Water puppet show (múa rối nước) is a famous traditional Vietnamese art with more than 800 years of history. The art is a unique heritage from the Red River region in northern Vietnam.
A Chinese banquet is normally held during special occasions, like weddings, new year, festivals, or sometimes a family gathering or business meeting. A typical Chinese banquet will have 8-10 dishes on its menu.
Some photos of a Chinese banquet, taken during my family dinner at Kok Thai Restaurant in Ipoh, Malaysia last weekend…
The appetiser, or the ‘cold dish’ in Chinese, is often the indicator of how good the restaurant is; the food presentation is vital and sometimes more important than the taste
The Old Quarter of Hanoi, as its name indicates, is one of the oldest area in the city. The Old Quarter is famous for its streets that are packed with century-old shophouses specialising in a particular trade, such as shoes, bags, toys, medicines, metals, bamboos etc. The speciality of each street is reflected by the road names.
A shop selling kites and other paper crafts at Old Quarter
The St Joseph’s Cathedral in Hanoi was opened in 1886, a year after the French colonial officially occupied the country of Vietnam. The cathedral still holds mass twice daily and is probably the most famous church in Hanoi.
The text below the statue reads Regina Pacis, which if not mistaken, is the Italian words for Queen of Peace… an alternative title for Virgin Mary.
It’s quite funny that my first ever meal in Vietnam was not Vietnamese food, but western food instead…
It was at a restaurant called Kangaroo Café, which also runs some short tours around Vietnam. I was there to book a trip to Halong Bay initially, but couldn’t find the right schedule. However, after spending two hours walking under the sun in Hanoi City, I kinda need a break… and the air-con and cold beer seemed a bit too hard to resist.
Hence, my first meal in Vietnam… a peppered chicken chop, some chips, salad, and a Bia Hanoi (Hanoi beer). Decent food and reasonably priced.
Ngoc Son Temple (Đền Ngọc Sơn; Temple of the Jade Mound) is located on a small islet at Hoan Kiem Lake and is connected to the land via the Huc Bridge (Thê Húc; Morning Sunlight Bridge).
Some random photos of Hanoi in Hoan Kiem District, during my July 2008 visit…
Busy roundabout… with cars, bikes, tricycles and pedestrians on the road
World Drums Festival 2008 is running from July 26 to August 2 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The event was first held in December 2007, and it seems like the Malaysian organisers are keen to make it an annual show.
World Drums Festival showcases traditional (and fusion) drum-shows from around the world. The 2008 series features performers from Ghana, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and Venezuela. Not really covering every part of the world yet, but it’s an international show nonetheless, and a pretty good one.
Went to a road show at Berjaya Times Square on Wednesday with KC and took some pics; photo quality rather poor due to dim lighting and my limited photography skills…
World Drums Festival (Festival Gendang Sedunia) 2008 at Berjaya Time Square
Hoan Kiem Lake (Hồ Hoàn Kiếm, or Lake of Returned/Restored Sword) is located at the historical centre of Hanoi and is a popular hangout place for locals.
The greenish Ho Hoan Kiem
Took this photo on Monday afternoon… a blue blue sky…
When we were kids we were taught that the sky is blue, but it’s not always the case. Lots of metropolis around the globe are facing air pollution these days, to the extend that sky is no longer blue, at least not always.
Blue sky like the above pic is rarely seen in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, and the place I call home. Even on a shiny day, the sky is often a bit greyish, and sometimes brownish. A true blue sky is normally seen after rainy days, but then… the sky is normally cloudy during rainy seasons. Blue sky is a rarity.
Thing is, the air pollution in Kuala Lumpur isn’t considered as serious yet… I can only imagine how gloomy it could be, for people who are living in cities that are facing high pollution problems.