PSY hits up Saigon?!

Is that PSY in Saigon?  Wait a minute...

Asia has the weirdest things.  My friend bought this mask and I had fun trying it out.  I think I might be the only person on earth who isn't sick of "Gangnam Style" yet!  :)

Meeting of the Warriors!

On the weekend my friends and I went to a free event that was being held at the gym we all go to.  It was called "Meeting of the Warriors" - match-ups between mixed martial arts fighters from our gym against those from another one.  The event was a lot bigger than I expected - hundreds of people, free food and drinks from sponsors such as Hard Rock Cafe, and nearly 3 hours long!  I had never seen an MMA event before ... it was often hard to watch since some of the guys were pretty intense and got hit pretty hard.  We were there early enough to get front row seats!  Not sure if watching MMA is my thing, but I definitely enjoyed the free appetizers (mini spring rolls, mini hamburgers, chicken tenders, fruit kebabs, brownies) and they were even giving out free beer, water, and energy drinks!

After the event was over, we went in the ring and took some pics.  It was an interesting way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

Nepal next week and Christmas vacation booked!

Next week we are heading to Nepal.  I'm very excited for this trip because everyone I know who has been there loves it so much.  We will fly into Kathmandu, stay there for a night, then go to Pokhara for some closer mountain views!  Around Pokhara we are doing some trekking with a tour group before heading back to Kathmandu.  I think the week will pass by quickly.  It's too bad we won't have more time in Nepal because it seems like there is so much to do.  If you aren't sure where Nepal is, it is sandwiched in between India and China.  Maybe we'll catch a glimpse of Mount Everest on our flight over!  Here is a map:

For Christmas break we just booked a flight to AUSTRALIA!  I've always wanted to travel there, so this will also be a very exciting trip for me.  Even from this part of the world the trip is still a long one (fly 2 hours to KL, wait in the airport a few hours, then around 8 hours to Adelaide).  We were able to get a sweet deal on Air Asia (2 for 1 tickets at promo price!) ... only $444 round trip per person which is an excellent price from Vietnam, WOW!  So far, the plan is to fly into Adelaide and make our way to Melbourne via the Great Ocean Road.  Here is a pic of the stunning views from this scenic route:

These famous rock formations are called "The 12 Apostles"

After that, we will try to make our way to Sydney to spend New Year's Eve there!  Hopefully we get to see some koalas and kangaroos on our travels too.  It's going to be a fun trip to look forward to!!  :)

Time lapse Saigon, super cool!

I really love time lapse videos and this may be the best one I've seen of the city yet:
 

The creator did an excellent job of capturing the scenes and mood of the city... so cool!!!

Saigon Sports Club

In August I joined a new gym called Saigon Sports Club.  A lot of teachers on staff go here.  They have a variety of classes and a large outdoor swimming pool.  My friends and I have been going to a class called "Crossfit" which is pretty intense.  Last weekend one of the trainers had a birthday pool party after her class.  We went swimming and had some delicious Italian food by the pool.  Instead of having a regular class that day, we had a competition with two teams, with points awarded for winning various challenges.  It was a very close match-up that came down to the final challenge - tug of war.  Our team won!

Dinner boat cruise!

Last weekend it was Jenny's birthday so I joined some friends on a dinner boat cruise.  The wooden-looking ship was lit with colourful decorations and lanterns with cozy lighting.  Shortly after boarding, we were given a welcome drink and then we set sail!  After a bit of song and dance entertainment from the ship's performers, they came around to give everyone a small keychain as a souvenir before the buffet dinner began.  The food was both western and Vietnamese.  It was really good!  I even got fresh spaghetti made to order.  The dessert table was awesome too - apple streudel, crepes, pastries, fruit, and many different kinds of mousse served in little cups.  During dinner, there were musicians and dancers performing, and a magician even came around to each table to do some cool tricks.  The boat sailed around the waterways of the city, and we had great views of the Saigon skyline.

The boat

The dinner boat cruise cost around 800,000 vnd (about $40) but I think it was worth it for the ambiance, food, and experience.  I'd recommend it for anyone visiting, or for people living here who want to experience the city from a different point of view.

Moon cake madness

It's that time of year again... the Mid-Autumn Festival is upon us, also known as the Moon Festival where it is custom to give/eat moon cakes out.  In Vietnam, this festival is known as "Tet Trung Thu."  This week at school we will be celebrating again with a dragon dance and moon cakes for snack.

Surprisingly, a large number of hits on my blog from Google have to do with people searching for moon cakes!  You may remember last year's post.  Moon cakes usually contain some kind of egg yolk inside (representing "the moon").  They often contain red bean paste or lotus seed paste.

This year I've received some moon cakes, but luckily for me they were actually good flavours with nothing too funky in them (green tea, coffee, tiramisu) and they came wrapped very nicely.  There's always a chance you open it and then find some random meat mixed with vegetables or fruit (or even weird stuff like shark).  Moon cakes are so popular at this time of year that there are many roadside stands set up selling boxes of them.

 My friend Greg even got Starbucks moon cakes!!!  Vietnam opened up its first Starbucks in HCMC this year and it seems like they have gotten on board with the local traditions.  The flavours he received were:  green tea, tiramisu, white lotus, and mixed nuts which all sound pretty safe/good!  Let's hope that if we receive any more moon cakes, that they are actually edible flavours like these ones!