The Bus Stop

Similar to the post of a few days ago, this guy is catching up on some zzz's at the bus stop.

Satellite dishes

Am not sure why an average hotel like The Sun would need so many satellite dishes. It looks like a karaoke type of place

Cloverleaf interchange

I am pretty sure this is the only proper cloverleaf interchange in Việt Nam. Some may argue that there is one near the Hà Nội airport, but it is not a true cloverleaf. Anyway, this is just north of Sài Gòn heading up the Hà Nội highway and right next to the amusement park Suoi Tien. As you can see, the new road to Vũng Tàu (at the top of the picture) has yet to be constructed

Asleep at the wheel

Xe ôm are motorbike taxis that sit on street corners all over the city offering cheap fares around town for a single passenger. This guy is practicing the time honored Vietnamese tradition of being able to fall asleep anywhere, catching a few zzz's very early this morning on the back of his bike.

Heavy rains last night

Believers in climate change will say I told you so that the wet season is still with us in late November.

Communications conduit

Orchids

Crossing the road outside Bến Thành Market

The stautue in the background is General Tran Nguyen Han, a warrior from the 15th century that served under Emperor Lê Lợi

Tailoring

A suit with decent material will set you back about $100, duds around $30 and shirts no more than $20. Provided you find a good tailor you cannot lose

Late afternoon at Saigon Center

Flags, plaques, signs, medals, trophies, badges, stamps, IDs and adhesives

I love these kind of stores in Vietnam. You can have a lot of fun in them with the right amount of imagination. I know people with little imagination who use these stores to procure their own trophies. True story

Material by the meter

Bigger than Elvis

About a month ago the kids attended a fashion shoot for the French label Du Lundi au Samedi. Now they are confused as to why there are 6 foot tall pictures of them in the Parkson department store.

Pomelo for sale

Roadside helmet sale

Land rights march

Protesting without prior consent is illegal in Vietnam. This group of people were marching through the city to petition the government for access to land they believe they are entitled to. Land rights has been the only issue I have ever seen people protest about in Vietnam.

Overloaded motorbikes

The guy on the left has so much stuff on his bike that he is basically sitting under the handle bars, the couple on the right are transporting a 2m x 1m picture frame. Not sure on the legalities of this but it seems everyone with something to transport does it. The best one I have seen are guys on two motorbikes transporting large sheets of glass, with each side held by a guy on the back of each motorbike. I wish I could get a photo of that one day.

TV cable guy

How the different communications companies go about there business is relatively impressive. This guy has to work around electricity, telephone and internet cabling to add the TV lines.

Marble statutes

Real looking lions, Chinese guardian lions, various Buddha styles, Jesus and even the Virgin Mary are available at this roadside shop

Blue Sky Blue this morning

A very blue sky this morning. The logical theory behind why the sky is blue can be found here, but this does not explain why it was so blue in the morning. At both sunrise and sunset the sky should have more reds and oranges. Any theories?

Hoa Viên Brauhaus

Hoa Viên is a Czech style beer house that seems incredibly popular both in Hanoi and HCMC. They brew pilsner style beers onsite in large brass kettles and have the option of both dark and gold varieties. This brewery restaurant style has since been copied throughout Vietnam and can be found in most larger cities. The beer is quite tasty but the food, unless you like German stodge, can be hit or miss. This place seems a favourite of my work colleagues.

Photography exhibition at L’en Tête

Oranges, mangoes, pomelo and flowers

Dogma

Dogma is an urban clothing label that utilises the propaganda materials favoured by the north Vietnamese during the war. The propaganda posters are hugely popular with both locals and expats alike. I really like their slogan Culture, Literature and Art are also a battlefront and you are all fighters on that front

Beauty and the Beast

Stagemagic, a performing arts group for young people, finally put on their performance of Beauty and the Beast last weekend. The show was delayed from its original date by the death of an ex-Prime Minister. The photo above is of the entire cast during the curtain call

Yesterdays Melbourne Cup at the BoatHouse

For non-Australians who do not know about the Melbourne Cup, click here. People are always amazed that some parts of Australia have a public holiday for a horse race. Australians expatriates in Vietnam are more than happy to take the day off as well

Imitation soldiers

Near the mouth of the Sài Gòn river

A view down Lê Lợi st

Theme Day: Book ... of matches

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