Neat Sunset

The View

The View and Other Interesting Experiences

Our apt is on the 10th floor of a 17th  story building.  We usually have a great breeze and the view is wonderful.  I have taken some photos.  Each night Mark and I have gone to the fitness room on the 17th floor to work out.  I am going to get into shape if it kills me!!  The breezes and view from the 17th floor are also spectacular.  

I go to the market almost every day, it is right next to our apt. building.  We have a pretty small refrigerator so I usually only buy for a day or two.  I was looking for meat to make hamburgers at the meat counter.  I waited my turn in line and hoped that the man spoke some English.  When it was my turn he looked at me and asked in English what he could help me with.  I pointed to some meat and asked if it was beef.  Things are not always what they appear to be.  He answered yes and he asked how much I would like, I replied 1/2 lb.  He gave me the oddest look, then I remembered that he wanted kilograms.  I just said 1/2 please.  He asked if I was from England?   Then when I got to the check stand, now remember I frequent this place, I got a checker who asked where I was from.  She also spoke some English.  Most of the checkout people, don't speak any English and just want to help me find the correct amount of money.  Their money is called Dong and 16,500.00 is about $1.00 US.  I carry a lot of Dong. 

I learned a funny thing about the trucks in Vietnam.  When they back up they don't beep like American trucks, they play the happy birthday song.  Don't know where that came from!!

I also had another strange experience, I opened a sponge to use for cleaning and guess what I found?  It had two holes in it. Not sure why they have that either!  I love these new experiences. 

Our New Home

On Monday Oct 20th, we moved into our new home. We will be here for at least one year. It has three bedrooms and three bathrooms and is furnished. We feel very blessed. We are on the 10th floor of a 17th story building. The 17th floor has a fitness room and a billard room. It also has a great breeze and view. I am trying to get along without using the air conditioner, too much. We have one in the master bedroom and one in the eating area. We also have fans in the office and kitchen. The evenings we usually have a great breeze but the days are hot and humid. Today it has rained all day. This is the first day of all rain since we arrived. It is great!

Our third day in the apt. we were treated to a Vietnamese lunch prepared by our friend and his girlfriend. They brought us a rice cooker and enough rice to last a very long time. They fixed the rice along with pork, fish with the heads still on, I still am not used to that, and then the veggies. They serve fruit and tea for dessert. They have been so helpful, taking us to look at places and then getting us settled. We are blessed.

I was on the computer the other day and I kept hearing this scratching at the front door. I opened it and in came the owner's dog. They have moved down to the 5th floor. I guess the dog knows how to get around and he just came back to his old home. We took him back and have not seen him since. He is one smart dog.

I went to the market next door last evening to get food for dinner. Most things also are in English but not all. I was trying to find chicken breasts, Mark only likes the white meat. I looked and looked but they way it was packaged I could not tell what I had, as I was purchasing it Mark noticed that the checker was snickering. He was trying to ask her what it was that we were buying. She did not speak English but I think it was the bag of french fries that we had found. Strange American's. Why would anyone want french fries when there was so much rice to be had.

We still have our American foods for breakfast and lunch and then for dinner we experiment. They always have rice or noodles and vegtables and meat is either pork or fish. Not to much chicken or beef. We have a restauant on the first floor of our building. We went there our second night and they offer all kinds of eel, frog, etc. not my favorites, then they also serve eel blood with wine, I passed on that one. I am getting good with the chop sticks. I can now pick up the peanuts that they serve as appetizers!!

Indonesia

Indonesia

We spent a week in Indonesia for a conference.  We traveled by Asia Air, which they title a low cost airline, we soon found out the reason why.  It cost us $4.00 per bag that we checked in, no assigned seats, consequently the line began to form 45 minutes before the boarding time and they was a race to the plane to get a good seat, these people don't mind pushing their way through.  There was no free anything, food, drink, blanket, and they only took the money of the country we had not yet arrived in.  We flew to Malaysia, got in at midnight and stayed at a hotel near the airport, we then took a 5:30 AM shuttle from the hotel to the airport and took another packed flight to Medan, Indonesia.  When we arrived we had to pay for a one week visa, the only problem was they did not like the new American bill we gave them so off to the ATM we went. We finally boarded a bus that the church had to pick us up and arrived at the hotel, only to meet another line for check in.  

There were at least 600 people at this conference.  They had 5 Hugh buses to shuttle us back and forth from the hotel to the church.  The first evening the Governor of the area came and was honored, he was a friend of the pastor's and a Muslim.  He welcomed us to the area and of course the press was there to capture it all on film. 

We were told many times not to venture away from the church or hotel by ourselves.  There were armed guards everywhere.  On Thursday they had arranged for a city bus tour and trip to a beautiful seven story mall.  There were five buses and we were escorted by a police car, sirens going and all.  We felt like royalty.  I am sure that the city wondered who the heck we all were. We also had four police girls, not women, on each bus.  They were so cute, not sure how much protection they would have been.  When we arrived at the mall we had two hours to shop.  The police women were stationed at the main entrance and we were released to shop.

On Friday afternoon we packed up and were taken to the five star hotel of the previous evening for a missionary retreat.  There were 35 of us from all over Asia.  We had two great days of fellowship and prayer.  We all needed to reconnect with those who know what it is like to be in the field.  At the end of the evening we just stayed and talked, none wanting to leave.  

  

Cultural Night in Indonesia

On the last night of our conference in Indonesia we were treated to a 8 course dinner at a five star hotel.  They even had a red carpet as we entered.  It was a cultural night and we were asked to wear clothing native to the countries we represented.  Mark and I had had shirts made from Vietnamese silk on one of the Vietnamese prints.  Each country was also asked to perform.  Our group sang God is so good in English and Vietnamese.  Mark and I, of course, did a great job of lip sinking the Vietnamese.  Someday we will be able to do it.  We had a great time watching all the different countries do different things.  The Thai girls did a beautiful dance as did the Bangladesh couple and many of the other countries.  The Aussie's had us all laughing.  They wore outback hats with cork hanging down on strings to keep the flies away.  It was a great way to end a week of wonderful fellowship and teaching.

Cultural Night in Indonesia

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Observations of Vietnam

Taxi drivers wear white shirts and ties and love to impress you with a CD of Hotel California or turn on Ben and Jerry cartoons on the movie screen in the taxi.

Taxi drivers will make u turns or turn in front of a big bus to get where they need to be.

They also will go backwards down a long street if necessary.  This happened while we were in the taxi. Amazing.  The motorbikes just go around them.  

Everyone honks their horns even when there is no reason to.

Traffic laws are not followed here, but some are pulled over if the police feel so inclined.  You can even drive a motor bike up on the sidewalk if traffic is moving to slow.  Walkers beware !

When riding a motor bike the ladies choice of apparel is long silk gloves that go up to her shoulder, no skin showing, socks or stockings that are worn with their heels, a mask that covers their face and a hat under the helmet, all to keep out the sun.  Dark skin is not acceptable.

The first English phrase everyone learns is Hello, How are you?  

They have valet motor bike parking at many cafe's and stores.  

All the cafe's in our area put their menu's out front for all to brouse and they all have the same items.  Only difference is prices. They also station men out front to hail you over to take a look even if you just came out of the cafe next door.

The park is the place to be in the evenings.  Games played are badmitton, and hackey sac with a birdie from the badmitton set.  They also play a game like volley ball with a net but they use their feet.  They have a some bicycles whose riders love to do tricks and a few skateboarders and they also race remote control cars.  The carnival has a permanent place here also.  It has a bounce house for the kids and a circus on the weekends.  

Most men smoke.  

They also feel that all foreigners are a source of great wealth.  The prices go up for many things and you should count all change that is given back to you.  

Many women also where an outfit that we would call pajamas, I thought the girl serving us breakfast the first day had just gotten up until I saw her that night, as we went to dinner, wearing the same outfit.  Then I noticed others wearing them as well.  

It is hard to find a building that has an elevator, most just walk up the five or six flights of stairs. Now I know why they stay so slim.  

If you want to know how much you weight or your height, they carry a large scale,that talks to you, up and down the streets and for only $1.00 they welcome you to stand on it.  

Pharmacies are everywhere, 3 on our street alone, and they will sell you most anything. Outdated meds are normal. 

As we continue our journey here I will add more to the list.