HongLam Company Trip 2007

Im baaaaack from the Land of Motorcycles :D The guide (Tuan) told us that out of 4 million inhabitants of Hanoi, 2 million have motorcycles. And you should see them ride. They dont follow traffic lights or any other laws for that matter. No helmets, up to 5 people on a motorcycle. If theres not children on board, theres a pig. I even saw a guy carrying a long ladder in one hand, and driving with the other. Daring no? The government would die if singaporeans rode like that. I told ayah that we should take our mototcycle license test here. If you survive, then you deserve the license :D We even had an accident with a man who cut 90 degrees into our lane and just rode in front of our bus when our bus was so near to him. There was blood dripping all over his arm and leg and he had a fight with our bus driver. Had to pay him. Scary. Ohyeah they dont care about road lanes cause they all drive anywhere, into each other. But they're super pro so I guess it's their life.

Anyway, I'm gonna write a really long post with plenty of photos(mostly of surroundings) so if you're not all that interested in motorcycles or limestone mountains, I'm sorry! I like snapping pictures:) And I miss Vinnie My HipHop TaiTai Mermaid Best HomieRoomie A Girl Could Have. I miss her so so much she's just as crazy as me and we made such a ruckus at Sheraton with all the chocolates and anonymous notes.

Lemme recall this scene.
I had just finished getting my passport stamped and realised the guy who stamped my passport was a very handsome young man. But i shut up and went away. Ibu's turn.

While she waits for him to stamp,

Ibu: HANDSOME NYE LAKI NI. LAWA BETUL! (cups her mouth)
Me: (screams) OMG THATS WHAT I WANTED TO SAY! DAMN HANDSOME RIGHT! *everyone stares
Ibu: Shhh, dont tell ayah. *giggles like a little girl and pinches me.

This is why my mum rocks as a friend. :D

She wanted to have her picture taken.

With the doorlady. The staff are really polite. LOOK AT THAAAT.They eat fruits with loads of condensed milk and ice. Looked good but ayah didnt let me try. Oh and they sit on little stools everywhere. Oh and I ate their traditional noodles called Pho which tasted super yummy!

Their houses are thing and long and narrow. The taller the house, the more members in the family.Cute Little Boy. Weakness.

Traffic lights dont help xDShe got us to pay her later for having my picture taken by buying her lychees. Lychees are good though! Sweeeeet.I love this picture.A farmer gets around 1 dollar a day for 80 kg of rice she produces. Guide says farmers and teacher dont get paid well by the government and vietnamese must work really really hard to survive. I saw a lot of farmers. Mostly women working in the hot sun. Oh only women wear hats.Gallery for the Disabled. We went to a centre where disabled children or victims from the American War made handmade items. Their crafts were really pretty! Bought a pot there. I saw a instructor scolding a deaf girl with sign language. Their artwork is amazing man.Went to the Jetty to take the fishermen's junk!The junk was pretty big and had cabins which were really cool and cosy. Everything was super clean, I expected it not to be. But that night turned out to be one of the best sleeps of my life because the bed is freaking comfortable. And outside just smells of seawater(: Ohyeah Vinnei & me pretended this lighted frame was our TV and it was really lame and everyone was asking why we had a TV in our room -.-Peace ma peace.

The view for 2 days (: Loved it loved it loved it. Our junks looked like that. And we ate seafood every meal facing gorgeous scenery.Most fishermen families live on this boat and I wonder how they survive :\He does that alot during the junk stay.Inside this HUMONGOUS cave with freshwater! It's called the cave of surprise cause fishermen found it by surprise xDI love this one too.I swam too! Funfunfunfunfunfun.Evening! Pretty right(:Toldya the room's really cosy. Vinnie & I spent loads of time in there talking in bed. The first night, we spent 3 hours after our supposedly bedtime to talk about poverty and everything else in the world. I LOVE MY ROOMIE. 3 hours can you imagine? We got so angry at the world and started thinking about life and then we were so proud that we got so deep. Our room kinda looked like box so we were imagining ourselves as little people. Thats me being a little person carrying the box. The junk has a deck on the roof which is majorly awesome. There's pool chairs where you can sit throughout the journey and all you see is sky mountain sky.One night, we saw this fire in the distance like HUNGGACAKA men doing tribal rituals in the jungle or something. We wanted to swim there and live there and not go back to school. Mother and small kids begging for money. Softspot for me cause I looove kids and I cant stand stuff like this. This is what made Vinnie&me talk and talk and talk. Heh but shant elaborate. Oh both the girls down there are super duper cute okay! They made this money sign with their fingers. Oh before that there were hot small boys with brown hair selling shells. SO CUTE I wanted to cry. Noone wanted to buy their shells. They dont even go to school. Or have food for that matter. Before the junk thing we were wondering where all the youths were and now we see them begging for food ):We gave them bread and bananas! Children pedal all by themselves even though thats damn dangerous. And it was raining.

Houses by the sea. Their houses are in really bad condition tau):See the bridge?Pretty ceramic centre! TALENTED VIETNAMESE PEOPLE I SAY.One day Vinnie & I decided not to follow our parents out so we spent the day exploring the hotel clad in white robes and bathroom slippers. We became Taitais but Vinnie says HiphopTaitas are cooler so HipHopTaitais we were. We walked across the lobby in our robes. (x Then the pool had a fountain so we wanted to be mermaids so yeah mermaids we became!

*a boy dives*

Me: Did he just dove?

That grammar mistake totally made us crack up and we began calling him and his friend doveboys and decided they were all gays. Then we said every sentence with Dove in it and laughed our asses off, attracting much attention from a japanese lady.:\ Ooooh then we met two hot kids (Vinnie is soft for kids too!) from Norway who are both blond and bluegreen-eyed and gorgeous. One's 3 and the other's 6! They called themselves Batmen and were really friendly! The younger one was so freaking adorable we wanted to kidnap him. He jumps like a teddybear like JUMP! with leg in the air in sitting down position! And sometimes he loses momentum so he must start again (x Their Dad looked quite scared cause there were 2 hyperactive teenager girls in the pool with his kids but twas okay (; Apparently, the 6 year old named Oxford says Norwegian guys dont like girls with black hair. (x

We spent 3 hours in the pool getting wrinkly then went back to order room service cause my parents couldnt make it earlier and we were really hungry. Order pastaaaa and tiramisu. Oh btw, the toilet has this speaker that allows you to listen to the TV and adjust the volume. COOL RIGHT. I loved bathing. Bathing and toweling and getting under the covers(:

Visisted Templeof Literature. Loads of students were touching the heads of the stone turtles to get good luck for their exams because on those stones were engraved those who had passed the King's exams. They prayed a lot too. A lot a lot. Went to see Ho Chi Minh's houses and all. We didnt queue to see his body because the queue was long and ugly. Ho Chi Minh sounds like a really really really good ruler/president. Oh and i saw this photog book of the American War and it was so so sad. Vietnam's got a difficult history. Ohyeah i bought a book from a walking shop man with funny teeth about war. Shall read it soon. Haha and that man who sold me the book became our friend. We even met him later on after the junk trip and he's a rather funny fellow who pesters us to buy his books. But his books are nice.

Before I forget, they speak french in Vietnam too(: Some titles were in french so I was very proud. Ceh.We had a one-person trishaw ride through the real parts of Hanoi in between alleys and beside old shops. I thought I was gonna die because motorcycles dont care and just zoom zoom and theres no traffic lights and I was in a freaking trishaw which is well, flimsy compared to anything esle. But I survived(: I loved sightseeing on the trishaw though, it's so nice to see pure vietnam life.Saw a mosque and I excitedly pointed to it BUT the man riding my trishaw nodded excitedly back and said "YES, CHURCH." Lerrr, I dont think he knows what a muslim is. Shopping was so fun! Bargaining is easy with my dad around and I loved walking on the streets into small shops selling tribal headbands and woven scarves. Pretty awesome. I like.No, we dont drink but the bottles were cute so had to take a picture!Again, I thought I was gonna die cause Vinnie said maybe we were gonna have a tornado.DRESS UP NIGHT. Vinnie is so pro.

V: Have you put on lipstick?

Me: No

V: Eyeliner?

Me: No

V: Eyeshdow?

Me: No

V: Okay sit down I'll do the work.

Food was damn yummy. We were half an hour late though cause we had turns hairdrying. Oooh then there was this groovy old song playing when we were at the dessert table so we started shaking then someone saw us and laughed when we thought noone was looking so we stopped(:Boss's daughter danced to Smack That. This made me miss Yawaar so much because he also performed!): Anyway, this little lady has got a handphone AND computer AND radio AND her own money to shop AND shes not even in primary school. Disgusting game. Of all parents, mine had to be chosen to play this game where guys hang balls by their belts and had to jerk to hit a candle to HIT the wife. My parents! We camwhored at 12.30 am(x Before that we spent time going to the Lobby toilet and singing from HipHop Countdown and dancing in the lift and not wanting to go to sleep because we insisted we were adults and had to find fun stuff to do. Vinnie found a crush and I crushed this little boy (duh) who was so hot. Im no paedo. Oooh then we sang Anonymous near the Lift Area and pretended to be in a music video and even tried singing it Chinese Style and whatever nonsense. The staff kept laughing at us and most of them knew us anyway from our daily calls and thank you notes. We left Thank You notes signed with Anonymous to the staff saying they rocked and how much we loved them. Then we would start singing the song to hint that we were the Anonymous-es.(x Hahaaa I love Vinnie I love Vinnie!Vinnie & I have the same taste! Okay almost. Almost. Most feelings. Like how we need salty food to balance sweet stuff during breakfast and how we fell in love with plain water and our views on models and shiz. I can fart all I want in front of her and we'll both roll on the floor laughing at some stupid comment about the smell.

Spent that last night watching HipHop Countdown AGAIN and started dancing and doing our korean exercise we saw on TV the other day. Alah I miss that girl. Oh even the first night we discussed how old Spongebob really was and why the person whose car gets pimped always opens the door. Doesnt he/she have a parent? Then we'd go into how Rihanna looks like a complete Bapok in Umbrella (we finally concluded we commented too much on her and should move on to the next victim)then end up mouthing memorized words from the advertisement on Linkin Park and The Fray. Then we'd ask oursleves why the hell we were so analytical and tv was supposed to be relaxing so we gave up and slept.

There are many more pics but I'm too lazy too put them all up here cause theres more than 200 xD I love company trips because they always bring us to the best places and I get to dress up for dinners and room with Vinnie. But we really missed yawaar & ika & moley & kecik & mina & madina. I miss Ika so much because we rocked Bangkok when the 3 of us roomed together last last year. That was one of the best trips everrrrrr. I miss cool company kids (: not the richy rich ones who have two maids each okay. Girly quizzes and coffees at midnight! Scandals & Prank phone calls. Gym & 7 eleven. Toilet exchanges & secrets! I miss very very much. But now yawaar & ika cant go for company trips no more cause their dads quit :\ Then Brisbane was pretty ruined because I just haaaaaad to be an idiot. Okay this makes me miss Tas now (x BABE ARE YOU BACK YETTTTT?

OKAY THAT WAS A LONGGGG POST. SORRY I BET YOURE DROOLING ON YOUR KEYBOARD.


Anyhoos, I made Diy miss her Math Clinic Appointment today. Very shitty of me. I'm sorry diy im sorry diy im sorry diy I LOVE YOU DIY! Heh I slept very late the night before spending 2 & a half hours on the phone with moo. I LOVE YOU MOO! :D


Okay I plan after this whoooole post and listening to Jesse McCartney a bit more, to do my tuition homework, read Frankenstein and attempt math clinic worksheets. Shut up! I will!
I want a diary. I want Jesse McCartney's album. That I want now. Right now. I should buy tmr ah since I never used my birthday money(stupid kan).


Tas replies!

Iqah Oat prawns! Oats prawns or oat? NVM LA STILL NICE(:

Tas I miss you toooooo we need to talk and laugh and eat pratas. Babiloy. EEEE.

Hanis I miss you woman. None taken dude, it does sound weird.

Diy You and your ideas xD


ATIQA THE GREAT Lerrr tiq not good enough for yaaa? (: KIDDING.



Liy Alahai look whos talking Miss Swims like a Cute Baby Seal!



Moo Susu kambing with eggs. EW. PAPA UNTA!!!!

Hanis Right on. Kau kedi la moo.



Sheila Im hooooome!



Oooh there are 3 things I want to say because I have to say things before they escape from my mind and I may not get to blog tmr.
1)I have this urge to play badminton and sweat it out. Ceyy sweat it out like I ever did sweat it all out. I used to play badminton with my cousins when i was young at tampines stadium! I loved it! Being all fit even for a moment makes you feel good. I feel very boncet these days. These years:\



2)I want to be a photographer or something. No, actually thats not the point. I realised I like to learn but not this way. I want to go out thereeeee and learn and learn and learn and explore. Because I like new places and new stories. Why cant I do all that now?

3) I love people who make me feel special. Especially if they say it with the littlest of words. Because they make so much more of a difference to me, and they dont realise it and it's not even on purpose.


Heheee it's late. Looks like no homework today. Figures. Goodnight!

Uhhh another thing, I thought I was gonna die again when on the flight back home the plane shook and dipped and people screamed and my coke spilled and babeis cried and things flew and my life flashed past my face xD I was seriously thinking that my time had come. But Alhamdulillah.


Ya Allah go to sleep la zaff.
bye!