A Genuine Five-Star Hotel, Ho Chi Minh City

Not a bad interior, I thought, when I first lugged my luggage into this room. I will take a nice rest here before my departure. Soothing colors, tasteful pictures -yes! I can sleep well.
The phone and everything are working well- good! Now I will go to the restaurants to explore a bit.

Rather pricey food they have here. Buffets at its cheaper restaurant on the ground flloor - but they come with reasonably good wines. So I'll take that.
In the night, after my last appointment, I stepped into the lobby and it began to pour in torrents. Phew! I like the view of such monsoons, when I am cozy indoors.

I'm happy with the amount of Viet food that I've had and so ordered a Club Sandwich for a change. I wonder if it'd be like the one I had in the "five-star" pub up in the north. What a surprise! Pleasing taste, colors, texture and fragrance. Great bordeaux too.

The lunch buffet that I had in the day had fresh seafood and salads as well.

After the night I plan to swim in the morning. The pool is of a decent size compared to the other hotel that's located in District 5. I'll come back to this for the peace, soothing colors, good food, and the smaller tourist crowd -service aside. I must add, though, the price-tag is a little higher.

"Autumn" cravings

20 November 2010: It's rainy and the temperature has somewhat dropped by a few degrees at night. That's Singapore's autumn.

Next week, K will leave for Japan for ten days(envy)while I continue working. He's actually heeding my advice to go to Nara (greater envy) with his gal. I miss Nara. One thing that I like to tell History majors is, "The remnants of the Tang dynasty are seen daily in the place where I used to stay..." - and then see their eyes broaden.

A. asked me what I thought his morning toast look like one day, suddenly. I answered "Kofun (ancient tomb)" and he said, "Right". Anyone who hasn't the experience of living in Nara would not have blurted that answer.

Especially in autumn, I occasionally have urges to eat some mochi. Strangely I thought of eating a sakura mochi in September this year -although the mood/season wasn't quite right. I managed to buy one which didn't taste bad (I wonder if that was because it was slightly more expensive than usual - at SGD2.80 for one?) I bought two and gave one to K. I'd thought he would puke and warned him that he'd need an acquired taste. Well psycho. prep did help. He enjoyed it, even chewing the leaf which I thought he would discard. Bravo! He passed the "Japanese cultural test" that I set before his trip.

I really had great warabi mochi when in Nara. Maybe soon I'll head to Takashimaya and grab some...

Hoi An's Three-Star

15 November 2010: This thi xa (rural town) has become a city. One of the most obvious transformations is that the price tag of everything is higher than that of a few years ago. While the cab fare from Danang Airport to Hoi An was about 180,000 dong four years ago, it's now 270,000 dong at least. The trip back from Hoi An to Danang is cheaper - about 240,000 dong on a squeaky clean car - which I booked at the hotel where I stayed.

As usual, I am not here as a tourist; I have been here at least seven times. The atmosphere is still pleasant to me but food, overall, doesn't excite me. There are several 'specialties' such as banh bao banh vac ('white rose') - like ha kao except for its tougher skin and its filling -which is pork. The dish is however given a leash of life thanks to the crispy browned shallot (hanh kho) and fish sauce (nuoc cham). It's not served with fresh herbs as one would expect in Vietnam, but these dumplings are aromatic on their own.

Another specialty is Cao Lau- thick flat noodle with shredded carrot, sometimes even cabbage,and bean sprouts topped with 'crouton-like' flat square pieces of deep-fried flour - all a quarter-immersed in soya-based gravy.

While food may be limited in choice, accomodation is not. For such a small place, Hoi An surprisingly offers quite a range of hotels to suit various budgets. For a few nights I went to the same hotel where I used to go. It's clean; it's like a mini-five star without the amenities. But there was a pesky mozzie which hovered around me at night this time because I dislike using mozzie-nets. Well, I didn't sleep well. So my hotel in Danang compensated me for my loss of sleep and my half-filled stomach...

I'll be back again, though.

Danang's Four-Star Hotel

9 November 2010: This time I am back in Vietnam for the longest period ever since leaving that country. My first stop is Central Vietnam.

Having been in Danang only twice in the past, one day each for the previous two trips -one five, and the other ten years ago, I can hardly recall its townscape. What I vaguely recall is that it's not a crowded and bustling city, hence many times less suffocating than the city in the south. The boulevard by the river is broad and easy for walks. The traffic is not maddening; its more accessible public spaces are peaceful and clean. People on the road generally are less aggressive, I think.

This is my first time staying at this hotel. When the door to my bedroom swung wide open, I liked my room immediately. When I look out the wide window, the view of the river is most comforting. Nevermind if its color is brown in the afternoon - since I am not in my room then most of the time.

The pacquet flooring and the space are impressive! Never anywhere in the south or central have I met with such spaciousness for a "standard" hotel room.

The restaurant draws few people at noon and in the evening. Its breakfast spread is average -but rye bread is good and so is My Quang - the noodle specialty of Central Vietnam. The only dish in the morning that is least appealing is the pho that they prepare when officials from the north come to stay. I brought with me my daily supply of coffee.

The Vietnamese papaya salad is my favourite choice at the restaurant. I ate it numerous times, and each time, the chef tried to decorate the dish differently, sometimes serving it in a fruit and other times, plated with two pieces of crispy and warm banh da (nem) studded with sesame. He would also carve the tomato like a rose or sometimes, simply cut and decorated around the plate.

The ASEAN teams were in town for two conferences and they put up in the hotel as well. I met some familiar faces and chatted.

I would rate this four-star higher in quality than some five-stars in the southern business capital. Laundry is reasonably priced and the airport is just ten minutes away. Since I am not in Danang for the beach, being by the river bank and enjoying the sight of the dark water surface stripped by neon from that TOSHIBA office across the river when the night drizzles, or admiring the hues of the morning sun dispersed among the clouds and mountains provides wonderful breaks from daily routine.

Moon cakes

This year's Mooncake, Lantern or Mid-Autumn Festival was a little special in that I took the pains to go to Sheraton Towers to pick up greentea snowskin mooncakes. It was worth the effort, we realised, when we put the luminous and dark green quarters in our mouths. In the middle of the cakes, there was a white choco ball with truffle. Yum! But I preferred the maccha (green tea).

Earlier in the month, we picked up the signature cempedak (jackfruit) and durian from Singapore's second oldest hotel. Somehow I couldn't find the same old fragrance and texture. The durian ones did not come out of their moulds well and so there were no peony designs on them! That made me decide to pick the cakes up from Sheraton instead.

But looking at this picture, we felt that the leisurely atmosphere of tea and snacks that we used to enjoy in the office on this day has already gone. Instead the three of us, CK and our PRC friend, were the only ones eating the green tea and the yuuzu (Japanese citrus) varieties from Peony Jade, a restaurant which CK claimed was the best for mooncakes this year -2010. He based this on a review that he read "somewhere". The yuuzu cakes were ice-cream mooncakes which were, of course, easy to eat. Our PRC friend seemed to enjoy the yuuzu more than the green tea ones. Now we're counting down to the end of 2010. Oops.

Hanoi's Five-Star Hotel

26 August 2010 (Thurs): There are differences among five-star hotels across national boundaries due to different rating standards as there are also many different standards of five-star hotels within the same country. I realised the latter when I stayed at this in Hanoi. It's located on Cat Linh Street.

It certainly differs from Sofitel Plaza and Daewoo Hotel, for instance, in terms of service standard and ambience. Some say the staff at this hotel are cold - their greetings being more subdued and the level of their confidence differs from that of the staff at Sofitel Plaza. The staff here also look more demure and some even unfriendly. But some "warm up" after a few days.

There is a casino located at a discreet corner with scrawny "guest relations officers" in mini-mini-skirts. They told me that US dollars are the only currency used. That's not true as I saw them holding DONG notes instead.

Beside the casino, there is a beer counter which was never crowded. It's spacious, and that's what I like. I saw the usual guests every evening. More local residents appeared in the evening when pastries and buns are sold at a discount. The pastries looked good, but I couldn't buy them even if they were cheaper. I've got a complimentary breakfast everyday and I like the way bacon was done here:

I'd rate the room that I stayed in "average" by five-star standards. I checked into one that smelled of tobacco. I asked for a change.

After four days I asked for a change again because running water from the room right above could be heard. Urg ! Someone checked in and the ceiling was too thin. At first, the receptionist informed me very convincingly that the hotel was changing the 'pump'. Then when I called her again after 20 minutes, two workmen came to investigate and then they finally changed my room after another lady came up to confirm that there was indeed noise.

Overall I like the quiet here. It caters more for tourists than the businessmen - although I spotted Japanese and other Asian businessmen. I also could read business magazines and the Nikkei Shimbun. I prefer the breakfast buffet here than at the Sofitel Plaza where bacon was soggy and greasy (never crispy), if not burnt.I thought food at Sofitel Plaza has slipped a great deal in standard. It used to be one of those best places to eat ten years ago.

The breakfast spread here was ordinary to me until I went to the Sofitel Plaza Hotel. I finally realized that it tasted much better and fresher here. At least the miso soup was alright and the fruit, good. The salad was also crispier, but the rolled sushi was bad - as in many breakfast buffets across the country.

But having said all the above, I had the worst club sandwich here. Look! Greasy and unappetizing. I could have gotten a banh my (Viet sandwich outside the hotel),certainly many times lower in price and many times up in terms of taste.

Put aside the memory of biting into this tough dough, I don't mind staying in this hotel again since I've gotten to know the names and faces of some of its nice staff. Its breakfast has also made up for the club sandwich many times.

Countryside シンガポールの田舎、クランジ

16 July 2010 (Friday): It's hard to believe that Singapore has a countryside- an undeveloped stretch of land with unruly trees growing and where insects and birds abound. There is - it's rather close to where I work by car. I like this kampong (Malay language for 'village') in Kranji.

If I am not picking up Japanese handmade tofu and sundries at Meidi-ya, cosmetics, electronic gadgets, and clothes after lunch, this is the place where I will head for a light healthy meal.

You can appear in a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops; and remember your shades on a bright sunny day. This place is great for an introduction to biology or botany as well.

Banana curry
It's a clean countryside with no rowdy and viscious mosquitoes of the tropics. If there are, there is a pond to ensure that they will be gobbled up by the fish. There are even clean toilets with always-functional flushes and modern hand-towel dispensers.

That's so much about Singapore's countryside. Being in Singapore, the countryside must have some reasonably good food. I like the Acar fish (acar: Peranakan pickle vegetables consisting of pineapple, julienne carrot and cucumber, sesame seeds in a spicy vinegrette); banana curry, chicken curry and farm kang kong (water convulvulous).

Chicken curry
The taste is mild and the volume, not overwhelming. The beverage list is healthy; my favourite is lemongrass but

not the aloe vera which has sugar.

I usually go there for lunch once a month. I enjoy travelling on the well-paved road with plots of soil supporting the wild albizia, banana trees, and the ferns by the sides. Very quiet.

Acar fish

Tamagoyaki キャベツと韮入りの玉子焼き

29 June 2010 (Tues): It was four years ago that I met Dir. Ab. Now I recall. At that time I chatted with him about the World Cup. Tonight, Japan vs. Paraguay. Interesting, because the Embassador to Japan from Paraguay is of Japanese descent - a second-generation in Paraguay. Watching him comment on TV about Honda's performance evoked some thinking on the issue of a migrant's "identity" and "national loyalty" in modern times.

Although A. dislikes thinking about "national affiliation," preferring to treat everyone like his own kind, he never gets tired of eating a few homecooked dishes from his homeland despite his long term residence here. For me there's hardly a time that I get tired of his version of tamagoyaki, for example. But I know that not everyone will like this. Once he woke up at about five in the morning to prepare it for his colleagues. To his disappointment, they simply stared at it. After eating it (he supposed that they finished it), they did not comment on it. He then surmised that it was not well-received.

I love it. It's my comfort food at home. And it is nutritious. A. makes it so by adding a lot of chopped chive and fresh cabbage into the beaten egg mixture. A normal Japanese housewife uses a pair of giant chopsticks to help her turn the egg in the pan, but A. uses a wooden ladle that we use for stir-frying on a non-stick pan. No hassle really. It fits the width of the squarish Japanese pan and flips the egg with precision. When one side is "cooked" enough to be turned over to the other, turn off the fire and cover the pan with a wooder lid.

A. uses two eggs only with a bowl of chopped veggie. Yummy...

Bakufu no Inu （幕府の犬）

The Bakufu (Jp. warlord) was delighted! At last he was freed from the frustration of having to dance around the politically well-connected Charge d’ Affaires who took care of the running of the organization. The Bakufu has handpicked the Gakusha (hereafter known as 'G'), the Ph.D scholar who “took care of” him when Bakufu was visiting one of the two top universities in Japan. On top of the remarkable brand of G’s university, G’s even got the most prestigious educational scholarship in Japan. It’s the Monbushō Scholarship, of course!

We were happy for the Bakufu - and we were anticipating a new Charge d’ Affaires who would not be overbearing, but one who would be sincere, friendly and competent. Besides Bakufu works well with the Y-chromosome species - unless you're a well-known journalist or someone with 'a huge face' with whom he cannot afford to show gender preference.

Some months later, K, my colleague, was amazed why G is so slow at learning the rope and making daily judgments? If creative decisions are even too wishful to ask for, why must G also be such a poor communicator?

G works well with the “underdogs” -- as K puts it. G communicates best to people who cannot speak English – such as the electrical workmen, the cleaners and the aircon-washers. (This does not equate to G’s superb skills in speaking Japanese, though.) G shows disgust bluntly for the confident, slightly demanding young and stylishly groomed girls from a certain office.

G usually messes things up, says K, who’s often infuriated by the need to “clear the debris”. G has a work slogan: “I am very busy” –which also serves as a convenient word to pass the ball to someone else – usually close to deadlines. G grouches when I ask: “Why can’t we do this?” That’s when G will display a blank look.

Two questions surfaced among the observations and negative feedback on the productivity, working style, communication skills and job competence of G: HOW did G obtain his scholarship and HOW did he enter such a prestigious university?

G was admitted to that prestigious university for undergraduate studies. He did not go through the Junior college-local university passage. From there G landed the prestigious scholarship and finally obtained his Ph.D.

Compare G to students who spent most part of their childhood studying very hard to get into a local university to read Japanese Studies, G’s decision to go to Japan to pursue his studies was certainly the smartest thing to do.

G loved Japan and confessed to enjoying izakaya (drinking) sessions everyday while local students such as me clocked ten hours daily to try to master Japanese language--pouring through dictionaries and verifying new words, completing daily assignments, and grabbing opportunities to practise the language.

My result is insignificant compared to what G is able to show to employers. G is able to teach in a local institute of learning because of the brand of his former university. Even with all the incompetence of G, G gets a fatter pay cheque than anyone else in this organization, except the Bakufu.

For local high-school graduates who did not attempt to apply for the local university, or could not enter it due some reasons, but have chosen to go to Japan to study at the average universities, obtaining school scholarships or spending long hours just doing arubaito (part-time jobs) were still useful in the long run, according to K, whose two aunties did that and succeeded in obtaining their graduate degrees from a certain less-known Japanese university. The intangible and tangible benefits reaped are likely to double what a student here tries to actively do to improve his/her Japanese. What is more important for a student going to Japan is that he/she will be able to fully focus on his/her interests on Japanese and Japanese culture, rather than being "interfered" by other non-related courses and/or even being discouraged by instructors hired by the local university or visiting fellows.

I 've been scratching my head, thinking hard over what defines a meritocratic system in this country?

Old Enka

It was my first time at Rakuichi located in the Dempsey dining place.

Outside it looks really like a Japanese inn. After taking a few steps from the entrance, I was rather impressed for it reminded me of those good ol' days in the 1980s when Japanese restaurants really are like Japanese restaurants: Small wooden tables and chairs in a small area, enka, Japanese beer posters, comic books and sliding paper-wooden doors.

This place does have a lot of wood to mellow you down. It also plays very old enka. I like these.

The first dish that arrived was blanched daikon with sesame seeds and miso.

Simple and good.

The second was good as well. Yum! What garnishing.
Subsequently when my set dinner arrived, it was a grilled fish and some side-dishes such as pickle and a miso-soup.

These ended my meal -but the fish was really no big deal. I wonder what other dishes are good? I think having some drinks and listening to the oldies may just be enough for a short night-out, but frankly,I am not too much attracted to the Dempsey area.

The Memorable Bocelli Concert in Singapore

Strolling into the concert venue:

The stage from afar:

A venue for another group of audience - those who balloted online to participate in the event:

After sunset:

The stars of the night, leaving the stage:



A truly amazing and awesome way to end a concert:

The most beautiful event on earth was elevated to celestial heights:

Thank you, YTL, for such a fantastic evening with Bocelli:

Hanoi! 再び ハノイへ

* Nem cuon chay
16 April 2010 (Fri): There's a lot to write about Hanoi, but I have no idea where to begin.
I returned last December with a camera for idiots and so, have captured quite a number of sights. I have always had pre-trip anxieties about returning to Hanoi: How could I cope with the language? How safe would it be for me? These are common fears.
But each time I returned, the happiness experienced when I was living there returned. It would take me a day or two to slip back into the linguistic fluency, and then everything would fit right back in its old place. Unfamiliarity would then gradually subside as the old faces, smiles and sounds greeted me.
I missed Hồ Tây (West Lake), and had reserved lodging just right by it. Before I reached it, there was a jam on the road. My cab driver grew impatient, and hopped out of the vehicle several times to check.

There was no accident, fortunately. A bus broke down and jammed the Thanh Long Bridge. Traffic soon returned to normal. The cab sped past Lạc Long Quân, Âu Cơ and then Đường Thanh Niên. I checked in at the Sofitel Plaza.

I was admiring the shimmering surface of the West Lake as the bullet-elevator lifted me up.

It was the first hotel with such elevators in Hanoi, and the first five-star to be built by the lake. This hotel also has what I consider the best layout for its executive lounge on the 17th floor. A businessman or even a writer is able to have his own private space in the lounge and still easily make food orders or calls out for secretarial assitance. Other such lounges lack the 'working' function and serves as F & B outlets for the exclusives. Acoustics is good here. It is very peaceful - the interior is sqeaky clean and neat, and overlooks the Red River; yet it is also conducive for group discussions. There is plenty of wood to calm your nerves. A Singaporean chap once told me that his company hired a Japanese architect to design it, and the roof is the most outstanding.
I scooted off to a downtown cafe to meet my friends after dropping off my luggage in my room.

* Paris Deli Cafe, Pho Nha Tho
It's Christmas time! This is one of the few places with decor. The slightly more elaborately decorated place was Sofitel Metropole Hotel. It's where I usually go for a cuppa nowadays when I go to Hanoi besides Hoa Sua. Not Ciao, not Moca (where I used to go eight years ago)...Juliana is gone and Highlands Cafe has made its mark in the cafe scene; Tonkin has moved to 39A Lý Thường Kiệt. I did like the bitter coffee at the Tonkin.

* Second floor, Paris Deli Cafe
I think this "big church" street (where the Paris Deli cafe is situated) is incredibly tasteful. There's still no tall modern buildings. There's a lot retained along the street including the deep-fried bánh store at the corner. The oil is certainly "off" and the texture of the "curry puff" rather hard, but it's obviously very popular among folks in the city. I think its weak points are drowned in the fragrance of the herbs and the pungent nươc mắm(fish sauce). The resultant taste becomes one which is rather difficult to duplicate anywhere else in the world.
I like the ambience at Paris Deli, though I will not rate its food too highly. I couldn't meet Bien this time and I don't know his roster. The manager that I met was absent as well. I only met some of the lady staff and waiters that I met before.
I returned to my hotel in the evening. I was literally starved, but went to bed.

The next morning, I had my "vengeance" and ordered a huge bowl of phở. Most Hanoians must think I was silly- fancy eating phở in a hotel! The noodle should be partaken in the street or some famous small shops (Phở Thìn, Phở Mai Anh, etc.)
I returned to my old school which is beside this tower. It looks newer than before after the renovation- the alleys and streets have been paved with tiles and layered with concrete.

The classrooms are given a fresh coat of paint outside;the courtyard has also been tiled.

I had missed the charming kids at Hoa Sua - more than the food (see vegan rolls above).

The only disappointment in this trip was the lounge at the top of Sofitel Plaza (once known as the "Top of the M" after its former owner, Mandarin Group of Hotels). It used to be very lively - not sedate like it is now. Being "the" place where one could enjoy the beautiful sunset of Hanoi, it was cozy. Now the space outside and inside was limited to couples, but only accomodates a few of them. One can tell it's designed for very young couples who will not mind perching on high chairs and staring into each other because even certain parts of the glass window are covered, blocking out both view and ambience:

Black is overused; it makes the lounge spooky rather than warm.
On my way back to Singapore, I met a friend of Thoi, the driver who used to take me to Noi Bai. Duong is as nice as him.
Time flies! I will be back again in Hanoi soon.

Garden: Beauty, Calm and Bocelli

12 April 2010(Monday): Strolling in parks is my way of relaxing. One can say it's a British legacy, whatever. The Botanic Gardens is one of the most easily accessible, although it's not the only one that I go to. I can't imagine walking through a messy tropical jungle and feeling relaxed; I do that only when I "feel adventurous".

Nature is "managed" here; it has to be in a land-scarce island. I don't really mind, though, as long as I don't meet the mozzies and harmful bugs. Encountering squirrels, grasshoppers, and butterflies is what I look forward to in my walk.

I appreciate the concentration of amazing varieties of exotic tropical blooms in a lush spacious park smacked right in one of the most convenient spots of the city.

This is where A. Bocelli will appear on 8 May 2010. I am counting down to his concert...