work hard, play hard

 View from the office in Ho Chi Minh City's Phu Nhuan District.

It is almost 5 months now that I am back in Vietnam. The last posts on this blog are long ago. The recent months have been ultra-busy: handover from my predecessor, getting used to all tasks related to the new job, taking over totally new responsibilities in a first-ever management position, finalizing the last chapters of the Master's thesis, looking for an apartment, buying a motorbike, going on business trips, seeing back old friends and making new ones, enjoying some parties in the city, spending at least little time with Hang and the kids, and now looking for the next step to take in my future career; all at the same time; all stuffed into tight schedules during short weeks.

A business cowboy at Tan Son Nhat Airport.

Inspection trip to the mountain resort of Sapa.

 Rice terraces around Sapa.

Trekking in the surroundings of Sapa.

Travel photography: Kids with Bufalloes on the trekking tour.

 

  Suspension bridge near Y Linh Ho / Cat Lai.

 One of the many landslides in Northern Vietnam caused through logging.

 

The Hmong Retreat eco-resort near Sapa.

 Early morning from the terrace of the Hmong Retreat.

 

 Trung Quốc Cửa Khẩu - view over the Chinese border.

Often I think I am 32 now and still got nothing. No house, no capital, no car, friends and parents far away, what comes close to a family broken, no direction, no concrete future plan. I am still more or less living out of the backpack - carrying my belongings around the globe on 30ks baggage allowance. Some clothes, a surfboard, a laptop, camera, and a mobile phone. Recently a large helmet with that one could fly an F15 jet. At least it should be safer than the soup-bowls that my fellows in this country use to cover their heads when on a motorbike. It cannot be stored, so I carry it around all day, it got to belong to me. Often I think I have wasted much time since I was a young boy. But then I think I have done most of the things that I ever wanted to do. Finally I hold a Master's in Southeast Asian Studies. I have an almost top-grade overall result. It took me eight years to finish the degree program. Bu then, these years have not been lost years. During that time, I have learnt two (one and a half to be honest) Asian languages, travelled to far off shores and enjoyed life to the max. I collected much work experience in several fields, helped some people out of deep shit, met awesome friends and collected memories that will last forever. People I met ranging from broken personalities out on developing country streets to millionaires that have made it to the global jet-set. Many of the days throughout these years were meant to be the best days that one can ever imagine, others the worst. I have gone through all one could imagine and finally I got much of what I ever wanted. I have written a thesis, achieved a degree. I have a job now that many other people would desire. And finally there will be many more opportunities to further improve and advance. I haven't done enough for myself recently not for others. This can be changed. Parents need more attention. Future needs to be planned. Money needs to be made. But most important, life needs to be further enjoyed and again more for myself rather than for careers goals. Let's combine it somehow…

 

 In the King Dinh Tien Hoang Temple in Hoa Lu.

 

 The Hanoi wall built on the occasion of the capital's 1000-year anniversary.

 Tourists boarding rowing boats at the dry halong bay.

 

 Rowing through caves at Dry Halong Bay.

 

 Cruise junk at (real) Halong Bay.

 

 Tourism industry job means free upgrades...

 

 Tourists in the "surprise cave".

 

 Floating village in Halong Bay.

I am not perfectly satisfied at the moment as work is simply too much and there is not much of life left. As usual, this city does not offer much balance. And the money for which we do it is, as always in this industry, not compensating for what one gives. The industry is build on passion and also sometimes on people who would not be able to do other jobs. In fact, I do neither belong to the most passionate with regards to for-profit jobs of which the outcome does not go back into my own pocket, nor am I the one who has no other or better opportunities than working hard in a non-intellectual environment for "soso" overall benefits and future prospects. However, for the time being it is fine. I am learning much and going through a big challenge with regards to all new tasks that need to be learned managing a department and all the work that needs to be delegated and done.

Famtrip to the Meking Delta: cruising the river at night.

One of the 9 arms of the Mekong - or Nince Dragons, how the river is called in Vietnam.

Pop-rice production at one of the local factories.

Typical Mekong Delta architecture.

Besides the job I am writing a scientific article about community based ecotourism in Bali, intend to publish my thesis, browse the web on social and environmental standards and other topics that might qualify for a PhD in tourism management or tourism anthropology one day in the future. But all this is not yet decided at all and it is just in a kind of idea- or brainstorming-phase for now. There were also ideas of opening a side-business in Vietnam, starting a bit of photography again, and and and…see what comes up in the next months and in 2011.

One of many reunions with the Doc. - same coffee shop as ages ago - different style.

Copyreader? Last-minute printing-action for my thesis - final correction in the shop.

Squatter settlement land clearance in Ho Chi Minh City's District 8.

Most enjoyable at the moment is the rare time I spend at home. I found a wonderful apartment in a complex that is officially a resort-hotel, however inhabited only by permanent residents. It is located on an island between the meanders of Saigon River. A bit of driving is required, and the street is often heavily flooded. But the place rewards me every single day. People are nice and helpful, there is 24 hours security, the surroundings are country-site-like, it is quiet and sleeping at night I can hear frogs and insects singing. There are frangipani trees covering the driveway in scented air when passing the lions at the gate. The river terrace invites for chilled drinks on weekend-afternoons and the spacious pool works even for laps and there is even a garden and an indoor tennis court. It is the most amazing place I have ever rented in a city and it is even dirt-cheap. It reminds me Bali and a better place. It gives me a good piece of balance for hard work and contrasts well with the concrete-hell of downtown.

 

Early morning view from the window - almost like the paddies in Sayan.

 

 Apartment bedroom view and writing desk.

My bathroom has a tub.

Greeted by lions every time departing from and arriving at home.

View from the roof of the main building: country-side atmosphere in Ho Chi Minh City.

 

Nearby Saigon River.

Waterskiing on Saigon river - could call it toilet surfing.

The quiet garden of the apartment complex.

The building where my apartment is located with garage and indoor tennis court to the right.

The best of the whole story: the swimming pool!