Jan 17, 2016 – [Sunday] WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Alphabet

Hue, Vietnam, taken on December 27, 2015

It is pretty amazing that while many languages use the same letters of the alphabet, different combinations of letters – or the same combinations – mean such different things. Vietnamese is particularly intriguing to me because while it is an Asian language, it uses the Latin alphabet (with a few exceptions and modifications) but is a hybrid language that contains elements of many cultures, like those of France and China. I saw this board, presumably part of an elementary school, when I was passing by a rural area in the city of Hue in Vietnam. I gotta say…they learn some pretty complicated words. “To be ruthless”? “To imbue”? (I don’t even know what that means.) “To be manufactured with skill”? Not gonna lie, but I’m impressed. One thing though – please tell me what “to be life shortening” means…???

Jan 10, 2016 – [Sunday] WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Weight

Hanoi, Vietnam, taken on December 29, 2015

This fruit vendors carries the heavy weight of two large baskets on his shoulder. His work weighs down on him, just as life weighs down on all of us sometimes. We all carry substantial burdens in our daily endeavours, and sometimes all we want to do is let go of all of the weight and just rest a bit.

Jan 03, 2016 – [Sunday] WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Circle

Huế, Vietnam, taken on December 27, 2015

When you say circle, I think of food…probably because of the Circle Foods song that I was so addicted to. The song’s got it right with pizzas and cookies and burgers, but it’s missing bánh bèo Huế! This was one dish in a cooking class that I took part in during my stay in the city of Huế in Vietnam. It is a gelatinous rice cake with minced shrimp, garlic, and scallions, served with a very spicy chili dip. It was mentioned that 80% of the people who took part in learning how to make this dish didn’t like it because of the gelatinous texture of the rice cake. As for me, I belonged to the 20% that liked it. Bon appetit!

Dec 27, 2015 – [Sunday] WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Now

Hoi An, Vietnam, taken on December 26, 2015

The first photo of Vietnam on this blog captures the face of a beautiful elderly Vietnamese woman. There is something about the Vietnamese culture and people that appeals to me. It seems to me as if they’re a people that lives in the present, in the “now”, rather than worry about the past or an unknown future. And that is what makes them beautiful.

Dec 20, 2015 – [Sunday] WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Gathering

Glasgow, Scotland, taken on October 1, 2015

When I was looking for a flat, I was seeking a place that would be spacious enough to allow me to invite people over often for meet-ups. And many did happen! A gathering with my girlfriends is always a good time, especially with good food! I am collecting group photos that are taken on this couch in my flat – let’s see how many I manage to assemble!