A New Experience for my Birthday

6:30am - woke up, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to myself for a brand new start of my special day!
Started my quick packing - as usual love to do things last minute - perhaps like the adrenaline rush that comes from the rush..haaha..

Got a cab at 7:50am, rushed to the airport to check in for my SQ176 which departs at 1000hrs.

Got a middle seat (35E) as flight is pretty full.

Boarded the plane, sat next to my left a short vietnamese lady and on my right a "not so friendly" fair man, can't tell which nationality but am sure he is a Chinese.

Throughout my journey was watching this show "DreamGirls" by Beyonce and Jennifer Hudson.
It was a good show - had shed a few tears of touching moments....


Finally arrived to Hanoi, Vietnam (GMT +7), gained an hour.
It's my first time in Hanoi and my first time travelling alone to a foreign place where I have no friends at all. When I arrived into the airport, waited for a long time for my cargo bag to send out from the belt.

Came out of the airport, not too sure where is the hotel driver picking me where I see groups of people standing around holding flowers and pieces of placard and papers; I'm trying to see which is for me. So not used to standing there and identify for a piece of paper for my name to be picked up. I decided to take a seat first and called the hotel personnel to find out what's the arrangement. Found out that the driver has arrived waiting for me, I started to stand up and go forward to see which one it is.

I found him! Got my transport and long the way were chatting with the driver with his broken English. It's fun and along the way not many houses for about 20min ride then I started to see some houses getting more and more along each side of the road.

Finally arrived to the Prince II Hotel at the old town. Got my room no. 402 - climbed to 4th floor without lift - luckily a boy helped me carry the cargo bag climbed up the flights of stairs....

The beginning of my interesting new Exploration of Hanoi:
- I was resting in the room till about 4:35pm...started to make my way out from the hotel to walk around the old town. Trying to find my way to a money changer as directed by the reception. Yet the map given wasn't that clear. I realize it's also difficult to see from the street as there're many motorcycles travelling and squeezing through the small streets of the old town.

6:30pm... Whole town was blackout, no electricity power. And got news from the reception that the power will only be up after 9pm, what an experience that I will never experience it in Singapore.

As I was walking around the old town, its a busy street and lots of scooters honing around to ask for giving way. Went to a street "Ta Hien" for my dinner as recommended by the hotel reception. That street only have 2-3 vietnamese restaurants and a bar called "Mao's Red Lounge". Looking through the shops are not getting easy now as sky turns dark and whole place became dark as no electricity power still.

Went into one of the Vietnamese restaurant, had my sumptuous Birthday meal.
Ordered:
1. Crab meat soup
2. Seafood Fried Rice
3. Fried cuttlefish with vegetables (Beek)

And a freshly squeezed orange juice. While I sitted at the small restaurant with maximum 6 tables of 4 seaters, the place is filled up.
It's cosy though and I noticed only my table has a red flower (carnation). Felt like it's been pre-arranged by God for me (haha) as no other tables has one. After I ordered my meal...I sat there to observe around.

Other tables were occupied by caucasians only.. am only Chinese and another table with a family of Vietnamese. Then outside, came pass a motorcycle man selling packets of pop-corns and from his bike came the music "Happy Birthday" song... haha ...what a coincidence and I know that I know it must be God sent the "Birthday song" to wish me... Suddenly I don't feel alone, I felt so loved, love by God so dearly that He prepares all these little surprises for me which is out of my expected trip to Hanoi.

8:30pm...I came to Mao's Red lounge, sipping my Bailey's on the rocks in a Martini glass which the waiter poured till the brim and it cost 3,000 dong (approx. US$2) a glass - amazingly cheap isn't it..haahaa. A tiger beer cost only US$1 (15,000 dong)...Don't think can get such a price in other countries.

I've already planned out my tour as follows:
Tomorrow (Day 2) - Hanoi City Tour
Day 3 - Halong Bay
Day 4 - Perfume Pagoda
and lastly on Day 5 will take my adventure ride to Silk Village (Van Phuc) which the reception told me to take their local bus transport will save me a lot of money.
Taking the bus is about 3,000 dong and if I take their private tour will cost me US$60 for 1 person. So she helped me wrote a note in Vietnamese language for me to show to the bus driver to drop me at the nearest station to Van Phuc Silk Village, then I can walk there.
It's going to be a new experience for me..haha..

Was in the Mao's Red lounge, with no music as whole town no electrical power, so can't play records. The whole place is lighted up with red candles. Now I realize how important a candle light is to Vietnam now.

Tonight is a Blackout Town - I celebrated my quiet Birthday here on my own - lonely isn't it...
nope I don't feel that way, ... most importantly I am happy!

The Purpose and Power of Men

I just read this book from Dr. Myles Munroe on the Purpose and Power of Men and there's another one on women which im going to get it soon. It's very interesting in what he wrote and I somehow agree with what he shared. He is so anointed and after reading his analyse in God's Word, I have a clearer understanding of the position and purpose why God created men and women so differently. It's like seeing a new light into what life is all about for a man and a woman on earth. :-)

My Virgin Beginning of Blog Life

Do I wanna blog? What is blog? I'm starting to learn more about blogging from friends and online search information to help me understand what is blogging all about.
Though I may not read through all information, I somehow understand from what I read is like a journal online....looks like a good place for me to voice out and to keep it for leisure viewing as memory for future reading. It's really good! I like it and shall explore more day by day....

Today is 1st of March, the beginning of a new month of year 2007 and its also a fresh beginning for my inception to this blogging new world to me....my virgin blog world... hahaha...