Goodbye Vietnam

I'm currently in Hanoi, commie capital, and flying solo for the first time in 3 weeks. The Pham-ily flew back to Saigon yesterday morning and the Jess & Pooj circus act flew to Phnom Penh to continue their invasion of Southeast Asia. I spent a few hours catching up on emails and other sundry business and just sitting. In silence. Silence has been a rare commodity during my time in Vietnam. Yes, the honking and street noise is non-stop. But more importantly, my Pham-ily is loud; it's in the blood.

Clearly, the blogging while traveling through Vietnam didn't work out so well. We were on the go every other day or so, making leisure internet time scarce. To do things backwards, I'll post entries and pics from the States.

I fly out tonight at 11pm for a 24+ hour journey back to Atlanta.

goodbye vietnam. hello america.

Love is in the air

One bus ride and one ferry ride away from Bangkok, we arrived on the island of Ko Samet. I think the most effort spent in our 3 days there was the 15 minute walk into "town" to access an ATM and the local 7-11 for some bottled water... which we only bothered to do once. Seriously? Seriously.

I managed to get ridiculously tan in a ridiculously short period of time. Now, everyday as I walk through Saigon, I get catcalls. No, not that kind. But the kind guessing my nationality: Kampuchea? Thai? Filipino? Laos? Even when I correct them, I'm accused of lying. What a bittersweet homecoming to the motherland: rejected by my own people.
But I digress.

We befriended 3 Cambodian guys who worked at our hotel on the beach, only one even spoke English. Somehow 2 of them had fallen under the spell of my "magnetic face" and "charming smile." Direct quotes, my friends. Maybe I won't be returning to Emory in a few weeks after all...

p.s. Check out http://poojandjess.blogspot.com for more on our Thai adventures.

Quick update

We are back in Bangkok after 3 glorious days on the beaches of Koh Samet. I am about 5 shades darker. Jessica has a busted sunglasses tan. Pooja is anxious about meeting up with the Phamily in T-minus 1 day. Life is good.

We have one last night here in Bangkok (balls to the walls) and then off to Saigon tomorrow!

The eagle has landed

... albeit with some minor mishaps. I may have partied a little too hard in commemoration of the end of my M1 year. I may have made a pit-stop to the airplane lavatory for a little gastric acid removal via my upper GI tract. I may have forgotten to pack my glasses. I may have written down the name of my hostel incorrectly and had to go searching for Pooja at a few Khao San Road hostels. But at least I made my flight and am now in a Bangkok internet cafe staving off a little jetlag. The same could not be said for a certain Miss Jessica Nguyen. She partied a little too hard as well and completely missed her trans-Pacific flight. She is en route now on the same itinerary, only one day later.

The Nguyen sisters are a classy duo....

On a different note, as I boarded the shuttle from the airport to Khao San, I smiled as I heard the sweet melodies of Rihanna, Usher and Leona Lewis.

Welcome to Asia.

Freedom

...I can almost taste it.

Pooja is already in transit to Bangkok. Jess has finished her LSAT and said goodbye to her second graders. I'm almost done with this godforsaken renal module.

Tomorrow, freedom is going to taste like a cold cold beer on a hot hot day (and maybe some fried chicken). And as of Sunday, it's going to taste like endless curries and noodle dishes and pho and bu bo hue and hot street food and fresh tropical fruit and spring rolls and all sorts of dishes that I don't even know the names for... I cannot wait.

On the road again...

Goin' places that I've never been
Seein' things that I may never see again,
And I can't wait to get on the road again.

As of Friday June 20 circa 4pm, I will officially be done with my M1 year. Lordy lordy. And what do you think I'll be doing on Saturday June 21? Leaving the country but of course. I fly to Bangkok, meeting up with Lil' Nguyen (aka J-Gun) in Tokyo's airport en route, and plan on putzing around Thailand for a week. Beaches, food and sun, oh my! We'll be with Pooja, a fellow NU'er (go 'cats!), and then it's off to Saigon... to meet up with 15 relatives. Pooj has no idea what she signed up for when she agreed to join three generations of the PNKD clan on their 2-week Vietnam invasion. Expect madness and mayhem to ensue.

After I leave Hanoi, Jess and Pooj will continue through Laos, Cambodia and Thailand (again)... I'm really happy that they're traveling without me. Really, I am. Not bitter at all...

It's been an up-and-down year. They weren't kidding when they said med school is an emotional roller coaster of a ride. Thank god for the good people in my life though. But hell, I've survived one year so no pity party for this girl. Life is different but it's still good.

I haven't been so good at updating this blog, but that's also because no one reads it unless I'm abroad.. I'm sure there'll be some stories to tell from the motherland though.

Until then... there's this little thing called an "exam" that I must pass.