Ugh, the Holidays are upon us!  I say “ugh” not because I don’t like Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Years (because I TRULY do) but because I feel like I never have enough time.

My Christmas shopping started the day after Thanksgiving…thats right Folk, I was up at 1:30AM for Black Friday.  I am crazy, and my boyfriend Brian is even crazier.  He looks forward to this day…this is the start of his Christmas joy.  Was it as crazy as you see on the local news?  Not really. Were some lines RIDICULOUS? Absolutely, but no one was smashed to death in line, and no one was being rude. We all had a common goal: get in, buy, get the F*** out.

It’s about 8 days till THE day, and I have all my gifts bought and wrapped. I find this an amazing feat of will power as I work in (and commute to) Boston nearly everyday.  That is an additional 3 hours added to my day JUST FOR COMMUTING!  It most certainly takes a toll on you, and as of Jan. 4th I will be working in Portsmouth indefinitely.

Brian and I will be celebrating Christmas this Friday as he will be going to Lake Placid from the 21st to the 25th.

Readjusting back to my American life certainly was not difficult.  I bought all the things I couldn’t , I ate the things I couldn’t, and I hung out with the people I couldn’t in VN.

I worked VN hours as much as I could, trying to implement the project from afar.  Fortunately, it went in under budget and on schedule.

That’s it… My Vietnam experience ended as quickly as it began.  I truly miss my coworkers over there, and the entire experience.  I am disappointed I didn’t get to venture outside Ho Chi Minh City, but its just an excuse to go back.  I know Ha Long Bay will be in my travel plans, for sure.

I think about Vietnam all the time.  And how quickly it flew.  I keep some VND in my wallet just to have around, and its a pretty good conversation starter.  I have my little Buddha in my car and at my desk.  And luckily, I am keeping in contact with some of my coworkers from over there.  In fact they sent me some pictures:

Yes I had my ups and downs in Asia, but for the most part I wouldn’t change a single thing.  The people I met, the experiences I had, and the heat I dealt with will stick with me forever.

The last month or so in Vietnam was pretty crazy.  I worked about 12 hour days-finishing up testing on the project I was managing.  It was very stressful but relatively rewarding.  I was able to finish up testing on time thus finishing up development and heading to implementation.

If you recall I came back to the US for a visit as well as attend the Levesque wedding.  During that time the swine flu was just starting to settle in the Western World, but was just being to hit Asia.  My coworkers and I joked that I wouldn’t be able to get in and out of the country and that I would be quarantined.  Happily this was not the case and I was able to travel relatively freely.

A month or so later the Swine Flu really started to pick up in Vietnam.  More cases were being found and surprisingly more people were dying.  My concerns rose, not because of the flu itself but because I was a foreigner where medical technicians do not speak a lick of English.  Would the government kick in and start closing the border?  How would I be treated differently even if I didn’t have the flu?

Over the course of a few weeks people in the eTown buildings were testing positive for this flu.  Some offices started taking daily temperatures and wearing face masks.  One Monday in August my company received an email explaining that daily temperatures would be taken and face masks would be required.

Sitting in the Hospital

YIKES! Of course this concerned me; I sat down with Mr. Hung and told him my concerns.  While we were speaking the HR manager busts through the door to tell us that one of our vendor managers has the swine flu.  As expected, mass chaos happened.  Those who worked with this manager would have to go to the hospital.  Nervous as heck, 10 of us walked to the hospital and spent the rest of the day getting xrays, blood work, heat readings, etc.

I felt fine-no aches, no pains, not fever.  But after getting my temperature taken I was .5 degrees hotter than normal and the hospital didn’t want me to risk it.  I was quarantined to my apartment for three days, to return to the hospital for a check up.

Three days later, I return to the hospital.  I was fine.  Meanwhile I had contacted my US managers about the past ordeal, my concerns seemed to match up with my managers and it was decided that I would come back to the States.  A month earlier than expected but it was a good breaking point for me in terms of the project.

5 days later, I was on a flight back to the US with mixed emotions…

So I guess I didn’t realize how many people actually checked up on this.  I started this blog for my Vietnam trip but now that I am about 3 months back I sort of fell off the wagon.

I would like to think my life is relatively interesting.  I will try to continue this blog, keeping it interesting and relevant; although I will add this caveat:  I have no purpose, I am not diet blogging, I am not cooking blogging, I am not running blogging- this is simply a brain dumb of my life, cool or uncool.

So my next few posts will be from the past three months, catching up on what you all have missed, and what I may have missed as well.

I’ll start with the end of a journey…

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
-Saint Augustine

The most beautiful flowers, and they were sent to ME! So lucky.

Enough said…

Before I came to VN people told me to expect the country to be about 30 years behind the US.  There are a few things I can say “ABSOLUTELY”.

Music- The music is easily 30 years behind.  And when they know you are American, expect the Bee Gees, anything from ABBA, or really terrible 80s disco.

Fashion- Tappered jeans and acid wash.  Nuf said.

“Date Nights”- I am not sure how else to describe this.  I call it the “Park Phenomenon” because I have never seen anything like it.  I plan to take a picture at some time, but this event happens at night so it may be tough.
So what happens is a couple will take their motobike to a par (usually at night).  They will park it along side the park and both will sit side by side.  I find this strange for a few reasons.  1. in the US kids who are dating, even a very young age, go to a movie or the mall or walk downtown, etc. 2. they literally cuddle/spoon on the motobike.  I dont know how its done.  Incredible balance  3. its something straight out of Pleasantville.

Over time as you notice this Park Phenomenon, you realize more and more.  You realize that its not just a park, its a dark place.  And bad things happen in dark places.  Now when I say couples, I certainly didnt quantify it.  Lets see…on a normal week night I would say there is about 100 couples scattered around the park.  On a weekend it easily doubles or triples.

Occasionally you will see couples throughout the day, or even in the morning.  But the darkness of the park is what is needed.  And those that have decided to venture OFF their motobike, park it and walk to a “secluded” park bench…

I will say it again, I have never seen anything quite like this before in my life.  I hope to get a picture soon.

Here is my favorite house in Ho Chi Minh.  At least I think its a house.  I pass by it every morning, and yesterday I decided to walk by and take a picture.

Beautiful house

All over the place are miss spelled English words…Here is an ice cream shop that had a bunch of words around the counter…