Apologies for the lack of action. Kim Bah Lee Mansions remains an internet-free zone and I’ve been busy leaving my job, more of which later. But for now, a quick run-down on the recent venture stateside, in a half-arsed and lazy manner.
New York - not many vegetables - Marathon - elections - quite cold - hot dogs - Manhattan - Grey Goose - Hudson Hotel - investment bankers - Grand Central Oyster Bar - Fifth Avenue - eggs over easy - MOMA - walk/don’t walk - United Nations - Tiffany’s - Key Lime Pie - the massive disappointment that is beef jerky (to be expounded upon).
More photos here
Back now. Two days into my new job. My body clock is fixed while my imitation Franck Muller wristwatch is already on the blink. The luggage remains unpacked. (I left with seven kilos and came back with 48, but I left five kilos of excess body weight somewhere in Phi Phi.) My enthusiasm is waning and this will be the last of the entries. Thanks for reading and thanks a lot for your messages of support.
The trip ended, post-trekking up north with a drunk called Noi, with dinner for two atop the Banyan Tree Hotel on the 62nd floor’s Vertigo restaurant. I had a nine course dégustation menu. Mrs K had soup and salad.
We went to tailors, we hired scooters, we ate in restaurants that served wine. We counted the days until we had to come back. Then we came back.
I’ll let the photos do the talking. Over and out.
In Hoi An, halfway up the right-hand side of Vietnam, a Paris of the East. Hoi An is renowned for its cut-price tailors. My memory shall be the rain. It’s got progressively wetter as I’ve progressively progressed north. I’ve yet to invest in a poncho or umbrella, but I think it’s only a matter of time. Time is forcing me to type fast as power-outages are common. My speling wlk not fsufferf, thouhg.
I’ve been on a spending spree. I followed a girl on a bicycle (first time since I was twelve) to her aunty’s shop for my first fisting (my speling wlk not fsufferf) for a pair of suits and a couple of shits (my speling etc.). They gave me coffee, compliments and a Next catalogue. I ordered two suits and two shirts. I can happily say I now look like a high-street mannequin. I’m off to a second shop for a second fitting once the rain has stopped dripping on my keyboard and hopefully this time will be dapperer than ever, my suits chosen from a year-old copy of Men’s Health. (I know.)
Five suits (including one safari suit - they refused to do it for me in powder-blue, muttering something about professional integrity,) four shirts and a winter coat for a couple of cents over 300 euros. Not that I’d risk them at the dry-cleaners, though.
I was worried about being taken to the cleaners here, but have enjoyed fixed pricing and fair-trade. The first shop were mighty pushy, though. I learnt to sell things in Malta, when I touted timeshare to the world. It was a skill I soon forgot, and not nearly as effective as the sometimes doe-eyed, sometimes cheeky and sometimes just plain aggressive Vietnamese Close. In Saigon it was "Motorcycle? Marijuana?" In Dalat, "Where you go? I take you." In Nha Trang, "Motorbike? You very handsome … I suck you?" Here in Hoi An is the honest and direct "You BUY something?" normally followed with "Why NOT?" If you do succumb, as I did this afternoon, you get a sweet nod of thanks, followed by "You BUY something MORE???"
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Most blogs are barred in Vietnam by the big IT department in Hanoi, along with various other websites like MSN Groups and the recruitment website of the British Army (well, my thoughts have been to the future …) I can’t see this blog from anywhere here, which means I can’t post pictures, so I’ll have to give you a link
here. Lots of pretty Shakespeare-worship ones and the like. Soon off to Hanoi for more big-city shenanigans …
Categories: Asia, 2005, Photos