Ho Chi Minh: No place For Food Haters

I was in a lunch meeting when my mobile phone began ringing nonstop. My best friend, Marga, was inviting me to join her and her mother to visit Ho Chi Minh. At first, I flogged down the idea. I had just gotten back from China that week and it was too soon (even too much!) to go traipsing again. After a few minutes of convincing, I relented. Before I knew it, we all had plane tickets to Vietnam and a Sofitel accommodation. What fortune, indeed!

Ho Chi Minh proved to be quite an interesting place with the unexpected number of motorcycles, urbanised façade and food joints. Among all things, HCM was a gastronimical experience apt for food lovers. Their black coffee in crushed ice and whipped with caramel is one of the most amazing concoctions I have ever tasted. The authentic Pho (along Pasteur street ) also tops my list as the best noodle soup in the region. Every spice and green leafy item that is mixed in the bowl manages to transform the Pho into something tastier, more delicious. Even the rice noodle was extraordinary.

the famous Pho

Apart from the popular Pho and coffee, there are also the different kinds of rolls wrapped in leafy vegetables to look out for. A friend of Tita Gemma’s, Philip Goudard (GM of Sofitel Ho Chi Minh), brought us to Dong Pho, a high end restaurant which serves both Vietnamese and French cuisine. Their rolls in beef, shrimp, scallops, and crab, dipped in oil, vinegar and chili are exceptional. It was a scrumptious feast that will never be forgotten!

the whole gang with Mr Goudard

There are 2 other eating places that I loved. First is the Cha Ca La Vong, a specialty restaurant which served only one dish: Cha Ca or white fish. The fish is served Teppan-like style and visitors are tasked to mix and cook the fish with the greens and condiments available: bagoong, vinegar, chili, ginger and onion, etc.  On the side are unlimited cropec (plain and with sesame seeds [or spotted cropec, as Marga would fondly call those]). Price is not steep and the serving size can be for sharing. Visiting Cha Ca La Vong will surely be a treat, even those in a budget!

Second is another teppan style eatery which is located above the popular Temple Club . Here you will find both visitors and locals enjoying the variety of raw meat and seafood products in a very casual street-type dining place. We loved their beef, skewers and especially their clams.

Apart from eating, drinking is also a must-try in this city. Although there are numerous party hotspots such as Lavish, Apocalypse, Q, etc., drinking by the streets in little red monobloc chairs can be quite an experience. At night, store owners would bring out refrigerators filled with different kinds of beer, from Heineken, Budweiser to even Tiger. Vendors selling mangoes, peanuts, cropecs, are also present for those instances wherein customers crave for something to munch. This spot is best for the laidback, low-key. Visitors are not allowed to be rowdy lest they be forced to leave. Or get caught by the police! 

I was expecting rice paddies, bicycles and rural living. In return, I was greeted with good food and a great experience. I wouldn’t mind returning. If not for the food, then for some serious retail bargaining at Ben Thanh Market! 

Tu Es Belle

my secret to 'etre joli'

"I don't understand how a woman can leave the house without fixing herself up a little if only out of politeness. And then, you never know, maybe that's the day she has a date with destiny. And it's best to be as pretty as possible for destiny."

- Coco Chanel 

THE IMPORTANCE OF READING DUMAS

I have always been an avid reader of the Classics. Most are challenging reads but there is so much insight that can be drawn from these that one gets easily acquainted with the society, past and present. Classical literature does not merely narrate stories of families, of love lost or of friendships, written by authors who lived centuries ago. The tales are deeply rooted in the prevailing complexities and dilemmas of their time. They maybe fictional, but the underlying context is very historical.

I grew up reading the works of Exupery, Dickens, Tolstoy, the Bronte sisters and Austen amongst others. Their prose reflects the political and social anxieties of their era.  While A Tale of Two Cities echoes the travesties of the French Revolution, the women writers’ works such as Emma and Pride and Prejudice expose the intricacies of living in a society governed by the strict social rules of the aristocracy. I saw history and society unfold in each of these tales.

Alexandre Dumas
(photo taken from Wikipedia.com)

My interest in the Classics and eventually in history started at the age of 11 as I began reading the works of the French novelist Alexandre Dumas, whose most popular creations include The Three Musketeers. However, it was another novella which caught my initial interest, the equally masterfully written The Count of Monte Cristo. The tale begins with an idealist sea captain with a promising future whose world turns upside-down when he is accused of treason. The novel is brilliantly written as the naïve and innocent Edmond Dantes transforms into the rich, powerful and mysterious Count of Monte Cristo. Dumas weaves a complex narrative with the themes of justice, hope and vengeance during the tumultuous time of Napoleon Bonaparte’s exile.

Reading Dumas is engrossing and requires a lot of free time. His novels are full of subplots coherently linked to the major plot of the story. His characters are interestingly flawed and dynamic as he puts them in situations that blur the lines of the good and the unjust.  His conflicts have depth, and realizations are sure to be profound. Readers should not expect a light offering as happy endings are not always guaranteed.

In Dumas’ works, one does not get a Victor Hugo masterpiece.  One simply gets a Dumas masterpiece- a craftily written tale entrenched in the political and social underpinnings of his time.

A Bucket List for Pilipinas

The last 500 years depict the periods of upheavals and struggles for the Filipinos. The eras of the Spanish conquistadors, Japanese militia and American colonialism reflect the resilience and heart of a nation relentless in the fight for its independence. For the past centuries, Freedom was the battlecry.  And freedom (from foreign occupation) was achieved. When the Marcos dictatorship was overthrown by a revolution of the people, the Filipinos began to see a different but bright future for them. It was 1986 and they had reason to be hopeful. Democracy established itself as a pillar for new nation-building.

Today, as a child of Pilipinas, I see democracy slowly ebb its way out of the system founded with such optimism and idealism. I see a nation still gripped in the throes of corruption, poverty and an unfeeling bureaucracy. Social inequality, or income disparity, remains evident. There is still much to be done. And we cannot solely pin our hopes on PNoy and his campaign of new government. We also have to prove ourselves the concerned Filipinos just as PNoy has to prove himself an able leader.

1. Corruption bogs down the Filipinos. It is public enemy no. 1. Taxpayer’s money must be spent where it is due- infrastructure, social security, health care and education. Our legislators must not be held in the neck by lobbyists with deep pockets or even by their own self interests.  Pork barrel, Jueteng operations and any illegal practice must also be put to a stop. Government must stop selling itself short at the expense of 90M Filipinos.
2. A stronger economic policy wherein the peso remains competitive without being undervalued and industries are infused with enough capital and support for increased leverage in the global market must be created .In a slowdown of global growth, Asia (apart from Japan) has been coming out victorious.  Even the local currency has shown positive gains. Let the Filipinos relish a stronger peso accompanied by a trickle-down of national wealth to the poor households.
3. Apathetic citizens must be invigorated with a sense of nationalism for Pilipinas. This time, the power will be in numbers. There will be no change if people refuse to act on change.  As my sister once said, “the biggest evils come from good people doing nothing.”

Today, Pilipinas faces deep cancers which are challenging to cure and band-aid fixes should not be the recourse. Juan de la Cruz must once again realize that only he has power to truly heal the maladies that plague his home. He only has to keep hoping, fighting for and loving that country with the vibrant history. 

I FANCY THE WORLD

“Apart from school, the best way to learn about the world is through travel”

-Drew Barrymore to David Letterman, 2010

There are 7 continents in this world and I will make it a lifelong goal to set foot in each one. If that entails dragging myself to continue riding planes  while praying to God for the will to stop myself from strangling the little one who is banging at my seat’s rear (when trying to get through hours-long travel time), then so be it.  The objective is always to reach another place unscathed and mentally sane.

I have gotten lost in big cities. I have missed train stops. I have eaten good food, and the not-so-good local delicacies. I have spent nights in 5-star hotels, airport hotels, travel inns, bus rides through cities and even an airport McDonald’s.  I have been through the pains of carrying heavy luggage through several metro interchanges and have become appreciative of the convenience of sporting backpacks instead. But then, the usual hassles are small prices to pay for the rewards of experience, culture and a new take on history. 

I love the feeling of being in a place completely foreign to me.  Possibilities become boundless and our boundaries are pushed further. There is so much to discover, to taste and to feel.  Everything becomes enriching because our understanding of the world deepens.  As we stop seeing the world from the picture books, our travels become personal and the rest of the world more experiential.

There are lessons meant to be taught by the World. Let us not limit. :)