Of Sausage, Law, and Houses

Well as you can see from these pictures, my house is nearly finished. We were going to do something a little more on the outside but I like it the way it is, especially the garage door.

I am constantly impressed with the technology and equipment that is necessary for such a project. The scaffolding used to haul the cement for the roof is an example of what I mean. I really wanted them to leave it in place for an observation deck but the contractor won't part with it.

The shot of the living room looking back toward the stairs is an example of how we have stayed with neutral colors and use splashes of bold color to give ambiance, i.e the red furnishings and doors. I am most fond of the stairway. Since it is such a key element to the design of the house, I decided to go all out and make it a showpiece.

And I must say, it was tempting to not stucco over the brickwork and just have the warm feel of master craftsmen throughout the house. But the cement covering keeps the harmony of the neutral color scheme.This can be seen well in the shot of my bedroom and bathroom wall. The place needs to be tidied up little but does look cozy, don't you agree? Watching it all come together is such a rewarding experience.
















I heard it once said that a man who has respect for the law and a fondness of sausage should never watch either being made. This is also true of building a house in Vietnam!

The Wet Season

The wet season has begun. Every day, clouds roll in from the mountains in the west and dump rain on the city. The showers can last anywhere from fifteen minutes to several hours. The locals say this has been a mild season so far. We have not experienced any of the major typhoons that often hit Da Nang. The rain does cool things off and it can be almost chilly in the evenings. It feels good to me but many of the locals bundle up like it's freezing. Today is a bright sunny day though. However huge white thunderheads are building in the deep blue sky over the mountains, giving warning that rain will come tonight.

I have found a great little spot on the beach where I can sit under a grass umbrella and watch the surf roll in while eating a bowl of steamed clams and schrimp. Sometimes they also have roasted corn on the cob. I come here often on days when I do not have to work to get away from the noise and clamor of the city. It's peaceful there since not many people come to the beach in the middle of the day. I'm often the only person out there and can't help but feel like I am on my own private island.


Today, I met the old gentleman who lives behind me. He's kind of the celebrity of the neighborhood. He was a decorated officer with the North during the war and showed me a photograph of him standing with General Giap. He invited me into his home for coffee and a cigarette and we tried to share some information about ourselves. Again, the language barrier can be a frustration but not enough to keep us from liking each other.

Web Site

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.

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.

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 Da Nang is phenomenal. When I was here in 1995, the town was old, dirty, and very poor. Today, it’s clean and becoming modern. The big problem right now is electricity. With all the new development, they can’t generate enough of it. Almost daily, they cut power to a section of the city for a few hours. It can be frustrating but you do get use to it after a while.

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.

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.