Vacation in Ho Chi Minh City

I spent almost seven days here in Ho chi Minh City. Today is the last day of my vacation here. This afternoon I am flying back to Manila to spend the rest of my vacation days with my family. My stay here at Ho Chi Minh City has been a very interesting and wonderful experience, if I may say. I've learned a bit about the culture and way of life of the Vietnamese people. They are hard working people, and yet they find time to enjoy life. This you can easily observe and see by the way they live. In almost every corner of the city, you will find all sorts of stores and restaurants. People are selling all kinds of things. At every corner, you will find food stands, fruit vendors, news magazines on display, clothing, computer stuffs,etc. You hardly see anyone peddling. Everyone seems busy working in their own little corner of the world. But the Vietnamese people enjoy to hang out in restaurants and coffee shops. If there is one thing that you can easily observe with the Vietnamese people, it is the way they enjoy hanging out, talking in a lively conversation, and enjoy eating together. Their food is excellent, if I may say. I enjoyed so much eating and tasting all sorts of Vietnamese food. I never enjoyed eating so much food as now. Last night I went to eat witn my friend and her mother in a Vietnamese buffet. Good lord, I've never seen so much food in a buffet like this one. They served all kinds of varieties of food - there were clams, shells, broiled fish,meats served in different ways, soups, vegetables, etc. - you name it. I've never seen so much display of food in a buffet like this one. It was really for me an interesting and enjoyable experience.

The Vietnamese people travel mainly by means of a motorbike. During my stay here, I enjoyed going around in the city back riding on a motorbike. I have never seen so many people riding on a motorbike as I have seen here in Ho chi Minh City. Almost everyone here are traveling by means of a motorbike or with a bicycle, men and ladies alike. What amazed really was that I have not witnessed any accident in spite of the fact that so many motorbikes are flooding the streets everyday and cris-crossing at one another,even at opposite directions. People here hardly follow any traffic sign. I have not seen any policeman doing any traffic on the streets. People just drive their motorbikes at their own leisure and time. Ho Chi Minh City is what I call the "Motorbike City' of the world.

I have learned that the family is so important for the Vietnamese people. It is the foundation and bedrock of an individual. Respect for the parents and elderly are taken with high regards. Children are obliged to obey their parents. And they take their parents' words every seriously. The eldest of the children has usually some say for the family, while the youngest does not have any. In every decision making, usually everyone is involved in the process, especially the parents and also the relatives. The bottom line - for the Vietnamese people, the family is not to be taken for granted. It is an essential component and feature of every Vietnamese life.

One of the most difficult things I have encountered during my vacation is how I was able to watch my diet and eating habits. But, surprisingly, during my stay here at Ho Chi Minh City, my blood sugar has been quite normal, if I may say. One thing I did during my stay here was to eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. For my breakfast, I just ate mostly fruits. For lunch and dinner, I had some varieties of Vietnamese food. I know I have cheated myself on some occasions as far as my eating habits is concerned. But, thanks God, my blood sugar has not gone up as I was expecting. For seven days in a row, my blood sugar has been in a very normal range. Looking back now, I think what has regulated my blood glucose are the fruits and vegetables I ate quite regularly. I also drank fruit juices everyday (fresh natural extracts). Of course, I was taking my medications and insulin too, plus the natural supplements. This time, I am also taking in another supplement called 'Spirulina Algae', which my friend just bought for me here in Ho chi Minh City. It is a supplement food with protein, glucose, and vitamins. As it is described in the label, this natural supplement, Spirulina, helps strengthen the immune system, support cardiovascular fuction and healthy cholesterol, and increase teh antioxidant capacity. It enhances natural cleansing and detoxification too. Yes, I intend to take in this supplement, added to my other natural supplements. Maybe it is too early to say but since I started to take in this natural supplement, I felt very strong and healthy. But I would like to observe more its after effects.

Well, I have to pack my things now and get ready for my flight. I just had a few moments to write this as I prepare for my journey back home.