A Trip To Vung Tau - Modern Vietnam is a nice place to visit and you wouldn't mind staying there for a while
Modern Vietnam is a nice place to visit.. and you wouldn't mind staying there for a while.Being an American and growing up during the Vietnam War era, I always wanted to see what the post war Vietnam was like now a days. During the Vietnam war I was to young to be drafted but I clearly remember all the hype in the USA over Vietnam and war. I can even remember my older brother actually joined in the anti-war protests and burned his draft card. As luck would have it, one of the companies that I often free lance worked for secured a submarine cable laying project in Vietnam and asked me if I was interested to go there.
Most definitely I wanted to go there.As our plane touched down in the now Ho Chi Minh City, I tried somehow relate back to how the soldiers would have felt when they had landed there in Saigon back during the war. I can tell you this, the feelings they would have had wouldn't have been good at all knowing there's a chance that they could be killed there.While driving from the airport to our hotel I even saw several of those old concrete machinegun bunkers. Even though the war had ended over 20 years ago, it was still clear that Vietnam still had many reminisces of it's war era days. Traffic was chaotic at best. Many intersections didn't have traffic lights and it also seemed that some people drove on whatever side of the street they pleased.
Definitely, anyone from any western country wouldn't want to even attempt to drive a vehicle on the streets of Vietnam.The architecture in Ho Chi Min City is a major reflection of French design with a mixture of Asian influence. The government buildings and churches were all beautifully designed and up kept quite well throughout the city center.Vung TauThe following morning we headed down south to the port town of Vung Tau. Vung Tau is at the entrance to the Saigon river. It is about a 6 hour drive from Ho Chi Min City to Vung Tau. During the Vietnam war the American soldiers used Vung Tau as an R&R area (Rest & Recreation).Since the war ended the Russians have turned Vung Tau into an Offshore Oilfield supply base.
They even have a large compound there where all the Russian's oilfield workers and their families reside.There's also a few bars along the street directly opposite this huge Russian compound. The Russian's visit these bars for drinking, socializing and shooting pool, etc. I would shoot pool there also and I happened to meet a few nice Russians there. They were oilfield workers on their time off. Back to the bars..
there were several bars on the main strip there [which runs along the beach]. Most of the bars also served good western food and had pool tables in them also. Of course there were some beautiful and sexy Vietnam ladies there also.I can't exactly put my finger on it but there's something about Vietnam girls that makes them extra sexy. Almost all of them have the typical long black hair (very long, in fact) and that alone makes any woman sexy in my opinion. But, the Vietnamese ladies have their own special dress, the Vietnamese Long Dress, known locally as the Ao Dai.
It is a one piece dress and the color is usually white. What's really sexy about this dress is the extremely high slit up both sides of it. Wow.. it seems like the slit is going all the way up to and even pass their asses and it makes the ladies look so very sexy when you see them walking or riding their bicycles down the street. To top off their sexiness, they are usually dawning a typical straw coned hat on their pretty little heads while outdoors to protect them from the sun also.
Great combo and when you personally witness it, it would bring the average horny man down to his knees in no time.Jam Packed BeachesOur project was not on the same beach with the rows of bars, but on the other windward side beach. We couldn't work there during the day time on weekends cause the beach was always jam packed with people sunbathing, swimming and having a great time..Unlike so many other Asian countries I've visited where hardly any of the locals seemed to sunbath or even swim at the beach, it seems that the Vietnamese people really do love the beach and sun. On weekends it would get so crowded that you could barely even find a space to sit.Also packing the beaches were the assorted food vendors selling everything from cold drinks to fresh lobster. Beach chairs and large umbrellas were also available for rent there.Unfortunately, all good things come to an end so when we finished that cable laying job I had no reason to hang out in lovely Vung Tau anymore so we packed our bags and headed back north to Ho Chi Minh City.American War Crimes Museum (now the name has been changed to Remnants of War Museum)When I heard about there was a museum in Ho Chi Min called the American War Crimes Museum, of course I had to go to see what it was all about. Well, as you can all imagine just by reading the name of the place I think you already have a pretty good idea as to what to expect there.Inside this museum you will find all kinds of items dating back from the Vietnam war.
Most of the items, if not all, were of American manufacture. Outside of the museum were such large items as tanks, anti-aircraft guns, helicopters and even one or two old American aircraft.There were also numerous smaller items such as a large variety or old USA ammunition, plane wreckage (from shot down American airplanes) and downed helicopter parts.Inside the museum there were many items which included small arms such as guns of all sizes and calibers, knifes, ammunition and a variety of other artifacts. All USA made of course. The most disturbing items in this museum, at least for me, were the numerous photographs which were hanging on the walls throughout. When you see photo's of American soldiers smiling and holding up their trophy's (being a couple of cut off heads of dead Vietnamese soldiers) that's enough to turn anyone right off.
Of course, that's the reality of war and I'm sure this kind of shit was done on both sides and probably even considered normal at the time, but, it's not the kind of thing I needed to be reminded of at the moment. I'd much rather be sitting in some bar with a couple sexy Vietnamese ladies on either side of me whispering sweet nothings in my ears!I'd seen enough so decided to try and look for this street which was selling antiques which a friend of mines had told me about. "Not only were there some great antiques for sale there", he had told me, "but there's also American war items which were left after the war for sale there". When the Yanks suddenly pulled out of Nam in 1975, apparently they left behind entire warehouses full of new and used military goods. My friend had actually bought a brand new Helicopter Pilots helmet (still wrapped in its original plastic)! I didn't actually see his supposed Helicopter Pilots helmet or know if he was kidding me or not but I definitely wanted to go find this place.
When I arrived there I did see a hell of a lot of antiques for sale, including US military stuff. I could handle being offered the assorted collection of old brass and stainless steel USA Zippo cigarette lighters but what was a bit disturbing to me were the numerous USA soldiers dog tags they were peddling. Why in the hell would I want to purchase an old dog tag? Especially if they were real.. and were taken off of dead US soldiers. Hell, some of them even appeared to still have blood stains of them so I had to tell them ?thanks but no thanks' to that offer.No, at the street I was on I definitely didn't see them selling anything as good as a Helicopter Pilots helmet so now I'm wondering whether my friend was pulling my leg or not.The following day as we flew out of Vietnam I just had to think once again how happy any soldier would have been to see that site and know he'd survived the jungle, the VC and most of all his commanding officer screaming in his ear everyday.
LOLWould I go back to Vietnam? Heck yes. I had a great time there and I'd recommend if for anyone who needs an adventurous place to go in Asia..
Production Assistant Scores TV Show Soundtrack
Los Angeles, CA (ContentDesk) July 6, 2006 -- Jaime Paxton landed her first Hollywood job as a production assistant on the first season of MTVs hit show "Laguna Beach: The Real Orange County."
Two years later shes gotten a promotion of sorts.
While working on the show for Executive Producer Gary Auerbach, Paxton pursued her hobby of writing and playing music at night. She teamed up with Los Angeles producer Brian Irwin and recorded a few songs as a demo.
When the show's editors were searching for new music to place on an episode, they suggested Ms. Paxton bring in some of her songs.
She did, and two of her tracks ended up on the show's first season.
When season two rolled around, music supervisor Jon Ernst began turning to Paxtons music and songwriting skills to feature on the show.
Jaime has proven to be a very valuable resource to me, said Ernst.
When I cant find the perfect song for a scene, she magically goes home,...
Beach > Production Assistant Scores TV Show Soundtrack
Recording Artists 34Below Atlantic-Bound For Environmental Tour With World Acclaimed Marine Artist, Wyland
CARLSBAD, CA (ContentDesk) July 21, 2004 -- Award-winning national recording artists 34Below, named after Carlsbad's geographical location under the 34th parallel, will take their musical talent from one ocean to the other, stopping near the 34th parallel on the Eastern Seaboard as part of a live, acoustic concert series with the "Wyland Ocean Challenge Tour."
34Below will join Wyland, the world's foremost marine artist, on a 15-state, 16-city series of beach clean-up coastal celebrations, from August 3-31.
"We're excited and honored to be a part of such a great cause," says lead singer Steve Ybarra.
34Below is a long-time advocate for keeping the beaches and oceans clean, making them the perfect choice for entertainment on this Maine-to-Florida environmental blitz.
"34Below is one of those rare bands that moves people with their music and their message," says Wyland.
"The songs are from the heart--the music rocks.
But what's really...
Recording Artists 34Below Atlantic-Bound For Environmental Tour With World Acclaimed Marine Artist, Wyland
Beach > Recording Artists 34Below Atlantic-Bound For Environmental Tour With World Acclaimed Marine Artist, Wyland
Grande Dunes Golf Academy Director is Featured Guest on the Golf Channel
(ContentDesk) November 25, 2005 -- Brad Redding, director of the Grande Dunes Golf Academy in Myrtle Beach, S.C., will appear on the Monday, November 28 edition of Your Game Night on The Golf Channel. Redding, who is on Golf Magazines prestigious list of Top 100 Golf Instructors in the nation, will focus on swing philosophy as well as tips on slicing, chipping and the short game. He will also answer email questions.Brad Redding was recruited in 2004 to create a gold academy at Grande Dunes, a 2,200-acre residential resort community that stretches from the Atlantic Ocean to the Intracoastal Waterway. It is home to 2 golf courses Grande Dunes Golf Club, which is open to the public, and the private Members Club, which opened in 2005.Hosted by Jerry Foltz, Your Game Night is a popular golf talk show that features special guests weekly. The show airs on the Golf Channel every Monday night at 7:30 PM.
Golf fans can email questions or comments to Your Game Night on line at...
Grande Dunes Golf Academy Director is Featured Guest on the Golf Channel
Beach > Grande Dunes Golf Academy Director is Featured Guest on the Golf Channel
The Leading Online Information Portal for and about Bulgaria mybulgaria.info has Recently Launched New Services for Those Interested in Property in Bulgaria
Apart from the existing sections where people can browse nearly 3,000 currently available Bulgarian properties for sale there is now also a Bulgarian Property Rental section with more than 100 available properties and an Off Plan section where users can view nearly 400 new Bulgarian property developments for either investment or holiday home purposes.In addition to this there are comprehensive directories of Bulgarian Real Estate Agents and Lettings agencies and a guide to Bulgarian businesses based in Varna. This service is due to be expanded to other major regions of Bulgaria in due course.There is no doubt that My Bulgaria now has more property for sale or to let available in its pages than any other site on the internet in addition to comprehensive advice about Bulgaria as a country, its traditions and its culture.The Bulgarian property market has already witnessed some dramatic price increases in the last two years but even now property values remain lower than in neighboring countries...
The Leading Online Information Portal for and about Bulgaria mybulgaria.info has Recently Launched New Services for Those Interested in Property in Bulgaria
Beach > The Leading Online Information Portal for and about Bulgaria mybulgaria.info has Recently Launched New Services for Those Interested in Property in Bulgaria
Atlanta?s Bead Extravaganza, Promoted by The Down The Street Bead Show, Coming to Duluth, Georgia, Gwinnett Center September 23, 24, 25
(ContentDesk) September 2, 2005 -- Atlanta's Bead Extravaganza, promoted by The Down the Street Bead Show, is coming to the Duluth, Georgia, Gwinnett Center September 23rd, 24th, and 25th.Atlanta's Bead Extravaganza will prove to be a fun and exciting event for all who love beads and jewelry. All will be amazed at what some bead makers and designers are doing in glass, seed beads, metal, polymer clay, and many other mediums. The beading business is hot right now and is spawning a very large new interest in jewelry design. The bead business alone has grown to a $1 billion-plus industry nationally. Many beaders, jewelry designers, and glass bead makers are moving towards adding metals including PMC, Precious Metal Clay, and other mediums to their bead and jewelry designs.
At this time, the jewelry design business is in a major renaissance and is at the most exciting time that it has ever been. If anyone wants to become a part of this bead and jewelry renaissance or at least give...
Atlanta?s Bead Extravaganza, Promoted by The Down The Street Bead Show, Coming to Duluth, Georgia, Gwinnett Center September 23, 24, 25
Beach > Atlanta?s Bead Extravaganza, Promoted by The Down The Street Bead Show, Coming to Duluth, Georgia, Gwinnett Center September 23, 24, 25
STX Sync 3 Top 10 Streak Continues: Three Weeks, Three Tournaments, Three Top-10 Finishes
BALTIMORE, MD. (ContentDesk) March 4, 2006 -- STX Putters, world-renowned for their patented Face Insert Technology, announced today that for three consecutive weeks the companys signature Sync 3 putter
was used to capture a top-10 finish.They say good things come in three and theyre right. This is the third top-10 finish for STX Putters and the golf season has just begun. A notable PGA Professional and British Open champion played some very inspiring golf to tie for seventh place at both the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-AM and at the Nissan Open using the STX Sync 3. This past weekend to continue his top-10 streak the same PGA Professional again relied on the bullet shaped STX putter to finish fourth at the World Golf Championship Accenture Match Play Championship at the La Costa Resort and Spa.
The highly acclaimed STX Sync 3 with its center rear weighted bowtie design and straight center shaft has helped this prominent PGA Tour Professional claim six top-10...
STX Sync 3 Top 10 Streak Continues: Three Weeks, Three Tournaments, Three Top-10 Finishes
Beach > STX Sync 3 Top 10 Streak Continues: Three Weeks, Three Tournaments, Three Top-10 Finishes