Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri!

The "Festival of the Breaking of Fast" is called...

• Idul Fitri, Hari Lebaran by the Indonesians
• Hari Raya Pusa by the Malaysians
• Riyoyo, Riyayan, Ngaidul Fitri by the Javanese
• Boboran Siyam by the Sundanese
• Rojar Eid by the Bengalis
• Ramazan Bayrami by the Turkish
• Eid-e-Sayed Fitr by the Persians
• Choti Eid by the Urdus
• Ramazanski Bajram by the Bosnians

Wherever you are from, whatever your nationality... I wish you "Selamat Hari Raya Puasa", "عيد مبارك‎", " ঈদ মুবারাক"... Maaf zahir dan batin! Have a blessed festival and happy holidays!

Btw, above is an Eid Greeting postage stamp issued by US in 2001.

During years when we had Hari Raya together we Chinese New Year, we Malaysians celebrate Kongsi Raya. When Hari Raya is close to Deepavali, we celebrate Deeparaya.

Do you know by 2011, we would be celebrating Hari Raya on 31st August. Merdeka-Raya?

Old Vũng Tàu (Turbulent Years)

I have always been a fan of old photos. Found the above old photos of Vũng Tàu, probably in the 1960-70s (the turbulent years of the Vietnam War). Those were the days when Vũng Tàu was a R&R for combat troops. It is amazing that the Grand Hotel withstood the war years and is still in operation as part of Palace Hotel now. Must have been the grandest hotel those days. Still is now!

About Vũng Tàu

Vũng Tàu is a small city about 2 hours north-east of Ho Chi Minh City. It is a famous holiday haunt for Vietnamese as it boasts a long and beautiful beach, just outside of bustling HCMC. The most iconic landmark of Vũng Tàu is a large statue of Jesus Christ sitting atop a hill. It reminds you of Brazil's statue and is a must-see when in Vũng Tàu.

During the Vietnam war, Vũng Tàu is a popular R&R for the American troops (and some say Vietcongs too!). It was so popular that troops stationed in Vũng Tàu refuses to go for R&R elsewhere for fear that they will be transferred out. After the fall of South Vietnam, Vũng Tàu became a popular launching point for the Vietnamese boat people fleeing to other countries.

Modern-day Vũng Tàu is a beautiful and charming city. It has boomed due to the many industries sprouting around the province of Ba Ria - Vũng Tàu. Most notably are the power stations, fertilizer plants and O&G facilities. Many expats stay during the weekdays in Vũng Tàu and so the city is lined with many bars, cafes and good-quality restaurants. On weekends, it is packed with Vietnamese who date along the beach fronts.

Old Vung Tau

Found some pictures of old Vung Tau. The first one looks like the beach near Palace Hotel, facing the White Villa.

Vietnam again

Back to Vietnam after more than a year. This is one those charming countries with nice people, wonderful food and laidback environment. The airport landing visa counter is as chaotic as ever. The streets are still busy and heavy with traffic as bikes, cars and trucks jostle for limited space. The sound of horns is deafening. I think the traffic now is heavier than a year ago but maybe it's because of the timing of my arrival.

Vung Tau city hasn't changed much. There are some new shops but things have remained pretty much the same. The same people are selling their "wares" in front of the hotel and the same people are offering USD4/hr motorbike rides around town Sadly, my favorite Vietnamese restaurant has closed down. It has been quite tiring so far coz of the travelling time and seemingly endless routines of waiting and waiting. Work is quite relaxed... not much to do, like I said, it's lotsa waiting and waiting.

Fringe on Channel 5

They are screening the sci-fi series called "Fringe" on Channel 5. Now I can pick up from where I've left watching when I was in Syria. And I can even recap some episodes that I missed during the odd-chance when I went to Aleppo.

I just realized how winding the new slip road between the CIQ and causeway is, particularly the incoming into JB. Actually, it's the first time I took the causeway in the direction to JB since the CIQ opened. Simply horrible... and I notice ever since the new CIQ is open, the traffic crawl has appeared on the JB side back-flowing to Woodlands! And whilst, Dr M didn't get his "Scenic Bridge", Pak Lah definitely built a "Scenic Road" from the causeway to the CIQ. Or maybe he was jealous that Singapore is having their F1 night race. Thus, an F1 circuit as you enter JB!