A Little Vacation - Autumn Break

I just got back from a little vacation to Saigon and Phu Quoc Island. Phu Quoc is an Island that lies southwest of the southern portion of Vietnam in the Gulf of Thailand, off the coast straddled between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Generally I had a good time, though I often get worn out with the travel portion of these trip... the driving to airport, waiting at airport, flying to destination, waiting for bags, driving to hotel, etc.  I travel better by myself because I don't feel guilty when I pick up my Ipad and just start reading or browsing the web.  With the family, that whole idea is frowned upon, and I find that I time myself making sure not to have my eyes on the Ipad longer than Diep approves.  Megan is luckier, somehow she can get away with it.

Diep, Megan and I were last on Phu Quoc together 15 years ago. I have been twice on work projects since then, but I didn't get much time to enjoy it. Things have changed, but not too much. Progress on the island is moving along, with new roads being built and a new airport under construction, but things move at a snails pace there compared to the rest of the country.

We spent a little extra money on this trip, staying in a nicer hotel and spending more money than we usually would on tours to the fish sauce factory, peppercorn farm, pagoda, pearl farms and beaches.  For the price, I think it was generally worth it, though it was probably higher than a local would pay for the same services.

In Saigon, we stayed close to the Ben Thanh Market and Diep appreciaed the location more than the places we had stayed before. The Ben Thanh Market is very central and makes for an easy walk to wherever you may want to go in First District.

Diep gave me one night off to myself and I got to catch up with a good friend there. He is one of only a couple of surviving friends I have left in Saigon from the old days.  While I was walking with my friend on the streets to another establishment, I was talking about how I am becoming more ornery in my old age, especially on the streets.  As if it was timed, about a minute later a man tried to pickpocket me. He had three fingers in my back pocket before I knocked his arm away and punched him in the shoulder.  The incident was quick and I wasn't stupid enough to give chase or pummel the guy right on the street.  It seems it was over just as quick as it got started.

I got some good pictures on this vacation, using both my DSLR and point and shoot. You can view them at:

 (https://plus.google.com/u/0/?tab=wX#photos/117376873662186980648/albums/5799296521758550273)

I definitely needed the time off. I have felt broken lately, and though the feeling hasn't left me completely, I may be on the mend.

Scientology Comes to Vietnam

Diep and I were watching VTV1 this morning, a national news broadcast station in Vietnam, and caught a piece on Vietnamese war veterans affected by dioxin (agent orange) receiving treatment at a facility in Thai Binh Province. The detoxification treatment these veterans were undergoing included an aerobics program, steam room treatment and vitamin supplements such as niacin, etc.

The broadcast was in Vietnamese, but the doctors who were interviewed and the reporter kept referring to a method that sounded like Hubut when they pronounced the name in Vietnamese.  Afte a quick Google search on keywords "dioxin", "treatment" and "method". it became quickly clear the news report was referring to the Hubbard detoxification method. Yes, Lafayette Ron Hubbard of pulp fiction and scientology fame.

The symptoms these dioxin victims described were not necessarily those described by our own Vietnam war veterans, and more closely resembled those symptoms experienced from old age and inactivity. Clearly, exercise, nutrition and sweating out the body's toxins in a steam room can do wonders for the latter symptoms.  Nevertheless, these veterans can thank L Ron Hubbard and the scientologists for their reportedly improved health and well-being.

Maybe Tom Cruise will be visiting Thai Binh Province in the near future.