a quick change later we were once again eating some BBQ on the beach. After eating we found ourselves a nice private table facing the ocean where we just enjoyed the sound of the water and the moon reflecting off of the waves until once again the days sun and fresh air took it’s toll and the best day we had had so far came to an end.
The second day at the resort began with a buffet breakfast followed by some more soaking in the beautiful pool bar. At one PM we were on a boat and heading out to a dive site with some other folks and a few guides to ensure everyone who was going our was going to come back. Due to my oversized lungs and air gluttony, I was given a steel tank that held more air than the aluminum tanks everyone else had. We went down as a group of five. Karen, myself, a couple of newlyweds and our guide. Once again the current was incredibly strong and we just let it take us where it wanted to. The dive was fun, if a little uninteresting. There wasn’t a lot to see at the location that was chosen for us. The dive lasted 39 minutes and I began to feel ill immediately upon resurfacing. This feeling was to last for quite awhile as fatigue and nausea stole my second day from me. I spent most of that day recovering in the hotel room.
Our third and final day at the resort was much better. I woke up feeling much better and embarked on a day of drinking at the pool. Karen joined me later and we met a fun group of people. Michael, Erik, Tommy and Pinkey. They were American, Swedish and Australian respectively. We stayed at the pool bar until they kicked us out and then we went across the street to the beach bar where there was a band playing. Karen and Tommy talked me into getting on stage with the band and singing “Sweet Home Alabama” with Tommy doing backing vocals. We then made our way to a Japanese restaurant where we had the best sashimi I have ever eaten. Karen and I lasted until midnight when we left the younger folk to their own devises and headed on back to our hotel. It was an even better day than our first day at the resort and a perfect end to Gili T, as in the morning we would be taking a ferry to Lombok island.

Gili Trawangan Part 1

2011-05-22T00:23:00.005-04:00

After a good night’s sleep we were both bright eyed and bushy tailed The drive to the dock from our beach was much more peaceful than the trip from the airport to our beach, and I didn’t fear for my safety once. We purchased our tickets from the counter and then it was hurry up and wait for the fast boat to be ready for departure.
A couple of cups of coffee later, we were on our way to the boat. Karen and I were the first on board and secured seats at the back for the two hour water trip to Gili Trawangan , or Gili T as it is commonly referred to. We anchored a few meters from shore and had to jump into the surf up to or knees, holding our bags above our heads as we sloshed on to the beach.
It was hotter than a stove top in hell and we were sweating immediately. We made our way to a café next to the beach to get a drink and some lunch. This was the first of our unplanned days and we had no place to stay. After lunch, Karen suggested I stay put while she scouted out some possible accommodation for the evening. When it is as hot as it was on this particular day, Karen knows that I am liable to take the very first place we look at so we can dump our luggage and begin to relax. She rented a bicycle and took off, leaving me to a book and some cold beer. I would stay there for two hours.
Karen returned, red-faced and dripping with sweat. She had pedaled the length of the beach stopping at every hotel along the way, only to hear the same response. “sorry we full today”. We had made the mistake of arriving on the afternoon of a full moon party to be held on the beach that night. There was hope, however, as she had heard there were some vacancies in the other direction at a place called Ozzie Beach Bungalows. After a short breather, she made her way to the opposite end of the beach to look into this rumour. I bid her goodbye once again as she hopped on her squeaky bicycle and disappeared down the road.
Gili T is known for it’s quaintness and laid back nature. The first and most obvious aspect of this is the fact that there are no motorized vehicles on the island and even the taxis are horse drawn. The other thing that you notice right away are the sheer amount of beautiful people walking around half naked. I am talking about perfect little packages of well-tanned humanity. It doesn’t do a lot for the self esteem of a fat, old bastard like me to be surrounded by so many young, fit and attractive people. I suppose that is why the good Lord created alcohol.
I was well into my cups when Karen returned with the good news that there was indeed, room at the Inn. I finished my beer and hopped into a horse drawn buggy with our luggage and Karen following behind on her bicycle. Twenty minutes later we were shown to our bungalow. It was a comfortable bed and nice bathroom. The only problem, which we were to learn was an island wide scenario, was salt water showers. Oh, and the bathroom was actually outside.
We settled in quickly and hit the beach. There was much disappointment to follow as the beach, while pretty, was composed of a combination of rough sand and razor sharp pieces of coral. The difficulty of walking on the beach was further compounded by a vicious current that pushed you around like old Vietnamese women at a bread counter. This was bad news indeed. After tearing our feet up for a little while, we decided to call it quits and grab a drink at one of the many beachfront bars and café’s. Karen had to return the bike that she had rented for only three hours, so she left to do that, while I found a table and ordered a drink. No more than five minutes after sitting down and Karen leaving, the skies opened up and a massive wind hit the island. It rained heavily for an hour and Karen showed up in a horse taxi about twenty minutes into the storm. We waited out the weather at the café and then decided to check out the rest of the island.
Our age interfered with a long night of DJ’s on the beach for the full moon party and we ended up having a bit of bar-b-que and a few more drinks taking in the sunset. Karen used an internet café to book our remaining days on Gili T at a resort called Hotel Villa Ombak. We would have one night in our little bungalow and then enjoy the rest of our stay in relative luxury at a fairly affordable price. Once again the sun, travel and drink wore us down and we were in our room and ready for bed by ten PM. We slept peacefully through the raging Full Moon party that went until 5am the next morning. It is a sad state of affairs as just a few short years ago I would have been one of those stumbling sacks, walking zombie like off of the beach as the sunrise chased me to my bed. Old age is a hateful bitch.

-E

Bali

2011-05-20T01:21:00.000-04:00

The airport in Bali was much the same as Malaysia with the big difference being wait time at Customs and Immigration. We sailed right through and were out in the open air in mere minutes. No busses or trains for this leg of the trip, however, we just sauntered over to the taxi counter and paid a fee for a direct drive to our hotel room.
I spent my first twenty minutes on the streets of Bali fearing for my life. The taxi driver drove at such reckless and terrifying speeds that I gripped the “Oh Shit” handle with all my might. Speeding up to the rear bumper of cars in front of us only to slam on the brake at the last possible second, avoiding collision by millimeters. White knuckled and pale faced, we finally turned on to The 66 section of the beach front where we would be staying. Karen, consummately prepared as ever, had pre-booked us into the Tune Hotel, in an effort to minimize expense on this leg of the trip. Tune hotel advertises itself as a 5 star bed with a 1 star cost. The bed was quite nice. Of course, a bed was all there was. It was the smallest hotel room I had ever seen, just big enough to walk around the bed and enter the bathroom, which was just a swinging glass door. Fair enough, as we did not come to Bali to hang about the hotel room.
The beach was incredible. White soft sand as far as you can see. The waves were massive and there were many surfers out on the water taking advantage of the early breaks and long rides. Kicking off the flip-flops, Karen and I walked along the waters edge for a long time before settling into beach chairs and just taking in all of the sounds and scenery. The beach touts were out in droves all selling the same thing. Henna tattoo’s, cigarettes, bracelets and knick knacks. My polite nature kept them hanging on longer than normal and I had to harden up fairly quickly. It is harder to be a jerk when people are as friendly as the Balinese. In Hanoi it is very easy to tell someone to piss off, as they are generally nasty and indifferent. The sellers on this beach were all smiles and polite conversation. After the fourth or fifth occurrence where the exact same questions were asked about my place of birth, length of stay etc, It was beginning to ruin the enjoyment of the beach that I had travelled so far to get to. I adopted the hard look and stern “no” practice that kept them mostly at bay.
We spent the first day shopping, swimming, eating and drinking the local offerings. I was disappointed with nothing and had a great first day.
Day two in Bali had us a little more adventurous and we rented a motor bike and drove ourselves to Kuta beach, which is the touristy area. We stopped at a money changers and got ripped off through some magician like slight of hand, that was a lesson well learned. We watch them like a hawk now. The sand at the beach was rough and brown and not nearly as enjoyable as the beach where we were staying so we opted to sneak onto a resort and pretend to be guests. We spent the afternoon lounging in their pool bar and drinking Bing Tang beer. It was here we noticed our purse was about 300,000 IR less than it should have been. We worked out that we had been hustled and decided not to let it ruin our day. We left the resort and headed to The Hard Rock Café where we could only afford to order two draught beers due to our misfortune in dealing with the tricky money changers. I talked to the manager about possibly having The Props do a show there. We hopped on the bike and headed back to the good beach, where we showered and changed before going to the beach to watch the spectacular sunset. After another good meal in another good restaurant, we were once again exhausted and in need of a good night’s sleep, which we got in our tiny little hotel room. We had another early morning wake-up call as a taxi was coming at 7am to pick us up and take us to the high-speed water ferry that would be transporting us to Gili T. We have one more evening in Bali at the end of our trip and I am looking forward to it. Bali is a beautiful, chill place and a great way to spend a few days and a few dollars.
Cheers,
E

Malaysia

2011-05-20T00:34:00.000-04:00

We departed early. I mean dairy farmer early. We entered our taxi at 5:45 am, still a little drunk from the night before. We make quick time to Noi Bai Airport and began the two and a half hour wait for our departure. We found ourselves in an Asian restaurant located on the top floor of International departures and cured our hangovers by proceeding to get drunk again. A few Tiger draughts and a bowl of Pho Tai Chin later we stumbled through security and immigration. We purchased some more cans of beer, sat down on uncomfortable metal seats and waited for the boarding call. We made our way across the tarmac and boarded the mid-sized plane. Karen and I got three seats to ourselves and were somewhat comfortable for the three hour flight to Malaysia.
We landed in Kuala Lampur and the first order of business, embarrassingly, was Mickey D’s where I had my first Big Mac in 11 months. Karen ordered the Big and Tastey while I got the Big Mac meal with an extra Big Mac thrown in for good measure. We were thoroughly underwhelmed by the cuisine served up at the golden arches and walked away Mcbloated and Mcnauseated.
We left the airport and made our way to the sky train, which would take us close to Central station where we could then walk to the MRT that would take us to our hotel for the evening. We landed at 1pm and after all the dicking around with transit, it was 4:30 by the time we arrived at our hotel. The hotel, which we splurged on a little for Karen’s birthday, was The Renaissance. It had a fantastic pool that we took advantage of before showering up and taking a walk around the city. After a long day of traveling and drinking we were bone tired and found ourselves in bed by ten pm the first night of our vacation. It was a very comfortable bed and a much needed night of sleep.
It was still pitch dark when out wake-up call shattered our peace and quiet and drove us from the cool comfort and calm of our bed and once again we found ourselves on foot heading for more public transport. It was back to the MRT which we took to Central Station and this time we decided on a bus, as it was early on a Sunday morning and therefore less traffic and it was a fraction of the price of yesterdays trip. I watched two episodes of Supernatural on my laptop and then we were back at the airport. McDonalds again, but this time for breakfast, which was much better than the dinner the previous day.
So here we are. Stanked up with airport au de toilette and awaiting the boarding call for our next three hour flight to Bali, I am wasting time by blogging for the first time in a very, very long time. I can’t wait to hit the sunshine and golden shores of Bali. The next entry shall be coming soon.
Cheers,
E

More kind words for The Props

2011-03-26T07:24:00.002-04:00

A great article written about The Props on the eve of our Album debut, "Year of the Horse" We also have our own website now if you want to check it out.

www.theprops.org
www.theprops.org

The Article
http://hanoigrapevine.com/2011/03/hanoi-ink-the-props-a-think-piece/

A great article written about The Props

2010-07-17T01:42:00.002-04:00

http://www.dtinews.vn/news/sports-_-entertainment/props-drop-debut-album-in-hanoi_3677.html ...CUT AND PASTE THE LINK OR JUST CLICK ON THE TITLE!!!

Cha-Cha-Cha Changes

2010-04-15T01:28:00.002-04:00

A few things have happened since our last post. Our long time roommate, Mark, has returned to Germany leaving the room on our second floor vacant, as well as the room on the top floor. We put an advertisement into the www.newhanoian.com and found ourselves some replacements. Now we have Elise(Holland) and JT(Australia), that are both currently taking a Celta course to become qualified English teachers. So, the living situation has changed drastically. The work situation is the same for me, working at Oxford English UK and Hanoi Hotel while Karen has moved over to ACET (Australian Center for Education and Training) She has joined the ranks of such illustrious teachers as Brady(Vocals/Harp of the Props) and Andrew "Vinyl" Vennemore (Guitar/Vocals of the Props) and seems to be enjoying her new place of employment.
On a sadder note, we have lost a member of the band. Tom Lancanster has left the Props due to family and work obligations. He was an invaluable member of the band, and his songs and presence will be missed by all. The props, as a band, are trucking on. We played the Hype festival as a four piece with a surprise appearance by the recently de-propped Tom, for the last two songs of the set. We are currently considering replacements for the irreplaceable, which will be no easy task.
The Hype show went over with a few hitches, but overall was an enjoyable experience. We shared the stage with Killa Kela and the drummer from Franz Ferdinand as well as some other hip-hop/DJ folks, The Backyard Dogs Van Ho Ba, The Hanoi Bossanova band and a crazy instrumental band called Gibbon Suburbia that came out in masks and fur and completely rocked the house. After we got off the stage Jagermeister was being offered to anyone who was interested and as usual, I was interested. The rest of the evening gets kind of blurry after that, but I was told I had a lot of fun.
That is it for now, other than anxiously awaiting the arrival of my Mother and Daughter to Hanoi in July, it is straight on work and occasional play until said arrival and a three week vacation that shall ensue immediately. Can't wait. Edwardo needs a vacation bad.
Till next time, Keep your grip loose and your eye on the ball but most importantly, try to kill it with every swing, otherwise it just ain't worth getting up to bat.
-E

Clogged Drain

2010-02-12T00:47:00.002-05:00

I haven't posted anything for a while so I might as well get back into the swing of things with an unusual one. We have a new roommate on the third floor of our house who went away to Bangkok for the week before Tet holiday. We went up to do some laundry, as the washing machine is in the bathroom on that floor, and noticed the sink was half full of really disturbing looking water. I attempted to unclog it with a wire hanger and was unsuccessful. Karen and I came to the conclusion, from the look and smell of the water, that he had thrown up in the sink and because of that the pipes were completely clogged. Instead of telling us, he went away for a week and left us to make this particularly gruesome discovery days later. We called the always helpful Ai and asked her to contact the landlord to send a plumber as soon as possible as Tet was only days away and we didn't want to deal with this for another 10 days. The landlord was there 15 minutes later. He showed up with a weather beaten plunger and made his way up to the third floor. He spent a few moments trying to force the drain to clear and then went at it with the wire hanger. He was as successful as I had been. This is where the story takes a strange and repulsive turn. Karen and I are standing directly behind this man, looking over his shoulder as he takes on the sink. ***I need to describe the third floor bathroom before continuing this story. There is a shower stall, a basin and the washing machine. The washing machine, basin and shower all empty into a drain in the corner of the room fed by pipes. There is no toilet in this bathroom.*** To the complete horror/dismay/surprise/shock/outrage of Karen and I, the landlord unzipped his fly and began to urinate into the drain. I didn't know if I should give the man some privacy or roll up a newspaper and whack him across the nose before rubbing his face in the mess he just made on our floor. In a true tribute to the level of desensitization that Vietnam has inflicted on us over the past 44 months, we simply walked away and went downstairs. the landlord came down and,because he doesn't speak a word of English, wrote a time for later that same day on a piece of paper. With that, his business was finished and he bid us a goodbye. " Ok, thanks for coming into our home and pissing on the floor, you disgusting animal." I replied cheerily. He nodded to me and hopped onto his scooter and sped out of our lives for the time being. The plumber came later and fixed the sink. To the best of my knowledge he didn't relieve himself on any the floor of any of our rooms, so we have that going for us. For those of you still checking in on us from time to time, Happy Tet and may the year of the tiger bring you much luck and prosperity.
Pray for our sanity,
-E

Thailand Ultimate Explorers

2009-09-30T04:26:00.003-04:00

We have sent in an audition video to be one of the couples selected for a contest being put on by Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). We recorded a video and threw in some of the video and picture we took in Bangkok on our previous trips. Now that we have submitted our application we just sit and wait and hope that we get chosen. It sound like an amazing opportunity and Karen and I are both hoping we get chosen. We would be brought to Bangkok and given an awesome vacation that we would then twitter, blog and facebook about while we are doing it. There are five teams competing and the winner of the five teams wins a grand prize. There will be a voting process over the next little while so stay tuned and help us become Thailand's Ultimate Explorers.
Clink on the title to go to the site.
-E

The New Hanoians take on Halong Bay

2009-09-29T05:48:00.002-04:00

The 1st annual Grass Roots and Bamboo Shoots in the Bay occurred on Saturday, September 26th. We gathered in Downtown Hanoi for some breakfast and coffee at 7:30 am on Saturday morning and waited to board the three buses that would be taking all 150 of us to Halong Bay. The trip was long but not uncomfortable and everyone was anxious to get on the beautiful junks, we could see awaiting our arrival, anchored in the bay.
After a short organizational stopover at the Bhaya building we were ferried over to the junks where we were showered with rose petals as we made our way onto the boat.We were led upstairs to the dining area and given a welcome cocktail. We all found a seat and listened while the organizer welcomed us and gave a short orientation speech.
Our names were called out and we collected our room keys.
The rooms were awesome. Private balconies and soft, plush double beds. It was so much better than any junk I had ever been on before. We quickly settled in to our room and hurried upstairs again to have lunch. I filled my stomach with surf and turf and then it was time to decide if we wanted to go swimming, kayaking or take a nap. WE took a nap.
I was woken up an hour or so later and told we had to head over to the cave right away to do soundcheck. I jumped out of bed and gathered everything I needed. I was still rubbing sleep out of my eyes as I boarded the little shuttle ferry for the 20 minute ride to the cave.
The cave, or Grotto if you prefer, was outstanding. It was massive and wide with steps leading up from the water. We took a few moments to take the amazing location in before getting down to business and doing soundcheck. With the help of Sean, soundcheck went smoothly and we were ready to have a cold beer or two by 5:30.
The rest of the people arrived about a half hour later to more rose petals and insane but very appropriate music creating a surreal atmosphere that everyone was quite taken with.
The Jagermeister, rum and beer were attacked with gusto and everyone was able to have a drink or two before sitting down to yet another wonderful bbq buffet. The band got changed and made our way to the stage after dinner. We played two 45 minute sets in the coolest location I have ever seen. With free rum, beer and jager flowing all evening, it can't be too hard to imagine that people got a little tipsy. DJ Kulture came on after us and spun tunes until they finally had enough and kicked us out.
We finished off the evening with some bottles of wine and some Bitburger beer on the top deck of boat 3. It was a fantastic ending to one of the best days I can remember having in a long time. Great work Eliot and the rest of the gang at New Hanoian and Bhaya cruises. Well done.

The Props Live at R&R Tavern

2009-05-26T13:18:00.008-04:00

Ed

This is my new band, The Props, playing at R&R Tavern last Friday evening. This is the fourth band I have been in since landing here in Hanoi. This band is, by far, more my style than any of the others. I enjoyed playing in all of the other bands, but The Props is more like the music I would be writing myself if I were currently writing music, which I'm not. Maybe I will start writing again soon if I ever get some free time to do so. Anyway, I am heading back to the candy cane stacks once again with my lovely wife Karen and we are hoping to see all of you a few times, at least, while we are there. We are only going to be home for just under a month so we have a lot of stuff to squeeze into that time frame. I look forward to seeing everyone and there is a second half of this video that i will post soon. I had to cut it in half as it was too large to post as one video.

Take 'er easy.

The Yard Dogs LIVE!

2009-04-12T12:22:00.004-04:00

I have enjoyed practicing with Mike, Simon and David for the past month or so. It has been a great way to spend a Sunday. We were preparing for a one time only show before Simon heads back to the UK and France for the summer. Our one show turned into two shows as we were invited to play for a benefit being put on for a poor local boy who has lost both hands and a foot trying to save a friend from certain death at the hands of a live power box.
The basement of Al Fresco's restaurant was filled with friends and acquaintances for the Yard Dogs first show. We had some help setting up the sound from Shaun, and we'd like to thank him for everything. It was a great evening that I am still recovering from as I write this. I am including a video of some highlights from the evening. Next stop, the Matador on Wednesday evening for an encore performance
-E

Just a post to show we are still alive and well.

2009-02-12T07:12:00.002-05:00

I have nothing exciting to write at this time. Be patient, it is coming. I will post this amazing quote by the legendary Hunter S. Thompson, I couldn't possibly say it better than he does....

Security ... what does this word mean in relation to life as we know it today? For the most part, it means safety and freedom from worry. It is said to be the end that all men strive for; but is security a utopian goal or is it another word for rut?

Let us visualize the secure man; and by this term, I mean a man who has settled for financial and personal security for his goal in life. In general, he is a man who has pushed ambition and initiative aside and settled down, so to speak, in a boring, but safe and comfortable rut for the rest of his life. His future is but an extension of his present, and he accepts it as such with a complacent shrug of his shoulders. His ideas and ideals are those of society in general and he is accepted as a respectable, but average and prosaic man. But is he a man? has he any self-respect or pride in himself? How could he, when he has risked nothing and gained nothing? What does he think when he sees his youthful dreams of adventure, accomplishment, travel and romance buried under the cloak of conformity? How does he feel when he realizes that he has barely tasted the meal of life; when he sees the prison he has made for himself in pursuit of the almighty dollar? If he thinks this is all well and good, fine, but think of the tragedy of a man who has sacrificed his freedom on the altar of security, and wishes he could turn back the hands of time. A man is to be pitied who lacked the courage to accept the challenge of freedom and depart from the cushion of security and see life as it is instead of living it second-hand. Life has by-passed this man and he has watched from a secure place, afraid to seek anything better What has he done except to sit and wait for the tomorrow which never comes?

Turn back the pages of history and see the men who have shaped the destiny of the world. Security was never theirs, but they lived rather than existed. Where would the world be if all men had sought security and not taken risks or gambled with their lives on the chance that, if they won, life would be different and richer? It is from the bystanders (who are in the vast majority) that we receive the propaganda that life is not worth living, that life is drudgery, that the ambitions of youth must he laid aside for a life which is but a painful wait for death. These are the ones who squeeze what excitement they can from life out of the imaginations and experiences of others through books and movies. These are the insignificant and forgotten men who preach conformity because it is all they know. These are the men who dream at night of what could have been, but who wake at dawn to take their places at the now-familiar rut and to merely exist through another day. For them, the romance of life is long dead and they are forced to go through the years on a treadmill, cursing their existence, yet afraid to die because of the unknown which faces them after death. They lacked the only true courage: the kind which enables men to face the unknown regardless of the consequences.

As an afterthought, it seems hardly proper to write of life without once mentioning happiness; so we shall let the reader answer this question for himself: who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?

- HST

Another year over, and a new one just begun

2009-01-04T22:01:00.003-05:00

It has been far too long since our last post and for that we apologize. We are now recovering from the week that was Christmas and New Years. We had as much fun as was possible considering the vast distances between us and our friends and family. R&R Tavern was our home away from home this holiday season. We enjoyed a wonderful turkey dinner on Christmas day with co-workers from Oxford English UK. Huong outdid herself with a fantastic meal that made us, if only for a short time, feel as though we were home enjoying a turkey dinner with all of the fixings. Next was NYE where we also celebrated the coming of the new year with friends at the bar. It was a good way to ring in the new year so far from home. Thanks again, to Jay and Huong for their efforts this holiday season. I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Years and we miss you all and were thinking of you over the holidays. I will do my best to not let so much time pass between posts.
Bring on the new year and year number four for the Merlins rocking South East Asia.
Ciao for now,
-E
Please enjoy this short video of clips taken by Karen over the past year on her cell phone.

40 Days and 40 Nights, well not really but...

2008-10-31T08:23:00.007-04:00

It has been raining here for more than 24 hours and it just won't let up. The flooding has become a real problem on the roads and I am starting to worry about our first floor. Karen shot some video of the condition of our city streets, and we apologize for the quality of the video as she shot it on her cell phone, but she did a great job of catching some of the madness at its worst. So here it is. The state of Hanoi as I am writing this, and it is only getting worse. Awesome.
Happy Halloween
-Ed

PS. Click the title for some pictures

Hanoi Rocks!! Regurgitator Live

2008-10-12T15:54:00.005-04:00

The show went down without a hitch tonight, and I had the best stage experience of my life. There were thousands of people in attendance for My Favorite Uncle's last performance. Yes, that's right, I said our last performance. Paul, our singer, is heading back to Australia and the band as we know it will be no more. It was fun while it lasted and I will remember it always. We brought in a whole new age of rock and roll to Hanoi, as until now, there had never been any shows like this before. I will always be happy to know I played such an important role in the bringing of rock to a place like this. there have only been three major shows in Hanoi this year and I played them all. Your welcome Hanoi, and I hope you keep up the good work. These people are desperate for good live music and I can't be around here much longer to bring it to them. So bring it y'all. Make the scene where there isn't one.
Regurgitator rocked the house and made it abundantly clear why they are professionals and the rest of us are just amateurs. They drove the Viets crazy with song after song of hard rock mayhem. I got caught up in it myself a little bit, I am not ashamed to say. The crowd was hungry, and we served up some prime riffs. I have never in my life, experienced such an enthusiastic and energetic crowd. They were amazing. I have included a video of the goings on this evening and Marty and Mel, I didn't get your autographs but watch the video all the way to the end, I think I got you something almost as good.
Chao for now,
E

(My 100th Blog) Last Show at Lo Su

2008-10-11T16:31:00.008-04:00

Yes, Ladies and gentlemen, it is my 100th blog and I am using it to display some video from R&R Tavern, our home away from home here in Hanoi. The bar will be moving to a new location and the venue will be changing a little bit. A few of us got together and brought the end out in style as we drunkenly butchered other peoples songs all evening long.
Thank you R&R, and Jay and Huong it's owners, for providing a hell of a nice place for us to forget we are in Hanoi, while we are there at least.
Stay tuned as tomorrow I am playing an outdoor festival with Australian power pop group, Regurgitator.

Keep on, keeping on.

Ed

REGURGITATOR!!!!!! WHAT? WHAT? YEAH BOY!!!!

2008-09-19T18:07:00.003-04:00

Alright, to be fair, I had no idea who this band was. I can not be blamed for this, however, as I am a North American, and as such I am not privy to this particular band. This is an Australian band. Those who like them, like them a lot. ( Nice right, An Alexander Kieth's reference, from Hanoi, in the middle of Asia. Who rocks? Me, that's who.)
I have heard Australians, and let us remember they are the only country in the world to be their own continent, tell me how awesome Regurgitator is. They are like Canada's Tragically Hip, apparently. So I am excited to announce that your's truly will be opening up for them at an outdoor venue where there are supposed to be 3,000 to 5,000 people in attendance. Yeah, that's not a lot, but I ask you, Have any of you played for that many people? I rest my case. I know some of you have, so shut up!
Regurgitator are being brought in by the Australian Chamber of Commerce, or Auscham, as they are lovingly referred to around here. I say lovingly because they rock! Having attended Canada day here in Hanoi and being bored to tears by the festivities, I must say, Australia knocked it out of the park for the Big Day Out. I am a fan of Australia now.
It will be a true rock-n-roll day, with an outdoor festival followed by a party back at the hotel. C'mon, that is awesome. I apologize if I am coming off as a bit of a braggart, but I am not there with you to passively-aggressively shit-talk my own work in hopes of you telling me how great it is. Ah Hem. Anyway, I am super stoked, and looking forward to a great night. I, of course, will be writing a blog about the evening so I hope you stay tuned.
Word to Big Bird,
Ed

2 years in Nam

2008-09-09T14:02:00.002-04:00

It has been two years since we landed on Vietnamese soil and still I haven't decided what I think about this place. I can tell you that I have never in my life felt more free than I have driving the streets of this Socialist Republic after midnight. I come from Canada, which is considered to be one of the most free countries in the world, and while I agree with that somewhat, I never would have realized how much fear I was carrying around with me while I was there. I would drive my car and feel afraid of speeding or if I had a beer or two that was always on my mind. While I was working, I was always afraid of being caught screwing around, like I always did, by my bosses. I was consciously aware of the fact that I was working for other people in Canada, where here it feels more like I am working for myself. There are so many things to fear in Canada that I was taking for granted until I left.
These people are barbaric, innocent, honest,unique,playful,ambivalent,creative and welcoming. I have complained long and hard about the Vietnamese over drinks at a local Western bar, but there is a sincerity with these people that I would be hard pressed to find anywhere else. Vietnam is like a second home to me, and especially now that we are discussing leaving here and going back to Taiwan, for a short time, before finally heading home to end this epic pilgrimage. I want to make the most of this situation and get everything I can out of these people and this place, by finally shaking off my Canadian hang-ups and pre-conceived notions, and just letting myself enjoy this chaotic and complicated country. I love Vietnam and I love the Vietnamese in a way that you love a long losing baseball team or an old beat up car you just can't let go of.
We are leaving. that is a fact and a foregone conclusion. Yet, I am already missing this place before I have even left it. It has ruined me in a lot of ways and I have a lot of changing to do, whereby I can even fit back in to the Canada I have left almost four years ago. It will be interesting, and I guess that is all that matters. we are short-timing now in Asia, and we will see where this road takes us. I can't wait for the trip.
-Ed

China Beach, Danang, Vietnam

2008-07-19T04:28:00.006-04:00

We decided, at the last minute, to travel with R&R tavern owners Jay and Huong and their two children Ross and Patty, to China Beach in Danang for a week of sun and surf. Some of you may recall China Beach from Apocalypse Now, it is the place where "Charlie Don't Surf". We spent four nights and five days in what may very well be the hottest place on earth. We arrived in Danang at about 5pm on Monday after a short flight from Hanoi. We shared a taxi for the fifteen minute drive to China Beach and were in the South China Sea by five-thirty. The water was a beautiful mix of turquoise and blue, framed by white sandy beaches with powder soft sand. We grudgingly removed ourselves from the water and went back to our hotel to change and shower before dinner. We returned to a little thatched hut restaurant, where we would be eating all our meals for the following week. Karen ordered a plate of king prawn and I ordered a standard Vietnamese dish of stir fried Beef and vegetable with a side of white rice. My food was alright, but Karen's Prawn were awesome. I hate seafood, and never eat it, but upon prompting from Karen I tried one and ended up eating half of the .5 Kg King prawns myself. Delicious. With full stomachs, we ordered a bucket of cold beer and spent the rest of our first evening sitting on the beach sipping cold Tiger beer, allowing our food to digest while listening to the waves crash on one of the worlds most famous beaches. The next day started early for us and we spent most of the day swimming and sitting on the beach. I, of course, got burned as I always do whenever I go to a beach. The heat was more extreme than I expected, with temperatures reaching 40+ and the sun was like a mean snotty nosed kid with a magnifying glass and we were the ants. Even Karen, who never gets sunburned, got burned the following day. Day three was much like day one and two, with the exception of heading up the beach about half a K, to a resort where the six of us ended the evening drinking cocktails and watching the most wonderfully absurd band I have ever seen. We went late so we only caught their final set, but it was amazing. It was a three piece Filipino band who were insanely enthusiastic and had a bit of a hard time with pronunciation of some of the words in the songs. I was truly delighted to hear, in their rendition of Another Brick in the Wall, "All and all we're just another brick"s" on zee wall" It was a great week. Karen tried surfing for the first time, but the waves were a little small that day and her attempts were futile. We did exactly what we wanted to do, be lazy on a beach, and got to experience a few new things. Surfing for Karen and The Final Touch band for both of us. The last thing I want to write about is our trip home. Karen,myself,Huong and little Patty left a full week earlier than Jay and Ross. We shared a taxi to the airport for the flight back to Hanoi. The weather had been perfect for the entire trip but sometime after we checked in and walked in to the departure lounge the weather turned nasty and violent. Our flight was delayed 30 minutes while the hardest downpour I had ever seen erupted from out of nowhere. The sky turned black and thunder began to shake the walls of the small airport and lighting lit up the skies. The worst had past but it was still storming when they called us to board the plane. I looked over at Karen and I said " I don't like this. " I asked her if she wanted to wait and fly out in the morning on another flight. She declined and said it would be fine. I conceded and gritted my teeth as we headed out to the tarmac. It was the first time I was actually afraid to fly. It was a rough take off and an even rougher landing in Hanoi where it was also storming. It was an amazing and frightening experience to be on a Vietnamese budget airline, with lightning arcing all around the plane as we made the roughest landing I have ever felt in my more than 40 flights. Well, we made it and it was a great ending to a memorable week. I have included some video. Peace out, homeys. P.S. Charlie still don't surf!
Ed

Cholera night boys! I've had enough.

2008-06-21T02:40:00.003-04:00

It took three years but I finally caught cholera! It was so much fun. I spent four days doubled over in pain punctuated by bouts of vomiting and almost constant violent diarrhea. Jealous much? I bet you are. Now that I am better, I miss it so much. I am going to start licking small denominations of currency in a bid to bring my new friend back. I hear 2,000 and 5,000 dong notes are the best for Cholera.
All joking aside, this was a hardcore illness that really messed me up for days. It made food-poisoning look like a silly head cold. I had to send Karen out of the house the first day it was so awful and our one bedroom apartment just wasn't big enough for the both of us. Luckily she has seemed to avoid contracting this nightmare illness,so far, and I hope to God she manages to continue to avoid it.
I had to cancel my classes for most of the week as I would have made for a piss poor teacher in my condition. It was not only debilitating in every way, but it cost me a considerable amount of money in lost wages. All in all, Vietnam bared her teeth and bit me in the ass. I will take every conceivable action to avoid ever contracting cholera again. One down, only Malaria and Dengue fever to go. I can't wait.
Now, moving on to a lighter side...
I have to post this picture of a moth I found on the window in our hallway. I want to mention that it is in no way doctored or photoshopped. This is actually how the thing looked. I tried to take pictures with our good camera but none of them came out. This picture is one that Karen took with her cell phone. It is the only one that does this freakish little creature justice. So here it is, ladies and gentlemen, let me introduce to you the Vietnamese Insanity Moth AKA Donnie Dark Moth

Short Update

2008-06-16T07:33:00.003-04:00

Hey folks.
We are sorry it has been so long since our last post, but to be perfectly honest with you there aint been much happnin. We have been existing in a routine of working and sleeping mixed with evenings at the pub. Nothing even remotely noteworthy since Bangkok.
The summer is fast approaching and a relaxed work schedule making for more free time may give us some new experiences to write about. Until then, We hope everyone has a great summer full of good times and better friends. Talk to you soon.

The Merlins

4 Days in Bangkok

2008-05-07T04:12:00.007-04:00

I went in to Bangkok with rather low expectations, I just figured that it was a big crowded, dirty city. It is those things, don't get me wrong, but it is so much more than that. We ate awesome food, drank beer on the street watching cars stop in lines so that elephants could walk down the road while their handlers extracted money from foreigners to feed the elephant by hand. It was bizarre ,stimulating, exciting and most importantly it was fun. I can't wait to go back to Bangkok as I already miss it terribly. I am going to spare you the long play by play I usually write after a trip, as I feel the video really speaks for itself.
Enjoy the short film,
Ed

4 Days in Bangkok

The Hanoi International Music Festival

2008-04-06T04:16:00.007-04:00

(Click the title above for Voice of Vietnam Article with an interview with yours truly)

The Hanoi International Music Festival was a celebration of the Minsk Club's 10th anniversary. For those of you who don't know, the Minsk is a soviet motorbike that has a cult status in South East Asia. These durable machines seem to be indestructible and while noisy and smokey, are driven with pride by expats and Vietnamese alike.
My day started off with a 9:30 am sound check in drizzly rain and grey skies. While we were not to see the sun for the entire day, it did stop raining and there was a wonderful breeze that kept the festivities cool and comfortable. After sound check I went back home to drop of the motorbike as I was planning on being in no shape to drive by the end of the festival. I came back at noon to see the first band play to very few people. When we hit the stage at 3:30 there were a few hundred people on hand. The show went well except for some problems with the last song. We had a great reception from those in attendance.
In the hour following our set, I was interviewed by Voice of Vietnam and had my picture taken by photographers from different publications. I was a bit of a Vinastar for the afternoon. I got a lot of great video and will be putting something together for the site. I will have to edit it for length as the file will undoubtedly be too large to post. Stay tuned for that video.
There was much drinking going on with beer stalls all over the place and a store next door providing cheap bottles to be smuggled inside. Everyone was feeling fine when the final bands took to the stage to disturb the entire neighborhood surrounding the American Club. But, considering we were on American soil, the local police did not have a lot to say about it.
This was the first show of its kind in Hanoi, and based on the size of the crowd, was a complete success. I hope that it paved the way for more festivals like it, down the road. Speaking of which, we will be playing another outdoor festival on May 10th called The Big Day Out, which is a bit of an Aussie tradition, we are hoping this years event will be the biggest one yet.
Bye for now,
Ed
P.S.
"In Minsk We Trust."

The Benefit To Our Benefit

2008-04-04T03:28:00.003-04:00

Rory Dwyer is a friend and a regular at R&R tavern. He got into an accident early one morning a few weeks back and ended up in a coma with severe head trauma. His time in Vietnam, at least for now, is over. With his medical bills piling up and an emergency medical evacuation from Vietnam looming, some of his friends decided to have a benefit to raise money for Rory and his family who flew over from Ireland to collect him.
My band, Your Other Favorite Uncle, offered to play some music at the benefit. I was looking forward to practicing the set we are going to play on Saturday at the International Hanoi Music Festival, (click on the title of this blog for more info)
However, to my complete surprise, on the evening of the benefit we found out that our drummer,Mel, had been called away to Saigon at the last moment. We played our set without a drummer until when for the last two songs, Thuy, the drummer for Maysons Children, (R&R house band) stepped in and played with us. It was a little rough as far as que's and whatnot as he didn't know our songs, but he kept a solid enough beat for us to rock out a little at the end. All in all it wasn't nearly as bad as I was expecting it to be, playing a set with no drummer. At least on Saturday we will be a full band for the large outdoor event that is pulling bands from Australia, the UK, Japan and Ukraine.
There was a raffle at the end of the evening where there were many good prizes raffled off. Karen and I sat as every prize came up and went to someone else. We watched as Zippo's, art, Leg of lamb, bottles of scotch and many more prizes were given away...to other people. It was time for the big draw for the trip for two to Bangkok, Thailand and a two night stay at the Westin. We held our breath as Tim, the MC, wasted time and fumbled about drawing out the anticipation of the crowd. Then suddenly he called the number 137....Ed. I was stunned. I actually won something from a raffle, and not just anything, but the grand prize. Needless to say, Karen and I were overjoyed. We received many "Congratulations ya lucky bastard."'s and other such nods. The only thing left is for us to pick the weekend we want to go.
As for Rory, the evening was also a success, with proceeds hitting almost thirty million by the end of the night. Good on ya, Hanoi expat community. Well done.
Talk to you soon,
Ed

The Flood Cometh

2008-03-28T07:54:00.003-04:00

We arrived home just after midnight and Karen, having to work early the next morning, went straight to bed. I hit the couch to watch some old House MD reruns. I was laying there enjoying the sarcastic wit of Dr. Gregory House, when I was alerted to a most peculiar sound coming from the kitchen. It was kind of like the sound a tire makes when you let the air out of it. I raised my considerable frame to a vertical state and went in to investigate. To my surprise and horror there was a steady stream of high pressure water shooting from the washing machine hook up. There is a bright orange lever attached to the nozzle so I turned it to the left. This action increased the force and the noise of the spray. I turned it back to where it was and called my landlord. It was 1:30 in the morning and I did my best to relay to him the importance of his immediate presence. After speaking for about two minutes I heard him say.. "Who is this?" I took a deep breath and tried again. This time dropping all subtlety. " Apartment 502! Upstairs. Emergency! Come up now!" He still was unable to grasp neither who I was or what I wanted. A few more attempts and I think I got my point across as he said he would be right up. The spray was getting bigger and I felt I could use another set of hands so I rushed to the bedroom and woke Karen. She was as coherent as the landlord for the first few seconds but came around much more quickly. She got up, obviously annoyed, and came with me to the kitchen. Her first instinct, as was mine, was to try the lever. She tried it a little too hard and the entire works came off of the wall effectively creating a fire hose in the middle of our kitchen. We were both instantly drenched with water and we shifted in to full on panic mode. The kitchen was filling up faster than the boiler room in that scene from Titanic, and we both had to fight off our instinct to flee to higher ground. The water had breached the kitchen and was now filling up the living room and making it's way toward the bedroom. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. I ran to let the landlord in, who immediately took control and found the turn off valve hidden behind the sink cabinet. We stood in three inches of water panting like overweight dogs on a hot day, and he had this air about him like I was a complete idiot for not just simply turning off the water as he had done. In my defence I looked for it and only found the one that turned the water on and off for the sink. Also, his delicate little Asian hands may have been able to reach behind the sink cabinet but I certainly would have drowned before squeezing my meatloaf sized fist behind that thing. The emergency was over as quickly as it began and I spent the next hour watching our landlord and his frazzled wife mop up our apartment. I would have much rather watched the ending of House.
Oh Well, at least I have it on DVD.
-Ed

Your Other Favorite Uncle

2008-03-19T01:42:00.004-04:00

And a tour of the new apartment.

My day as a Prisoner

2008-03-15T04:29:00.004-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen I am writing this blog as a free man. I found myself held captive at a school called Ocean Language Center for eleven hours. It was my own fault to a degree, as I willingly went along with them at first. But, I think I am moving to fast. I should start at the beginning.
There is a small city about two hours outside Hanoi called Viet Vi and I had an interview to be the DOS (Director of Studies) at a school there. I had my interview and all went well. I even agreed to visit the school and check out the city. We made plans for the following day, I was to be picked up at 1pm by a driver that was going to take me to Viet Vi to visit the Ocean Language School. My first instinct was to call off the visit after I accepted a job at Oxford UK language school, but I was curious and this opportunity may have been more lucrative for me. I felt my first of many reservations when the driver that showed up was a Mai Linh taxi. This is a small hatch back taxi that Karen and I never take because they are so crooked. I said Hello and sat in the backseat. I put my MP3 player on and settled in for a long drive. About 25 minutes in to the trip the driver pulls over to the side of the road and gets out. We were in the middle of farmland and I was a little nervous about this turn of events. I was relieved to see he was just relieving himself on the side of the road. I stepped out and lit a cigarette. Upon his return, and seeing that I was smoking, the driver became very excited and proceeded to pull out his pack of cigarettes to show me that he too was afflicted with the dirty habit. He invited me to sit in the front seat. I obliged and he rolled down both windows and for the next hour and a half he would chain smoke as we made our way over the treacherous roads to Viet Vi.
At this point I will mention that I was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, as I knew it would be a long drive and I wanted to be comfortable, also, based ON the conversation of the day before, believed I was only going to view the school and take a tour of the city.
I arrived at Ocean Language School just after 3pm and was met by the entire staff, as if I was some kind of visiting celebrity. Everyone shook my hand and bowed as they smiled from ear to ear. I was taken on a tour of the school, which in all fairness was fairly nice, and then led into a back office where I would spend the next hour fighting to understand what the CEO and Manager were saying to me. There was a lot of pressure and it felt like I had walked into a timeshare presentation. The desperation was dripping off of the both of them as they talked of all the time and money they had invested into this school and how their very futures rested on being able to bring in an experienced foreigner to run the academic side of things. It was just after that when he explained that the students were so excited to have a real English teacher in the classroom tonight. ( This is the point where if this was a movie you would here the sound effect of a needle being scraped across a record as everything came to a stop) "Excuse me?" I asked him. " It sounded like you just said the students were excited about me teaching them this evening?" " Yes. Werry, Werry Happy to see you tonight." Well, this was not good. I was not prepared nor dressed to teach a class. I hadn't stepped one foot inside a classroom for three months. I made it clear I was not happy about this obvious ambush and he backpedalled by saying it would just be a hello, meet and greet sort of thing. It was then that he decided to tell me it was too late to drive me back to Hanoi tonight, so he would put me up in a hotel and drive me back tomorrow evening. That was simply not going to fly. "Absolutely not. Do you understand me? I am going home tonight. I am not prepared to spend an evening here." He seemed visibly disappointed but agreed I would go home this evening. " After you do 5:30 and 7:30 class. We will drive you home." There was a menacing tone to his voice that made it clear my safe passage back to Hanoi depended on my teaching these classes. After a few long moments of silence, his demeanor changed back into a friendly, smiley one and he announced that it was time to go to dinner. I cant say I had any appetite as the entire time he was talking to me he would randomly belch, filling the air with a rotten smoked meat smell that had absolutely turned my stomach. My rising gorge, notwithstanding, I was lead toward the taxi again, stopping only long enough to grab a bottle of French wine from a box behind his desk. We drove a couple of blocks to a decent looking restaurant, where he proceeded, after my admission of an allergy to seafood, to order potato salad and fried dumplings. He uncorked the wine and poured me a glass. We clinked glasses and as I brought the glass toward my face I knew there was something terribly wrong. It tasted like vinegar and I could barely swallow the little bit I had taken into my mouth. The taste must have gone completely unnoticed by my host as he slurped noisily from the glass before swallowing and saying " It's good isn't it?" " Mmm Hmm." I managed blinking away the tears. I pretended to sip my wine as I attempted to eat potato salad with chopsticks. Finally the horrible meal was over and we made our way back to the school. My meet and greet had turned into me doing the first hour and the Vietnamese teacher doing the second. Completely unprepared I walked into that classroom and rocked the house. If he hadn't wanted me with every fibre of his being before that he definitely did now. I had an hour to kill before the next class, so I went for a walk and found an Internet cafe.
At 7:30 I was ushered into an adult class who were on their second English class and could speak no English at all passed Hello and Goodbye. Of course, nobody had told me this and after a ten minute introduction where I outlined my recent history and my origins. There was nothing but blank stares and the distant sounds of frogs and crickets floating in through the open window.
" What level students are these?" I leaned over and whispered to my host.
" This only second class." He beamed.
" So they didn't understand a word I just said, did they?"
" Oh No." still smiling.
" Take me out of here." I demanded.
Out in the hallway he told me that was not the actual class I was teaching, he just wanted them to see me. I then went on to teach forty minutes to adults that were about mid level and could understand the words that were coming out of my mouth.
Finally it was 8:30 and I made a bee line for the taxi. The manager caught me as I was fleeing and started to make many plans for the near future. " We will pick you up same time on Monday. Stay the week and we will drive you home on Friday."
" Yeah, sure. sure. absolutely. 100%" I would have agreed to anything at this point, I was so desperate to escape.
I got in to the taxi and the manager said "Wait, wait one minute." and ran back into the school.
" For the love of God, drive man!" I demanded to my driver, but he just gave me a puzzled look.
The manager returned with a bottle of the same awful wine we had at dinner and offered it to me through the open window. The driver and the manager then spoke at length in Vietnamese about money, and finally we were off. We were driving for about five minutes when the driver shocked me with English as he leaned over and said. "Very bad company. They, all day, no food or drink for me. Very bad company."
" Your preaching to the choir, brother." I responded.
He said he was really hungry and by the time we got back to Hanoi there would be no place open for him to eat. I told him to stop and eat somewhere. So that is how I found myself at a roadside stall after ten pm, drinking Bia Hanoi, and watching my driver slurp Beef Pho noisily as we bonded over the mutual screwing we both received at the hands of Ocean Language School.
It was an experience I shall not soon forget and a very valuable lesson learned.
Till next time, Take 'er easy.
Ed

Der Fluttermouse

2008-03-03T09:43:00.003-05:00

Our New Apartment

2008-02-25T04:36:00.002-05:00

Here we are, back again posting about another new domicile. I have lost track of the amount of houses, flats and apartments we have lived in over the past six years. The long wait is over, we moved in to our new place over the weekend. It is a fifth floor walk up and my legs feel like I ran the Boston Marathon. We will take a little video to show off the new diggs, but essentially it is a one bedroom apartment with a bedroom, (shocking eh?) kitchen and living room. The view is worth mentioning as it looks over the community of Tay Ho(West Lake) and the lake itself. It still has that new car smell as the paint was barely dry when we moved in. There are also brand new appliances that make us happy and the couch is not wicker or rosewood, so that is something. A Japanese style bed and huge closet make up the bedroom with a computer desk in the corner. All and all I am very happy with it. The only problem is they are renovating the building right next to us and it is 10 hours of construction daily until completed. Oh well, you can't have everything.
Peace out yo!
Ed

House Hunting in Hanoi

2008-02-21T05:30:00.002-05:00

TET is a strange and unusual holiday that all but shuts down Hanoi for almost two weeks. This left it impossible for me to pursue employment or housing for that period of time. Also, the real estate situation is unique as well. How it works here is that you need an agent that is your go-between lessors and lessees. Without an agent there is no way to view or acquire a place to live. Also, owners have to be licensed to rent to foreigners and the agent makes sure everything is on the up and up. In the past month we have gone through 7 different agents and seen a bevy of overpriced, wholly unappealing flats, apartments and houses for rent. The utter rubbish we have been exposed to in potential living arrangements has had a debilitating effect on both myself and Karen. It has been one bitterly disappointing showing after another. The expectations of these lessors are so inflated that we have walked out of showings laughing out loud at prices asked for small one bedroom apartments throughout the city. So discouraging has this effort been, that I am ready to simply pack in the search and continue to live in the hotel. As of this writing we have come close once to paying too much for a decent, but small, apartment that was snatched away from us at the last moment. Right now we are no farther ahead than we were when we walked off of the plane and into the taxi a whole month ago. Pray for us. We need all the help we can get.
-Ed

The Re-Arrival

2008-02-21T04:55:00.006-05:00

We have been back in Hanoi for exactly one month today. We arrived late at night on Jan 21st and within minutes encountered our first example of ineptitude by the Vietnamese. We went to a booking agent in the lobby of the airport to obtain transportation and lodging. We dickered over prices until finally settling on a price for a hotel (18$) and a taxi to Hanoi Centre (10$). We had discussed a couple of different hotels before settling for the one we did. She wrote the name of the hotel on our receipt and the address for the driver. We loaded our luggage into the taxi and settled in for the 30 minute drive to the Old Quarter. After thirty minutes of non-stop honking from our driver we found ourselves in front of the hotel. We showed the receipt to the girl at the front desk and she nodded that this was the place. We unloaded our baggage into their foyer and walked up to the front desk, passport and receipt in hand. Upon closer inspection by the staff they noticed the name of the hotel was different and we were in fact, not at the right hotel. After thirteen hours of traveling we were not impressed with this revelation. They apologized for the misunderstanding and asked us to come back and stay with them some other time. They also advised us their rate was 15$. We assured them we would be back the next day. We called another taxi and waited about ten minutes for it to show up. We loaded our bags into the back and gave him the proper address which turned out to be exactly a block and a half away. Once again we unloaded our baggage and checked in to the proper hotel. The room, of course, was on the top floor of a five floor building that lacked an elevator. We lugged our luggage up the five floors, took showers and immediately went to sleep.
The next day Karen went off to work at 7:30 am and I checked out of the hotel, packed our luggage into a taxi and drove the block and a half back to the first hotel to save a few bucks a day in rate. Once again I found myself on the fifth floor, but with nobody to help me lug the luggage. After settling in to the hotel, I called Danny, our Motorbike lessor, and set up a time for him to drop off the bikes. He advised he would drop mine off that very day but we had to wait for Karen's automatic as he didn't have any on hand. He dropped off the bike and the Hotel manager informed me he would have to charge a dollar a day for parking for the bike. The hotel was now 16$ per night. The rest of that day and evening went by without any major problems. The next day I got a call from Danny saying he had a MIO for Karen. He dropped it off at the hotel and the manager announced it was a dollar per bike(17$). Another day went by and we had a late dinner keeping us out until almost ten O'clock. When we arrived back at the hotel the owner was there and asked to talk to us. He informed us that he would have to ask us to leave the hotel because the staff quoted a price that was too low. He also said they didn't have room for two bikes. This turned out to be utter crap, as he was just offered more money for the room from other tourists. Once again, Karen went to work in the morning and I went out looking for Hotel Rooms. Four hours and many viewings(always on the top floor), I was exhausted and finally decided on the Sunflower Hotel, where we had stayed for ten days before we left. Their price (20$) per night. I went back to the other hotel and packed up all of our stuff once again and carried it alone down five flights of stairs. I called a taxi and headed over to the Sunflower. Upon arrival there, the staff came out and grabbed my bags and brought them up to the fourth floor, room 401 where we have been ever since.
Welcome back Merlins.
-Ed

The Strange and Wonderful Trip

2008-01-31T00:11:00.000-05:00

Oh Canada, how I miss you already. It was a wonderful month surrounded by family and friends. We got to meet little “Hank” Henry Chisholm and share his first ride in a car. I’d like to thank Ratty Dave and his wonderful wife Judie for putting us up at a most inconvenient time for them. My parents who fed and housed us for a full month and Karen’s parents as well for taking us in and feeding us well. Most of all, I have to mention the few weeks I got to spend with my beautiful little girl, Emma. I miss you so much already.
Christmas Eve. Christmas Day, Boxing day with the family and New Years at Raddie’s. We love you all and thank everyone for making it such a memorable holiday for us. We have had to say goodbye three times over the last few years but this one was definitely the hardest.
We left Canada on January 13th and prepared ourselves for another arduous two day journey across the globe. I must say, however, that the trip back went a lot more smoothly than the trip to Canada. The 13 hours in Heathrow airport was a little rough, but no more that what was expected.
So, enough about the trip, it is the destination that I want to talk about. We landed in Phuket at 8 O’ Clock PM on Jan 15th. It was wonderfully warm after a month in Canada and we couldn’t wait to get started on our 5 days on the beach. After two hours in a mini van with a lot of European tourists we were the last to be dropped off on Kata Beach. The hotel was nice and comfortable but after the trip we were so tired we could have slept at Heathrow again and gotten a proper eight hours. The next five days were awesome. Kata Beach in Phuket may have just replace Playa Del Carmen, Mexico as the answer to the “What is your favorite vacation destination?” that so many websites ask as a security question. Muay Thai boxing, Snorkeling and lots of sunshine filled the small but mighty vacation that rounded out our Holiday Excursion.
Now we are back in Hanoi where I am colder than I ever was in Nova Scotia, and there is no escape from the awful chill that finds it’s way in to your bones and sinks it’s fingers into the marrow. We are currently living in the Sunflower Hotel on 34 Hang Ga Street in the Old Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam. We have tried to find an apartment but apparently “Charlie” just shuts down the weeks leading up to TET and we have not been able to get any help from agents who have already switched to TET mode and do not want to work. So it looks like we may be spending the month here in the hotel. I have tried tentatively to find work but as with the real estate situation there is not much going on now. It looks like I will be unemployed until after TET.
So, loyal readers, I will sign out saying we are digging in for a long wet, cold winter in Hanoi, and I will keep you posted if anything interesting happens.
Happy New Year.
-Ed
P.S. The video has finally posted below.

The Great X-mas Caper

2007-12-17T08:22:00.000-05:00

As a lot of you already know, the Christmas trip to Thailand was nothing but a ruse to trick our unsuspecting parents into believing we had Holiday plans for Christmas, when in fact, we had plans to come home to Nova Scotia and surprise them.

Act One: The Departure

This was the single most hellish spot of traveling I have ever done. We left Vietnam at 6am for a short flight to Bangkok, Thailand. There we were expecting a stopover of 13 and a half hours. We had mentally prepared ourselves for this wait so it wasn’t too bad. Then, the unthinkable, our flight was delayed. We would now be departing at 4am, another 3 and a half hours beyond our 13 and a half, for a total of 17hours. (For those of you who struggle with math.) There were some mechanical problems with our plane and they had to replace it. We settled into our seats on Qantas flight Q801 and flew for thirteen hours to London. OK so that’s not too bad….but then….

Act 2: The Missed Flight.

We arrive at Heathrow airport in London, England at 11am and our flight is scheduled for departure at 11:15. There is no way for us to catch that flight. More stopover time is accrued while we beg and plead with Air Canada to get us on their next available flight to Eastern Canada. A very nice British woman took care of us and found us a flight to Montreal and then after a short three hour stop-over, onward to Halifax. We thanked her and made our way to our departure gate. I will also mention at this point that Karen had an awful head cold and was quite congested. The touchdown in Heathrow proved to be very painful in her ears and we purchased earplugs for 25 USD at a drugstore in the airport. Yes, you read that correctly, 25$! A few short hours later we found ourselves sitting on an Air Canada plane, waiting to begin our 7 and a half hour flight to Montreal, Canada. We were getting closer and closer.

Act 3: Our Home on Patriot Land

We touch down in Montreal and go through customs. Air Canada staff assures us that they have no idea where our bags will turn up as our bags were tagged when we were in Thailand, before we missed our flight, and were probably in Halifax now. Of course, they couldn’t be sure and it was in our best interest to check baggage claim in Montreal just to be on the safe side. Sure enough, Karen’s bright red bag came tumbling down the belt in Montreal but there was no sign of mine. We stood around like goons until the last bag was shat out of the rubber curtain, and then made our way to the lost baggage counter. Once again, we were assured my bag was fine and probably waiting for me in Halifax, as there was no real reason for Karen’s bag to have shown up in Montreal we should just consider ourselves lucky. OK, Fair enough. We push our way on to a little airbus for the one and a half hour flight to Halifax.

I will also note that Raddie Dave, who was still dizzy over the arrival of his first born son Peter Henry “Hank” Chisholm, with his wife Judy, had arrived at the Halifax airport at 2pm, our original arrival time but a full 7 hours too early after our delays.

Act 4: The Arrival

We arrived at YZH, Halifax International Airport at 9pm on Tuesday, Dec 11. We had sent the RDC a message saying that we would be arriving at 9 instead of 2, but being at the hospital all day, he did not get that message. Dave and Judie were the only two people that knew we were coming so we found some Canadian quarters and made a quick call to Dave’s cell phone. He was at the IWK with his wife and his new baby who were just being released. He said he would swing by the airport to pick us up and take us back to their place. With that taken care of, we were free to go and pick up my bag at baggage claim. This, of course, was not to be. The bag was lost. I did a lost baggage report and made my way outside for my first cigarette in almost 40 hours. I was wearing sandals and a pullover “hoodie” sweatshirt while I stood shivering on the sidewalk. I was half done my cigarette when Dave and Judie pulled up in their Volvo and whisked us back to their house where we spent our first evening in Canada in a year and a half.

We had a good nights sleep and took a taxi to downtown Dartmouth from Eastern Passage and prepared to surprise the hell out of my parents. I will end this blog here, as we have video of the surprise and I will post that separately. So, in conclusion, we are back in the Fax and ready for a memorable Christmas and New Years. We look forward to seeing all of our friends and family. If you are not in Nova Scotia this Christmas season, Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Love,
Ed & Karen

1 Week

2007-12-02T03:33:00.000-05:00

One week, seven short days, 168 hours or 10080 minutes until take-off. For our third Christmas away from home, we decided to do it right. We are spending a month in Phuket Thialand. "Phuket....Phuket......Why does that sound so familiar?" I can hear some of you pondering. That is because Phuket was the place utterly devastated by the Tsunami four years ago on Boxing day. That is correct, we will be at ground zero on the fourth anniversary of that horrible disaster. Don't worry, however, as the saying goes..Lightning never strikes twice, or some such rubbish. Just to be on the safe side, we will be looking for a room on the fifth or sixth floor. The tsunami hit last time just before 7 am, and we would have slept through that anyway. You can count on the fact that we wouldn't have been up and on the beach that early. We don't know what to expect being there on the anniversary of that awful day, but it should be an experience.
As for those of you in Canada and elsewhere that will be celebrating Christmas and New Year without us once again. We miss you all and we will be thinking about you while digging our toes in the sand and opening our presents on the beach with the yuletide waves crashing on the shore. It will be different this year, that's for sure. It was too depressing the last couple of years hanging around our house on Christmas, so what better way to take our minds off the fact that we will not have our friends and family around us, than loafing on a beach drinking copious amounts of Singha and eating like royalty for the holidays.
God Bless us.....Everyone.
Merry Christmas y'all.
-Peace.

Getting Antsy

2007-11-23T01:50:00.000-05:00

I am starting to get very impatient with my wait for Thailand. I shuffle to work everyday and teach classes I have grown to hate, just biding my time until we leave for Thailand. 30 glorious days with no work, I begin shaking all over in anticipation at the mere mention of it. I had a conversation with Karen last night about teaching. I made an offhand remark about how much I hate it. She responded with " See I told you it would get to you after a while" or something like that, and then I clarified my statement a little further. Teaching is the best job I have ever had, I just hate anything I have to do for someone else, regardless of how rewarding or pleasant I may find it. I will only ever be truly satisfied working for myself. It actually physically disturbs me to make money for other people. Maybe I will open my own school and then I would immediately love teaching again.
The only thing getting me through these classes is closing my eyes and thinking about the beaches of Phuket and how much I am going to love spending my days on the beach with a good book, soaking up the sunshine and taking dips in the cool green waters. Ice cold Singha resting on my chest as I sway from the ocean breeze in a ratty old hammock, the only worry on my mind being how long the hammock will actually support my weight, before crashing down into the sand below.
Seventeen more sleeps people. Seventeen more sleeps.
Bye for now,
Ed

Monday afternoon blabberings

2007-11-19T05:49:00.000-05:00

I’m sitting in a café right now writing on my laptop and enjoying the warm mid-November weather in Hanoi. The windows are all open to the busy street noise of Hoan Kiem District’s Cathedral square and a throng of school children are playing noisily in the parking lot of St. Josephs Cathedral. It is Quarter past five and the traffic and constant honking of motorbikes and taxi’s is barely perceptible to me now after fourteen months in Hanoi.
I have never felt about anything the way I feel about Hanoi. I hate it so much some days that I want to explode venom and fury over all who surround me like Chuck Norris in “Braddock- Missing in Action part 1” Then there are days like today, where the simple beauty of this confounded place is almost more than I can stand. Things are very simple here, and I know no matter how I feel about this place on any given day, I will miss it for the rest of my life when I leave.
Taiwan was also a beautiful place full of wonder and excitement, but it didn’t hold a candle to Hanoi for the sheer mystique and comfortable confusion that is offered by Hanoi. It is so loud that it is like a frantic emotion that blankets the whole place. The people scream and yell in to their cell phones and at each other on the street, not out of anger but because that is just how it is here. The constant horn blasting by every vehicle on the road in the maddening irony of the uselessness of the horn, by way of it’s intended purpose, being used in this manner.
The people, so brash, rude and abrasive, yet in a completely innocent way, simply don’t know any better or are incapable of behaving any other way. They are so childlike in their comments and exclaimed noises as a big Westerner walks by, so annoying to me before, simply makes me smile now. Vietnam is their country and I am just a visitor here. These people in the North have sweat, bled, died and suffered for their beloved homeland. They fought off the American invasion in the 60’s and 70’s and claimed somewhat of a victory over the most powerful country in the world. This empty victory left them in a state of such destruction and absolute poverty that they would spend the next thirty years trying to recover. Now that they are just finally starting to stand on their own feet after the American War, as they call it, are submitting of their own free will to the force of the West on what they believe to be their terms.
To be here in Hanoi as they celebrate the 1000 anniversary of this city is truly something to behold and experience. The students that I teach are hungry for education outside of the system in Vietnam that spends the first two years of their university education focusing on Marxist and Leninist philosophy. I can see the change the future holds for Vietnam in their faces and wish I could be here to see it happen. But, I will leave before anything really significant happens here, looking on fondly from wherever I find myself, at this place that I will always consider a second home. I must say that living in Vietnam right now feels like truly living, and not just wiling away the days in the comfort of my Nova Scotia, succumbing to age and indifference. These are truly the days that I will look back upon from behind the cloudy eyes of an old man, and remember the time in my life when I felt the most alive.
I always had a distaste for the people that find religion or spiritual guidance in any form and then try and force it upon other people as though it would be as beneficial for all as it was for them. I would just like to say to anyone still reading this, that if you have not done it yet, get out of your home and move around this planet a little. Stretch your legs and experience something brand new. It will change you to your very core. I miss my friends and family more than I can adequately express here on this blog, but I feel like I belong here, right now. I have my good days and bad days in this country and today is definitely a good day. I will always be grateful to Hanoi for what it has done to change me.
-Ed

P.S.
Sorry if I got a little spirited, I am a little drunk. :)

My First Vietnamese Wedding

2007-11-06T05:40:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately Karen could not get out of work, but I was able to attend my first ever Vietnamese wedding. The lovely Hai Yen was to be married to Ngoc Hoang on Monday, Oct 05 at 9am. Hai Yen was a Student Services employee of Cleverlearn who Karen and I had both worked with over the past year. The location was Thai Binh villiage about 100km's outside of Hanoi city. I left my house at 5:30am and made my way to work where there was a small bus waiting to take us all to the wedding. My small group consisted of Western teachers, Bret, Kate & Andrew and myself along with Beverly our Phillipino Acedemic Head and of course Chi our interpreter and guide. (Also an SS employee)
I will start by saying 100km's in Vietnam is not like 100km's in Canada. The road was so rough and bumpy it was like travelling in a stagecoach. It took us almost three hours to reach the little villiage and my internal organs were shaken not stirred.
The wedding began at an unthinkable 9am with a banquet and copious amounts of beer and Vietnamese rice whiskey bing knocked back by most. As the only westerners in the visinity we were a odd and curious sight to behold for most of the guests. I felt a little guilty about stealing some of the spotlight away from the dashing couple as we were certainly the center of attention frequently throughout the wedding.
With my stomach full and my head spinning from the rice whiskey, we observed a simple ceremony involving the exchange of rings and a few songs provided by guests. The wedding was finished as abruptly as it had started and to my utmost shock and surprise I found myself pushed in to the reception line and spent 10 minutes shaking hands with strangers, directly beside the bride and groom. With that task finished I found myself back in the van to endure the bumpy ride back to Hanoi with a stomach full of food and whiskey, to become upset by the horrific road conditions.
All and all it was a fantastic morning, and I wish Yen and Hoang the best of fortune in all of thier future endeavors.
-E

Stay tuned for a video of the wedding to be posted within the week.

We are boring.

2007-10-24T08:54:00.000-04:00

I, once again, find myself embarrassed by my lack of interesting posts. I apologise for our uninteresting lives at the moment. It seems Dartmouth is far more exciting and scary right now with reported rapes in gas stations and gangs of crazy girls torturing and attempting murder and whatnot. It sounds like the the Village of the Damned from that classic 1980's martial arts movie Gymkata.
I hope to have something to write about with the upcoming Halloween activities at my school. I have also started playing in a new, as yet unnamed band. Hanoi is as Hanoi does, unfortunately, and after 13 months we have kind of developed a "Been there, done that" Huhum attitude towards the whole thing. We are considering a big move to the big city of Saigon after the Holidays. We shall see where the wind blows us. For now, I will sign off, saying Happy Halloween everyone and keep on rocking in the free world.
-Ed

The Vietnam Run

2007-10-10T04:12:00.000-04:00

I have the joy of experiencing something I can only call a live video game every single day I drive to work and back. I call on those of you who remember such games as paperboy and roadrash. If you remember what those games were like, it was a mission to get from point A to point B intact and to avoid all the obsticles that were designed specifically to impede your progress. Welcome to Vietnam.
Each and every day I drive to work I have to weave in and out of the worst drivers on the face of the planet. You must keep in mind that a drivers license is not required to drive a motorcycle in Vietnam, and that children as young as twelve are riding around these streets. I have seen the stupidest manouvres you can imagine unfold directly in front of me. These people have no fear and absolutely no respect for the science of time and space. I have watched as riders on the far right side of the road suddently cut left and make a turn on to a connection street, cutting off five or six people as they do this. I have also seen people slam on thier brakes in the middle of a busy street to throw a cigarette between thier lips and light it, only to tear off again after it is lit. My most favorite thing is the text messagers. These are people doing 30-40k along a busy road with thier cell phone in hand, sending a text message while staring at thier LCD display and driving with one hand.
I have learned to deal with these obstacles and score quite highly in my daily games. I have yet to hit or be hit by anyone, as has Karen. Also, (MOM) We do not drive fast enough to hurt ourselves. We, unlike a lot of the Vietnamese, do not drive at Fatal speeds.
Driving in this environment adds an element of excitement I will miss when I move to a new country where common sense is a widely held attribute. I will miss the madness and mayhem I see on a daily basis. The best way to describe the average Vietamese citizen is to compare them to drunken hillbilly teenagers. They constantly amaze me with the things they attempt to do on the road. I would love to get some video of this natural phenomenon, but it occurs so randomly it will be quite difficult. Keep your fingers crossed and hopefully I will film something spectacularly stupid.
Here's hoping!
-Ed

P.S.
As some of you have mentioned, our posts have been becoming less and less frequent. I think we may be slightly bored here in Vietnam, and you know what that means....NEW COUNTRY! We will stick it out here for a while and then see about at the very least moving to Saigon, where we are sure to find excitement and mystery once again. Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Halloween, Y'all!
-E

Birthday Away

2007-09-11T01:01:00.000-04:00

It was my third birthday away from friends and family in Nova Scotia, but it was enjoyable thanks to the effort of a few people. Karen went all out this year setting up a Karaoke birthday party with other teachers and staff at Cleverlearn. It was a good night even though it ended early.
The Karaoke was staged on Saturday evening so that we wouldn't have to concern ourselves with getting up early. There was cake and beer and terrible singing by all involved, but it was fun nontheless.
Monday, being my legitimate birthday, had a smaller, more private celebration with Karen and I having a wonderful meal at LA restaraunt where I had the leg of lamb and Karen enjoyed a grilled pork dish. We shared a bottle of wine and I was presented with my gift of a hand crafted guitar.
Needless to say, I was quite happy and surprised with my thoughtful gift, and now all I have to do is learn how to play the thing. It has been a while, and what little I did know, has been lost along the way.
So thirty-two has come and gone in Vietnam,and I am not as depressed about my advancing years as I would have thought. It is just a number after all and I always have my rediculous imaturity to keep me youthful.
Bye for now,
Ed

Same, Same but different

2007-08-21T23:42:00.000-04:00

As it is and as it goes, we are drifting along in Vietnam in a steady ho-hum existance of work and home and work and play. We are in a pattern now, much like Taiwan and Canada before that. It doesn't seem to matter what part of the world you find yourself residing in, it always comes back around to the holding pattern. Karen is working at her new job and getting up every morning at 6:30 am, while I am getting up at 8am. This keeps us in most evenings or at least home reletively early. I imagine this will stay fairly constant until Christmas time when Karen and I will both have a month off and we head back to Thailand.
We still try and mix it up a bit on the week-ends, but it is much different here than in Taiwan. Taiwan had very few tourists and most of the people you met were expats who were sticking around for a while. Vietnam is a very transient place with most of the people we meet being tourists staying in Nam for a short time. Also, we seem to be attending exit parties for the few expats we do know every week.
At least we are not here alone. Karen and I are together and that is making all of this possible. If I was single, I would have fled Vietnam long ago.
I would not be exagerating if I said that the North Vietnamese hate us. This is something a tourist does not notice in the short time he or she stays. It is a realization that builds over an extended period. It is in a lot of little ways that accumulate and then become unmistakable. They actually hate us.
Many travellers and expats we meet all say the same thing, "It is better in Saigon." We have yet to visit Saigon and now that we have signed contracts it looks like we are stuck in Hanoi. "People are more laid back in Saigon." and "The people are friendlier" are the most common sentiments we hear from people who have lived in both places. This last one, which struck me the most was delivered in a whispered, conspiritorial manner and was simply... "They don't hate us in Saigon."
I hate to say it, but the feeling is becomming mutual in Hanoi for me. I think Karen and I need to think long and hard about relocating to Saigon. I am beginning to get very irritated here by the behavior of what I know to be only one portion of the population, but they are the biggest portion and that is what makes dealing with it so difficult. There is a huge amount of ignorant, uneducated, hillbilly, rural folk in Hanoi that move here from thier little communes and small towns. They are disgusting individuals who, like our own Canadian trailer trash, are always the loudest and most noticable in any given situation. The educated, more worldly Vietnames are wonderful, welcoming and kind people who are a pleasure to interact with. Unfortuantely, however, they are depressingly outnumbered by the ignorant masses.
Anyway, I am ranting, so thank you for allowing me my ventilation and I hope you enjoyed a little insight to where my mind is right now.
Laters,
Ed

Halong 2 The Return

2007-08-08T01:07:00.000-04:00

So after hours of research and many painful attempts to aquire airfare out of Vietnam at the last minute we were stuck with ground or sea transportation as there was nothing in economy left out of Hanoi on Saturday or Sunday. We decided to go back to Halong Bay where beaches and beauty abound. I won't bore you with the details of the scenery as it was all talked about after our first trip. I will, however, talk about some of the differences between the two trips. We did everything the first time around. All of the excursions and treks that left us more tired afterwards than when we left. This time there would be none of that. We were looking for some hardcore R&R and there would be no mountain treks, cave hikes, kayaking or cycleing for us. It was all about the lounging, sipping cocktails and taking in the breathtaking scenery on display in Halong Bay.
We found ourselves alone for an hour or so while the rest of the folks went off to gawk at the largest cave in Vietnam. This was fine, the next stop was Kayaking, and we didn't want to do that either so we were left on the boat. The tour guide said we could take a swim if we wanted, and then took off on a kayak with the rest of the tourists.
We lounged around the boat for a little while and watched the Vietnamese staff preparing the bar-b-cue dinner we were going to have. Then the engine started up and we motored away from the Kayaking place for almost twenty minutes. We arrived at a beautiful little bay where there were a lot of big Junks anchored off the shore. The captain of the boat approached us and utilizing all of his English ability, mimed the action of swimming. Karen and I glanced at each other and shrugged, "Why not? Let's take a quick dip." We changed in to our swimming suits and dove in to the water. The water was emerald green and so warm it was barely refreshing. We waded away from the boat for a few minutes to take in the rest of the little island, when we heard the engine of our Junk roar to life once more as it pulled away from us and floated off in to the distance.
This was a troublesome turn of events as we were alone on a very small island with no money, no water and no sunscreen as we had only planned on jumping in and then getting right back out. "I'm sure they will be right back>" I announced cheerfully as Karen eyed the retreating boat suspiciously. We decided to make the most of it and go for a swim around to the other side. It was about 1 pm and close to 40 degrees with the sun a constant, scorching madman. Fifteen minutes in to this ordeal and we knew we might be in trouble. With the sun directly above us in the sky the small island offered no shade at all, so we figured we would be better off in the water. We tried to stay submerged and not expose too much skin to the blistering fireball in the sky. A solid hour passed before we caught sight of the first kayaker from our group approaching the island. We then saw our Junk returning in the distance. Needless to say, I was burnt to a crisp and would suffer from it for the following two days.
We continued on with our tour and maddeningly boring and personality-less tour guide until Cat Ba island, where we had dinner and bade farewell to most of the people we had spent the last 30 hours with and went out with a small group to an insane nightclub where all the Vietnamese adults were up on the dance floor dancing like they were disabled and they were all stone sober. We took that madness in for one drink and then fled by ourselves to a less psychologically demanding scene.
We found a nice little pub and had a few cocktails listening to much better music and contemplating our next two days. That was when a friend of ours from Hanoi walked in to the bar. Mao, from Mao's Red Lounge strolled in to the bar with some of his friends. He greeted us warmly and we all laughed about how strange it was to see each other in Catba island, many hours outside of Hanoi.
We made it an early evening as the previous two days had been a whirlwind of 6am risings and long periods of travel by bus and by boat. We had our first good night sleep and woke up at noon the next day. We spent our last day and night in Catba on the beach and then a nice dinner in a restaurant.
It was a nice break from Hanoi, but kind of stressful in it's own way. I embark now on a four month stretch 7 days a week working. After that, we will need a proper vacation, probably back to Thailand for a time. So that was our long week-end. Tune in next week when the Beaver gets a C- on his mid-term and is afraid to tell his parents. Wally tells a lie that he wishes he could take back and Ward decided that it's all just too much to bear and runs off to Vegas with a cocktail waitress.
Bye for now.
-Ed

I must be Crazy!

2007-08-03T06:38:00.000-04:00

Once again I find myself agreeing to work 7 days a week for the next four months. This is some kind of psychological issue or some kind of employment masochism, but whatever it is, it has led me here.
What now? The answer to that is obvious, of course, Long Weekend and a jetplane. We have yet to decide on a destination as we have just decided to go. It is 5:45 pm on a Friday as I write this and we are looking to depart at 5:30 am tomorrow. We have not booked our flight yet.
So, that leaves us flying to any destination that is within our price range and still has seats left to sell us. The only requirement is BEACHES. It is funny how my requirements have changed so much with my advancing years but sound so phonetically similar.
So now I will keep you all balanced precariously on the edge of your seats until my next post, which will be sent from the beach of wherever we land. Keep your collective fingers crossed.
Talk to you soon,
Ed

Summer in the City

2007-07-16T03:36:00.000-04:00

Karen and I, in our constant search for methods to beat the heat, decided to go to the Hanoi Water Park on Saturday July 14th. It was about thirty-six degrees on Saturday afternoon as we strolled in to the park after surprisingly few wrong turns and language barrier questions with the Vietnamese. There is an amusement park and water park connected just ten minutes away from our old house in West Lake. It is usual Merliano madness for us to do things in this way. We wait until it is three times further away from us to go. Case in point: Karen, after living in West Lake for 10 months and working at Cleverlearn, has taken a job, two weeks after moving out of West Lake due to its relative remoteness, with a Kindergarten walking distance from our old house. This is not intentional of course, it is just how the Merlins roll. Now she has a 25-30 minute commute to her new school from our new flat in the middle of the city.
Back to the water park. We were quite impressed with the presentation of the HWP as there were many slides, pools and other attractions, and most importantly there were canteens every twenty or thirty feet selling cold beer. First and foremost I must explain that Vietnam does not hold itself to the North American standard of safety. There is very much a play at your own risk sentiment in the Nam. I have experienced only two water slides in this country and feared, quite literally, for my life. In Cat Ba island water park I was sure I would be shot right over the side and fall thirty meters to a most certain death on the jagged rocks below. This quite real possibility did not deter Karen who went down the slide repeatedly until injury on one of the more suicidal slides sidelined her for the rest of the day.
The second slide was at the Hanoi Water Park. In Cat Ba on the first slide, we had to go down on foamy "crazy carpet" looking mats that allowed you to hit the speed of light as you shot through the half-tunnel water slide with your stomach residing somewhere behind your eyes, resting agains your sinuses. At the HWP you are actually placed on inflatable raft like things and expected to travel the slide in tandem. Karen and I squeezed and wriggled our way on to the flotation device and prepared for the ride of our lives. ( I just learned that flotation doesn't have an A when spellcheck corrected me)We maintained our positions for no more than three seconds as the raft bucked us off like a deranged bronco leaving us twisted and disoriented as we shot through a jet black water slide like human bullets. With no light and no idea when we would be shat out of this tube, we positioned ourselves for the blow, and with me taking up the rear, just hoping I didn't crush Karen when we hit the water. What seemed like minutes later, after leaving a considerable amount of skin from various body parts behind in the slide. We emerged like hairy cannon balls at the bottom of the slide. I decided abruptly to make that my only attempt, but Karen, never one for learning her lesson, spent the better part of two hours trying out the various slides of death and dismemberment.
I did what I am apt to do in most situations like this, and proceeded to get afternoon bombed on .75 cent beers watching Karen shoot through a series of intestine like plastic amusement.
We left the water park just after five and went to Al Fresco's restaurant to use up a coupon we had for 250,000 Dong in free food. (About 15 bucks)and then went home to wash the pool water off and put cream on our sunburns. All in all, a good Saturday.
Talk to you soon,
-Ed

The Aftermath

2007-07-10T02:28:00.000-04:00

We are moved and settled in to the new flat. It was not an easy move, and I will explain to you the epic ordeal that ensued after my last blog.
First, The woman who found our new place and promised to help us move by hiring a truck and a team of two sturdy Vietnamese men to move our things, advised us that it is illegal for a moving truck to operate in Hanoi between noon and eight pm. We agreed to wait patiently until 8 O'clock to receive the movers. Eight o'clock came and went and of course there were no movers. We called up Madame Dong, the hilarious name of the woman who had set everything up, and she advised us that the movers had been there and gone after not being able to reach us, and now they were finished for the evening and would not be coming back. We assured her that we had been there the whole time waiting for them and our phones were in front of us. We verified the telephone number with her and it turns out that not only is English difficult for her to understand, but she has a fairly limited grasp of numbers as well, as she managed to get a phone number wrong that was printed clearly and handed to her.
Moving on. We made our way to the Hotel Sheraton where there are usually van taxi's and shiftless drivers lounging about and asked one of them to follow us to our house. Problem the first, our house is on a alley that is too narrow to allow traffic other than motorbikes. The taxi parked about two hundred meters away and waited for us to slowly load up the back. Problem the second, a numerous collection of very large and heavy bags and no trolley to help us carry them the two hundred meters in the dark. Karen and I loaded up the motorbike with luggage and boxes and wheeled it down the alley. Keep in mind the temperature is sitting somewhere around 40 while this is going on. After a half-hour of sweating and balancing bags precariously on a motorbike, we were ready to head off to the new place.
We turned down the alley that, as far as we knew, was big enough to accommodate a moving van, just to see a mountain of dirt taking up half of the street. The closest we could get to our new place was five houses down. I sighed from the very pit of my being, took a deep breath and popped the trunk. We unloaded the bags, carried them down the street and deposited them at the foot of the stairs of our new house.
Almost finished. We paid the useless taxi driver, who didn’t lift a finger to help, and bid him a friendly piss off. We turned to face the pile of belongings taking up the entire entrance of our new digs. Then I looked up the stairs to our front door, where there was just another door leading to another flight of stairs. Wiping away a single tear as it rolled down my sweaty face, I shrugged and went straight at it. Fifteen minutes later, everything we owned was piled into our new living room.
You might think this the end of our tale of woe on our moving day, but you would be mistaken. Now we had to face the wheeling and dealings of our landlord.
We had already agreed on the amount of rent we would pay and what that would include. We had agreed to pay the rent on the premise that it would include a cleaning lady to clean our house and do our laundry. Also, it was promised that the internet would be hooked up and the sheer white curtains of our bedroom would be replaced with a darker more light blocking material. You all know what is coming next.
The curtains were not changed, the internet was not hooked up and the cleaning lady had magically changed from twice a week to once a week and laundry was no longer included.
As of this writing, it is July 10, 2007, and we have been in our new place for 12 days. We are still waiting for the internet to be hooked up and the cleaning lady has been in once and managed to break a window and flood Karen’s bathroom. Any other evidence of her two and a half hours wandering around our house went unnoticed.
As always, fine readers, We wish you all the best,
Viva le Vietnam,
-Ed

Another New Diggs

2007-06-29T04:41:00.000-04:00

We found our new place, and it is awesome. I know we said that about our last place as well but this time we really mean it.
Today is Friday, June 29th and I am sitting in a computer lab listening to one of my students take a TOEFL practice test. So I have decided to use my time wisely and create a blog about my life for the last couple of days and next couple of days.
I went on a day trip with my school yesterday which I haven't yet recovered from completely. I woke up at 5am and got ready. I hopped on my motorcycle at 5:30 and sped to my school where I led 18 students on to a bus that departed for Dam Long park and I have to tell you, it was a damn long day. I got back to school around 4pm and had to get ready for a 6pm class. Yes, that is 14 and a half hours of work on Thurs. I rounded out my evening with Karen at Finnigans Irish Pub for a quiz night where once again, we came in second. I arrived back home at 2am to end a 21 hour day.
I am working from noon until 8:30 today where when finished I must race home to pack up my belongings in preperation for the big move tommorow. Sounds like fun right? I also have to work on Saturday for five hours and be back home by 7pm to receive the moving van that will take our personals to our new home. Karen, doing more than her share of the work, will be home this afternoon washing everything fabric(clothes,bedding etc.)in the house. I swear, it is worth it.
I don't want to spend too much time describing the house as I plan to give a guided video tour that you can watch right here at this blog. So those of you reading this before the video has been added, be patient and check back in a few days. I may add a little more about the problems and difficulties that are sure to surface over the move. As always, pray for us, and I will be in touch.
-E

Why Do I Bia Hoi? I Bia Hoi, Cuz I Can.

2007-06-16T03:49:00.000-04:00

I have been quite critical of the Vietnamese in the past, I have commented on their driving, eating, bathing, habits, nose picking and so on, but now I would like to talk to you about something that is absolutely brilliant. I have mentioned this to friends in the past but I have yet to blog about it. This needs to be recorded for prosperity. BIA HOI, BIA HOI HANOI and many other similarly named establishments are pure genius in their simplicity. They are beer stands. Almost every street and road in Hanoi has a BIA HOI (beer stand) where for, believe it or not, 15 cents you can purchase yourself a tall glass of ice cold beer. Your 15 cents also works as rent where with your cold draught comes a cheap blue, red or black stool on which to sit and a tiny piece of property out of the sun.
The draught beer that is sold at the BIA HOI's is delivered daily and contains no preservatives. So not only is it quite literally the cheapest beer in the world, but it is healthier than most beer, and contains a mere 2 to 3.5 alcohol percentage, so you can drink it all day and not have to worry about getting too drunk. You can also bring your own containers and fill them up with the draught to take home with you. I have seen people filling up 5 litre water jugs with BIA HOI beer to take home. How awesome is that?
One of the most beautiful aspects of the BIA HOI is the opportunity that it gives even it's most destitute customers, of being able to stand up and say " A round of beers for everybody!" How often can you say that in a drinking establishment with more than twenty customers and still have it cost less than a couple of dollars. Pure genius.
Imagine the popularity of such an establishment in Halifax. Have a tent set up on Spring Garden Road with a stack of plastic stools, and some umbrellas for shade. You could sit on the corner on a hot summer day and watch the ladies walk by, or the men, depending on who is reading this. ( I'm talking about you Larry, wink wink)And most importantly, have an ice cold draught in your hand.
But alas, such a thing would never be allowed in Nova Scotia, or any other part of Canada due to the strict alcohol legislation and enforcement. So, if you want to experience the simple pleasure of sitting on the road drinking 15 cent draught and observing the madness and mayhem going on all around you on a hot afternoon, your only option is coming to Hanoi, where we will have a stool waiting for ya.
Later,
Ed.

Man Strollers and the rolling death machine

2007-06-12T06:15:00.000-04:00

There is a means of transportation in Vietnam that I am loathe to take. It is called a cyclo and it is nothing more than a large baby stroller for adults. It is powered by a wiry, smelly, alcohol powered Vietnamese man pedalling furiously on the custom designed bicycle that powers the man stroller. It is a metallic box on two wheels with padded seats and a rooftop for protection from the constant thunder and lightning showers that plaque Hanoi. They are loaded down with swinging bells to attract the attention of the shell shocked backpackers, elderly tourists and the army of banana pancakers roaming the Old Quarter of Vietnam.( Banana Pancakers are called so due to thier all-consuming desire to eat only local fare and live in the nastyest, cheapest guesthouses available. They seem to exist mostly on a diet of banana themed foods, the king of which being the banana pancake) Karen guilted me in to experiencing this obnoxious display of man-powered indignity and I will never do it again. As if I don't stand out enough on the streets of Hanoi as a hairy, six-foot tall, mountainous Western sweat machine. I have to add to my carnival like oddity showcase by riding around town like some kind of petty prince, with some Vietnamese man panting and sweating behind me as he struggles to keep the carriage moving forward with the obsticle of my considerable girth slowing him down. Yes, never again.
The other vehicle I need to mention is the rolling death machine. I have been seeing these more and more as we enter the hottest season Vietnam has to offer. They are modified wheelbarrows with a bicycle style man-engine powering it. Much the same design as the man-stroller, it is used mostly to transport pointed metal rods from place to place. It looks like some kind of medeival torture device as it comes rolling toward you while you are riding your motabike,(I still can not refer to these Honda Waves as motorcycles)down the narrow Hanoian streets. I have seen heartstoppingly close encounters with overzealous motorbike riders coming within mere inches of the deadly spikes before careening out of the way at the last possible micro-second. I will make sure I take pictures of both of these things, once again, just to prove that I am not making this up.
Bye for now,
Ed

10 Things I've Learned in Vietnam

2007-06-06T03:02:00.000-04:00

1. Traffic lights are only suggestions.

2. Seafood in Vietnam is called that because you are guaranteed to "See" it again.

3. Deodorant is for sissies.

4. Nose picking is a public event.

5. If you gotta go, you gotta go. Whenever, wherever and in front of whomever.

6. There is no need for a man to do anything physical if there is a sturdy woman handy.

7. Dog food doesn't come in a can for Rover, it IS rover.

8. Don't complain about an insect in your food, as you may be charged extra for it.

9. Everything is funny to the Vietnamese.

10. Washing your hands after doing anything is for sissies.

These are just the first ten. There is sure to be more to follow.

-E

Toads

2007-05-31T03:47:00.000-04:00

In the Western world we are no strangers to those wee invaders in our homes. We have all had spiders, ants, earwigs and heaven forbid a mouse in our house. It is near impossible to keep them out. It doesn't matter if you live in a house, apartment or Condo, you will have something unwanted crawling, slithering or running around in your home. This is to be expected, and we deal with it the best we can.
We have given our 30 days notice to our landlord. You have all heard me talk of spiders. Anyone and everyone who has ever met me is aware that I am terrified of spiders. We have found and killed if possible, many spiders in our house since we arrived in Vietnam. This is not the reason for our leaving. We have found ants, centipedes, crickets, Gekko's by the dozen and not to mention the myriad of unidentified flying irritation that we encounter. Again, it is to be expected. So what, you may be asking yourselves, what is it that has pushed you from the home you have made together for the past eight months in Vietnam? What can be so bad that you will go through the stress and effort of finding a new house or apartment to live in? Well, as the title says...Toads.
Now hear this! I am not now nor have I ever been afraid of any reptiles. The toads don't scare me at all, they repulse me. Toads are just wrong. And, by the way, that is toadssss, plural. I can not accept that toads are coming in to my home. Karen agrees with me that we can accept many things in Vietnam as just "Comes with the territory" so to speak, but we cannot, however, deal with toads in our house.
What's the difference? Some of you may be asking, between a toad and a gekko, well...one is a reptile while the other is an amphibian, and Gekkos can climb walls while toads just hop around drunkenly. Why do the toads bother you so much more than the gekko's? To that question I have to answer...I don't know, but they just do! There is something so utterly repugnant about finding toads in your kitchen that I don't think I can adequately describe the feeling of revulsion that comes over me.
Hell, I used to catch frogs, toads, snakes and salamanders when I was a child, but this is my home and I will have it no longer. We are hitting the road and looking for a new place to set up shop. We know what we are doing now and we will keep our eyes open for the loudspeakers as well. Here's hoping that the new place will be toad, loudspeaker and frog free.
Bye for now,
-Ed

Work, Work, Work, Happy Birthday & Goodbye

2007-05-17T03:56:00.000-04:00

With the end in sight, it is all about the hours for Karen and I. I am working almost 40 hours a week. ( Big deal, you are thinking) I know, it doesn't sound like much, but that is 40 teaching hours. If you were to add up the unpaid preperation time, the hours would be much more impressive. Also, keep in mind that full-time in Asia for Foreigners is 20 hours a week. Karen, for her part, is working two jobs, Her kindergarten gig through the week and still teaching at Cleverlearn with me. We only have one night a week were we allow ourselves to go out and have some fun. That is Thursday Night Quiz Night at a local Irish Pub called Finnigans.( I hear the echoes of the word " GAY " floating over the land and sea between me and my friends at home who may be reading this) That's right, Quiz Night! I guess Karen and I are becomming more mature in our leisurely persuits, considering our idea of a fun evening out is answering trivia questions.
There was one other evening we allowed ourselves. It was a mighty combo celabration that had Karens birthday, Marty's birthday and Marty&Mel's farewell all rolled in to one night on the town. Karen and I joined Marty and Mel at a local restaurant for dinner before meeting up at Cleverlearn with the individuals stuck working on a Friday evening. From there we all made our way to a local Karaoke bar, where for the following two hours sang our fool heads off, stopping only long enough to enjoy some cake supplied by the lovely Mai Linh, and an occasional sip of beer.
We were thrown out of the Karaoke bar promply at midnight due to some upcoming elections, and a newfound pengant for the rules and regulations. It was at this point that some of the less enthusiastic members of our group left us for home. Those of us with stronger constitutions continued on, going to Half-Man, Half-Noodle and finally The Spotted Cow.
All and all it was a wonderful evening, quite possibly one of our best in Vietnam. So Happy Birthday Karen, Happy Birthday Marty and Marty and Mel, We wish you all the best on your continued travells through the wilds of Canada.
-E

The Last Supper (l-r Fergus, Marty, Mel & Karen )

The Birthday Cake ( Mai Linh & Beverly )

Full House in the Karaoke Room

Toward the end of a long night ( Ed, Karen & Mel )

I Thrive Upon The Misery

2007-05-09T00:05:00.000-04:00

Viet'friggin'Nam,you wretchid, misbegotten country. It all piles up, so thoroughly obnoxious in its endless harrassment of the Merlins. Each day brings forth new trials and tribulations for us to endure and overcome.
Let me begin with our home. We loved it at first, with it's many balconies and outdoor areas. We had a lovely view of a lake that was mere meters from our front door, and the blissful respite of the awful calamity that is the streets of Hanoi. Peaceful, tranquil and pleasant, it was to be our haven from the din and our temporary escape from Vietnam. Unfortunately that was not to last.
The lake was drained a few short weeks past our arrival, and has yet to be refilled. There is a resort that is being built on the lake and the construction goes in to the wee hours of the morning. In the place of the lake there is now a grassy, swampy, stagnant little field that has become over run with bullfrogs.
What started off as a puzzleing noise shortly after the lake was dammed, leaving us scratching our heads and pondering the strange sound that was echoing off of the lake. It kind of sounded like a cross between a small barking dog and a duck, except it was maddeningly loud. Night after night this strange noise was growing exponentially until there was no relief from the endless wall of noise flowing from the swamp. Bullfrogs! They were provided with a perfect wetland breeding ground that has seen a bumper crop. There are so many baby frogs hopping out of the swamp, accross the road and in to everyones yards that I kill a dozen or so every evening while I am driving toward the house. It is not my intention to kill these baby frogs and toads, but after a few nights of pointless swerving I just gave up, as there is no way to avoid them. So after my 400 meter dash down the narrow road to our house where I am popping frogs like plastic bubble wrap, the entire way, I find myself parking my bike. Then as I shut off my engine, the roar of the frogs hits me.
This is bad enough in itself. But, add to that a loudspeaker posted on a power pole directly in front of our house that begins a Vietnamese rant at 8am that lasts long in to the morning. I have no idea what it is stating but I am sure it is some kind of Socialist propaganda. Every once and a while some awful warbleing Vietnamese music will blast out of the speakers as well. The longest run was just last Sunday. YES, Sunday! Where it started at 8am and didn't stop until mid afternoon. It is so loud that in our bedroom with the doors and windows shut and the AC rattleing it is still as clear and loud as if it were playing in our own room.
Karen and I have already talked about aquiring a shotgun to end this awful annoyance once and for all. We are at the end of our rope. Due to it's location, throwing rocks or bricks at it is not an option as there are houses directly across the street from us and we would hit the houses if we missed the speaker.
So now, as we count the days until we are finally rid of this awful country, seemingly designed to frustrate and annoy the Western visitor, we can only hope that we will find some peace and quiet in these last remaining months.
Pray for us,
-E

It's looking like a Year.

2007-05-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

Karen and I have talked tentatively about leaving Vietnam. It is getting quite old at this point and we are not enjoying it nearly as much as we did in the beginning. Vietnam has an oppressive quality that gets under your skin after a while. We have decided to stick it out for a few months and make as much money as we can, so we can leave and find a new place to live. It is unfortunate that it has to be this way, as Vietnam is a beautiful country and has many great things to offer. The downside is the people. I have seen things, dear friends and readers, things that I can never unsee. If only there was an enema for the memory. I expected a different culture and different ideals from the Vietnamese people, but what I got is so much more than I bargained for.
Karen, poor Karen, she has seen the dirtiest part of Vietnam, and I mean that quite litterally. To her utmost dismay, Karen was unfortunate enough to be stuck at a red light in the backseat of a taxi, on her way to work, when she noticed a grown man directly beside her, defacating in to the gutter. Yep. I love her with all of my heart, and I can say quite honestly, I am glad it was her and not me.
Don't get me wrong, I have seen my share of truly disgusting behavior, just nothing as extreme as that. I feel that I have changed in Vietnam, I have become desensitized to things that no man or woman should be desinsitized to. There are things I just can't bring myself to write about. Yet.
After all is said and done, it will be a year in Nam, and I am happy we did it but will not be back for a visit anytime soon. I left Taiwan saying we would be back as soon as we could,and I still plan on returning there, But I've had my fun in Vietnam and now it's time to move along. It was an experience I will not soon forget, in the way that you always remember the truly traumatic experiences in your life.
Bye for now,
-Ed

Forrest Gumping

2007-04-23T09:17:00.000-04:00

Koh Samui was an absolute blast. Karen and I have two very different opinions on the best way to travel, and this time we did it my way, which I like to refer to as Forrest Gumping. Karen would rather plan every detail of our trip before hand so we can spend maximum time relaxing and not have to worry about the many aspects of travelling that consume so much time. Transportation, lodging and activities are the three main things that Karen would like to have planned before hand. This makes perfect sense and I respect that kind of thinking, but I have never been all that good at it. I prefer to just land somewhere randomly and find a place I like, stay there and meet people and ask them what the best things to do are. There are pros and cons to both of these practices. The problem with planning is that you are usually choosing everything from online, and often what you see online is not what you get in person. Also, to have everything bought and paid for is dangerous in case there is something terribly wrong with the place you have chosen to stay online, and you have to fight to get your money back. Forrest Gumping gives you the option to pay for as many or as few days as desired, and move around trying out different things.
The downside to Forrest Gumping, is that it is often more expensive and time consuming than pre-planning. During our Koh Samui trip we spent many hours on the island walking around in the heat looking at dingy rooms until we found a place that we liked. Time that would have been better spent on the beach, after 24 hours of travel time. Also, we were there during thier new year celebrations and it was nearly impossible to find last minute transportation around Thialand. This would have been an area we would have been much better off pre-planning for.
There is something to be said for the free-wheeling, devil may care, let the chips fall where they may, gonzo style of travelling that I enjoy so much, but just to even things out a bit, maybe we will go with Karens way the next time. After this trip, I think it might be a nice change to have everything taken care of beforehand.
Bye for now,
Ed

The Koh Samui Video

2007-04-17T23:04:00.000-04:00

We had an absolute blast! Here is a little video we made of our time there.
P.S.- It was just flavored tobacco in that pipe! Oh, and check out the Thai women boxing!

Koh Samui

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Thailand trip

2007-04-04T22:21:00.000-04:00

So today is April 5th, and after 2 days of travelling, we are finally settled into a hotel in Koh Samui, Thailand. What a trip! In the course of 24 hours we have single handedly managed to utilize every major mode of transportation possible. After getting off our motorbike in Hanoi on April 3rd, we took a 45 min. taxi to the airport where we boarded a plane for Bangkok, immediately getting off the plane after 1hr/45 min and onto an airport transfer bus to the terminal, from there onto a bus that took us through Bangkok rush hour traffic, where it proceeded to linger for 2 hrs at an almost dead standstill, forcing us to get off at the first available oppertunity (which was some good advice we heeded from a complete stranger on the bus who lived there) if we wanted to catch a connecting train or bus to Koh Samui that night. From here we crossed the street and climbed the stairs to the Sky Train, which took us to the Subway, where we could quickly reach the Railway Station. From here we tried to catch an overnight train, but the last train was sold out. So, on the advice from a friendly tout, we followed him to his travel agency upstairs and bought a ticket on the overnight VIP bus instead. 10 hrs later, we arrived at the Ferry Terminal, where we boarded a boat for the 4 hour journey. Once arriving, we found ourselves on the island of Koh Samui without a transfer to the beach we were staying at, so we hopped in a taxi, where upon our request, he drove us first to a phone shop to purchase a SIM card for our phone, and then to an internet cafe where he waited outside while we went online and got the number of our friend who is also staying here. Unfortunately, he wasn't answering, so we decided to have him drop us off on the main street where we could find a hotel. Once this was accomplished, we immediately headed for McDonalds (they don't have them in 'Nam!) for a Big Mac meal, then straight to the beach on the motorbike we rented from our hotel. All in all, a great, albeit long, but fun journey. After sleeping for the last 12 hours, we are looking forward to the next 10 days in breathtaking Thailand.
-Kar

Thailand, here we come!

2007-03-29T22:07:00.000-04:00

We are quickly approaching the second anniversary of the holy union of myself and Mrs. Karen Merlin, formerly known as Karen Hudson, and we are going to bring in our "Cotton Anniversary" in style, soaking up the sun in Thailand. We have taken 12 days off of work for our trip to the "Big Mango" and we plan on filling every one of them up with rest, relaxation, scuba diving, sun-tanning, swimming, trekking and other such vacationesque activities.
Two of our friends from Taiwan, Phil (Philly-poo) Lawrence and Aussie Jim, co-owner of the best bar in Tainan, are currently kicking it in Thailand too. We are looking forward to catching up with them and enjoying an evening or two of the world famous Thai nightlife. I can hardly wait to get going.
We leave on April 3rd, a mere four days away, and we will spend the first night in Bangkok and then it is off to Koh Samui for a couple of days with quick trips over to Ko Tao for some Diving, (click the title of this blog to check out the details and some pics) After that we may head to Pataya for a day or two and finally round it all out in Phuket. ( These plans are subject to change without notice)
Immediately on our return to Nam I will be updating my Facebook albums with another country. I will do my best to take some decent video to post as well. All in all I think this is going to be one hell of an anniversary.

The Third Trimester

2007-03-20T13:37:00.000-04:00

**Warning*** this post is music related and written mainly for those I have played with and played along side of, and especially those who know the difference between the two.****

Music has been a huge part of my life for the last sixteen years. It has kept me out of trouble all through my late teens. While most of the people I grew up with were committing armed robberies and other such madness, I was jamming with Dave and Jay in the old shed on Albro Lake Rd. I have considered the past sixteen years and have come up with three distinct phases to my musical experience. There was the initial phase which was being taught Guns-n-Roses, Black Crowes, Lynard Skynard, Led Zepplin and LA Guns covers by Jay. This went on for a long time. It encompasses a period in my life from the age of sixteen to about eighteen. Then the second phase kicks in where I was actually playing in a working rock and roll band. Mr. Moneymaker and Lost Cause notwithstanding, Rainmaker was the first real band I was a part of. We were in the right place at the right time and we could have done a lot better than we actually did. What can you expect from a bunch of idiots that didn't even know what they were doing? I took a break from that for a while and started a family. That fell apart a lot sooner than Rainmaker had, and then I was back at it with a whole new bunch of people. Larry, Kelly and I started playing songs together and before we knew it we were a full band with the help of Ross Chapman and Jonathan "Twig" Taylor. Crooked North was born and was raised to be a fairly decent "bar" band that boasted a pretty impressive per show haul at it's peak. I call this the second phase. I discovered a lot about the business end of this particular trade and found myself thoroughly enjoying that aspect of it. Rainmaker was about having fun and giving it a shot, while Crooked North was about having fun and being conscious of the business end of things and working toward a specific goal. There were, unfortunately, too many roadbumps to even discuss in that hardworking band. The truly awful part is the fact that the biggest roadbump was a human beat machine that tore us apart like a rabid timber wolf. Oh well, past is past.
Finally on to the third phase, where I currently find myself wading through. I have fallen in love with music again, in a way I haven't experienced since those early days in the shed, when I mastered that elusive bassline to Paradise City. I initially approached playing again with the delicate and guarded way one might attempt to remove a fishhook from a cheek. What has happened to me, to my complete surprise, is a total revival of the pure joy I felt many years ago simply from playing a song well. No agenda, no ulterior motives, just the pure and simple pleasure of playing music. The name of the band is Morgan's Crossing, and we are a Grateful Dead cover band. We play every Friday evening at R&R Tavern to the delight of a very few, but that doesn't matter. Saturday is even better, with an open jam where anyone who plays anything can step up and play a tune. I absolutely love it. Anyone who is still playing in Halifax or Taiwan or wherever, play for the hell of it, and play the hell out of it.
Thanks for reading my rant.
-Ed

Same old Same old

2007-03-08T08:50:00.000-05:00

There has been a lull, so to speak, in our blogging as of late. Unfortunately, there is not much to mention. Things have been kind of ho-hum around here. The weather is unseasonably cool and keeps us indoors most days. Everyone is kind of taking it easy after the madness that was TET. We may be getting a visit from a friend in Taiwan in the next little while, but the details have yet to be worked out.
I have created something that is a little exciting. (if you are excited by mundane, geeky things) It is an on-line classroom, where all of my students are linked together in a community blog. They update journals and can view their classmates entries as well. It is fairly new and I havn't heard of anyone doing anything like this before, so it may be interesting to see how it turns out. I will have all of my students do it from this point on and will eventually build quite a large community with it. If you are at all interested in checking out this little start-up project, you can find it at www.teachered.multiply.com. Or, as always, you can just click the title of this blog to take you there instantly.
Hopefully, as the weather gets warmer we will have more interesting things to blog about. Until next time, play nice and keep your sticks on the ice.
-E

Crosstown Traffic (Click me to go to movie)

2007-02-14T04:45:00.000-05:00

We took a ride around the madness that is the day before TET. Click the link above to see a short movie. Also, leave a comment on the blog below and tell me what you think of the dog issue.
-E

Crosstown Traffic

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In Vietnam, Man's best friend is best fried....and then smothered in onions.

2007-02-11T22:27:00.000-05:00

This is a call to all people still reading up on us from time to time. I am running a poll to find out whether or not I should eat Dog while I am in Vietnam. Karen has simply refused to even entertain the idea of dawg eatin, but I am still on the fence. I want to experience different cultural things while I am here, however, I have been licked in the face by dogs and have had dogs excited to see me come home from work/school. I know meat is meat and all that, and it is just a western hangup, but it is one that is deeply rooted psychologically. I fear that at the time, if or when I decide to take that step and sit down at a table in a dog restaurant and the plate is put before me, with a sizzling shelty, el dante doberman, baked lassie, steamed beagle, spicey sheppard or marinated mutt. I may just spear a piece with my fork and embark on a battle with my own conscience, mouth gaping awaiting the morsel, but unable to deliver the cargo to it's destination.
So I leave it up to you fine people, our family, friends or even the complete strangers who have taken to reading our blog from time to time. Leave a comment and say your piece.... To eat dog or not to eat dog....that is the question.

Show us your TET!! The Vietnam Show part 2

2007-02-08T08:36:00.000-05:00

As we are heading into TET, there are many changes taking place in the city that we are observing. The first and most noticeable is traffic. It is like Charlie is all hopped up on caffeine pills and Ritalin. They are riding around banging in to each other, oblivious to all time and space, most of them hanging on to small orange trees or some other kind of plant life obscuring their vision. It is truly amazing to watch a Hanoi Sandwich( three people on a scooter) driving down the street with the person in the middle cradling a six foot tree in his arms. Unfortunately there are no pictures of this just yet.
The streets have turned in to one large market with every single person selling the same things. They are all selling pots,carvings and orange trees. I am sure there is some significance to this that I am both unaware of, and uninterested in.
TET is like Christmas, New Years, Easter and Thanksgiving all rolled in to one two week holiday. Charlie spends a week hammered drunk and celebrating the new year. We were told it is best to stay off the streets during this time of the year, if at all possible. One good aspect is that the city dwellers, for the most part, all come from rural areas and leave to go back to those rural areas for a few days, essentially turning Hanoi in to a ghost town. We are eagerly anticipating the peace and quiet such a mass departure will bring.
I mentioned the "Lifters" in an earlier blog, and now I have some more to introduce. The "Squatter" is a person who can squat on the side of the road for hours at a time, seemingly unaffected by discomfort or cramping. Squatting is done alone or in groups and can take place anywhere and at anytime. There is also no age or gender discrimination with squatters as I have seen squatting by infants as well as men and woman older than dirt. The position is the same for all squatters. It is like sitting only the bottom or bum, if you will, is not actually touching the ground it merely hovers a few inches above. The thighs and knees are pressed against the chest and the arms are wrapped around the legs. If it is at all possible, it is even more uncomfortable looking than it sounds. Many activities are enjoyed by the "squatters" while in this position, such as smoking, playing board games, eating or drinking tea.
Another humorous discover is, as mentioned above, the "Hanoi Sandwich" and the "Hanoi Clubhouse". These I have named specifically for the amount of dangly little bastards able to fit on to one scooter seat. The sandwich is three and the clubhouse is four. Only full grown adults count for the sandwich and the clubhouse,as children are generally stuffed in any available free space. I have seen as many as six people on a single scooter, but that included three children clinging to the sandwich. I refer to them as fries. It is my new mission to acquire photos of this phenomenon for those of you still reading this from time to time, as it should be seen to be believed.
Signing off,
-E

Were an American/Canadian/Vietnamese Band!!

2007-02-01T08:20:00.000-05:00

After a hiatus of almost two years, I am back behind a bass again, playing in a band called Jerry Garcia. It is an interesting mix of two Americans, three Vietnamese and little ol’ me. I was a little rusty starting out, but after our second practice I am feeling more comfortable. The singer owns a bar called R&R bar ( here is his website http://www.oregoncoast.com/willy/r&r.htm ) and it is our second home here in Hanoi. Great greasy western food and lots of character. There is a Friday night jam at the bar on Fridays (obviously) and an open mic on Saturday that allows anyone to come up and play a tune. It isn’t Raddie Dave or Scary Larry, but any port in a storm, as they say.
For the tunes it is originals and old 70’s rock covers. Quite fun to play.
In other news, the massive holiday of TET is coming up and we have a week off of work to do with what we will. We are considering Na Trang to sit on the beach for a week. If we do not do that we have also received some nice offers from some students to eat with them at their homes in celebration of the mighty TET holiday.
Sorry for the long time between posts, but we are kind of settling in to a routine now and until we do something new, there is not a whole lot to write about.
Until next time,
-E

Last days in Taiwan and first New Year in Nam

2007-01-05T06:50:00.000-05:00

This is a goofy little film we put together of pics of our last days in Taiwan and our first Christmas and New Years Eve in Vietnam. It is only 4 minutes long. Just click on the "New Movie on Myspace" title to get there.
-Ed
Nam Years Eve

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Santa Gets Mobbed at Cleaverlearn in Hanoi

2006-12-23T05:20:00.000-05:00

I played Santa Claus at Cleverlearn for the children. It turned in to a riot as the kids swarmed me and began to trample each other to get at the presents in my bag. We attempted to take video, but it was too dark. Click the link above to view a movie of the sordid ordeal.
Merry Christmas,
Ed & Karen
Christmas Mayhem

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Wintertime Blues

2006-12-17T05:43:00.000-05:00

As we are nearing the end of December, the idea of another Christmas away from home is looming ever larger. It is odd how you grow to miss even the things you hated most about home. The more I start missing Halifax, the more I try and remember icy winter days, scraping snow off of the windshield with numb hands, the seemingly endless night that is January and February. The funny thing is I actually miss the crunching of snow beneath my boots and the cool crisp feeling in my lungs of a deep morning breath. It has been an endless summer for these past twenty months, and as much as I enjoy that, there is really nothing like warming up in a cozy home after a battle with the elements.
There is also the tradition of Christmas that I have grown to enjoy. Christmas eve at Bob and Noreen's or Doug and Helen's and then Christmas day and early evening at my parents house and then the Christmas evening party at Kelly's (before) and Kelly and Joe's (now). Always followed by a trip to Karen's parents house immediately after. We will miss that again this year, but we will be thinking of everyone.
We have met some folks here who have invited us to a Christmas dinner, turkey and all the trimmings, and we have graciously accepted. At least we will have a proper Christmas dinner this year, unlike our Steak and Potatoes of last year.
So, again, as we said last year, when you are all together enjoying this yuletide season, have a drink for us, and the other displaced family members and friends who would all rather be with you, than wherever it is they are.
Merry Christmas everyone, and Happy New Year! We love you.
Ed & Karen

Welcome to the Jungle

2006-12-10T23:02:00.000-05:00

It hadn't occurred to me until someone at work brought it up. Vietnam will ruin me for all other places. I obviously need to explain this in more detail, and I will try to do it without sounding all "Do I look fat in this dress "
Everything is very cheap here, as I mentioned before, and that was exciting for the first little while. Now, at the three month mark, I am beginning to get worried about this lifestyle. Absolutely anything you want is available at almost no cost. That is the kind of thing that is dangerous to get used to. I don't think I mentioned this before, but we do not cook at home. It is pointlessly messy and more expensive than eating out. This means I have been eating at restaurants for three months. I am not talking about Mickey D's and Subway here, I am talking about good restaurants. It costs me, generally, less than 5 US dollars to eat wonderful meals, containing multiple courses. Great, right? yeah, for the first little while. Now I am more like, I wish I had a can of Chef Boy-R-Dee Beefaroni, as I am dining on a Fred Flintstone sized rack of Baby back ribs, potato wedges and salad.
The question is, How does one come back from something like this? How do I return to North America and resume the 9-5 lifestyle, where eating at a nice restaurant is a special evening you do once an a while, as it will cost you 100.00 or more, if you decide to have drinks and desert. There is no tipping or tax here. So if you have a 50.00 food bill in a restaurant in Canada. You are looking at 7.50$ in tax and 7.50$ for a tip, if you do the 15%. 15 dollars on a 50 dollar bill.
Here, not so much. If we spend 20.00 US on a meal here. I assure you, we will be leaving food on the table and we will be intoxicated. And that's 20 dollars total, no tip, no tax, for both of us.
My point is, we will be here for another year, possibly longer. We were psyched by the cheapness of food in Taiwan after Canada, and Vietnam makes Taiwan look expensive. I am starting to worry about spending "too long in the Jungle"!
I heard that figure of speech a couple of months ago from a Kiwi expat who had been in SE Asia for over seven years. He, at the time, was complaining about the lack of Vietnamese girls in Hanoi that were interested in dating foreigners. This is quite the opposite from most other places in Asia. I asked him, quite simply, why he didn't just date one of the many foreign girls populating Hanoi? He looked me dead in my eyes, and spoke in a startlingly somber manner. "Oh no, Ed, I can't do that, I have been in the jungle for far too long mate." I laughed at that, at the time, but in retrospect, he meant exactly that. With Asian women, I am told, there is no effort in a relationship. There is almost always a language barrier that makes small talk and conversation almost pointless. Unlike with Western woman, who expect much more from a partner than just being there. He could no more go back to dating western girls after dating Asians than I will be able to go back to the way of life I traded in to come to Asia. It is not the girls for me, obviously, but it is everything else.
I am starting to feel like we have been in the jungle for too long, and we still have quite a way to go. I can imagine some of you reading this, shaking your heads and muttering..." I can't believe this jackass has the nerve to complain about being able to eat at nice restaurants every night!" It is the bigger picture that I am, not complaining about, but just worried about.
If Christmas came everyday, it would no longer be special. Fine dining has already reached a point with us where it is no longer special, and I am worried about the point where it will become expected, almost necessary. We simply can not live like this in North America. Not, unless we were wealthy, and I mean lotto 649 wealthy.
French, Italian, Asian, Brazilian, Greek, Mexican, Indian etc. Every evening we ask ourselves, "What are we going to eat tonight?" You wouldn't believe how many of the selections illicit the rolling of eyes. What do you get for the person who has everything? Well, I ask, What do you eat, when you can eat anything?
Welcome to the jungle baby!
-Ed

A little love people....

2006-12-05T08:28:00.000-05:00

I know that some people are still checking in on our misadventures from time to time as our hit counter shows over 5, ooo hits. That is incredible. Remember, anyone who is still with us, that there are comment buttons at the bottom of every blog. Please leave a comment, as it is great hearing from you, even if it is just to say hi. This blog is one of the only connections we have with our world back home so anything is better than nothing.
Keep warm, keep safe and keep on truckin',
-Ed

PS: It is actually a blue "Shout Out" button, just click on that and you can leave us a message.

Tiles and Tribulations

2006-12-02T12:13:00.000-05:00

I just stepped out of the shower and proceeded to hang my towel up on the railing, I put all of my weight on one foot as I lean in to pin the top of the towel with a clothes pin, when my foot crashes through the tile, thanks to a hollow pit beneath it. A jagged piece of tile decides to almost sever my baby toe with a gaping, five inch circular gash that goes right to the bone. "Ouch" right? yeah, and then some. Karen hears the small explosion and comes to see what all the commotion is. It is at this moment that the blood starts to gush. Karen demands to take a look at the wound. I am actually unable to see it due to it's location at the bottom of my foot, but from the alarming amount of blood, I am assuming the worst. Karen takes one look at the wound and states immediately that I must go to the hospital. It was just after midnight and I was getting ready for bed, when the accident happened. I am sitting on the stairs holding my foot together with a maxi pad soaking up the blood, while Karen attempts to reach our landlord. She explained there was an accident and we must go to the hospital right away. They walk over and arrange for a taxi. I tape up my foot with some surgical tape and the maxi pad as a bandage and hobble out to meet the taxi, leaving behind enough blood and gore to double for a slaughter house floor.
We arrive at the hospital and my landlord then runs in to wake up the staff. I am led in to a small room with saloon like swinging doors. The doctor and nurse motion for me to lie down on a metal gurney. The gurney is about five and a half feet long and my feet hang off the end. They unwrap my ingenious bandage and proceed to gasp in horror at what they find beneath. I was doing a fairly heroic job of keeping it together up until the collective gasp from the medical staff.
"Oh, werry deepy" I get from my doctor, as the nurse just nods solemnly.
For the next half-hour they meticulously poke, prod and clean the wound, while I am torn between ticklish and terrorizing pain. They bathe the wound in various liquids that burn like fire and then wipe it with gauze.
After that, it was time for the stitches. Now, I have gotten stitches on many occasions. My ankle, head, face, and hand, just to name a few, but never before on the bottom of my foot. The pain was almost a religious experience. I feel born again after going through it. They attempted to freeze the area around the cut, but they said the skin was far too thick and hard for the needle. I retorted the fact that the floor tile had no problem breaking the skin. Once again, my humour is lost in translation. The next twenty minutes or so are kind of blurry. I remember having a hard time holding my foot still while they were operating, and just watching the gekko's scurry about on the walls and trying to think of anything else but the intense pain. Once they were done torturing me they decided I needed a tetanus shot. They gave me one of those and then I was free to go. The taxi driver waited around through all of this and drove us home.
All and all, I would have to say my Vietnamese hospital experience was decidedly more intimate than any hospital experience I have ever had elsewhere.
I had to take the weekend off of work, but I shall return on Monday, a little slower, but not too bad off. The stitches come out in a week.
-Ed

Nov 7th (click for Movie) working finally!

2006-11-26T23:04:00.000-05:00

Karen and I had the day off today and we decided to get out in the city and do some stuff. We started off at 8am and had a great breakfast at Culi Cafe, an Australian restaurant with great food. After breakfast we decided to take a swan paddle boat out on Westlake, where we live. After an hour of mad paddlin, we went to a cafe in the city to enjoy some ice tea and a great view. We spent the rest of the afternoon driving around and checking the place out. Click the title above to get to MySpace and see a short video we took of our day.

Ed

Nov 7th

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The Vietnam Show.

2006-11-19T11:01:00.000-05:00

I have to say that we are absolutely appalled by the behavior of the Vietnamese. I, of course, am not speaking of all Vietnamese, just some of them. This particular rant is going to fly a little south of politically correct, so I warn you now.
It now seems to us, that we are in the middle of a large, seemingly endless nature programme, where we are the explorers observing the native Vietnamese in their natural habitat. We are in awe of their unique and wondrous behavior. We have had the glorious opportunity to see grown men urinating in to the street, facing traffic, with absolutely no shame in their actions. We have stood by, observing as both men and woman go, knuckle deep, in to a nostril and root to satisfaction with a complete lack of embarrassment.
We have spent enough time around these wondrous folk that they have grown comfortable in our presence. On many occasion I will have a Vietnamese adult male walk up to me on the street, and without so much as a word start to rub my belly or squeeze my arms and shoulders. I take this to be an acceptance of some kind, and although it is unwanted and quite off-putting I have grown to tolerate it.
The truly exciting find is the "lifters". I believe them to be a discovery otherwise unknown to the western world, and we are racking our brains to come up with a more suitable name for these interesting little variety of Vietnamese males. I have experienced the actions of a "lifter" on four separate occasions. In every example it was a full grown male, Whom I had no previous interaction with. In each case this male would walk around me, scrutinizing me to their fullest extent. Once satisfied with his observations he leaps behind me and attempts to lift me off the ground. In every experience the lifter has failed miserable, yet there is little to no impact on the "Lifters" mood, as they seem relatively happy with the simple act of trying, and success seems unimportant.
Another puzzling aspect of their nature, both male and female, is the constant need for attention. They obtain that attention by being the loudest, most obnoxious voice in any given place. You have to imagine that a restaurant full of people like this can make quite a racket. This behaviour also takes itself to the streets where Vietnamese people try to outdo each other in both volume and duration of horn blasting. We have yet to figure out if this action is based on aggression or if it is possibly some kind of mating performance. We have not been in country long enough to make determinations like that.
Well, this is it for this installment of The Nature of Things in Vietnam, We will keep you posted on further finding of these curious creatures.
Until next time,
Ed,

Halong Bay ( Click for the movie) Working now!

2006-11-14T08:17:00.000-05:00

We left our jobs at Vietnam News. Unfortunately, the pay was just not enough to accomplish our goals in Vietnam, so we had to move on. We began new jobs as English teachers at a school called Clever Learn. The money and the hours are better. Anyway, we recieved some tickets for a Halong Bay tour and we jumped at the opportunity to experience one of the best eco-tours available in Vietnam. It was two nights and three days of pure asthetic bliss. The bay itself is too beautiful to sully with mere words, and the Junk that we stayed on was a blast. The days started early and therefore the evenings were not long, we found ourselves in bed by midnight both Friday and Saturday. We got to take a tour of one of the biggest caverns on the planet, and do some sightseeing on Cat Bah Island. All in all it was a great way to relax and enjoy our last weekend before hitting the classroom hard and working long hours. We took many pictures, and made a little movie that I am currently attempting to put on MySpace, but the internet connections here are so bad they usually time out. There was supposed to be a movie from our day around town on Nov 7th, but we are experiencing some technical difficulties posting movies. Stay tuned, all issues will be worked out and you will be able to enjoy some of the sights we have seen. Here are a few pics from our trip.... Ed
The Bay

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Click me to view a small movie of our new house!!!

2006-11-02T07:44:00.000-05:00

Click the title above to see the new house, and click the title below to see my second restaurant review.
-Ed

Click this for Edwardo's 2nd restaurant review

2006-10-31T08:12:00.000-05:00

http://vietnamnews.vnanet.vn/showarticle.php?num=01RES291006

Finally, A house to call our own

2006-10-14T05:10:00.000-04:00

Sunday, October 15th, 2006, we move in to our house by the lake. It is a modest three storey affair, with two bedrooms a large kitchen and three, yes that's right, three patios. One balcony off of our bedroom, one patio off of the kitchen and the third and biggest balcony, on the roof, and a little courtyard in the front. There are two bathrooms and cathedral ceilings. Today will be our last evening in the hotel. We are both very excited to move into our place and put an end to this vagrant hotel living. We will take some pictures and maybe a video of our new home to put on myspace, which you can access by clicking the link at the bottom of every blog. " find me on myspace, and be my friend" We will post any videos on that site as I still havn't figured out how to post videos here. So stay tuned and take a peak at our new diggs.
-Ed
PS.
Now, we extend an open invitation to any and all, friends and family to come and visit us. We have a comfortable, air-conditioned spare bedroom for you to use, and Vietnam offers many enjoyable activities for you tourist types. Give us a shout.
-E

My first published restaurant review

2006-10-09T11:51:00.000-04:00

Check out my first story here... For a limited time

http://vietnamnews.vnagency.com.vn/index.php?subcat=69

copy and paste in to web browser or just click on the title above!

(Below are two examples of the kinds of scenery found here....)

Spider sandwiches, and the cockroach tub!!

2006-10-04T09:54:00.001-04:00

As most of you already know, I am not a huge fan of the crawlies. There are no shortage of the 6-8 legged devils in this filthy country. Two particular tales I would like to share are of the Spider sandwich and the Cockroach bathtub.
Karen and I strolled in to a cafe to have a coffee before work. It was a fair size and there were many people in there, which is normally a good sign. We found an empty table and had a seat, only to discover the menu was completely in Vietnames, and there were no english menu's available.
After some time we managed to get our request for coffee and a sandwich across to our waitress. We got our coffee first and Karen waited for her sandwich.
The sandwich arrived moments later and while it was unremarkable, it looked like a standard ham sandwich. Karen took a bite, and then opened the sandwich to inspect the meat and found a spider stuck to the mayonaise on the bottom side of the bread.
We, of course, returned the uneaten sandwich and Karen passed on a replacement. We finished our coffee and made to leave. We walked up to the counter to pay our bill and noticed a charge for the sandwich. Assuming it was a mistake we pointed it out to our waitress who was standing beside us smiling like a lunatic.
" You charged us for the sandwich we sent back." I said,"remember,...it had a spider in it!"
" Yes, spider!" still smiling like a half-wit.
" You can't be serious!" Stated Karen.
" Your charging us for the spider sandwich?" I asked again bewildered.
" We didn't eat it. It had a spider in it for christ sake!" Karen
" Let me get this straight... You want us to pay for the spider sandwich?"
" Yes, you pay for the spider sandwich." She stated.
With that I was satisfied. It was worth the doller just to hear her call it the spider sandwich. I can see some of you shaking your head in disbelief, that we would pay for the sandwich, but trust me, sometime the principle isn't even worth the trouble.
Now, for the cockroach. After living for over a year in Asia, you get used to the cockroaches that are everywhere you look. They simply become part of the scenery. The puzzleing thing about cockroaches is that even though they can fly, they choose not to, most of the time.
For example, we have a bathtub in our hotel room that seems to be Alkatraz for cockroaches. They get in but they never get out. Everyday, there is a single cockroach desperately trying to escape our bathtub, however, it's prickly little feet just can't find purchase. They never think to simply fly out and I find myself killing an extremely exhausted cockroach everyday, when I get back from work. Puzzlin, No?
Talk to you soon,
Ed

The Two Week Mark

2006-10-01T06:28:00.000-04:00

We have been citizens of Hanoi, Vietnam for two weeks now. Our search for an apartment has been fruitless thus far. Hotel living, while having it's advantages, encourages a lifestyle that we are growing tired of. While we have some leads for a new home, we find ourselves being taken advantage of. The idea in Vietnam, is a white face represents wealth, and by their standards, I suppose that is true for the most part. We have found modest apartments asking up to 600 USD, that is just ridiculous considering the same apartment would be rented to a Vietnamese person for less than 200 USD.
There is hope, however, as we are making friends with our Vietnamese co-workers, and they will help us to find a place at a more reasonable price. We have also tossed around the idea of shared accommodation. Living with two or three other people in a huge French villa. I guess we will see how that turns out.
As for work, it is great. This is probably the best job I have ever had. It's fun, creative, and fulfilling. I know I would never have been able to get a job like this in Canada, so I will enjoy it while I can. It doesn't pay as well as teaching English, but it is a much better stepping stone in to something better. Teaching English is like treading water. No future employers will look at it with any real appreciation. It is financially rewarding, I suppose, but you come away from it no further ahead, in terms of hireability. Many people at the Vietnam News, with no journalistic experience, have used this job as a means to move on to Bangkok News, Taipei Times and then Japan News, all of which are more financially rewarding than the last. I am told you can make up to 80,000 US working for Japan News. So we will bide our time, gain some experience and hopefully make the best of it, as so many others have done before us. Mr Johnny Shaw included.
We are afraid to do any traveling right now, as we are concerned with leaving our luggage in a hotel room, unchecked for days at a time. We will have much more to blog about once we get settled here and start to visit all of the interesting places that Vietnam has to offer. So stay tuned, eventually there will be many pictures and new stories of our new experiences.
Talk to you soon,
Ed

It happened again, but better this time!

2006-09-28T10:28:00.000-04:00

Karen and I decide to go for a drink with some colleagues from the Vietnam News, and the place we ended up was the very same Red Mask bar where the lights went out during our last visit. We had been there for a little while this time when it happened again. Lights out! The steel gate slides closed and we get the " Shhhhhhhhhhh, police!" from the staff.
This time it was a little more exciting. A police truck pulls up out front with the lights flashing. Five or six uniformed, Vietnamese police officers milling about out front. They stand at the door, hands cupped to their face, trying to see in through the treated glass of the front doors. Then to our surprise a batton shoots through the gate and hits the latch of the gate. The metal door slides open and the police burst through the door with flashlights in hand blowing whistles. There were about two dozen foreigners in the joint that night, and the police herded us out in to the street. Of course, nothing happened to us. We were free to travel half a block down the street to a bar that had done their civic duty and bribed the police. There, we were able to finish the bottles of beer from the Red Mask in peace and lumination.
The moral of this story..... ALWAYS BRIBE YOUR LOCAL AUTHORITIES!!

PS.
The absolute best part was when the police tried to leave and their truck wouldn't start. They had to get local street people to push their truck away. Totally emasculating, eh?

The Situation So Far...

2006-09-23T08:20:00.000-04:00

We have been in Vietnam for almost a week. We have both been offered jobs at Vietnam News as Editors. We start Monday. I am looking forward to the break from teaching English, but I know we can both make a lot more money as teachers so we may not stay long at the newspaper. We are still living in the Hotel as it is not as easy to find apartments here as it was in Taiwan. Taiwan had a wonderful resource in The Tainan Bulletin. Vietnam has no such resource, so it is mostly Cafe bulletin boards and word of mouth.
I am including a few pictures here, but we havn't taken many shots. Over the coming weeks we will be sure to capture some of the scenes that we find strange and beautiful here. I will write another blog about our first day at Vietnam News.
Until then,
-Ed

Click the link to MySpace at the bottom of any blog to view a video of local traffic http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=1206310177

(Our 12$ Hotel Room)

(Some Hanging Swine)

(The Lake by our Hotel)

The Darkhorse Lost at Sea & Lights out for Whiteys

2006-09-20T04:43:00.000-04:00

We went to a local Western bar called the Red Mask last night. I played pool for drinks on the most banged up pool table in existance. The felt was mostly duct tape and the table was warped in three different places. It was also at a slight angle. It was kind of like playing mini golf on a pool table. We met lots of foreigners last night and heard some great stories.
One such story is a guy from Taipei who had been living in Taiwan for five years. He was dubbed the Darkhorse by his friends for his appreciation of Ladyboys in Thailand. The news just rolled in that Darkhorse, taking a ferry to avoid customs, as he was bringing in some illegal cargo, went overboard and was declared by the Japanese Coast Guard to be lost at sea. While the Japanese have lost all hope, the Westerners that knew him believe he is alive and well clinging to a rock somewhere in the straigt between Japan and Taiwan.
The moral of the story is never count out the Ladyboy loving Darkhorse.
The real excitement happened shortly after 1am when the Vietnam police rolled by with a flood light. To our surprise, the power went out and a heavy steel door dropped down over the entrance, trapping us inside. I immediately, for whatever reason, thought of The Lost Boys, and was anticipating the staff to turn into vampires and devour us all. It was explained to me that these clubs were not allowed to be open after 12:00 unless they pay a hefty bribe to the police. So this club has lookouts posted on the street and they signal the arrival of the police and the place shuts down in seconds with all the patrons sitting quietly inside, in the pitch black, drink in hand, waiting for the coast to clear and the lights and music to come back on. It was a unique experience and definately one I am glad we had.
Talk to you soon,
-Ed

Gooooood Morning Vietnaaaam!

2006-09-19T04:24:00.000-04:00

Here we are. We said to ourselves. Hanoi, Vietnam. How do you like them apples? Well, I like 'em just fine. This place is amazing. It is like Mexico for Australians and Kiwis. There are a ton of foriegners here but most seem to be tourists. We ran in to a problem at the Taiwan airport that ended up costing us quite a few dollars, so we find ourselves a lot lighter financially than we had expected. Luckily, for us, everything here is the kind of cheap that makes you think you are halucinating or dreaming. We sit down in nice restaurants and eat huge meals, drink beer or whatever and have dessert. The kind of meals you would pay more than one hundred dollars for in Canada, we are paying 4-6 dollars. It is 1 dollar for a cab pretty much anywhere in the city. We are staying at a hotel for 12 dollars a night. This 12 dollar hotel consists of a double bed, satalite tv, mini-fridge and of course AC. The room is clean and there are no bugs.
From what we've seen on the streets, t-shirts, shorts and pants are a measly 2-4 dollars. We got new sim cards for our phones, without showing a lick of ID. In Taiwan, getting a sim card was like applying for a small business loan. The sim cards were 5 dollars and they came with ten dollars worth of minutes.
The temperature is the same as Taiwan, but there is a consistant breeze that makes it pleasant. The one downside is the constant harrassment by peddlers selling everything from books, hats, lighters, fruit and "Mareeewana". Everything they are selling is, of course, "werry cheepy" and they don't accept "no" for an answer unless you get rude about it.
I heard my first "A numbah 1 ok" and almost busted a gut laughing. One thing that is really cool, and I may actually purchase is a Vietnam War, American issue zippo. There were hundreds of thousands of these things left here during the war and there are peddlers on the street selling them. I don't know if they are authentic or not, but who cares?
I am in an internet cafe right now, and I will try and update frequently during our first few weeks here, as it is the most exciting time.
For those of you still reading, I thank you for your interest, and hope you keep tuning in.
Until next time,
Ed

Back on the Scene. Crispy and Clean.(somewhat)

2006-09-03T10:34:00.000-04:00

It has been a while, dear readers, since we have posted on our misadventures in Taiwan. Although there are numerous reasons for our negligence, it is inexcusable to go this long without adding something.
I will start with our trip back to Canada. It was wonderful to see all of our family and friends again. We got to see Tom and Katies baby girl Elle, the wonderful sandy beaches of NB and NS, as well as Joe and Kelly's new band play a couple of times. We hung out in Raddie Dave's basement and Larry and Sarah's new apartment. (New to us, I believe they have moved again since our visit) But most importantly, we got to spend some time with our parents and my beautiful little girl. It was a great time and we look forward to being able to do it again sometime in the distant future.
Since we've been back, there have been some changes. We have decided to move out of Taiwan and on to Vietnam. We will be occupying the area that Mr. Shaw is soon departing from in Hanoi. Thanks to his time and effort I believe the transition will be as comfortable as possible. Thank-you Johnny, you are a true friend and gentleman.
We, of course, have been quite busy packing up our belongings(that which we will take) and selling off the rest. Our apartment has already been spoken for, but we still have a motorcycle,scooter, and a computer to sell.
And, speaking of motorcycles...Karen and I got in to our first accidents in Taiwan!! The absolute best part is, we crashed in to each other! Karen is a little bruised and sore, but nothing serious. I suffered the same as her but with a little extra trauma thrown in to my right arm. All things considered it could have been much worse.( An idiot on a scooter cut Karen off, I was following a little too closely and when she slammed on her breaks and went sideways, I didn't have enough room to stop and we collided.)
In closing, I would like to say, that although the Merlins will no longer officially Taiwanon, we will be tearing up vietnam in the near future so goodbye Merlinstaiwanon and Good Morning Vietnam!!!!
-E

Back to the Drawing Board

2006-07-13T22:25:00.000-04:00

We are vacationing in Canada until August 3rd. We shall return to our blog when we return to Taiwan. Stay tuned...

Rainy Day People

2006-06-10T02:59:00.000-04:00

It has been raining for a week. The streets are rivers and all of the creepies and the crawleys are searching for higher ground. We have all of our drains closed off and any openings to the pipes and sewers are taped up. We are well into rainy season here in Taiwan, and we are looking for a break from the rain during our trip back to Canada.
Our bikes are starting to give us problems now, due to the constant wet and rain we are having problems getting them started. The fact that the rain never lets up, is making it impossible for us to dry them out.
We had thunder and lightning last night that lasted for hours. We stood and watched torrential rains, so heavy the water would bounce off of the ground and splash up a foot or so. It is an odd sight to watch water both fall and rise at the same time. If the lightning had of been workable in the pre dawn we would have taken some video of the strange sight of it.
We will be nice and sick of the rain by the time we leave for Canada, so anyone who is reading this, could you please do whatever you can to make sure it is sunny and nice for the duration of our stay. We are giving you plenty of notice. I don't want to see any rain in Canada.
Other than the diving, we are particularly boring right now as we go about saving up our money and getting ready for the horribly long trip back to Canada. I wish I had something a little more exciting to write about than rain. I assure you it will get more interesting upon our return.
Bye for now, and for those of you in N.S, see you soon.
-E

KTV & Diving in Kenting

2006-05-29T06:37:00.000-04:00

It was an eventful week-end for the The Merlins. We spent our saturday enjoying hotpot cuisine and KTV with my adult students. We went to 24h Party World for two hours where we commenced with the drinking and singing. I belted out House of the Rising Sun and Don't You (forget about me) and Karen did a stunning duet with Melinda(Taiwanese Teacher) of a techno version of What's Up. Although it ended early, it was a wonderful evening. We couldn't stay out very late on Saturday due to our 6am departure from Tainan the next morning. We were up with the birds and bats to start our long Sunday. We took the train to Kaoshiung to meet some other divers and a grizzly old Limey Instructor named Andy. We piled in to a van and we were off for Kenting. An hour and a half later we found ourselves in a beautiful beachfront area with sparkleing green seas and a wonderful breeze. We spent the day diving and ended it all off with a nice meal and a cool pegio or two. We are looking forward to the same thing next week-end. I am enclosing some pictures of our night before and day after.

( Karen getting ready to take the plunge)

( I love this picture)

( Packed in like a can of tuna)

( Andy's Angels)

( The whole gang)

( Entertaining the locals)

Fool-ish Earthquake!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-04-03T08:43:00.000-04:00

We experienced our first encounter with an earthquake on Sat. April 1st,2006 at 6:02PM local time. Apparantly Mother Nature had an April Fool's Day joke of her own in mind. Fortunately for those of us living in Tainan, it was felt as a moderate tremor instead of the powerful 6.4 blast on the richter scale that was felt in other regions of the country. It originated in the Southeastern tip of the island (not too far from us) and apparantly shook the skyscraper buildings in the Northeast capital of Taipei, on the opposite end of the island (the island is approx. the same size as P.E.I.-for those folks at home to compare).
Ed and I were just getting ready to go out for dinner when it struck. He had just exited our 2nd floor apt with a week's worth of garbage bags in tow in a last minute attempt to catch the daily garbage truck run, and was descending the inside stairs to the front entrance when it happened. He claims he didn't feel anything strange. I, however, in my well known last minute rush to get ready, was still inside the apt primping in the mirror when it hit. All of a sudden, the things on my dresser started to shake up and down, as did the things on the tables and shelves around me, just like it happened on those creepy poltergiest movies. Then, the floor starting shifting quickly from side to side, as if I were standing on a vibrating teeter-totter. Finally, the entire building started to gently sway, and that's when I made a mad dash for the door!!! The whole thing happened in about fifteen seconds or less. Just enough time to realize just what the heck is going on for a first timer. See, normally we wouldn't be alarmed by a little vibrating and a loud noise, as there are 747's flying into the Tainan airport right over our apt on a regular basis. We just got used to it. The funny thing is, just as the earthquake hit, one flew right overhead. I think that's why Ed didn't even notice it. Plus, he was going down a flight of stairs carrying heavy bags. He thought I was crazy when I came running outside blabbing something about an earthquake! It wasn't until we went out later that night when everyone was talking about it that he finally beleived me! Oh well, Ed, I'm sure that won't be our last one!
-K

Dinner with class

2006-03-18T10:47:00.000-05:00

We went out for a lovely dinner with one of my adult classes. I tried everything on the table, and it was all seafood. I am an entirely different person here. I never touched seafood at home. It is very good here. The cast includes from left...
(Benson, Ping, Zoe, Kiki, Dave, Andy, Myself, Ricky, Melinda and of course Karen)

Out of sight, out of mind, out of touch?

2006-03-17T06:27:00.000-05:00

It was about quarter to ten when I decided to join a colleague of mine for an after school Heineken in a park next to my school. Karen was working for another hour or so, and I had nothing better to do anyway. We found a couple of comfortable chairs and began to discuss movies, television and other such popular fare. It was then that we came to the conclusion that we were completely ignorant of the goings on of Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise and J-Lo. Moving to Taiwan had effectively cut me off from the daily barrage of information regarding the personal lives of celebrities. I came to the realization that I loved not knowing. I am blissfully unaware of the trials and tribulations of movie stars, and I could care no less.
My once vast and mighty sea of pop culture knowledge is drying up by the day. My friends back home, who have found me to be a most challenging Pop-culture trivialist? (is that a word?) Will definitely have the upper hand now, although I will still be a ferocious De Niro player, being that I still watch movies.
I know some people enjoy sneaking a peek in to the lives of movie stars, but I recommend taking a break, and I know it would be hard to do in North America, but try it just the same. It is lovely not having a clue about the stupid lives of people I have never met, and who care about me even less than I care about them.
Bye for now,
E

( Here are some pictures of two banged up cats on the mend.)

The Passion of the Mormon

2006-02-22T10:31:00.000-05:00

It was a day like any other that I found myself traveling from one school to the next, for my second class of the day. I rode my motorcycle to the same intersection I always do and waited for the long red light to go away and allow me to continue on. I glanced, unassumingly to my left and noticed a young blonde fellow on a bicycle smiling at me from ear to ear.
“How ya doing?” I said, with a slight nod of my head, signifying that it was more of a greeting than an actual question, as I did not want to get involved in a conversation whilst awaiting a light change.
“ Excellent!” He responded, and right away I knew something was up. Who does that? Who responds “Excellent” when someone asks them how they are doing? A Mormon, that’s who. He proceeded to ask me if I was a teacher and where I was from.
“Yes” and “NS, Canada” were my answers to that, hoping that would be an end to it.
“ A lot of our members are Canadian Teachers!” He went on, still smiling from ear to ear.
Luckily the light turned green. “ See ya later!” I called out over my shoulder as I peeled away from him. I made it about two city blocks before another red light caught me and held me in place. Mere seconds after I arrived my friend on the bicycle pulled up beside me and continued on with his attempt at saving my soul from eternal damnation. He began to ask me if I was familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ and the Later Day Saints. I said I was vaguely aware of such an organization. He began to tell me about a fellow named John and his time in “the Americas”. Green Light, I was gone again, hoping to have seen and heard the last from my new Mormon friend. That was not to be.
The blonde headed Mormon caught up with me again at the next light. I have to admit, I was starting to like this guy. He was red-faced and winded by our third meeting and was catching his breath while trying to convert me. I heard a little more about John and the Indians before I was off again. Yet another red light and the little fella had caught me again. This time he pulled up even more out of breath and barely able to speak. It was all I could stand, I asked him if there was some kind of spiritual commission that he gained from these sorts of things, as he was definitely working his ass off. If he had of been selling stereos instead of eternal salvation I probably would have bought two! I told him to save his breath and his energy, as he was not going to convert me to Mormonism or whatever they are calling it these days. I did tell him that I liked his gumption, and out of all the Mormons I had ever spoken to, he was my favorite. I assured him he did a good job, and if there was ever a chance of converting me, he had the first crack at it. I bid him goodbye and at the next red light I ran it, just to be safe. I don’t think they are allowed to run red lights.

Bye for now,
-E

HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR!

2006-01-28T11:59:00.000-05:00

The Lunar New Year is the most significant festival for ethnic Chinese around the world, wherever they come from. It is a very jubilant occasion mainly because it is the time when people take a break from work to get together with family and friends.

The origin of the Lunar New Year Festival can be traced back thousands of years, involving a series of colorful legends and traditions. One of the most famous legends is Nian ¦~, an extremely cruel and ferocious beast that the ancients believed would devour people on New Year's Eve. To keep Nian away, red-paper couplets are pasted on doors, torches are lit, and firecrackers are set off throughout the night, because Nian is said to fear the color red, the light of fire, and loud noises. Early the next morning, as feelings of triumph and renewal fill the air at successfully keeping Nian away for another year, the most popular greeting heard is gong si ®¥³ß, or "congratulations."
Even though Lunar New Year celebrations generally last for only several days, starting on New Year's Eve, the festival itself is actually about three weeks long. It begins on the twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month, the day, it is believed, when various gods ascend to heaven to pay their respects and report on household affairs to the Jade Emperor, the supreme Taoist deity. According to tradition, households busily honor these gods by burning ritualistic paper money to provide for their traveling expenses. Another ritual is to smear malt sugar on the lips of the Kitchen God, one of the traveling deities, to ensure that he either submits a favorable report to the Jade Emperor or keeps silent.

Next, "spring couplets" are hung up around the house. Spring couplets are paper scrolls and squares inscribed with blessings and auspicious words, such as "good fortune," "wealth," "longevity," and "springtime." The paper squares are usually pasted upside down, because the Mandarin word for "upside down," dao, is a homonym of the word "arrival." Thus, the paper squares represent the "arrival" of spring and the "coming" of prosperous times.
For more info go to www.gio.gov.tw/taiwan-website/5-gp/culture/lunar-NY/

Unfortunately, this year, the pouring rain kept most revelers indoors. There was a spirited outburst of fireworks and firecrackers at midnight that lasted about an hour, but it paled in comparison to previous years, or so we are told.
-E

Sunburned on January 14th

2006-01-15T14:40:00.000-05:00

We returned to Kaohsuing once again. This time it was to watch Dave May and his team the "Tainan Phoenix" play in a soccer tournament. We started out Saturday morning at 9AM on a bus with the team and some other supporters. The bus ride was comfortable and didn’t take too long. We soon arrived at some fancy high school on the outskirts of Kaoshuing. There were 16 teams and they played 25 minute games. It was interesting for a while, but Karen and I do not equally share Mr. Mays’ love for the game, and found ourselves bored before too long.
The temperature was just less than 30 degrees and we were sunburned within the hour. We decided to hail a cab and make our way into the city, where we checked into our hotel and dropped off the heavy backpack that we had been lugging around all day. We then made our way to an 85-floor building with an observation deck on the 75th floor. The elevator is the second fastest elevator in the world, with the fastest also being in Taiwan -at the Taipei 101- which is now the tallest building in the world. It was a strange experience to have my ears pop repeatedly on an elevator ride. We traveled 75 floors in no more than 25-30 seconds. The view was incredible. We quickly settled into the bar at dusk(6PM-ish)where we had a drink and watched the night fall from high above the city.
We then made our way to a popular western joint- Smokey Joe's- where we had a fantastic meal, and went on to spend the rest of the evening bar-hopping. It was a great time, and we found some interesting places that we are definitely looking forward to returning to. I am including some pictures from our weekend.
Bye for now,
-E

P.S. Since I don’t seem to be finding too many things that are bad or ugly, I am going to add another element to the Good, Bad & Ugly site. CHINGRISH and all the funniest instances of it we can find. Coming soon to a sidebar near you.....!

(Dave May sporting red knee highs)

(One of the views from the 75th floor)

Goodbye to '05

2005-12-31T04:41:00.000-05:00

It was a strange and wonderful year. We had friends become parents for the first time. Two marriages, ours included, and a new beginning that took us to the other side of the world. Now, more so than any other time, you think about friends and family and how lucky you are to have them in your life.
I would like to take this opportunity to say to all of those still checking in on us from time to time, that we hope you had a Merry Christmas and we wish you a Happy New Year. We also hope that in the new year to come, if you can’t have everything you want, that you have everything you need.
I know that some of us have lost family members this last year, and if there is anything to be gained from such a terrible thing, it is to remind us how important it is to cherish the ones we still have.
So it is with a smile, that we say goodbye to ’05. It was a good year, but here’s hoping the next one is even better and that at the end of this new year, we still have all of the people we started it with.
Happy New Year,
Love,
Ed & Karen

An Xpat Xmas

2005-12-23T09:03:00.000-05:00

(Tis a Sparse but Noble Tree.)

(It's Christmas Time....In The City.)

The Cold Wave Cometh...

2005-12-09T09:03:00.000-05:00

We had been warned about the temperature dropping in Tainan. We scoffed at the idea of people freezing and wearing winter coats in 18’C weather. Now that it is starting to drop, we understand what they were speaking of. No, it isn’t cold, cold like it gets in Nova Scotia. But, in Nova Scotia there is relief from the cold. Every building, office ,store or vehicle that you enter has the heat on. In a subtropical environment like Taiwan, there is no such thing as heating. There are no heaters in the houses. Oil, electric or otherwise. The most you can do is buy portable electric heaters.
Those of you reading this back in the old NS, are probably thinking me a sissy, but remember we live in a cement building with tile and hardwood floors, it gets cold on the footsies. It is pretty cool in the old apartment in the mornings when we get up as well. We will need to wear gloves and scarves when we ride our motorcycle and scooter. Oh well, we will have to secure ourselves for a long, hard winter. You can swim in the ocean again by the beginning of March, so we will just have to hold on until then. January and February will be rough, but we will put on sweaters and pants and we will survive this winter!!! This I swear to you all!!! We will not succumb to the bitter 18 degree Celsius Taiwanese winter. We are made of a stronger stock, and be sure when the dust has settled in march we will be telling horror stories about that day in January when there was almost a frost!
Enjoy the season Everyone!
-E
P.S.
Here is a picture of a dish that was ordered to our table.

Small Game Hunting

2005-11-07T09:27:00.000-05:00

They look like tennis rackets only slightly smaller and they weigh less. They look so much like sporting equipment that I decided to make a game out of their intended purpose. It is a sport played all over this part of the world, there is just no official name for it. I have heard it referred to as “mosquito tennis” & “swat ball”, but I prefer to call it “Small Game Hunting”.
The sport has taken shape over the last few months in to what I now find a quite satisfying pastime. The arena is the stairwell outside our apartment and there are no standard “periods” or “innings” if you will, The duration of the “inning” is as long as it takes me to have a smoke.
You see Karen, whom as a non-smoker, demands I smoke out in the hallway as to not pollute our home and her lungs with my disgusting exhaust. This annoyed me at first, due to the sheer number of mosquito’s attacking with the gusto of demented Japanese Kamikaze pilots. I have since accepted it as part of my new life here in Taiwan.
Picture it, if you can. Round One: I am standing in the hallway wearing a pair of slippers, a cigarette dangling from my lips and my racket in hand. The inning begins immediately after touching flame to tip. I get in to my stance, legs about a foot and a half apart, knees slightly bent, scanning the air above my head for the winged nuisance that has so plagued my existence these last few months. Bzzzzz. The first one dive bombs my ear and the dance begins. I begin swinging the electric mosquito zapper about my head and shoulders like a mentally handicapped maestro, conducting Hells Choir. The inning is officially over when the cigarette hits the flour. My highest count in one inning, is eight dead skeeters, but the sport is young and there is always tonight. I may just beat my record. So until next time, keep swinging at those skeeters!
Ed.

Thanksgiving, Kaoshiung and The Kindness of Strangers

2005-10-16T08:02:00.000-04:00

So thanksgiving came and went completely forgotten by most of the ex-pats here in Taiwan. I was talking to my mother, when she spoke of Thanksgiving dinner and I asked quite suddenly, when was Thanksgiving? I would have at least made a point of eating some manner of fowl and possibly some pig on that day. Oh well, there is always next year.
We spent our Thanksgiving day taking the train to Kaoshiung (pronounced Gow-shung) We hiked up the Monkey Mountain and took some lovely pictures of a smog shrouded city from atop it's peak. We spent a couple of hours taking in the sites. There were lions and tigers and beer, oops, I mean bears. We walked and sweated, and then walked and sweated some more. We managed to see most of the animals and were making our way back down the mountain, when a strange little Taiwanese woman came running in our direction, very excited and demanding to take our picture with our camera for us. Of course, my mistrust was immediate. I am after all, from the North End of Dartmouth. Common sense dictated that she was not a threat. She was maybe 55-60 years old, (it is very hard to tell with the Asian people) and no more than five and a half feet tall. I figured, even with my considerable girth, I could take her in a footrace down a mountain. She took a few shots of us, jabbering constantly about how attractive we are. The entire time she was snapping shots, the Dartmouth boy in me was expecting her to cut and run with our camera. She didn't do that, however, what she did do was invite us to her gentleman friend's car, whom she advised us, was a professor of English at a local university.
Karen and I went with her, reluctantly, already thinking up excuses for why we could not drive in the car with them. They turned out to be perfectly nice people who just wanted to offer us a ride to our next destination, which they decided for us. They told us we simply must check out the Lover's River, as it was especially beautiful at this time of night. Karen and I had specifically arrived in this city without a plan, and had every intention of Forrest Gumping our way through the day. I find those days always turn out better than vigilantly planned outings. This lovely old couple were a perfect example of the kind of thing Forrest Gumping can accomplish. So, we were driving in the back of a luxury automobile, wonderfully air-conditioned and given a full tour of the city. We said our goodbyes at the Lover's River, took a business card and promised to call the next time we were in the city.
The river was more like the Rideau Canal in Ottawa than a river. There were boat tours and lots of people walking hand in hand. It was very nice and Karen took many pictures. We made our way to a Pub called the Pig and Whistle, and proceeded to be thorougly unimpressed and overcharged at the same time. We finished out our day trip drinking beer on the train for the trip back to Tainan. It was a great day, all and all, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to do it again soon.
Bye for now,
Ed

Fire in the Sky

2005-09-25T13:33:00.000-04:00

Sept 18,2005

They call it Moon Festival. I am not aware of all of the ins and outs of this strange holiday, other than it revolves around the full moon and people bar-b-que and light fireworks all night long. It was madness everywhere you went. It was loud and beautiful at times and downright dangerous at others, as Teenagers tend to shoot fireworks in to the streets at passing motorists.
"The Mid-Autumn Festival 中秋節, or Moon Festival, occurs on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month and celebrates the annual harvest. Families view the full moon during this holiday while eating rich pastries known as “moon cakes.”