I know it's been a while since I've updated this blog. Part of the reason is that I have been busy putting together a web site. I have it up and running now so check it out when you have the time. It's at www.billinnam.com I'm going to try to keep this blog current but right now, the web site has priority.
If you have an interest in visiting Vietnam. Check out the packages I have put together. I don't thing you can beat the price and I am sure you can't beat the experience.
Friday, September 19, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
My House
For those who are not aware of it yet, it's my house they are building next door. Yep, that's right. I've made the leap and decided to have a house built over here. It looks like a good investment and besides, where else can you have a house custom built by the beach for less than it would cost to rent in Colorado for four years.
I have to admit, it's kind of scary. I've built houses before but I've never seen one done like this. I'd jump in and help but I don't have a clue of what to do. So, I just stay out of the way and try to look important.
But I couldn't do this alone. Anh, a lady I have worked with as a guide for many years is going in on the house as a partner with me. She knows how to get the people and the materials together and is doing an amazing job of it. Especially when you consider that she is on the road leading tours for much of the time. Here is a shot of her and her group of Belgians she brought through Da Nang last month. That's Anh standing on the left.
Here are a few shots of the progress and a drawing of what the final is supposed to look like. The second floor is nearly complete and they are ready to pour the concrete for the next level. The house will have two floors plus a room and kitchenette on the third level.
I have to admit, it's kind of scary. I've built houses before but I've never seen one done like this. I'd jump in and help but I don't have a clue of what to do. So, I just stay out of the way and try to look important.
But I couldn't do this alone. Anh, a lady I have worked with as a guide for many years is going in on the house as a partner with me. She knows how to get the people and the materials together and is doing an amazing job of it. Especially when you consider that she is on the road leading tours for much of the time. Here is a shot of her and her group of Belgians she brought through Da Nang last month. That's Anh standing on the left.
Here are a few shots of the progress and a drawing of what the final is supposed to look like. The second floor is nearly complete and they are ready to pour the concrete for the next level. The house will have two floors plus a room and kitchenette on the third level.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Construction Zone
A new house is being built next door to where I’m living. It’s pretty incredible to watch the way things are constructed over here. The largest piece of equipment I’ve seen so far is a wheel barrow. They cleared the land and dug out the foundation with shovels. Cement is delivered in 50K bags and a truck load of rock and sand are piled on the sidewalk. All the concrete is mixed in the middle of the street with shovels then wheel barrowed to the forms. Bricks are brought in on a truck and unloaded by hand. It’s impressive how much gets done in a day in spite of the lack of equipment. It’s like watching a bunch of ants
.
The housing market is going great guns over here right now. Inflation is a big worry and many people want to build before prices get out of reach. In my neighborhood (six blocks) there are more than twelve houses being built at the moment. With property values going up an average of 30% a year for the past three years, it’s no wonder.
It’s not only houses that are being built. The entire beach front has been cleaned up and a wide boulevard put in. Major hotels and resorts are rising from the open land in all directions. The amount of change here in
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Back Online
It's been a while since I've updated his blog because I changed Internet providers and that took a while. Things move slow over here at times. And just when they were ready to hook me up again, someone broke into my place and stole my laptop. That's a big loss not only for the computer but for the stuff that was on it. I had a bunch of photos ready to post too. Anyway, I'm back online now and want to let people know I'm still keeping on over here.
School has mellowed a bit since the summer break for the regular schools is about to wrap up and the teachers who have been away on holiday have returned. I have a little more free time now but still have to be at school six days a week. This doesn't give me much time to get out and explore too far so I have been keeping close to home. I have done a couple of interesting things though.
Those of you who spent time in Da Nang will probably remember Monkey Mountain. It's a peninsula that sticks out just to the north of the city. We used it for a radar station during the war. Today, the area is pretty sleepy but they have begun to build several resorts there. I went out there last week for a day just to get out of the city and found a great little hide-a-way that's off the beaten path. In fact, it looks like you are on a dead end to get there. They have some grass covered cabanas and small tables set up on one of the prettiest little beaches I have seen. And they serve great seafood and cold beer. What more could you ask for? There was a small party going on while I was there and they invited me over for a toast. I don't know what we were toasting but I had to be polite and drink a little who knows what with them.
Then a couple of days later, some friends and I (six of us in all) hired a small fishing boat to take us about ten miles up the coast. It was spectacular with the clear blue water and rich green mountains. We didn't catch any fish but Anh had stopped at the market before we left and picked some up for us just in case. We made "Hot Pot" (a seafood soup) right on the boat. There was a full moon that evening and we stayed out lisening to music and eating until after ten o'clock. A terific evening for all of us.
I've been in country for three months now and am getting over the novelty of being here but there are always things that come up that are surprises. Not all of the pleasant but surprises none the less. Da Nang is like any big city, there is the good and the not so good to deal with. But as far as Vietnam goes, Da Nang is the place to be right now. There is so much building and improvement going on all over the city that you can feel the energy.
Several have asked about my neighborhood. Here are a couple of shots of my street. The blue house is my neighbors to the north and the shed is directly across the street from me. There is also a shot looking down my street to the south.
I do want to get out and do some exploration before the wet season begins though. Mr. Luan (see earlier post) has invited me to come to his homeland in the central highlands with him. He has shown me some books he's helped put together about the mountain people and it looks fascinating. Hopefully I will be able to get a couple of days off in a row and go with him. It's in the area around Plieku and Doc To, about half way between Saigon and Da Nang.
School has mellowed a bit since the summer break for the regular schools is about to wrap up and the teachers who have been away on holiday have returned. I have a little more free time now but still have to be at school six days a week. This doesn't give me much time to get out and explore too far so I have been keeping close to home. I have done a couple of interesting things though.
Those of you who spent time in Da Nang will probably remember Monkey Mountain. It's a peninsula that sticks out just to the north of the city. We used it for a radar station during the war. Today, the area is pretty sleepy but they have begun to build several resorts there. I went out there last week for a day just to get out of the city and found a great little hide-a-way that's off the beaten path. In fact, it looks like you are on a dead end to get there. They have some grass covered cabanas and small tables set up on one of the prettiest little beaches I have seen. And they serve great seafood and cold beer. What more could you ask for? There was a small party going on while I was there and they invited me over for a toast. I don't know what we were toasting but I had to be polite and drink a little who knows what with them.
Then a couple of days later, some friends and I (six of us in all) hired a small fishing boat to take us about ten miles up the coast. It was spectacular with the clear blue water and rich green mountains. We didn't catch any fish but Anh had stopped at the market before we left and picked some up for us just in case. We made "Hot Pot" (a seafood soup) right on the boat. There was a full moon that evening and we stayed out lisening to music and eating until after ten o'clock. A terific evening for all of us.
I've been in country for three months now and am getting over the novelty of being here but there are always things that come up that are surprises. Not all of the pleasant but surprises none the less. Da Nang is like any big city, there is the good and the not so good to deal with. But as far as Vietnam goes, Da Nang is the place to be right now. There is so much building and improvement going on all over the city that you can feel the energy.
Several have asked about my neighborhood. Here are a couple of shots of my street. The blue house is my neighbors to the north and the shed is directly across the street from me. There is also a shot looking down my street to the south.
I do want to get out and do some exploration before the wet season begins though. Mr. Luan (see earlier post) has invited me to come to his homeland in the central highlands with him. He has shown me some books he's helped put together about the mountain people and it looks fascinating. Hopefully I will be able to get a couple of days off in a row and go with him. It's in the area around Plieku and Doc To, about half way between Saigon and Da Nang.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Wedding Party
It was a big day on the block today. My next door neighbor’s son is getting married and they threw a big party for him in the street in front of my house. Since it was basically set up on my driveway, I was invited, of course. The street was covered by a metal roof and decorated up as only the Vietnamese can do. By noon, the party was in full swing, complete with a band, karaoke, great food, and an endless supply of beer. I think the main object of the party was to see how much the American could drink because everyone wanted me to join in a toast with them. I would have been very rude for me to decline. Whoa, I did pretty damn well keeping up with them but I’m am glad I didn’t have to drive home.Friday, June 13, 2008
New Friends
I’ve often been asked how people over here treat Americans and if there is much resentment as a result of the war. I can say without reservation I have felt no sense of resentment. On the contrary, when people learn that I am an American, they often go out of their way to be helpful. I’ve only been in country for two months now and have made more friends than I would have thought possible in a year. Of course, I am a curiosity in the neighborhood and all of my neighbors have had to stop by to check me out. But once we have introduced ourselves, they are always quick with a genuine smile and a wave. I’ve even been invited to the wedding of my neighbor’s daughter next week. That should be interesting.
This is Phan Duc Nhuan, a man I met a couple of weeks ago. He is having a house built in the neighborhood and he heard about me being here. He stopped by to introduce himself and we seemed to hit it off right away, especially when he learned that I served here during the war. He is an intelligent, gentle man who is retired but plays in the local symphony. And he fought on the other side of the wire during the war. Since he doesn’t speak English and I speak no Vietnamese, we have had to limit our conversations through a translator when one is available but we have learned a lot about each other and are becoming good friends with a great respect for one another. It is amazing how many way we are alike though were enemies at onetime. I’ve given him a copy of the book I put together of photographs of Vietnam and he was quite pleased.
This is Phan Duc Nhuan, a man I met a couple of weeks ago. He is having a house built in the neighborhood and he heard about me being here. He stopped by to introduce himself and we seemed to hit it off right away, especially when he learned that I served here during the war. He is an intelligent, gentle man who is retired but plays in the local symphony. And he fought on the other side of the wire during the war. Since he doesn’t speak English and I speak no Vietnamese, we have had to limit our conversations through a translator when one is available but we have learned a lot about each other and are becoming good friends with a great respect for one another. It is amazing how many way we are alike though were enemies at onetime. I’ve given him a copy of the book I put together of photographs of Vietnam and he was quite pleased.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Driving Mr. Bill
Driving here is a real experience. In a city with nearly one million people and ninety five percent on motorbikes, it can be total chaos at rush hour. I have yet to see a stop sign and there are only a few stop lights. They don't really count though.No one stops for them. It's amazing how the traffic weaves through itself with clearances so thin you couldn't slip a credit card between the bikes. Yet there are not many accidents and I have seen no sign of road-rage. Everyone just moves along and allows others to slip in and out around them. You have to be on your toes though. It's common for people to just stop in the middle of the road to chat or look around.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
