ludicrously speaking

Easy Riders are a witty crew of freelance motorbike guides carrying travelers on the back of their vintage vehicle around town. Able to converse fluently in English, these fellas give an otherwise herded tour the definitive edge.

Paved the roads with cow dung and let the school children run amok! We engaged the services of two easy riders, namely Tom and TiTi to help us see the side of Vietnam only locals did. So, bright and early in the morning, we were whisked off swiftly from our hotel café straight onto the highway of western Dalat as a day of exploration was in store to visit the majestic countryside. It was simply breathtaking - the sights and literally the smell.

It was all you could’ve asked for in a day on an agriculture thriving ground, for us urban folks there were so many things to see and be amazed by. I for one had never seen a onion plantation let alone seen an onion plant embedded within soil, one can only imagine what my guide was thinking when I started snapping away upon seeing one. It’s sad… tsk tsk.

We were brought around the whole region (take my word for it, it’s huge!) from place to place with little time in between to waste. From vegetation (strawberry, mushrooms, coffee and more) to flower orchards (I’ve never seen such beautiful gerberas in my life), every bit of the tour was thought through and well elaborated by these two chaps. I’ve seen pho noodle materialized from mere flour and yeast, the process of producing silk from worms rearing farm to cocoon harvesting factory and even trekked the terrains at the pit of the incredible Elephant Waterfall. An overall delightful experience, I could not have asked for more.

In this quaint little town, I had the best pho noodles and coffee this country could offer. Now it remains to be challenged higher up north. I wait in anticipation for another chapter to unfold in my next destination, Nha Trang – Vietnam’s Beach Paradise.

It’s been a whirlwind ride since touchdown. Within the short span of time I’ve accomplished much gobbling down baguettes and pho-noodles, venturing the thriving streets of Ho Chi Minh and submerging myself in the culture of the Vietnamese - I can now cross streets without looking thank you very much. *clap clap* Yes, pedestrians are irrelevent on the roads here.
Tip: Don’t bother stopping, looking or giving way - the vehicles will avoid you, god willing.

Surviving the roads of Vietnam may be no mean feat, but navigating around town was still pleasantly enjoyable. With my trusty Lonely Planet guide book in hand, I hopped from one place of interest to the next and stopped by cafes and bars for the occasional perkup.

One of the highlights along the way would be the massage session at the Vietnamese Blind People Association. You pay a token sum for a full reinvigorating body massage. That paved the way to a promising trip right from the beginning and I recommend anyone who set foot on this land to put this on the top of their itinery.

After only two short days I left HCMC early this morning to be at Dalat (affectionately called Le Pettite Paris by the locals). At a higher altitude, I was caught unprepared by the change of climate, barely making it in my jeans and cotton tees. I’m now seek refuge in the comfort of coffee in an internet cafe. The coffee here had lived up to its hype and I’m definitely bringing a pack home.

Ok, think my allocated time’s up. Thoughts are pretty scattered at this point in time, i shall write more on my next post.

Ok. Finally i’m at the airport getting my ass outta this place. Vietnam, ready or not here i come.

Much preparation had been put into this trip, all there’s left to do is to chill and go with my mental  itinery. I’m hopeful and geared… i’ll write about it along the way cos htf brought her baby…erm haha, its complicated.

Thanks for the messages this morning, i was rushing out so i read them and left my handphone at home. Your well wishes have been conveyed.

MORNING COOKING TOUR (8.15am-1.30pm)
RED BRIDGE COOKING SCHOOL 2006

• We start the day (8.15am) with a drink at Hai Scout Café (98 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hoi An Ancient Town, Tel: 863210) – our meeting point.

• Visit Hoi An’s colourful market, and experience the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of this busy market. We will have the opportunity to interact with the local sellers and learn about all the ingredients to be used in the cooking lesson later.

• We board the Red Bridge boat for a leisurely cruise (25 minutes) along the Hoi An River to the Red Bridge Cooking School. This is a chance to view local river life, so make sure your camera is handy.

• On arrival, we explore the cooking school’s herb and vegetable garden, before learning about some of Hoi An’s and Vietnam’s well-known dishes. The cooking lesson runs for about 2 hours - the Red Bridge chefs first demonstrate each dish before we prepare the same dish ourselves. Included in the class is a brief introduction to Vietnamese food carving (plate decoration).

      After the lesson, we sit down and eat what we have cooked.  

     *   A vegetarian lunch can be provided on request.

• Finish at approximately 1.30pm – transfer back to central Hoi An.

guess it boils down to luck. haha.

The former mouseketeer has decided to give his image a little more edge playing a tough tattooed dealer in his new film. For as far as I can remember, he’s been desperately trying to give himself more street credibility since he went solo after life in a boy band. Strangely, he seemed to have succeeded in all accounts. First he went black, mixing amongst the likes of the BEPs and Pharrell. Then proceeded to emancipate his “true self” releasing his first solo effort to great commercial success: dancing & sounding a wee bit like Michael Jackson. Yes, he’s a white trying to be black trying to be white…wait, let me untangle my brain.

During his long hiatus from the limelight, he must have thought long and hard about his next career move by studying the patterns of previous examples only to arrive at a discouraging conclusion - All of them are gay.

Boyzone’s Stephen Gately – Gay
Take That’s Mark Owen – Gay
Wham’s George Michael – Gay
Backstreet Boy’s Nick Carter – Such a slut he probably fuck men too. Possible Gay.

So how? Die die die. How does he disassociate himself from all these faggots? Already he’s got the similar traits – youngest member in the group, cutest by popularity, reportedly dumped numerous girls (he dumped the most sort-after one for crying out loud). He’s got to think hard and plan well to shed all signs before Sir Elton John invites him for tea.

He probably took a cue from none other than Robbie Williams himself – Mr. Bad boy of pop who defies all conventions. Countless tattoos with an equally questionable past, sell out albums and sexy eligible status to boot. He’s the ultimate blue print for him cos’ sometimes, stereotypes work best.

Hmm… that means he is a white trying to be black wanting to be white that became dark.

Wah…blur.