Over the school holiday Jed and I took the children on their first visit to Vietnam. I was very lucky enough to spend more time in Vietnam. It is not just a scene of war, but a beautiful country with lovely people, rich history, and delicious food. This time we traveled to the narrow, central, coastal area of this long strip of land-visiting Hoi An and Hue.
We splurged on our hotel in Hoi An (complete with butler), spending three nights on China Beach. This vacation had a lazy feel, which was welcomed by all of us. We spent time walking the beach (Jed and I, anyway) and strolling around the picturesque town of Hoi An. The city is known for it's tailors, so we had suits, skirts, shorts and flip-flops made for very little money. We strolled the alleys and took a boat ride on the silted river, and explored the local markets. We ate the local dish "Cau lau," thick rice-flour noodles, bean sprouts and pork, flavored with mint and anise. Yum! The ladies sell freshly roasted peanuts (for peanuts) that we couldn't get enough of.
We (okay, I) wanted to travel a bit by train. I love train travel, and Vietnam is an ideal country to do that. So it wasn't "ideal" for us, but we sure did get a true Vietnamese experience. We purchased the expensive seats, at $3.USD each. The trip should have been 2 1/2 hours, over the HaiVan Pass, along the coast of the South China Sea, past rice paddies, and through villages. Seven hours later we reached our destination. Because it was dark, we missed the scenery. Because it was late, we ate the local food they served on board. I'm not sure I'll get my family on a train ever again. Especially when we could have driven.
We arrived in the historic city of Hue, situated on the Perfume river. Although geographically closer to the north, Hue is politically a southern city. Because of the extent of war devastation there is not much left to see in the Citadel. But the magnificent tombs along the river, and in the country side have been fairly untouched by war. Hue is famous for its excellent food, and we would all agree to that. Our last bit of fun before departure was the rickshaw ride through the city, among the motorcycles, bicycles and cars. It was a thrilling ride.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
December
Hi, everyone.
Just catching up on the blog. During December, we stayed in Singapore for the holidays. It started with my work Christmas party (late Nov actually) which was held at a local restaurant. It was a nice night, but unfortunately the days that followed were not so good. About 15 attendees, including Lauren and Jane suffered for the next week with some kind of food poisoning! It was really quite bad and Jane missed the whole week of school. It was never determined what exactly happened, but we think one of the food handlers spread the problem.
Our good friends Dave and Susan Fedo enjoyed a day out at SAS to watch some softball and baseball. These two educators were very impressed with the SAS campus. It was a typical hot day, but bright and sunny and good for watching a couple of games.
Of course, Lauren had a birthday in December as well. We had a nice celebration at a local pizza restaurant with the Fedos, followed by a delicious and beautiful cake at home-see the pictures. Lauren also enjoyed opening her cards from her family and friends at home.
Lauren took a stroll through Chinatown in December where she worked on her photography. She is enjoying her camera and really has a good eye, don't you think? The most interesting part of this city is the contrast between old and new. You can see in some of her pictures, the old shop houses and temples contrasting against the modernity of the high rise office towers.
Closer to Christmas, Lauren, Jane, and Leah went to the American Club for a gingerbread house making event. You can see a picture of their creation below. While Evan and I did not contribute to the creation of this masterpiece, we did contribute to its destruction and extinction! We also thought you might be interested in seeing the Christmas tree at the American club in the midst of all the tropical plants.
Our December was a new experience for us. It was the first time away from family and that was tough at times. However, we did our best to get in the spirit and enjoy the holiday. We enjoyed receiving Christmas cards from many of you and hope that ours made it to your house in time. It was nice to communicate with many of your via Skype, but certainly not the same as being there. Our next update will be on our trip to Vietnam in the new year. We miss you all.
Jed, Lauren, Evan, Jane & Leah
Just catching up on the blog. During December, we stayed in Singapore for the holidays. It started with my work Christmas party (late Nov actually) which was held at a local restaurant. It was a nice night, but unfortunately the days that followed were not so good. About 15 attendees, including Lauren and Jane suffered for the next week with some kind of food poisoning! It was really quite bad and Jane missed the whole week of school. It was never determined what exactly happened, but we think one of the food handlers spread the problem.
Our good friends Dave and Susan Fedo enjoyed a day out at SAS to watch some softball and baseball. These two educators were very impressed with the SAS campus. It was a typical hot day, but bright and sunny and good for watching a couple of games.
Of course, Lauren had a birthday in December as well. We had a nice celebration at a local pizza restaurant with the Fedos, followed by a delicious and beautiful cake at home-see the pictures. Lauren also enjoyed opening her cards from her family and friends at home.
Lauren took a stroll through Chinatown in December where she worked on her photography. She is enjoying her camera and really has a good eye, don't you think? The most interesting part of this city is the contrast between old and new. You can see in some of her pictures, the old shop houses and temples contrasting against the modernity of the high rise office towers.
Closer to Christmas, Lauren, Jane, and Leah went to the American Club for a gingerbread house making event. You can see a picture of their creation below. While Evan and I did not contribute to the creation of this masterpiece, we did contribute to its destruction and extinction! We also thought you might be interested in seeing the Christmas tree at the American club in the midst of all the tropical plants.
Our December was a new experience for us. It was the first time away from family and that was tough at times. However, we did our best to get in the spirit and enjoy the holiday. We enjoyed receiving Christmas cards from many of you and hope that ours made it to your house in time. It was nice to communicate with many of your via Skype, but certainly not the same as being there. Our next update will be on our trip to Vietnam in the new year. We miss you all.
Jed, Lauren, Evan, Jane & Leah
Friday, January 9, 2009
November Update
This month we celebrated Evan's 17th birthday. We ate like "carnivores" at a Brazilian, all-you-can-eat, restaurant. We came home for cake and presents. He had cards from grandparents to open, and emails from friends and family to read. Thanks for all the birthday wishes that came his way.
Poor Leah was hit by a softball during practice. She was hit hard (as you can see), but remained very brave. She ended up with two black eyes!
We were fortunate to share Thanksgiving with good friends again this year. Susan and Dave Fedo, and Sue, Sean, Joel and Erin Figov came back for more turkey this year. Our new friends Johanna and Dan Crowe, who lived in Amesbury and moved to S'pore last July, joined us around the table this year. A friend of Jane's also came over. We were a happy bunch of American and British expat's, who really enjoyed the day together. We feel blessed to have such wonderful friends during this time of year. The bonds that are formed when you are away from family, and home, are strong, and so important.
Poor Leah was hit by a softball during practice. She was hit hard (as you can see), but remained very brave. She ended up with two black eyes!
We were fortunate to share Thanksgiving with good friends again this year. Susan and Dave Fedo, and Sue, Sean, Joel and Erin Figov came back for more turkey this year. Our new friends Johanna and Dan Crowe, who lived in Amesbury and moved to S'pore last July, joined us around the table this year. A friend of Jane's also came over. We were a happy bunch of American and British expat's, who really enjoyed the day together. We feel blessed to have such wonderful friends during this time of year. The bonds that are formed when you are away from family, and home, are strong, and so important.
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