Going HK for the week end

Finally my time in Asia is soon to be over for the moment (i hope & think). To 'celebrate' it, i go with a bunch of friends to Hong-Kong for a long week end.

Although, they are not gay, i'll be there with my boy friend and i plan to do one "gay places evening". Thus i checked a bit utopia and... wahoo! The city is just a bit bigger than Hanoi (8millions vs 6) but it's so full of gay or gay-friendly places! Even more than the Bangkok listing!

Anybody knows why? It could be it's a trendy place and many gays go there for working or leisure? Despite the chinese environment it's unofficially open?

A kiss in HK (it looked so cute to me... i hope i can do the same there ;-) )

In order to make this post a bit more informative, an edit:
It's easy and cheap to go HK from Hanoi though it's a long journey:
* Hanoi -> Bangkok at 9pm (perfect if you leave work at vietnamese hour like 5 pm), arrives at 10:45pm. There are some cheap hotel close to the airport
* Bangkok -> Macau: You got a flight at 7 am, arrives at 10am.
* Macau -> Hong Kong: there is boat transportation evry hour but i don't know the price yet.
* Bangkok -> Hanoi: flight at 6:45 am, arrives at 8:35, you can be at work at 9:30/10 am

Hanoi - Bangkok can cost around 100$ and Bangkok - Macau also 100$ which sum up 200$... if you take it at least 1 month in advance (imho). The hotel in Hong Kong look impressive but not as cheap as Vietnam or Thailand, the cheapest are around 60$/night.

You can also go direct to HK from Bangkok but the flight time is bad for short trips. Another possibility is to fly direct from Hanoi. There was a promotion at vietnam airlines for 350$ including 2 nights in a 3 stars hotel but you fly in the middle of the day... For non promotional, i have no idea but i would say at least 400$.

Formalities:

Most westerners can make their visa on arrival in Macau or Hong Kong. Vietnamese have to make it before departure and it can be such pain, especially if you are from a northern province... It seems that a visa for Hong Kong is sufficient to enter Macau (as it's not possible to do a Macau visa in Hanoi, according to my bf).

Kebab & traffic light

After 2 boring motorbikes post, here is a funny one (still related to motobikes). I took these pictures a few days ago.

Kebab-bike

Connected traffic light (you can check it on Dai Co viet")

You can find more funny traffic pics @ pinkvn. By the way, don't think it's special pics, i (and all long term expatriate) have seen most of these situations.

Top-notch bikes (2)

I realized i should have done an introduction which i will call "Vietnam and motobikes" as i got too accustomed to vietnamese way of moving. Unfortunately for you, i will do it later!

If you remember, we stopped at a very 'nice' purple minsk... Now let's head toward really cool bikes:

Yamaha Nouvo LX (how stylish!?)

I used to have one and it is one of my favorite bike. It's heavier than smaller bikes but still light (for me), not too expensive, fast, maneuverable (so important in traffic jam) and convenient (it has a box under the seat big enough for my helmet). The only drawbacks are it uses a lot of gas when you go fast and it's "gay" according to my bf (wtf?). Actually it's "gay" for (some) straight as i didn't notice a peculiar use of this bike by gay (though my ex gay housemate rented one >.<).

Yamaha exciter (and not so exciting dude)

This motorbike is faster, more aggressive but has no big box under the seat and is clutch based. It has one advantage and one (big) drawback: you can make it scream and drive n a sporty (deadly?) way but you have no protection for your foot (rain and in case of accident!). I might buy it someday...

After two Yamaha bikes it's time to talk about some Honda. By the way the first one are known to be more aggressive bikes while the latter use generally less gas and people think they age slower.

Honda - Future (no cookie, no dude)

Convenient but clutch based, "so so style" but not ugly, fast enough but gas saving here is the Honda Future. A nice bike if you don't look for something classy but nice for both city and country side (though even the nouvo is able to go countryside... i did a week trip with it next to China). Unfortunately for some vietnamese chicks it's a "xe om motorbike" (it's worth mototaxi).

Honda Air Blade (and a dude but who cares?)

Very nice in my opinion as it has a kinda aggressive look but not too much and it has a convenient seat box, no clutch and it's a honda (thus gas saving). It's the same class of the exciter but looks more "adult": it's not a small bikes looking over aggressive.

That's all folks!
(for the moment)

Top-notch bikes (1)

Part 1: motobikes you should never ride!

As you may know mobile phone and motobike are essential accessories to show your social status.

Concerning motobikes you have a few options:

Honda Dream and a kinky pilot (or not)

First, the honda dream which is the traditional countryside or low salary worker... definitely the worst choice!

Honda wave and a 'cookie'

If you go for wave you will even loose the surprised looks about the redneck bike of yours, it's because wave are the most basic city bikes here...but well if you are Mr Dan Danuwong, you might draw some attention...

Finally if you are a real adventurer, here is what you need:

Minsk's fine art

So with a minsk you will definetly loose any attention... you can't be part of "people like us"! unless you go full throttle on color:

If you wonder, i do have a point with this post but the original one was too long so i cut it into 2 pieces. Thus i can talk a bit more:

• Helmet on the first photo is typical from countryside
• The outfit is also typical (kinda countryside style but not only)
• Wave & dream cost barely the price but dream are considered more reliable while wave are more 'trendy' (less grandpa's motobike to speeak nicely)
• Minsk were so cool for expat a few years ago when it was nearly impossible to get a real motobike in Vietnam (taxes problem etc).
  
• There is still a minsk club but i think they are fading
  

Ps: i might look like denigrating country side but i'm not! ^_^ (should do a post about VN city vs countryside)

Nobody

Extremely macho dance on :Wonder girls - Nobody

... Viva Korea again ...

Saving Hoan Kiem's turtle

From AFP:

Testing begins to save legendary Vietnam turtle

By Ian Timberlake

HANOI (AFP) — Researchers have begun testing mechanical "SediTurtles" they say will protect a legendary Vietnamese turtle while cleaning the historical lake in which the creature lives.
Experts showed off the German-developed sediment-eating machines this week as part of preparations before an expected cleanup of Hoan Kiem Lake, the heart and soul of Vietnam's capital.
Nestled in the centre of rapidly urbanising Hanoi, the so-called Lake of the Returned Sword is home to an elusive turtle which symbolises Vietnam's centuries-old struggle for independence.
In a story that is taught to all Vietnamese school children, the 15th century rebel leader Le Loi used a magical sword to drive out Chinese invaders and founded the dynasty named after him.
Le Loi later became emperor and one day went boating on the lake. A turtle appeared, took his sacred sword and dived to the bottom, keeping the weapon safe for the next time Vietnam may have to defend its freedom, the story says.
Occasional sightings of a giant soft-shell turtle draw large crowds, and photographs and amateur video clips attest to the claim that at least one turtle indeed still lives in the lake.
Reported sightings of the turtle, a symbol of eternity, are deemed auspicious, especially when they coincide with major national events.
The site's historical importance therefore requires a delicate clean-up operation, and the joint team of Vietnamese and German experts have been planning how to clean the turtle's home with minimum risk to the creature.
Leonhard Fechter, of Berlin's Herbst Umwelttechnik GmbH, said he knows people care about the turtle, so his company made the SediTurtle with a "soft" technology that will not harm the animal.
"We are sure we won't touch the turtle," he said as he demonstrated the devices at a fish pond on the grounds of founding president Ho Chi Minh's former home.
A thick red hose floating on the water was connected to what looked like a grey metal box. An attached dredging device was invisible below the surface, sucking out sediment from the bottom and sending it down the hose to another machine which separates sludge from water.
The box moved with the slow, quiet movements of a turtle, winched along by ropes connected to a small blue boat.
"That device is moving very slowly. That big turtle can easily escape" from its path, said Celia Hahn, the project manager from Dresden University of Technology.
A second, more sophisticated SediTurtle resembles a giant corkscrew and operates by remote control "like a submarine", said Peter Werner, a professor from the same Dresden university.
This less obtrusive option is Werner's preferred choice because it would not need unsightly ropes to pull it around the picturesque Hoan Kiem lake.
Hoan Kiem has suffered the fate of all lakes. Over time, sediment increases and the water level drops, particularly in urban areas.
The experts said Hanoi's much-photographed lake is only about 1.5 metres (five feet) deep -- close to half a metre at its shallowest -- but a four-to-six metre layer of sludge containing industrial pollutants has built up on the bottom.
Draining the lake, the more conventional way of removing contaminants, is out of the question because it would destroy the treasured water body's entire ecosystem, experts said.
"The big turtle is living from crabs or small fish," Werner said, adding that sediment removal will be done in phases, to ensure part of the lake is always left free for the animal.
Christian Richter, of FUGRO-HGN GmbH, said his engineering firm has already assessed the lake's geology and hydrology.
By the end of this year it will map areas of the lake where sediment can be removed without causing water to drain out, he said.
The Vietnamese and German governments are funding the preliminary stages of the programme but financing is needed for the estimated 2.8 million dollar cleanup of Hoan Kiem to begin, the experts said.
"There are banks interested in financing," Werner said.
Hanoi next year will mark its 1,000th birthday, and the lake cleanup was initially expected to be finished in time for the celebration.
That deadline cannot be met because of the care with which sediment removal must be done, the engineers said.
"Even if they start immediately, they would need at least one or two years for the removal," Richter said.

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Many, if not all Hanoians, believe that the turtle exists though very few actually pretend having witnessed it. My boyfriend pretends also it exist though he didn't see it. For myself, I am really very dubious about that... just another Nessy!

VN Photoblog

Though I am not really fond of the guy, I do like the photography. Probably because of the mix (imho) of fragility and determination. I just wonder wether this guy is the (kinda cute) dj I saw at the Hanoi Sound Stuff festival or not. He reallly look the same even glasses (except clothes!).

The rest of photoblog is at the same time amateur and a bit kinky. Nevertheless this photoblog is new and I hoped it will improve... and i wonder if he would photograph westerner living in Vietnam as well?

The photograph also has a photoblog about fashion (LINK COMING LATER)

A final bonus photo from the HSS (I guess I missed some action there)

Great

I guess everybody knows about this photo but just to make sure it is the case i re-publish today (stolen from SF as usual).

Welcome to pinkVN

I forgot to welcome my follow gay-expatriate-in-vietnam-blogger: Jean @ pinkvn !

Although his blog is much more recent than mine i have to admit, it may contains more entries in the near future (sorry sorry about that). I didn't read so much of his blog but he has many cuties and especially vietnamese ones which quite original as it's not so common on the web.

ps: if you missed the link to the hyper cute korean boysband, here is the video:

Me korean addict? not yet! (though my flatmate is working on it -_-)

(Jean talked about it)

Singapore leading the way for the rest of Asia?

I hope so... more information @ fridae.