QSS Hanoi Trip 2007

Self-Reflection of the Hanoi Trip. By Varun Naidu

2007-11-19T20:42:00.000+08:00

This is Varun's whole journal of the Vietnam Trip.
Ok, the post shall start now, this post shall be about ONLY the HANOI TRIP 2007.

Day 1
Once we were in the airport, we were being debriefed by Mr. Siah. Some ppl came to send us off and well, there we went, on the plane to Hanoi. Minh was also on the same flight that day, VN-744:P Anyway well, day 1 was abit hectic, I lost my pencil box in the Hanoi airport. T.T So when we reached our hotel, the Ngoc Mai Hotel, it seemed abit scary but well, got used to it,

Mr Siah with orange sticker stuck to his head! :P

here's the pic of my room from Days 1-Day 2.

The guys practicing flash with my cam!

Day 2
More hectic, thats quite true. Had to wake up early, like around 8.20am to go to the HCM Mausoleum but it's closed as HCM's body was sent to Russia. T.T After that, well like we went to the Presidental Palace, and we learnt that HCM had 2 cars and his house was really nice. Then went to the HCM Museum but i left my camera in my bag T.T. Mr Siah was so nice to lend me his camera. THANK YOUUUU! Anyway, after that, off to this One Pillar Pagoda and Lunch. ZhonTeng ate like over 50 clams?? I said over 70! LOLs it's seriously a hell load of clams! Then went for the cyclo tour, which i gotta say was nice really. Then went to the Hoan Kiem Lake to see the gigantic tortoie, not sure if its real or not. then like well, went for the Water Puppet Show. It was nice, but the pictures were hard to take because they seats are all over the place, heads going straight up for the pictures of the water puppets but yeah got very few good pics seriously, thats all for that day, phew!!! So goddamn tired and even worse, we had project discussion!! GAHH! So Pictures for Day 2? Here they come! Well after that, something scary happened, well that one i will leave it for 2nd or 2rd jan 08 to spread.:X

Our group listening to Mr Siah

Day 3
In the morning, left the Ngoc Mai Hotel for the Hoa Lu temples. Well after that, we were inside the temple. our tour guide, Mai was telling some ppl to move, luh. Then they behaved in pompous and a rude way saying "Do you speak English?" and laughing at him. Well, i think a few others saw it, and i felt abit sad for Mai. But i really hope he's ok. Well, after that, went to the Bich Dong Caves, hahah the sampan ride was cool :) 2 hours but very nice. Anyway after that, went to the Tam Doc Caves, which was o100 steps high!! omg! anyway yeah aft that went to Hai Phong. BUT on the way, haha we had an interesting stopover. Well, Me, Fird, Isaac, YuhKae, Tay, Joel and Eddie went to the toilet there lah, then i closed the door, well TIGHTLY. And well, i tried to open it but i realised WE WERE STUCK!!! GAHH!!!!! We tried alot of stuff to get out, later our bus driver and his assistant helped us to get out though it took quite long, LOL. Mr Siah even use flash to take pic of us, hahaz like so embarrassing but its nice! LOl "7 guys trapped in a Vietnamese toilet". Moral of the story: Never EVER EVER close a Vietnam toilet door too tightly!! Then we had dinner, i felt abit emo, maybe because of the toilet thingy and i tot i lost my bro's book and medication but in the end i didnt! then well went to my room. It's damn nice. And yeah the bed is so easy to jump on. The bathroom is lovely! And well, that hotel, the CAMELA hotel rocks my socks alot.!!! Never wanted to leave it.

The rocks and the lake at Bich Dong Caves

My hotel room in CAMELA Hotel

My bathroom in the CAMELA Hotel

Day 4
Left the awesome hotel. :( Well, i'll miss it loads. Went to the Cat Ba Island by a boat. Mr Siah took alot of pics hahahz, EVIL! Sheryl, Quincy and CheeYing didnt seem impressed. LOL anyway, upon reaching the Cat Ba Island, took a long boatride to Ha LOng Bay. The rocks were so cool!!! :) And we were like basking in the sun. And when we reached HaLong Bay, the caves were so cool, then went back to the Ngoc Mai Hotel.
Pics from Day 4:

The City of Cat Ba Island

Mr Siah uh.. adjusting his camera??

Mr Siah and Miss Kaur looking uh.. ~~horny~~ happy and thoughtful respectively :P

The boys sunbathing!

LOL some peeps on the boat. ;)

All the BOYS! :)

A view of the sea.

Inside HaLong Bay's Limestone Caves

Day 5
Last real day in Hanoi. Went to the Hanoi Prison Museum, then well, the cathedral, mosque, and SHOPPING!!! HAHAHHA! And our dinner was fun, haha talk abt teachers and all to Mr SIah.
Dunwan to post a Day 5 pic! LOL Um.. all either Historical stuff or the inappropriate stuff! LOL!

Overall: It was a fun trip, the 19 of them were nice, Mai was real nice, Mr Siah and Miss Kaur were very helpful and the Vietnamese people are helpful, friendly and look sad. But anyway, i wish i didnt become so careless. So to all u guys, thank you for making this trip fun for me ;) And i learnt not to be so careless and maybe be abit more thick-skinned. And thanks to all those who have commented on this blog! HAHAH its so fun talkin to u ppl!

Oh and the buses in Hanoi ain't so nice. Nicest buses are found in Europe, then USA and Canada, Australia, HK, then Singapore, then elsewhere. :P

IMPORTANT: Sharing of Photos

2007-11-19T15:10:00.000+08:00

hi fellow participants!

Thank God for FREE online file sharing!

I've sent an email to you with the instructions to access the site and upload your photos.

Deadline to upload your photos: 30 Nov 2007

I will consolidate all your photos and burn a CD for every Hanoi Tripper.

Caphe Phin Tutorial - how to brew vietnamese coffee

2007-11-19T14:41:00.000+08:00

Quite a number of you bought the renowned Vietnamese ground coffee and drip filter.

However, take note: DO NOT brew the Vietnamese ground coffee the way you do to coffee/Milo powder; you need the filter!

Here are the instructions on how you can make Vietnamese drip coffee:

What you need:

1. Vietnamese ground coffee
2. drip filter
3. condensed milk
4. sugar

The following steps are taken from

http://www.ineedcoffee.com/05/caphephin/

Vietnamese coffee is surprisingly good. The best preperation I found while visiting was this remarkably simple drip filter made of stainless steel. This little guy takes a few teaspoons of finely ground coffee and makes a unique drip brew that is less concentrated than espresso but stronger than traditional drip coffee. Makes about 4 or 5 oz. of coffee - or a cappuccino cup full.

The preperation is a short ceremony as detailed below:

Step 1: Spoon a few teaspoons of good finely ground coffee into the filter.

Step 2: Screw the top filter (lightly) into place.

Step 3: Pour hot water to fill the filter.

Step 4: Place lid and allow all water to drip through. This can take up to 5 minutes depending on how fine your grind is and how tightly you have screwed the top filter on.

Step 5: If you want authentic Vietnamese 'Phin Ca Phe' you will top the glass with condensed milk and plenty of sugar!!!

Day 6 - Pictorial Update

2007-11-19T01:44:00.000+08:00

Day 6 saw us making our way back home.
Started as early as 3am when we had to check out of the hotel and make our way to the airport.

A token of appreciation (i.e. tips) presented to Mai, a tour guide with Fiditours.

Prize Presentation Ceremony at our brief stop-over at Ho Chi Minh airport

Winner of the pre-trip blog quiz: Ng Chun Wei!

- he won for himself a fully sponsored ticket to .... GV Cinema!
- however, in this photo, Mr. Siah used the yogurt given by VN stewardess as a representation first

An award of special mention:

A responsible group leader, an enthusiastic learner, a polite student and a caring gentleman throughout the duration of the trip: JOEL LEE!!

Our final group pic:

Yuh Kae waiting anxiously for the flight...
and Sheryl eagerly sending SMSes

Day 5 - Pictorial Update

2007-11-19T01:04:00.000+08:00

Day 5 was Museum Day as we went to 3 museums.

1st Museum: Hoa Lo Prison Museum (aka Hanoi Hilton)

Chun Wei and Eddie trying to break down the old main entrance (forget it, Chun Wei! You are just not strong enough!)

A view from inside the cell:

A view of the Prison Museum from the outside:
2nd Museum: Museum of Ethnology

(note the gorgeous Vietnamese students in ao dai in the background!)

Samantha: Hmm...the hut of a minority tribe feels really comfy!

An outdoor water puppet theatre:

Another hut of a minority group:

Chief HAIS and his villagers!

Of course Mr. Siah is gay! Can't you see the happy look on his face?

A mosque (and the only) in Hanoi.
- caretaker told us that only 20 Muslims visit the mosque to worship

3rd Museum: Museum of Vietnamese Revolution
St. Joseph's Cathedral:

A wedding ceremony in progress ...

Temple of Literature:

The carps who are waiting eagerly to morph into dragons!

Sanjeevan and Chun Wei immersing themselves into the bargaining culture:

Joel getting a portrait of himself done:

During the trip debrief at the hotel:

Yuh Kae: Hmm...let me calculate the caffeine level in this packet ...

Study Isaac's t-shirt carefully ...

"Hey Chian Yil! You are supposed to complete the feedback form! Not pose for photos!"

A serious Nicholas at work.

(ya lah, Chian Yil, you should learn from this good example!)

Day 4 - Pictorial Update

2007-11-19T00:32:00.000+08:00

3 studious girls making their way from Hai Phong to Cat Ba Island on a hydrofoil ...

... together with 3 sleepy heads:

a cool-looking Zhon Teng:

Eddie, Chun Wei and Isaac - determined to get a tan:

Mr. Siah with the Inseparables Team 1:

Joel and Fir enjoying the picturesque view of Halong Bay:

Mr. Siah and the Pure History students:

Pirates of Halong Bay

Captain Suresh and First Mate Fir making a navigational decision:

Seafood lunch!

This time, it's Samantha's turn to be pensive:

Our junk!

a 'dragon' in Tau Go cave:

inside the cave:

and another view of a part of Halong Bay

(Halong City is in the distant background)

Day 3 - Pictorial Update

2007-11-18T23:35:00.000+08:00

Chào! (hello in Vietnamese)

My sincere apology for this belated posting.
I had tried to upload the pictures when I was in Hanoi, but the connection kept dying.
After trying for an hour, I gave up and decided to do it when I return to Singapore instead.

So here goes ...

Hanoi Trippers listening intently to Mai, our professional tour guide:

At the ancient capital of Hoa Lu:

Taking the sampan to Tam Coc - Bich Dong caves:

"Row, row ...

row your sampan, ...
gently down the stream ..."

through a cave ... Shahidah and Shahirah!
A peddler in a sampan:
... and getting out of it!

Up on a hill where a temple is located ...

a pensive Quincy making her way to Hai Phong City:

Mr. Siah's beautiful room at Camela Hotel:

We had a wonderful stay at the 4-star Camela Hotel (and some kids refused to leave it!)

Day 2 [after we return] by Eddie

2007-11-18T22:09:00.000+08:00

helo all... didnt expect sum1 2 still b posting posts after the trip rite?
haha
im jus writing in bcos im bored...boredboredbored
...aso here 2 tell u abt the last day n so on...haha
didnt managed 2 blog everyday during the trip...but thr were others who blogged n an itinerary on the blog so u roughly kno wats was happening

the trip is over so i hav nothign much 2 write abt the things we did on the trip...cant b xpecting me 2 post abt my life on tis blog...hahas

BUT...i shall jus tell tell u abt last day of the trip..
ytd morning was on the plane back...lols jus kept playing on first flight...those few who sat near me shd kno..haha
after tat we waited 4 the 2nd flight...free time 2 shop but i jus walk arnd then sat on chair n slp...till can board plane...slpt 4 first 1/2hr..didnt wana slp after tat...cant find anything 2 do arnd me..so jus bored on plane n walked up n down [blocking the Viet. air. stewardess way] lols
nxt i spotted varun slping[plugin 2 his hp,listening 2 songs ; his hp left on the table on the back of his front sit] ...i jus thought of smth...hahas
i used his hp 2 take a pic of him slping [eyes closed, mouth opened] n set it as wallpaper on his hp...lols
too bad he deleted immediately after cing it... T.T [my almost perfect photography skills]
seems so fast tat we hav 2 part...at airport...didnt even managed 2 say proper gd byes then go le...haix
jus hope 2 c all u vietnam troopers soon...
then jus reached home then knocked out till tis morning...haha

now missing the country n jus cant 4gt the museums..NOT
prefer the caves n boat rides more...haha n definately the company most...

feel lik my stamach has increased in size now n i can eat more...haha

thank u all 4 ur prayers n tat we arrived home safely...hope 2 update u more nxt time...IF THRS SUMTHING ABT THE TRIP 2 UPDATE U ABT...hahas

day 5..

2007-11-17T01:21:00.000+08:00

hey:d this is zhongting,chun wei and eddie =) 12.21 currently...waiting for de girls to blog finish, haha now finally my turn..okay okay since nicholas has wrote abt today's stuffs...nth much for us to blog abt too..but just want to say something..Mai was the best tour guide i ever had..he ROCKS big time! i really am grateful to have him as our tour guide :p 6days has past so quicky...really will miss hanoi and halong bay..the pretty ladies and those beautiful scenery...haha okay zhong ting's turn...
haha its pro genuis again...sry la gary hey i bought a dem extra big version of Hersheys' Kisses lor....yes intended was i to buy for everyone but i ran out of VND la ok?!!! this trip was very enjoyable to me personally and i would like to express my gratitude to the tour guide Mai...yes he was a good guy and HE ROCKS ( quoted from chunwei lol ) to the very core...yup i miss the things here esp the Vietnamese girls man..haha they are really Nice Ones la some e.g The Receptionist at 27, the salesgirl at the Choc station at the supermart....as well as those tt came after our Cyclo ride on 2nd day...2 dem Nice Ones..haha ok la i'll stop here cos Security askin me to take my leave liao.....aiya anyway we'll enjoy ourselves 101%....yea bye bye.....eddie gt no chance sia...lol.....
Z.T.LIM
17/11/07
12.31am VNT

ps: Qiyao is migrating to Japan, Osaka.

2007-11-17T01:11:00.000+08:00

SAMANTHA AND LEONA HERE ((:
ermm , okay ,
its now 12.11am
and zhongting is behind us telling us stories ,
many boys are inside the cafe watching tv .
hmm , many of us arent sleeping cos of our 3am flight .
nice right :D
we're all eating cup noodles and drinking milo ,
its not a concentration camp okay . [ according to zhongting ]
so , we're gonna watch tv and laze around till our flight comes ,
nth to do on the plane anyway ,
BYEE :D

p.s- we know hanoi will miss us.
[by leona] :D

5th dae(16th nov) by yuhkae

2007-11-17T00:31:00.000+08:00

todae we went to lots of muesum to learn more about the history of vietnam.
continue frm nicholas...

vietnamese revolutionary museum, the 2nd muesum which we visited.
the exhibits of this muesum was needed to complete our sbq assignment. we started frm the 2nd storey all the way to the 1st storey. many photos were taken n many qns were thrown at mr siah by us. haha. we spent quite a lot of time there n slowly, we read n try to understand the exhibits. however, most of the exhibits were in vietnamese so provenance was the only thing we could read. after everythin we learnt a lot about the vietnamese history.

now lets move into the shoppin part.
we were given 2 hrs+ to shop ard. traffic was rather heavy n crossin the road was nt an easy task. a laughin stock eh.. haha. things were bought but time was rather rush for us. we learnt a lot todae n it was indeed a educational journey for us.. however if more students from 301 were to come it would be better coz part this trip was bout history of vietnam n it would be useful for our syallbus next yr for SEA history. tts all for the last dae... bye..

day five (november 16)

2007-11-17T00:10:00.000+08:00

i'm going to cover some of the iteneraries we visited together.
firstly, the Hoa Lo Prison and the Temple Of Literature.
the rest of the itenararies would be covered by my buddy for this trip, yuhkae.

the Hoa Lo Prison was a prison to contain the vietnamese opposing nationalists.
the statues and artefacts in the prison and some sources of both pictorial/written depicts the prisonal lives of the anti-french politicians.
snapped quite a number of photos which include the prison cells that the nationalists lived in during the period of time.
we also looked through some punishments which our tour guide Mai explained to us.

next up. the Temple Of Literature. we visited it during the late afternoon,
which in Vietnam time is where the evening darkness of Singapore comes in.
the Temple Of Literature is where scholars go there for blessings.
It is a huge 'temple' in which is divided into different sections.
as usual, artefacts and different sources were there to let us better understand the usefulness of the Temple Of Literature at that point of time.

and after that, we went for a shopping 'spree'.
notice that ' ', because the things were all of almost the same kind or doesn't suit us.
but we managed to get a taste of 'bargaining.'
nope, not for fishes in the wet market.
but for clothes in the night market,
we were advised to first slash the prices down by 50%,
we tried that but obviously it wouldnt work.
and so we tried and tried, to get a better price.
we did, we bought, and we left.

thats' almost all. the rest of the iteneraries would be covered by yuhkae.

-nicholas.

2007-11-16T08:57:00.000+08:00

hey hey tis is z.t. the pro genius here hahaha.....today's day 5...and we sincerely apologise for incomplet-ing our work yesterday cos K.S.P suddenly came and overtook the com...haiz..to the pokemon trainer Mister Gary, hIS Highness didnt put no pix yesterday cos he was hungry haha and no he wasnt one of the drained out ones:) yup so to those out there Day 4's overall trip could be summed up by combinin' K.C.P blog and our blog yes and we really apologise for the inconvenience caused to those who didnt get the entire picture yesterday...till then bye bye...signin' off.......
Z.T.LIM
16/11/2007
0805HRS 43secs V.N.T

Day 4 by Eddie, Qiyao and Chun Wei

2007-11-15T22:59:00.001+08:00

Today is the day we spent 10++--HOURS on transport ( boats, buses ) It was sit down, getup for 1min walk, sit down, lie down, get up for 5min walk,sit down, walk mountain, see rock, sit down, sit down, sit down, play card play card play card...

the mountain cave was beautiful with many limestone rocks like dripping from the ceiling and sorta

Day 4 by... chiAn yil and zhoN TEng

2007-11-15T21:53:00.000+08:00

xin chao, everyone in Singapore...it has been RATHER unfortunate that we couldn't update the bl0g in the past few days cos' of some K.C-SPIDER-IS-TIC ppl but we're so lucky today cos those K.C .S are hyper drained out and exhausted..hahaha(o..yea, hmp...) Now we really have the chance to update the blog AT LAST... yes.. today's been a long day partly because we spent a lot of time travelling from Hai Phong to Ha Long Bay and then back to Hanoi by water and land...whatever it is..lol i'm writing this instantly w/o any reference 'cos normally i'd write from the diary..ok today we awoke from our 4-STAR Camella Hotel beds RELUCTANTLY as almost everybody felt it was a dem gd+high-class hotel with a whole lot of facilities...then it was time we set off on the speed boats to Halong Bay and we later went on another ship to Cat Ba Island and explored the Limestone caves which are a geographical feature of Halong Bay..they were all made up of water over many years it was said

Day 3 by Qi Yao

2007-11-15T00:22:00.000+08:00

we spent like 6++ hours on the road travelling. tiring and exhausting. cause all we could do is listen to all the songs in our mp3s or sleep on the bus or play cards. We sat on the boats today in pairs and Yuh Kae kept making noises cause he claims in a pskk. tsk tsk how petty.

the four star hotel is not bad

Day 3 by Varun Naidu

2007-11-14T22:31:00.000+08:00

Hi everyone! Today is the halfway mark of our Vietnam Trip. Today we left Hanoi city for Hai Phong City. Along the way, we first went to uh.. this temple about the 2 kings and 1 queen who had a son who killed the other son or something like that,, i dont know! GAH! Anyway, after that, we went for lunch in some restaurant opposite some shops. The lunch was slightly different today as they gave us the plastic thingy for the spring roll.

After that, we went for a 2 hour boat ride around the caves and rocks. It was a very long and the paddler was a real pro. Like, well he could still row the boat and not even pant at all. After that, we went to the cave where there were some important sutff which sadly, i cant remember now! After seeing the caves, we went for a EXTREMELY LONG RIDE TO HAI PHONG CITY. OMG the ride was damn long. Anyway, something funny happened when we stopped for one of the breaks. We went to the toilet and yeah, well i closed the door so tightly that some of us were TRAPPED. No names, but we were goddamn trapped, it really felt like a TV show such as that UK Absoloutely Fabulous where the 2 main characters, Addy and her goodfriend was trapped in the room. It was scary.

Well, at around 1930, we reached the CAMELA Hotel of Hai Phong City, and believe me, the hotel is GODDAMN IMPRESSIVE and really, i feel seaside hotels rock alot! Now im typing this post and soon the others will update it. I got the pics of the hotel room, ok well, cya ppl.

Day 3-By Chun Wei,Eddie And Qiyao

2007-11-14T09:14:00.000+08:00

Hehe! its 8:15am vietnam time! currently there are 3 kiasu kids...wanting to blog now! :D ok in 15mins time we would be on the bus embarking on a trip to hai phong...so will update again tonight..BYE! :D

Day 2 - Pictorial Update by The Teachers

2007-11-14T01:12:00.000+08:00

No thanks to some technical glitches, we apologize for not being able to present a pictorial update earlier ...
So here goes Day 2:

Visit to Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum
- briefing by local tour guide Mai (and some getting distracted):

Macho Boys outside the Presidential Palace:

The twins focused on getting a good photo shot of ...

... Ho Chi Minh's house-on-stilts:

Visiting the Ho Chi Minh museum:

and then the One Pillar Pagoda:

Chun Wei enjoying the cyclo tour of Old Quarter after lunch:

and Suresh making a deal with a child street peddler.

Water Puppet Theatre

- Vietnamese orchestra on the left:

and the water puppets:

the Ambassador's Pagoda:

and female devotees:

Day ended with sumptuous dinner for Emperor HAIS and his merry-men:

water puppets:D duckkkkkkkks!!! - by Sheryl

2007-11-13T23:40:00.000+08:00

heyhey ppl,i m so TIRED now!! but i have to type finish this by today ...

this morning, went to see HO CHI MINH mausoleum thingy,then we went to presidential palace thingy...den blahblah...
OKOK!I M GONNA TALK ABOUT THE WATER PUPPET INSTEAD!! because i had a fun time watchin the puppets 'dancing' on the water:D
altogether,there were 17 sessions:D the whole show took 1 hour+ to end:)
i find session 7 the funniest because THERE WERE DUCKS:D:D:D:D
haha,yesyea,DUCKS:) hmm, this session showed us DUCKS swimmin around...
n there was this fox(?) chasing one of the ducks around)):
well,in the end...the duck got caught by the fox* poor duck*
i had an enjoyable time watching this whole water puppet show..n i went 'hyper' during SESSION 7!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAS:D
the water puppets were being controlled by STICKS! n the people controlling the puppets were behind the screen...
OH YES~ there were also the vietnamese orchestra performing. i must admit, the female singers pitched were quite high:) haha...overall,they sang well...n coordinate well with the people behind controlling the puppets:D

all right ppl,i m gonna slp:D my head is super pain...n i m tired+hungry): okok...BYEBYES!!!:D:D:D

Day 2 - by Chee Ying

2007-11-13T23:23:00.000+08:00

Here is a summary of what we did today ...

first we went to view the exhibits of the life in vietnam

during the colonial rule and communism...

next we took the vietnam version of the trishaw,cylco:)

the ride was almost an hour long,

its one seater:)

we took many turns and went passed many streets,

seeing those little shops and some streets hawker.

then we went to enjoy the nice little water puppet show.

main thing is we went to a few buddhist temples to in hanoi!

there is something extraordinary:D

back in singapore we see both monks and nuns chanting those

long long scriptures.

that never seem to come to an end...

BUT in vietnam...

you can only find nuns or ladies in the temple.

if you ask why,you gotta read up about the past history of vietnam.

in the past,the male were the sole bread winner of the family.

while the females in the family,will always go to the temple,

to pray for the families members safety and etc...

thats why till now that that 'traditional' is still being carried on...

TA DA!

day 2 in hanoi - by Quincy

2007-11-13T22:50:00.000+08:00

too bad there's no picture!hahah!i didn't bring the wire:P
today is our 2nd day in hanoi.
we have to wake up at 6 am and get ready for our trip:D
we went to ho chi min mausoleum but we couldn't see ho chi min beacuse he was sent to russia for repair

after that we went to the yellow house(its like U.S's white house) which is the presidential palace and we saw the cars that ho chi min drove(peugeot and some other car) and the house he stayed in.the tour guide told us that ho chi min was a humble man despite of his fame.The people wanted to build a mausoleum but he did not want them to make it.

I learned that love for his country is very DEEP, because he helped vietnam gain independence and he cares for them.this shows that we must care for people no matter of what rank we are.

Day 2 - by Qi Yao, Chun Wei & Eddie

2007-11-13T22:28:00.000+08:00

Hello peeps!

We had hard hard glutinous rice for breakfast. maybe not glutinous rice la but still,...

We set off at 8.30 for the HCM mausoleum and Varun was jumping up and down cause he got too excited and the bus was shaking and we were all screaming and......BLAM!! we arrived at HCM mausoleum with all the guards and they looked at varun as if..

okay enough of rubbish. down to the information. We were disappointed when we were told by Mr. Siah told us that HCM's body was sent to russia for re-embalment or sorta. HCM has very stylo cars that can we worth like 10000000million nowadays. (DONGS) We went to the museum where it was filled with pop art by russian artists. Cause HCM went to moscow to escape from the capitalists gov.

Next was the ONE PILLAR PAGODA built by a king who received it in his dreams something.
(QIYAO SIGNS OFF HAPPILY (: )

(Chunwei and eddie stepping in *hop*)
ok continuing from wherever qiyao stops :D one pillar pagoda, okay never really listen to the tour guide but roughly know that it is for people who wanna have a baby..*we drag mr siah into it,hoping he could quicky give birth* oh ya, and after that, we went to this "temple of longevity"..it's for ppl who wishes to live to a long life..NOT! XD haha after that was lunch, we ate our lunch at some vietnamese restaurant where after eating they gave us souvenir, funny thing abt vietnamese food, their watermelon has too many black seeds! very very very hard to eat :D

after lunch we went for our cyclo tour! one person per cyclo...we travelled round the city and finally realised how dangerous the streets could be! traffic non-stop! haha...

after the cyclo tour we went to a lake, it was abt a tortoise getting back de sword of a king...after which, we went to watch a water puppet show...very very "interesting"... unique in their synchronisation... after that was visits to religious places which includes hai ba trung temple and the ambassador pagoda! okay okay after that we went to a supermarket to get snacks...den we ate dinner...haha now at our hotel's cafe updating our blog...haha see you all soon.. pictures will be uploaded soon... byebye and take care! :D (eddie's and chun wei's work...)

Day 1!

2007-11-12T23:25:00.001+08:00

Hi everyone!

Here are some photos to share with you on our first day!! :)

The Hanoi Trippers (some say Hanoi Troopers) at Changi Airport all ready for departure:

What happens when you mix creative juices with bread and a piece of leaf ...

Creative juice in action again ...

A happy traveller:

A blue phantom onboard VN744:

and ... having our very first meal in Hanoi:

Will update you more tomorrow! :)

Quiz Question No. 4 ...

2007-11-11T21:16:00.001+08:00

a) Who is the most revered person in 20th century Vietnam?
b) Why?

Send your answer to mistersiah@hotmail.com NOW!

Weather Forecast

2007-11-11T20:34:00.000+08:00

Here is the weather forecast for Hanoi for the next few days, taken from three sources.

(A good History student must always keep a look out for a variety of sources!)

Source A: http://www.wunderground.com/global/stations/48820.html

Source B: http://www.freemeteo.com/default.asp?pid=23&gid=1581130&la=1

Source C: http://weather.yahoo.com/forecast/VMXX0006_c.html

Question: So, what can you infer about the weather in Hanoi from these three sources? :)

ITINERARY

2007-11-11T19:55:00.001+08:00

Hi everyone!

This is the itinerary that we will be following:

DAY 1:
Night: Arrival in Hanoi, Dinner, Settling into Hotel and Project Discussion Time

DAY 2:
Morning: Ho Chi Minh Complex - Museum and House, Presidential Palace, One Pillar Pagoda, Lenin Monument, Temple of Literature

Afternoon: Orientation Tour of French Quarter by cyclo, Ambassadors' Pagoda, St. Joseph's Cathedral, Hanoi Al-Noor Masjid, Hai Ba Trung Temple, Hoan Kiem Lake

Evening: Water Puppet Show

DAY 3: Journey to Halong Bay
Morning: Hoa Lu

Afternoon: Bich Dong Caves, Tam Coc Caves

Evening: Hai Phong - project discussion and overnight stay

DAY 4:
Morning: Cat Ba Island, limestone caves in Halong Bay

Afternoon: Return to Hanoi

Evening: Individual Assignment and Project Discussion Time

DAY 5:
Morning: Fine Art Museum, Museum of Ethnology

Afternoon: Hoa Lo Prison Museum, Museum of Vietnamese Revolution

Evening: Tour of Old Quarters

DAY 6:
Return to Singapore
ETA at Changi: 1325

*While we will try to visit the sites as scheduled, do be advised that the itinerary may be adjusted in response to local environmental conditions - e.g. weather - as SAFETY is our TOP PRIORITY.

Travel Advisory: Cholera Outbreak in north Vietnam

2007-11-07T17:12:00.000+08:00

Dear fellow participants of the Hanoi Trip,

I would like to alert you to the news of a cholera outbreak in north Vietnam.
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam and a city in the north, is affected but the the situation is under control.

Check the following websites for more information:

Cholera reported in Vietnam's diarrhea outbreak
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSHAN29381020071106?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews

Acute diarrhoea outbreak sweeps nation
http://vietnamnews.vnanet.vn/showarticle.php?num=01HEA051107

A likely cause of the outbreak has been traced to "contaminated locally made shrimp paste or a raw fish and vegetable combination and fermented pork roll".
Therefore, this is a type of food that we will avoid at ALL costs.
If in doubt, please consult any of the teachers or tour guides.

Furthermore, as mentioned in our briefing, drink only out of bottled mineral water.
Avoid iced drinks (this includes putting ice cubes into your drinks).

A third step that we must take is to make sure our hands are clean before we eat. You may want to consider carrying along with you a small bottle of sanitizer.

You do not have to worry as long as the precautions above are strictly adhered to.

Do contact me if you or any of your family member has any query.

regards,
Mr. Siah

Quiz Question No. 3 ...

2007-11-07T17:05:00.000+08:00

Here is Question No. 3 ... *drum roll* ...

This question consists of 3 parts:

One location that we will visit is Halong Bay which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

a) What is the geographical feature in Halong Bay?

b) What is the meaning of 'Halong'?

c) What does UNESCO stand for and what is it responsible for?

So hurry!
Email your answer to mistersiah@hotmail.com !

Reminder about Quiz Question 2

2007-11-07T12:06:00.000+08:00

For all you enthusiastic students ...
It appears that some of you did not understand my instructions regarding the quiz. :)

2 points for you to keep in mind:
1. ALL answers to the quiz questions MUST be emailed to mistersiah@hotmail.com
2. You MUST give the FULL NAME of the teachers.
i.e. "Mr Siah" is the wrong answer.

NEW Guidelines for Liquids, Aerosols and Gels in Hand-Carried Luggage

2007-11-06T14:53:00.000+08:00

Hi Everyone,

Please take note of the NEW guidelines, implemented since 8 May 2007.
This piece of information is copied from the Changi Airport website:

http://www.changiairport.com/changi/en/airport_guide/departure/safety_n_security/travel_advisory_asecurity.html

From 8 May 2007, 1200 hrs, Singapore is implementing new guidelines that restrict the amount of liquids, aerosols and gels that passengers can carry in their hand-carried luggage. The guidelines apply to all flights departing Singapore.

Passengers are advised to check-in all liquids, aerosols and gels(LAGs) that do not meet the new guidelines. Liquids, aerosols and gels in hand-carried luggage should be packed in accordance with the new guidelines, before passengers arrive at the airport.

The new guidelines on hand-carried luggage are :

a. Liquids, aerosols and gels must be in containers with a maximum capacity of not more than 100ml each. Liquids, aerosols and gels in containers larger than 100ml will not be accepted, even if the container is partially-filled;

b. Containers must be placed in a transparent re-sealable plastic bag with a maximum capacity not exceeding 1-litre. These containers must fit comfortably within the transparent re-sealable plastic bag, which must be completely closed;

c. Each passenger is allowed to carry only one transparent re-sealable plastic bag, which must be presented separately for examination at the security screening point;

d. Exemptions will be made for medications, baby food and special dietary items. These items will be subjected to additional checks at the security screening point.

Passengers are encouraged to check in 2 to 3 hours before their flight (subject to airlines' requirements).

Liquids include :

Drinks, including water and juices
Soups and sauces
Perfumes and deodorants (liquid or liquid-solid mixture)
Creams, balms, lotions and oils
Cosmetics such as mascara and lip gloss
Pastes, including toothpaste
Pressurised foams and sprays, including shaving foam, hairspray and spray deodorants
Gels, including hair and shower gels
Contact lens solution
Any other items of similar consistency

Quiz Question 2...

2007-11-06T11:59:00.000+08:00

The three shadows in the photo above show the three teachers who went to Vietnam in June to do a recee trip.
Who are these teachers?
(Give the full name)
Left:
Centre:
Right:

HANOI TRIP BLOG QUIZ!

2007-11-06T11:15:00.000+08:00

As you read the blogs, make sure you open your eyes wide for I will be inserting questions.

Find the answer and email it to mistersiah@hotmail.com.

Points will be awarded based on the following criteria:
1. Accuracy of answer
2. Speed of reply
- First person to send in the correct answer will earn 5 points
- Second person will earn 4 points
- Third person will earn 3 points
- Fourth person 2 points
- Fifth person 1 point

You should submit your answer to the question as soon as you get it.
(i.e. once you see Question 1, submit your answer to Question 1.
When Question 2 appears, submit your answer to Question 2.)

This is a pre-trip quiz that will close on 11th Nov 2007 2359hrs (Singapore time), so make sure you submit your answers by then.

Attractive prizes await the top three scorers!

And here goes the first question:

QuIz QuEsTiOn 1: What is the meaning of "Hanoi"?

So, email your answer to mistersiah@hotmail.com now!
Remember to state your name!

Pre-Trip Research/Reading

2007-11-06T10:54:00.000+08:00

Before I travel to any country, my usual practice is to find out a little bit more about the history and culture of the place.

Here are some websites that you can check to broaden your understanding of the country of Vietnam:

http://www.vietnamtourism.com/e_pages/news/index.asp

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/asia/vietnam/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnam

The following websites talk about Hanoi specifically:

http://www.vietscape.com/travel/hanoi/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanoi

Which type of audience do you think these websites are targetted at?
These websites are your SOURCES of information and guess what ...
You can actually apply the source handlings skills you have been learning in class to evaluate these websites (aka sources of information)
i.e. Inference, Comparison, Reliability, Usefulness and Assertion

When reading these websites (or any other website for that matter), ask yourself questions:
Who is it written by?
Who is the intended audience?
What is the aim?
What is the intended effect?
Do I need to check against other sources?

Put on your thinking cap and keep an inquisitive mind!

My Impressions of Hanoi and Expectations of this trip

2007-11-06T10:34:00.000+08:00

Through the Hanoi Trip Briefing conducted last Sat, I'm sure most of you have some thoughts regarding the city of Hanoi and expectations of this educational trip.

Your FIRST assignment is a simple one, something to engage you on the first gear:

1. Write about your IMPRESSIONS of Hanoi
- They could be impressions from the briefing or your own research

2. Write about your EXPECTATIONS of Hanoi
- What are some things you look forward to seeing or doing?

So, wait no more but fire away!

First Shot Out...

2007-10-24T22:30:00.000+08:00

Welcome to this blog that will feature

H appening updates
A ctions and Adventures
N ews
O ral recordings
I mpressive pictures

BEFORE, DURING and AFTER our trip to the lovely city of Hanoi, VIETNAM.

Stay tuned!