My 2015 Chinese New Year Of The Goat

March 5, 2015, 9:30 am

≫ Next: The B-52 Bomber At Huu Tiep Lake In Hanoi

≪ Previous: 2015 Chinese New Year Decorations In Klang Valley (Part 2)

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With the blink of an eye, Chinese New Year came and went. Just like that. I miss the Chinese New Year holidays and the festive mood but mostly, I miss the food!!

So today, I will just blog a little about my Chinese New Year of the Goat. By the way, I am too lazy to use my camera these days, so all photos in this post were taken using Xiaomi's Mi3.

One food I really enjoyed this Chinese New Year was the pineapple tarts which I bought from Aeon Supermarket. Priced at only RM10.88 per tub a few days before the first day of Chinese New Year (it was priced at RM13.88 earlier), I quickly bought loads of them!



Look at the generous amount of pineapples! So juicy and so yummy! By the way, if you don't like your pineapple tarts to be a mixture of sweet and sour, then you won't like this. But if you do, these pineapple tarts are heavenly!

I also bought kuih bangkit from Aeon but unfortunately, even though the price was good (I think it was RM8.88), the kuih bangkit itself was not that good. No melt-in-the-mouth but I still bought it because I like the cute shape and design! LOL.



This year, I had my fair share of the scrumptious yee sang at many different Chinese restaurants, but guess what? It was quite unbelievable, but none of them was as good as the yee sang I bought from Aeon!



The generous amount and variety of fresh ingredients made the yee sang from Aeon my top favourite for the year. So yummy! By the way, if you can't see any fish in this yee sang, that's because I did not want to include raw salmon inside. I have stopped eating raw salmon since last year for health reasons.



Now it may seem as if I am promoting Aeon, but in reality, I am not. It just so happens that I like their pineapple tarts and yee sang a lot! Haha!

A few days before Chinese New Year, I received a Chinese New Year card in the mail. I don't receive many cards nowadays (most people prefer to just send CNY greetings via Whatsapp) so I was curious to know who sent this.



Opening it up, I saw that to my surprise, it was from Twilight Man! Thank you Twilight for this nice card! Sorry can't send you a card in return - it would probably reach you after the Chinese New Year so it does not make sense for me to send.



A few years back, my blogger friend Merryn Tan made me an angpow fish. I wanted another one this year so she made me one.



In fact, I requested for two angpow fishes, but she said she ran out of angpows, so she made me an angpow star instead. Do you like it? Thank you Merryn for the angpow fish and star! Next year, I want a real angpow with money inside! Hahaha!



Another online friend Angeline Chee sent me some angpow fishes as well, all the way from Taiping! How nice of her! When I opened up the parcel, I was surprised to see this.



For a moment I hoped it was from Coach. But of course I did not expect anything expensive inside. LOL! These are the angpow fishes she made for me. Thank you Angeline for the awesome packaging!



I like receiving angpows! Who does not? Every year, Astro likes to come out with interesting angpows. This year being the Year of the Goat (or Sheep if you prefer), Astro came out with these cute looking angpows.



Do you like them? I am keeping them as collector's items. I plan to collect them every year so that I will eventually have all 12 animal signs!



How many Mandarin oranges did you eat this year? I did not eat a lot as I think these oranges are pretty unhealthy. Yes, it's true - not all fruits are good for you!



But no matter what, do not throw your Mandarin oranges into the river or sea. Such a waste, no? Better to eat them I say. Haha!

Gosh, I am missing the Chinese New Year already!! Blogging about Chinese New Year makes me miss it even more! Oh well, you just have to move on and look forward to the next Chinese New Year of the Monkey!

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The B-52 Bomber At Huu Tiep Lake In Hanoi

March 19, 2015, 7:59 am

≫ Next: Time For A Holiday Break!

≪ Previous: My 2015 Chinese New Year Of The Goat

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Do you ever get off the beaten track when you travel? I always like to do that, and in fact, I did just that while traveling in Hanoi and it was all just to find that famous downed B-52 Bomber, a remnant from the Vietnam War.

To get to the site of the B-52 wreck - which is in the middle of Huu Tiep Lake - you need to navigate through narrow streets which cannot possibly fit a car or a taxi. So, to avoid getting lost, I did the next best thing. I hired a Xe-Om driver.



Xe-Om (pronounced as say ohm) is what Vietnamese referred to as motorcycle taxis. Xe-Om actually means 'hug the driver' but I can assure you I did no such thing although I'm pretty sure you can do that if you want to. LOL!

It's quite safe actually (helmet is provided) if you do not mind seeing cars zooming past and missing you by inches, that is! Oh wait ... in actual fact, I think it was me and the xe-om driver who zoomed past most cars by inches, haha!

How did I capture the photo above? Simple, I put my left hand on his shoulder to balance myself while my right hand held the camera and snapped away! Definitely no time to do any hugging LOL!

One word of caution when you engage a xe-om driver : Make sure you negotiate the price with him before hand, otherwise you might find yourself arguing with him over the price later.

Anyway, this friendly driver led me down some narrow lanes before we finally reached Huu Tiep Lake. Don't know where Huu Tiep Lake is? Just use Google Map and search for the words "Ho Huu Tiep".

But even with Google Map, getting there is pretty tricky. Be prepared to get lost unless of course, you do what I did - hire a xe-om driver! :)



So there it was - the B-52 bomber wreckage with part of it sticking out of the lake! This downed plane was part of the biggest ever bombing campaign (nicknamed "Operation Linebacker II") by US President Nixon before the American troops withdrew from Vietnam.

The plane was probably shot down during the Christmas bombings in December 1972.



History aside, I was not too impressed and even think it's overrated as a tourist attraction. The lake was just a small, somewhat dirty lake surrounded by residential buildings. But then again, this is an important part of history, so it's still worth a visit, at least once in your life!



Note : My post on the Temple Of Literature is put on hold temporarily as I have too many photos and too little time to edit them. I look forward to update that post soon! 

Time For A Holiday Break!

March 23, 2015, 6:30 pm

≫ Next: My Second Hanoi Trip

≪ Previous: The B-52 Bomber At Huu Tiep Lake In Hanoi

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I sorely needed a break, so it's time to go traveling again! By the time you read this post, I am already having my holidays outside Malaysia.

This time, I just want a relaxing holiday, nothing too adventurous. That means there will be some shopping, which I don't do much while traveling. Also, this time I prefer to revisit places I have been before rather than visit new places, although that won't stop me from exploring some new places of course!

Since I will be doing some shopping, I thought it's the perfect time to get some souvenirs for my readers. But I can't be buying souvenirs for everyone, so I shall have a contest. The first TWO people who answer the travel-related questions below correctly will win the souvenirs.

Here are the questions ....

1. Where am I going for my holidays? Name the country and the city or town.

2. Where did I buy something 'naughty' in Hong Kong?

3. In which year did I visit Terminal 21 in Bangkok and took loads of pictures of the mall's toilets?

Can't answer them? No worries, I have provided some hints for you below. All you need is just a little detective work and you will have no problem getting the answers.

Hints for Question 1 : I have been to this country back in 2013, and I am still blogging about it now!

Hints for Question 2 : Just click HERE.

Hints for Question 3 : Just click HERE.

That's it. Easy peasy, right? :)

Now, for a BONUS QUESTION. What? Didn't think I will give a bonus question? LOL!
But, wait .... I have not one, not two, but THREE BONUS QUESTIONS. I am feeling generous. Hahaha! There will be THREE winners for these bonus questions. The first person to get the correct answer to any one of these questions will win a souvenir from me.

BONUS QUESTIONS
1. What did I eat on board my AirAsia flight from KL?

2. Where did I visit during the afternoon of 25th March 2015?

3. What did I have for lunch on 26th March 2015?

Hint : I do not know the answers myself (with the exception of Question 1 as I had pre-ordered my meal online) as they have yet to happen! LOL! To get the answer, you will need to follow me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. I will be posting about them on all three social networks, especially Instagram. Yes the pictures will be on Instagram first, then Twitter and lastly Facebook. Hehe.

To follow me on Twitter, click HERE.
To follow me on Facebook, click HERE.
To follow me on Instagram, just add my username foongpc.

GOOD LUCK and Have FUN!! :)

RULES & REGULATIONS
1. This contest is open to Malaysians only. (Sorry to my international readers!)

2. You can choose to answer :
a) Questions 1-3 only or
b) Any 1, 2 or all 3 Bonus Questions only or
c) both Questions 1-3 plus any one of the Bonus Questions or
d) ALL the questions in this contest!

3. If you are a winner for Questions 1-3, you can still be a winner for the Bonus Questions and vice versa. However, if you are a winner to one of the Bonus Questions, you cannot be a winner for the other two Bonus Questions.

4. The contest closes on 29th March at 12am sharp.

5. The winners will be announced in this blog on 31st March.

My Second Hanoi Trip

March 30, 2015, 9:00 am

≫ Next: My Visit To The Temple Of Literature In Hanoi

≪ Previous: Time For A Holiday Break!

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It's unbelievable that 5 days passed by so fast. With a blink of the eye, I was back from my second Hanoi trip. My first trip was back in March 2013, just 2 years ago. Since that first trip, I had promised myself to revisit this charming city - and that's exactly what I did.

I have to say, this second trip was even more enjoyable than my first one. I'm now missing Hanoi badly but I guess there will always be future trips! I shall blog about this trip soon, but believe it or not, I have to first finish blogging about my Hanoi trip from 2 years ago! LOL!

Anyway, the purpose of today's blog post is to announce the winners of my Contest which I posted before I flew to Hanoi for my holidays. So, without further delay, here are the answers to my questions.

Question 1 : Where am I going for my holidays? Name the country and the city or town.
Answer : Hanoi, Vietnam

Question 2 : Where did I buy something 'naughty' in Hong Kong?
Answer : The Ladies Market in Mongkok

Question 3 : In which year did I visit Terminal 21 in Bangkok and took loads of picture of the mall's toilets?
Answer : 2012

Congrats to the following first two persons who answered my questions correctly! Please email me your address so that I can send you the souvenirs ASAP. My email is mvfblog@gmail.com. Thank you.

The 2 winners are :
1. Mariuca
2. Ishmael Ahab (not supposed to qualify since you are not from Malaysia, but lucky you, I am changing the rules due to insufficient participants)

This time, I was feeling generous and had 3 Bonus Questions for my readers. Here are the answers to the three Bonus Questions.

Bonus Question 1 : What did I eat on board my AirAsia flight from KL?
Answer : Bukhara Briyani Rice

Bonus Question 2 : Where did I visit during the afternoon of 25th March 2015?
Answer : Tam Coc

Bonus Question 3 : What did I have for lunch on 26th March 2015?
Answer : Bun Bo Nam Bo

Unfortunately, not many readers gave these Bonus Questions a try. Anyway there are 2 winners.

The 2 winners are :
1. Mariuca (answered Bonus Question 1 correctly)
2. Merryn Tan (answered all Bonus Questions correctly, but there can only be 1 prize. However, I am giving you 2 souvenirs since you attempted all the questions!)

Congrats! Email me your address to mvfblog@gmail.com. Thank you!

Since I will not be blogging about this Hanoi trip so soon (I need to complete my 2013 Hanoi trip first!) I shall just show you some pictures I took as a preview of what is to come.


Boat ride along the scenic river in Tam Coc



Awesome ca phe trung (egg coffee) at Giang Cafe



Plane and Flag Tower at the Vietnam Military History Museum



Night scene from the Coffee Club after the rain



Inside St Joseph's Cathedral (Nha Tho Lon)



Bizarre display of giant fruits with lopsided furnitures at Ho Chi Minh Museum



Walking the Long Bien Bridge is quite an unforgettable experience!



Statues of man and woman showing off their private parts at Jarai Tomb House attracted lots of attention at the amazing Museum Of Ethnology



Night view of Hanoi streets from the open rooftop of City View Cafe



One interesting cafe in Hanoi - Puku Cafe at Tong Duy Tan street

I do hope that my photos got you hooked and maybe inspire you to book your next holiday in Hanoi. Well, you can bet that I will go visit Hanoi again and again. Stay tuned for my future posts on this wonderful city!

My Visit To The Temple Of Literature In Hanoi

April 8, 2015, 5:30 pm

≫ Next: My Tour Of The Creepy Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton)

≪ Previous: My Second Hanoi Trip

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After our delicious lunch at Koto Restaurant, my friend and I went over to the Temple Of Literature which is located just opposite the restaurant. However, the entrance was at Quoc Tu Giang Street, so we walked a little further to reach it.

The entrance fee was 20,000 VND (about US$1).



The picture depicted on the ticket is the Main Gate as shown below.



Known as Van Mieu - Quoc Tu Giam in Vietnamese, the Temple Of Literature hosts the Imperial Academy, Vietnam's first national university. This shows how religion and education were linked in the olden days. Initially reserved for the rich and the royalties, the university was later opened to outstanding students elsewhere in Hanoi.

Built by Emperor Ly Thanh Tong in the year 1070, the Temple Of Literature is dedicated to Confucius, whose influence is a huge part of Vietnamese culture.

Passing through the Main Gate, a huge courtyard with gardens greeted us. There were three pathways leading to the second gate - one on the far left, one of the far right and one in the middle. I think the path we were walking on is the middle one.



The Temple Of Literature is in fact a large rectangular complex consisting of five courtyards surrounded by a brick wall.

Walking straight ahead, we soon reached the second gate that leads to the second courtyard. At this second gate, there were information about the temple on both sides of the walls.



The second courtyard was really a huge lawn filled with ancient trees and trimmed plants. Look how beautiful the plants were trimmed and arranged to form a Chinese character!



I could almost imagine scholars relaxing on this beautiful lawn after their studying hours.



Walking further, we soon reached a unique structure called the Constellation of Literature Pavilion (Khue Van Cac in Vietnamese). Flanking on both sides of the Pavilion were two smaller gates. Can you see the two small gates in the picture below?



Built on four white-washed stone stilts, the red colored Pavilion has two circular windows on top and an elaborate roof. Inside, there is a bronze bell hanging from the ceiling.



View of the Pavilion from the other side.



Walking past the Constellation of Literature Pavilion, we found ourselves in the third courtyard.  Here, there is a small pond in the middle known as The Well of Heavenly Clarity (Thien Quang Tinh in Vietnamese).



On both sides of the Well are two halls which house tortoise-carrying stalae.



Out of the original 117 stelae, only 82 remain today. The tortoise-stelae depict the names and birth places of graduate students who accomplished exceptional results in the exams.



Between 1442 and 1779, 81 exams were held by the Le Dynasty and 1 was held by the Mac Dynasty.

Oh, there was a group of school students (I think) blocking the view!



So I took the picture again after they left. LOL!



I guess touching those stone tortoises or the stalae were prohibited as they had clearly restricted the access to them. Perhaps there were visitors or tourists who vandalised these stone slabs in the past?



What does this giant book says? I have no idea. Any Vietnamese reading this knows?



This is the gate leading to the fourth courtyard of the Temple of Literature.



In the centre of the courtyard is a building that housed altars.



Somehow, I did not take any pictures inside the building so I could not remember what was inside.



I guess I was more interested in the dragon carvings on the roof top!



There was only one picture I took and it's this one - a crane standing on the tortoise. In fact, there were two of them, one on each side of the entrance.



I never failed to see the crane standing on the tortoise in all the temples I visited in Hanoi. I guess in Vietnamese culture (as well as Chinese culture), the crane and tortoise represent longevity and happiness.



Nearby, there were souvenir shops selling water puppets and some really interesting looking masks.



I normally do not like angry and ugly looking masks - I would never hang them in my house anyway - so the thought of buying them had never crossed my mind!



The Water Puppets would make great souvenirs, but I think you would probably get a better price for them elsewhere.



Finally, we came to the fifth and last courtyard of the Temple, which is the grounds of the Imperial Academy.



Destroyed by the French in 1946, this courtyard was reconstructed in the year 2000 based on traditional architecture. Nowadays, cultural events were often organised here.



There is a huge wooden structure at one part of the courtyard that houses a giant bronze bell.



A closer shot of the bronze bell.



Inside the main building is an altar probably dedicated to Confucius. Look! There's a crane standing  on tortoise again!



Now, I may be wrong about the Confucius statue. Anyone reading this knows if that is in fact, the altar dedicated to Confucius?



You can of course engage a guide at the ticketing counter to explain the history and everything else in detail, and to confirm if the above is indeed a statue of Confucius. But we did not engage any guide that day.



On the first floor, there were three different altars.



One of the three altars.



I guess the middle altar is dedicated to Chu Van An, rector of the Imperial Academy. Again, I may be wrong of course. So any reader who knows, please correct me. By the way, if you do not know who Chu Van An is - he's considered the greatest scholar in Vietnam's history!



Outside, beside the main building, is another structure that houses a giant drum.



Look how huge this drum is!



A closer shot of the drum.



Guess how much does this giant drum weigh? Let me tell you now - it weighs 700 kg!



My friend and I had enjoyed visiting this Temple of Literature. It's definitely one place you must visit if you are a first time visitor to Hanoi.


The four pillars outside the Temple Of Literature 

Oh by the way, did you know that the Temple of Literature is so important in Vietnam that it is actually featured on the back of the 100,000 Vietnamese Dong bank note?



Yes, that's the Constellation of Literature Pavilion and the Well of Heavenly Clarity!

Coming Up Next : My Tour Of The Creepy Hoa Lo Prison

My Tour Of The Creepy Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton)

April 13, 2015, 6:00 pm

≫ Next: Watching The Water Puppets At Thang Long Theatre

≪ Previous: My Visit To The Temple Of Literature In Hanoi

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Right after my friend and I left the Temple of Literature, we walked for about 20 minutes to reach the famous Hoa Lo Prison.

Initially, I had planned to visit Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum which is just a stone throw's away from the Temple of Literature, but my friend insisted on visiting the Hoa Lo Prison which he did not want to miss. I ended up visiting the Fine Arts Museum on my own on my last day in Hanoi. (My friend had left Hanoi one day earlier).

However, do keep in mind that it makes more sense to visit the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum after visiting Temple of Literature as they are located so close to each other!



The French colonists who built the prison in 1896 called it Maison Centrale, which is the name you see above the front gate of Hoa Lo. The prison is also strangely known as Hanoi Hilton (what in heaven's name has it got to do with Hilton Hotel?!) but I will get to that later.

Entrance fee was a very reasonable 20,000 VND (about US$1).


Entrance ticket 

The word 'Hoa Lo' means fiery furnace or earthen stoves. Why is the prison called Hoa Lo? Let's delve a little into its interesting history.



The prison was built on the land of Phu Knanh Village which was famous for its earthen home appliances like kettles, teapots and portable stoves. The hand-made products of Phu Knanh Village were so famous that people came from far and wide to buy them. Accordingly, the village was also known as Hoa Lo Village - the village of portable earthen stoves. Phu Knanh villagers enjoyed a well-off life.

That is, until the French colonists came and occupied Hanoi. They moved all the villagers, the pagodas and communal houses to other places, and replaced them with the prison, a courthouse and their headquarters.


Stone stele of Phu Knanh communal house

Covering a total area of 12,908 square metres, Hoa Lo Prison was one of the largest and most concrete prisons in IndoChina at that time.

The purpose of this prison was to hold Vietnamese prisoners, especially political prisoners who were fighting for independence. Many of the prisoners were subjected to torture and execution. A few who survived the torture went on to become important political figures in Vietnam's Communist Party after the defeat of the French.

Below are displays of bricks used by the French colonists to build Hoa Lo Prison.





Chimney cap (left) and top of lightning rod (right)



Tiles used to build the prison



Drinking water cups and mugs used by Hoa Lo political prisoners



Large rice basins used by the prison's kitchen



It was reported that white rice given to prisoners were out of date, having parasite and very insipid. As a result, many prisoners suffered from heart oedema and as many as 40 prisoners died in a month.

Drinking water canteen used by political prisoners in Hoa Lo



Bowls, plates and spoons used by political prisoners



A sample of the clothes worn by the political prisoners



Blanket used by the prisoners



There was one part of my tour that was pretty creepy. It involved dark cells and dismal rooms with life-like replicas of suffering prisoners.



I was alone in this room and it gave me the chills.



I quickly took some photos and got out of there. LOL!



That's the stockade for keeping political male prisoners.



In the night of December 24, 1951, 16 political prisoners creeped through the underground sewer door by the death sentence yard and escaped. Five of them succeeded in joining the resistance base to continue the struggle.



A picture on the wall showing an overcrowded prison and a torture in progress.



I reached the cachot area, which was another creepy place for me.

Cachot or dungeon is used to confine prisoners who break the regulations of the prison. The prisoners were kept separately and inhumanely in the narrow and dark dungeon and they had to eat and answer nature call on the same spot. All the prisoners confined here suffered from oedema, their bodies covered with scabies dues to the lack of light and air.



A display of one of those iron stocks used to lock prisoners' feet.



I came across a dungeon cell. It was dark so I used my camera flash while taking this picture. But then, we can't see what is inside so....



I took the picture again without flash. A life-size replica of a prisoner was lying inside the cell.



More creepy life-sized prisoners in the other cells.







I had this urge to quickly leave the cachot area. There were not many visitors during my tour and I was separated from my friend at that time. I remember that at one point, there was a sudden, unexplained loud clanging sound above me and I made a quick run for the exit door. LOL!

It was great to be outdoors in the sunshine again. Haha!

This is the underground sewer door through which over 100 political prisoners escaped in 1945.



Here, I looked up and was surprised to see a tall, modern building towering over Ho Loa Prison. It was then I realized that a huge part of the original prison was destroyed by the Government and the land sold to developers to build this tall building known as Hanoi Towers.



So the Hoa Lo Prison I was visiting was just a small portion of the original, preserved as a memorial and museum.

Then I came to the Stockade area for female prisoners. Here, I reunited with my friend, so I was no longer alone.



Many female patriotic revolutionary soldiers were arrested during the French occupation. The lack of running water and unhygienic conditions in the stockades made life a living hell for these prisoners.



More displays of iron shackles.



This is an electrical engine used by the French colonists to torture female political prisoners in the Detective Department.



The many cells along the dark corridor.



Finally, we came to the last gallery where one of the two guillotines used by the French colonists to cut off the heads of revolutionary patriotic prisoners in Hoa Lo Prison was displayed.



Cutting off the heads of political prisoners was one way taken by French colonists to terrorise the Vietnamese struggle movements.



I am not very sure of the purpose of this rattan box, but I assume it was used to contain the heads, probably?



Bench, ladder and ropes used by the French colonists to torture political prisoners.



Not sure what this picture is showing, but it does not seem to be very pleasant!



After the French was ousted in 1954, the Hoa Lo Prison was used to incarcerate anti-revolutionaries opposed to the Communist Party.

Later on, during the Vietnam War, Hoa Lo Prison was used to detain, torture and interrogate downed American pilots and soldiers. Although Vietnam maintained that the American prisoners were well-treated, many US Prisoners of War (POW) reported of torture, medical neglect, unsanitary conditions and being fed food contaminated with faeces. Many observers actually considered it a war crime.

The condition was so bad that the American POWs sarcastically gave the prison a new name - Hanoi Hilton. This, of course refers to the famous Hilton hotel chain, but guess what? When Hilton Corporation finally opened a hotel in Hanoi in 1999, they had to give it a funny name - "The Hilton Hanoi Opera" - to avoid any link to Hanoi Hilton!



Since Vietnam had maintained that the American POWs were well-treated, I was not surprised to see that there were not much exhibits related to the Americans. The museum was mainly focused on the French colonial period and the sufferings of the Vietnamese political prisoners.

There is actually one propaganda-filled room devoted to the American POW but I did not take any picture of it. Displays in the room claimed the Americans were well treated and even cited the nickname 'Hanoi Hilton' as proof that prisoners found the prison comparable to a hotel!



My friend and I walked up the stairs (the picture above shows the view from the top of the stairs) to the first floor.

Here, the names of Vietnamese revolutionary patriots who were arrested and ill-treated by the French colonists were displayed.



It was something like a memorial for the heroes and martyrs of the Vietnam people.



And this is almond root, in which Hoa Lo political prisoners used to hide documents for the revolution.



I have to say, my visit to Hoa Lo Prison was both interesting and creepy but well worth it! Definitely not a place you should skip in your itinerary if you are a first time visitor to Hanoi!



Coming Up Next : Taking A Short Break At Joma Bakery 

Watching The Water Puppets At Thang Long Theatre

April 20, 2015, 10:00 am

≫ Next: My Heart Will Go On (Theme From Titanic)

≪ Previous: My Tour Of The Creepy Hoa Lo Prison (Hanoi Hilton)

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One activity you must not miss in Hanoi is watching the water puppets show at Thang Long Water Puppet Theatre. Located at the northeastern bank of Hoan Kiem Lake, this theatre is the place to go to enjoy Vietnam's ancient art of water puppetry.

My friend and I had bought the tickets for the 8pm show at the box office in the morning. Yes, you need to buy your tickets that early so as not to be disappointed later in case there are no seats left.

We were there around 15 minutes before the show starts. As we were early, we managed to have a good look at the theatre hall before it got all dark.



The theatre was pretty modern with rows of standard theatre-style red cushioned chairs. And the stage was not a stage as in a normal theatre, but a pond!



Beside the pond/stage on the left side of the hall is a platform where a small orchestra consisting of traditional instruments performs.



The show started with a short instrumental performance and a brief introduction in Vietnamese language. Then the water puppets came out on the water, and I was hooked.

I did not take many pictures during the show as it was too dark to take proper pictures. Besides, there were many people in front blocking the view. Perhaps I should try to get the front seat next time.



The whole show lasted about under an hour and there were many acts showcasing different stories and using different puppets. Some of the stories were quite humorous although I have to say I did not fully understand them as they were not translated to English.



Still, I enjoyed the show and I also like watching the orchestral players and vocalists performing. It was actually quite amazing to see the puppets coming to life and to imagine how they were being made to move around on the water.



Ticket was reasonably priced at 100,000 VND (US$4.65) but if you want to take pictures, you need to pay an additional 20,000 VND (about US$1).



There were souvenirs in the form of water puppets on sale outside the theatre hall but I did not buy any. Would I return for another show in future? Yes I would and I actually did when I visited Hanoi again just last month, but that would be a story for another post!



Note : I was supposed to be blogging about Joma Bakery, but had to put that on hold as I realised the pictures taken were not as clear and sharp as I would like them to be. I will still be blogging about it, but maybe with less pictures? Let's see about that! :)

My Heart Will Go On (Theme From Titanic)

April 23, 2015, 11:00 am

≫ Next: My Stay At The Rising Dragon Palace Hotel In Hanoi

≪ Previous: Watching The Water Puppets At Thang Long Theatre

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I decided to take a short break from my usual travel blogging posts and do something different today. Yes, I am going to play a song made famous by Celine Dion. It's called "My Heart Will Go On" from the Titanic movie soundtrack.

Composed by James Horner, this beautiful song became a chart topper worldwide back in the late 90's and won the 1997 Academy Award for Best Original Song. It was also one of the best selling singles in history and became one of Celine Dion's biggest hits. 

However, this song was played to death by radio stations everywhere and many people eventually got tired of it. In fact, Kate Winslet, the lead actress in the movie, was quite fed up with it and even mentioned at one point that the song made her feel like 'throwing up'! 

Personally, I love this song a lot and never really get tired of it even after so many years. Well, maybe I would get sick of it if I were to play it every single day. LOL! Honestly, I have actually forgotten how the tune sounds like after so long so I had to listen to the original song again before attempting to play it on the piano. 

I hope you like my piano version of the song, although I must admit I made a lot of mistakes - but I was just too lazy to re-record. So there, just click on the button, pretend you didn't hear any mistakes and enjoy! Haha! Oh, I also hope you notice I made some improvisations to the song towards the end. 

Have a happy weekend everyone! :) 

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My Stay At The Rising Dragon Palace Hotel In Hanoi

May 1, 2015, 5:30 am

≫ Next: My Trip To Perfume Pagoda In Vietnam (Part 1)

≪ Previous: My Heart Will Go On (Theme From Titanic)

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During my trip to Hanoi back in 2013,  I stayed at the Rising Dragon Palace Hotel located at Nguyen Quang Bich Street in the Old Quarter.



Although Old Quarter can be quite a chaotic place, this boutique hotel, being at a quiet street, is effectively shielded from all the noise and the hustle and bustle of the vibrant city, making it a perfect retreat for travellers like me.



There is even a spa called La Sante Spa but I did not make use of that during my stay.



Despite being hidden, the hotel is however within walking distance to Hang Da Shopping Mall, Hoan Kiem Lake and many other places in the Old Quarter area, so the location was really not bad at all!



My first impression of this hotel was the fantastic service! I was greeted very warmly by one of the staff there and was given a welcome drink on arrival. I did not expect a welcome drink from a boutique hotel!



While waiting for my turn to check in, I was seated down and one of the friendly staff explained to me about the facilities in my room, the hotel's restaurant and the breakfast time. He also provided me with a map of Hanoi city and showed me the directions to various tourist attractions. In fact, he spent about 10 minutes talking to me. I was really quite impressed!



Honestly, I have always praised the good service of the hotels I stayed in Bangkok but now I think that Vietnam (in particular Hanoi) had already surpassed Bangkok in terms of service! Perhaps the tourism industry in Hanoi is on the rise and the hotels there are facing stiff competition?



Look! The hotel was even awarded the 2012 Gold Circle Award from Agoda.com! I actually booked this hotel via Agoda and I have to admit that my decision was greatly influenced by the high number of positive customer reviews I read at the site.



I was given a Deluxe Room with a King size bed. Can't remember on which floor though.



I have to say, I was not particularly impressed with the room although it came with a rather huge toilet and bathroom. Perhaps the room looked kind of old or tired. The shower and toilet were divided into separate cubicles, which may or may not be a good thing.



The Deluxe Room did not come with city view. The tiny narrow window on the right side faces the hotel's airwell so I kept the blind closed all the time. If you would like a room with a window facing the street, you can always upgrade to higher floor rooms that have windows or balconies overlooking the street.



Toothbrushes and hand soaps were provided, so were bath gel, shampoo and towels.



Stated on a piece of paper on top of the toilet bowl : "Cleaned and Disinfected". I liked the assurance of that but I did not like the smell when I first entered the toilet, so I asked the hotel staff to spray some air freshener. That cleared away the smell but not entirely. But after a few days, I just got used to the smell.



I would prefer a bigger rain shower head, but this one would do I guess. I would say the toilet and bathroom were quite clean, though not exactly spotless.



Hair dryer was available too.



Also there's an iron and an ironing board if you want to do some ironing.



I did not really like the programs shown on TV. A far cry from Bangkok where I could stay awake the whole night watching Thai dramas and Thai music videos in the hotel room. LOL. Well, in a way it's good too - I could do with some sleep.



But the room's soundproofing was pretty bad. During one of the nights in the hotel, I had the misfortune of listening to a Western couple having sex in the room next door. The woman was moaning and the man was groaning so loudly they totally drowned out the sound from my TV. No kidding here.

Luckily, it was a short one, lasting no more than five minutes, or else I would have knocked on their door. Haha!

I loved the buffet breakfast provided by the hotel. I absolutely loved their plain yogurt which came in small cups and I ate two cups every morning. Oh how I missed the yogurt! (Sorry no photos)



I even tried their bun cha (grilled pork with rice noodles and vegetables) and it was pretty good, except that it was pricey, at 130,000 VND (US$6). Well, the hotel staff told me their hotel restaurant was ranked No. 3 on Trip Advisor at that time, so I just had to give it a try.



The above picture shows the street view from where I stood outside the front entrance of the Rising Dragon Palace Hotel. Not exactly a good view, but it was a quiet street and that's good. You do not want those crazy traffic of the Old Quarter outside the hotel.

Will I return to this hotel? Maybe. One thing's for sure - the staff go all out to meet your requests and needs. The service is better than a five-star hotel, but you pay so much less. Definitely worth the price!

Coming Up Next : My Trip To Perfume Pagoda 

My Trip To Perfume Pagoda In Vietnam (Part 1)

May 6, 2015, 11:30 am

≫ Next: My Trip To Perfume Pagoda In Vietnam (Part 2)

≪ Previous: My Stay At The Rising Dragon Palace Hotel In Hanoi

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WARNING : This post contains disturbing images of animal carcasses hung on hooks. Please proceed with caution if you do not wish to see them. I have placed the images towards the end of the post with a warning sign beforehand so that you can skip them if you wish.

On my fourth day in Hanoi, my friend and I went for a day trip to Perfume Pagoda (Chua Huong). We had booked this trip via Sinh Cafe Travel a few days earlier. The price for the one day trip was US$25 per person which include lunch, entrance fees, transport and a tour guide.

The young tour guide by the name of Nam Nam (I remember his name because it rhymes with Vietnam!) came to pick us up at our hotel at around 8.30am. We were the last few to be picked up that rainy morning so we ended up sitting at the back of the bus.



If you look at the photo above, you can see that they have cleverly maximised the space in the bus as the seats can be expanded in the standing area between the left and right rows. Well, this is still better than the buses in Guilin, China where they actually provide you with stools to sit in the standing area!

The journey by bus (which was heading southwest of Hanoi) took roughly three hours, including an unnecessary stop (read time waster) at a souvenir shop as usual. It could have been faster had the road not been so bumpy. It was especially bumpy during the last half hour of the bus journey. We even passed by a very huge pothole filled with rain water!



Luckily we survived the pothole and reached the riverside of Duc Village. From here, we entered the second phase of the journey to Perfume Pagoda. Yes, if you must know, there are no roads to Perfume Pagoda. You need to take a bus, then a boat and finally hike up the mountain to reach it. That is exactly how the Vietnamese pilgrims reach this important religious site every year after Tet (Vietnamese New Year).

Oh, but don't be put off with that hiking part - we are living in modern times even in Vietnam, so now they have cable cars to take you up, so don't worry haha! Although that sort of defeats the purpose of the pilgrimage right? OK, maybe the pilgrims should hike and we tourists take the cable car. LOL!



I was actually looking forward to this boat ride! There were rows and rows of metal-bottomed boats along the Yen River.



Each boat is rowed by two local oarswomen. We asked Nam Nam how much we should tip the oarswomen and he said US$1 would be sufficient. Unfortunately, that was not what one of the  women who rowed our boat expected from us. We had a pretty unpleasant experience with her.



These were the two women who rowed our boat. The one at the back of the boat showed us a sour face when most of us paid her US$1. She kept insisting for more and was not happy when some of us paid her in Vietnamese Dong. I mean, come on, it's just so rude to ask for more tips - it's our right to decide how much to give!



The one in grey shirt was rowing at the front. She was OK.



But this woman rowing at the back of the boat had a really bad attitude! She was smiling during most of the journey (although she wasn't in this photo) but turned sour face at the end when she saw how much we were paying her.



Sorry I have to single her out and even show her face here, but I was totally pissed off. I knew her rowing job was tough - I have to admit it is hard work rowing for more than an hour. Total that up close to 3 hours since she needs to row us to Perfume Pagoda and back.

Knowing how tough it was, I did not pay her US$1 like many others. I paid her US$10. And she still showed me a sour face!! What the hell. I wish I could have taken my 10 bucks back!



I did not know how deep the river was, but I was quite concerned that we were not given safety jackets to put on. Oh well, sometimes you just gotta take some risks...



Our boat passed by this man sleeping in his sampan. Just got to snap a picture!



Nam Nam, our tour guide - the one right in front of the lady rower and looking left.



A lot of people (especially tour agencies) had told me it would be a very scenic boat ride with views of stunning limestone karst formations and mesmerising rice paddy landscape. In fact, the boat ride was my main reason to go on this trip to Perfume Pagoda.



Never trust what the tour agencies tell you. Because as it turned out, I was not really impressed. Maybe because I have seen it all before in Guilin, China. Or maybe Guilin has nicer scenery - I am not quite sure.



But the boat ride was still pretty fun. So I was not really complaining. Just that I was not impressed. It just did not make me go "Wow!"



Nam Nam explaining some of the things we saw during the boat ride.



That poor lady rower looked pretty exhausted, so Nam Nam helped her with the rowing.



I was seated almost at the back of the boat on a higher seat, so I did not need to stand up like this lady to take pictures.



After a while, everything around us just looked the same.



It was starting to get a little boring when we saw we have reached our destination! No, not Perfume Pagoda - we still need to climb up the mountain, remember? This is the base of Huong Tich Mountain and we disembarked there.



Everyone had left the boat except the sour faced rower. Sorry just can't stop myself from calling her that although she was not showing any sour face at that time.



Took a shot of the scenery from the jetty.



WARNING : Disturbing images ALERT right after this picture below! Please skip the rest of the post if you do not wish to see the images. 

Before going up the mountain, Nam Nam told us that we would be having our lunch first at one of the restaurants there. We passed by a long row of restaurants and eateries and I was wondering which restaurant we would be going to.



And then, to my horror, I saw this ...



And this!



What animal was that?! Not a dog, I hope.



These carcasses were hung off hooks and displayed in front of almost every shops there. Although I have heard that people in Vietnam do eat these animals, it's simply not the same as seeing the carcasses hanging like that.

Having said that, I was not particularly disturbed with what I saw. But it would surely be a shock to animal lovers and tourists not accustomed to seeing such garish display of dead animals!



That's a deer hanging together with a bunch of bananas.

And what do we have here?



Yikes! Giant lizards?

Is this a porcupine?



Oh no! I would surely lose my appetite after seeing all these!



I hoped we were not going into one of these restaurants! How could we even stand the smell?



Then we stumbled onto these bread. What's with those "legs"? Maybe I should have bought one of these bread to try but after seeing all those carcasses, I just did not feel like having any!



So what did we eat for lunch? And did Perfume Pagoda live up to my expectation?
Stay tuned for Part 2 coming up next!

My Trip To Perfume Pagoda In Vietnam (Part 2)

May 11, 2015, 10:30 am

≫ Next: Spending My Morning At Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum

≪ Previous: My Trip To Perfume Pagoda In Vietnam (Part 1)

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Continued from Part 1

After passing by the gruesome animal carcasses on hooks, we were a little apprehensive about having our lunch there. Luckily, we did not eat at any of the restaurants along that row. Our tour guide Nam Nam brought us to another restaurant a little further.



Walking up the steps, we could see many stalls on the left side.



Perfume Pagoda is a popular tourist attraction, but it is said to be very crowded with local pilgrims during the first two to three months after Tet (Vietnamese New Year according to the Lunar calendar). I would advise not visiting during those months (usually from January till March every year) unless of course, you are one of those people who enjoy the madness of a peak period.



I am not a crowd person so frankly, I was a bit worried that it would still be crowded with worshippers as it was just the first week of April. As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about.



We had lunch at Mai Lam Restaurant.



Our not-so-adventurous fare. Definitely thankful there's no dog, deer or porcupine on the plate!



During lunch, we debated on whether we should hike up the mountains or take the cable car to reach the pagoda at the top.

I had fun talking to everyone in our tour group. I asked a German tourist in our group to guess which country I was from and he said Malaysia. Surprised, I asked how he knew and he told me that he could guess just by listening to the way I speak English! Gosh!

It was then that I noticed that both my friend and I were the only Asians talking in distinctive Malaysian English. The Indonesian Chinese couple spoke English like Americans, and so did Nam Nam, our Vietnamese tour guide.



There are actually many pagodas (I heard about 14!) all over the area, but Nam Nam said he would only bring us to the main one inside a cave at the top of Huong Tich Mountain. I guess once you have seen one, you have seen all. To get to the top, we can either hike up or take the cable car.

My friend and I decided to go up using the cable car and then walk all the way down on the return journey. In this way, we could experience both the cable car ride and the hiking on the mountain.



In fact, all of us except for two ladies (from Canada I think) took the cable car ride up. It was a wise decision because the two ladies later told us that there was nothing to see on the way up as the views were all blocked by souvenir shops and tents!

This is the cable car station at the base of the mountain.



The cable car ticket was priced at 80,000 VND (about US$4) one way. I thought that was quite pricey especially if you need to take the cable car on the way down as well, which most of them did.



However, I had no regrets taking the cable car ride as we could watch the beautiful mountain-side scenery from the top.



Some pictures I took from the cable car.



Was I glad I did not hike up the mountain!



Halfway the journey, the cable car reached another station. Here, I was surprised to see lots of cash strewn on the floor! According to Nam Nam, these were money thrown by pilgrims to cleanse their sins. I wondered who collect all the money on the floor later.



Leaving the station, and the money, behind.



More beautiful views and scenery from the cable car.



I have a fear of heights, but somehow I did not feel fearful during the ride.



Maybe because I was too busy taking pictures there was no time to let the fear of heights took over me.



Finally, after about 15 minutes or so, we reached the top of Huong Tich Mountain.



Alighting from the cable car, we walked over to what looked like a very long staircase. This stone-slabs staircase leads to the cave below.



View of the stairs from the bottom.



There were numerous shrines inside the natural cave.



I have to say that the cave was pretty huge!









The floor was wet and slippery and I had to walk very carefully to avoid slipping and falling.



The cave was filled with incense and candles.



Tourists taking pictures as usual and I took a picture of them taking picture. LOL.



There were a lot of locals offering prayers at the shrines. Luckily, it was not too crowded. I can't imagine how it would be like if I were to be there during Tet celebrations.



I walked around for about 20 minutes and then I wanted to leave.



Yes, I wanted to leave. Because, honestly, I was not impressed.



I mean, if this is a major tourist destination as claimed in most of the travel brochures and online, then it must be the most hyped destination in all of Vietnam! There, I said it!



OK, I like this bell...



And I like the cable car ride although it's still nothing much to shout about.

But the temples inside the cave - what's the big deal with that? Not to put down their temples or having any disrespect, but I have seen better cave temples in Malaysia, my home country! I do not need to travel all the way to Vietnam to see this!

It was such an anti-climax and a disappointment. I was really glad I did not hike all the way up the mountain to see this cave!

While the rest of the tourists in our group took the cable car down, my friend and I decided to walk. But we were in for another disappointment. There was absolutely nothing interesting to see on our way down. Stalls and souvenir tents lined both side of the walkway, effectively blocking off any view of the mountains. How boring.



It was already late afternoon by the time we all leave Perfume Pagoda.



Back on the boat ride on Yen River.



I did not particularly enjoy this boat ride compared to the morning session, maybe because I had seen the scenery earlier and also it was quite hot under the afternoon sun.



Ironically, this boat ride was still way more enjoyable than visiting the Perfume Pagoda.



If there is any trip where the journey is more interesting than the destination, this must be the one!



We saw another smaller shrine along the river.



Come to think of it, no wonder the tour agent only brought us to the main pagoda. If the main pagoda is already quite a let down, why should we even visit the rest of the pagodas?



I used to take pictures of my leg and shoes whenever I travel inside a boat, so here's another one! Haha!



When we reached Duc Village, we had an unpleasant experience with our lady boat rower who insisted we pay her more tips and only in US dollars. You have of course read about this in Part 1, but if not, go read about it HERE.

Thereafter, we took the bus for another 3 hours journey (including a short stop at a souvenir shop) back to Hanoi.



So would I recommend a visit to Perfume Pagoda? I would say no. I feel it's more like a domestic tourist spot - more suited for locals than foreigners. Maybe it should not even be marketed as a tourist attraction!

But if you like to go on a scenic boat ride and see first hand porcupines being hung on hooks and ready to be cooked and eaten, then maybe, this trip is for you. Just don't expect to be impressed by anything and you should do pretty fine.

Next : A Morning Spent At Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum

Spending My Morning At Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum

May 15, 2015, 1:00 am

≫ Next: The Empress Of China Theme Song - Queen

≪ Previous: My Trip To Perfume Pagoda In Vietnam (Part 2)

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On my fifth and last day in Hanoi, I visited the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum. Located just across the street from the Temple Of Literature, the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum showcases Vietnam's fine arts from different historical periods.



My friend had already taken the early morning flight back to KL so I would be going solo again just like my first day in Hanoi.

The museum was housed in a colonial-style building, which was formerly a Catholic girls boarding school.  Entrance ticket was a very reasonable 20,000 VND (about US$1) and you are allowed to take as many pictures as you like! However, you need to keep your backpack in the locker which they provide free of charge.



I have to say that the three-storey building itself is a work of art! Don't you agree?



The exhibits in the museum were arranged chronologically from the bottom to the top floor. I started with a room at the ground floor which contains some pretty ancient stuffs, probably from the prehistoric era.



Many types of axes and spears.



Bronze drum (on the right) dating back to 300 years BC.



A belt buckle (left) and ancient bronze bells (middle and right).



A statue of a man kneeling down and carrying lamp in both hands.



I did not take pictures of all the exhibits - only the more interesting ones. I continued walking towards the right to cover the entire ground floor exhibits.

Here is a statue of the Buddha.



Sakyamuni Buddha on snowy mount



King Ly Nam De and the Queen. King Ly Nam De is considered by many to be the first emperor of Vietnam and founder of the Early Ly Dynasty.



Giving lecture



Buddhanandi made from lacquered wood



Buddhist cultural images from the Tay Son period.



Were these on the first floor of the museum? I could not remember, but they probably were.



An incense pillar. This is not a real incense pillar but a reproduction. It seems that many exhibits in this museum are reproductions as many of the original items were destroyed during the Vietnam War.



There's a section where they were many wood carvings on display.

Fighting against a tiger.



Two man playing a ball game - a work of art from the 17th century.



Depiction of a young girl.



Can you guess what game is this carving trying to depict?



No, not kung fu. It's boxing!

A giant Dragon and fairies riding on mini dragons.



Door carved with dragon images.



The phoenix and her cubs



This one is pretty remarkable - The One Thousand Eye And One Thousand Arm Guan Yin.



A closer shot





Duchess Yen



Buddha entering Nirvana. Yes if you must know, this pose was when Buddha was dying and entering Nirvana.



Scene of everyday life.



Legendary lion



Puppet offering incense sticks



Majucri Bodhisattva



Princess Trinh Thi Ngoc Co



Fairies and a fairy riding a dragon (bottom right)



Buddha Guan Yin



Duke Nguyen The My



Amitabha Buddha



A closer shot.



The room where the statue of Amitabha Buddha was placed.



More carvings on the wall, but I did not take pictures of them all.



A side shot of the Buddha Guan Yin with thousand arms.



The room where the statues reside.



Not exactly sure what this was.



A hideous looking creature at the top. I could not find any labels or information anywhere near it.



OK, there is information regarding this building, but I forgot to take a shot so I really have no idea what building this is!



Sculpture of a Lion.



Not your usual lion, but one of those mythical creatures.



Garuda beating the drum.



A portrait



Nice piece of art!



Finished with the first floor exhibits, I walked up to the second floor. This is the passageway of the first floor, I think.



Mother and child sculpture at the corridor.



Many sculptures displayed along the corridor.



On the second floor, there were some war related bronze sculptures on display.



Rice jar to feed the army



The caption for this reads "While eating its fruits, think of those who have grown the tree".



I like the expression on the faces of these sculptures.



I took some time to take a view outside the opened window of the museum building.



Pretty nice view, no?



Back to the exhibits. This one depicts a lady sharpening the bamboo spikes.



A drawing simply titled "Miss Lien". I wonder who she is!



Kim Dong



Cock fighting



I kind of like this sculpture!



Reading a book



A handful of land from the South



Very nice sculptures!



Dien Bien Phu victory



Oil on canvas titled "Central Region".



Memorial



I completed the whole tour of the museum in about one and a half hour. I could have taken longer but time was not really on my side. As it was my last day in Hanoi, I had to make full use of my time as I still have several places that I needed to visit.

Overall, the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum is worth visiting and I would certainly recommend it as part of your itinerary in Hanoi.

The Empress Of China Theme Song - Queen

May 16, 2015, 10:30 am

≫ Next: A Disappointing Dinner At Cha Ca La Vong In Hanoi

≪ Previous: Spending My Morning At Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum

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Lately, I have been following a Chinese drama called "The Empress Of China" (Wu Ze Tian) starring Fan Bingbing as the lead actress.

This historical drama, produced by Fan Bingbing herself, boasts a budget close to US$50 million, making it the most expensive TV series in Chinese history. One of the attractions of this drama is the lavish costumes worn by the actresses in the show. Unfortunately, the costumes were deemed too revealing by China's censorship authorities and many scenes were edited to show less cleavage.

Despite the censorship regulations, the series still enjoy high ratings in China. I guess the censorship has in a way hyped up the show even more. When Hong Kong's TVB station aired the show dubbed entirely in Cantonese, they employed additional CGI measures to play safe. And that's the version I am watching now on Astro - the 'very clean' TVB Cantonese version.

I guess Fan Bingbing must be very disappointed because according to reports, she actually went through a lot of hardships wearing those elaborate costumes!

Story-wise, I am not sure if the show sticks closely to the historical facts - I have a feeling it does not, but then again, I am not very well versed in the life of Wu Ze Tian, the only female Chinese emperor in history.

Besides the story, the acting and the costumes, I found myself drawn to the music, especially the theme song of the show. There are two theme songs - the China version and the Hong Kong version. The theme song in China is called Wu Zi Bei sung by Jane Zhang, with music written by Aarif Rahman, one of the lead actors in the show.

And then there is also the opening song in the China version called Qian Qiu sung by famous singer Sun Nan.

However, since I am watching the Hong Kong version, I am only familiar with the Cantonese theme song called Queen sung by Joey Yung. This theme song is also treated as the opening song for the show.

Queen is such a beautiful song that I fell in love with it at the first hearing! And since I get to listen to it every time I watch the show, naturally I began to hum it and soon found myself playing it on the piano.

And so, here is my piano version of The Empress Of China theme song. Please excuse my mistakes and slips, which inevitably occurred as I did not really practise before I made this recording. Enjoy! :)

A Disappointing Dinner At Cha Ca La Vong In Hanoi

May 22, 2015, 12:30 am

≫ Next: The Empress Of China Sub-Theme Song - The Secret Of Tears

≪ Previous: The Empress Of China Theme Song - Queen

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I really do not know why Cha Ca La Vong is so famous! Why is it even mentioned in almost all travel guide books on Hanoi is beyond me! It's even listed as one of the top 100 things you must try before you die by cuisine experts. Really? You see, I don't think it's worth going to this restaurant at all!

Let's backtrack to my last day in Hanoi. I have just visited Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology (will blog about this later) and was rushing back to the Old Quarter just to try this restaurant which was highly recommended in most travel guide books. I was rushing because I needed to reach the airport by 7pm to take my flight home. I did not want to miss this most talked about restaurant before heading home.



That's Cha Ca Street in the Old Quarter. Can you see the small white signboard on the right with the red words "Cha Ca La Vong"?

When I entered the restaurant, a guy inside told me it's not opened for dinner yet, and asked me to wait till 5pm. At that time, it was 10 minutes to 5pm. So I walked leisurely around the streets and returned right on the dot at 5pm.

Unfortunately, I was told that the restaurant was still not opened yet and I would have to wait till 5.15pm. I was not very pleased on hearing that. I thought the least they could do was to let me sit down and wait but no, they did not do that. What's even worse was the guy who spoke to me was not exactly apologetic and I would even say he had quite a rude "take it or leave" attitude.

Well, since I was so hard up for the "so called famous cha ca dish", I guess there's nothing I could do but to go for another leisure walk around town. I wondered if I would even make it back to my hotel on time as I had already booked the taxi to the airport which would arrive at my hotel at 6pm to pick me up!

Anyway, at 5.20pm, I returned to the restaurant, and they ushered me upstairs.



There is no menu in this restaurant because they have only one dish - the much talked about cha ca or grilled catfish, supposedly a Hanoi street delicacy. The grilled fish is usually marinated, grilled on charcoal, then fried in oil.

But they were fast - immediately after I sat down, a staff came out with a burner and a small pan on top containing the grilled fish already frying in oil that's probably flavoured with spices. She also  brought out side dishes consisting of fresh herbs, peanuts, fish sauce with chili and a plate of rice noodles.



The staff then put in some spring onions and fresh dill into the hot pan and stirred them with the fish already inside. And it's done - ready to be eaten.



I did not really know how to eat it but after having been in Hanoi for five days, I did not think it was that difficult to figure it out. What I did was place some rice noodles into the empty bowl, add in one or two pieces of the grilled fish, some herbs and peanuts and poured in some of the fish sauce and just scoop them up with my chopsticks.



Was it delicious?

No. A huge, big NO. I would even say it's bland.

Sorry to say that, but I had expected something more awesome than this after hearing so much about it! And guess what's the price tag? A very expensive 170,000 VND (US$7.80)!! Drinks were not even included - you would have to pay extra for drinks!



OK even with the food not living up to my expectation, maybe the interior of the restaurant would somehow make it worthwhile for a visit right?

NO again. There's nothing to see inside the restaurant - it was just filled with wooden tables and chairs with some dusty cabinets and a shrine near the wall. Luckily there were ceiling fans to keep you cool or it would be quite hot inside.

I heard Cha Ca La Vong has been operating for over a century, encompassing five generations, making it one of the oldest restaurants in Vietnam! Maybe that's why it is so famous. Maybe that's why the staff were a little stuck up.

Whatever it is, I am not stepping back into this restaurant! Perhaps I will try this dish again but at other cheaper restaurants in Hanoi.

The Empress Of China Sub-Theme Song - The Secret Of Tears

May 27, 2015, 9:00 pm

≫ Next: My Visit To Phu Tay Ho In Hanoi

≪ Previous: A Disappointing Dinner At Cha Ca La Vong In Hanoi

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This is my piano version of the sub-theme song from Fan Bingbing's The Empress Of China (TVB version) called "The Secret Of Tears". Originally sung by Jinny Ng, I found this song to be extremely addictive! Hope you like it! : )



You can listen to my piano version of the main theme entitled Queen HERE.

If you like, do follow me on SoundCloud for all my other piano performances and recordings HERE.

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My Visit To Phu Tay Ho In Hanoi

May 29, 2015, 12:30 am

≫ Next: My Visit To Kim Lien Pagoda At West Lake, Hanoi

≪ Previous: The Empress Of China Sub-Theme Song - The Secret Of Tears

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If visiting temples during your travels is your kind of thing, then a visit to Phu Tay Ho in Hanoi should be included in your itinerary.

It was my last day in Hanoi and I was travelling solo. My friend had left the day before. Right after my tour of the Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum in the morning, I flagged down a taxi to take me to a part of Hanoi that I wanted to see badly - the West Lake area.

My first stop at West Lake was at Phu Tay Ho Temple.



That is the main entrance gate of the temple. My taxi driver did not stop in front of this temple but further off, and I had to walk quite a bit to reach here. It was OK as I did not mind walking and exploring the place.

Below is the same gate from the other side.



Located on a peninsula in the middle of West Lake, the Tay Ho Temple was rather quiet during my visit. But I heard that it would get quite crowded during 1st and 15th days of each lunar month.



The temple, also known as Tay Ho Pagoda, is not a Buddhist temple - neither is it a Confucius temple. It is actually dedicated to the Mother Goddess, Thanh Mau. 



Legend has it that sometime in the 17th century, the Mother Goddess appeared as a pretty girl to a fisherman on the lake, smiling and reciting poetry. However, she disappeared without a trace after that. The locals found out her real identity and decided to build Phu Tay Ho.



The main building of the temple, which is located on the left side after entering the main gate.



Intricate carvings



The Jade Emperor is also worshipped here, although he is deemed less important than the Mother Goddess.



Not sure why, but I did not take any pictures inside the temple that day. Maybe that's a good thing because then you will visit this temple to have a look yourself rather than just reading from my blog haha!



I like the ambiance here - peaceful and quiet. Not many visitors and worshippers that day.



I like the shape of that roof with the dragon carvings!



There were some Vietnam heritage trees in the temple compound, like this one.



It's called Ficus Benjaminal otherwise known as the Weeping Fig tree.






Look at this tree! It was slanting so much it needed supporting beams.



One good thing about this temple is you get to see the view of West Lake.



Not sure what structure this is but it has two elephants at the bottom and two dragons at the top. Hanging from the middle is a bat-shaped axe.



Bats are regarded as auspicious objects as the word for bat and good fortune are homonyms in Chinese.



Dragon



Elephant



Walking towards the right side of the temple compound while enjoying the view of the lake.



Another heritage tree here - banyan tree.



This tree is so tall!



Can you see a golden buffalo and its calf in the photo below?



I forgot to take a close shot of the buffaloes! Apparently there's a legend surrounding these buffaloes but I was not too clear about it.



Another temple building with lovely dragon carvings at the rooftop.



Close shot of the rooftop carvings.



More photos ....












A giant bell and a carp. Not sure what they represents.



It was said that this giant bell is actually a replica of an even larger bell, which according to legend, when it was rung, the sound could be heard as far away as China!






I took only about half an hour to complete my tour of Phu Tay Ho. Clearly, the temple was not very large but it was still a nice temple to visit.



There are actually many temples around West Lake. So expect me to go temple hopping! LOL!



Which temple would I be visiting next? Stay tuned!

My Visit To Kim Lien Pagoda At West Lake, Hanoi

June 2, 2015, 10:00 am

≫ Next: My Visit To Tran Quoc Pagoda At West Lake, Hanoi

≪ Previous: My Visit To Phu Tay Ho In Hanoi

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From the Phu Tay Ho Temple, I took a motorbike ride to Kim Lien Pagoda (Chua Kim Lien) which is not very far away, probably about 5 minutes ride.

Arriving at the front gate of Kim Lien Pagoda, I instructed my driver to wait for me before entering the temple compound. There are many pagodas around West Lake (Ho Tay) and I would need the driver to get me to these temples.



The wooden entrance gate looked unusual as it has three arches and multiple roofs with sword shapes at the edges. I entered via a smaller gate at the side as the main gate was closed.



Also known as the Golden Lotus Pagoda, Chua Kim Lien is considered one of the most ancient Buddhist temples in Hanoi. From the lake, the pagoda looks like a golden lotus floating on the water's surface.



I like the architectural design of this temple, especially its curved roof, door and circular windows.



There was an information board on the wall but it was all written in Vietnamese language.



According to legend, the pagoda was built in the 12th century by Princess Tu Hoa, who later moved in and taught the locals how to rear silkworms to make silk.



I saw many flower pots hanging along the wall of the temple.



Cute looking bells.



The temple compound was very quiet during my visit. There were not many people around. I only saw two or three tourists. I did not step into the temple, but just walked around the temple compound.



Lotus-shaped decoration hanging from the ceiling.



Bat-shaped decorations that are considered auspicious.



View of a small pond next to the temple.



Despite numerous renovations being done throughout the years, the pagoda managed to retain its unique architectural style.



Once I was outside Kim Lien Pagoda, I was greeted by my motorbike driver who was all eager to take me to my next destination, which was of course another pagoda. Temple-hopping around West Lake is definitely an activity you should not miss!

My Visit To Tran Quoc Pagoda At West Lake, Hanoi

June 8, 2015, 11:00 am

≫ Next: Princess Mononoke Theme Song - My Piano Version

≪ Previous: My Visit To Kim Lien Pagoda At West Lake, Hanoi

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There are many temples and pagodas around West Lake in Hanoi. I did not have the time to visit all of them, so I had to pick and choose the more important ones.

Having visited Phu Tay Ho Temple and Kim Lien Pagoda, two of the most famous pagodas at West Lake, I decided to visit the oldest pagoda in Hanoi - Tran Quoc Pagoda.



From Kim Lien Pagoda, my motorbike driver brought me to Tran Quoc Pagoda, which is less than 5 minutes ride away.

Even before I came down from the motorbike, I could already see the tall pagoda in the distance.



The Tran Quoc Pagoda, built way back in the 6th century during the reign of King Ly Nam De, is a Buddhist temple. Originally named Khai Quoc, it was first built on the shores of Red River (where Red River and West Lake meets) before relocated to Kim Ngu islet (the present site) in the 17th century.

A causeway linked the mainland to the temple. Palm trees lined both sides of the causeway, making it looked rather pleasant.



Walking on the causeway, I could see the vast lake known as West Lake or Ho Tay. Just so that you can imagine the size, the circumference of this lake is about 13 km or 8 miles!



I reached the front gate of the pagoda. This gate is actually a recent addition, built in 1815.



This is a passageway right after entering the gate. The pagoda is located on the left side, behind the wall.



The sight of the pagoda tower right in front of me was quite breathtaking. It is about 15 metres high and has 11 tiers. Each tier is designed to represent the petals of a lotus flower. There are 6 arch windows on every level - each housing a statue of Buddha made from precious stones.



OK, let's do a quick math, shall we? Since this six-sided pagoda has 11 levels, how many Buddha statues do you think reside in this pagoda?

Close shot of some of the statues.









Shrines made from bricks surround the tower.



These shrines, with big chinese letterings on the walls,  have altars with incense wafting out the windows.



I took two pictures of this. One with the man who was blocking the view.



And the other without the man so you can see what's there.



There were quite a number of tourists during my visit - fortunately it was not crowded.



There is another pagoda here - a yellow pagoda built in 1939.



This yellow pagoda houses 14 engraved plaques chronicling the refurbishments from 1813 to 1815.

I took a shot of West Lake standing on the temple compound.



I could also see Sofitel Plaza Hotel from here.



There is another shrine and a large bodhi tree at the back of the temple courtyard, but I did not take any pictures. Instead, I took more pictures of the pagoda tower.






The architectural design together with the ambience of the green trees and lake make a visit to this pagoda very worthwhile indeed.



If you only have time to visit just one pagoda in Hanoi, I would recommend that you visit Tran Quoc Pagoda!

Coming Up Next : The Amazing Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology

Princess Mononoke Theme Song - My Piano Version

June 11, 2015, 11:00 am

≫ Next: One Sweet Day

≪ Previous: My Visit To Tran Quoc Pagoda At West Lake, Hanoi

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I don't watch much anime but one that I watched and left a deep impression on me is Princess Mononoke.



Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, this 1997 anime epic from Studio Ghibli is about a young warrior called Ashitaka who is involved in a struggle between the forest gods and the evil humans who consume its resources.

I still remember I found myself totally immersed in the movie when I first watched it. Since then, I had always wanted to watch Miyazaki's other anime movies. A few years after Princess Mononoke, Miyazaki released another anime called Spirited Away and that movie took my breath away! Perhaps I will talk about Spirited Away at another time.



Besides the engaging storyline and the artistic drawings, I was also attracted to the musical soundtrack of Princess Mononoke, especially the main theme song. Composed by Joe Hisaishi, the song is just so beautiful and it suited the anime perfectly.

The theme song was originally performed by the Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra (instrumental version) and sung by counter-tenor Yoshikazu Mera.

I thought this song sounds beautiful on the piano so I have decided to play my own version and here's my recording of it. As usual, please ignore any errors and slips in my playing. Hope you like it! : )



If you like to listen to my other piano recordings, do follow me on Soundcloud by clicking HERE.

One Sweet Day

July 8, 2015, 10:55 am

≫ Next: The Amazing Vietnam Museum Of Ethnology

≪ Previous: Princess Mononoke Theme Song - My Piano Version

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I have been busy and neglected my blog for the past two weeks. So today I am going to do a very short post. In fact, it's going to be a post about my new piano composition which I recorded yesterday.

The title of this new composition is "One Sweet Day". If it sounds familiar, that's because it's the title of the hit song by Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men back in the 90's. Though I borrowed the title, the tune is completely different and is based on what I felt at the time of writing.

Hope you enjoy listening to it and do leave some comments if you like! :)



Note : This work and recording is copyrighted. All rights reserved.