Trip to Vietnam!

"Disneyland" in Vietnam

(Nah... it's their Cultural Center, just a block away from our hotel at HCMC)

Right after Bora, just went home to pack and came back again to the airport next day for my business trip to Vietnam (was also my first trip abroad so was doubly excited!)

It was a rainy flight, but we quickly got settled at Rex Hotel with Dennis, Tita Nida, Tito Jun, Tito Eddie, and Joyce--who was also my batchmate from St.Paul (talk about small world)!

For the first few days, all we had were meetings with distributors, importers, lawyers, advertisers... my mind was going crazy with all the meetings! Good thing we did go at night to do some "sight-seeing". Admittedly, I wasn't really able to divulge much of the tourist spots because of the fully-booked agenda, but what I learned from the culture is something really valuable and life-changing for me.... I was not totally culturally shocked from the trip, because everything looks like Manila, only 10 years behind and non-English.

Some things I loved in Vietnam:

1. No traffic! Everyone rode in scooters! In a highway, three lanes were full of motorcycles, one lane would only be occupied by other vehicles (read: luxury cars). Rode one through the market side streets (10,000 dong for public transport)... super fun!

2. Safe streets. I can walk until 2 am and I need not worry about someone mugging me or snatching my bag. There are VietCongs everywhere. ;-)

3. Beautiful girls! Nope, i'm still straight... they're just really nice to look at. I get envious sometimes... everywhere I look, there are those slim, straight/long-haired, fair Vietnamese women... it's like Temptation Island but in the city!

4. Being a millionaire! 1 USD = 15,000 dong (approx)... I had about 2M worth of shopping receipts in Ho Chi Minh! Felt good to have all those money.. hehehe :-)

5. Soup and spicy noodles.. their specialty!

Some things I missed in Manila:

1. English. No need to sign language with the taxi driver!

2. Jollibee, and all food restos! Filipinos love to eat definitely... I love our taste! And jollibbee there was depressing (was like twilight zone from the 80's). Lotteria was good though, have to go back for their chicken burger!

3. Smart AND beautiful girls! Nuff said... :-)

4. Starbucks (with no beer! haha)

5. Bars (with real happenings! Felt like I was in Havana back there... uh-oh!)

6. CUTE GUYS! All the men there looked like Manny Pacquiao! :-(

7. San Miguel Beer!!! Heineken was good, but there's nothin like good 'ol SMB pa rin ;-)

7. My family and friends (of course :-)

Definitely missed Manila and all its chaos, but HCMC and Vietnam will definitely have a special place in my heart. Will have to go back soon there anyway, for business (and a little bit of pleasure!) I'm grateful for the opportunity and the experience to have gone to a foreign land, it indeed open up my eyes a bit to the world and its possibilities. There's so much out there to learn and grow from, both personally and professionally. At least I'm one step closer to my dream of travelling all over Asia before I'm 30... Europe after, of course.

I'll visit Indonesia soon before the end of the year, and China in 2006 (cross my fingers! Hope I'll push through!) For the meantime... Tiger Airways, here I come :-)