the past few months (a recap)
Ok, here goes. This is a recap of some of the things I haven’t written down over the past few months, some places I’ve visited and thoughts that have been on my mind. Let me start with this one … the first few months living abroad are difficult. Not so difficult that you want to pack it all in and go home, but difficult nonetheless. The next few months after those first few are a bit strange, because you actually begin to settle down and you realize you’re actually living abroad. And then afterwards strange things happen. For example, I think Ho Chi Minh City is a rather clean and organized place (screetch, cars crash and babies start crying). Yeah! I know, right? I can’t say it’s been all fun and games, but I’m actually loving life right now (reminds me of Kyle … “I love my life I love my life” … inside joke). And this might give you some idea of why.
When I last left you, I was on the train to Sapa. Well, as always Sapa doesn’t disappoint. Tell me this doesn’t get your blood moving …
Sapa, Vietnam
That was taken from the side of the road, looking down into the valley at all the farmers planting rice. Nearly every picture I took was like that … it’s just a stunning place to visit. Highly recommend everyone try it at some point.
Then I picked up a pink linen suit (custom tailored) for my friend Thao’s birthday party 
Are you kidding? Yes, that's pink linen with a silk white bowtie
Then … I won an Iron Chef competition at my neighbor’s house. Ingredients: pomelo and avocado. I made a chilled avocado soup with pomelo, then a hamburger dish and finished it off with a pomelo cheesecake with avocado whipped cream. Champion. Eat it.
Iron Chef Championships, HCMC Vietnam
Try this on for size … my friend Annabel came to visit Vietnam and we bounced around the center of the country with my two close friends Thao and Bao. Stayed in a restored 1920s French Villa …
French Villa, Dalat Vietnam
… played in the mountains …
Friends in Dalat, Vietnam
… sipped freshly made soy milk in the markets of Dalat …
Fresh soy milk, Cho Dalat
… took a sweet ride to the Whale Island Resort …
Boat Ride to Whale Island Resort (near Nha Trang, Vietnam)
… waded in the warm waters of the South China Seas (East Sea in Vietnam) with crabs and tiny tropical fish …
Whale Island Resort, Central Vietnam
And all this is while working full time, developing my skills with Vietnam’s laws and building a social circle of some damn fantastic people! Much more to come. For those readers who’ve been with me sine the beginning, get excited. Nash and I are about to depart on our annual motorcycle trip. This year will be through Indonesia – though we haven’t yet nailed down exactly where we want to head (it’s either Sumatra or Lombok/Tennagra). Much more to come. And my apologies for my silence of late. -b
