Les Go…

Pride. Fest. Pride fest is the culmination of beautiful minds coming together to broadcast the rich, diverse cultures that comprise the rainbow of the LGBT+ community. Do I live for it? Yes, yes I do. Les get some life, Les Go to Hanoi Pride.

I was so blown away by the presentation, the event, that was Hanoi Pride 2019. For a country that really doesn’t do public display of affection, like ever, there was so much love to give at this parade. Hanoi Pride was actually a week long event that held forums, exhibits and parties all over the town.

Now, disclaimer: I’m old and career-minded now so I don’t get as hype as I used to about Pride mostly because a B*tch is tired. So I really only went to a few events but the ones I did go to filled my heart to capacity and beyond.

The first event we went to was an exhibition on the drag culture in Hanoi. I remember the first drag show I went to here and I was surprised. The queens were glowing and there was such a positive scene. To see all the queens in their full glory filled my heart to the brim.

The second event we ventured to was held at this really cool, young hippy compound place called 60s Square. This a spot where all the cool, artsy kids hang out. I’ve never wanted to be a 24 year old Vietnamese woman in my life as when I am at this place. I dig the artsy-hippy scene here, their fashion is just the amount of boho-chic that I can appreciate.

This exhibit featured the power of words. Taking the slurs and making it ours; from Fag to Fab. It was immensely interesting to see the amount of Vietnamese words intertwined with English, Korean, Japanese and more. Though different languages, the power is still the same.

Pride Parade

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And the grand finale culminated in the pride parade where we sauntered past Hoan Kiem lake in all our glory. This was definitely the most calm pride parade I’ve ever been to. There were no half naked men in thongs, minimal glitter and no bands or music. But there was love. And families, and children, and tourist, and locals, and embassies, and gawkers. All of it was special and everyone had their purpose.

Of all the Embassies that were there and of all the international flags that were flying high, the one flag I didn’t see was the American flag. And let me tell you, I felt some type of way. Give me one good reason why Canada, Holland, Ireland, Great Britain, Norway, and Japan were present but you weren’t, America! Miss me with that mess. (The main event was hosted at the American Club which is part of the Embassy but, we weren’t present out in them streets)!

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I have pride 365 but it is always special to share my love with my people. I often feel like who I am gets lost out here, but this week brought me back.

I started this blog to update my dad on my life. My “dear ole Dad” as he would refer to himself. But, I’ve definitely fell off of the writing tip. Life is a lot! My job takes all my time and then to find the thought and energy to write is exhausting. Not to mention I haven’t travelled for pleasure in a while. So I’ve gotta dig up past excursions for this one. Les Go to Bocas Del Toro!

Bocas is a little slice of heaven on the boarder of Costa Rica and Panama. I literally walked across the boarder from Costa Rica. Quite surreal experience if you think about it.

The vibe and feel of Bocas Del Toro is exactly my speed. It’s something about the Caribbean or Caribbean influenced countries that touches my soul like no other. And I tell you somthing, I’ve never, ever seen water as clear as this. It is almost something that you’re sure is fake because how can something be that beautiful?

I’m not kidding that is fuggin ocean water! My city ass didn’t know ocean water could be that clean and prestine. It makes one wanna cry thinking how we’re collectively ruining this planet.

I also had the best meal of my entire existence on this beach. It was fresh caught and this abuelito was cookin in his own little kitchen. Honestly we were the only ones on this beach so he may have just seen us and thought, shit Imma sell some plates.

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I love to explore by foot when I travel. I love getting lost and stumbling upon unknowns. And did I ever stumble on this journey! I cam across a fuckin Goddess sent haven called Up in the Hills. I’m super easy to please. Put me in nature with god-body ass intellects and vibey coffee shops and I’m pleased.

These are the things that make me happy. I need to get back to the basics. We all need to get back to the basics. I think we sometimes do things out of obligation, social pressures, or because we think that’s how it’s suppose to be done. The minute we realize it doesn’t have to be so then we are free. Sometimes I have to remind myself of that.

It may be a bad sign that every time I get out of Hanoi I can breathe. Literally and figuratively. In the past two weeks I have literally travelled to North, South, and Center of Vietnam so I’ve had plenty of breathing opportunities. My most recent travel was to the beach town of Da Nang which is in the center of Vietnam. How have I slept on Da Nang for so long?! Turning a business trip to an extended breather was exactly what I needed. So, Les Go to Da Nang!

Day trip in Hoi An

Hoi An is arguably the most charming side of Vietnam. Not only is there a lantern filled river that intersects the city it’s also beach side.

There’s something about beach towns. Universally they have a lighter, fresher vibe. For the three years that I’ve lived abroad I’ve always said, “OK, this year I’m moving to a beach town.” I never do. But I know without a doubt in my past life I lived on the coast, soaking up the air, sun and meditating to the sounds of the ocean.

Now that I have a big girl job, like legit big girl job I feel I have to spend a little money to fit the part. Now I still feel one can be a professional minimalist (Steve Jobs wore the same outfit everyday) but I want to have things that last in my minimalist lifestyle. In Hoi An you can get anything custom made. I splurged and literally spent over $100 USD on 3 pairs of shoes. I’ve never done that in my life and I may still be having sleepless nights over this concept.

These little gems were custom made to my feet. I am a horrible vegetarian and I do feel morally torn with this purchase. I don’t eat meat because I want my carbon footprint to be low low. I know these fuckin all leather inside and outside shoes do not help. Don’t judge me.

Hoi An Gardening

The food in Hoi An and Da Nang is my jam. They have massive gardens in Hoi An that supply the whole little region within reach. As we were walking down the quiet road my girlfriend and I stumbled upon a garden that was breath taking. Idyllic would be a better word. If this is a selling point on Communism I’d be halfway inclined to say yes; Except for the government propaganda songs the were streaming from the light posts. Everything can’t be perfect.

Da Nang

Da Nang is slept on. Honestly the most slept on city in Vietnam. I was so impressed with Da Nang. The streets were by far the cleanest I’ve seen to date in Vietnam. The air was fresh and the people were nice. THE PEOPLE WERE NICE! It’s so rare to find nice people these days that this was jus damn delighting.

It honestly felt like I was in another South East Asian city and not in Vietnam. The whole vibe of Da Nang is completely different that any other city I’ve been to in this country.

Green Vibes

I feel this city definitely aligned with my values. There were plenty of vegan eateries and vibey coffee houses and lounges. The particular place we loved and went to twice (one time driving in pouring rain whilst lost) was Roots Plant Based Cafe.

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All of this raw, vegan goodness in my mouth, please. You know how some meat eaters honestly crave bacon or think steak is Goddess-sent? That’s how I feel about raw, vegan/veggie food. I honestly love everything about it: how it makes me feel, cooking it, tasting it. All of the above.

Pleasantly enough there was a dope little bar across the street that catered to my dog-loving heart. This little hipster joint was actually deeper than surface level and aligned with Paws for Compassion to make me smile.

The City

If one were to tell me that I would love a fruit that some say smell like rotten garbage I’d laugh. But, it’s the truth. I love durian. I honestly want to go back to Penang, Malaysia specifically to return to this durian cafe but that’s aside the point. We went to this market in Da Nang that may have changed my life for ever because of the durian+avocado+coconut milk smoothie action.

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The city itself is just my speed. Not only do they have a bangin veggie scene, it’s surrounded by rolling hills and literally on the coast line. We road all the way up to Son Tra mountain and right when the crisp, fresh mountain air hit me I was transported back to Costa Rica. Not only was this fresh mountain air, it was mingled with a tinge of ocean sweeping up from the coast.

And bright coffee shops were you jus feel good. Ya feel me?

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Along with the veggie vibes, there was just a sense of eco consciousness that my soul doesn’t get in Hanoi. The architectural style in Da Nang is very green with most houses having greenery cascading down the front.

Oh yea, and it did help that this was my last view as I debriefed after an information overloaded work conference.

There’s this faraway land in Hanoi called Long Bien. Though only a hop-skip-jump away from the Old Quarter, it’s a long hop-skip-jump. If we’re being honest I’ve only ever been there to watch a Vietnamese LGBT film (Madam Phung’s Last Journey) at a hippy-dippy French compound. It sounds much more interesting now that I think about it. So, Les Go to Long Bien Bridge!

The Bridge

The bridge itself is an iconic symbol in Hanoi. Its rustic charm blends nicely into the rustic reality of the city. It’s reserved only for pedestrians and motorbikes which is the one thing that actually makes sense in Hanoi when it comes to traffic. Periodically the train runs through the middle which I’m sure may not be the safest seeing that the bridge looks ancient.

The bridge was actually designed by the same man who gifted the world with the Eiffel Tower. It was designed during the French occupation of Vietnam and constructed entirely by local Vietnamese people. I guess you could say it serves as a sore reminder to an occupied past. During the American war it was bombed several times but has perserved through and through.

To get a killer view of the bridge, we went to Serein Cafe and Lounge. The interior fits nicely to the theme of 1920’s railroad. However, the Vietnamese trap music blasating from the speakers threw me off. If you can handle the blazing sun, I’d recommend going to the tip-top for the best view. It’s also a nice social experiement watching all the people take “candid” photos for the ‘gram.

You can also watch the tourist as they attempt to walk the length of the bridge. It’s not that the bridge is the longest but it’s hot as balls and it’s Hanoi. So there’s motorbikes zippin by and who knows what whippin through the air. They’re prolly teetering near the edge of the bridge and sanity by the time they make it to the other side.

If you look at the surroundings of the bridge, it intersects the mosaic mural that runs along the Red River. It’s the longest mosaic mural in the world, or some shit. But seriously though, it’s beautiful. I drive past it every day on my way from work and I’ll almost crash because I get lost in it. The intricate detail that went into that is astounding. And compared to how got damn filthy Hanoi is that wall is sparklin’!

As we sipped our coffee and watched the train glide past, we realized we should get home before the rain came. Did we beat the rain? Nope. I’d venture to say one hasn’t lived until they’ve ridden a motorbike in the rain sans raincoat in Hanoi.

Because my girldfirend bought such a ridiculous purchase for our foster pup, we have to walk her while it’s raining.

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We honestly got a full chuckle from a passerby which made my day and hopefully we made theirs.

Life happens. And when a lot of life happens all at once sometimes it smacks you in the face and you’re just trying to keep your head above water. For all intents and purposes this has been me lately:

Throw a little (or a lot…) of anxiety on top of that and that sums the last 3ish weeks. But, all of the life has been good life. Career development, pushing myself to excel in many ways. Also, this is the first time in my adult life I’ve had Saturday and Sundays off and let me tell you, I did a lot of thangs in these past two days. So, Les Go: Weekend Update.

Saturday

I find mass solace in reading. I’d say I finish ’bout a book a week or so. But it’s not about quantity with me, it’s about quality (my philosophy with travel as well). With all the life that has been happening I hadn’t read for basically two weeks. A b*tch was going crazy.

My girlfriend knows I need to read, as does she. She always knows the best little indie coffee shops so she took me to this super dope creative, comic book inspired coffee shop: Ga Phe.

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I am always immensely intrigued by the indie-under ground scene here in Hanoi. Yea, I’m ’bout 10 years too old for the scene but I jus wanna be a cool kid! Waaahhhhh! But seriously though, they’re super indie-trendy-poetic types and I dig it.

We also went clothes shopping. Now, I know my sisters jus spit out their beer or coffee (depending on what time they read this) ’cause they know my cheap ass don’t buy clothes! But that’s the thing, Hanoi is starting to have a bubbling thrifting scene. And all the Tays sell their things on facebook all the time. I’ll be damned if I buy new clothes, that’s so 1999.

Sunday

Sunday. The lord’s day. Or something like that. On some real, Sunday’s are my fav day of the week. I literally tried to jam all the things in this Sunday. Maybe I was suffering from a little FOMO.

A great way to start a Sunday is at a book swap. I love collaborratives. Power is in the spaces that allow for creativity and ideas to flow through collaborative channels. The Learning Hub is just that. It’s nice to be in a space where collaboration, sustainability, and mindfulness are encouraged because out in the streets of Hanoi that shit is hard to find.

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I’ve mentioned before that all the good stuff in Hanoi is down a creepy alley or a moldy corridor. That is exceptionally true for this oasis. But jus power through, swallow your fear because there’s usually something amazing at the other end.

Street food

I eat street food all the time. I had probably the best street food in Hanoi thus far. It was flavorful, delicate, and cheap. About $5USD for all this and more not shown in the pics!

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The vendors were the nicest! It’s sometimes hard to come across friendly faces in Hanoi. These folks were the sweetest and were jus chill AF. The Old Quarter in Hanoi fascinates me. The houses are old, everyone has character, and everyone is on a hustle. Among all the bustle of the street a little girl road her pink bike back and forth dodging motorbikes and cars alike.

As I live this crazy life I’ll always try to take a step back and breathe. If not the world will pass us by. Or at least I’ll try to write here so someone back home knows I’m still kickin’!

Exploring, observing, and eating food

Of course the best things to do while traveling is eating. Eating can be the highlight of a trip, can bring back charming memories, or even be the one thing you remember about a trip. I can’t firmly say that food was a stand out on this trip.

We tried traditional food one night out and were pleasantly surprised that apparently with every dish you order you get a plethora of sample dishes. I say that to highlight the fact that if I had know we’d get all these lil finger food dishes I’d ordered a very modest appetizer.

Instead I order BiBamBop which was decent and a dish described as such: noodles in soy milk. Now, say that sentence out loud. Does that shit sound appetizing? No. The answer is no. But I got it. And I took one bite and packed it to go. Consequently eating it for the rest of the trip (little portions for breakfast).

Unfortunately, we didn’t get to really try street food though all of it did look delicious. To be fair all the sweet things I had were delicious!

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Observing

Jus sitting back and observing the everyday people of Seoul was a feast for the eyes. This is the main reason I travel. Not to fill my passport or brag to others ( I rarely talk about my travels yet I write to all on this lol) but to observe the people and break down my ignorance. The culture of Seoul really took me by surprise. I had no idea about the fashion, beauty standards and just plain pop culture of this city. I found it immensely interesting.

Some what unsettling was the feeling that I was trapped in an Instagram-ready Truman show. How do you know what is really real if everything is manufactured for social media?

We also came across this slightly creeping flagship store that resembled a a Westerner’s typical house. They even had pics of the family all over the house. I loved the ethnic diversity of the fam, though!

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It was like being trapped in Instagram real time or Brooklyn. Same – Same.

Hongdae

If I thought center Seoul was hipster/trendy I was not ready for Hongdae. Right when I stepped out the damn subway I felt old. About 8-10 years too old. The fashion was oozing from everyone’s pores. And the men’s haircuts. Can we a take a minute to talk about this? I’ve never wanted a short bowl cut so badly in my life!

One thing that really warmed my heart was the amount of gender-bending I saw. It was extremely common to see men in full face makeup. The men definitely put a lot of care into their look.

And the sex positivity! YES QUEEN, YES. There were so many brightly-lit adult sex shops that were nothing short of amazing. You could even relax among artwork or sit outside with friends and chat. I just loved everything about it. About time I can look at toys in bright light and not have some cishetero creepo man lurking around the corner.

Final thoughts

This was my second time to East Asia and to a major East Asian city. It amazes me how efficient and smooth everything is. Everything makes sense when moving around the city. Everything is clean and people jus seem to get it. Seoul really opened my eyes to the immensely unique culture that is pumping out of the city.

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Seoul, South Korea

The world is a magnificent place. When I look at the journey my life takes me and look at the connections I’ve made along the way (though not as many as you’d think because I’m a pretty big introvert) sometimes it blows my mind. I decided to go to South Korea to visit a friend I met in Mexico who is from the States but now lives in Korea. Imagine that! Les Go to South Korea!

Fashion, beauty standards, and perfectionism

Call me ignorant, OK, I’m calling myself got damn ignorant, I had no idea about the beauty standards and meticulous fashion that I witnessed in Seoul. Yes, I had a faint idea of what K-Pop was and BTS but that shit is real! Like 2000’s NSYNC/Backstreet Boys real. Their flawlessly airbrushed faces peer out from every bus, street ad, beer decal and regular ole convenient store imagined. Their skin is so flawless it really makes me wonder what being an impressionable teen in Seoul must be like.

Though airbrush is obviously the culprit in the ads around Seoul, the beauty standards from the average joe walkin down the street seemed to be extreme, too. I saw plenty of beauty parlors and I’ve heard Korean beauty products are the truth but it was amazing to see in person. Every one’s face looked sculpted and smooth.

And the fashion.

I had no idea a plain ass colored tee (primary colors were a thing) and jeans/slacks could look so got damn good. Maybe they carried a pocket-sized iron with them because I don’t see how it’s fathomable they get their clothes that pressed. I was way out my league with my thrift store shoppin/minimalist ass.

Hanok Village

The first day out we decided to explore Hanok Village. This was the antithesis of the high fashion, Instagram-ready hot spots of Seoul. It was calm and peaceful and reminded me a lot of smaller sections in Tokyo. Though there were tourist milling around it was deathly quiet, sans cars.

Though it rained for the most part of the day, that didn’t stop my awesome convenient store fashion sense.

We meandered around and the “Hanok Observatory” caught our eye. After following signs, but still managing to get turned around, we found the “observatory.” Ok, you are on the third floor but you are not an observatory. No shade (but all the shade) I want my 3000 won back.

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What struck me as a little peculiar was one could rent traditional outfits to ramp around the Village. Of course I found this to be culturally appropriating when I saw pale-faced tourist dressed in full garb. I didn’t know what their end game was to wearing these beautiful garments; They prolly didn’t either.

Seoul Tower and Itaewon

I don’t get super excited when thinking about being crammed in a cable car with complete strangers to go to the tip top of some tower, but there I was. I kind of knew what to expect from the tower but what I was not expecting was the insanely trippy light show that awaited us as we stepped off the elevator.

They didn’t even give a b*tch warning! Mind was sufficiently blown and I was satisfied.

What was super unfortunate were the pad locks that littered every got damn surface surrounding the tower. Firstly, that shit ain’t sustainable nor eco-friendly. Seriously, you’re gonna profess your love with a got damn key lock. Girl, bye.

Secondly, everything doesn’t need to be photographed.I’ll touch on the Instagram-ready factor of Seoul in my next post.

Itaewon was a dope area for night life and the scene. All the LGBT friendly places seemed to be closed (it was a Sunday) or were clubs. I can’t do clubs. I need to be able to hear the person I’m with, ya feel me? We did pass many ‘transgender’ clubs/lounges. Now, I’d assume these were particularly jus for exchanges of the sexual nature seeing as though we were in the red-light district.

We ended our night at a dark little bar that was more my speed. Two things really tripped me out at this bar. One, the amount of Koreans we met that had studied/lived in Alabama. A total of two (one of which had the whole bloody state emblazoned on his arm). Ala-f*ckin-bama. Of all the states that’s the one? Really?

Two, the amount of trap music I heard(including in this bar) during my trip. Some of it was K-rap/trap and it was trippin me the hell out. Nice beats though!

*Throwback edition

Let’s flashback to 2016. I’d been searching for a career for a year. I’d graduated with my Masters one year prior. By that point I’d gotten so used to rejection in all its forms. One day I thought, fug this rat race, I’m getting the hell out this country. Entonces, vamanos a Costa Rica!

Heredia, Costa Rica

I decided to get the hell out of the States and move to paradise. When I think back on Costa Rica there really are few drawbacks. I mean literally you’re living in fuckin paradise. Paradise in all its forms. The whole country is surrounded by nature. It’s thick with nature.

If you’re into volcanoes, they got that. There are several volcanoes to explore and even active ones. I’m sure some tourist was bold enough to go beyond the barrier. Wonder how that worked out for em?

Of course CR got beaches. CR has ruined me in that sense. I go to beaches here but I never have high expectations. Like, ok, the beach is cute but it ain’t CR though.

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Obviously, looking back on places we have a tendency to exaggerate. We exaggerate the good, the bad, and the ugly. I’ll admit, CR doesn’t have the best food and sometimes traffic can be bad. But people really follow the Purda Vida lifestyle. The amount of stress one experiences on a daily is basically non existent.

Oh yea, and the coffee!!! I didn’t know what real coffee was until I moved to CR.

Costa Rica is very accessible as a traveler. It is very expensive so unless you a baller, travel by bus is the way. The buses are shit compared to the buses in South East Asia, that’s for sure. But one could travel the whole country in literally a few days. In my 1.5 years there I traveled extensively. Even to the depth of Bahia Drake where I saw a real Tapir.

It took multiple buses and boats to get there but it’s worth it.

And the sunsets. The got damn sunsets in CR are to live for.

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Costa Rica is one of them countries where I get super hype when people mention. I know the world is huge and my life has led me to many experiences but the 1.5 years I spent in this beautiful country have helped mold me.

Maybe life will call me back there and this will be my humble abode in the mountains. Who knows?!

One of my favorite things to do is talk to my best friend. When I know we are gonna have a call I block out about 2 hours in my schedule. It’s an event. So, I started my day off great by talking to him. We some how got on the topic of many historical events which led me to think of this amazingly haunting relic that just sits in the middle of an every day neighborhood in Hanoi. Les Go to a B-52 Bomber

This plaque sits along the edge of the extremely small “lake” where the bomber still sits today. It’s such an eerie feeling as a person from the States sitting drinking coffee infront a bomber that was sent from my people.

Along the lake people live their daily lives. Women sell fish, fruit and flowers to locals. Kids play and men sip coffee. I used to live within walking distance from this place and I’d come here at least once a week to buy groceries. I am not gonna lie, when I see it it doesn’t evoke much feeling. I just find the juxtaposition immensely interesting.

It’s a little tricky to find because if one types in “B-52 lake” in maps they’ll find that there are many little coffee shops that have capitalized on the name. I be walking somewhere not really even near the lake and see B-52 coffee shops. People be playin. Once you find the HUU TIEP LAKE it’s def worth a stroll around to see daily life.

I recognize that people more than likely lost their life in this specific incident. I acknowledge that thousands of people pointlessly lost their lives. I can’t speak for why the decision was made to leave the B-52 bomber in the lake, but I’d assume it could serve as a reminder. A reminder of the past, of the triumph, of the struggle.

This duck and tree have seemed to find life amongst death. I’d love to come back in 30 years to see how magnificent this little tree will grow.

As I type this two ridiculously lazy hotdogs are laying in front of me. They periodically stretch in the same manner, kick their legs as they run in their sleep, and one sticks her lil tongue out which she rarely has in her mouth.

It’s been approx. 3 weeks since we got foster dogs. As I’ve told you, one is severely traumatized and one is jus a ham. Literally not even a dog. Jus a big walking lover of an animal. So, Les Go Foster Dogs – Update.

Momo

When we got Momo no one could touch her. She would run when you even looked at her and basically shook in the corner. How much can change in three weeks! We literally can pet her like a real dog for about 60 seconds! She sometimes forgets her trauma and lies complete down in the sun.

She is an insanely beautiful dog. She is so lean and muscular though she couldn’t eat for at least 18 days! Her coat is a brilliant blonde though we have yet to bathe her because we can’t get close to her. Surprisingly, she doesn’t stink like her pit bull sister, Bun!

Within the three weeks she has showed me more of how to slowly take time to heal yourself. She does things on her own terms but I really believe one day she’ll be a full fledged dog.

Bun

This. Dog. Let me tell you. She is a got damn sweetheart. See, here’s the thing. Everyone got Pitbulls messed up. Those of us who know the real Pit jus take them for granted as the most loving, affection seeking dogs that they are but, others are truly surprised when they are exposed to the hearts of Pits. I can firmly say that Bun has changed the minds of every Pit newbie out there.

This is her first coffee shop!

Of all the dogs in this house she may be the strongest but she is definitely the laziest and ain’t trying to start no mess. She literally just wants love!

Bun and Momo together

Bun and Momo are a good pair. They’re not at the playing together stage, yet but, Bun is always sleeping with her tongue out so… They surprise me everyday.

Let them titties out, Girl!