Vietnam!

Saigon Hotel Chronicles: Chapter 2, Death Threats and the Apocalypse on our First Night in Ho Chi Minh City.



We landed in Ho Chi Mihn City (still called Saigon by the locals) around 10:30 pm last Friday and waited an eternity for Phil to get his landing visa. Don't go that route. We spent some time negotiating our taxi fare and once we got it down to $8 USD, or maybe $128,000 Dong, we made our way to the Saigon Mini Hotel. This place, hostel, mini hotel, boutique hotel, whatever you want to call it was actually great and only $14 USD a night! God I love Vietnam.


Since it was already pretty late, we freshened up and got to the clubs. Picked up Powers and Kiki at their hotel on the way. We threw down at this place called Apocalypse Now. If you think I'm kidding... they also have a place called Heart of Darkness for anyone who wants the true Joseph Conrad experience!


After some tequila shots and a lot of dancing on a super crowded hot and humid dance floor, we decided we needed some Pho.


We hopped in a taxi and as soon as the car doors swung open at our destination, we were bombarded by little girls hawking flowers. The boys politely tried to turn them down, and Phil even said he was allergic, and then the little girls started screaming, "LIARS!" Oh it got worse. They started hitting, pulling, and then they started shouting out, " I will kill you!" I wish I had it on video!

The death threats continued and even though they wanted us dead, they told us to be careful as cars were coming down the street.


We finally settled on a sidewalk cafe for Pho and Cora gave the chicken feet a whirl.

We walked back to the hotel and by this time it was 4 something in the AM. No problem right? We only had to be ready for breakfast at 6:30.

Next, our day of Cu Chi!

Memorial Day Weekend in Vietnam!

Saigon Hotel Chronicles: Chapter One, Meet the Bunsholes.



Two weeks ago I got an email from Powers. He was going to be in Vietnam for work and invite a handful of us to join him for a rock star weekend. I said, yes please.

My pals Cora, Daven, and Phil wanted to go too. So we booked our flights and spent the week sending each other awful/hilarious messages in an email chain that I may one day turn into a play called Saigon Hotel.


Friday after work, we booked it to the Hongkie airport where we shoved fast food in our faces. It's the only place in Hong Kong to get Popeyes!


Also had at the airport... the first sunset I've seen here. That's right, almost 6 months in Hongkie town with no sunsets! Although our plane was boarding, we figured we had enough time for at least one cocktail and a shot.


The super friendly dude checking us in informed us that we had been profiled as English speakers and were therefore sitting by the emergency exits. It was there that me and Daven witnessed some strange things, like a guy with a Jesus Freak shirt on, an Aussie redneck with a flat top mullet, and a super fierce male flight attendant who said something about about spraying his johnson... huh?

Up next, my debut in 'Nam. Hope you had a fabulous Memorial Day Weekend.

One Night Only

Since it was a quick trip home, I was left with one night only to throw down with my peeps.

For as quick as it was, and working during the bulk of it, I think I was pretty successful with my rounds. Some time with the parents, some time with Pepper's parents. Some time with Sophie, and a wee bit of time with Cougar. A night with my ol school girls Sarah and Erin. A night with my former favorite workmates. A strange night in the Valley with my Life Partner. A lazy afternoon in Redondo with the crew, and we topped it off with ONE NIGHT ONLY.

The picture above is at Frost's. Manolo, his betta fish since our humble beginnings in Silver Lake had passed away the day I arrived in LA. He is now cryonically frozen in an Ed Hardy water bottle where we will keep him until we can bring him back to life.


Yep, that's good ol Manolo keeping the Jager company.

















I loves my friends.

Home to the Valley

This is home. Her name is Sophie and I loves her so much.

The trip home went by super fast. It's so hard to manage family, friends, and also workin hard for the money during the week but somehow I squeezed just enough of the good stuff in.

Immediately after stepping off the plane, Marie and I headed towards the water with a pit stop at Anthropologie and Jamba Juice.


We crashed my sister's place cause that's just what you do when your sis lives right on the water. We gabbed by the pool and it was like time I had never been away.


There was tons of crap to be eaten. Lots of Mexican, not nearly enough In and Out but at least I got one in.


And there was also all the crap I ate with my dad at lunch. It started off with the Sizzler, then some dodgy place for falafal, no Taco Bell but somehow we ended up at Weinerschnitzel.


There was good food too. I had a lovely dinner with Bonaduce, Cam and Kelly.

And now I'm starving thinking about all that wonderful and terrible food but have to settle for some crap lunch in Lai Chi KOK.

Getting Kicked outta the Hongk

It is in my best interest to leave the the Hongk for a minute while my application for an employment visa is finally submitted. Since I have to leave for a bit, I thought I'd take the opportunity to return to the land of LaLa. I still have to work at our company headquarters in Northridge, and I'm not psyched about that. It looks like I'll have to pause on the blogging for a bit, so I'll leave you with a slice of life...



This is one of the many "westernish" groceries that I shop at. Taste is indirectly on my way home and has a pretty good selection.


You know, just in case you needed mac n cheese in a can.


Or some PBRs


Space is so tight that they don't have full size carts, I mean trolleys, at markets. There's something on wheels that can carry two of your shopping baskets.

Which is fine, I can't fit or afford a whole lot of food anyway. Non-chinese products are rather expensive so it's cheaper to eat out in the land of most restaurants per capita. My shopping list is usually limited to coke light, water, gatorade, yakult, nature valley granola bars, fruits, veggies, tofu.

Thrilling I know. I'll see you soon.

Never Let a Hongkie Sit

I've heard it more than once. The Hongk is so fast paced that you're not allowed to let them sit, or else they'll pass out. It's true!

Here's some lady at McD's.


And some dude Saturday night VIP at Beijing Club.


And this guy. I miss him. We call him Big Baby Buddha. This was Chinese New Year, at the foot of a stripper pole, at Homebase.

I even caught one guy wearing a sleeping mask on the MTR. When I finally scraped up enough guts to take a picture of him, he woke up and exited the train. Dang.

The Numbers

I had to take a picture of this. These are numbers I've never seen before. (To get it in USD, divide by 7.8)

Powers' dirty 30th bday party on the boat was postponed due to a level 3 typhoon. Instead we did dinner and drinkin and dancing.


I guess we got our money's worth, as the bill was presented to us in this fine box!


Don't make fun. Everyone wanted a picture of the check.

I Heart Hangover Brunch

I heart day drinking and it's probably a good thing that this doesn't happen too often. I can't remember the last time I did for real day drinking. Maybe Sunset Junction? I love it. It reminds me of the college days, hangover Brunch at Bob Dobbs, or Thirsty Thursdays at the Frog, when we were supposed to be at a screening.

This is me with my newish and newest friends, celebrating Powers' 30th, as if a big party the night before wasn't good enough.

We nabbed a good spot for people watching, left the group to meet some other friends for Mexican, then we regrouped at our original spot where we took over the life of a lonely sailor, and accidentally invited a prostitute to join us.

After 7 hours of drinking, I pulled it together to meet Nat for Street Kings. I still heart Keanu.

Slammed!

I've been officially slammed at work. It's good, cause the day goes by really fast and I don't have time to dilly dally, but I'm going to need more staff members soon! We are planning on hiring additional team members are I'm also looking for a larger office space. I wish I could tell you I'm doing something more interesting by the basic cycle is work, sleep, work, drink, sleep. I'm off ninja patrol at the moment since I still have a bum ankle.

Anyway, I'll leave you with some pictures so enjoy! These are Pepper's, from his wanderings in the goldfish market and bird market. I haven't even been there yet.

Good Lucky

Anthony Bourdain went to the races when he was in the Hongk. So it was necessary for us to do the same thing when Pepper and Joel's fam was in town.


Happy Valley Racecourse. So cool to be at a facility surrounded by high rises.



The races are usually on Wednesday nights, and it's a big hit around town. This may be the only regular sporting event around.



The Hongkies come to gamble and the gweilos (translated essentially means ghost man or, whitey) come to drink. The two worlds don't collide. The horses have great names like Fat Dragon, Travel Agent, and Shuttle to Mainland.

The night Pepper and I went, we caught a taxi and our driver didn't speak English, so it was like a game of Taboo to see if he could get us where we needed to be. Happy Valley? Racetrack? Horses? Gambling? He finally figured it out and when we got out he wished us "Good Lucky."

The night I went with Rach, Joel and his fam, it was a little wet outside



But Joel and his bro Sam won some cash.


Just don't gamble your life away.


We then took the winnings to the bar. Joel's mum was such a team player, we hit up Hong Kong Brew House, Le Jardin, Stormies but it smelled bad so we left, Bar George, and ended it like all other good nights... with a Wellington!


Joel's last Wellington.


Joel has ended his three month stint doing IT in the Hongk, spent a minute in Vietnam and is now back in the UK. I miss that kid.

Good Night, and Good Lucky.