New glasses, please

So, I went and picked out some new glasses on Thursday afternoon.... I liked these. Eye exam + "Gucci" frames + thin UV lenses = $60. Can't go wrong with that! Well, we'll see. And yes, I am putting myself on blast with the "Gucci" before anyone else does. It's better than the "Chaneo" and "Goach" bags they sell downtown. I might get another pair here before I go, if the spirit moves me. I'm pretty pleased. :-)

Tannery Trip

I went to two tanneries today! The smell was a bit overwhelming, but I always think the leather process is really cool. I was into taxidermy as a youngsta, after all. Visiting the tanneries makes me want to get into taxidermy. Making something useful out of food by-products is kind of cool. Yum.

In other news, I'm kind of sick because I had this delicious pineapple juice at lunch and forgot the "no ice" part. Yay for antibiotics! It was only a matter of time, I guess.

Headed to Hong Kong in the morning. Hope to take lots of pics.

xo,
Pamcakes

Cutting Dies, Water Puppets

That's how small the Crocs-type shoes start off... Injection molding, baby. Expaaaaaaansion. :) Like my waist right now thanks to the delicious Indian food at Tandoor, my favorite Indian restaurant ever...

Had a little "Welcome Party" last weekend for Dave and Mark (they've been here for 2 months). This is the only photo from that night that's decent enough for public domain:



This weekend was low key; had that meeting on my silk scarves and got some leads! Also found an art supply store, finished Sag Harbor, saw water puppets, had dinner at Jennie's boss', and chilled at the pool. Guess that's not low-key.

More pics:
Facebook Albums-- you can see them even if you're not on Facebook.

For those who doubted my steel-cutting skills, check out this pic from the cutting-die factory:

Take that, haters.


I'm obsessed with the way they package moped tires here, with this paper foil wrapped around them. I will take some pics of more elaborate foil-wrapped tires for ya and post them next time.



If you didn't know about my love for puppets, now ya know! Water puppets are a "Vietnamese Tradition".... We saw a 50 minute show last night. It was pretty... umm... interesting. I think the puppets are controlled from below but the whole show (in Vietnamese) appeared to be about how many different types of puppets they can put on water. I enjoyed and will probably go back by myself again just for the thrill. Ha.

In other news, just hoping that I can return to New England from China without getting arrested. Sigh. I had to answer questions about Skip Gates and Barack's reaction as the D-BAP (Designated Black American Princess) at dinner on Saturday night... You'd be proud. I was firm and honest, but not-aggressive. I think. Wait, what does it mean when your commentary is met with silence then the subject is changed to the weather.....? Do you institute a DontAsk-DontTell policy on racial politics, or do you keep it open, and try to be tactful? Help!

Love, Peace, and Hair Grease (can someone please send me some?!),
Me

Mold Shop

 

Ree-versed.

Fits and Starts

Hey hey, fam. Trying to get this blog format in check is SO frustrating.

I've been exploring, looking for silk printers for my scarves so that I can (finally) get them into g-a-s-p gallery shop in Boston! I've got some new designs coming, spun off of the O.G. (see Trap, 2008)My goal is to figure out the silk thing before I go to Hong Kong next weekend! Let's go!

Pretty chill weekend this past wknd... A little lunch at the Chris’ (country mgr, apparel) house, searched for silk, sketched, got lost walking around. Drinking with the factory folks.

Went to the last factory last week. Lasts are like the "dressform" for shoes, i.e. you build the shoe on them. -- Fit. Visited the plastic (PU) and aluminum last makers. See the old-school sand cast molds below....

"blue magic" - color the plastic:

"BBs" - plastic pellets:

"last morgue":

"rough hewn":

Soursop, Ben Thanh, Mekong

LET'S GOOOOOOOOOO!-- okay that's a normal street here. Not some biker gang.

I'm becoming re-addicted to Soursop Smoothies, which were my thing in the summer of '03, during my first year at D Sweet B Cafe on Flatbush Ave. Irma, the owner had a special recipe that must have come straight from the Saigon spots. Juice is The Bomb. Highlands Coffee is good. We're establishing "our spots" here. I like it.

Saturday was picking out day tours, walking, -- check the wiring.....

We went to Benh Thanh Market. "Ben Thanh" is Vietnamese for 'smelly tourist trap'-- it's the haggling spot, and I was very careful not to get duped.

After Ben Thanh we needed a break, so we had lunch at ZanZBar-- a great ex-pat bar/restaurant.- Butternut squash ravioli.

Then we attempted what should have been a relaxing afternoon at the museum-- the HCMC Fine Arts Museum. WRONG!

Very.... how you say? "censored"? -- The art was all political/social propaganda in a beautiful French Colonial building with no friggin' A/C. Strangest art museum I've ever been to in my life. Here's the central courtyard.

It cost 10,000dong to get in>> 56 cents. They made us check our purses at the door, then we saw other people walking around with purses and decided it was time to blow that popsicle stand. Actually, a popsicle would have been nice-- Jennie had like, a heatstroke because it was hotter inside than outside.

After all that, I was badly in need of a pedicure. Check. Delicious Indian food. Check. :)

Did a Mekong Delta day tour all day Sunday with Jennie and Mark. It was a lot of fun:

Coconut candy making
Rice paper making
Traditional music
boat rides, boat rides, boat rides!


Peep our "Tropic Thunder" style....

Saturday morning update

Me and Jennie, my roommate/apparel trainee


We finally had Vietnamese food last night!!

Phở24 is a fast-ish food chain that serves Vietnam's signature dish, phở . Pho is rice noodle soup in a scallion-y broth. You can get it at pretty much any Pan-Asian restaurant in the US... I tried it @ my spot in Cumberland RI before I left home. It's served with the garnishes like bean sprouts, basil leaves, etc., on the side, with just meat and noodles in the broth. It was really good! A lot of Vietnamese people eat this on the street for breakfast. There are a ton of phở carts, too. After dinner we got massages- 70-minutes for 170,000 Dong, tip included. That's less than 10 bucks. I am Soooooo relaxed
.




I NEED TO TAKE MORE PICS I'M JUST SO BUSY LOOKING!!!

From my journal
Jul8:
"I am impressed by"
1- The construction workers here. They have hard hats, but I don't see a lot of tools, yet they're digging in the street! Hand shovels? Flip flops?! Interesting.



2- Traffic. You ever seen a baby fall and stumble and miss bumping his head on the corner of a table by just about a quarter of an inch? That's what HCMC traffic feels like. Most stoplights have just one color-- red. They skipped the yellow and green, and arrows, etc. It's amazing to watch the waves of mopeds dodging and swerving so closely. The aerial view must look like the mixing of cake batter (am I hungry again?!) as you fold in the lumps. -- Kim reports that it was Garret A. Morgan who invented the stoplight.

3- The ability to pile trash in small sculptures on the street. "Oh! Rogue street art; I wonder who made these salvage sculptures!", I thought. Then after another block of seeing this little piles on the street I realized, you idiot, that's not public art, it's trash. Duh.

What I've been doing
Mornings- Get in car to Development Center at the factory, check email and touch base with bosses.
-Powerpoint presentations/conversations on the different functions within the development center
Lunch at the canteen
Afternoons- Walking through the factory line with one of the commercialization directors. WOW! More on this later. I have mixed feelings (always the emo. reaction first) and my mind is also boggled. I like being on the factory floor.

I will be able to post more/do more now that I'm getting over the jetlag!! YAY!

Today's agenda

We got to use the company car this afternoon/morning, so that's gonna be awesome for getting around the city.

On the list:
1- Finding tours for the Cu Chi tunnels for tomorrow.
2- Checking out the gym situation since ours at the hotel is like a sauna with a stairmaster.
3- Visiting the War Remnants Museum.
4- Visiting the Zoo.
5- Visiting Ben Thanh Market- If it's anything like Meleko Market in Accra, it's a tourist trap. Yay!
6- Pool.
7- Planning weekend trips.
8- Eating, eating, eating!.... Coffeeeeeeee!
9- Pedicure?

jetlag

trying to get past the jet lag so i'm headed to bed. a nice firm post for ya in the morning.

I'm heeeere!

It was an extra humid 84 degrees when we got in at midnight last night. I'm so grateful to have made it safely here! It only took 27 hours. I learned that, after spending 13 hours Friday getting my hair braided, a 14-hour flight ain't nothin'!

Here's a great thing: When testing out the living room TV, we found that the Michael Jackson tribute was on, live from LA. I didn't get to watch the whole thing; I hoped that Wayne was taping it.

This morning, though, in the gym, which is more like a sauna with some dumbells and a stairmaster in it, I caught some more of the Tribute on replay!... It was moving, but could have done without some of the "selections" from artists.

::It's 8:50 am on Wed 7/8 and Jennie and I just found out that we have a "rest day" until 2pm. Leave it to our HR team back in the US NOT to tell us this.... Oh, did I mention that they hadn't paid for our apartment either?:: (I'm already complaining?!)

Fortunately, we're going to make the most of it and go find a good foot massage. Just call me "Miss Saigon" (thanks for that one, Dad)

HAPPINESS IS WAKING UP IN VIETNAM TO THE REV. AL SHARPTON SPEAKING.

No internets in the room yet. Will keep y'all posted. Promise to take pics and return with more descriptions.