TUPPERWARE

Well it is on for Tupperware. I used some of Rick & Karen's stuff and was impressed. Asked Vicki if she knew of any parties. Well, as a matter of fact, her friend Rene was just starting as a demonstrator. Go to the party, buy, book a party ,buy,invite lots to get a few, get lots. Party booked for the club, buy more. Book a catalogue party to help the club (and so did Vicki). Hope that is the end of it for now for, though I really want some more, it is too hard to find the dollars to pay for it all. It is good stuff though.

Am getting into the Xmas scene. All the lights I can reach are up , my tree is decorated, pressies are wrapped and I have nearly finished makeing a pressie for all the nieces.Trev has to put the rest of the lights up and I have to buy or make some more cards. The functions are multiplying and one has already been transferred to January because my mates and I could not get a suitable date. Oh well, something to do later.

Getting hot but they are looking for rain later this week, hope so.

Liberal Government lost the election. Well, at least I won't feel guilty when the labour Govt and its Union mates wreck the economy again.

Do hope to add to this before Xmas but might as well get into the mood.

Second Chapter Hanoi & Kl

View from our room at the Dorsett Regent in KL. Did not take any other pictures "cause we'd been there a few times before. Building on the right is the Ritz-Carlton.

The Peaceful H P Lake. No real name because....I've forgotten.

View from our room ,across old district,the Red River almost on the horison.

Old district houses

One of many small hotels in old district

Small street,old district

Old District, traditional decorations street.

The Dec.19 market

Some newer houses

Flower arrangement with fruit on little table,including dragon fruit which looks so beautiful,tastes OK>

Houses are narrow but several stories as land is expensive. Note wiring, this is actually pretty good.

Is this OK now Net??? No, I have not got the literary skills of my son,unfortunately and was not prepared to pay $8 or $9 a day for internet . As well, I don't have a laptop to plug in, so would have to go to public cafes. I do my best ,though.

The Vietnam/KL Holiday

Cooking the Goose(duck)

Selling coal

Market in the old quarter

The temple of learning

View downwards from our room. Looking on the tin roofing of the Dec.19 market

Lady selling live eel.

They all sit and eat and smoke in front of the shops ,on stools on the footpath.

Temple at West Lake

This is the butcher lady West Lake

Our room

We're back and had a lovely holiday.

We liked Hanoi but I guess were mostly disappointed in the shopping because that was not really up to standard ,although it was cheap. The Melia Hotel was absolutely wonderful and that certainly WAS up to standard. There were not many places around it where one would feel safe to eat so we did use the hotel buffet several times. We mostly ate in the old quarter or wherever we were at lunch time and we did find a nice eatery called the Mondo Gelato ,not far from our Hotel,where we ate several times. The old quarter was culturally quite fascinating and mostly like Singapore and Malaysia were some 40 years ago, take away the millions of motorbikes and mobile phones. It really is difficult crossing the road but we managed. We felt that we probably should have travelled outside Hanoi a bit or even done the Saigon to Hanoi route. But then one learns as one goes and for people who have not experienced South East Asia in the old days it would be very fascinating. In the pictures , to be attached, you will see the different standards of housing and shops ,people and transport. The ladies with their costumes and it was wonderful to see the evening dresses,Vietnamese style . We wewre probably lucky because there were many functions in our hotel and at least 50 % of women still wore their beautiful dresses. They still transport things on their shoulders and sell meat, in the street, on the footpath , from a large basket tray. Fish and fresh eels were sold alive from water bowls.The electricity supply is really something. At one stage we could have hooked the Telephone wire with our hands and the electricity makes such patterns, one stands there in awe. When there are too many wires they just add a hook and hook it up a bit on the poles or on a sidewall of a shop/house.

They love flowers and we had beautiful arrangements in the hotel, even in our room.

The worst thing they have is the fact that they sell and eat dogs and the market next to our hotel, called the December 19 market had smoked dog for sale, that was completely sickening and one immediately thinks of one's own dog.

We bought a few things but did the bulk of our buying in Kuala Lumpur because we know where to go and each time one goes there , a new shopping centre has been created anyway.Food, watches etc still cheap in KL but copy CD's & DVD's are now not openly on sale except a little bit in Chinatown.It is still reasonable to get around in taxis, from Malaysian Ringitt 10 to 20 within and around KL. $A1.00 is R 3.00.

The last pictures, if I get them all on, are of one of the central lakes, a very peaceful place with the traffic flowing all around it, the first few are at West Lake, which is very large and also in the city. We did a tour of the city, compliments Karen & Rick on our 2nd day and that was very nice and included the Temple of learning where the grave like tablets have inscribed on them, the names of the important graduates.