Motivation for updating this blog has been low lately. The mere thought of all the Vietnam-related posts I was aspiring to complete apparently burnt me out for nearly 6 months! So, I'm going to get back in to this slowly. To me that means one sweet and simple post every week or so to get me back in the swing of things. In the meantime, perhaps the biggest news I have for you at the moment is this:
Domain Name Change 2013!
As I mentioned way back in December, I have let my adropinmybucketlist.com domain expire. It's too long, wordy, and in my opinion it doesn't really represent what I think this blog is about- nor is it the name of the blog to begin with! What was I thinking?! So, ladies and gents, please welcome:
FMLB.net!
Sweet, simple, easy to remember, and somewhat catchy perhaps? Not to mention it actually matches the title of my blog. Easy Peasy.
So- if anybody is still here- what do you think? Better? I think I lost a lot of readership due to the change, but hopefully y'all will manage to wander in to my little spot on the web :-)
I've been lazy, and my Life List has paid the price. Anything that I have completed has quite honestly been done by accident!
Drop 73: Meet Somebody Famous
I am a huge Food Network fan. So, imagine my surprise when out at a WaterFire I ran in to Michele Ragussis!
Who is Michele Ragussis?
Michele is probably best known for making runner-up on Food Network's "Food Network Star"- where chefs aspiring for their own TV show compete in tasks testing their ability to handle the pressures involved with being a show host on Food Network. Michele was a runner-up, and made it to the show's finale.
Although Michele didn't win, it is clear that she is a Food Network favorite. She has also appeared on Chopped and again on the show "24 Hour Restaurant Battle" where she DID win. She is a talented chef and has a genuinely upbeat personality that can attract a following.
Drop 77: Vote for the President of the United States
I am not sure why I have this on my list. I vote every chance I get. So of course, when November came around, I voted. This was also on my 25 before 25, so it's a double-whammy.
Drop 86: Go Zorbing
While in Vietnam we visited the Đại Nam Văn Hiến tourism complex. This place was amazing, and way too big to visit in a single day. Inside the park Dai Nam Park is a shopping center, hotel, movie theater, theme park, campground, water park, zoo, and numerous temples. There is even a 'snow land', where you can go sledding and tubing! The water park is home to the largest artificial salt sea in Southeast Asia- and yes, you can Water Zorb.
I wished I had taped the experience- it was absolutely a mess! I kept falling out of the ball and couldn't quite get it going. I felt like a washed-up gerbil!
Drop 92: Relearn the Alphabet in Sign Language
I wanted to teach Lela baby sign language. Lucky for me, it is nearly identical to ASL! Lela's favorite song is the ABC's, mostly due to my lack of knowledge in baby songs. What better time to relearn the alphabet in Sign Language? I knew some of the signs already, so this was a quick one to knock out.
Drop 116: Salem, MA for Halloween
For Lela's first Halloween I really wanted to go to Salem- the destination for the holiday. Because of Hurricane Sandy, we decided to play it safe and go a few days before Halloween, since Salem was going to be mostly closed for the day itself. It was pretty neat! We dressed Lela as a dragon, as it is her zodiac sign (she is a lucky baby!). We even made the news! Well, kind of. After finding some famous graves in Salem's graveyard, the hubby noticed a news camera following Lela. Later that night at a Chinese restaurant- and by pure chance- we glanced up and saw her face on the TV! The brief clip is at 1:40 on this newscast:
After the first day in Vietnam I began to adjust to the humidity. The air didn't seem as heavy, and I could almost breathe. Vinh's dad decided to take us to Bien Hoa, a city not too far from HCMC, to visit some relatives. After dining on an eel soup that fed all ten of us- and over 400,000 Dong later (less than twenty-five bucks including beer and appetizers)- we headed over to visit a family friend at Bửu Long Park.
Bửu Long Park
Bửu Long Park is probably best known for the peaks and 'islands' that loom over the manmade lake. "Hidden Dragon Lake"- perhaps better known as "Mini Ha Long Bay"- is most likely the closest thing to a scenic waterfront that you can find anywhere remotely close to Ho Chi Minh City. An abandoned resoivoir, Hidden Dragon Lake was created from years and years of digging and carving with the intention of getting water in to the city. For whatever reason, the project was eventually abandoned and the resevoir was made in to an attraction instead.
As we all piled out of the car a short man approached us. He wanted to be our personal photographer during our visit to Bửu Long. Being we all had our own cameras, at first we respectfully declined. We then declined with forceful tonality, as apparently 'no' was not in the man's vocabulary. He continued to stalk us until we hopped on one of the wooden motor boats for a tour through the lake.
As it usually did in the afternoon, the clouds rolled in. We saw a groom running with his bride in the distance (one of the ten couples I must have seen getting married in the two weeks I was there... I suppose weddings are more of a public event). Despite the rain the lake was still beautiful. The hidden dragon made a very obvious appearance, and I wondered what inspired somebody to work a dragon in to a cliff in such a way.
Zoo and Dino Park
Many people come to Bửu Long Park for the lake. Most leave without even realizing that there is a lot more to Bửu Long than an abandoned reseviour. As we walked farther in to the park we came across a small zoo. At the entrance of the zoo was a monkey. As we approached it, the monkey ran towards us- surely looking for something to steal or a leg to gnaw on. Caught off guard, we jumped back. Nobody had any desire to get bit by a monkey that day.
There was a variety of animals- from birds and peacocks to an array of monkeys. We even witnessed a 'monkey jail break!' As we continued past the zoo we were transported to a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth. A T-Rex loomed over us- no doubt wondering what white people taste like. Another lizard-looking dinosaur appeared more than happy when he saw baby was on the menu!
Bửu Long Park no doubt instills peace in to the visitor- even the air seems lighter. The hustle and bustle of the city surrounding the park vanquishes and- despite the occasional stalking photographer-you can take a minute to breathe. As we said goodbye to the friend, we packed ourselves back in our car and cautiously merged in to the swarms of swerving motorists. It was hard to believe that such chaos existed around a place filled with peace and tranquility.
Have you ever encountered a wild monkey?
Where do you go when you need some peace and quiet?
