Pass.

An Airline With A Sense Of Humour!

I hope this is for the passengers benefit and not because they keep forgetting!  Funny yet informative I think!

I think this guy might be on to something....

Either that or actually on something!  I swear this is a real article from the paper here.

We're On the Road To Nowhere.....

Again, I am lost for words.  This is in the brand new Vincom Building.  Do you think someone might have noticed before they actually built them or am I missing something?  Either way, I'm tipping there is someone out there looking for a new job!

So Many Zeros!!!

Got to be on your toes here.  There are ever emerging ways in which some Viets will try to rip off the tourist, or the expats for that matter.  The majority of Vietnamese people are honest and hard working but unfortunately there are some that give this wonderful country a bad name.  As I do not drive here, I have no option to go by taxi to the school.  Of late I have been warned that some taxi drivers are trying to slip "ceremonial" money into unsuspecting tourists change.  This "monopoly" money is used in temples where it is burned during ceremonies.  Their ingenuity never ceases to amaze me.  Try to rip me off at your own peril!!!

Fake!  With so many zeros it's easy for people not used to the currency to get confused.

Mmmmmmm

It has been pretty rainy and wet this week.  If I crank the aircon on to 20 I could almost fool myself that it is Winter as I gaze out the window.  Had a hankering for a big 'ol roast and here it is!
How did I do on the yorkies Jill?

Crunch!!!

Scarletts fave

Hope He Does Not Float Away!

The Boring Stuff.....

What has been happening in the Moggy world I hear you ask?  Well, not much really!  We are still counting down the days until the end of the long school holidays.  They go back next Wednesday but will just do half days for the rest of next week.  All things back to normal the following Monday.  They are so ready to go back.  We had to go and pick up their uniforms last week and I don't think they realised how much they missed it until they walked back in the gate.  I am still having issues with Scarletts toilet training.  As you know, she was fully trained except for her nigh time nappy, back in Aus.  She, for god knows what reason, has regressed and now on an all too regular basis, will have accidents.  There are no nappies allowed at school, not that I would put her back into one anyway.  It has been 5 months now and she just will not stop.  We will have a good run for a few days then a couple of shockers.  I am hoping that she is not the first 3 year old to be expelled!
Nick has been away for work for the last week and is due back soon.  Quiddy has had a nasty ear infection and is on his 2nd round of antibiotics.  I am taking he back to the ENT guy in about an hours.  It appears much better over the last few days.
The weather here has been hot and slightly wet.  There is usually one big downpour at some stage during the day but the hour varies.  About 32 degrees and usually cloudy.
I have been keeping myself busy with my Vietnamese language lessons 3 days a week and trying to keep fit, sometimes with my personal trainer.  It is really nice to have some time to spend on self improvement and I appreciate it very much.  I am due to start work around the 7th of September.  It is only part time which I hope will bring a lovely balance to my life here.  I can't wait to get stuck into using my brain again!!
The apartment really feels like home now and Quyen is part of the family. I don't know how I would have done these 8 weeks without her.  Kids loving sleeping in the same room.  They get up bloody early though, about 0600.  Missing you all from home, especially as all of the girls turn 40 and have their parties.  Thank goodness for Skype and Facebook!
So all in all, it's kinda same stuff but different country.  We absolutely love living here and can't beleive how fast the time is going.  We hope to be back to visit in Jan but will keep you posted.  Better go get this kid to the Dr and take the Date & Walnut loaf out of the oven for my weary travellers return (thanks Jill!)
Bye!

Dyslexia at its best!

d

Do you think perhaps it is not a legit store?  God bless them.  At least they tried.

I Wonder if it Smells the Same as Bong Water?

Not a funny photo!

 I know I have been posting a few funny photos of late but unfortunately this is not one of them.  Motorbikes here are the family saloon, and this, to my horror, is the child seat.  This is not a one off photo.  I see these every day, too many times.  The whole thought of it makes me shudder.   To make it worse, only fairly recently was it mandatory for bike riders to wear a helmet.  Unfortunately, it is not necessary for children and NO-ONE puts one on their child.  So they sit atop this kiddy throne with not a care in the world...and no protection on their heads.  There was a terrible story the other month where a child had fallen asleep on the bike and a truck came up behind and honked its horn.  The child startled, fell off, was run over by the truck and killed.  Too awful to imagine.  Why oh why would you put a mask on your childs face to protect them from pollution and then plonk them on this thing. I just don't get it.  Sure, you may not have an accident, but in a city that has an approximate 4 million (no, not a typo...4 MILLION) motorbikes, it is not worth the risk.

Remembering The Battle of Long Tan...44 Years Ago Today.

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.

At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them.

Lest we forget. 

Remembering the fallen and the heros of the Battle of Long Tan...44 years ago today.

A Summary:

D Company left the base at 11.15 that morning bound for the Long Tan rubber plantation. As they departed Nui Dat the sounds of a concert by Little Pattie, the Australian entertainer, reached their ears. They entered the Long Tan plantation at 3.15 that afternoon. Less than an hour later the Viet Cong attacked in force, putting the Australians under mortar, machine gun and small arms fire. Only the quick response of a New Zealand artillery battery to desperate calls for support saved D Company from annihilation.

Almost as soon as the battle began a torrential downpour added to the gloom in the rubber plantation. The Australians, surrounded, short of ammunition and fighting an enemy whose strength they could only guess at, called for helicopters to drop ammunition to them. Flying at tree-top height, braving the terrible weather and heavy Viet Cong fire, two RAAF helicopters located the beleaguered Australians and dropped boxes of ammunition and blankets for the wounded.

 As the fighting continued Australian reinforcements were committed to the battle. B Company was on the way and A Company, loaded into Armoured Personnel Carriers of 3 Troop, 1 Armoured Personnel Carrier Squadron, which fought its way into D Company just before 7 pm as daylight was fading. The Viet Cong had been massing for another assault but were forced to retreat into the plantation. They had suffered terrible casualties, but only when the Australians returned to the scene of battle the following morning did they realise the extent of the defeat that they had inflicted on the enemy. The Australians counted 245 enemy dead still in the plantation and surrounding jungle with evidence that others had already been removed from the battlefield. Captured documents and information from prisoners suggested that D Company had faced some 2,500 Viet Cong. Eighteen Australians were killed in the Battle of Long Tan and 24 wounded, all but one of the dead were from D Company.

Refer Previous Post...I rest my case!

One of my personal faves....buy some grog....get a free raincoat....of course!!!

Shower cream and toothpaste....at least they both live together in the bathroom.

Air freshener and toothpaste do not!

Buy a water cooler...get a free torch!!

And this was just the first 10 minutes of my shop....I lost interest after that and people started looking at me funny because I was taking photos of the merchandise! 

A country of contradictions.

This one makes me laugh!  They love a "deal" here.  You will find a coffee cup attached to your bottle of washing powder and a tooth brush attached to your UHT milk.  It is so random.  You just never know what you are going to get..or who the hell matches the two together.  Personally, I think the above was a match make in heaven.!!!

The Female Version of the Squirrel Grip.

Ice cream anyone? Not for me!

This Place Stinks

I'm Missing....

Nick and I has a discussion last night over dinner about the material things we miss from home.  Surprisingly it was quite a short conversation!  We are very content here but there are a few things that every now and again I get a longing for.
- Fish and Chips with a couple of dimmys thrown in for good measure.
- A great big juicy lamb roast with roast potatoes, peas and heaps of gravy.
- Coles online.
- Crumpets dripping with butter and vegemite.
- A great big crunchy salad roll with ham, cheese and beetroot.
- Sitting in front of an open fire with a nice bottle of Aussie red.
- Driving (just a little bit though)
- A great big glass of cold Milk. (This was Nick.  We have to drink UHT here)
- Highpoint/Puckle Street. (Sad but true.  So much variety all in one place!)
- Running the bridge to bridge on the Maribyrnong.  Or just running outside for that matter!
- Heading down to the Coastal Retreat and walking along the beach watching the sun go down.
- Surfing (Nick)
- Guinness (Nick)

Thats about all I can think of at the moment.  All of these things I can live without quite happily and I am far from complaining.  I would hate to see how long the list was of things I DON'T miss about home is.  Lets start with housework.............

The female version of Superman!!!!!

Because sometimes we all just need to wear our underwear as outerware!

Pooh

Words fail me.

Anything is possible!

Delightful

Yummy.....not sure about the small monkey sauce though.

It sure ain't like that anymore!

Great photo of Ben Tanh Market.  It is undated so I have no idea when it was taken.  I wish it was this quiet now!

Early Evening on the Beach