The Bittersweet Taste Of Home
Saigon is always so crowed, noisy, and the city never sleeps. The people there seem to party all day and night. But if you drive to the South there is a beautiful beach called Nha Trang. It’s 7 hours away from Saigon. We are staying in NhaTrang for a few days before we go to visit Loc’s family and my family again. Then we will be headed back home. The Nha Trang beach is beautiful, and unlike Saigon, the people here keep the streets really clean.
One of the best things about the trip is getting to try all of the exotic foods that I have never eaten before. Yesterday I tried snail. It’s the best! Believe it or not, Vietnam is known for dishes that are made of dog! I’m so against it, but there is nothing I can do. Dogs in Vietnam are not valued like they are in other countries. Most of them seem to be living as strays, sleeping outside and they barely have food to eat. What you have to understand is that some, if not many, people who live here barely have food to eat themselves so how could they afford dog food? I know it’s sad for me because of my Americanized values so I try to remember the difference in our cultures when I see the dogs as a meal: for others it is a matter of survival.
Vietnam is not just a return to my roots; it is also an adventure for me. There is so much to see here, so much to take in! I will be honest with you: it is SO hard to see the poverty in this country. Seeing this different view of life, seeing how other people live and how little others have to live on has made me so much more appreciative of what I have.
I hope you all are well. I know that the fashion world has been shaky since the passing of Alexander McQueen and my heart goes out to his family and loved ones.
xoxo Nini
City view from our hotel room
We rented a boat and travel out to some of the islands in Nha Trang.
One of the places we went to is the Fishing Village, where they sell live seafood. We selected some of the live fishes and restaurant cooked different type of dishes for us.
We picked out this huge squid for our lunch
fried squid
A local lady selling coconut juice using basket weave boat as her transportation
After a long day traveling around different islands, we ended at a beautiful island to swim and relax
Wearing Pucci scarf as head wrap and cover up, F21 sunnies, cuff by Virgin, Saint and Angles
Beautiful photos!
Love your PUCCI scarf!
x
Emilie
The first pic is wonderful and your Pucci scarf is awesome! Great look for beach!
http://www.abitoffashion.com
Oh Nini, your pictures made me miss the Philippines – where I grew up. Vietnam is very similar. I’m glad you get to experience and see how people in Asia live their day to day lives. It’s very different from U.S. or here in Canada.
the pictures are beautiful! and I love the scarf, so pretty
I think you’ve got the geography wrong though, Nha Trang is in between Saigon and Da Nanag. It’s up north to Saigon, along the coast.
honey these images are divine. love the view from your hotel amd images of you in water.darling hope you had a gorgeous vals day, just posted on what i got up to and wore.
have a fab week
xxx
marian.
OH wow I dream about sun and beach!! You are so lucky!!!
http://etincelledemode.blogspot.com/
hi Nini,the above comment about the geography is correct! Also,I’m Vietnamese too and it’s my understanding that dog meat use to be exclusively consumed by the North Vietnamese,however given migration and all they’ve introduced it to many areas in Vietnam. Honestly,I don’t think people eat it, it’s mostly something men “nhau” I think…Anyway,cool post and hope you’re enjoying VN!!!
These pictures remind me so much of Philippines.
In some ways. they are quite similar. In my country, there are people
who eat dogs too mostly in the rural ares but not myself or my family.
I’m not being fussy but I don’t imagine myself eating exotic foods. It’s not
my cup of tea.
Oh, island-hopping sounds very fun adventure!
I miss those days with my hubby and I hope we could do it again.
Ni, you’re really sexy in your swimsuit. I wish I had a skinny body like yours. sigh.
Now, I’m excited to see Locs family.
This pics are fabulous!! Such a beautiful, colorful peek into your trip! Also, LOVE the Pucci scarf and how you used it as both a cover up and head wrap!
http://lindsaylovesitall.blogspot.com/
Wow, looking great Nini. Love your pucci cover up.
Don’t forget to eat nem nuong ninh hoa. The popular place is Quan Hung, but the ones sold by the steer are a lot better.
Hey Nini!
I love this photo of you and Loc!
XOXO
Vietnam looks beautiful. I still have not ever been!
And the photo of you and Loc is too cute.
Sounds like you are having quite a trip, keep having fun, and love the Pucci!!
Hi Ni,
I’m glad you have fun and see the life there. It’s not the same here.
I love your pictures.
As I know that south Vietnamese people, we mostly don’t eat dog meat. Eating dog meat is originally from north Vietnamese brought into south after 1975 and it’s sad.
Keep having fun and have a safe trip home!
xoxo
You look so great! It sounds like an amazing trip. It’s sometimes sad to see other ways of life when we are accustomed to America, but it’s good for us- don’t you think? That squid is MASSIVE!!! I can’t believe it!!!
Have fun!
xo
d
Cute fun photos you took! I love the one with you and Loc, so cute.
Awww soooo fun! I just visited there this past summer for the first time in YEARS! My parents built their beach houses like literally 5-10 mins away from your hotel! I really did like Nha Trang better… not quite as crazy as Saigon! Hope you have fun on the rest of your trip! And loving the Pucci scarf too! (:
Love your posts of southeast asia. It’s nice to see family photos and you enjoying yourself. Can’t wait for the next post
What a fantastic journey you are on! I love that you are sharing bits of your family’s culture with us along the way.
Beautiful! The food looks delicious and your beach pictures are fun!
You guys look like you’re having so much fun on the beach! I would be very scared to get that Pucci scarf wet though LOL.
The foods look so yummy. I love the picture of you and loc. Have fun!!
Hi Nini!
I enjoyed all the previous posts about your travel to Vietnam.
It must be a very special emotional time for you and your family.
It´s so sad to read about the dogs… Please take special care about Ducky,
he is a duck and maybe delicious 😉
Enjoy your stay and special moments with Loc!
lovely pics!
Best wishes for the new year! 😀 I hope you have a good one!
So jealous of the beach shots!!
http://aforteforfashion.blogspot.com
Looks gorgeous Nini, I am genuinley very jealous of the sun and food you are experiencing!
XOXOX
Libby
http://fashionconfectionairy.weebly.com
Love allll the photos Nini! Look like u r having so much fun!
Beautiful photos!!! I love your scarf!!!
P.S: I featured two pics of you on my blog today you should check it out 😉
http://www.hottheels.blogspot.com
Hey dear- you look beautiful and relaxed and the beach looks so beautiful! Wish I had a chance to visit Nha Trang when I went to Vietnam. We only could make Saigon and Hanoi because the weather was being strange then… By the way, your friend Natalya contacted me and I’m attending Naeem Khan this week! Very excited to see the collection in person
xx D
I really liked reading your thoughts on returning to your hometown. The view in the first photo is fantastic. And of course, you look as good as ever.
looks like a fun trip! love the shots at the beach especially with that gorgeous pucci scarf!
TheOwlsCloset.blogspot.com
That looks beautiful, I am so jealous. I want to be there now so much.
iliketweet.blogspot
x
i love nha trang too! next time you go, you should take the time to visit “long thanh’a gallery”. his a photographer, who specialises in black & white. amazing stuff. and his a family friend!
i was sad coz the last time i went nha trang had become a lot more polluted then the prior 3 years when i went to visit.
have you been to phu quoc island? i heard its the new nha trang!
hey Nini haven’t leave a comment here for centuries because of leaving to Sydney for around 2 weeks to visit my small sister studying there.
so i m going to develope the fashion career my own – yea i m preparing to start my line, but at the same time i m planning to study further abroad in US too to explore more. wht do u think??
how are you recently Nini? I’m so happy to see your amazing jorney shots that contain thousand words inside.
recently i encountered a little career direction “accident” after a job interview about designer assistant in a major fashion house in HK. i was told that as i cannot regonize colors (yea i m color weak, sign…) so i can’t take the design pose they offered, n then the interviewer suggested me to change field because not only in fashion but all design jobs won’t pick me becz of my situation
time to bed now~ i’ll leave comments here again when u have any new updates
take care,
Patrick