Saigon after dark

The opportunity to dress up doesn't happen very much here, but last night we had a work function which gave me an excuse to do just that. After wondering what to wear to something that really didn't have a dress code but was said to be dressier then most places, I decided on that little black dress that every female keeps in her wardrobe just for this occasion. My little black dress just happened to live in Mikaela's wardrobe but surely that's the advantage to having teenage girls.

When we arrrived we were pleasantly surprised by the venue it was really quite lovely, it

was an outdoor restaurant overlooking the river, which as the sun went down only became more attractive (you could no longer see the rubbish floating down the river). Dinner was buffet style where you choose your meats and vegetables bring them back to your table and, if we were home we would cook yourself, but not in Viet Nam - here there was someone to cook it for you and place it on your plate. It was a great venue, wonderful food and good company, it was a lovely way to spend my first ever Teachers Day.


As the evening had begun quite early, many of the staff went off to go Clubbing and some how we managed to get dragged along as well. It has been a long time since I went anywhere that could be considered "going clubbing" but it was fun. First stop was Havana's, more a bar really with a band playing. After a few drinks it was off to Vasco's, a true night club, the ringing in my ears will attest to that. As we stood around chatting, well not really chatting because you couldn't hear anything it dawned on me that I was probably old enough to be some of these people's mother! not a very nice thought. When one of my colleagues said I reminded him of Olivia Newton John I didn't know whether to be flattered (she is still a very attractive lady) or horrified ( she is 62) but maybe it is the Australian thing. Anyway the music was so loud you could feel it vibrating through your body, but what amazed me was the music sounded the same, even when they changed songs, the same thump thump thump seemed to permeate all of the music that was played. But after standing around for a while in that perculair light that makes anything white stand out including teeth (It did remind me that I have to find a Dentist for Mikaela - does a mother's mind ever stray far from her children) I decided I might as well dance, thankfully I was in black so I could blend in with the background as long as I didn't smile. All in all we had a great night and at least I can say we went clubbing in Viet Nam and stayed out till 2pm.

Just another Friday evening in Saigon

It's just after 5pm on Friday evening. After a long week of work the weekend has finally arrived. It doesn't matter what country or city you live in, Friday evenings are always the best - the entire weekend stretches out before you.
As I sit on the balcony overlooking the street I am transfixed by the movie being filmed across the road. We have no idea what is happening, Bella said she feels we ought to go and ask for an autograph because maybe they are famous; but in all reality there is always lots of filming being done around the streets of Phu My Hung so it probably isn't anything exciting.
As I look around there are so many Vietnamese sights, sounds and smells that over the last three months have become normal - the constant beeping of bikes and cars, which though we live in a quiet neighbbourhood, still occur each time they pass on intersection; the little red plastic stools the the film crew are sitting on, I haven't yet worked out why little plastic stools abound - but they do in every outdoor cafe, street stall, indeed anywhere where locals gather and the smell of rain as it falls on earth that is certainly no starved of water with its own distinct smell.
But still it is Friday night, just like every other Friday night - Mikaela is working with her Math Tutor, Isabella is doing homework so she can go out tomorrow with her friend and then onto basketball try outs and Josh is staying well clear of me so I don't nag him to do his homework. And me, I am having a quiet coffee, watching the filming and waiting for my friends to arrive so we can all go out and celebrate Friday.