Is having a serious conversation.

And all I can hear is Pee Vee Zee's theme song going on and on.
People are walking past, and I imagine lobbing winter melons at them.

A couple is coming towards me, I start to plan where to place a potato mine.

Oh, conversation partner notices I am not paying attention.

Smile and nod, that's right, smile and nod.

Quick, set up that wall nut!
(@BlackBerry)

Is obsessing over PeeVeeZee.

That's right, gentle readers.

P v Z or Plants Vs Zombies.

A little late perhaps, but you know I love these kind of games.
And will be obsessing for a while.

Brains, more brains!
(@BlackBerry)

Saigon food tweet!

Threw my bags down, and practically ran out the hotel yelling, "PHO!!!"

Just ordered:

Pho Bo (Pho with beef). 38000 d
Bo Vien (Beef balls). 15000 d
Ca Phe Sua Da (iced coffee with condensed milk). 24000 d
Banh Flan (Cream Caramel). 12000 d

Exchange rate is approx S$50 to 530000 d.

So this meal's about 100000 d, or S$10.

Waiting for the coffee to drip impossibly slow down into condensed milk before I pour the whole thing over ice.

Beef balls arrived! 5 little bouncy beef balls in a clear broth.
Ok, can't talk, must eat.

This place is just around the corner from the hotel. Air-conditioned and clean.

I might just come by again!
(@BlackBerry)

The eagle has landed!

On the way to the hotel, in the hotel limo, greeted by an icy cold towel and bottled water.

Supposedly only 7 km away from the airport, but will take 40 minutes. "Traffic", my driver explains.

HCMC airport is spanking new, I got through immigration and picked up my luggage in 15 minutes.

Wow.

Many roadside hawkers with mystery food for sale!

Its a Sunday, the park is full of couples on benches, or groups of friends sitting in a circle on the grass.

Its right next to the heavily jammed road, I don't know how fresh the air can be.

Saigon has a very different feel to Hanoi.

I have always loved Hanoi; the weather, the liver pate and baguette, the old quarters and gentle people with restrained politeness.

Everywhere you looked, in Hanoi, you would see slim, long straight haired women in pristine white traditional dress.

That always made me smile, and sigh a happy little sigh.

I have been sitting here in the jam for the last half hour.

No smile, no happy little sigh.

Except marvel at the motorbikes weaving in and out of traffic- father, mother, son and daughter, all balanced precariously on one bike.

Oh dear, bike carrying baskets of melons just crashed into another bike carrying cartons of random goods.

No one is hurt, but melons are everywhere. Cracked open and crushed by other bikes and cars.

No one stops, the two riders pick up whatever they can salvage, and life goes on.

Still no smile, no happy little sigh.
(@BlackBerry)

All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go.

Well, just 3 bags.

One laptop bag with the laptop, passport, power cord, mouse, wireless pointer.

One hand carry bag with all my travel essentials; book, journal, keys, earphones, wet wipes, eye mask, charcoal pills, purse, card holder, 2 pens, electrolyte drink satchets, moisturiser, lip balm, vapex inhalent, vicks vapor rub, box of plasters, box of floss dental picks, 2 lighters, 2 tampons.

One check-in luggage with clothes, 30 stress balls of different colours, about one ream worth of paper (work), portable hard drive, 3 multipurpose plugs, phone charger, battery charger, camera, camera charger, contact lens solution, make up, toiletries, markers, marbles, name tag stickers, boots, zip locks.

Wow, this post took me the whole journey from my house to the plane.

Singapore Girl's giving me dirty looks.

No, not that way, just "turn the damn phone off" kinda way.

See you in Saigon!
(@BlackBerry)

All aboard!

You're so vain,
You probably think that this post is about you.
(@BlackBerry)

Is sick in Manila!

Puke, swoon, moan, groan.

Bleagh.

I want my mummy. ):
(@BlackBerry)

The eagle has landed!

Ahh! Good ol' Manila!

Back in the land of smiles and the DVD mothership.

Decisions, decisions. Do I:
1. Spacehulk
2. Pool
3. Boots shopping
4. Meat-on-a-stick at Nanbantei

All the above for today!

And a quick glance at work prep for tomorrow.

Yay!
(@BlackBerry)

All my bags are packed. I'm ready to go!

Looking at the safety video, refering to the safety card.

Airbus A320-200

Only 12 seats in business class, the rest of the tiny plane is separated by a filmsy curtain.

I'm being politely asked to turn off all electronic equipment.

Quick note: I like TV series "Leverage"!

See you in 6 hours!
(@BlackBerry)

Boardgames

Meanwhile I had a very good weekend so far:

Cranium + Poker

Cranium is fun, Trivial Pursuit and Win-Lose-Or-Draw rolled into one fantastic game.

My Top 7 boardgames so far: (as much as I can remember)(not including card games)

1. Cosmic Encounter (Online)
2. Spacehulk(Free DOS version)
3. Talisman (PC game)
4. Betrayal at house on the hill
5. Bloodbowl (Online)
6. Nuke
7. Dungeon Quest

What is the meaning of life?

42

Or, remove toxic people from your life.

How do you know who are these people?

The next time you meet or talk to anyone, try to remember what is the first thing they say to you.

Toxic people will usually start with a passive aggressive statement to make you feel bad about yourself. Beware, though. Learn how to recognise this, subtlety is their forte.

Now, I need to explain myself.

Toxic people are not stupid people. We need stupid people in our lives, if anything, for entertainment.

Toxic people say or do things just to make you feel bad.

Do you:
1. Have that sickly, sinking feeling in your stomach,
2. Feel like life is being drained out of you,
3. Want to roll your eyes, but is too polite to,
4. Want to lunge across the room/table to backhand that person?

If "yes" to any of the above, then ask yourself this: "Do I need this toxic person in my life?"

Now if you can answer this, you have the meaning of life.

This is why there is so much ugliness in the world.

A comment on Facebook, response to MJ’s memorial on TV last night.

 

(Someone) at 05:15 on 08 July

I'm not so sure about that. Caught a little of it. Thought that it was too much fuss made of a life that doesn't seem to have been well spent from heaven's point of view. Jared, who had no clue who MJ was, asked if this guy was going to heaven...that is the crux of it, isn't it?

 

I immediately felt anger, and then sadness.

 

Sadness not for the woman who made the above comment, but sadness for her son. As a functioning adult in this world, do we not have the responsibility to ensure an environment free of fear for our children?

 

A child, beaten into submission by fear, not allowed to expand his mind, not given the chance to explore. Instead, he lives in constant reminder of heaven, and of course, hell.

 

Its a stretch, to assume all this from a Facebook comment.

 

I will end this rant with a quote.

 

Richard Dawkins

"With so many mindbytes to be downloaded, so many mental codons to be replicated, it is no wonder that child brains are gullible, open to almost any suggestion, vulnerable to subversion, easy prey to Moonies, Scientologists and nuns."

 

And this is why there is so much ugliness in the world.

Ouch! Just got jabbed my doctor.

No, I am not sick.

Just bloody allegic to dust mites.

He gave me a flu jab anyway.

I'm looking rather cool in this mask.

I think I'll keep it on for my drive back.

Hehe!
(@BlackBerry)

Sneezed 5 times in a row. Forced to sit at the doctor's waiting room with a silly mask on.

Sitting here with a mask on, with a room full of sick patients.

The damn mask is making me breathe deeply. I can imagine germs of all shapes and sizes invading my poor body.

Oh yucks, heavily coifed woman in plaid opposite me just picked her back teeth with her pinky.

Hey look, one of those old school eye charts.

5
94
260
3895
06248
630952
849r065
95046283
42883056

I think I might have the last line wrong.

Ugh! Woman in green scarf just sneezed three times in a row!

Stop breathing, stop breathing......

Gasp, gack! Stupidly took in a deep breath to compensate.

Bald guy at counter is trying to scam a larger bottle of cough syrup.

How mundane is this?

(@BlackBerry)

I demand yellow ribbons!

Waiting at Brisbane airport, my nose pressed against the cold glass window pane.

There sits my plane, waiting for us to eagerly board.

Ooh! Boarding announcement! Home! Home, I say, HOME!

I grab my bag and happily roll towards the smiling attendant.

Ahh, Singapore Girl, you're a great way to fly.

(@BlackBerry)