Sai Gon On My Mind

Most people (if not everyone) must have heard stories or have a vague notion of what Vietnam is all about. The first thing I thought of was "the war", as America was also an integral part of that part of Vietnam's history, it was something that struck me as what constituted "Vietnam".

But beyond that and the occasional trip to Pho Hoa (a Vietnamese restaurant) in our current malls, my knowledge of Vietnam was limited. So when the opportunity presented itself to be able to visit the country (to Sai Gon or Ho Chi Minh City in particular), I grabbed at it.

Before we left, well meaning people - well, actually one in particular - kept saying "You won't find any good sights in HCMC! You should've gone to Hanoi! It's a waste of time to go there and just go to HCMC and not Hanoi!" And while this person probably did not mean to disparage HCMC, it certainly left a bad taste in the mouth to have a future trip have this overcast shadow hanging over it. I resolved to leave all previous notions at the wayside and just enjoy the trip as it comes.

And I am glad that I did.

My impression of Vietnam (by way of HCMC) has changed quite a bit, ever since my trip. If you ask me now, the first thing that comes to my mind when HCMC is mentioned is "Motorcycle Madness!!!" - and this is NOT an exaggeration by any stretch! This is a city that LOVES their motorbikes! And they whizz by from every which direction, defying all sense of logic or reason. I was waiting for the crash of bikes any moment - but it never came! It was mad orchestrated chaos, performed as if this was a ballet recital, and everyone knew their parts, and performed with precision so that no one was injured...it is a sight that you must see with your own two eyes...I was with many Caucasians who were equally as dumbfounded as I was (and still am)!

The food was a large part of what made this trip so memorable...we had so much good food and in so much variety that its hard not to gush about it. One thing that I observed as central was the vegetation - I felt like a goat on a vegetarian smorgasboard! Whatever it was they were serving, you would be sure to come across loads of greens and herbs - which is a good thing, considering that in Manila, I don't get to eat vegetables that often.

I had to taste their pho - the "representative" Vietnamese dish most foreigners know. I had it at a sidewalk cafe, and an established chain (Pho 24), and both were excellent, except the one at the sidewalk was cheaper and had more servings =) Freshness was the key to their pho tasting great, I felt like the ingredients were just picked from the garden and served to me =)

I moved on to Banh Xeo ( a pancake that's filled with chicken, shrimp, bean sprouts, even more herbs - and you were given more vegetables covering half the plate for you to either wrap the pancake with or eat together with), and I think this is now my favorite Vietnamese dish - it was filling, but you still felt good about yourself because you knew it had so many healthy ingredients in one dish. Not to mention it was rather cheap (by Manila standards) - it only cost 35,000 Dong in a sidewalk eatery (roughly 75-80 bucks).

Of course, we couldn't let their fresh spring rolls go by - it was freshness personified, and I know what you're thinking, "what a redundant way of describing food", but it can't be helped, it felt like they were just making the dish for me and my party (it wasn't precooked and lying around just waiting to be served). Add to the rolls their sauce called nuoc nam - and you would be a happy foodie in no time =)

The Most Self Centered Facebook Shout Out

Last Sept 27, Metro Manila was badly hit by typhoon Ondoy, a lot of people were affected by floods.  People lost their homes, loved ones and properties. 

Facebook, a social networking site suddenly became the venue for volunteerism, rescue and relief.  People posted shoutouts asking for help, some posted pics to let the rest know how badly hit was an area.  People offered prayers thru this site, some people organized rescue and relief operations through their shout outs.  But there is one shout out that caught my attention:

**profile name** a tough choice i had to make. left my house with my mitsu car and sala down with water VS my safety and my rav4. i felt helpless, nothing to do as mother nature gives us a miniscule sampling of the great flood.

This is the most self centered, egoistic and pathetic phrase I have ever seen posted in Facebook.  The phrase does not convey any anxiety on the part of the poster.  He is not really worried on his safety.  If you will read between the lines, the poster wanted to made it known to the public that he has 2 cars. I could not fathom and I don't think I will be able to, how can someone post an entry like this at times like these.

A Sin or Not A Sin

Here is another interesting or must I say controversial topic/question that anyone could post in Yahoo Answers...

I have a questioin that I have been wondering for a long time...is being bisexual a sin? Why or why not?


Whats wrong with being bisexual and why? Or why is there nothing wrong with it? Is it a sin, why or why not?

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

The concept of sin is most closely associated with the Christian faith, so I'm guessing this is also your reference point.

Christianity is adamant about declaring homosexual acts a sin. (They distinguish the state of homosexuality from doing anything that is "homosexual". More on this later.)

In fact, they go so far as calling these acts as "abominations".

Do you know what else the Bible calls "abominations"?

Eating pork.
Eating shellfish.
Cutting your hair.
Shaving.
Wearing gold.
Wearing pearls.
Divorce.
Wearing mixed fabrics.
Taking loans/credit cards.

These are all considered "abominations" in the same chapter from where so-called christians (yes, small c) like to say they ground their belief that "gay acts" are a sin. Yet when all these other "abominations" are brought up, either you get deafening silence from the bigots, or some of them who truly feel smart (in their minds, at least) start saying crap like "You don't understand, in the olden days, these were necessary to keep the tribe of so and so, but now that that's over, we can discard those other things, but NOT the verse about homosexuality, no, no, no, that is definitely still true for today!!!"

Haven't these morons ever heard of the word "context"?

What we have here is a cookie-cutter, pick and choose type of belief that only quotes the parts that align well with their own biases. How convenient.

How idiotic.

Want to hear something more idiotic?

The concept of "loving the sinner, hating the sin".

In their eyes, you can BE a bisexual, but you can't ever have a romantic relationship with another person of the same sex.

Imagine a world where teaching math was outlawed. The analogy would be to tell all existing math teachers "Yes, you can still call yourself math teachers, but you can't teach that subject at all."

Does it make sense to even call yourself a math teacher?

christians (yes, small c again) can't even follow their own rules regarding sin and abominations. They have certainly lost their moral weight to tell people what to do and not do in our personal lives.

Hayden Kho's Camp: "DOJ Pressured to Charge Him"

On an article at abs-cbnNEWS.com last October 23, 2009 on the embattled doctor's indictment, Kho's camp alleged that DOJ gave way to pressure from media and Sen. Bong Revilla when they ruled on the case.  Kho's counsel, Atty. Lorna Kapunan pointed out that it was being made into a "media spectacle".

Has Kho's camp forgotten that it was also the media that they used to build up Hayden's "good name"? Weeks before the DOJ's ruling, we were swamped with TV interviews and Media items featuring how Hayden is/was, as a good man, a good son, a good brother, a good relative, a good friend, blah blah blah. Everthing you'll hear from these campaigns about Hayden were good. They even featured Hayden as a reformed man or at least on his way to being reformed. All these are obviously PR campaigns to build up Hayden. In all these interviews and features, I have never heard nor seen Hayden say, "Katrina, I am sorry. I should have not done what I have done". We never heard the actual sincere apology.

Now that their ploy did not work, they are blaming the media for pressuring DOJ. A "media spectacle"? Have they forgotten that Hayden got himself into this spectacle? Have they forgotten that Hayden is a celebrity - a status that he himself so aspired?  When the media was featuring Hayden on his way to celebrity-hood, they weren't saying anything about the press making a "spectacle" of his activities...why the turnaround now, just because the "spectacle" he is involved in is now a negative one?

The truth is, he did what he did. And he should be made accountable and responsible for that.

Why Do Homosexuals Want To Get Married?

Here is another interesting topic on Gays and Lesbians Issues my partner commented on and was chosen best answer by the readers in Yahoo Answers...


Why do homosexuals want to get married?

Isn't marriage a religious thing? Was it not founded by religions that hold homosexuality to be an "abomination" and what have you? I'm not religious and it doesn't matter to me in the least, but I don't see the point of marriage between any two persons. You could just as easily agree to "spend your life" with someone without a piece of paper saying that you're going to do so, right?

Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Let's see.

A gay man can't leave his property to his partner of 24 years when he dies, because they aren't "married". The family that he has never spoken to since his parents beat him up for being gay get to take everything.

A lesbian cannot visit her partner in the hospital because she's not "married" to her, even though the sick woman knows she is dying and just wants to be with her beloved until her dying breath.

A gay couple who has adopted a child will easily have that child taken away because they are not married.

These are just off the top of my head. Let's not add insurance coverage, tax exemptions and benefits, and so many other issues into the mix of "marriage equality".

RE your "religious" argument of marriage, please explain to me why atheists - who just happen to be heterosexual - can go down to city hall and get a marriage license.

Should Gays serve openly in the Military?

My partner constantly posts his comments on Yahoo Answers particulary about Gays and Lesbians and in numerous intances, his comments would more often than not would be voted by readers as the best answers.

Here is one of the issues he commented on....


Should Gays serve openly in the Military?

I was caught up in a debate the other day about this and was curious what you guys and girls thought, since oddly enough everyone debating this was straight.

The first thought that I have about this is actually a question, you may want to serve openly gay (which is fine to be yourself) however do you think the "good ol' boy, redneck guy" is going to be as understanding and accepting as everyone else?

I'm not against letting gays serve it's just I don't believe it's going to be the safest thing for them to do to be honest.

So what are your opinions on this, should gays be allowed to serve openly in the military?


Best Answer - Chosen by Voters

Yes, we should, and it should be the military's duty as well to make sure that the army is a place that is safe for gay men to do so. ALL the scientific studies have shown that the homophobic assumptions that gay men will lower morale, or that gay men can't fire a gun as well as the striaght men, or that gay men are not suited for "hard military work" - all of these have been proven as hogwash and biased thinking.

There is ABSOLUTELY NO REASON why gay men should not be able to serve - qualifications are what should be the barometer": If a person passed the tests, both mental and practical ones, there is no logical reason to deny the entry of gay people into the armed forces.

Of course, that thinking has to come from the top - that intolerance or homophobia will

Why I Hate Hitting the Gym

I'm a lifetime member of a fitness center for 10 yrs now and in those 10 years, I can still count how many times I have visited my gym....15 times ;-)

I recently went to workout since I have been trying to trim down by eating less and I thought I could go and tone my body this time. I have lost at least 15 pounds for 2 months of eating healthily. I remember my reason for not going in the past, it was because the gym was so cramped up and I had to wait in line just to use the bike or the treadmill. So I went on a holiday, lunchtime. I was so glad to see that I made the right decision. There are a few people only that I had an option paralysis which treadmill to step on. There so many vacant machines.

I stepped on one, the one with a TV monitor, walked slowly to warm up and slowly I increased the speed. As I was enjoying my brisk walk, I heard a yell. Huh? Hah? What's happening? As I surveyed the entire gym, the yell came from a man working out lifting weights. He is being spotted by another man. These 2 men are in their tight tank tops. Both have nice toned bodies. These 2 caught my attention, so what the heck, for entertainment purposes, I watched them as I do my stationary brisk walking. Then it dawned on me, are these two gays? I think they are!!! And they are hitting on each other!!! "Dude, you have nice biceps.", the other would reply, "Thank you bro, you have nice abs". Huh? Hah? Am I in a gay bath house or what? These two would pump some weights and after each reps, they would face the mirror, compliment themselves, take a pose and compliment each other. OMG!!! Such narcissists!!! They are the only people making noises in the gym and that noise that they are creating are, "Dude, nice pecs", "Bro, how's my hamstring", blah, blah, blah.

I finished my 30 minute treadmill walk, finished by doing some body toning exercises. Spent 1.5 hrs working out.

As I hit the shower, I remembered my other reason for not going to the gym. I really find it irritating to hear and see narcisistic remarks and moves. "Dude, look at my abs, aren't they great", "Yeah bro, they are great. Aren't my pecs, firm?"

Arrrggghhh!!! Girls! Go get a room !!!