Stella Sounds

I had meant to update this again last Sunday after my DJ gig at Vasco's, but I've been too busy having fun. Sorry, guys, but sometimes certain priorities need to be set.

I mentioned in the previous post about how my iPhone is my camera now, but I didn't mention what is my phone. Behold, the luxurious Motorola that is my standard phone in Vietnam:

Sure, it's no iPhone, but it can be dropped multiple times from any height I would normally hold it at without breaking and no one wants to steal it. Meanwhile, the iPhone stays safely tucked in my pocket until I find a place with Wi-Fi or remember to snap a photo. Also, that's a $2 Tiger beer in the photo. $2! And that's at a place that's a little pricier than what I usually pay.

And speaking of spending $2 on something, here's an awesome bowl of bun thit nuong that I purchased for only $2:

Delicious!

I'm updating this blog right now from Stella, one of my favorite spots in Saigon. I would definitely recommend going there to anyone that asks me about what to do in Saigon, but not because it's anything extraordinary. In fact, it kinda has certain things going against it. It's right in the middle of the backpacker street of Bui Vien, which is always too loud and filled with tourists. The staff sometimes struggles to understand English, so ordering can be complicated unless you point directly at the menu. And the food isn't necessarily cheap, either. So why go there? Well, it has free Wi-Fi, cheap beer, and it's air conditioned. It's a fantastic place to go with a laptop and a few spare hours to kill. A lot of work on writing and music has been accomplished here. Take a look at the bill after a few hours spent there:

343,000 VND! For two meals, three beers, and a coffee. Oh, yeah, that's roughly $17. I don't usually spend that much, but that was between two people. This is where I spent time planning out my DJ set at Vasco's, which you can listen to and download right here:



We have two days left in Vietnam. I already want to come back here.

Back in the 'Nam

It's been almost a week since I came back to Saigon. This is my third time since 2008, and it will be much shorter than either of the other two trips. Much, much shorter. The difference is that now I don't have to make new friends all over again. This is actually my first time traveling somewhere where I already know people living here and can feel right at home immediately. It's a pretty awesome feeling.

Within the first two hours of us landing in the country, Héloïse and I were already greeting many old friends at a big street-side gathering for food and drinks. Here's a not so great photo I quickly snapped:

My iPhone is my camera this time around, and I try not to have it out as much as possible, especially in crowded areas. As you can see in the photo, the table took on an L shape because of the amount of people in our group. What you can't really see in the photo is the awesome cajón rapping session we were having in the corner. This is the kind of thing that happens all the time here. It's not an event. It's normal. And it's exactly what I was looking forward to the most.

It's been almost a week now, and we only have a little more than a week left. The time is flying by way too fast. Next up on the agenda: Bass Republic at Vasco's. I went there last Saturday with some friends and was shocked at how much it has changed. Even the parking area is gone now. It'll be interesting to DJ there again. It'll be almost as if it's a brand new place.

I'll finish this post with a quick video I took while waiting outside to pick Héloïse up from work. This is rush hour in Saigon. Yes, I drove a motorbike in that. Yes, they are driving on the sidewalk. And no, it's not a big deal. It's just Saigon.