Monday 7 September 2015

REFERENCES




Greeting earthlings. So, this is my last and final entry of the day, month and year. This sister is about to retire from writing blog entries. 

Hmm I hope you earthlings enjoyed reading or scrolling my blog. If you did not enjoy, I get it it's not a cute and interesting blog to begin with. But heyyy, this sister did do her very best in making the blog as interesting as possible. Oh for your information, creating a blog is no simple task. It takes a whole lot of energy and effort okay HAHAH but still I had a blast writing 'em posts about Vietnam.

Okay, before this sister ends this entry. I just wanna list down all of the references that I had obtained all this time. Bear in mind that these references are all regarding the entries that I wrote about. 

So, here we go. I'm going to list all of them here. And I'm not really sure how many references there are in total HAHAH. 



So, I guess that's all for now earthlings. Uhh I'll see you when I see you then *muah muah*
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EXPERIENCES IN VIETNAM


Greetings earthlings. As you can see from the picture and title above, this sister is going to talk about her experiences when she stayed in Vietnam (specifically Ho Chi Minh City). If you've read my first entry, you should know that I tend to move a lot, from one country to the other. Why? Hmm it's because of my dad's work. It requires him to always move around. 

So, how did I end up in Vietnam? Uhh it all started back in 2009 (if I'm not mistaken), that time I was in Form 2. My dad told me that he would be moving to Vietnam. Immediately after he told, I had already made up my mind about going there with him. Hmm I wasn't too fond my school back then. It felt as if I was in prison AHAHA I know it may sound as if I'm exaggerating. But I'm telling you, I just didn't feel like I fitted in that school. After having gone through a few talk with my dad, he finally gave his answer - it was a YES! Boy oh boy, was I thrilled. When the day came for me to pack all of my things and fly to Vietnam with my dad, I was super excited. I was really looking forward to studying at an international school. I even googled where I was going to study at. The school was called International School Ho Chi MInh City (ISHCMC). Oh yeah, my mom decided to stay in Malaysia because she didn't want to leave her job. So, only my dad, my younger siblings and me that went to Vietnam. 



When I first landed in Vietnam, there was a mixed of emotions that I felt - scared, nervous, frighten, happy, excited, thrilled. My first impression of Vietnam when I stepped out from the airport was that - WOW, there are so many motorcycles. My dad then told me that the majority of the Vietnamese prefer to ride motorcycles as it is a cheap way of transportation compared to riding a car. Hmm what impressed me the most was that, even though there are many tons of motorcycles however there never occurred any accidents. Impressive right? I personally think that when it comes to the means of transportation on the road, the Vietnamese has quite a manner towards it. They give way and they aren't as hasty as the cyclers in Malaysia. 

Anyways, the picture above? Hmm that's where I stayed at. It's called Somerset Apartment. We lived in the second block - the Bougainvillea block. It's a residential apartment which means there were lots of families living there. Many of my dad's friends lived there as well. Eventually my siblings and I became friends with their children. Majority of us ended up going to the same school - International School Ho Chi Minh City (ISHCMC). 

The picture above - that's my former school. I was in Grade 9 when I came to that school. And I left when I was in Grade 11. During my school days there, I was enrolled in a programme called International Baccalaureate (IB). Basically I was taking A level or diploma as so you would call it. Hmm during my Grade 11, it was the toughest moment ever. I wasn't prepared mentally and I felt as if everything was going too fast. But still, I did have fun every day since I moved to Vietnam. I remember going out with my friends, having sleepovers at their house. Quite frankly, I was pretty active when I was in ISHCMC. I joined the girls' soccer team oh and also the basketball team. I participated in Model United Nations where I was sent to Hanoi and Singapore for the conference. What I loved most about being at ISHCMC was that I was given so many opportunities to explore myself. I was given a chance to travel here and there. Not to forget, I also joined several drama productions in school. To be honest, I love to act and to be on stage. It just excites me and I somehow love the feeling of having all eyes on me even though I get stage fright sometimes HAHAH. But still that didn't stop me from being on stage. 

My experience when I lived in Vietnam is definitely unforgettable. I had the time of my life there. I made new friends from all over the world, I gained my confidence level and it made me even more motivated to study abroad. 

Hmmm I guess that's all I want to share with you guys. There's more to my experiences but I'm gonna stop here. Plus I don't think you peeps wanna hear my story, right? So yea - that's my story. Sorry if there's not much to tell but I can assure you that Vietnam is a very pretty country and it was my second home during the past. 

Thank you Vietnam for treating me so nicely when I was there. 

Okay, that's all for now earthlings. I'll see you in the next entry *muah muah* 
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WHERE TO SHOP


Greetings earthlings. We meet again. For those who have been loyal (and by loyal I mean those who are always finding time to read my blog), I appreciate you guys and girls very much. And for those new followers of mine, welcome welcome and welcome. Don't be shy to read my blog. Although it might not be as interesting as other blogs or websites, please excuse me. I am still new at writing a blog. 

Anyways, we have come to an exciting part of the blog. This is where I am going to write about the interesting and fun places in Vietnam YEAYYY. 

Just so you know, many tourists cannot help but throw themselves head-first into shopping while in Vietnam. You ask why? Hmm it's probably because of the variety of quality goods and the tempting prices have a lot to do with it. Many low-budget travelers consider Vietnam a heavenly place because in many shopping situations they can bargain the prices down to as much as a third of the original price. *OMG* I know all you shopping lovers @ addicts are going crazy for this right?  

Not only that, shopping in Ho Chi Minh City is truly one of the highlights of this interesting city. New shopping malls are springing up all over the downtown Saigon, bringing with them international fashion brands to please the most demanding of fashion connoisseurs, but it is the variety of shopping experiences and one-off items that most excite the tourists about shopping here.



Ben Thanh Market is one of the best shopping destination in Ho Chi Minh City. The market is centrally located so where ever you are in the city you can easily reach this place. Ben Thanh Market is a street of small vendors selling everything you would want to buy. It is a mix of sight, history, smell, color and delights. Here you will find accessories, antique, artwork, apparels, handicrafts, lacquer boxes, luggages, souvenirs, shoes, bags, t-shirts, coffee beans, coffee, spices, fruits, vietnamese silk products, home decorations and many many more. Like seriously, everything that you can think of Ben Thanh Market has it. 



Vincom Center Shopping Mall is the largest shopping mall in Ho Chi Minh City, having more than 250 shops. Vincom Center has two buildings - Vincom Center A and Vincom Center B. Vincom Center A is housed in a delightful French styled period building connected to the Continent Hotel. Meanwhile Vincom Center B is just behind it, occupying the first five storeys of a modern, glass-fronted skycrapper. 


      
  
Saigon Square Shopping Mall is a great place to test your bargaining skills. In Ho Chi Minh City, there are two Saigon Square - on the corner of Nam Ky Khoi and Le Loi in District 1. This shopping mall is packed with stalls on two levels selling fashion, accessories and jewellery. 


Diamond Plaza is a beautifully renovated department store in Ho Chi Minh City which is surrounded by many of the city's most attractive sites such as Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon Post Office and the April 30th Park (a charming open space with tall trees and greenery). The department store is housed in a charming colonial-looking building with an attractive glass-fronted office block rising up into the sky just behind the shopping centre. Diamond Plaza sells cosmetics, perfumes, watches and jewellery on the first floor while on the second floor it sells both men and women's wear and on the third floor, there is a convenient collection of electronic products and mobile phones. Additional information, Vincom Center is just a 5 minute walk from Diamond Plaza. 


Parkson Plaza is an international standard department store that is laid out in the tried and tested formula of cosmetics and perfumes on the ground floor, fashion for men and women on the second and third floor, with homeware and restaurants on the fourth floor. 

So earthlings, what are you waiting for? All these interesting shopping malls are awaiting you. If you happen to be in Vietnam, don't forget to swing by these malls and heyy you might even learn a few tricks on how to bargain. 

Okay, that's all for now earthlings. I'll see you in the next entry *muah muah* 
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WHERE TO STAY


Greetings earthlings. In this entry, I will be writing about the places (mainly hotels) that you can stay at. There are a variety of options to choose from - whether you want the most expensive hotels or the least expensive hotels. Bear in mind that all these hotels have reviews based on the guests that have stayed there. Usually, when tourist visit Vietnam, they prefer to stay a budget hotel because the environment is basically like staying at a fancy hotel; it's just cheaper and smaller. But the service is just as good. 

What I can see is that tourist would rather choose to stay at a budget hotel because they won't really spend their entire day at the room but they would usually be outside, shopping. So basically they book a hotel just for the sake of resting. Hmm, I too would do the same thing. Plus we need to save all the money for shopping right. So, it doesn't really matter where you stay at as long as the accommodation is comfortable then it's all good. 

So, here are the list of affordable hotels that are in Vietnam. Don't worry about transportation because you won't really need them. You can just walk from the hotel to the place where you want to go. For instance, there are tons of affordable hotels near Ben Thanh Market. 

Okay, so here we go. I'm going to start listing 'em affordable hotels. 




Bich Duyen Hotel 
"Great value, clean, friendly staff and affordable"


Alagon Saigon Hotel & Spa 
"6 star experience, great value hotel"


Nguyen Khang Hotel
"Very clean, cheap"


Diep Anh Guesthouse 
"Great time there, affordable too"


Phan Lan Hotel 
"Best value for $, great service"


Duc Vuong Hotel
"Fantastic, great, friendly service"


Minh Chau Hotel
"2 star hotel with 5 star customer service"


Thao Nhi Hotel
"A good value for money"


Kim Hotel
"Pretty good quality and price"


Thien Vu Hotel
"Homely"


Thuan Duc Hotel
"Good value hotel"

Wow, so many options to choose from right? Well if you ever happen to be in Vietnam, you can just swing by these hotels. I mean it's better if you book early but don't worry, there will always be available rooms for you. Plus, if the hotel you want is fully book then you can always go other hotels, right right right? AHAHA there's actually more budget hotels but for now, I'm just listing several of them. I hope this helps you. 

Okay, that's all for now earthlings. I'll see you in the next entry *muah muah* 
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WHERE TO EAT


Greetings earthlings. For this entry, this sister is gonna write about all 'em fancy restaurants that are in Vietnam. But specifically I will be focusing on the HALAL restaurants. 

Hmm back in 2008, it was kinda hard to find a decent halal restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. So what my dad would do, he would always buy meat and chicken from halal suppliers and would cook for us. I love my dad's cooking but then sometimes, I prefer to eat outside. Heyyy, eating at restaurants sometimes is needed okay. I wanna smell the fresh air, see the outside world HAHAH.

But that was in the past (I mean the part where it was hard to find halal restaurants in Vietnam). Now, you can just refer to Google regarding the halal restaurants here. And quite frankly, you'll find a lot. So, to make it easy for you earthlings that plan to visit Vietnam any time soon, I will list all em' halal restaurants for you. 

So, here are the lists of halal restaurants. 



 Serai Halal Restaurant is located at 22 Thu Khoa Huan P. Ben Thanh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. 



Halia Restaurant is located at 25 Thu Khoa Huan Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.



Saigon Green House Restaurant is located at 96A Nam Ky Khoi Nghua, Q1, Ho Chi Minh City.



D'nyonya Restaurant is located at 56 Dong Du Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.



Saigon Seri Penang is located at 29 Luu Wan Lang, Ben Thanh, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.



Kampung Melayu Halal Restaurant is located at 31 Nguyen An Ninh Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.



Banana Leaf @ Saigon is located at 57 Vo Van Tan, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City.



Halal @ Saigon is located at 31 Dong Du, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.



Saigon Sahran Restaurant is located at 6 Truong Dinh, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.



Kedai Shamsudin Restaurant is located at 445 Le Hong Phong Street, Ward 2, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City. 



Tandoor is located at 74/6 Hai Ba Trung Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.



Bombay Indian Restaurant is located at 57-59 Ham Nghi, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.



Curry Express is located at 29 Dong Du, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.

I hope this list of halal restaurants in Vietnam helps you (if not a lot then a bit). Oh, I didn't do any reviews on these restaurants because - one, there's just too many restaurants and - two, you should be the judge of evaluating these restaurants. 

Okay, that's all for now earthlings. I'll see you in the next entry *muah muah* 
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THINGS TO DO


Greetings earthlings. So, what to do in Vietnam? Have no fear people (like seriously) have no fear at all because Vietnam offers you tons of exciting and fun activities. Hmm if you are an active type, Vietnam has many trails for you to blaze and hike in this country features so many different types of topography you'll wonder if you haven't strayed over the border or not. Oh, scuba diving along the central coast is gorgeous while exploring the nooks and crannies of Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi, or even paradisaical Hoi An is a great way to spend the afternoon. By the way, Vietnamese cuisine is also unique and fascinating and each town will present you with an opportunity to learn how to prepare it in a cooking school. But earthlings, just know this - whatever your activity in Vietnam is, it will be enjoyable in this land called Vietnam. 

 For this entry, I will share with you earthlings what can you do while you're in Vietnam. Like I said earlier, there are many fun activities that you can get involved in. So yeah, let's get started with the list of things to do while you're here LALALA.

Visit the Thien Hau Temple (Pagoda) - it is located in the Chinatown area of Ho Chi Minh City and built back in the 19th century. Thien Hau Temple is dedicated to Thien Hau, the Lady of the Sea. The beauty of the temple could be seen through the intricate details and carvings. As for the sculptures, they are colorful but weathered making it look ancient and dusted. When you're in this temple, it sort of makes you feel like you're in China. 

Museum of Ho Chi Minh City displays the history and making of Ho Chi Minh City. Plus it also shows a number of Vietnamese culture exhibits. The museum is housed in a mansion palace that was neoclassical structure built with pillars and wooden staircases. 


Reunification Palace used to be a home for the president of South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Inside, you will see meeting rooms, dining rooms and lounges that are fit for royalty. 


Saigon Cathdral of Notre Dame marks the center of the French colonial heritage in Saigon. The cathedral is breathtaking, with two 40 meter high towers and a statue of the Virgin Mary in the front lawn area. Inside the cathedral, you will see beautiful stained glass windows, the wooden pews and classic plaid floor tiles. 


Central Post Office Saigon is across the street from the Cathedral of Notre Dame. The French colonial architecture of this post office really stands out. If you feel like you want to post a letter or even buy a postcard, you can just walk in there and do so. 

So, I repeat there are a lot of things that you can do when you're in Vietnam. If you feel like you want to enjoy the history of Vietnam then you can visit the places that I have mentioned above. 

Oh yea, I have also attached a video that I got from youtube. It's about 23 things that you can do while you're in Ho Chi Minh City. Enjoy the video because I find it quite interesting. Plus, it has more details compared to me HAHAH. 


Okay, that's all for now. I'll see you in the next entry *muah muah* 
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LET'S LEARN VIETNAMESE


Greetings earthlings. This is the moment that you've been waiting for. This is where I am going to teach (well not really teach because I'm not an expert in Vietnamese) but I will share with you several videos where you can learn how to speak basic Vietnamese. 

Now, I'm not going to write a whole lot about Vietnamese language. This is because I have attached a couple of videos that teaches you greetings, numbers, self introduction and manners. I guess if I write some more then it would just be redundancy. So, this sister don't wanna do that. Basically for this entry, you don't have to read much. You just have to watch the videos (that's if you want to) but if you don't feel like watching then it's all good. I don't take it to heart. 

Now you know how to greet in Vietnamese. So, let's proceed on with how to introduce yourself. 


You earthlings now know how to introduce yourself in Vietnamese. Now let's learn how to count. 





Hmm easy right counting in Vietnamese? Moving on to the next video which is about the Vietnamese manners. I hope you earthlings can get some input after watching it - after all 'manners maketh man' HAHAHA. What I mean to say is that it is important to learn a country's manners so that you won't disrespect the locals there. 


So, how were the videos? Did you get a lot of input? Can you now master a bit of Vietnamese language or do you still have trouble? I know learning new languages can be tough but heyyy, never give up. Just keep on practicing because practice makes perfect aite? 

Anyways, I just wanna wish you earthlings luck in learning Vietnamese language. You can do, have faith in yourself. 

Okay, that's all for now. I'll see you in the next entry *muah muah* 
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