"wtf am I doing here?"

"wtf am I doing here?" Not that the money is good or the place is interesting or there is some pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Yeah sure I get my allowance - nothing to shout about but good enuf to have something extra for the family. I get to visit some interesting places but no Disneyland or Universal Studio. The best this place can offer me are the beautiful lakes and old historical buildings. So I get a kick out of taking pictures, clicking away during my weekends. After a while it gets kinda dry. So what is left? Well, the work assignment and the new found colleagues.

Here is the scenerio. Everyone just could not wait for you to come and work with them. In the begining. there are alot of sharing and teamwork going on. You spent long hours solving problems together with the team, staying back late, working over the weekends, getting new people into the team, even during your lunches and dinners the topic of discussions are abt the work and writing reports after reports to the management back home abt how things are moving here. Suddently when things are smooth, you feel like you are not wanted anymore. You are a stranger to the team that you builded. Any information that you need are not accessible. You are no longer involved in meetings or discussions. In short - you no longer exist. You informed your management back home of the situation and yet they still want you to be here bcos of you company's interest in the project. When you're here, you can't get things done. Little by little, frustration sips in. Everyday going into the office is like a drag. You are force to smile and look happy. The moment you step in, you just can't wait for lunch time. And lunch nowdays are very quiet and very fast. The only companion you have is your MP3 with 200+ songs. After lunch, you just wait for the end of office hours. Day in day out same routine.

So the question "wtf am I doing here?"

Experience at Noi Bai Airport

After 1 week 'break' in KL, celebrating Chinese New Year, I'm now back in Hanoi. Boy, my 1 week in KL passes by so fast. Managed to drive down to my hometown to see my sister and her family, my aunties, my uncles, cousins some whom I have not see for the past 10 years. I normally goes back to my hometown on the 1st Day of CNY and stayed overnight. But this year, I went back on the 2nd Day and I met them. Well 1 thing didn't changed all these years during CNY..the weather. It is damn HOT. Anyway, this is not what I wanted to say. I wanted to share my experience today at Noi Bai Airport. After I walked thru the custom and out of the airport, looking for taxi, I was approached by a tall, decent looking man. He asked me if I'm looking for a taxi. Well, actually yes but I told him no. And he can see thru my little 'white' lie. Anyway, I just ignored him but he keep following me and 1 thing leads to another, suddently I realised my luggage is with him! I tried to get it back from him but he walked very fast and keep telling me no problem, he can take me to where I wanted to go. And he keeps on saying "Noi Bai Taxi". As he walked into the car park, with me tailing him, I know something was wrong. Finally we reached to a car and his partner was there waiting. Before he can put my luggage into the trunk, I managed to hold on to it and asked him for the fare. Well, I have aldy walk so far..what the heck. He told me 350,000VND which I knw is a rip off. The normal fare is around 260,00VND to 290,000VND. But does matter, I agreed to the fare. I told him to take me to my hotel and along the way, he tried to get to knw me. But I'm not interested to tell him what I'm doing in Hanoi or my plans are for this trip. After a while, I think he gets the message, so he kept quiet. I was worried they might take me somewhere else but throughout the journey, I noticed familiar landmarks, so I was abit relief. We finally reached the hotel and I wanted to pay him the agreed fare and guess what, the driver asked for 500,000VND! I was shocked. I told him no, we have agreed on 350,000VND. The guy who practically dragged my luggage say that "oh, we go toll and pay toll" I told him no..you did not pay for the toll and furthermore the toll fare if have to pay is only 20,000VND. I insisted on paying only 350,000VND. After some "arguement", they speaking in Vietnamese and me in English, they finally took the money. So for those of you, who come to Hanoi, BE CAREFUL. Take the NOI BAI AIRPORT TAXI. They are parked just outside the airport. DO NOT ENTERTAIN THE TAXI TOOTERS AND HOLD ON TO YOUR LUGGAGE. Don't say I did not warned you.

Chuc Mung Nam Moi 2

Hello..finally I'm back in KL with my family. Ok as promised last night, here are the pictures that I managed to capture.

Transporting 'kum-kut'

Another transporter, following the first one above

"Kum-kut' nursery

Front view of 'kum-kut' transporter

Finally...in some mall or home

Last minute shopping

It is the time of the year again where everyone rushes to the shopping malls to do their last minute shopping, to buy goodies and get it all wrap up into hampers. Everyone is buying something for someone. Wine, cookies, coffee (the best coffee are in Hanoi), and get it all beautifully wrap up. My boss and I did our last minute shopping this afternoon. Well, actually his last minute shopping since he only flew in yesterday. Me, I just tagged along lah. We went to Vine Cellar Door in Xuan Dieu and he bought abt a dozen of diffferent types of wine. We then went to FiVi Market in Syrena, abt a km away to buy cookies, chocolates, coffee and get the customer service to help wrapped them up. She did a pretty good job. Well maybe bcos I helped, yeah. And the thing here is this, and let me do some promotion for FiVi Market, they are very helpful. Eventhough we had some language problem (vietnames - english), we managed to understand each other and get all the stuff wrapped up into 4 very beautiful hampers. We then went to deliver the hampers to the client on time - 5PM. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED. Well, tomolo is the last day of work before Tet and 9 days of holiday. Yes, you heard me right....9 days of holiday. Some of my colleagues have aldy gone home after lunch, some stayed on until 5PM and later in the evening travel back to their respective provinces. To my colleagues and the millions of those travelling back to celebrate Tet (including me...yeah flying back tomolo afternoon), have a safe trip. Njoy the festival with your love ones and come back to Hanoi safely ok. "Tam Biet"

Chuc Mung Nam Moi

"Chuc Mung Nam Moi" everyone. Another 2 more days. And it also falls on Valentine's Day. So double celebration ah. Oh for those who dun knw what 'Chuc Mung Nam Moi' means..it is "Gong Xi Fa Cai" in chinese, "Selamat Tahun Baru Cina" in malay. So in Vietnam, we greet each other 'Chuc Mung Nam Moi'. The festival mood started abt a week ago. Where I stay, near Westlake, I see moto-riders transporting 'kum' trees all over the place. There are small trees, big trees, some even transport not one but two or three tress in one go. Canot believe lei. And these are not the small one we normally see in supermarket which is abt 2ft high ok. This one is like 5ft high, together with the pot and earth, tie to the back seat of a 'kup-chai'. And with the bad traffic jam in Hanoi around this time of year, it is amazing to see these transporters deliver the 'kum' trees all over town. It's fun...if you're tailing one. You'll see the tree, not the rider and the small, orangie 'kum' bouncing at the pace of 'kup-chai' speed. Anyway, everyone here go slow, ard 30 ~ 40 km/h. Ok, I'll try to take some pictures of these transporters later. And along the streets around town, there are vendors selling more 'kum' trees, cheery bloosom branches and many other branches with colourful flowers. Apparently these branches comes from SAPA, a hilly area north of here. I was told this year, the flowers are not beautiful. The colour not very 'alive' and small. Normally, the weather around this time is cool, which is what the flower needs but somehow this year, it is hot around 22C. Winter this year is short! I wonder if it is bcos of me, here, in Hanoi that spoilt the weather. Better not say it aloud or else they will get the authorities to kick me out. Anyway, I can just admire the beauty of these flowers before I fly back for my holidays tomorrow. This is truely a wonderful experience for me eventhough I'm not a flower person. Ok will try to get some pictures by tomorrow.

"Chuc Mung Nam Moi" 2010 Vietnam..