They Don't Write About This in Supermarket News

My day began today with an early morning aerobics class. There are a lot more carbs then I thought here...so I'm taking advanced precautions! After sweating for an hour with my American friend and 30 other thong leotard-clad (think 1980's style) Vietnamese women, I figured I should take advantage of the the morning and photograph the elusive DaLat morning market.

Photograph I did, however I came to the conclusion that my talent with the lens does not stretch far enough to make dead frogs, dying fish and one happy goose destined for the chopping block aesthetically pleasing. My goal with urban photography is to transform the ugly into something to behold, however this was just a bit too far out of reach.

Enjoy might be a strong word for this set of pictures...so in lieu of that, cautiously view my market trip below and here.

Fitting It All In

It's rainy season in DaLat. This means that the world comes to a halt after about 2pm until dinner time. Because of this one has to cram all daily activities into the morning hours.

Sunday was a particularly productive day as I woke up way too early for my own good. The recent lack of internet connectivity in my room has prompted me (e.g. forced) me to go out and explore. Perhaps a silver lining? However, I did make my first stop that morning at the internet cafe to catch with some of my favorites at home.

Afterwards I took a long walk down to the famous DaLat Flower Garden, picked up some Pantene ProV at the grocery store, restocked my cell phone minutes, bought some goodies to send home and watched and episode of True Blood with Chi and John, all before nature got the best of my day. After that it's usually a long afternoon of cuddling with my Kindle.

Enjoy the flowers below and here.

Where Are All the Buddhists?

Every Vietnamese that I have broached the subject of religion with celebrates Christmas. One of my students even gets up at 5am every morning to go to mass. When discussing this she was incredibly suprised that I didn't attend services here. I tried to explain to her that I wouldn't understand any of what was being said, ignoring the fact of our previously latin-based masses, however I still think she was judging my lack of Catholic devotion.

I find this ironic because prominently dotting the landscape of the DaLat horizon are two very large, very white Buddhas, making me wonder when I'm going to meet one of his devotees.

As I'm patiently waiting for that day please enjoy my wet trip up to the 2nd Buddha below and here.

Canon No Likie Rain

I have been wanting to photograph the morning market in DaLat for a few weeks now. However, a little thing called rain has been quite a photographic buzzkill. For the 2nd and 3rd weeks here it rained all day, hense the little sabotical I had to take from my camera. Now, it starts to rain around 2pm, however sometimes the deluge starts a bit prematurely.

Unfortuntely, I left a bit too late in the morning to catch the market before the angels started crying, actually histarically bawling is more like it. Nothing like wading through foot deep brown water to get home! All I can say to that is a little thing called TIV (this is vietnam). It makes us who are used to modern drainage systems feel a bit better about predicaments such as this one.

Enjoy my walk to the market and my expedition back, below and here.

Up With The Sun Comes My Mood

Yes...its been 2 weeks. 2 weeks for me without taking pictures is like that fat kid without his cake. Speaking of, I've really been craving cake. Although, I have fallen in love with these amazing pastries at the shop right outside of the university. Enough about sugar...I digress.

Vietnam is everything and nothing of what I expected. I'm always cold, I currently am only teaching 6 hours a week and the amount of free time I have is mind-boggling. Going from a packed schedule to watching the 1st 2 seasons of True Blood in 5 days is a bit of a change. However with time, change becomes normalcy.

The normalcy that this immensely intriguing place brings is great people, cheap beer (cheap everything!) and the revelation that I somehow love being a teacher. Amid the ups and downs of this past month I am looking forward to all that is to come over the next 4 months and am determined to capture it all on film...starting now.

Enjoy my afternoon walk in the amazing DaLat spring weather below and here.

Easy Ridin'

I had never ridden on a motorbike before Saturday. Now I know what I have been missing all my life. Hopping on the back of Mr. Lulu's bike was the best $25 I have ever spent. He is part of a group called Easy Riders who take tourists on single day or multiple day trips into the Vietnamese countryside.

I opted just for the day trip to the surrounding areas of DaLat, but the feel of racing across the countryside and through the mountains at 65Km/hr made me definitely rethink the short duration of my trip. We saw coffee fields, flower greenhouses, a silk factory and had to trek down a slippery cliff to a gorgeous waterfall, among other things.

Enjoy below and here!

The Buddha Awaits

When one gazes across the DaLat horizon it is hard to ignore the silhouettes of pure white Buddhas that overlook the city. I am fortunate enough to live in the shadow of one of these icons. The courtyard that accompanies this statue and its pagoda is gorgeous and just as tranquil as one would think it should be.

As my first week in Vietnam is coming to a close my apprehension is lessening, however I am still struggling with lack of activities. I am sure this will be changing in the near future as I start to become more acquainted with the locals. A fellow teacher and I already have a dinner invite with a local family who runs a corner shop this weekend. If I thought I was getting a taste of Vietnam at the cafes, I think I am in for a treat.

Enjoy the trip to the pagoda below and here.