The idea of the author/main character taking a whole year off is so appealing that this book cannot fail. I would just read it for the sake of indulging in the dream of taking and affording a whole year off. Nevertheless, her writing is so sincere and simple that you feel as if it is your friend sharing her amazing experiences with you.
Even as I was reading it, I was thinking of my own dream year. If only I also had a publisher who would give me the money to do so, but it would be so copycat that the book will not sell now. I do suspect that the reason this book is so popular is that almost every female reader wished that they could do the same and get the same result of a love at the end of this fairy tale year.
So what would I do? 3 months in Barcelona to learn Spanish, 6 months to cover Latin America, 3 months in some pacific island to do diving and draw/paint/write. Of course it does not have that higher purpose that she had.. to learn to love herself after depression, divorce and affair, to grow spiritually and to find some balance for a sustainable life after the year. This is pure indulgence!
This book has also triggered my desire to do the meditation course/retreat. It reminds me that I once thought about doing it but did not have the determination nor the right state of mind. So I am now planning to do the 10-day course in end May.
HCMC National Library. Every major city has it's well loved library and HCMC is no exception. Also known as the General Science Library, it's the work of 2 notable architects - Nguyen Huu Thien and Bui Quang Hanh.
A tower block of 43 metres sits upon a horizontal block, creating a nice composition. The main public horizontal block has a double skin, where the unique "pare soleil" of sun shading panels are inspired by traditional Vietnamese ornamentations.
Clear contemporary, clean lines of the late 60s are articulated in most of the spaces including the front porch and tower block, and a sweeping circular grand staircase stands in the front lobby.
This space is also infused with memories, where generations of students have spent their time studying, reading, chatting, falling in love. So loved is this building that many a wedding couple are spotted taking their photos here.
I think it is any architects' dream to do a palace, but it must be quite exhausting to have to think of how to decorate so many rooms and he (paris-trained Vietnamese architect Ngo Viet Thu) hit upon the idea of colour theming each. So there is the gold room, the red room, the green room..etc
I especially like the facade with its' modern decorative "sun shading devices". I also like the circular sofas in the "cinema" room and all the fascinating retro stuff including the circular dial telephones.
The shop carries the works of 5 designers - furniture, lacquerware, linen, fashion etc. It's interesting to browse and I would probably buy something if it was within my range.
I really like 60s architecture. It is modern yet there are all these decorative elements that are angular or geometric. This reminds me that I really like my geometry in maths class when I was young.
I am also "retro" when I dress. circular prints, candy colours (though towards green, brownish, orange colours). So maybe I'm kind of struck and nostalgic but why this period?
Anyway, both of these are in my must see list for my visitors..speaking of which I should be updating the list as there has been so many changes in shops and restaurants location.
Reunification Palace or Independence Palace
35
Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street,
Q1 T: 39693272.
Daily
0730-1100, 1300-1600
Gaya
1 Nguyen Van Trang St, Q1, at junction of Le Lai, www.gayavietnam.com
Galerie Quynh has put up the year end show - Olio, featuring 8 artists. I especially like works by Do Hoang Tuong (solitary figures with a tiny bird- photo 1), for his strong message of modern life and it's loss of freedom.
I also picked up the exhibition catalogue of his 12 women series by the same gallery, and found the same energy expressed. What was interesting was the installation pictures that could be found on the website, where you see the series layed out, an unfounding series of frozen states of emotions using colours, posturing and objects/animals. I felt some were quite violent, while others have this calmness after the violence effect. It would most certainly have been better experiencing the whole series in one space.
For good balance, I picked up another artist exhibition catalogue - Blue Skies and Fairy Tales by Tran Van Thao. His child like, abstract renderings of pastel range was comforting after those intense emotions. Sadly his 2 pieces in this exhibition did not impress me though. Maybe cos it seems like a work in progress, not quite done, and i especially did not like a white patch on one of the pieces (photo 4).
Just a note about the gallery and it's surrounds. I haven't been to this part of De Tham, and it is a very local area, away from the backpackers' area. I took a walk after visiting the gallery and went through the local market which is likely to be "cleaned up" soon as it is one of the new development sites (still in planning and compensation stages).
Galerie Quynh
65
De Tham, D1, HCMC. T: +84-(0)8-3836 8019. www.galeriequynh.com
This is an impressive sight, once you have climbed about 1000!?steps up to stand on the shoulder of this statue. Measuring 32 m high, 18.3 m wide atop the 170m Nho Mount.
You can take a hydrofoil from the ferry terminal just opposite Majestic Hotel and the 1-2 hour journey will take you to the Frank Gehry inspired ferry terminal in Vung Tau. Once there, you will not miss the imposing Rio-inspired Statue of Jesus.
We took the car as there were 6 of us (my sister, her 3 kids, let and me) and we were going to various places as a day trip out of HCMC.
This is a first time effort by my friend Kiat and his girlfriend for an illustrated story book. This book is now available in the bookstores in Singapore.
When I first read this story in their website - http://www.beanbagbeanpaste.com, I was very intrigued by this story of loss. I must admit that I like melancholy. This is very sad because the main character is a girl dealing with loss at a young age.
I like the colour pencil drawings (done mostly by Cheryl Heng) though was a little disappointed to find out that it was not bilingual (English and Japanese) as in the website draft copy. I felt that most people who know a little Japanese would be able to read both versions and that it would appeal to anime fans. Nevertheless, Kiat is now trying to find a Japanese publisher and that in the next run after this batch of 10,000, they would incorporate the Japanese version into the main book making it bilingual.
For those who like to read the japanese version, it is still available on the webite. The team is now working on the next book - Orine's Sound Canvas.
It is not a book like My Purpose in Life or any of those self help books. This is a collection of stories from real people that he interviewed, connected and in some cases became friends with. It's got an anthology feel to it, documenting modern lifes of this age.
I have not finished the whole book, and have been reading different stories randomly.
Good read, especially since most of us have tried to ask this question ourselves.
There are various constructions going on and most of them are large developments. This one is called Happiness Square and it is located in District 5, the Chinatown. It is developed by a Vietnamese group with investors from Taiwan and other overseas chinese. I am not too sure if my information is correct, since i have not yet found a way to verify information here.
A podium block of retail and 2 towers both looking like office.
The quality of the construction looks good and the design decent.
I feel that this year is my reunion year. And the best part is that I get to fly to other parts to meet up with old friends.
The main people are my canoe mates from JC, accidental ones are other friends who made this trip more memorable.
arrived 2 days ago, on a early morning flight from saigon via hong kong. I had overslept n nearly missed my flight if not for the slow service of the check in counter. after a 16hr flight on ua, I arrived in a nice historic hotel . I can't believe that i'm in america, somehow the scenes on the way looks familiar but unreal to me. it resembles all the 'sunny california' images, traditional american dream houses etc I almost wanted to touch and feel to make sure it's real! it's wood...
(i don't have my first batch of photos with me yet..please be patient)
it's not a relevant picture, but at least it is california...
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Recent Comments
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laisan said:
Hi DavidSometimes it is good to play tourist to discover another side of Vietnam. You also have to experience the... read more
on Playing Tourist - Reunification Palace, Gaya Lifestyle Shop -
hcmc david said:
[this is good]hi, david from LivingInSaigonVietnam.Blogspot.com hereNice photos. I've been in Saigon for eight years and haven't been to the reunification palace... read more
on Playing Tourist - Reunification Palace, Gaya Lifestyle Shop -
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