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Published: March 10th 2009
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Hi
I read the paper on line a lot and wanted to call this blog 'fuck you Fred Goodwin', but i refrained.
The other week I went for sunset cocktails at the Sheraton. The drinks were overpriced and nothing to write home about (so I’ll write home about them anyway), but the view from the 23rd floor bar was amazing. Earlier that day I had gone for a bit of afternoon karaoke ( I seem to be doing this a lot recently) and after scoring 100% crooning ‘under the boardwalk’ I felt like a treat was in order. After the cocktails I called in for dinner at the place down the end of the street for some sweet garlic chicken…the perfect end to a perfect day…
Last Friday I Thu invited me to Rockstorm 2009…a big fuck off heavy metal stadium gig. As it seems like forever since I last saw a live band that actually played their own stuff as opposed to belting out popular (and often not too popular in my opinion) standards, I almost felt that I was at one of the most amazing gigs of my life. I wasn’t of course, in fact
Robert Hardy Wharf, Saigon
except no paddling pool in the carpark...in fact no car park either come to think of it.. the metal wasn’t that amazing at all, however for the sheer joy watching thousands of Vietnamese metal fans doing the devil’s horns it was a great night. Can’t remember all the bands and we missed a couple as we were late and had to play ‘storm the entrance and force the security to open the doors or be crushed’ along with a load of locals we only saw the last four bands or so.
There was Microwave (featuring David Blender)…no, I made that bit up, but they were called Microwave), Black Infinity, some other bands…the kids were rocking although I did find it hard not confronting a pack of t- shirt clad vietnamese def leppard fans and telling them how delusional they all are…I saw Joe Elliot on TV here the other week doing ‘Pour some sugar on me’, my, he’s a fat bastard these days…
Tonight we went out with some folks Nick knows from back home…went to a great restaurant in district 5, nothing special from the ground floor, but upstairs they have private dining rooms, part of a house once inhabited by VN royalty. It was pretty sweet, high ceilings and long tables…and as for
the crispy noodles and the honeyed chicken, mmm…
Tomorrow is another karaoke night. Usually I jump at the chance of it, but I had arranged to play golf on Monday morning, so hesitated for a fleeting second…however, I know how I feel on Sunday nights and usually I want to go out for beers, so golf will have to happen another day…
So, yesterday passed horribly as I nursed a hangover. However I managed a trip to the flicks to see Tom Cruise trying to bump off Hitler in ‘Valkyrie’, which I enjoyed, and I had the cinema to myself, which is always nice…
The temperature here is creeping up and reminds me that the very hot and shitty season is on the way. It also made me think that it must slowly be getting warmer back home… it always feels like summer here, its enough to make you go nuts sometimes…amongst my considerations for where I teach next, the chance of four seasons (shit, I’d settle for three) could be a big deciding factor.
I’m teaching one of classes about the Godfather on Thursday. If only it was a younger class I’d have them making
horses heads out of papier mache …Its part of a very literature based textbook I have to use to teach my advanced level class. It’s a hard slog for the students but I really like the textbook (fuck that sounds sad…what will I say next. I enjoy my job???).
Often the students need background knowledge to the text or some historical context to be able to complete the work and so I’m really enjoying spouting forth on all manner of topics ranging from Bucharest in the 1940’s (“now then, Bucharest in the ‘40’s kids, eeh, I remember it like ‘t were yesterday”), to Princess Leia’s microphone haircut. Added to that I manage to get across to one of my other classes that actually telling someone to ‘calm down’ during an argument with a stranger in the UK was tantamount to asking them to hit you, I feel like I’ve been having a pretty successful last few weeks teaching efl…I have a signed photo of Dempsey and Makepeace on my locker, introduced one of my classes to Ivor Cutler and I’m only another week away from unleashing the Noel Edmonds lesson again…i wonder if this time i should tell them about 'crinkly bottom'...teahcer, what does 'crinkly' mean? what's 'gunge'? 'what can i get for a broken grifter'?....
laters folks...
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Melsy_Anh
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Hi! its middnight ....nothing to do and i have been awake...i am searching something news, so I saw this entry! Impressive....even there have many many new words I dont understand ,then I have to check dictionary...so bad! I like you pics which u took at Saigon - a noisy and modern city I love! anyway thank you and say "Goodnight"