Japan, Earthquake, Tsunami and Nuclear Threat

80 year old Japanese grandmother and grandson found alive under rubble, 8 days after earthquake struck Japan

Over 1 week ago, while I was still in Ho Chi Minh, I got reports on Facebook that Japan suffered the most terrible disaster of over 60 years since the Second World War. The country was first hit by an undersea earthquake under the seas of North Eastern Japan, followed by huge Tsunamis (killer waves of height and unparalled velocity) impacting on coastal towns and within the next day. the Fukushima prefecture housing Nuclear Reactors started overheating and threatening to melt-down.

As the world watched with horror, and bated breath. I am awed and very impressed by the Japanese people's stoic and calm behavior to the calamities befalling them. They were patiently queueing for food, queueing for their blankets in the evacuation centers, weeping quietly for their missing loved ones and friends and though they may be shocked, apparently still have compassion to reach out and help each other.What  tremendous cohesiveness for a nation. Truly, inspiring and awesome calmness in the face of a major disaster in modern times !

No scenes of screaming, shoving, fighting or anger at the authorities. No belly aching or complaining about having to wait longer than necessary to go to the toilet. In fact, they were apologising for inconviencing the rescue operations personnel who were out looking for the more severely wounded or trapped.

It makes me feel very embarrased, that our so called 'developed' country is still far for the standards of civic responsiveness and mindsets of the people of Japan. We may have nice cars and big houses, but the size of our hearts - at the end of the day - is truly what matters. We can learn alot from Japan in terms of response to disasters. Look at what our little flooding in Orchard Road led to, plenty of complaining and bitching on the internet and Forum Pages. Are we too soft ? Are we too intolerant  ?

I am truly saddened by what has happened to Japan in the last 10 days, but I am sure, like any great civilisation, they will rise above this and any other crisis.

Scouts Job Week 12 - 19 March 2011

Nathan doing his bit

Andrew and Ryan 

A thorough job means cleaning every part of the car

The last week saw a whole 'tribe' of Scouts descend onto our housing estate, it was the start of Job Week (12 - 19 March 2011). Every scout from my son Andrew's troop had a personal objective of S$ 200 to 'earn' in work related jobs. So as early as 7.30 am there were eager beaver scouts ringing our doorbell !

I am fully supportive of the Job Week as I fully ascribe to the saying "Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, teach him how to fish and you feed him for life". This is of course overly simplistic and the meaning really is to reach the youth of today how hard it is to earn a decent living. The value of earning money can never be underestimated. So it was with much enthusiasm that the section came to my place to source for any jobs. 

I ,of course, relented and made them clean my car on the first day and on the second day, made them clean the water feature. I felt I did overpay them a little (each earned $10 for about 45 minutes work) but part time work most times is left at the behest of the employer.  

I remember in the 'old days' as a Scout,  my father also invited me to his office to clean the tables, clear the rubbish and  do other menial stuff. It set ne thinking about the working world, and earning some money in later life. Hopefully, this will rub off on my son in the not too distant future.

Vietnamese Food, Development and Globalisation

The globalised world leaves no country untouched by fast food, unfortunately 

On the way from the airport to the hotel, I glanced at how Ho Chi Minh has developed these past 2 years and the verdict judging by the number of fast food joints and pastry chains is "very fast"' However 'development' is now a dubious word in my vocabulary because, as the world modernises, I am struck by the increase of stress, the pace of life, the pollution of the air and the decreasing of wholesome nutrients in our mass produced food which will ultimately lead to incurable diseases and premature death. Of course, this is only my preception of things from a person havinglived in a 'developed' country for the last 10 or so years when Singapore's quality of life index climbed higher than a number of European countries.  

So is development a good thing? Well yes, for the advances in modern medicine have been tremendous for one. The access to good medical care in a developed country is definately a plus point. So is the 'scaling up' of society moving from the poor to the middle class and rich by meritocratic means, that means through a good education system, fair opportunities for all and opportunities to enjoy the 'good life' for some. There are the success stories of  many entrepreneurs,businessmen and thousands of hardworking people who by sheer willpower and hard work,pulled their families out extreme poverty and their children are now reaping the good life after gaining a very good education and possibly a very well paying job. They are highly visible in our society and driving the latest SUVs or convertibles will maids and children in tow and taking annual holidays to countries in the region and beyond. 

But the downsides are plentiful,many poorer people trying to get rich would have to work 2 or 3 jobs and east fast food, sleep less, endure greater stress and sacrifice family time to try to 'upgrade'. The spectre of hyperinflation and or stagflation will impact many in the population. People will be less friendly, more uptight as money gets lesser in value, as in the case of Vietnam year by year and it seems to be an endless treadmill with an increasing speed just to stay at the same place.So there are many who fall through the cracks of the system, some through divorce, some through making bad business decisions, some by gambling, and many other vices.      

                                                                             Rice Cakes

However in Vietnam, the development is ongoing, and we were fortunate to appreciate the slower pace of life and enjoy some of the traditional Vietnamese cuisine, as shown by the photos shown above and below.

In my opinion, the slower pace of life, with less stress, less emphasis of Key Performance Indicators (KPI),smog free towns and villages, and overall friendliness of the people is something priceless. So why

are countries hurtling at light speed towards 'development' ?? 

Perhaps when one has 'been there and done that' will one appreciate that sometimes, the good old days are really the GOOD OLD DAYS. One TV per household, No PCs, No handphones, No I Pods, No Ipads, No Blackberries and or Youtube.   

Vietnamese Spring Rolls - a classic dish

The food served in Ho Chi Minh, where we found an excellent  restaurant called the 'Rat Hue' in Distric 1 is really inexpensive and good.For 2 persons, 4 full dishes come to U$ 9.00 or S$ 12.00.Food is mainly soups, steamed or grilled. Yes, they take a longer time to prepare, but when you have the time, the effort put in will reveal the true cuisine of the country and Vietnam cuisine is really healthy and tasty.This shows that at the moment, the country is still prepared to keep their traditions of slow cooking, steaming, and boiling their food although it may take longer but at the end of the day, it is the preparation,presentation and taste that matters. Definately NOT the convenient fast food which is spreading all around the globe !!    

Clam soup with lemongrass - so fresh it tastes of the sea

                                    Vietnamese Beef brikset and noodle soup or Pho

Ho Chi Minh - have a cup of coffee and chill

Many small,cheap and good hotels from US$ 30 per night available in HCM city

This is the second last post for my visit to Ho Chi Minh. In a nutshell, it is near to Singapore and Malaysia, flights are plentiful and inexpensive, hotels are plentiful and inexpensive, food is mainly soups, or grilled and if you look beyond the touristy spots, excellent tasting and inexpensive. The city is devoid of beggars, and relatively safe to walk at night. People are friendly and helpful, so if you are tired of the Chatuchak market in Thailand (like many Singaporeans and Malaysians have visited the place many times in the last 5 years), you can consider the Ben Thanh market for their range of excellent coffees, basic clothing wear, local Vietnamese food stalls serving pho (beef noodles), handicrafts and lacquer paintings. Remember to bargain and negotiate as this is essentially a tourist market and to get a good bargain is the name of the game.   

Tourists wearing the 'ao dai' (pronounced 'ao yai') or traditional Vietnamese dress

Booking of the hotels are very easy, one way is to go to the website www.agoda.com and check out the deals and read the past visitor ratings, our hotel, called Lavender Hotel is located just 2 minutes walk from Ben Thanh market (District 1) and is rated at 3 and a half stars. It is priced at about US$ 50 per night per room with free wifi and king size bed. The rooms are a bit small but bathroom and toilet is spotless and dining on the 8th floor offers one a view of the 'downtown'. There are literally hundreds of small hotels springing up all over town in district 1 and 3, so in fact, if you are daring, just drop in on the hotel and see if they have rooms. Its that plentiful of hotels and rooms.  

On the last day, my manager Kannan and myself had a chillout session at the roadside and enjoyed a coffee along the sideroad. Vietnamese coffee is very potent and they have many grades ranging from normal,medium and strong. The aroma from the coffee is enough to drive afficiandos crazy and some of their well known brands are the Weasel,Mika,Mokassa and Culi brands. If you love coffee, do the Vietnamese thing and have a cuppa by the roadside.  

Relaxing and having a nice cuppa by the sidewalk- Vietnamese style

Cheers !! 

Ho Chi Minh - Rex Hotel

In front of the Rex Hotel 

Situated prominently at the junctions of Le Loi and Nguyen Hue is the Rex Hotel. Once famous for housing the 5 star generals during the Vietnam civil war, it is now the 6 star hotel of the city renowned for its old world charm and fine dining. I had the good fortune to dine on the 5th floor open deck of the hotel on Wednesday 9th, and the weather was fine. My colleague Kannan accompanied me for this trip and we had a very fine Jacob's Creek Shiraz, roasted duck and glazed chicken, Vietnamese fried spring rolls - all for an unbelieveably inexpensive U$ 72 or S$ 95 meal for 2. I would strongly recommend a revisit or for anyone going there for the first time, to take in the sights of the city at the 5th floor of this iconic hotel. It is well worth the visit.    

Statue of Ho Chi Minh handing the keys of the city to a little girl

The traffic around the monument is the same as in all parts of HCM, horribly congested, and crossing the road takes some guts. Do not run. The bikers and drivers will somehow give way to you. So the trick is to walk slowly and inch forward. Look out for the bikes and their projected paths and avoid them. In fact, they will avoid you ! It takes a certain skill to drive in HCM and I have seen foreigners even riding motorbikes with the same skill as the Vietnamese. The cars will liberally use their horns so its best to use all your senses when crossing the streets. Do not take the crossings for granted. The bikes will not stop at times, and even while the rest of the traffic has stopped, the turning lane is still allowing traffic to flow, so be forewarned.  

Signing of the surrender documents between North and South took place at the People's Committee  Hall

The Vietnamese by and large are friendly but beware of conmen and women. A friend told me the story of some people being driven to some place for a 'tiger' show (risque dancing and acting) and end up getting ripped off when they have paid for the entrance fees, they will shout 'police' and everyone runs away leaving the tourists running outside and finding everyone has left. The presence of police are everywhere and it is generally very safe for tourists, but as a rule don't walk outside late in the night.    

                                                                  'King'  Kannan

The lacquer products are generally all handmade. I bought several jewelry and tissue paper boxes made using either clam shells or duck egg shells pounded to a fine size. The craftsman then painstakingly pastes the shells in the shape of the object so each box or container is different. No mass produced handicraft here.

Finally, the Vietnamese people are very polite and frank on the whole. They have endured so much hardships in the past and now while the lassaize-fair economy has the cities buzzing will countless hotels,spas, food joints and  trinket shops, inflation is also a major issue for the locals here.

Ho Chi Minh 2011- a revisit

Kannan outside the Notre Dame Basillica, District 1 

Statues from a victorious regime 

Inside the General Post Office 

I am at the tail end of a 3 day business trip to Ho Chi Minh city,the first since my earlier trip in 2009. The memories and impressions then and now are quite distinct. I find in 2011, the city is still full of motocycles what with the upward mobility and wealth of the Vietnamese people in general, but in addition, where we are staying, in District 1, there are lot of high end luxury sedans and SUV cars. This is far more apparent now than in 2009.

The communist party is still firmly in power, and the people here are thriving and entrepreneurial. However, there is none of the sleaze you will find in  many of the other developing countries. It makes the visit to HCM as a family destination more appealing. On the other hand, the traffic and air conditions are not good even for a decent stay of say 4 to 5 days. I bought a mask when I took a walk out in the city as many Vietnamese are also aware of the impact the polluted air can cause to their bodies. There are literally thousands of masked people in the streets, from motorbike riders, to street vendors to ordinary citizens out and about. The pollution levels here make KL and even Bangkok levels seem quite liveable.

There are literally hundreds of clean and decent looking small hotels to choose from in District 1 alone, so my guess is that, for a walk-in visitor, the rate may drop to perhaps S$50 during the low season. It is preferrable to book online, like I did and paid $ 72 per room per night for a clean, large room and free wi-fi.

There are several interesting places one must visit, and these are (in no order of preference) :

Rex Hotel

Notre Dame Basillica

Reunification Palace

War Remnants Museum

The roof top 5th floor of the Rex Hotel is a must visit. You can view the of whole of Saigon (old HCM name) and take in the sights and sounds of the city without the smog. A must visit. We had a starter, 2 main courses and a bottle of Australian shiraz for a total of U$ 72 or about S$ 95. Unbelieveably inexpensive for dining for 2 at the equivalent to the Raffles (or E & O in Penang) Hotel.

The best times to visit I guess would be in March, April, or October to December as it it considered Spring or Autumn time respectively. June and July would be the swelteringly hot months.

The Vietnamese coffee is also very good, you can choose from the normal, medium to strong. The weasel is one well known brand, and I have just taken a liking to the Moka blend, selling at VND 44,000 per 100 g or U$ 2 per 100 g. Certainly not cheap but very robust, good aroma and flavourful.

It is a great short visit combination of business and some relaxation, in my opinion. 

     

2 excellent Nasi Lemak stalls side by side

                                                             Selera Rasa Nasi Lemak stall

                                                                  Adam's Nasi Lemak

Adam Road hawker center has always been famous for its Malay food, since the 70's and last weekend, I decided to try their famous Nasi Lemak. I went there last Sunday at around 11.30 am and already there was 2 queues of more than 10 people each. Wow ! imagine that, for an 'early lunch' one must queue for one's food - must be really good - I thought to myself.

Anyway, I decided to take the one with the shorter queue, Adam's, but ended up waiting almost 35 minutes before I reached the stallholders. They are a very friendly couple and their helper, and in a flash, the orders were carried out. I ordered 4 packets, 2 Sutra specials which was the fried chicken, with ikan billis, nuts,kuning (cucumber),fried egg, otak (mackerel cake) and the coconut rice. In addition, I ordered for my wife and myself, the fish set which was the fish (small ikan kuning) instead of the chicken.

Adam's stall has won awards from the Makansutra (KF Seetoh's TV series about good foods) as well as several Mediacorp TV food series for their tasty nasi lemak. Anyway, the true test was in the tasting.

The verdict, the fish was nice and crispy, the otah was flavourful and with nice aroma. The best part was the rice was 'sedap' ! Very nice separated grains and retaining the aroma of the pandan leaf it is wrapped in as well as the not so heavy going feeling. The sambal chilli ? Sweet, and not too heavy or thick, rather, it is less viscous and   like a sauce. My preference is for a thicker sambal sauce.

The other stall Selera, was also doing a roaring business and when I left with my packets at 12.10 pm, the queues were growing ever longer. What a wonderful way to earn a decent income, the foodstall business is best as it is a) cash basis b) high turnover if food is good, c) low overheads for the stall and d) no retirement in sight if one is healthy and able.

And I am not even referring to the tax computations !