Making Incense

 Traveling thru Vietnam,   I visited a market where they were making incense.  I was so interested in the lady rolling the sticks to the particular flavor.  After a while, I realized, she wa. s making each piece of incense by hand and making 100 per minute.  I was so amazed.

She got up and ask me, thru a sign language,  "You, try it".  So I sat down and tried my hand at making incense.  If you look closely to the right of my right hand, there is the blob of stuff that you roll as you roll the stick in my left hand, adding the flavor which is a powder that is lightly sprinkled on the surface.

After about one minute, I had one stick, about the size of milkshake straw, what a mess.  I was promptly asked to get up.  I am NOT a candidate for incense making.

The picture at the top is the lady that was training me,  she had the wrong candidate,  I am Not incense making employee.

I love getting involved and inter-reacting with the Vietnamese.  Just being kind and smiling and looking at their works, I am drawn into their daily lives.

I will not forget the expressions of this lady as she tried to help me make one stick of incense and maybe she will not forget me,

Happy New Year

Jeanne

Daily Market

 Each morning I take a walk to the local market.  These is a sense of organized ciaos.  There are vendors cooking any and everything that you could want.  These ladies are cooking a donut type pastry  This lady has sprinkled sesame seeds on these pastry above
 .

 This lady is cooking a coconut type pastry and then she folds it over and sells little tray of them.  I have not tried them yet,  Really trying to watch what I eat.  Or should I say watch what they cook and then eat it.

All of this happens right on the street, as you can see above, this guy is making the dough, rolling it our , cutting it into strips and little pieces and then to fry wok, and then to me.

I watch them with great interest and they love it and smile.  Even when I take the pictures and show it to them, they seems so pleased.

There are two of these markets within walking distance of Smith Suites, but you have to get there early, because this is the breakfast market and by 8 am, they are packing it up.  And the next crowd of vendors will be arriving.

I am trying to limit myself to eating "on the street", but as I discover something new and share it with the people I have met, they tell me about some kinda food I do not need to miss.

What a fun way to start the day......

Happy Holidays

Jeanne

Christmas in Thailand

Actually, I was able to find an English speaking church in Chiang Mai.  It was in the Chiang Mai Community School.  This was the scene at the front of the school.  The tree was in white tole with the star on top and the Thailand national flag.

The service was all in English and with the words of the songs projected on a screen.

I wore a sleeves outfit, bought from Marsh's cottage.  Oriental comes to South East Asia

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Jeanne

Oysters in Vietnam

OK, I was on a bus and got the driver to stop and I opened the oyster myself

This little lady could not believe it, nor could the people on the bus

Just too fun,

and I did not get sick

Respond

Worst Chef Ever

Ok I did not say I caught the place on fire

Use your imagination

and respond

Dragon Boat Adventure

I am now in Hue, Vietnam.  There are Dragon Boats all along the river.  In the morning I was to take a Dragon Boat ride up the river to visit a Kings temple and grave site.

It had been raining so much and the wind was up some.  When I arrived on the boat, all the window seats were take and I decided to go to the front of the boat where the captain was driving the boat.

Now, this was not the dragon boat like the one in Oriental.   This boat had two dragon forms on each side and there was roof covering the boat and there were roofs on top of the covering with all kinds of decorations point up and out.

Of, course I speak NO Vietnamese, so I nodded to the man running the boat.  He motioned he was staying to the side of the river, because of the swift currents.  Going up river we went under the first bridge.  I motion a sigh of relief that we made it under the bridge without hitting the bridge.

The "captain" laugh, motioning  no to worry......Going along the water got swifter and fast.....

The captain said the 3rd bridge was the one to be concerned about......now, you must remember the captain speaks no English and I do not speak Vietnamese.

As we entered the 3 bridge, we were scrapping the top of the dragon boat with the bottom the bridge.
The captain motioned for all the people to come to the front of the boat to lower the front of the boat. Now, here all all these people rushing to the front of the boat, as the scrapping got louder and louder as the captain was giving all the gas he could and the noise got so very loud.  And to make things more hectic, the train crossed the bridge above us.

I could see the roof of the boat crumbling and cracking.  At one point, I could see thru the cracked roof.

And it happened, the boat got stuck under the bridge, as it drew us all forward.   OMG, the boat was stuck and the captain threw the boat in reverse and the noise started again and all the little ornaments
were being bent down and the roof was being crumbled.

    Here is the boat hitting the bridge

 Here are the pictures of the boat getting stuck under the bridge.  Not to understand a word, I got it....we were not going to take the dragon boat to the temple.   The Vietnamese people do not give up, the captain finally maneuvered back and forth and got the boat out.  He banked the boat in the river brush, tied the boat to a tree, called our bus.

Now, here are all these people wadding through the brush, going thru a muddy park, crossing a busy highway to get on the bus.

Not to speak the language, I got it and so did the captain......

What an adventure

Enjoy

Notre Dame bride

Ok, this there a brides everywhere and this was photo-op in Saigon at Notre Dame.  This is a beautiful bride as men from everywhere had their turn to have their picture taken with her.  The groom stood by patiently.  Really, no one was paying any attention to him.   This would not do for me,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I as I stood there and watched the bride getting all the attention, I noticed the groom just standing all alone as the photographer taking all the pictures as the men took their turn having their picture with the bride

Here is the groom, such great smile.  Now a little attention for the groom, so I started the commotion for him.  Then the photographer got into the action too.  The focus now off the bride to the groom

 Ok, this might not be your first kiss, but this kiss and all the attention, this groom will never forget.


Keep following my post and let me hear from on the comments or

justjeannec@gmail.com

Safe travels and health to you

Jeanne