Wrapping up in Saigon

Thursday, November 12 - usual morning routine; dad swam, i read kindle, breakfast fruit plate, coffee, juice. blue skirt, green top; pm dinner at home with green soup that likely was spinach or vegetable.

Friday, November 13 - another usual morning; dad swam, same breakfast that never gets boring; swam in pms pool later in the morning; noon had pho ga with ms. han in kitchen; pm to saigon for wandering. dinner with jess and nee at le bordeaux ; had steak - wore black linen dress. went to shops earlier in the afternoon and got 2 tops and some beads

Saturday November 14 - dad swam, made a smoothie, i cooked scrambled eggs and english muffin; khaki capri, brown top; went to saigon after dad left for work. got a 70 minute foot massage for equivalent of about $7US. amazing relaxing but not just the feet apparently. the whole front back up and down plus a cup of tea. cracked back, toes, fingers ... bordered on torture but end result was quite satisfactory. went to lunch alone at mekong merchant, got a chicken salad. dinner at hyatt of carbonarra wore black white ck capri and black silk top

Sunday, November 15 - usual routine; dad swam, 815 walked to mekong merchant for breakfast. one egg benedict, dad scrambled; shopping with dad for shoes and watch at saigon square. lunch back home of fried bologna, watched The Rookie DVD, back to Mekong for dinner salmon. black and white skirt, white tee

Monday, November 16 - same same, lovely fruit plate, oj, english muffin . dad had yogurt too. talked to carolyn and cash on skype. dad went to work, i went to river and read kindle. ms. han made lunch for ms nee and ms lin. soup, fried rice, flan, beef salad. amazing cook. ms nee took me to dong koi since she was driving in to go to work. orange capri, white top. monday night dinner at PMS with david ireland and some investors.

more from Vietnam

Sunday dinner was at Hyatt with David Kaplan and Tom ... but i already wrote that part. I had river trout, wore black skirt and black and white top

Monday, November 9 - not much happening around AnPhu. black and white capri, white top. lunch of veg soup with Ms. Han. dinner at home Thai soup (very spicey) and fried noodles. Monday night went to opera house for symphony and ballet - 2 hrs. clarinet soloist, opera singer both very good. ballet was good but a little rough. must have worn a skirt and pink blouse.

Tuesday, November 10 - black capri, pink cotton blouse. morning puttered, walked, went to river, read; lunch left over noodles; PM to saigon - wandered more, picked up blouse, lacquer tray for harvey, $1 silk bags, LV wallet. highland coffee outdoors til 3:30, taxi home. dinner take out mekong merchant H-salmon; J caesar salad. watched video

Wednesday November 11 - H swam, fruit plate for breakfast, mani, pedi, massage 210,000Dong. black capri, animal print top. lunch pho ga with Ms. Han. PM taxi to Saigon, picked up beige blouse, ordered red and black blouses; got stacking wallets, small clock for 1st floor $6. coffee at highlands, taxi out at 3:35. PM: dinner Ty Coz where i had 60th bday dinner. beautiful french. black silk slax, bl and white top.

Thursday, November 12 - AM fruit plate, coffee; dad swam; river and Boat house for coffee and kindle. blue skirt, white top.

Sunday wanderings

since the last post....

had a little trouble getting the sign on screen up but now i'm in business again. let's see if i can recap some of the events of the last week:

did i talk about halloween? Saturday October 31 - dad swam, had coffee and smoothie for breakfast. i wore sleeveless orange tee and blue skirt; walked to chemist for 500mg amox and some hair product. went to City, wandered dong koi street, got some dvds walked to saigon square, got a couple bags for sarah, carolyn, emily. dinner with roger and philip and comargue a neat french restaurant. had salmon with spinach cannoli(?). black linen dress . halloween in the compound was big time with kids dressed up and parading around the sports club.

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 1 - wide awake at 445, walked to river, read kindle; 630 dad rode bike to pool, coffee, toast, smoothie shower.

10 to YKK for dad's massage; i wandered dong koi street again checking out blouses and beads; 11 headed to notre dame but mass was at 930. went for coffee at coffee bean across street and waited for mr. hai and dad. went to post office and looked around; went with mr hai to get dad but was early so he took me shoe shopping; met jess and ms. nee for lunch at japanese LaPhong with two TA guys. went to DVD store with dad, watched movie, walked, no dinner meal ... black and white check skirt, black tee

Monday, November 2 - dad swam, early AM, watched TV lunch with Ms. Han soupon with won ton, pool at mr. pauls; read, dinner home .. green spinach soup salad. watched movie Desperado (so much killing). not productive day

Tuesday November 3 - Melbourne Cup Day - festivies at Boat House. went to Metro, got BBQ and gardener assembled it. swam and read, rain started

dinner at The Deck (rissoto .. dad had chicken) peach slax, white knit top.

at Metro got a juicer, bbq and tools, peanut butter, toilet paper, chocolate syrup raspberries and listerine.

Wednesday November 4 - blue shorts, green sleeveless top; to shops via taxi, got some necklaces, parkinsons dept store got black slax (OMG they're XL). silk pink top, 2 black skirts, 20 hankies; gloria jeans for cappucino; Red Door sue mckenna's place to see what she had antique; back for lunch of fish, rice pumpkin soup ... dad swam in morning, fruit toast then met matthew williams at mekong merchant for breakfast .. dad had biz dinner at sofitel with jess; i had caesar at boat house $5.50 blue skirt white top

Thursday, November 5 - AM walked, read book, watched world series, hung out at pool to get some color; PM dinner at Hyatt .. fancy "formal wear" invitation so that's why i had to get some new clothes made! not prepared for formal wear. dad wore a suit and tie. we show up and are so over dressed ... either they didnt get the same invitation as we did or they didnt care. nice setting outdoor on patio overlooking street and weather was good so we didnt melt. black skirt hot pink silk top. table of 20 people. interesting. wine wasted on me and too many course of food. but nice to be asked, it was free and we were treated very well.

Friday, November 6 - to pool walked with H. fruity breakfast as usual. stroll, $ from ATM, lip wax about $5.50 (same as caesar salad). taxi to saigon square for longcham then ben than market by accident (walking does that). lunch with ms. Han pho bo. went to supermarket for salad stuff. stayed home ordered pizza from mekong merchant (anchovie, caper) and salad. black white ck skirt black top

Saturday November 7 - h sawm, j some laundry, kitchen pool 11-12; mekong merchant for lunch alone (pizza) since i didnt really get much of last nights! dong koi wandering into russian market; gloria jeans waited for dad. dinner hyatt fried noodles; black skirt, leopard ruffle blouse.

Sunday, November 8 - walked; 930 mass at notre dame; 11 met harvey at hyatt following his haircut; lunch burger at ??? wandered around district 1 with dad, shopped and wandered. black capris. PM dinner with David Kaplan and Tom from Home Goods in Boston who were in town. river trout which looks a lot like salmon; black skirt and black and white top.

Monday, November 9 - dad swam, breakfast of fruit, coffee, juice, toast. walked compound, read kindle. really hot morning. PM intend to go to ballet at Opera house starts at 8pm so we'll see how long we last and stay awake. mr. hai is a great driver, taking us everywhere, anytime.

Observations and random thoughts: i hope they don't get leaf blowers. they do a lot of sweeping day and night so it would be awful. taxis are cheap and plentiful. customer service is interesting. you're either stalked at the ben than market and assaulted and harrassed or completely ignored at the saigon square bc they're too busy stocking stuff. and they don't giggle when taking measurements for pink silk blouses at the size of my boobs. i do feel like somewhat of an amazon compared to the tiny women around here. then i look at the rest of the tourists and feel better!

updates from Vietnam

long awaited blog finally got around to posting for you all. so it all started Tuesday morning October 27. 610 alarm, 630 actually rose from bed; 845 to airport with sarah and bobby; 10am in chicago; 145 to hong kong ... 15 hrs. window seat, empty middle, so lots of room. black slax, black dansko, pink knit top, black knit jacket. uneventful trip which is always a good thing.

watched the movie UP then watched Time Travelers Wife ... did not watch Night at the Museum or Ice Age. lunch was chicken, rice, vegs; snack was noodles in broth, declined 3rd meal.

dansko shoes got a bit snug after sitting for so long ... might re think that choice.

found a loung chair in hong kong airport for 3 hr layover which was nice and could get my feet/legs raised so shoes felt better. saw roger frisen on the HK-HCM flight. arrived HCM at 1030, long wait for my luggage. at this points its 1030 wednesday night. dad and mr. hai were waiting so it was a quick slow ride home.

Thursday October 29

morning breakfast coffee, fruit, toast. gave nail polish to Mrs. Han; unpacked, showered, emails, etc. no plans for thursday. just relax. read, watched world series. dinner with dad at mekong merchant up the road. ordered salmon; watched criminal minds! black capri, b&w with pink stripe, pm leopard print tee with same capris. casual night

Friday, October 30

dad swam a little, fruit plate, pomegranet juice toast; watched world series while doing emails; massage and manicure; lunch salad and pancake (stuffed with shrimp, etc). went to city to get cell phone bc none available at TA. walked around compound.

dinner with dad at Hyatt bar. crab cake, shared pomello salad
black capri (other pair), long sleeve b&w top with ruffle

Saturday, October 31

dad swam longer. i showered. day off for ms. han so i had to make my own coffee and toast! dad made his own smoothie. blue skirt and orange top.

dinner for the families

SHEPHERDS PIE (POOR MANS PIE)

1 lb. ground beef1 can peas1 can sweet corn1 medium onion, diced1/3 c. sugar8 medium potatoes2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Boil potatoes, mash and season to taste with milk and butter.
Brown ground beef and onion with salt and pepper. When cooked, add peas, corn, sugar. Let simmer until heated through.
In 13x9 pan place meat and vegetable mixture in bottom of pan. Cover with mashed potatoes and sprinkle cheese on top.
Place in oven on BROIL until cheese is bubbly or light brown.

another version: add onion, garlic. top with creamed corn then potatoes and cheese ... heavy on the starch i know!

Las Vegas revisited

uneventful trip to las vegas on saturday. had a good lunch with the martin family, rested a bit in the afternoon but still had a quiet early night. sunday has been a lovely morning breakfast and park which got crowded when we were leaving. lots of kodak moments. cash is quite the daredevil. still refusing to say "grammy" ... no matter how hard we all try. it's comical. he loves his dog chachi, riding bikes and going for wagon walks. loves reading books. managed to say Mimi eeaaaah (when looking at firefighter and her truck) but can't say grammy! finally we got mamie which is probably as close as we'll get. carolyn and chandler have gone out to lunch while cash and i have some quiet time....no decent movies to see so they chose lunch. weather here is fantastic ... nice to be outside.

Philosophy & other stuff

"Pop when you get old you're gonna die. but that's okay, it's the circle of life" he learned that from the Lion King

following an unfortunate faceplant in Bangkok and local and foreign dental work, Pop told Wiley he lost a tooth. Wiley was concerned and asked if the tooth fairy left Pop some money because the tooth fairy sometimes leaves money if you put your tooth under your pillow. Pop said he didnt get any money from the tooth fair and wiley thought that was very rude of the tooth fairy.

Rick arrived and seems to be enjoying the time with Bobby and Sarah.

Random July updates in August

• Attended pool party in Timberlake for Wiley's 3rd birthday. it was hot and lots of fun especially for the little ones. Bobby was a trooper who slept most of the time. Wiley and Archer had fun.


• Went to Raleigh Durham airport from the party to pick up Wiley's Pop who was arriving from London.


• Wiley and Archer came to Greensboro to visit on Sunday while Pop was in town. It was a bit rainy but bike riding was good. Archer ate a lot of stuff. Wiley mastered chewing gum and not swollowing it. Realized if it went missing (dropped on the floor or put somewhere) he'd score a new piece to replace it.


• Bobby got weighed and is a hefty 11lb6.5 oz. not bad for an 8 week old who actually arrived almost 2 weeks before planned.


• sarah had a good trip to Calif to see Rick and meet up with Carolyn and Chandler.


• Carolyn is doing well. Little C is starting to wiggle so that's pretty exciting. Cash is a wild man and pretty darn cute.


• Emily has been busier than ever. Triathalon, working lots of shifts both hers and others, coming to see her father, being aunty to all the boys,


• i got delivery of my 2 chairs for the office after a long wait to get them covered.


• managed to hang the print on the dining room wall despite lack of help and in spite of negative comments and criticism


• dishwasher was fixed but is on its last legs ... new one should be purchased (Kitchenaid was recommendation)


• lost 3 straight scrabble games to Kris Bonner (on line of course) but 2 were very very close


• digital tv or whatever it is still has me confused.

thats about it for now.

Emily new friend

look who Emily's hanging out with these days!

Adjustment Period

Since arriving in Greensboro last Wednesday night (July 15), we've been experiencing an adjustment period for all of us. Thursday was busy unloading, unpacking, etc. Sarah and Bobby were still acclimating to their new surroundings. But we're managing very well. Sarah is a good hands-on mom and doesnt require any help even when offered. We had a nice weekend visiting MiMi and the cousins and Elizabeth. A long day outside in the fresh air did a good job of tiring out everyone both mom, baby and grammy. Cousin Wiley is a big fan of his littlest cousin. Cousin Archer is curious about the little thing. MiMi and Jordan came for lunch on Sunday then we all went shopping with Aunty Sarah. Bobby is a good little shopper. Sarah has a long to do list including organizing the pediatrician and some paperwork for insurance benefits, etc. She's also signed up for a gym membership (with babysitting option) to start working out regularly again. I think that will do wonders for her mentally and physically. We both hope to do some traveling soon. I want to get to VN and she'd like to see Rick in CA but needs travel papers too (no more getting on a plane with an undocumented child just like i need visa for VN). Upcoming events are Emily's triathalon on Saturday morning, Wiley's third birthday, Elizabeth's 33rd birthday and Aunty Marilyn's as well. Probably the biggest adjustment is the dogs. they bark loud and often at almost any movement so we'll deal with that ... i don't like it so i can't imagine how it sounds to a little one. Got wireless internet this morning for all the laptops used here finally. i hope Sarah and Bobby manage to feel comfortable here eventually. but there are other options if they don't and i won't be at all offended. we're all learning.

Summer 2009

Guess it's about time I wrote a few things....starting with the most recent.

• Sarah and Baby Bobby have completed the move to NC. I flew up on Sunday night June 5, packed and organized on Monday, got the u-haul truck and loaded on Tuesday and drove to NC on Wednesday. unloading took a while up and down the front steps, in and out of the house, etc. everyone cooperated. returned the truck, got the dogs from the kennel and all are adjusting. Barking dogs and sleeping baby don't mix so we'll take care of that first. Bobby is doing good as long as he gets fed.
• Carolyn and Chandler are pleased with their test results and so is everyone else. It's been an exhausting couple of weeks for me so I'm sure the stress level for them had to be unbelievable at times. They are such an amazing couple to handle so much.
• emily celebrated her 25th birthday by working but the crew did a good job of celebrating with her.
• we are looking forward to both Elizabeth's 33rd and Wiley's 3 birthday in a couple weeks. I'm sure that will be a fun time for Wiley.
• I got a new hot water heater around 4th of july. had the a/c serviced and two units arent working to capacity. delivered mobile meals, saw the movie The Proposal with Sandra Bullock, went to a couple 4th of july bbqs, and had some carpets cleaned. pretty exciting life.

ROBERT EDWARD VICZOREK

after the baby shower in DC we returned to NC on Sunday afternoon. Monday, normal day, Tuesday normal day, Wednesday normal dinner...dinner with neighbor, then arrived home to get a call from Elizabeth telling me (since i left my phone home that night) that Sarah's water broke. this is about 930pm. called sarah got details. they were at the ball game, water broke, rain delayed game, went home on metro to arlington, got showered and cleaned up called dr went to georgetown. but most reading this know those details. waited to hear progress report and she was 3cm at midnight, so tried to sleep and figure out how i would get to dc. decided to fly. at 5am on thurs she was 4 cm so figured i had lots of time before the blessed event. caught 630 flight, arrived 730, taxi to hospital arriving about 830. and she was 9cm. she went quickly after our last conversation. she got the job done at 945 when Robert Edward arrived weighing 7lb3oz and 20 inches. lots of photos.

taxi to apartment after they were settled in maternity room. got busy washing and preparing all the things which were needed to bring him home. really caught everyone off guard with his early arrival. fortunately rick had not started his drive to california so he was around for all the fun.

friday was the usual checking and re-cheding mom and son. a little jaundice which is normal. feeding is slow as he's little and content most of the time. sarah is doing great. a real patient mom and willing to work hard to get him on track feeding. rick and i went to target to get some essentials and smaller clothes for the baby.

saturday they came home about 4pm. tired baby and mother. sunday rick went to the px with a grocery list for food.

monday they went to pediatrician at 930 for follow up bili test .... last report, he's doing great.

Baby Shower in DC

departed Timberlake on Thursday about 12:30 for the trip to DC/Arlington. completed the trip uneventfully with rain showers, etc. Wiley and Archer were good road warriors. a couple dvds and pit stops were all that was required. eventually arrived after a slight side trip across the river into DC. checked into Hilton Garden Inn which was right next to sarah and Rick's apartment building...so convenient. supper at the Irish Pub then the boys went off to bed. Friday we headed to Target to pick up a couple forgotten items (deodorant, W's toothbrush among other things) and a stroller to sightsee in DC. Went to WWII memorial and the VN memorial. saw the white house and washington monument since they are pretty up front and center on any DC trip. carolyn arrived friday night after a plane, bus and train trip. i think we grabbed some Whole Foods groceries. Friday night which was also Rick's birthday i guess we went to Cheesecake factory for dinner; Saturday night we ordered pizza. Saturday we had the shower at the Tabard Inn in DC. Julie came from Louisville, Devri came from Boston, Chris came from DC and Carolyn came from LasVegas, as well as Roseann from SanMateo and Rick's aunts from Pa. nice luncheon and good presents for baby-to-be. (FYI I wore black and white skirt suit, black tank). Wiley and Archer were good and entertaining. departed DC on Sunday about 11:30 ... long drive back with a couple stops for feeding and toilet and gas. would have been a good time to have gps working in the range rover to help navigate around DC. i'll be better prepared next trip!

wednesday night dinner update

Wednesay night dinner at Marisol with Brian, Eileen, Murray, Gail and Jack and Ann Curlett. lamb chops. black & white polka dot suit (skirt) black top (not that it matters).

Tuesday the 28th ... Sarah's 31st

Tuesday night was a simple night with Dad at 1618. i had appetizer of shrimp tempura, mozzarella and proscuitto. wore melon capri and white linen blouse/shirt. dad was worn out and seemed happy to have an early night

Wednesday - meeting 3 lady friends at showroom for lunch. they'd seen the place when it was under construction and will be impressed with the final product. intend to wear beige pantsuit buttoned up with no blouse and comfortable shoes.

Thursday morning will be doing mobile meals delivery then lunch at showroom followed by taking werner and lizzy to friendly center shops (he wants apple store, she was book store). not sure what else is planned and havent given a thought to clothing choices.

furniture market week

easiest way to remember is post here so this is what happened this week, with whom, where, etc. go ahead and mock me but at least I'll have an idea of where the time has gone, what i ate and most important what i wore!

Monday April 20 - dinner with Brian, Eileen, Carole, John, Emily at Madison Park and i don't actually remember what i wore

Tuesday April 21, dinner with Roger and his co-workers at 1618 and i wore a red jacket, black pants suit. i think i had the salmon

Wednesday, can't say i remember

Thursday, Elizabeth and the boys spent the afternoon and night so we had chicken dinner at home....probably jeans and tee shirt!

Friday April 24 - Printworks with Dad, Carole and John. nice Friday night casual meal

Saturday April 25 - attended TA party for Althorp collection with Earl (?) Charles Spencer. Dad went out with biz people, Emily and i went to Liberty Oak. salmon salad; gold silk suit, bronze heels; raspberry silk blouse

Sunday, April 26 - attended TA party in showroom, went to dinner at Bistro Sophia with Brian, Eileen, Karen, Neill, Aunt Marie (Karen's) - beet carpacio salad, fried noodle and crab cake thing ... peach silk suit, cream silk camisole, bronze shoes

Monday, April 27 - Undercurrent with Brian, Eileen, Carole, john, Murray and Gail - pork tenderloin and squash - black pique suit with lavender blouse, black bow heels.

Blog to the Rescue

well my blog and journal have come in very handy. we're having dinner tonight (April 21) in Greensboro with Roger Friesen. I was able to refer to my blog and see that the knit top i planned to wear tonight was the same one i wore the last time we had dinner so I will be re-thinking that choice. by the way it was a black skirt and b&w knit top that i wore previously and tonight would have gone with black slack. so back to the closet! i'll be sure to update this blog for future reference!

Easter Weekend 2009

very exciting weekend with all the boys and girls in one place again. first time since Sarah and Rick's August wedding weekend. Carolyn and Cash arrived at Raleigh airport on Friday evening and Elizabeth and the boys picked them up and drove to Greensboro. Pretty wild Friday night but everyone was tired so after baths they all went to bed (some quicker than others). Emily came on Saturday morning. Saturday was a blur with the boys doing whatever they wanted, playing in the toy room, watching tv, napping, etc. Celia also came with Buddy for a visit and we all went to lunch at Beef O'Brady (awful name but good sports bar). dyed some easter eggs too. Dinner Saturday night was soup or something light. Sarah and Rick arrived very late Saturday night. Easter morning we did the egg hunt and silly string squirting. chilly but it was a good morning. Sunday afternoon we went to the Greensboro Grasshoppers baseball game with Sarah, Rick, Carolyn, Cash, Wiley. Elizabeth and Archer stayed home. Then Eliz came for Wiley and went back to Timberlake. Carolyn and Cash left Monday evening. so it was all quiet again.

Heading back - Thursday April 2

4AM alarm; 4:30 Mr. Hai was waiting to take me to the airport with my two pieces of heavy luggage; Dad opted to stay home since he had the Monk ceremony blessing the new building that morning (and I was capable of getting bags checked and boarding passes and thru immigration and security). arrived at airport 4:50am; thru check in and security by 5:05. by 5:30 i was sitting on the plane to HongKong and we took off at 6:05, right on time.

Arrived HongKong 8AM which was actually 9AM local time. went to duty free and got some perfume then had a coffee and croissant for $10.40 USD which is a total rip off but i sat and read and watched the CNN on the little personal tv at the table. boarded the long flight to chicago which was full. had a window with guys in the middle and aisle seats. got up twice to go to bathroom. arrived chicago, thru immigration and customs no problem (they let me back in), claimed my bag, re-checked the luggage for the flight to greensboro. long lay over ... not wise choice when booking ticket. emily picked me up; got back to the house and i suppose i was on adrenelin because even though i was tired, i puttered around for a couple hours. i didn't think i slept much on the flights but i must have taken the edge off. nice man on the flight to HongKong from HCM and again on the flight from Chicago to Gso. he lives in winston, retired and runs a charity called children of vietnam. funny we flew 2 of the 3 segments next to each other purely random. altho neither of us were very chatty at 6am departure or after 24+hrs flying back.

it probably took a full week to get back to normal sleeping pattern. i'd awake at 3 or 4 or 5 or 6 AM, getting a little later each day. probably would have done better if I hadn't fallen asleep around 8 or 9 or taken a little nap around 4. but eventually things work out.

apology

i promise to update this blog as soon as i get time to do it properly. right now running out for the morning with Ms. Han on some boat trip somewhere....not far and probably not a tourist type trip but up the river.

Chiang Mai Weekend

FRIDAY headed to Chiang Mai Thailand. Thai Air connecting thru Bangkok. arrived about 3:30pm, picked up at airport, checked into Mandarin Oriental hotel. rested a bit, headed out for cocktail at poolside bar....amazing facility. saw more automobiles than motorbikes which was a big change and many many pick up trucks which they dont have in HCM. Dinner was at their mediterranean restaurant (eggplant parm appetizer size and mushroom soup) black capri, leopard top. alos watched a bit of babe ruther movie with john goodman just to unwind after we arrived. hotel suite was amazing and huge.

SATURDAY dad went for 730 swim in pool that opened at 8am. i headed to breakfast which was included in the room package. on the way to breakfast i stopped and arranged our day activities which included elephant camp visit and ride, raft ride, temple visit, jade shop factory. all were a huge hit with both of us. elephant ride was 45 minutes incl stop for souveniers, raft ride was leisurely pace down river where we were met by our driver and guide who then took us to temple (seen one, seen....) but this one was particularly gilded and big buddist and monk activity. then stopped in at jade factory and saw them carving jade - dad found a pair of cufflinks he liked in the shape of elephants of course. returned to hotel, sat at pool, had cocktails later. dinner in Mediterranean restaurant: osso bucco, veal saltimboca. black capri during day with leopard top (from last night) and evening was b&w capri with black tee to dinner.

SUNDAY ... dad sawm, breakfast at 8. b&w capri (see a pattern here?). 10am departed with guide and driver for antique shops. first stop was silk factory where we saw silk worms boiled then the cocoons were pulled for silk threads. picked up 2 scarfs and 2 elephant print boxers for dad. then tried to find antique shops (not teak shops). frustrating a bit because many places were closed either bc it was sunday or economy not bringing in business. then even more frustrating was trying to find elephant tee shirts for the babies....we just werent having any luck all over. back to hotel, late lunch, closed restaurant at 315. dinner included with room at thai restaurant with dancing show .... before that was our included spa for 80 minutes. steam, jacuzzi, massage, tea ... dad balked at male therapist so i had the guy and he got the female for aroma therapy treatment. quick change, to bar for cocktail, 8pm dinner. brown linen and top. packed after dinner for early departure

MONDAY ... 5am wake up call, 530 buggy ride to front desk for check out, ride to airport about half hour, borded Thai flight to bangkok and connection to HCM. arrived home and Mrs.Han had prepared PhoGa for our lunch, dad left for work about noon. and i downloaded and read emails. storm came thru Monday afternoon so no walk for me.

TUESDAY ... might as well update today so far. dad went swimming. Ms. Han and I took a hydrofoil to VungTau which is about 1hr20 minutes away. beach type place. we left the house about 745 for 830 boat trip. arrived there walked around caught taxi who gave us little tour, found a place for lunch, ate lunch, back on hydrofoil at 1230. horrible storm on the way back. sort of like riding the elephant on the water. bumping around. dodging big tankers or container ships coming into HCM. interesting. intended to do some city shopping but storm changed that plan so we taxi'd back and that's about it for now. wearing khaki slacks and blue/green linen shirt. tonight were going out to dinner with lizzy and werner i think for shabu shabu which is a big pot like fondue. update to follow. only one vung tau photo to be posted later.

it's not easy keeping up a blog! when i log on it comes up in vietnamese then i have to remember how i got to the english site. now i just go to others blog list and go from that site which is

all in english.

TUESDAY dinner was fabulous. Mrs. Han made some fried noodles .. with shrimp and chicken and soy sauce with chili for dad. but earlier in the day we had dad's driver Mr. Hai take us all over. went to BanTahn market and got some dishes and little bowls; wicker tray for dad's messy desk papers, silk scarf for carole snider who is doing the showroom in high point and dad said company would pay for it. work khaki capri and orange linen

6pm went to sheraton to meet the Halyburton, Oakley trip people. 17 people from greensboro who have been traveling around for 3 weeks. halyburton was pow shot down in n.vietnam during war and wrote a book about his 7 yrs in captivity. there was a ceremony in hanoi where they returned his boots...very moving according to the group. of course they kept the boots and will have to go thru channels to get them donated to a nc museum. dinner was at skewers restaurant which is owned by same guy (Tristan) who has RiverCafe (aka riverside). i wore an animal print dress (black, brown, white). home at 1030 which is really late for dad.

WEDNESDAY: dad swam, breakfast fruit, coffee, toast, yogurt. nothing much of a day. took a walk. took photos of things around compound. went to mekong merchant for lunch. went to metro (costco type place) and got a new clipper for Mr. Hai gardener. i dont know what the man was using but he needed something to tame the plants that were overgrown around the driveway and gardens. bl&wh capri, white tee. Mrs. Han broke her toe on the ironing board ... it's all purple. jess took dad and i out to dinner at LeBordeaux which is a fabulous french place that dad had never been to and raved about now. he was impressed. i had fish; dad had lamb; jess had duck. black taffeta blouse; bl&white checked taffeta capri with pink shoes.

THURSDAY: massage girl coming about 1030. i'm doing what i can for her economic situation!

cocktails tonight at lizzy and werners new apartment over at Riverside compound. their rent in BP compound went extremely high (then went lower but too late). so they have an apartment now. i'll take photos of everyone. by the way, Friday dad and i are going to Chiang Mai for the weekend. its in Thailand. not coastal. temples, handicraft village, botanic gardens, etc. leaving noon friday, return early monday. should be interesting!staying at mandarin oriental resort place.

Weekend Update - March 21-22

SATURDAY is probably best left unblogged. Dad went to work after a round of wrong brand of yogurt, wrong weetbix cereal, ruined bathtowel from eye makeup and apparent snoring. i was to have gone out with sally cox but she was a no show so i departed at 1030-11 for the city. went to saigon square for some retail therapy, post office and cathedral. lunched at the hyatt alone on a cheeseburger. returned to AnPhu compound about 430. wore white knit capri and black/white stripe top with pink trim. evening went to hyatt again wearing brown/white dress with blue ribbon belt.

SUNDAY dad swam, i walked to river with my coffee and took pictures. after breakfast dad went for his weekly massage and i went to saigon square again for more bargaining. met dad for lunch a K Cafe which is japanese traditional restaurant. tempura, shashimi. very good and i did it all with chopstix. walked to dong koi street (tourist shops) art gallery, antique shop, book shop. taxi home, took walk to pool. dinner at mekong merchant (pizza, salmon carbonnara). black white skirt and white shirt all day!

MONDAY finally made it to the White House aka Presidential Palace around 930am. This place is very important in history. it's where the surrender of south vietnam took place to the communist north vietnam leaders. see flickr photos for documentation of the interior. then got a bit lost on the streets headed to le loi street. completely muddled up so took a taxi to check out some shops. taxi home about 12:30. wearing khaki capri and leopard print tee. need to work on garden which is overgrown but can't communicate to Mr.Hai that it needs to be severely pruned. saw another ups truck. love talking to everyone on skype....better than phone call. tonight the plan is to stay home (and it looks like Mrs.Han has some meal planned which is really wonderful).

catching up

so its been a few days and i'm sure you're all anxious for the next installment of life here.

WEDNESDAY: dad went for his usual morning swim....usually only one in pool at 6am. i walked around compound; power was off for 1+ hr but we had notice ahead of time. i walked up to main street to get nail polish changed about 10am, went ot supermarket for gatorade and coke. had noodle lunch with Mrs. Han (package like magi noodles really). work pink linen slax and white v neck tee. went to pool about 1p and read kindle which is an amazing piece of technology. alone for most of the time but then some little kids arrived for swim lessons (non english speaking). back home about 315p - it's a 5 minute walk down the street and around the corner. watched tv and puttered on the computer mostly. went to birthday party at Xu restaurant (pronounced zoo) for Margaret (TA lamp lady from Mississippi). her 60th. Jess, Lizzy, Werner, Sally and Antony Cox, other non TA friends. ordered steak, polka dot dress. margarets daughter is hostess at Xu and lives with local boyfriend ... nice couple.

THURSDAY: another wonderful day. dad swam, i walked after breakfast. then out to shops as we invited Akso finishing (varnish people) for cocktails before dinner. so i got a nice scented candle for the powder room, some coffee, cheese, crackers, etc at the supermarket. Mrs. Han the fabulous housekeeper made Thai soup and fried rice. fantastic. Thai soup had a pretty good kick to it but i avoided the chilies. fried rice is my go to dish as you know so it was wonderful. b&w sleeveless polkadot shirt, black capri. Ms. Han also made 20 fresh spring rolls and i watched so now i know but i think it's more the fresh ingredients than the preparation. and a dipping sauce that i can never duplicate. they arrived about 615 and were fun. impressed them with my kindle. guys from high point, hickory, indianapolis. AnthonyMaitland Smith, Keith, Justin, Adam, Bob and his wife. Dinner at Riverside Cafe (carbonarra) peach slax, wh linen
FRIDAY morning: breakfast with dad then watched the guys climb the coconut tree and remove the coconuts so we wouldnt get bonked. photos to follow. Ms. Thain coming soon for a massage. i might as well take advantage of it while i can.

so i figure this is what Assisted Living will be like. someone to make and serve me meals, someone to maintain my environment inside and outside, someone to drive me places, someone to pamper me with hair, nails, etc., someone to do my laundry, change the sheets. and i can chat to my family on skype assuming i know who they are! and my kindle will read to me if i need that and i get to watch dvds. half way thru australia. i also realized how hard dad works and the long hours he keeps and the demands on him. the factory is dusty and noisy and just being around it for a couple hours is difficult. pollution in HCM can be bad too so most people cover their nose/mouth when riding bikes.

i think tonight we'll have a walk and light meal (leftovers) and maybe watch a dvd. house down the street is moving out to switzerland. across the street is a us state dept person as evidenced by the badge on the "guard" outside. might try to pay a social call. i wonder if the person moving to switzerland has a bbq or bicycle they want to leave/sell. that's my next mission to find those things. love to all.

St. Patrick's day ++

later in the morning i went for a stroll around the compound then out onto the main road. at a recommendation from antony cox's wife sally, i checked out a nearby spa. today was the day when i decided to get a leg waxing. it was a first and probably the last time i'll be doing that. i'd rather go thru childbirth than that pain. and all i kept thinking about was that funny email where she was doing it to herself and i kept smiling thru the pain and i was only having the legs done! it was cheap 16USD.
bought a mini quiche lorraine for lunch. watched "rightous kill" denero pachino dvd. dad came home early to hang out with me and we went to town and went to diamond dept store (like nieman marcus or nordstroms) with real gucci, ferragamo, etc. also went to electronic store where he was looking for some outdoor speakers for his stereo system. to have music out on the front patio now, he just opens the doors but it would be nice to control the sound. we headed back and stopped at Riverside Cafe for an early supper ... about 6p. i had the most wonderful meatloaf. seriously the meatloaf was awesome. dad had caesar salad with chicken. the Riverside Cafe ranks up there as one of my favorite spots ... it's actually in a condo highrise complex with lots of families and an occasional dog. the cafe is next to the pool but separate enough that you dont have to see all shapes and sizes in their bathing costumes! Sitting at the outdoor tables is a great option to watch the river traffic and river hyacinth floating by. river traffic is mostly barges with containers on them or some barges with piles of stuff (sand?). so peaceful.
oh, i wore beige slax and greenish linen blouse. looking forward to Wednesday as each day is a new adventure.

St. Patrick's Day

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! not much celebrating going on here as far as i can see. maybe later.



So some updating is necessary if I intend to keep writing this blog.

Saturday, March 14. dad swam in the morning, i cooked bacon and eggs, cleaned up, dad went to work; i took taxi to HCM (15 minutes $6); wanted to go to museum but hrs were 8-11 then 1-6 so i was too late for morning. went to BanTahn Market and wandered the stalls. got a couple pashminas (dont worry i can sell them to others); bookmarks, green silk shell. work pink liinen pants and white tee. when the sellers in the market see my linen pants they say "have many colors, big size". well i might not be as tiny as they are but big? dinner with dad at the hyatt again...sat at the bar and had a bowl of seafood fried rice. white linen pants, green shell.

SUNDAY: dad invited Jess (CFO) for breakfast. made pancakes (the walmart packages) bacon, sausage. dad went for 2 hr massage at 1030. i watched the dvd Taken which was great. lunch 1pm at Mekong Merchant ... a nice sunday place where mostly ex-pats hang out. ceasar salad with avacado and chicken, bottle of white allan scott new zealand wine. went to gourmet shop on the walk home for ice cream. walked the compound. took a nap. dinner was fried bologna sandwich. watched Frost Nixon dvd. wore black capri with B&W checked shirt. also at the market they tried to sell me checked shirt (blue). i guess they just grab whatever it is you happen to be wearing and try to sell you the same thing in many many colors. ralph lauren style.

MONDAY hung out in the morning, went to Boat House for lunch alone ... at the end of the street on the river is a restaurant which dad wont go to bc he thinks it brings in a bad element of people to the compound --- actually the only ones i saw were the locals from the compound. anyhow had garlc soup. taxi to market again. lookin for cream/beige handbag for myself ... small clutch. no luck. they had every form of big handbag with lots f buckles and straps but nothing small and casual. saw a UPS man which was a first. went to dinner at AnVien Restaurant with the rude Russians. he just drones on and one and is loud and obnoxious. wore that bl&whi skirt and black tee. great food though ... but i would not eat the eel or the spicy soup. mostly just the pork and spring roll.

TUESDAY St. Patricks day morning. Dad invited Matthew Williams (yes that MW from NC State and old MaitlandSmith) and Jess for breakfast. bacon, eggs, pancakes, fruit. MW was in town and going back tomorrow. no plan for today yet ... there's always manicure!

Back to me...

Friday was a very dull day in my life. i thought i would get down to the city and do a museum or wander but got a late start for no reason and the heat was a bit much. housekeeper Mrs. Han has everything organized and running smooth. i took a walk (wearing beige capri and orange linen shirt); had leftover pizza for lunch, went to club to see if i could chat with anyone and it was totally empty. not a soul was there. so i laid under an umbrella, popped in and out of the pool, read by kindle. did that for 2 hrs. about 3 some little kids and parents came in ... looked like japanese or chinese. came back to house at 3, watched psych on tv, took a shower and went out with dad at 6 to hyatt for dinner. we met roger friesen and 6 others from city furniture in florida. i had salmon. fyi black shirt and b&w knit top.

Saturday morning: dad went swimming, i make coffee, cooked bacon and egg for him. he went to work, i cleaned up kitchen and now i'll try to do the museum or something before the heat kicks in. today is pink linen slax (chadwick catalog), white sleeveless tee (talbot). obviously my blogs are not nearly as entertaining as yours are but i'm still learning. like this shortcut for italic that i just learned! also figured out i can take a photo when skyping. off for my adventure. love to all. kisses too.

Jealous, maybe

sitting at the riverfront this evening, i saw a father-son out, one was running the other was pushing along on a scooter. i got to thinking how nice it would be to raise a young family here now. lots of domestic help, nanny for kids, housekeeper full time, driver, etc. what a wonderful opportunity for them to experience this. but then so was australia in its own way altho we didnt have the "staff" but we did have an experience. the other thing i was thinking was there are no teenagers in the compound that i've seen. most of the kids are middle school or younger which probably means that if you want a decent education for your child, then they have to be sent away or left behind. i'll keep a look out for teenagers since i've only just realized they arent around. other thing is i havent seen many dogs. possibly two and two behind a gate peaking their nose out (white fluffy kind). khaki capris/orange linen shirt

dad returning from singapore tonight. will order pizza, make a salad, he can have his grey goose on the rocks with a twist, i'll have a diet coke. figured he didnt need to be out dining when the weekend will be full of entertaining. sat at PMS pool today, finished book, started another. walked around AnPhu (like State Street in Greensboro).

Rotisserie Chicken dinner

i neglected to mention that we got a rotisserie chicken the other night and stayed home (i dont recall what i was wearing). anyhow i had pho (the soup) and dad had the chicken and some green beans. and here's our little chicken.....

Thursday was a write off kind of day. but Friday i was normal again and on my own since Dad went to Hong Kong and China for the day. I went to BP compound office and officially signed in so i could come and go at the entry gate. went to supermarket and got some diet coke, bacon and eggs for weekend. Housekeeper made lunch of Pho Ga (chicken noodle soup but soooo much better, right Emily?). then Thain (pronouced gin) came and i got a massage, pedi, mani for the equivalent of $15USD. went to dinner with Lizzy, Werner and Jess since Harvey was in China. just had soup and salad. i wore a black and white skirt and black tee.


SATURDAY was a good day. they mostly are i guess. H went for swim at 6, i made bacon and eggs for him. then he went to work, i cleaned up. rained like crazy in pm. dining room ceiling had a leak. went to dinner at the Hyatt in HCM for the Russians: Jana (johnna); Leonid, translator, Janine and Anthony Maitland Smith. I ordered steak; wore black and white skirt (different one) and black tee.

SUNDAY went to Riverside complex for breakfast/brunch. with Lizzy (marketing) and Jess (CFO). split eggs benedict. wore peach capri and white knit top. then took Dad and we went to Saigon Center which Dad hated bc it was a market style place. sunday night had a biz dinner with Akso people from usa keith, justin and one other guy and us. went to The Deck which is a great place on the river. wore black and white skirt (again) and black tee. ordered crab/tomato salad and tuna spring roll.

MONDAY 6:10 sunrise, took photos, locked out of front gate. Mrs. Han came and let us in. went to supermarket. taxi to city, went to duty free for jack daniels for dad but didnt have paperwork; checked out repaired bracelet but left it there bc i didnt want to be running around city with that in my handbag; got a couple pashminas for $9; 5pm went back to duty free with dad, got JC, bracelet, groceries for dinner incl. chicken with neck. wore black capri white tee

TUES. 6am walked to pool, breakfast fruit, coffee toast; went with Mrs. Han to see plants, refrig and stove at Tulip house (TA no longer leasing house but not leaving stuff). 10am went to Metro (costco/sams) with Janine to check it out and see how they work. pretty much the same but not quite as organized. 2pm went to MrPauls house to sit, swim and read and get some color. first dinner with just dad...walked to Mekong Restaurant, ordered salmon. actually lizzy was there and eventually werner (married couple frm uk). black linen slax and print top.

WED....yet to happen. 10am massage scheduled. why not!

Days 1-6 in HoChiMinh

no promises on keeping this up to date but it's a start in the right direction. i love reading your blogs and maybe this will help keep everyone updated while i'm gone.

departed on tues mar 3, arrived wed mar 4 about 11pm. chicago, hong kong, ho chi minh. tired and ready for fresh air and stretch legs.

thurs morning felt awful. headache, etc. didnt sleep well either (not used to snoring). low key, zombie day with lots of resting. stayed out of Mrs. Han's way while she did her thing in the house. Mrs. Han is housekeeper woman who is amazing. Mr. Hai the driver chauffers dad around day and night; Mr. Hai the gardener is an elderly guy who waters the hell out of plants. Mr. Hai gardener was airforce pilot, tortured, etc during way. sure he has amazing stories if i just could understand him. they all speak a version of english. although if i was speaking a foreign language, i'd probably go very slowly but they blast thru words and i cant quite tune in yet. Dad had biz dinner so i just had leftover pizza.