Month: December 2017

Nov. 18, 2017

Posting this on the last day of 2017… It makes me want to write some deep thoughts about life, love, and humanity.

But all I could think of is that… I just really want an instagram boyfriend.

White Rose dumpling & pizza. Mihn, Mark’s workmate in Da Nang is from Hoi An. He met us here for lunch because he said this is the original “White Rose.” You would see restaurants offering “white rose” in their menu; he said they’re all from this restaurant.

Photos above were from Hoi An Ancient Town. They said it’s a UNESCO Heritage site. It was my first time to visit a UNESCO Heritage. And, it kind of made me not look forward to visiting other UNESCO Heritage site. There were too many people, and the place was converted to like a strip mall with every building selling merchandise or turned into restaurant. Anyhow, it’s a great economic driver. 🙂

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Photos below are random photos I took when we had our morning run, our last one, in Da Nang.

Maybe it’s a weekend norm when “wedding albums” are shoot. During the time I stayed in Da Nang, I always chanced upon on “couples” having some sort of pre-nup shoot. But on this day, there were extra quite a lot.

I asked what it was about, and a local told me it’s for “wedding album.”

MI QUANG! Always remember, when in Da Nang, it’s My (Mi) Quang!!! Not pho!!!

Other Day 7 random photos:

Nov. 17, 2017

I went with Mark to other side of Da Nang, the area where we stayed before. I planned to go a “mall.” It was actually not a mall but more of like the old-days Gaisano / Gaw kind of department store. It’s another thing I love about Vietnam (or of the Vietnam cities I’d been to): they don’t have that mall culture (or maybe I just missed it.).

Lotteria. This is their fastfood, like their Jollibee.

Foodcourt inside the “mall”.

Earlier of the day, it was yet another stroll at the My Khe beach.

I almost used my boobs for this milk just so I could translate “fresh milk” to Vietnamese store owner.

The airbnb host had been telling me to check the view at the roof top since the day we arrived. Either it was their script or she genuinely just wanted me to check it out. Anyhow, here’s what I found at the rooftop.

It’s an array of building offering accommodations, I bet.

I always look forward to breakfasts. There’s a few cafes in the neighborhood, which were quite charming.

Nov. 16, 2017

Airbnb’s rule is barefoot; we have to remove our outdoor footwear before we enter the premises. 🙂

because we’re at tje beach, we should do this cheesy couple selfies!b

Nov. 15, 2017

When a Korean product is translated to Vietnamese, I kind of stared at it, and waited that an English subtitle would pop up.

We transferred to a different area of Da Nang, near the beach area (the My Khe beach). It’s like from Fuente, we transferred to Lapu-lapu island. It was a place where every building / structure is probably a hotel or offering accommodation.

And based on photo above, it’s flocked by Koreans. @.@

We now stayed at an airbnb place. It was a sleek place. 🙂

At the back of our airbnb place was a burger place, Burger Bros. It has the tastiest burger I ever tasted in my entire life!!!

Before we transferred to the My Khe beach area, I was milling around what seemed to be their IT Park area.

Earlier jog, I was alone crossing Bridge 3.

Other Day 4 random photos:

This was the list of suggested restaurants in Da Nang, Vietnam the airbnb staff gave us.

Nov. 14, 2017

There were like 4 or more bridges that go across to the other side of Da Nang. I was planning to do a run on all of them.

This day, we got to cross 2 bridges.

The thing I love most about Vietnam is how they dump vegetables on their food!!!

I also love their yarns here…

Their local cozy coffee places…

I got to meet the Vietnam Mark is working with. One of them had her birthday celebration, and we got to hang out like “local.” Conversation was hard to do though. I do hope to learn basic Vietnam words in 2018?!?

Other random Day 3 photos:

vietnamese has this culture of just hanging out on street skde.

I’m not a big fan of EXO, but I like a few songs from them, and follow updates about them from time to time.

And, this new music video of them is just daebak because:
1. COFFEE. It’s presented so beautifully.
2. YARNS. I’m not sure if it’s used in the video as yarn for crochet or for “tying.” Anyhow, coffee and then yarn, WOW!!!

The visuals of Universe is just so beautiful that even I, who has no artistic eye, could appreciate it. 🙂

HWAITING, EXO!!!

Nov. 13, 2017

No, I wasn’t rained with men. But I was roaming aimlessly, and kept bumping into an array of male mannequins on the streets of Da Nang.

I blogged about this day at craftynanay.com, which you can check when you’re bored af (I just want to write “af.” And, no one gets bored now.).)

Mark was doing “pangkabuhayan showcase” so I went roaming aimlessly alone on this day with a chance of finding yarns. 🙂

Hotel food. As much as I wanted to make our own, but buffet breakfast would never fail to make me feel giddy!

Han Market. It’s the souvenir haven of Da Nang. I went out once I got in. 😂

<<<<< imless roaming... Da Nang has this one side of "modern-ness" and then a "throwback" on the other side. <<<< hing I love most about Da Nang (and Hanoi) is that they don't have that (much) malls. They have these public markets, which have a bazaar. Con Market. I felt this is bigger than Han Market, and probably offer lower prices. More about it at craftynanay.com.<<<< hing I love being left alone, without Mark, is that I could randomly eat any where because Mark is sooo picky. @.@ Legit streetfood.I just read that cafe culture in Vietnam is “tambay all you can.” It’s just that time I understand why people take so long to stay in a coffee place; and why we were once advised to drink the coffee little by little. So I tried it, and bum my butt in the place for 2 hours, andno guilty feelings because is doing it.

I used to think that people are drinking coffee and beer. But the beer looking liquid is actually tea, they seeves for free as water.Every tim I bumped into a Banh Mi seller, i just cannot say no!

Dinner was disaster because language barrier. We wanted to be so local, and ended up with a soup that has “sago” in it instead of noodles. It was good anyhow. It’s just my mind was set on a noodle soup.

But got lucky with our desert! 🙂

Nov. 12, 2017

It was a longgggg way to Da Nang. From a warm weather in Cebu to cold weather layover in Hong Kong for 8hours+ then finally back to a warm weather Da Nang.

It was such a long trip just to arrive in a place that is somewhat similar to Cebu.

Automatically, my stomach screamed hunger when we arrived at the hotel, though I just had airplane food.

Banh mi. So first thing first, eat! Vietnam food can be confusing for a non-Vietnam speaking like me; the easiest food to understand is Banh mi. Thus I could probably say that eating banh mi is becoming a tradition as the first food I would grub/grab when landing in Vietnam. Think of it as subway sandwich, though I would say way much better.

One striking difference I notice between Da Nang & Hanoi food is coriander. Da Nang restaurants use less coriander; it might be because it’s a coastal place than a farm land area.

Tradition: twinning shirt & banh mi

I think we stayed in a tourist area of Da Nang. On one side of the hotel is Han Market; it’s like “tabo sa banay,” souvenir place, etc. On the other side are restaurants, which are flocked by tourists.

My first impression of Da Nang was it reminded me of Ilo-ilo where there’s a river that cuts / passes the city thus there are bridges to get to the other side.

And when night time came, it’s like they have no power shortage. There’s just too much light displays.

Our first dinner was at Viet Bamboo Restaurant, which manager is a Filipina.

Last “intake” before ending the Day 1, mango coconut drink. Cebu and Da Nang has a lot of similarities in food, at least when it comes to ingredients. Honestly, I did not finish this drink. I think we do mango-coconut concoction better.