Donna's travels

I've been shopping like a girl...

VIETNAM | Friday, 21 March 2008 | Views [546] | Comments [5]

We just got to Hue after spending 3 nights in Hoi An. I've had 2 pairs of shoes made (black ankle high boots and green flat shoes), a plain black suit (which I'll probably never wear, but I look terribly grown up in it) and a light blue silk shirt that goes with the suit. I posted them home this morning so hopefully they'll show up soon (I still have the green shoes with me though because they weren't ready yet when I went to the post office).

We also did a pretty decent cooking class (at a much classier looking place than the one grant put up a photo of :P), went on a bike ride in the surrounding area and looked at the old houses and stuff in the town. But mostly we just shopped.

We're about to go out to a Royal Banquet. Apparently we get to dress up like royalty, eat like a king (whatever that means), taste the "special" wine and have music played for us. Then we go on the motor bike ride tomorrow. Grant warned me the ride would be very dirty - it's raining right now so I expect it'll be very muddy.

Comments

1

:)

Hue is a lovely city. Hope you have fun.

Grant Mar 23, 2008 10:21 PM

2

So what was the royal banquet like? Was the "special" domestic produce, or something better than vinegar?

It's started raining and being cold here, finally, so we're no longer melting. I hope it sticks.

I realise you aren't up to date on comics, but this one might be worth seeing out of sequence. It succinctly explains the situation rather well, I think.

(Don't mind me, I may be slightly more cynical than usual: My father's brother & his wife came down over easter, so I spent most of my time trying to explain that a PhD does not involve classes; does not involve tests, exams, holidays or time off for good behaviour; is not a one year program like a grad dip; involves individual work, hence there is no one else working on the same problem, and hence it (should be) published in refereed journals; is paid like (indeed, better than some) jobs, and hence considered 'work' not 'being a student bum'; doing a post-doc at ANU (or, indeed, most uni's in Australia) would be pointless; and that the robotics I work on is applied mathematics, independent of applications; that yes, there are people in Japan working on similar problems, but not as a part of manufacturing implementations; that robotics does not involve making things 'smarter' in any of the usual AI senses; yes, abstract mathematics is equally applicable to medical, military & manufacturing implementations etc.)

Grant Mar 25, 2008 12:43 PM

3

go Grant go!!

d Mar 25, 2008 8:13 PM

4

Happy Easter.
Your first parcel arrived today.
So did my recent wine purchase.
Shopping like a girl! well I never! - It is said that you should do things you don't normally do while on holidays, but isn't that a bit extreme? - Just kidding
If you can aford it, get some more things made.They are much more useful than fridge magnets and snow domes.
Cooking school sounds good - can't wait to get to sample what you learnt, when you return.
Huey is dithering about his exit from CASA. His dog threw up twice on the way to the coast and I spent Friday packing up his Aunt's flat - moving yet another member of his family - a weird relationship, really!
I'm on the count down to packing - bought a pack at the Mont sale (and some clothes). I have faced the fact that without corporate support, I will not get to write up my procedure's manuals before I leave, IF EVER
so I'm going to do what I can and abandon the rest.
see you soon

d Mar 25, 2008 8:26 PM

5

When do you leave Denise? You can always just reduce procedures to 'wait for final notice' and 'ignore' and hope for the best.

Pysched up for climbing Kinabalu?

Grant Mar 26, 2008 2:03 PM