The Mekong River Song.
(sung to the tune of "Paatu paadava")

Paatu paadava
Padagil sellava
Mekong river-ilaay
Vaanthi edukkavaa!

Vaanthi edutha naatrathilay sethupoonango!
Antha Vaathiyilae Mekong river-um naaripoonatho!


well hello there.

i know i know. ive been mia recently. and all you sad little critters who read my blog to entertain your sad little lives must be feeling really bored.

well. worry no more!
for i am back!
and with stories from 'Nam nonetheless!

ha. ha.

so i went to vietnam with my family for 5 days. on an organised tour pacakge thingymagic. and we photowhored (1200++ photos).

handicapped laquer workshops. cao dai temple. saigon river cruise. chu chi tunnels. mekong river (thats where crunch and i made up the mekong river song). and many many shopping.

i was a millionaire for a day. (so were my mum, dad and sis).

the people were really friendly. everything was really cheap. hardly any traffic lights. too many motorbikes and scooters. nhu looked hot as ever (duh). her cousin is equally hot (double duh). the two norwegian guys just looked stoned and hungover (haha). riding pillon on a scooter without a helmet and dodging through traffic was exhilarating. crossing roads was a group excursion.

"bus 1" had awesomely fun old and middle aged people. "beer uncle" and his funny songs, silly stories and constant reminder that beer was cheaper than water. tour guide "chao" (which means water buffolo in vietnamese) and his vietnamese songs, incoherent ramblings and attempted singapore slang. "germaine" the ntuc rep from sg who was almost always late and apologetic. the "maharaja" and his wife "peranakan auntie" being so game about everything (unlike their two chubby middle aged daughters). "fiona and ronald" and their enthusiasm for shopping. and not forgetting "satan's army" consisting two evil children and their equally rude annoying mother.

the food was excellent. the girls were pretty, skinny and had such nice skin (damn!). the service was excellent and always rendered with a smile unlike in our beloved country. bargaining for ridiculosly priced items and getting them dirt cheap. being retarded in our hotel room with "crunch".

the old man selling his sketches. the adorable girl in the watermelon dress. the man who lost both arms and an eye in the war. the blur taxi driver. the cute guy with the nice music. the helpful security who stopped trafic for us. the cute lady who sold me tee shirts. the giggly girls at the tailor shop. the tired old lady who sold us books while getting her nails done. the 7yr old girl with really good english pestering us to buy postcards.

so many people - all beautiful in their own ways.
so many sights - so rich and colourful.
so many sounds - from honking horns to captivating melodies.
so many smells - tantilising combination of exhaust fumes and exotic fruits.


the experiance of being there and enjoying it all - simply priceless.