tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87908664920326760252011-10-09T10:10:52.121-07:00THE EXPAT EXPERIENCECocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.comBlogger371100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-35603779337104817822011-06-03T10:24:00.001-07:002011-09-06T10:53:13.342-07:00The next chapter in the SagaCan be found at...
http://thejakartaexperience.blogspot.com/
Enjoy!Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-48706686139180141682011-01-22T22:26:00.000-08:002011-01-22T22:28:48.356-08:00HOW TO SURVIVE VIETNAM AS AN EXPATMY RULES OF SURVIVAL FOR VIETNAM
RULE 1 – “THE KHONG SAO RULE”
Let go of your expectations, your high standards, your frustrations. Before you get off the plane – release your imaginary pressure valve and let the air out a bit. Nothing goes according to plan in Vietnam – that’s half the fun. But it will all be ok in the end…. It always is. That’s why if you fall off your motobike and Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-7126470714045105462011-01-22T22:20:00.001-08:002011-01-22T22:21:18.049-08:00TOP TEN TIPS
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font-size:12.0pt;Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-87573951546308001382011-01-22T22:02:00.000-08:002011-01-22T22:31:34.123-08:00TAM BIET SAIGON
The time to say "Tam Biet" or goodbye has come. It's been a mostly fun journey and I learnt a lot of the 2.5+ years I was in Vietnam. Professionally it has been fantastic. I did some of the best work of my career and was given the best platform for future success.
Personally it was dramatic with far too many tears and a heart broken repeatedly by the same kind of guys. As I leave Vietnam,Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-64748279200324458082010-11-15T09:52:00.000-08:002010-11-17T06:22:43.659-08:00DON'T BE A STRANGERAs I wrap up my final week at Phibious and start to pack up my things in Vietnam here is a little taste of the last 2.5 years.
The Expat Experience is not over yet.
A new season starts in 2011. New location. New career. New adventures.
Stay Tuned (and see the other video on the same channel for another summary)Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-47480121011459997502010-10-02T10:09:00.000-07:002010-11-01T13:40:39.743-07:00OVER AND OUTThis post won't go live until a while after I'm writing it but it's important it is written to complete the story.
My expat blog was always meant to be about my time in Vietnam. From wo to go. Well.... we are almost at go. It's been 2.5 years, and there were times when I loved it and times I hated it. Then there was a point a couple of weeks ago where I realised I was over it.
I was over Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-84679715302226845232010-09-19T00:39:00.000-07:002010-09-19T00:39:45.708-07:00THE MIRROR OF TRUTHWow. Today is certainly interesting and it is not even 2pm.
So since Tshamala left for Congo a lot has happened. Although he rang me on landing, I realised pretty quickly over the next few days that he had no intention of fulfilling his promise and talking to his family about separating from his wife. Tshamala is a talented footballer, amazing snooker player... but he is a crap liar.
The Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-27750781141207995452010-09-12T09:59:00.000-07:002010-09-12T09:59:34.435-07:00Wisdom via African ProverbsAfter a few 'straight for the heart' blog posts I thought a nice quick one might mix things up. For those who follow me on twitter you will know I have a great love of african proverbs. Yes, this blog is about my life in Vietnam - but these proverbs have helped me stay sane. And let's be honest, 4 x African boyfriends later, it's not surprising I found some inspiration from their culture Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-32298991660996791042010-09-10T01:16:00.000-07:002010-09-10T01:25:22.981-07:00Que Sera SeraWhatever will be, will be.
This song comes into my head often lately. As I stand at a crossroads waiting for a directional arrow and truly not knowing which path to take.
When I moved to Vietnam almost 2.5 years ago, I had no plan in mind. How long I would stay or what would happen. I just came and let the wind take me. I still have no plan but the wind is getting a bit chilly lately.
Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-78186919482010680452010-08-22T10:02:00.000-07:002010-08-23T09:30:44.488-07:00Season HighlightsA strange blog update today. In honor of the last day of the 2010 V-League Season. It's no co-incidence I decide to update today, it just feels appropriate considering most of the last 6 or 7 months has revolved around football in every aspect of my life.
Before arriving in Vietnam, my association with football... soccer that is.. was...well... zero. Being an Aussie girl I was brought up onCocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-84894199185645737602010-02-17T04:20:00.000-08:002010-02-17T05:30:28.028-08:00OPERATION TIGERFor anyone that is a friend of mine on facebook the term "Operation Tiger" won't be unfamiliar. For almost 16 weeks it's been my mission. Mentally it started a little earlier when my parents came to see me in Vietnam and I had a bit too much time to contemplate my life, alone in hotel rooms. Officially however - it started on November 1, 2009. It need to be completed by Tet - the first day Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-86228397882775639062009-11-15T05:43:00.000-08:002009-11-15T06:22:03.088-08:00TOUR OF DUTY/TOUR GUIDE DUTYWell my parents finally made the trip over in Sept/Oct... since then I've been so busy it's taken me over a month just to write this post. Crazy times.It was a two week trip and all in all a pretty big success... that is if you don't count the typhoon that made us change plans at the last minute. In the end it was all fine.. we simply went to Mui Ne instead of Hoi An.As always... I'll let the Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-31551156458626148622009-09-03T23:33:00.001-07:002009-09-04T01:15:29.945-07:00THE TOP TENAfter watching so much Letterman lately I thought it was about time I did a 'Top Ten' things I love about living in Vietnam.Here goes...MY TOP TEN THINGS I LOVEABOUT LIVING IN VIETNAMNUMBER 10. FOOD. GLORIOUS FOOD.Fresh, Flavoursome and Fabulous! The food in Vietnam is just amazing. I personally could eat Vietnamese food 3 times a day for a week with not a worry. I just love it. The bestCocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-14102945534389385722009-08-18T22:09:00.000-07:002009-08-18T22:13:15.118-07:00SENSATIONAL SAIGONI love this town. The end of this little clip makes me smile... the golden glow like no other place on earth... the markets that go up every night... it's just beautiful. What a wonderful city and how lucky I am to call this my home.Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-82550237708754875812009-07-30T21:53:00.000-07:002009-07-30T22:15:16.840-07:00Another Day. Another Dollar... or at least... Another Vietnam Dong.Seeing as this blog is meant to be about my life in Vietnam and the experience of being an Expat I thought perhaps a ‘day in the life of’ post was required. A year and a bit on this all just seems totally normal but I do occasionally get a reality check and think ‘o my god… why do I live in Vietnam’? So… a typical day… Starts by being woken up by my Maid who has been coming earlier and Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-25353616002805402442009-07-19T23:19:00.000-07:002009-07-20T00:03:12.947-07:00WORK, REST & PLAY.Ok, as promised here is a less dramatic (and depressing) update than the last one. Giving you a more balanced picture of the last few months. Of course, there is more to life than men and although love has played a leading role – it’s not only part. As I have mentioned, one of the most rewarding parts of moving to Vietnam has been working for a great independent creative agency. Run by Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-40462486769643443282009-07-13T03:21:00.000-07:002009-07-13T04:39:06.769-07:00THE UPDATEHow on earth do I begin to summarise the 3 months since I last updated this blog? And not breakdown doing it? To be honest I’ve been avoiding doing this update as putting it up here makes it so… official. However on Saturday night at a club I got recognised from my twitter account and this blog… so I figured it was time to set the record set.Firstly, soon after I was released from hospital I flewCocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-51433402129092215932009-03-23T21:02:00.000-07:002009-03-23T21:20:59.533-07:00CLIENT LOYALTYFor someone who has been in Advertising now for almost 12 years, I tend to be quite loyal to my client's products. I still buy Bond's and Berlei bra's over other brands and keep a keen eye on any news relating too RSVP. Since working in Saigon, I've been working on a huge beverage brand... so that one is pretty easy to stay loyal too. My other client however is a large French-Vietnamese Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-43821009688829090152009-02-23T23:17:00.000-08:002009-02-23T23:25:09.264-08:00BIKEY BIKE GO DOWNIt was bound to happen at some point... my first accident on my bike. Thank the lord it was relatively minor and right outside my apartment building.It was late, around 9pm and I was coming home from work after another long day. I turned left into my apartment building driveway and two kids on a big bicycle came up the inside of me...on the wrong side of the road of course...and with no Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-92038341216655178412009-01-11T05:47:00.000-08:002009-01-11T07:11:13.904-08:00CELEBRATE GOOD TIMES, COME ON, LET'S CELEBRATE!So many celebrations... so little energy left.Well the last month in Saigon has been even more exciting and eventful and seems to have really hit a high! My head is in the clouds and it's been lovely. Work has been frantic, but with great rewards and overall very enjoyable. Leah came over to Vietnam for Christmas to visit her man. Christmas here is just bizarre. Depending on what your Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-28038469568641117242008-12-03T20:28:00.000-08:002008-12-03T21:12:01.317-08:00SLOSHED IN SAIGONOK, not much really to update. It's been 6 and a half months now and all seems to be travelling well. The best thing has been now riding my motobike. I am loving it. I zoom into work everyday and can easily pop in and have dinner somewhere on my way home. I tend to stick to places that I know I can park at for free and where someone parks my bike for me (high gutters are still my enemy).Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-37957185634995261962008-09-26T01:18:00.000-07:002008-09-26T02:00:55.094-07:00Hanky Panky in HKWell, my it's been over a month since my beautiful man left me for a team of soccer players in HK. Last weekend I went over to see him and gosh, I have to say it was VERY nice to be back in a cosmopolitan 1st world city.I actually got a tad homesick as they drive on the correct side of the road (same as Oz), the roads and signs look similar and it has the same kind of 'feeling' as Sydney. Well...Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-83516135879969585492008-09-03T00:00:00.000-07:002008-09-03T00:45:35.553-07:00ZOOM ZOOMSorry. Really am bad at updating this.Ok. So... Lots has happened in the last month or so. My darling boy got a contract with a team in Hong Kong so has gone over there. We will be going back and forth regularly to see each other and we have both committed to making it work in the meantime. It's been very odd not having him around. I have pretty much reverted back to being the 'expat' I was Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-68484606649251375922008-07-18T01:30:00.000-07:002008-12-11T00:18:36.236-08:00ADLAND IN VIETNAMAdland is Adland. No matter where it is.I'm sure it's the same the world over. It rarely changes... same shit.. different view out the window.Sometimes at work, I can easily forget I am even in a Vietnam. It's the same processes, the same challenges and the same rush of excitement when something goes well. Same deadlines. Same Same.My brother said to me when I was looking at this role "what do Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-31747910698506490942008-07-07T03:05:00.000-07:002008-12-11T00:18:37.706-08:00SAIGON SUNDAYSWow. I'm really bad at updating this blog aren't I? Well, I still don't have my camera fixed but I took some photos on my phone over the last couple of weekends to show you some of the fun we get up too here in Saigon on Sundays.It's rainy season here at the moment so we have been getting totally drenched on the moto-bike. We've been renting a bike on weekends but now have one for the month. It'sCocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-20143317159493395672008-06-16T23:28:00.000-07:002008-12-11T00:18:37.834-08:00EXPECTATIONSWell, I guess it's time to update you all on some news that is really making a significant impact on the way I am experiencing life in Vietnam.Before I begin, we need to first go back 4 years ago. This was when I first came to Vietnam. It was a trip with my Mum and whilst I was here I met with a few agencies. One of them was run by a great woman who is very straight down the line. She told me Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-3499730298872115212008-06-04T19:40:00.000-07:002008-06-04T22:01:02.700-07:00SMALL THINGSWell, It's now 4 weeks into my new life in Viet Nam. Boy - that went fast! So far I am really enjoying it. It's not easy, make no mistake. However, overall it's all good and certainly a good challenge. It's the little things that both make my day and make me wonder what the hell I am doing. I thought I would share with you some of the little moments that have made me either feel full Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-87526605352312734412008-05-28T02:35:00.000-07:002008-05-28T03:02:22.894-07:00CRUNCHI really should have called this blog the "The Vietnam Taxi Experience" because so far most of my dramas/experiences have revolved around the simple task of getting a taxi to work and home again.I thought I pretty much had it down pat for a while there. I live in this kind of odd building and because it's brand new the drivers don't yet know it. So calling a cab.. in english...can be a waste Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-6311248744085678942008-05-19T06:08:00.000-07:002008-05-19T07:08:21.417-07:00HEY JUDEHey, Jude, don't make it badTake a sad song and make it better What a great night I've had. Work was ok. It's all a bit complicated at the moment but I don't want to go into that right now. It will all be fine I'm sure but I just need to stay inspired and focused.So tonight - it was the first night since I've been here that it wasn't raining. In fact, it hasn't rained yet today so the air Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-83873535456221130982008-05-16T20:10:00.000-07:002008-12-11T00:18:39.485-08:00A MORE TRUE PICTUREOk, I think I may be giving you the wrong idea about living here in Vietnam. It's been just over a week now and although Phu My Hung is amazing... it really isn't anything like the rest of this city, or country.So here's some photos of what it REALLY looks like... everyday... in real life. There are also some videos which I took from my cab the other day going to work. Enjoy... Yes. The Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-43231636717690753182008-05-13T00:23:00.000-07:002008-05-13T06:00:16.003-07:00SLOWLY DOES ITSo it's been not quite a week and so far so good. My apartment is feeling a lot more like 'home' and work is starting to get some focus.I've almost sorted out the whole 'getting a taxi to work' thing - but not quite. I think I'll have it down pat by the end of the week. I need to stick with the one company Mai Linh or I get ripped off big time (or lost or broken down). We went out for a few Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-81559111345845762802008-05-11T06:30:00.000-07:002008-12-11T00:18:42.643-08:00HOME SWEET HOMEWell... I finally got some stuff for my little home so it no longer looks like a bland old apartment. I decided that I would try and put as much traditional Vietnamese things in it as possible. I went to Dong Khoi and bought lots of lovely lacquered wood and marble things.Every room in this apartment is a different colour and there are some seriously UGLY blinds and curtains. They have to go. In Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-83058000022015721252008-05-10T07:56:00.000-07:002009-09-03T18:57:14.873-07:00PMHThought I would share with you some of the delights of PMH (Foo Me Hoong as it's said) that I stumbled across yesterday. It's so hard to describe this place I thought I'd let pictures speak. If you have been to Vietnam you will know that the streets are normal narrow and dirty and full of motorbikes and vendors and people sitting on tiny plastic stools that would in no way hold my weight. PhuCocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-434185158498602552008-05-09T18:08:00.001-07:002008-05-09T18:30:02.582-07:00GOOD MORNING VIETNAM!So, I arrived on Wednesday night. A bit late due to the delay in Sydney and then was picked up by the company driver and taken to my lush new apartment. The real estate met us there and was seriously useless. She gave me 20 keys to the actual apartment but no key to the building (a swipey key thing). She furiously tried to figure out how to turn the air con on but then I realised there wereCocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-71722359871940883262008-05-08T19:25:00.000-07:002008-12-11T00:18:45.773-08:00FAREWELL. SO LONG.Well, this will be my 'farewell Sydney' post even though I have now been here in Viet Nam for 2 days. But I am sure you want to see what the last few days in Sydney/Yass were like right? Ok... So I left Sydney on Saturday after a shocker of a morning. I picked up my zoom zoom Camry which was much bigger and more 'mature' than the little Hyundai thing I was expecting. I had to get my shots, drop Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-53635488327222758352008-05-02T05:00:00.000-07:002008-12-11T00:18:47.506-08:00All outta Love...Ah well. I am official unemployed. Kind of sort of. At least for a few days. Today was my last day at work here in Sydney and another part of this life wrapped up. A bit sad... but still exciting. Some lovely words were spoken and I feel like I left on the right note. Apparently I swear a lot? really? What the fuck? Bullshit! O. Ok. Maybe. Hmmm.Suki came into the agency as a bit of a guest star Cocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8790866492032676025.post-75527435524027972612008-04-27T21:23:00.001-07:002008-12-11T00:18:48.477-08:00Packing up and shipping outWelcome to my new blog. I thought I should start this experience with the fun involved in actually packing up my old life before I begin my new one. This is my last week in Sydney. I finish work on Friday and head to my parents house in Yass to drop off my dog and cat and say goodbye to the old folks for a few days.This weekend was the 'Bye Bye Sydney Sale' which involved selling everything in myCocohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14596981243975255409noreply@blogger.com5