I love these to death

Shotglasses from Australia, Canada, Hollywood (Universal Studios), Singapore (Underwater World).

Shotglasses from Hard Rock Cafe. Love the Special Edition glasses from Dallas & San Antonio.

More glasses from HRC

Rainforest Cafe shots - Singapore. I walked 20 mins from city centre to reach the restaurant.

Shots from Planet Hollywood

More PH shots

Assorted shotglasses from all over the world.

I finally got the shelf.

These are only partial collections....

Going off tangent

It is Day 3 of my no rice "diet". I hate calling this dieting cos in the first place, I shouldn't be on DIET plus I do eat noodles, proteins, sandwiches with lots of fruits and water, so technically, it's not dieting. The reason I'm even attempting this, is purely for experimental purposes, which isn't working btw. Anyway, just a couple more days to go (if I can last thru the weekend) and then I shall be back for a "eat til I drop" diet.

I enjoy yoga classes, somewhat, but I realised that I suck when it comes to any asanas that require the usage of a wall. Why is that....Consciousness? Fear?

Of late, I've been spending like as if money grows on trees. I even have thoughts of a new pair of sports shoes. To be fair, I think I do finally need a new pair (esp for Body Combat) and I hope to grab one before the Carnival Sale is over, just so I won't feel too guilty about spending too much. I hope somewhere, some stores will have the Merdeka Sale as well.

I cut my hair a week ago, which I suspected, is the main culprit behind people commenting that I look younger. After a lengthy explanation to my stylist, he commented what I wanted was actually bob style. Yes, I know it's bob style. However, I was looking for a funky bob style, not the boring one. I decided, after this, no more very short bob style. Don't like the "you look young" comment. Nice, but no thanks!

It will be a quiet affair this weekend. Foregoing a couple of classes at the gym cos those will be done by replacement instructors. Again, I must stressed, nothing wrong with replacement instructors. I'm picky, that's all.

Life is getting too boring...

Childhood revisited

Remember this?

Kalkitos - Hugely popular in the 80's. Scratch the back of the transparent sheet to transform images onto the cardboard. Available in various designs eg. dinosaurs, cowboys, flintstones,..etc. I loved these.

Rubber band jump rope - Make a long chain out of rubber bands. Two people stand facing each other holding it. The player then tries to cross the rubber band chain. If successful, the height is raised higher. Whom ever can go the highest wins. Zero point. I used to do quite well :-)

Game & Watch - Hand held electronic game. Most G&W featured a single game. Titles available are such as Cowboy Town, Donkey Kong, Mickey Mouse, Popeye (which I owned and loved very much...unfortunately it died on me), etc. Of course, these days we have the more sophisticated Nintendo Game Boy and Sony PSP.

Wooden Toy Piano - I had one that was black in color. It was the closest thing to having a real piano at home. No idea what happened to it already....

Trump Cards - not sure of the exact name of this card. My cousins and I used to play this (cards belonged to my brother)..we would divide out the cards and compare the horsepower, speed etc etc . The higher number will win. Whomever has the most pile of cards will win the game. My bro had the airplanes and ships cards.

Who can forget these games? Snap, Happy Families, Memory Match & Old Maid. My favorite was Happy Families. Ahhhh.....the joy of collecting the families.

Body Combat Bootcamp

Body Combat on Saturday was as hot as it can get. It was Body Combat Bootcamp! See, the week before, we were informed about this special class. 2 hours of BC, members were told. Interesting, I thought. Challenging too, no doubt. Might be fun too, for sure. I mean, any diehard BC fans would welcome continuous Combat sessions.

So, there I was on Saturday. Skipped earlier usual Body Pump class to conserve my energy for the 2 hours BC showdown. Then I found out it wasn't what I expected. The 2 hours would cover 1 hour of training & 1 hour of BC. Ok la, not bad...1 hour of training. Can learn all the proper techniques of BC. Oh man..I was not mentally prepared for what was about to be thrown my way...

Members were divided into 4 groups, each occupying one side of the studio. We started out with warm ups..from slow jog to quicker jogs. I had no idea slow jogs can be so tiring...ahaks. Then the real test began. Members had to do 8 different sets of exercises, each of 2 minutes duration. Once the whistle was blown at the 2 min mark, each group had to run to the other side of the studio to do the next exercise. It continued on until all 8 sets of exercises were completed. I was like, what?? No BC techniques training??

So, we had to do Jumping Squats, Sit ups, Push ups, Lunges, Jab-Upper-Hook (ahh...see see..got some BC here), Running Planks, Muay Thais and Jumping Jacks. Each of 2 mins duration. It was harder than it sounds. C'mon..you try doing push ups for 2 mins! 3 instructors were on hand to push motivate the members. At the end of the 8th exercise, members were breathless. Water time!

Just when we thought it was over, it was round 2! Same exercises, same time duration. I was like, wtf! For real? Seriously? I was screaming! Midway thru, the energy was practically drained out. So much so that I had to crawl from one side of the studio to the next. Good god...this is not what I signed up for. It felt like I had been left in the desert without water for days. I was screaming for my body to go on. The jumping jacks was easy though. I did that none stop at the last set (ahhh...so proud). When the final whistle was blown, everyone were relieved, to say the least. We slumped to the floor, like a piece of lifeless doll. It was over...finally.....oh wait, so not over yet. Still got 1 hour of BC to cover. After a much needed 5-10 mins rest and for the cleaners to mop the disgusting sweats off the floor, members continued on for the normal 1 hour BC.

I bet a lot of proper techniques were compromised since members were lacking the energy. I know mine was. Nonetheless, we still found energy for the shouts and yells. Overall, excellent bootcamp. I would do it all over again if there was another one organised in the future, now that I know what a BC bootcamp is. Hiaks!

Oh, body still aching..

It arrived!

The postcard that I sent to myself from Saigon's Post Office!

It took 8 days for the postcard to be delivered.

Stamp cost 7,000 VND equivalent to ~ RM1.40.

I was here! (that's what I wrote). Woohoo!

BTW, the lady selling us stamps wasn't very friendly. Maybe cos we were Asians very "kan cheong". She was very friendly to the kwai-lows though.......pui!

Places of interest in Saigon

Ben Thanh Market - the largest market offering everything from t-shirts, lacquerwares, paintings, fruits, shoes, bags, silks, etc etc. Be prepared to haggle. Sellers have become wiser over the years so don't be disappointed if you can't bargain as much as you wanted to.

War Remnants Museum - Formerly known as Exhibition House of American War Crimes. A must visit for tourists to understand the impact of the Vietnam War on the Vietnamese people. Gruesome photographs of man's cruelty during the War. There are display of American airplanes, helicopters and tanks used during the war in the museum compound.

Picture of American soldier holding the charred remains of a Vietcong soldier who was burned to death by a Napalm Bomb.

Reunification Hall - Formerly South Vietnam's presidential palace.

Notre Dame's Cathedral - A French-built Catholic cathedral in the city centre.

Saigon Central Post Office - constructed when Vietnam was part of French-Indochina.

Inside the Post Office - Gothic Architectural style. Hundred times more beautiful than any post offices in Malaysia.

Water Puppet Show (Mua Roi Nuoc ) - The show started off with musicians singing folk songs with traditional instruments. The entire puppetry show was in Vietnamese (accompanied by music) so I have no idea what the storyline was. The puppeteers are hidden behind a bamboo screen and skillfully move the puppets.

Practice makes perfect

It's amazing what a week of no exercise can do to one's body. I returned to the gym over the weekend to resume my workout only to find that I lacked strength, stamina and focus. Struggled during Body Pump, even with lighter than usual weights. Lunges was done without the bar and only with a 2.5kg plate. Even that I struggled. It didn't help that midway thru the class, I was feeling a little floating, perhaps due to the painkiller pill that the doctor had prescribed me earlier in the morning. I didn't know that painkiller can cause drowsiness.

Despite my condition, I continued on to Body Combat. Stubborn me! I was "alright" for most part, except for the occassional lapse of concentration. Went up to Master Combat after class for some pointers on my upper cut techniques which I realised by now must be incorrect since she has twice signalled (in the past 2 weeks) that I was not doing it correctly. Turned out I wasn't totally wrong; just needed slight improvement. The key word....practice practice and more practice. Preferably in front of the mirror. I did just that over the weekend and I have to say, I wasn't comfortable....at all. Aaarggh! Master Combat said the reason I felt less strength was because I needed to take a break but I told her I just came back from a holiday break...ahaks!

I woke up on Sunday with body soreness all over and I'm still feeling it now.

A glimpse of Saigon

Lady selling lotus by the road side. She let us taste the seeds.....tasteless!

Women selling pho bo (beef noodle), a must try vietnamese delicacy.

Fruit seller near the Ben Thanh market. Fruits in Saigon are huge!

Pink guava....I've never seen anything like this!

Typical petrol station in Saigon.

People squatting for a meal by the roadside is a common sight in Saigon.

Messy telephone cables everywhere..

Statue of a Han warrior outside Ben Thanh market.

Saigon River...brownish...just like Sarawak River!

Typical Vietname shoplots

Comfort stay

Saigon Boutique Hotel located in District 1. 20 rooms. Friendly staff.

Standard & Superior Rooms

The bathroom is small but presentable.

(top) Free internet access

(bottom) Guests and staffs can park their motorbikes in the hotel lobby.

Traffic in Ho Chi Minh

Ho Chi Minh or still commonly known by its former name, Saigon. The first thing that struck tourists upon getting out of the airport is the scary traffic and the sound of honks.

It took some getting used to the traffic in Saigon. Motorbikes were everywhere and plentiful. Traffic rarely get above 20-40km/ph. Cars and motorbikes honked at every seconds to alert other drivers of their presence. Seemed that they can turn anywhere at anytime..even when there is oncoming traffic. I must say, vietnamese has a very high level of tolerance.

Early morning traffic....it's not even peak hours yet.

Crossing the road was a big challenge and can be a nightmare, especially for the first timers. Vietnamese drive on the left hand side, so we had to remember to look left-right-left, instead of the other way round. On the first day, we were a little fearful when crossing the road....however, by the last day of our trip, we were able to cross the roads confidently. The key is to cross without hesitation because the traffic will go around you. Seriously....