Postcards from Vietnam ... Continued

The latest postcard from Vietnam proves the question "which way to the beach?" is not just for California.  Where better to go than Emperor Minh Mang's summer home, located at the south central coast of Vietnam?  The Province of Khanh Hoa is home to lagoons, rivers, and hundreds of islands.

After being in a blizzard in Philly last week, seeing this intriguing and colorful site on the postcard above warmed me.  I had to chuckle, though, in hearing my friend Kevin's account of the day-long, toilet-less bus ride back to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

I had originally scheduled this post to hit the cyberpress on Monday at 6:51 pm and by chance, I reviewed mail at 6:45 pm and I intercepted this second post card from Kevin.  The picturesque Hoang Lien Nature Reserve at Sa Pa in Vietnam consists of metamorphosed sediments and a granitic intrusion. The fascinating landscape below would be an alluring site at which to hold a sunrise or sunset yoga class.

And the whimsical postage stamps are worth taking a peak, too.  Here is a calico cat, double en-stamped.  I wonder what it'd be like to be a postage stamp designer in Vietnam.  Ponderances for another day.  I'm off to Sundance Film Festival.

More Postcards from Vietnam: Delicate and Dainty Dames

Another postcard from Kevin.  Dainty. Feminine. Elegant.  Dressed in traditional Vietnamese au dai, a long tunic worn with loose-fitting pants, the women walk gently down the stairs and through the village.  It's so wonderful to see women reveling in their feminine power, instead of wearing a pseudo man jacket.  So beautiful!

 

Vietnam: More Postcards in the Mail

Press PLAY to hear some beautiful Vietnamese melodies.

There's nothing quite like opening up the mail and finding a postcard.  Or two.

My friend is teaching English in Vietnam and he rides by the Notre Dame Cathedral (Vương cung thánh đường Đức Bà Sài Gòn or Nhà thờ Đức Bà Sài Gòn) shown below almost if not daily.  The cathedral was built between 1863 and 1880 for French colonists living in Vietnam, and all the materials used to construct the cathedral came from France.

Designated as a UNESCO site, Ha Long Bay is believed to be the result of emerald- and jade-spitting dragons, who defended Vietnam against the invasions of its neighbor China.  I'm definitely not holding my breath for when they're going to make the Great Salt Lake a UNESCO site.   Could you send some dragons over here, please? 

I love seeing the stamps, too.  So much prettier than the USPS ones.
 

On a more trivial note ... 20 seasons of the Simpsons costs $25 and fish are served with "everything God gave them."  And who wins football is still a pretty big deal.

Postcards from Vietnam

Surprise in my mail box today, a postcard from Kevin, my friend from Salt Lake City who's making new adventures teaching English in Vietnam.  Well, he hasn't exactly started teaching yet, but he probably will this month, after he completes the required training.

I ... got a very good review from my observer.  He said "I had some kind of weird, natural, clown fish relationship with the students."

Clown fish?  Still trying to understand that!

Kevin's itching to get a motorbike, probably like the ones in the photo.  I'm more eager for Kevin to get a camera so he sends more pictures!