Out of the country

[afuna]

Heading out to Cambodia/Vietnam for five days *g* I meant to research language, but somehow ended up researching food instead.

I'm in the middle of packing up clothes, and wrapping up time critical items. I will regret the lack of language knowledge soon enough *rueful*.

(From my research, it sounds like it will be similar to the Philippines in some respects, and very different in others which I mean. I DUNNO. I feel like I may be able to luck out with Chinese in some areas, though)

I will be busy during the day, but will be coming online at night. (I suspect I'll be tired from all the walking, so not going to be around much, but)



I will have more luck with the language (and similar luck with food *_*) in Hong Kong, where I'm visiting briefly at the end of this month. Mom needs to do some errands for my grandpa, and needs someone to accompany her, so I volunteered / was volunteered.

Quite happily! There's a fantastic restaurant over there called Jade Garden, plus the other fantastic restaurant which I forgot the name of but which has yummy goose, and we're definitely dropping by both of those.

Bonus: the hotel is within walking distance of the yarn store I made my mom tell me about. It's the same yarn store where my mom bought the cashmere yarn that I used for my grandpa's scarf. Not that I intend on splurging on cashmere on my own, but they carry other, more interesting stuff, too, like a bamboo mix which is bright and glossy and really lovely.

I have never been there, but I have dispatched my mom and brother (who was the designated helper last time my mom ended up in Hong Kong) to that store. That time, I didn't have much money, and I could only get them to understand as far as "nothing acrylic!"

This time, I will be there personally. And I will have money to spare :-)


-- lots more stuff about Hong Kong than about Cambodia or Vietnam because I have been to HK, but never been to either Cambodia or Vietnam. I'm excited to go to all these places!

Comments

[pinesandmaples]

The way you talk about hopping around between countries sounds like a New Yorker taking the train to the 6th borough for a weekend shopping trip.

Let's be serious: that's kind of awesome.

[afuna]

Heeee!

[starlurker]

How awesome! Have loads of fun!

[jd]

I love Vietnamese food *_* Have fun!

[thorfinn]

I approve of your prioritisation - food is more important, if you don't find nice food, it's highly traumatic! :-)

Language, one can always get away with pointing and making vague and random hand signs. :-)

[afuna]

Yessss. I love food and I am really excited *laughs*

[ex_pippin880]

Ohhhh, awesome! Enjoy! :D

[kerravonsen]

like a bamboo mix which is bright and glossy and really lovely.

Oh that sounds good. I love the feel of the bamboo/cotton blends I've looked at. But I'm a magpie when it comes to pretty, crafty things: cloth, beads, textiles... I collect them all. And then don't get around to making anything with them. I'm doing better with the wool and beads, though, since I discovered micro-macrame.

[afuna]

Yes! The one bad thing about bamboo/cotton blends is that they tend toward splitty, but I love them for their sheen despite all that *g*

[jumpuphigh]

Warning about bamboo - it felts, badly. Like it turns into this felted prickly mess that you won't ever want to touch again.

[afuna]

Oh! I wouldn't have expected that, since I thought that only animal fiber felts. Thank you for the warning.

[jumpuphigh]

It really surprised me.

[ursamajor]

Hong Kong! Awesome! Wave hi to my brother :) I got to go back on '04 to visit him, and had a great time, so I've been following one of my favorite blogger's current Hong Kong trip with great interest. (Also, she talks about bikes and food and public transit and is a piano teacher and always looks so chic, so you can see many reasons why I like reading her blog ;) )

[afuna]

*clicks*

AND I WILL. (Though that will be in about two weeks' time *snerk*)

[starshadow_rivaulx]

GOOSE! *wistful eyes* Oh my sweet heaven, how I do love roast goose, especially the version from that Chinese place on the second floor of the New World mall (that also has a stall in the airport, and of course I do not remember its name, lah!)...

Vietnamese food is good. All that stuff that Pho Hoa serves? Wait till you get a taste of the real thing. YUMM-MY! (Like the time I got to eat real catfish/green mango salad in Bangkok. My taste buds will never be the same.)

Yarn shop! And money to burn! Possibly one of the best equations for bliss that can be found on the planet, bar none.

[afuna]

Oh man. We didn't even get around to much pho, but we had lots of stuff which was so much better. It's like the difference between Goldilocks and ohh Kamayan (I still like Pho Hoa though ahahah)