This November I'm thankful for...

....so many things. So why not show it? I'll be doing a month of what I'm thankful for - in pictures. I'll post the pix daily on my FB page (apesadventures), and at the end of each week I'll post the pix in a blog post. Hope you enjoy the photos! I'll start it off with my first day here:

November 1 - I'm thankful for all the people I've been able to add to my world...from all different countries. Here are some of the ones that are part of my family here in Vietnam...at a new burger shop opening: American, Irish, English, Australian, Vietnamese.

Xin Chao,
Apes :)

Home-Made Coffee Creamer - COCONUT FLAVORED!

I'm trying to take out as much dairy from my diet as I can (since we don't digest it as quickly as other foods and I'm partially lactose-intolerant), and the hardest part is milk in my coffee. But today, I have fixed that problem. I made my own coconut coffee creamer. AND IT IS DELICIOUS!

Try it yourself:

Coconut Milk Coffee Creamer Recipe

Total Time: 2 minutes

 

Serves: 4-8

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 can coconut milk
• 1-2 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• Honey or vanilla stevia to taste
• Sea salt to taste, optional

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix until well combined. Use in coffee as desired.

I didn't add the sea salt - but I don't find that to be a problem. I've kept the rest in the fridge so I can have it ready for whenever I have coffee.

Enjoy!

Xin Chao,
Apes

Color Me Run - Hanoi

Yup, you read that right. Hanoi has a Color Me Run - AND I RAN IN IT!

Now, when I go to a race, I go to RUN. That however, was not the case for the rest of Hanoi. Let me tell you what happened.

My running crew and I get geared up and head to the course (it was a mid-day race). Once there, we see a FEW other foreigners in their gear, and TONS of Vietnamese in their Color Me Run shirts, with heels, hair/makeup done, jeans, etc. I then thought to myself "oh, they must be the spectators". Wrong again.

My Running Crew

So we line up at the starting line, but instead of starting the race: it's concert time! That's right. Instead of using our energy running, we first were supposed to jump around and learn a big group warm-up dance.

Concert Time?

After that, then we could start. We lined up, and they let us start in various groups. So once we were finally at the front and ready to go - it was running time!

Finally Lining Up

Ready to Run!

***If you've never done a color run, its a regular race but at certain intervals they throw powdered color on you, and by the end of the race you have gone from clean white to a rainbow. 

Upon the first "color spot" I saw it happening...a wall of Vietnamese people had stopped to take pictures, selfie, throw color. There was no way through. I was NOT putting up with it...I was here to RUN! So, I ran on the outside of the color spot, and kept going. I think I only ran through a total of 2 color spots - the yellow one and the red one. The rest were packed with the VN taking pix, so I ran around it.


Turns out, the race wasn't a 5k as advertised, but instead, a 3.6k. A little disappointing since I had been hoping for a 5k.

YAY WE FINISHED!

Group Shot of the Finishers!

I have never been in a race with so many walkers, photo-takers, SMOKERS, etc. It was DEF a bizarre experience. But, probably my fault for thinking it was actually be a RUN!

Xin Chao,
Apes 

A whole New world!

No, I'm not in a new country - still here in Hanoi, Vietnam. BUT - a lot of new things have happened:

1) New apartment. That's right - I've moved YET again. But this is the last move for me while in Hanoi. I've moved from an amazing shared house with amazing housemates to a single bedroom apartment. I now live beside a burrito restaurant, wine store, and mini corner shop. I'm on the top floor (5) and have a gorgeous view of Hanoi and Westlake. I've fixed it up with rugs, curtains, paintings on the wall, etc. It actually feels like a home instead of a temporary living space. 

And the best part - my new cleaner! That's right, I got to hire my own instead of having the one that "comes with the house". My friend recommended his, and she is AMAZING! She comes once a week to clean and do my laundry. She also picks up my groceries (fruit/veg) from her local market, and even cooks dinner for me on the day she comes (Thursdays). So on Thursdays I come home to a clean house, clean clothes, a stocked fridge, and dinner on the table. Yes, I am loving it. 

My Kitchen

2) New job. Well, not really. I'm still at the same learning center (ACET), but have a new title. I am not longer a "Senior Teacher" but am now a "Coordinator". Essentially, I am not a department head. I am in charge of the teenager english program. I handle the curriculum, hold presentations for parents, set up the schedule, and etc. Yup, I'm a boss. And the pay raise wasn't too bad ;)

3) New Hobby. Yup, I'm into coloring. I'm sure you have (hopefully) heard of the "Secret Garden" series of coloring books. They are very intricately designed books, and a group of girls here in Hanoi have all hopped on the bandwagon. We have started meeting up with our books and just coloring by the lake. Since I can't draw, paint, or do anything artistic, this is perfect. 

BUT - I'm also back to running! Well, kind of. I signed up for a 5k run at the end of September. MY first run was last week and it was 15 minutes...have to start somewhere, right! I haven't been on a run since due to the rain (UGH!)....I decided to start up again after about a month of doing some Personal Training at a local gym - and my trainer wants to do some races as well. So I figured, why not?!

4) New Man. Yes, this is probably what you all REALLY want to know about. I am dating an Irishman named Mark. We've been seeing each other for a few months now, and we have become an official couple. We've been on a couple holidays together already (Hoi An/Danang and a bike trip to Mai Chau). And yes, he's younger. 

Hoi An - Vietnam

Mai Chau - Vietnam

So - lots of new things happening on my end. All good things, so that is great....it should make for a great new year here in Hanoi. 

Xin Chau,

Apes

No longer Vegan or Vegetarian!

So - as you may be aware, I decided to be Vegan for a month. Then, after 2 weeks, I decided to add dairy back into my diet and just be vegetarian. Then, 2 weeks after that, I inserted meat back into my diet. So I had a whole month of no meat! How was it eating meat again, and how did I feel about that month? Let me tell ya:

Vegan - my body felt great. I wasn't working out but I still felt fit. I was eating TONS, as my body was burning off the vegetable VERY quickly. I was in good moods, and it was easy to not get stressed out. Overall - it was great. However, going out to eat limited my options. I easily found plenty of places to eat in Hanoi - but my tastebuds were getting a little tired of Tofu.

Vegetarian - once I added dairy back into my diet, I DEF felt a difference. I felt a little heavier, but still was eating a lot. I started working out again during this time, but I still didn't feel as good as I did when I was vegan.

MEAT - my first meal back into the carnivorous world was crispy pork. I was expecting a life changing event to happen in my mouth. Like, OHHH HOW I'VE MISSED PORK (or chicken/or beef). But nothing like that happened. I felt tired, and heavy. I felt mostly like "ok, I've had meat again, big deal". There was no rush for me to have another meat dish, so I felt a little disappointed. I've eaten meat again since, but it just doesn't fulfill me like it used it.

It's not been about a week since I've been back to a "normal" diet. I've come to learn that I pay much more attention to what I'm eating if there is a dietary restriction. I had figured that after I put meat back into my diet, I would be more careful about what I'm eating. But I'm not. I also find myself eating meat not because I want/need to, but mostly because it's available and easy.

What now? 

1) I've learned that keeping dairy out of my diet is the healthiest - most of us can't digest it anyways. So, I'm going to work to not have any (with the exception of yogurt, due to the healthiness of the bacteria cultures). That means no milk in my coffee, no cheese in my sandwich, no ranch on my veggies (easy enough on that one in Vietnam).

2) While I like pork, chicken, and steak (every once in a while) I don't feel as if it is super important to my diet. I am going to make a segway into being a pescatarian. I feel seafood is healthier (and MUCH more delicious). While it is easy to find in Hanoi - it is a little more expensive. But, I don't HAVE to eat it at every meal - there is plenty of veg and tofu to fulfil me otherwise. Of course - this won't happen until I finish eating all the meat in my freezer - luckily I have a boyfriend with a healthy appetite to help out with that.

So it looks as if soon I will be a Pescatarian (w/ no diary). How strange, but healthy. Of course, when I am traveling, I may need to adjust my diet accordingly.

Xin Chao,
Apes 

So I'm a Vegan...

....temporarily. That's right. This dairy and meat lover has cut both things out of her life. But NOT forever. So let's get down to when and WHY I did such a thing.

On July 7th I decided to be Vegan for a week. WHY?!?!?! Well, I have some vegan friends here in Hanoi and love eating with them. It's always an adventure of where we are gonna go and what we are gonna eat. I always let them pick the restaurants because of course I can eat anywhere, they cannot. So, I decided to see what life was like in their world.

Week 1 - week 1 was pretty exciting. I was eating at different restaurants, eating new dishes, and of course getting lots of recommendations from other vegans and vegetarians. I was told that the first week I'd be tired and cranky. Well, that got me worried because I was only going to do it for a week! So, I decided to do a month of being Vegan (or so I thought). My body felt lighter, I was sleeping well, and I was actually in a great mood instead of being tired and cranky.

1st Vegan Meal - Ba Chi Em (normal Tuesday lunch with Anna)

Was running late - so grabbed this on the way to work

Yup - DOUBLE CHOC VEGAN ICE CREAM! @ Italiano Gelato

Field of Dreams Burger @ Republic (mushroom burger minus the cheese)

Week 2 - well, the newness and excitement of trying a new thing is wearing off. I've now been to BBQ's, meat streets, etc. where I've not had any meat and dairy. My body is a little more tired this week, I think the "stored protein" has evaporated and my body isn't getting any new protein from daily meat sources. I've been eating my nuts and berries, but it's just not the same.

100k vnd ($5) Vegan Buffet @ Loving Hut

I figured the meat would be the hard part of this, as I LOVE my crispy pork, bbq chicken, and smoked duck breast. However, those things didn't really bother me too much. The hard part was dairy. I knew not having milk in my coffee, or eggs for breakfast would be hard. But I didn't realize how much dairy products add flavor to BURRITOS! Yes, that's right. I can no longer be vegan due to Mexican food. For the past 2 nights I have gone to SaltnLime (which will be my next door neighbor in about 2 weeks) and gotten a burrito, and then a burrito bowl. Of course I ordered the veggie one, with no cheese and no sour cream. My mouth kept wondering what was going on. Then it realized the travesty of what I was doing by leaving out the good parts. So it's been decided. I will end being vegan at the end of week 2. BUT I will continue on with the vegetarianism until the end of the month. I think that's a good compromise for my taste buds.

Stay tuned for how I will feel at the end of the month....and how I'll feel after my reunion with meat.

Xin Chao,
Apes

A few fun Weekends

So the last few weekends have rated pretty high up on my "fun in Vietnam" list.

2 weeks ago the housemates and I went out to an outdoor venue called Eden. It opened up last year, and everytime you go it's like a mini festival. Dj, outside dancing, food, etc. Well, when we went a few weeks ago it was just us and a whole load of backpackers. Usually I know a bunch of people from different friend groups, but not this time. And I actually think it made it more fun. It's been crazy hot here in Hanoi, but as we danced the night away and sweated our butts off, it didn't matter. We all danced until it closed...at which we went to the late night pub - Rastaman. Of course at Rastaman we ran into a lot of friends, and then before you know it, we had a group of about 20 of us wandering off to a pool, around 5am....to jump the fence and go for a swim. We were all in the pool as the sun came up, swimming around and just having a blast. Eventually the pool guys said we either had to pay to stay, or head out....but, it was a REFRESHING blast while it lasted :)

Morning Pool Time!

The next day was my first Vietnamese wedding. My friend Nathan was getting married, so we all headed to the venue around 6pm, and started in on food/drinks while we waited for him and his wife to start the procession. If you've never been to a VN wedding, you are in for a treat! There is a procession of the bride, groom, mother, and father...but THEN...there is a CAKE PARADE and CHAMPAGNE PARADE! Ahh, I DEF loved that! Then, while the happy couple is getting photos on stage, we are given more food and drink at our table. And then...its over! It's less than an hour, but of course us foreigners stayed for our own photos, more food, and plenty of drinks with the "in-laws".

Group Shot at the Wedding

If that weekend wasn't fun enough, the following weekend was ASEAN Gay Pride in Hanoi. After work a group of us headed to the festival where everyone was rainbowed out! There was live music, and the girls from the house even got backstage! Most of the house was away for the weekend, so it was a great chance for us girls to get out and have some fun.

The girls at ASEAN pride with one of the MC's (backstage!)

This weekend 2 of our friends are celebrating their last weekend before they move to Turkey, and plus it's the 4TH OF JULY! A few of us have already purchased our tickets to the 4th picnic at the American Club, so it should be full of fun.

Xin Chao,
Apes

Adventure Feet...addition

In case you haven't seen my feet in 4 years, there have been some ongoing additions to them. TATTOOS! Since living in my first foreign country (Thailand), I have been tattooing my feet in the local language. One simple word....Adventure. Of course! What else would I be putting on my feet? So far I have Thai, Myanmar, and Korean...until yesterday.

Yesterday I added the Vietnamese addition = phiêu lưu. Wanna see how it's going so far? Well, here's ya go...

Upper Left - My tattoo artist, Jack (at NinjaInk)
Upper Right - Before the addition
Lower Left - Getting it done!
Lower Right - The vietnamese addition

That's all for these feet...until my next move...

Xin Chao,
Apes :)

Quick Trip to Thailand

Over 4 years ago, I landed in the Land of Smiles (Thailand). Since then, I have traveled both Asia and Europe, and some other random countries (Australia, etc.). A LOT has happened over those 4 years, both with me AND my friends new and old. While I am currently living in Hanoi, Vietnam, I had to go on a quick VISA run back to where it all started...Thailand.

I was only in Bangkok for 2 nights, and it was busy with running errands (VISA, shopping, eating, etc). But I did get a chance to reflect on the years. 

I was dreading heading over to Thailand because it was inconvenient and the trip was made on short notice. However, I did talk to a few friends in BKK and planned to meet up with them. So, I decided to change my attitude and be more excited for a "short holiday" in BKK with some old friends instead of being annoyed by the trip. 

Once I arrived, I realized how much I had missed Thailand; the language, the people, the bright lights of the HUGE city. I always thing of Hanoi being a big city - but it is NOT. It's is a fairly smal1 city, you can drive from one end to the other in less than an hour, I'm sure. But BKK? Billboards, lights, skyscrapers, public transportation (skytrain, subway, etc), and MALLS! It was FANTASTIC!

As I walked the streets, I always was bombarded with memories from my first year: my first trip to khao sahn, meeting up with my mate from high school (Ian) for beers, girls weekend in Sukhumvit, NYE with my at-the-time-bf, BKK4EVA weekend with the Myanmar crew, and so many more. 

One of my friends I caught up with (Tigger) was one of the teachers when I lived down in Surat Thani...so a friend from my very first year of living abroad. My friend that I was staying with (Luke) is a friend from Hanoi, so from my most current year. It was a full circle it felt like. I was chatting with Tigger - from when I was still fresh-faced and unjaded, and then hung out with Luke - from my current time, knowing the lay of the land, with a few jobs and many countries of experiences under my belt. 

It was interesting to feel the change when I met up with these guys, from brand new to seasoned. I am happy about how things have turned out - especially in the fact of being able to keep my friendships with those I've met abroad. 

I've been so bad at blogging, but I'm hoping to change that. Summer is coming, and I my goal is going to be to do a post a week....so let's hope that happens! I need to get a new battery for my laptop and then I can actually take my laptop someone to post my adventures. But, that's a tomorrow problem.

Xin Chao,

Apes 

I chose this life...I should've prepared.

When I first decided to leave the US and travel/teach abroad, I knew I would miss big life events. Birthdays, graduations, engagements, weddings, births. I was mildly prepared for it. I had a mental short list of "if so-and-so" gets married, I would make sure I could make it back. Of course, my short list of people DID get married, and I did miss it. It just wasn't financially feesible for me to travel to the other side of the world for a weekend to watch 2 soul mates tie the knot. There are photographers at the event for a reason, and when I would visit home again, I would get to see them in the midst of their new life. I learned to deal.

When I missed my siblings graduations (1 from high school, 1 from university) I felt like a lousy sister for not being there. But again, my dad takes photos.

But it's not the same.

But then, there are deaths. Well, so far just 1 (almost). My grandfather has been in the hospital all week. Things went from bad to worse, to better, to the end. When I heard he was having a "good day" - I knew it was the end. There's always 1 good day before the end. I'd been getting updated, emails, messages, and etc....but didn't have any words to respond to any. What could I say? "I'm on the other side of the world, on the exact opposite time zone, but here are my random words that won't do any good". I mean seriously...my aunts/uncles/father are traveling down to visit him, and I'm 12 hours by TIME ZONE away. They stay with him all day in the hospital while I'm asleep, and then when I wake up, it's time for them to sleep. My updates come when I wake up , or when I'm about to go to sleep. I can't even send a message to ask for an update at any time during my days. Let alone try to call or get in touch in any other way. He's now been taken off life support and moved to a hospice. When I go to bed tonight, I'll wake up to one less family member. I won't have the comfort of family here or even the comfort of someone who has known me for longer than a year to lean on.

Talk about helpless and lonely.

I was prepared to miss birthdays. I learned to deal with missing weddings and graduations. But missing the last hours of someone you love? That thought didn't even enter my mind to prepare for. 

So, to the man who tried stealing my dimples every time I saw him, who would come and bring me candy bars at my high school track races (someone always had to come in last!), and took me on my first helicopter ride. May your last few hours be peaceful and comfortable. It's safe to say you will be missed by people all over the world, even if they weren't present in your last hours. 

- Ape

Traffic in Hanoi

Just saw this posted on a Vietnam page, and thought it was a great representation of Hanoi Traffic. So, check out what a normal commute around town is:

TET Holiday - Sri Lanka

During the Lunar New Year, Vietnam celebrates the Chinese New Year...and it is called TET. We get 2 weeks off, and most foreigners use this chance to leave Vietnam and travel, and of course - I did the same! Where did I go?

Sri Lanka! Random, eh? Yes, I agree. Here's how it came about...

Hanging out with an old housemate, she told me her birthday was around TET and we should go somewhere. Of course, I was all for it. She thought of Sri Lanka, and while I had never had that country even enter my mind as a place to visit, I of course agreed. After a few weeks, talking to a few people, I decided Sri Lanka was going to be my next destination no matter what. Beaches, Seafood, Sun, everything I could want. So, I let my housemate know that I would be heading to Sri Lanka even if she decided not too. Well, she decided not too...and I continued to plan to go myself.

During my planning I got a message from my cousin, Jessie, who was planning her next holiday (she had joined my in my Bali Birthday celebration) and wanted to know where I'd be. Once I told her Sri Lanka in February, she started making plans to join.

So, after a few months pass, it's time to board the plane! I hopped on the flight ready for a VERY MUCH needed break from every Hanoi. I landed in Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) and stayed for 2 days, visiting my friend Moni. The first day, I slept 12 hours....and IT WAS NEEDED! It was impossible to get more than 4 hours of sleep at my house in Hanoi before I left due to construction. I already felt like a new person.

While I was in KL, I had delicious Indian food, saw the Petronas Towers, Batur Caves and caught up with Moni. He is opening a resturant, and I got the grand tour before it opened.

Apes at the Petronas Towers, KL

Batur Caves, KL

Come Sunday, it was time to leave KL and move onto the feature of my holiday...SRI LANKA! I jumped on the plane, and didn't even bother sleeping. Once we arrived on the gorgeous island, I found my driver and he led me through Colombo, chatting all the way.

Here's a rough recap of my time once I was in Sri Lanka.

Colombo - My first (and last) stop in Sri Lanka. I met some good people and had a GREAT dinner with them. I ended up seeing ALL of them again at some point in my trip:

Max - one of the 2 Germans who were cycling the island on their fixed gear bikes. Him and Dennis (the other German cyclist) ended up being my favorite travellers on this trip, and I saw them nearly everyday.
Alex - he pretty much lived at the Hostel I stayed at (BED HOSTEL) and I saw him at the end of my trip as well.
Liam - A Canadian teaching English in China, we ended up hitting a few other cities together, but then he got "beached out" and moved onto visiting the Hill Country.

Cousin Jessie met me in Colombo, and a few hours after she arrived, we were on our way to our first beach...HIKKADUWA!!

Cousins on the train from Colombo to Hikkaduwa

Hikkaduwa - we spent 2 nights here, and it was gorgeous. As soon as we found a room (on the beach) we went for dinner and drinks, and a sunset. There didn't seem to be much happening that night, so we ended up just calling it an early one, catching up and just hanging out. The next day, we headed to the beach for the whole day, after a lovely breakfast at Tree Top Restaurant. It was a restaurant that was actually a tree-house, and we got a HUGE breakfast spread for just a few bucks. On the beach, we grabbed beds in front of The Drunkn Monkey, and we ran into Liam (the Canadian) and had some DELICIOUS cocktails and amazing seafood. It was soo good that we ate there the next day as well. In the evening, we met a few Aussies on the street and had some drinks before going down to the beach. Once down at the beach we met a birthday party and ended up hanging out with them at a Karaoke Beach Bar all night. Singing 80's and dancing a fool on the beach...CHECK!

Breakfast at Tree Top

Beach Babes!

Our last day in Hikkaduwa was spent doing some shopping, beaching, and eating before we hopped a tuk tuk to the next stop...GALLE.

Galle - We stayed in Galle Fort, which is exactly like it sounds. It's a little city inside the Fort in Galle. The first night (also Jessie's last night with me) we got Sari's and wore them to dinner with some people staying in our Hostel (Galle Fort Hostel). The next day, I took a cooking class and learned hour to make 9 Sri Lankan dishes! Curries - Pumpkin, Okra, Eggplant, Dahl, Jackfruit, Green Bean, Fish, Chicken, and also a really delicious Sri Lankan fruit salad. Afterwards, I walked off my "stuffed to the brim belly" by walking the fort walls and taking pictures. I was planning on heading out the following day to get back on a beach...UNAWATUNA!

Sari, not sorry

"Mama" who taught me to cook.

I MADE THIS!

Galle Fort Walls

Unawatuna - Before I left Galle, I luckily decided to book a hostel for my stay in Unawatuna. Good thing, too! A few hours after I arrived the place was full and the owner had to turn people away! I tuk tuk'd up to Unawatuna Hostel and arrived at a small hostel in the jungle, close to the railroad tracks. As I entered, I was given breakfast and told that there would be a BBQ later in the day. Everyone was lounging around, and I decided to tag along with a couple heading to the beach. Once on the beach, we grabbed coconuts and I worked on my tan. The beach was lovely, albeit small - it took about 15 minutes to walk the whole thing. You could definitily see the tourism taking over, as the area between the resturants and water was almost non-existent. At high tide, the water was lapping under our beach chairs.

Later in the day, it was BBQ time! One of the workers was leaving, and since he was a chef, he was doing all the cooking....all we had to do was put in 1000IND (about $7) towards drinks for the event. There were some musicians staying at the hostel, so we had a bonfire and a jam session, and once we decided to stay inside, there was still plenty of live music (and food and drink) to last until the wee hours of the morning.

Party People of Unawtuna:
Anna and Jens - An Austrian/Swede couple that reunited the day before I arrived.
Roman and his GF (who was lovely but I cant remember her name!) - Austrians who went to school with Anna. Roman kept referring to me as April from Nightrider and kept asking me for "boosters"
Mel - One of the musicians, we ended up going to Mirissa together for 2 days after Unawatuna...maybe Croatia in September???
Alice/Shantelle - 2 lovely girls traveling with Mel, Alice will be visiting Hanoi soon!
Jack - And English bloke with Alice/Shantelle/Mel, I ended up running into him on my last day in Waligama. Hopefully his red backed sunburn has finally healed!
Sebastian and Ismael - The Chileans who we partied with again in Mirissa and I saw daily in Mirissa/Wilagama. Both are into music and Sebastian has a GREAT voice!
Bunche - the owner of the hostel. Let's deem him the "king of the party castle".

The morning after the party, I was up and out (and returned) before most people had even woken up. When I wandered through the hostel, it reminded me of a frat party - empty bottles, extra people on couches, all the remnants of a great night. But, I was off for a morning of diving! I headed to the beach and went Scuba Diving with a lovely English couple that are currently living in Kuwait. The diving itself wasn't that memorable. I liked it, of course, but the sites were full of dead coral. Not too many bright colors, as I'm used to seeing under water. There were some bright colored fish, and I got to see puffer fish (my first), but other than that, the coral was all brown and unappealing. Too much diving, I suppose. Probably because some people don't follow the saying "Take pictures, leave bubbles" and end up touching (killing) the coral and other life. Such as, MY DIVEMASTER! He was touching all the flatworms and at one point picked up a starfish and swam with it. NOT OK! That explained why the underwater looked like it did. I did however, see something interesting....

..as I swam along (NOT TOUCHING THINGS), I saw a man untangling a fish from a hook. "Ah, how nice to untangle the fish!" I thought. As I watched I realized that is NOT what he was doing. While he had his diving gear on, he also had a spear....he was spearfishing while diving, and was running his "line" through the fish, at which the fish joined the rest of the fish dangling on his line behind him.

After diving, I headed back to the hostel, to greet the zombies awakening from their slumber. Mel made Macaroni and Cheese for everyone, and then him and I grabbed a bike from Bunche and drove off to MIRISSA!

Mirissa - In Mirissa, we stayed at Poppies, right across from the beach. We headed down to the beach for happy hour cocktails, and a snack. Then, we went back to get showered, and ended up running into the Chileans! So, we decided to catch some live music with them, and then bar hopped down the beach. We left the Chileans at the "trance" beach bar, and went back to bar that was playing 90's music. We ended up meeting a Sri Lankan race car driver, and stayed until the early morning light...but then we needed to head back....we were going WHALE WATCHING the next day!

On the boat we ended up seeing whales pretty early, which was GREAT! There ended up being 3 whale sightings, and HEAPS of dolphins. Afterwards, we drove out to Waligama to meet the Chileans and the Germans for food and drinks....the following day it was time for a new location.

Wilagama - So, I was originally going to head up to the Hill Country today, but as my heart belongs to the beach, I decided to just backtrack and spend my last few days in Wilagame. Both the Chileans AND the Germans were there surfing, and I was happy to lay on the beach and watch them instead of trekking in the mountains somewhere. So the next few days consisted of sleeping in, reading on the beach, getting bronzed, and taking pictures of my surfing friends.

During the next few days, I ran into Jeff, who also lives in Hanoi (we shared a taxi to the airport in Hanoi) and then Jack (from Unawatuna). It was nice to just walk down the street and see familiar faces.

Adventure Feet in Wilagama

Eventually though, it was time to hop on a train back to Colombo, for my last night in Sri Lanka before heading back to Hanoi.

So...I can now understand why EVERYONE I talked to RAVED about Sri Lanka, as I will continue to rave about it as well. The food was delicious, the lcoal people were the nicest and loveliest I have EVER met, the landscape (ok, the beaches - since that's all I saw) was beautiful. I am already looking to make Sri Lanka my September holiday (again), although this time I'm hoping to make it off the beach :)

Iss-too-tee,
Apes

QUEST

Every year a group of expats put together a music camping weekend outside of Hanoi, called Quest. It's from a Friday night to Sunday night. Of course, I went!

This year's theme was "Cosmic Animals" and my friend Alexandra and I decided to head down Friday night and leave Saturday night (early morning work on Sunday). I got down around midnight on Friday and partied until the wee hours of the morning. It was camping outside - we all had tents to sleep in, and there were about 4 or 5 different places to listen to music. It was right on a lake, so we could swim, or even hang out on some swings by the water. It was a great location and setup.

Saturday morning we had breakfast (and bloody marys) while the busses from Hanoi brought the weekend groups of people. Alex and I (and our friend Raghu) put on our costumes: I was a bumblebee, Alex was a ladybug, and Raghu was our flower. Raghu wasn't overy excited to be our flower, but too bad! Once we were set up in our costumes, we buzzed around the venue listening to music and catching up with friends. We did arts-n-crafts, and "sent" postcards to other people at Quest.

Ellie, Anna, and a bumblebee

As the day went on, Alex and I kept delaying out departure more and more. By 9pm, we had decided to just wake up early and drive back before class started. The drive was only about 1.5 hours so it wouldn't be too bad.

So, we woke up at 4am, and then rolled back over. Then we woke up at 5am, and hit the road. We made it to class on time, but we were EXHAUSTED!

I can't wait for the next one!
Apes

International Thanksgiving

Whelp, it's almost Thanksgiving back in the states. This year, I am gone again.

But have no fear - INTERNATIONAL THANKSGIVING IS HERE!

Saturday before Thanksgiving my French housemates and I decided to host a Thanksgiving. They had never had one before, and I of course wanted my favorite dishes. Earlier in the week I had invited some friends, and Friday I even found a place to order a turkey - hot and fresh, ready to be picked up!

So Saturday AM I picked up the turkey, made my favorite holiday dishes, and set up our terrace for the guests coming over. We started eating around 7pm, and had almost all the holiday dishes that I had at home, and a mix of others:

Turkey
Mashed Potatoes (made by my housemate)
Stuffing (Made by the other American at dinner)
Breaded Cauliflower (Mislan recipe)
Layered Salad (Mislan recipe)
Cranberry Sauce
Vegetables (carrots/cucumbers brought by a guest)
Duck
Rice
Greek Salad
Wine (brought by the French, of course)
Crepes (for dessert)


The guests were from all over:
America
Canada
England
Australia
South Africa
France
Vietnam
Germany
Ukraine

Some of the guests hadn't even had turkey before, so they definitely enjoyed our holiday.

Happy Thanksgiving!
Apes

Facebook is Gone!

That's right. I have gotten rid of Facebook...for now.

Halloween night I went out with some friends, and had a great time. I dressed up as a Minion and went hopping around town. I had some friends coming through town, and a group of us took our party around the city. I got home around 2am and the first thing I did was get on Facebook.

While I was browsing newsfeed I thought to myself "I just spent a great night out with REAL people, why do I need to look at a computer of people in other parts of the world?" Well, I don't need to. So, I deleted my account. I decided to keep it like that for the month, and sign back on it come December.

When I woke up, I had a feeling of freedom. The first thing I did in the morning was NOT get on the computer. I made breakfast, watched some TV, had a friend stop by for some catching up and then met up with a group of friends for dinner. No facebook at all. And no desire to check it either.

It's not the end of November, and the time I was giving myself to be FB FREE is about over. I don't think I'll get back on it just yet, as it's been pretty good without it. I've been meeting up with different friends, not distracted at work, or even when doing projects at home. It hasn't really affected my social life as people said it would. Those who need to reach me from afar and gotten to me via email, and those here in Vietnam who want to make plans reach me by texting or calling. REAL CONTACT!

Let's see when I'm readying to make the jump back into the online world...
Apes

Back in 'Nam

After my month long holiday in Australia, it was time to get settled back in Hanoi.

It was a strange feeling coming back. Some people had left the city and moved on, the girls in my apartment lived in new places, and new people had arrived. I knew while I was gone things wouldn't stand still, but I didn't realize how different I would feel coming back. 

The most pressing issue was a new place. The lease on my old AMAZING apartment ended as I left for Holiday, so I needed a new place to live. Luckily, within 24 hours, I found one! I moved into a house with 2 Frenchmen, close to where I lived before. 

The first couple weeks was hard to re-adjust: everyone had their own schedules and I needed to adjust to it. People had seperated into new "friend groups" and I needed to figure out where I fit in again. It was a hard adjustment, as I just didn't feel as connected to the people I had been hanging out with before I left. So, I expanded my circle and started meeting up with different people. Weeks later, I felt much more comfortable with the group of people I choose to spend time with, and the "before Holiday friends" I still see out and about.

All settled back!

- April 

Morning Coffee

Oh, hello there! Haven't see ya in a while. Let's catch up over some coffee, eh?

First, let me set the mood: A cup of fresh brewed Vietnamese coffee, a gorgeous view of Hanoi from my 16th floor apartment, and Ben Howard playing a soundtrack in the background. Everyone is gone from my apartment, and it's the perfect vibe for catching up.

View of Hanoi, and coffee out of a KFC cup

So let's see, what do people usually want to know when I talk to them?

How is work?
Work is great. I've just finished my first FULL 10 week term. Terms are 5 weeks (20 hours a week), but I taught a 10 week term (10 hours a week), as well as an 8 week Summer Program (12 hours a week). So I have OFFICIALLY (as of this week) finished both classes. My adult class was amazing. They were SUCH great students, and I LOVED teaching them. For our last class, after the exam, they took me out to dinner and then to a coffee shop. I really enjoyed myself; they ordered snails (which I have heard were amazing), and taught me how to eat Vietnamese food CORRECTLY. The coffee shop (after dinner) was right next to the palace, and one of my students had been going there for 12 years!

My last class with my adults.

My summer school students (12 - 14 years old) have their end of summer gala tomorrow. So, officially our last class was on Wednesday. After their final exam, we had a party. We watched movies, and snacked on cookies, crisps, and marshmellows. Today is the dress rehearsal, and tomorrow is the Gala! Their work will be displayed, and each class will perform on stage for their families. My students (the lowest level in the summer school) have put together a "Top Chef" skit for their families. They are excited, and I hope it turns out great!

Some of my Summer School kids

My new schedule starts on Monday, I will teach 2 different adult classes, and then starting mid-August I will teach an additonal 2 more classes - 2 kids classes on Sundays. Yes, working on the weekend!!! AHHH, UNHEARD OF! But - it's only for 5 weeks, and then I will have made some extra cash for my September holiday to Australia (more about that later).

BUT - I do have a new title at work, AND I just got a raise! Yes, I am officially the "Social Events Coordinator", so of course I am stoked. I am in charge of after work get togethers, alerting the staff when people are leaving, and just keeping everyone up to date on the happenings in Hanoi. This week is our second event - a goodbye happy hour for those leaving after this term.

And a raise! YUP - after 10 weeks, I've already gotten a raise. Well, EVERYONE at the school got a raise - $1/hour. Doesn't seem like much - but it's essentially $4-$6 a day since we get paid per hour. That means I can afford an extra 4 beers at a bia hoi for each hour I'm working!

How are your housemates?
AWESOME! I have DEF lucked out in the housemate department.

The German (Katharina) and I have gone out a LOT together, and done fun things outside of parties as well. We even went horseback riding a few weeks ago!

Sunset Horseback Riding

One of my South African housemates (Hannah) had a birthday a few weeks ago, so we all went to Halong Bay to celebrate. It's a natural wonder of the world, and it was my second time going. The group on the boat was AWESOME and helped us celebrate it perfectly. Even the rain held out till it was time to go to bed. The next morning, we had a new group of people join us for the way back - and they were great fun as well. We ended up seeing them again during the week at the free beer spot, and a few ended up at our party on Saturday! Hopefully, I'll get to see them again in Bangkok when I'm there for my VISA run.

Halong Bay

How's the social life?
Well, now that I've been here for 2 months, it's gotten a LOT better! I've finally gotten away from the backpacker area and go to the local spots. Last month I was waking up at 2am to watch the world cup games (I even had a USA jersey to wear!) with other foreigners. It was a great run for the US - but I am HAPPY to have my morning sleep back!

Germany vs. USA

USA World Cup friends!

A bunch of my friends I've made from traveling have wandered through Hanoi so it's been great to be able to catch up with them in a new spot: Allison from Korea, Ryan from the Philippines, Derrick from Myanmar, and etc.

We had our first apartment party last weekend and it went GREAT! It was during a "typhoon" so the turnout wasn't as big as we had planned, but we still had a great showing. The housemates and I made snacks, and punch, played sweet music, and set up beer pong for those who came. After a few hours, we ended up at a bar and then brought tons of bar people back to party till 10am. Everyone told us they had a great time, and can't wait for the next one we have. Luckily, the maid came the next day and took care of the cleanup.

Apt. 1601 at our first job as hosts!

This weekend I am going to the waterpark with an Irish girl I met last weekend and then I am going to what is called "Piknik" on Sunday with a girl from work. It's an outdoor afternoon gathering, and once the sun goes down, the fire shows start!

Everyone here is very artsy - I've been to open mic nights, backyard fire show parties, DJ performances, etc. If there was ever a place to get your "artsy" on - this is the place!

OH! And the best part?? I got WHEELS! That's right, I got myself a motorbike, a dark Blue Yamaha Nuovo and named him "FREEEEEEDOM!!!" Yes, it's awfully American of me. Now I can zip around like a local and it is GREAT! I can get myself to and from work, and to and from Big C (similar to Wal-Mart) without getting lost. I can also ALMOST get to and from Bar Betta (Free beer bar) and Chicken Street (best chicken EVER) - but to get to those places I need a co-pilot.

Me and FREEDOMMMM!!!!

How's the love life?
Well, I ALWAYS get this question and honestly, Hanoi is NOT the place to meet single men you want to date. The single guys are all backpackers, and the "my age" guys are all in "live together" relationships or are already married. That means they don't go out too much, and the ones that do are usually gay. So, it's a tough place to get a romance going. But - I can see why. The pay is great, the lifestyle is easy, and if you are a travelling couple, this is a great place to settle. Most people at my school have been there a while, and don't plan on leaving any time soon.

So you haven't met anyone?
Ok, so I didn't say THAT. I just said it was hard! But - I have met someone that I enjoy spending enough time with that even after he left, we decided to stay in touch and I will be heading off to visit him in September. Yes, I am off to a new country - AUSTRALIA - to visit an Aussie I met about a month and a half ago. He lives in Melbourne, and his friends remind me of my friends back home (but not AS awesome as my crew). He's taking me around to see some of the big sites, and I am stoked! I've always wanted to go to Australia, and being able to be there with someone I am keen on is just icing on the cake. So, I'm sure I will have a blast while I am there. BUT - I also get to catch up with my other aussie's I've met while traveling: Jacinta in Perth, Matt, Sam, and Julie in Brisbane, and possibly even Kyrstee and Matt in Victoria! It will be just like when I went to Europe and got to see my traveling buddies over there!

So, what's the next plan?
NO IDEA! It looks like I'll stay in Vietnam longer than I intended, probably through the new year, maybe even a little longer. My plans are always changing, but that's the best part of my life....I can do whatever I want, and go wherever I like. I'm never tied down to one spot and can just go where life takes me. So....the next spot is still up in the air (although I am still HIGHLY biased on being back in Europe).

Well, my coffee is empty and that means it's time to head off to work for Gala Rehearsal. 

Have a great Friday (or Thursday night, if that's the time zone you're in) and I'll work on being better at keeping you up to date on my life here in Hanoi. 

Chao,

Apes :)

Life in Hanoi.

Yup - that's right. I've settled into a new place, with a new gig. But this time - I live in a BIG CITY! I live in Hanoi, Vietnam. Life is pretty different than a small town (as you'd expect).

Housing: instead of a single room flat, I live in a 3 bedroom apartment in a high rise building. I'm on the 16th floor, and I share the apartment with 3 other girls.
Katharina - German
Hannah - South African
Ricki Leigh - South African
I share my bathroom with Katharina, and Hannah and Ricki share the master bedroom (and have their own bathroom).

Work: instead of having to go to work form 9am - 4pm, I now only go to school when I am teaching. That's right, NO "office hours" for me!!! So here's my current schedule:
Monday: 1:15pm - 5:30pm, 6:15pm-8:15pm
Tuesday: 6:15-8:15pm
Wedneday: 1:15pm - 5:30pm, 6:15pm-8:15pm
Friday: 1:15pm-5:30pm
Wait, there's no Thursday listed, is there? That's right - it's because I HAVE THURSDAYS OFF WORK! And what's really nice about my school is that every 5 weeks it's a new semester. So in 5 weeks, I can ask for more OR less hours and get a whole new schedule of classes and students.

Shopping: instead of a market every few days - there's STORES and STORES and STORES!! The problem is, I just have to figure out where they all are!

So here I am, living in a sweet multinational apartment, which a sweet gig. I'm slowly making friends and I think I'll end up being here longer than September (which was my original plan).

Xin chào,
Apes :)

K.I.T. they say.

I started travelling for a living a little over 3 years ago. When I started, I was still in VERY good contact with my American world. I chatted on a regular basis with my buddies, besties, and family members back home. Heck, I even knew how to call out on a non-smart Thai phone. I mean, it was ALMOST like I hadn't left. ALMOST.

But now, after almost 3.5 years, 20 countries, and 2 visits home later - everything is different. My "besties" are engaged? Good thing facebook told me. Pregnant? Gave birth? Thanks FB - I wouldn't have known without you. Oh I mean yeah, I could Skype - but I've learned that the Skype program is just a waste of computer memory...no one really uses it to skype you after your first year gone. Oh I mean I hear all the time "let's skype" but let's be realistic - that's turned into the bad date "I'll call ya..." phrase. I don't even hold my breath for skype chats anymore. And the "I miss you?" that's even worse. My winter coat could magically come to life, type out an "I miss you" and it would come with about the same feeling as if a live person typed it; I miss ya, but not enough to try to arrange a way to catch up.

It's funny - when you leave, (and I've said it before), it's a quick way to "trim the fat". But honestly - once all the immediate fat is trimmed, what's left to trim? Apparently you are. You are trimmed from any sort of information or contact unless it's via facebook. Trying to constantly get in touch with people you thought were your best friends and not having it happens, SUCKS. Yeah I get that it's harder that I'm gone - and everyone is growing up. And yeah, I get that "life happens" - but when you are CONSTANTLY on your smart phones (as it has become everyone's extra limb) what would it hurt to send an email? How about a quick - "hey I really do wanna get in touch, but life is crazy right now. Here's what's going on with me". I mean honestly, who DOESN'T like talking about themselves? I mean, an email to brag about anything great happening, or to vent to someone about whatever is pissing you off? It really can't get much better.

Granted, yes, I am not as good about it as I was 3 years ago - but it's not like I've given up trying to keep in touch with people. Well, actually, I have. I've decided I don't really care about getting in touch with people that can't spend 2 minutes trying to catch up with me. I'm not asking for an everyday talk - but a little note to know people still want to know I'm alive would go a long way. Especially in a foreign country. Who cares that it's not my first stint abroad? Doesn't mean I want to be left out in the cold from anything happening in friends/families lives.

With the exception of a small chat I had with a friend from home 2 weeks ago - I can't really say I've heard from anyone from my "American life". Can't say I haven't tried - because I have. But, I guess that's what happens. Friendship is a 2 way street. Eventually I get tired of going down the 1 way street hoping something will come the other way.

I guess once you trim the fat - everyone else trims you. So much for "K.I.T."

- Apes

Holiday - Part 2 (Full Moon Party)

Once on the overnight bus to Koh Phangnan, we girls made friends (of course). We arrrived at the port the following morning, and then ferried over to the island. We got settled in a cute Bungalow on a private beach - about a 15 minute walk to the full moon beach (Hat Rin). We headed into town for some food, full moon shopping, and exploring. There was still some sun, so we spent some time at the beach laying around and enjoying the water.

Then it was back to the Bungalow to get ready for a night out. We met our neighbors, and then we went back to the beach for the pre-full moon party, which we stayed at till the early morning.

Wednesday - THE DAY OF THE FULL MOON!!! We started off the day with some beach time, and laid on the sand for HOURS. Then we headed back to get ready for the main event. The reason so many tourists flock to the island - THE FULL MOON PARTY! We got ready, and then the neighbors came over and we all got our bodies painted up. We have a few drinks, took some photos, then made our way to the beach. Once at the beach, we had to pay to get on the sand. This was DEF a change from the last full moon party I had been to. But, once on the beach we set up shop! We headed to our bucket man from the night before (Leo) and grabbed some buckets to start off with. Then we met a few groups of people and hung out with them for a while. We headed to the other end of the beach, and ran into some of the guys from the bus. Then, I met a group of British guys and gals, and we headed up to Mellow Mountain. We ended up dancing there (we had met the DJ earlier, in the tuk tuk) and once I realized the sun would be up soon, we headed back down to the beach to dance on the beach stages. Once back on the beach, we stage hopped, and before I knew it, the sun was coming up! MY FAVORITE PART OF THE PARTY! Once the sun is up, I love to see the people that are still up and partying. The stages were still full of people, the "humiliation area" was full of people who passed out early, and tons of people were still hanging out on the sand. I ended up seeing all my mates from Bangkok once the sun came up, and then I danced on the stage with an Aussie while the British group jumped the fire rope.

...and THEN, the BACKYARD PARTY! At about 7am, we headed off the beach, and a few of us headed up into the mountain for the next party. It's usually the best part of the party scene on the island, but this year it was a little disappointing. We stayed about 30 minutes, and when it didn't pick up - we know it was time to head back. On the walk back through the beach, the stages were still full, and the buckets were still being mixed up. As I walked home, I ran into one of my neighbors, and we walked back together. Once back at my bungalow, I passed right out, HARD!

The following day was just spent relaxing and we didn't make it out of the bungalow until dinnertime, where we went back into town and then watched some of the fire shows on the beach before heading to bed. We were out early the next morning for our next destinations.

Sawasdee Kha,
Apes