Crochet HandPhone Cover

As per my Cousin's request, I've made this for her.

Crochet shawl

This is actually the very first thing taught in the class, but I took a long time to finish it, its altogether 6 balls of yarn, I took about 1 month to complete, haha not too hard working actually..........

My First Crochet Baby Shoes

Just finished the baby shoes last friday. Not well done but so happy that i completed.

Good & Bad

To do things with intention of bringing benefit to others is good, to do things to benefit ourselves is bad.

When goodness springs from within the roof of the heart, it is real goodness. When we do good just because others are doing so, it is false.

When we do good without expecting anyting in return, it is considered real goodness. When we pratice good deeds for some purpose other than to benefit others, it is false.

My First Knitting Project

Joined the Knitting and Crochet class conducted at the Community Center near my place. This is my first Knitting Project. A hat and scarf. Not very well done but at least i learn how to use the knitting needle. hehe.

Pig News Update

Remember about my sister's pig? Its finally washed, fresh and clean..........hehehe

Tots of New Generation

Was reading a youngster's blog and got saw some new answer to old question. I find it amazing...youngster nowsday, i duno to applause or to feel sad... haha.

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my parents' happiness versus mine... id take mine anyday.. call me selfish

u may say my life belongs to my parents casue they gave birth to me.. yes and if they wud wana kill me, they wud have done it b4 im born.. so wad can they do now, kill me??

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Trip to Ho Chi Minh - Day 4 - Upset Day

We woke up early to have breakfast then pack up our things.

We set off from our hotel at 8am as our flight is 10.35am.

When we first arrive the airport, we went to the nearest counter to pay our airport tax. Its USD14. We are allow to pay in Vietnam Don and they can pay us the remainder in USD. Since I have more then VN900,000, i decided to pay in VN and change the rest to USD despite the low rate. When i take out all the VN, the ladies over the counter keep pestering me to pass her all the money, she will count and convert for me.

She wore a pair of spect, look very decent and i trust that pple working in the airport should be honest as they represent the image of the country. Never I expected they are as corrupted. I stupidly passed all my vietnam currencies to her and she quickly take it over and count at the desk behind the counter. The counter is too high that its not possible for me to view the counting. She then place 2 stack of notes, one for payment of the tax, the other is the remainding. The remainding is only miserable stack of notes which she converted into USD10! I was stunned upon seeing the miserable USD10.

I told her I have more then that but she keep insisting that was all I gave. I asked for her name but she said " I can't give you, what for?", I told her I will go back and count my money and see if the money is correct. She then asked me how much did I give her, all I gave her is that amount.....etc, i dun wan to argue with her as i am standing in her land, I looked at her bage, her name is NG THO THI HUONG. She swollowed my VN500,000. Its alot of money and I am very sadden by this incident. She is not worth my money. I rather give it to the tour guide for him to buy more books, eat a few KFC (he love KFC but to him its expensive).

Despite the good image that tour guide is giving us, she ruin it totally! She devasted the good impression I have for the country. Just one particular person at the Airport destroyed everyting!

Anyone going Vietnam, take note of it, tell and warn your friends and families. Don't ever change the currency at the tax paying counter. There is money changer inside the airport after checking in, offering better rate!!

Trip to Ho Chi Minh - Day 3

Met the Tour Guide at 8am at our hotel lobby. Today the tour is only 2 of us.

We went to Cuchi Tunnel, which is 22 miles Northwest of the city, approximately 2 hours by coach. Cuchi Tunnel is famous for its network of underground tunnels 200km long and 12m deep, created by the Viet Congs (vietnamese soldiers) during war.

They showed us a opening of the tunnel, it is so small, the tour guide keep asking me to jump in to take picture, i refused cause i scared i will be stucked and how am i going to get out......


Then we come to a place where they demo how to make rice paper, the basic food during war time. The tour guide take one for us and one for himself, he love it.


We walk further on, they showed us the trap that they set inside the tunnel incase some intruder went in, all the spikes etc. Also how they make the weapons etc. We come to an opening of a tunnel, its bigger, especially for tourist to try. From the surface its only a 5 sec walk, but under the tunnel its seems so long. The tunnel is very narrow and low, we got to walk with our body bend, its so dark that u hardly can see, luckily our tour guide lent me a mini keychain torch...by the time we come out of the tunnel, we are perspiraring and tired.

There is a longer tunnel for tourist to try but no thanks..... so we proceed to a hut, a resting place, where they served us some tea and steam tapioca.


We chatted with the tour guide while resting. He spoke quite good English and he is taking BA in English language. He already had his degree in tourism. He is not from rich family hence he is earning while studying so he worked almost 7 days a week because during the off peak time, around May and June, he will have no work and no income. Then he will go back to his campus to study more. He is very upright and hardworking man.

After the rest, we go to a resturant for our Vietnamese lunch buffet.

After lunch, we proceed to City tour. We first went to the old Saigon Post Ofice.



Opposite the Post Office, its the Notre Dame Cathedral. It is said that the statue was found crying one day and therefore alot of pple come to this church. Unfortunately its close when we are there. They have masses for the foreigner every sunday morning.


Then the tour guide decided to bring us to the Chinatown and showed us the oldest temple. Thien Hau temple built by Chinese emigrants in 8th century. There is a lot of craving on the roof of the temple which make it very unique.

We visited the American War Musemum, there are lots of pictures taken during the US war and weapon, aircraft and tanks used. The tour guide gave us an hour, and we finished within 1/2 hour.

Its time to set off to our hotel, we asked the driver to drop us at Parkson for some shopping. We shop for a while and took a cab back not knowing its just arnd the corner. We rested for a while and then set off for more shopping.

Crossing the road is a challenge, there are alot of motorbike on the road, and there isn't much traffic lights and alot dun follow the rule. I once asked the tour guide how to cross the road, he said, just close your eyes and walk...... we are so stressed while crossing. Thank goodness we are still in one pcs.

We go the the shop opposite our hotel, also a nice place to shop but prices is abit higher then the Ben Thanh Market. But at least its air condition and there is a bigger supermarket.

After shopping, we drop our bags at the hotel and set off to find some food. We look at the traffic, terrible, scary haha, more bike then evening, horning and speeding, we walk around our hotel trying to find some nice food, finally, we are ended at the Ben Thanh Market. The market is close but the stalls outside the market was set up, there are food stalls and stalls selling bags, shoes, clothes etc. We ordered a noodle, fish, rice paper wrap, 2 coconut drink, cram soup, toufu and it cost us only VN167,000 which is about S$18.40.

We are too tired to bargain so no more shopping, go thru the stressful road and went back to hotel to rest...

Trip to Ho Chi Minh - Day 2

After breakfast, meet the tour guide at 7.45am their time. They r one hour behind us. We are going to the Mekong Delta today.

The traffic is very heavy, due to the Liberation day, Labour day and one extra off day, alot of people is going back to their home town from HCM. The tour guide said that the journey normally take about 2hrs but we are taking 3hrs.

A Japanese couple join us to Mekong Delta. When we reached its drizzling. We boarded the boat and each of us have a coconut.


We cruise along Mekong River. Saw the Fisherman trading their fish...

...and fish farm


Then we come to one of their village, the bee farm. We are served with honey tea and peanuts. Our tour guide pour some honey, squeeze a "kam kua", then pour in tea for us. He also pour honey inside the squeezed "kam kua" and asked us to it. It is sour, bitter and sweet.

Then we proceed to another resting place. There we are served with fruits, papaya, water melon, dragon fruits and pineapple. There are women and little girls singing the songs.


Then we have a walk in the garden, saw many fruit trees.


We come to the bank of the stream, we took the boat and cruise around the stream.


We reached Mekong River again and we stop by a slanted stairway, it lead us to a coconut candy making factory. As it is raining and the stairs are slippery, moreover its a 2 way traffic, there are pple going up and pple going down.....no hand rail to hold........ scary, adventure....


At the coconut candy factory, we saw how they make the candy.


After the tour, we have to take that thrilling staircase down again, back to the mainland and had our lunch. The lunch is Elephant Ear Fish wrapped with rice paper and vege, Prawn, pork and Fish balls with sticky rice. We got to know that the Jap couple came for honeymood and my sis treat them to the beer.

After lunch, we set off to HCM city. Bid goodbye to the couple at their hotel and then we are back to our hotel. We rested for a while and then set off for some shopping, my sis slipper give way so no choice.

We asked the receptionist and she directed us to Ben Thanh Market. It closed at 6pm and we have about 2hours. There are lots of shoes, bags, foods etc. Just like china town but a more croweded one. U got to bargain for everyting u buy. Bought some bags and shoes from there, too much things to see, we got abit blur. The market is so hot that we are shoaked with sweat.

After shopping , went back to hotel, freshen up, my sis collegue come to fetch us for dinner. He brought us to a French buffet at Sofitel Hotel. Nice dinner. He sent us back around 10pm.

Trip to Ho Chi Minh - Day 1

29th April 2006, Saturday
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My Sis and me set off to airport at 12noon. Our flight is 2.35pm Via Vietnam airline VN740.

When we reach, there is a long Q and checked in counter is not open yet, so we decided to have our lunch first. After our lunch, we went to Q again. We are advised that the flight is delayed upon checking in, it is departing at 13.35pm. The flight was then further delayed till 17.35pm and we are given S$15 food vocher at the food center upstair.

Finally went in the gate and was advised that there is a change of aircraft and hence the siting is not valid, it will be free seating......very unhappy about it, everyone is crowding at the gate prepared to rush in and grab the good seating. We are initially assigned the window seat, now we are only manage to sit at the back middle row, crap.

Arrived HCM around 19.35pm, but when we step out of the plane, we are trapped inside the passage way, not sure why the airport gate is not open, was delayed for about 15min. Clear the customs etc, we are out of the airport around 8pm, saw our tour guide holding my name, he is so happy to see us, cause they had waited for very long, imagine we are suppose to reach around 16.35pm but we arrived 4 hours later.

We are supposed to check in the hotel and go for Dinner cum magic show, but due to the delay, there is no more magic show, they sent us directly for dinner.

The dinner is at a nice place beside a river, but its too dark to see anything outside when we arrived. The cusine is kind of cute, mixture of vietnamese food and western food, not fantastic but nice enough.



After food, we proceed to our hotel, check-in and rest.

Some interestings sight in Ho Chi Minh

Despite the unhappy incident at the airport, Vietnam is an interesting place to visit. There are many interesting sight.

As many can't afford a car there, their main transportation is Motor Bike. You can see 3-4 people squeeze on to a bike and they dun wear hamlet.

You can also see them carry things like sewing machine etc. The most impressive is a man carrying a fridge at the back of his bike. The fridge is leaning against his back, tied with a string to the bike, the man is raising up one of his hand to hold the string, he is riding only with one hand.....amazing.

The street is full of bikes.

Some traffic lights are not the sign of man but a cross.

Their private house is always tall and slim, 3 stories but very slim.

We experience blackout twice, one during the dinner, one during breakfast in the hotel, luckily it dun happen during shower, so I sugguest gals bring touch to bath rooms haha.