Perspectives and perceptions

I told myself this year that I'd start blogging again on a regular basis. What a better blog topic to blog about than my fun december holidays! After all the (read: three) new year celebrations that I've had in Hong Kong for the last three years, I wanted this year to be something different. Have a new experience, visit a new place, try a new cuisine, anything! And so it's not a surprise that weeks before I'm supposed to be leaving for my holiday, I find myself packing for two climates, because my friend's figured out a plan for a group of us to be in Vietnam for a short trip! :) Waiting for the long queue at the boarding gate for Vietnam Airlines The flight to HCMC is as expected, but the visa process isn't! :/ The rule for entering the country is that you are granted a visa-on-arrival provided you have a stamped letter from some registered websites. While we had that letter, we assumed that the next procedure would be to simply walk up to the counter, ...

So after 3 years of my passport being issued, I finally got a stamp on it. I didn't get a visa (unfortunately) because HK doesn't need a visa if you're staying for The city is beautiful. After the first few days I realized that I was clicking all photos in the portrait modes because clicking in landscape mode wouldn't accommodate the tall buildings at all, and ALL buildings are TALL! Really! The roads are spick and span, like my kind of roads, people throw the trash in the dustbins, and in the right dustbins. There is a separate thing on the top for cigarette butts. There are bins at most signals, and on most streets. The traffic signals work and show you when to cross the road, and all people patiently wait and abide. Thanks to this, taxis, cars and buses zoom between signals in the middle of the day at speeds like 70 - 100! This is unheard of on roads in Mumbai where you have to keep an eye out for the people crossing, animals crossing and the silly drivers. People d...