Blog, eat and get paid $10,000

 

Cambodian Market Food

Are you looking for a new job? Are you a keen cook? Do you enjoy a decent meal? Well I have found another dream travel job for you.

Yes these travel gigs are starting to look better and better with each new exciting job offer. Last week it was diving in Bali.

This week? This week the job of the hour is eating your way across Asia. No, I’m not kidding.

The Pei Wei Asian Diner has launched an international search for someone who will travel with their Executive Chef Eric Justice across Thailand, Vietnam, Korea, China and Japan and blog about it.

In two weeks you will cover five countries, eat more noodles than you ever thought possible and help find inspiration for the Pei Wei Asian Diner’s menu.

For this “work” you will receive a $10,000 stipend.

Wanna sign-up? What do you need? According to the Diner’s website you need: A talent for writing, a boundless appetite and willingness to experiment with the unknown, an eye for the unforgettable image and the ability to capture it, comfort both on-camera and behind the lens, a spontaneous spirit but a grounded work ethic, and a passion for Asian cuisine.

Sweet. But it’s not just a writing campaign. As the blogger you will also be required to take photos and video. The entry process, as you can imagine, is no easy task.

To enter you must upload a photo, bio, and sample blog post, but can also add four additional posts, five more photos, and one YouTube link. Entries will be accepted between now and December 20, 2010, and the winner will be announced during the week of January 17.

The trip will take place in late February 2011 so what are you waiting for? Food? Well why not go to the best places possible to try it! Check out the application.

That’s your Friday inspiration. Now bring-on the weekend!

 

Culture shock in Vietnam

It might say Bermuda, but our island girl, Carmen Gracey was in another world: Vietnam

Bermudian Carmen Gracey had only heard about Vietnam via war stories. She decided to meet some friends there for a three-week vacation. What she found was an incredibly rich culture and fantastic food that everyone should enjoy. This is one island girl’s postcard from Vietnam:

Friends of mine decided to take a year off and travel the world.  “Come and meet us someplace” they said.  That was all we needed, immediately the maps were out and it was decided – we were going to take 3 weeks off and head to Hong Kong and then Vietnam.  We only spent 3 nights in Hong Kong as we really wanted to focus on Vietnam so as a result  I feel I got less of a feel for it than I did Vietnam so that’s what I’ll write about for you.

Like most Westerners all I had ever heard of Vietnam was the War with America.  It never even crossed my mind as being a vacation destination but after a few Google searches I figured it looked like a place I needed to see and soon.

Carmen is comfy on her long-haul flight

The flights were effortless even though one took 15.5 hours.  With movies, good wine and port we were able to get some shut eye so don’t let that deter you from long haul flights.  After 3 nights in Hong Kong we were on to Ho Chi Minh in Vietnam and then immediately flying up north to Hanoi via Vietnam Airlines (which are amazing by the way).

In all honesty it took me 2 days to get over the culture shock of being in Vietnam.  In retrospect I think it was the “constantness” of everything – people, cars, motorbikes, noises, smells; all foreign, amazing and intense at the same time.

Walking along the streets is in itself part of the adventure as the sidewalks seem to be used for everything but walking – cooking, eating, drinking, selling various textiles, family gatherings,  you name it – but don’t try to walk down them. As a tourist eager to see all of what Vietnam had to offer you are left hugging the small bit of roadside that is used for walking.  Eventually this just seems normal and you don’t even notice it anymore.

The food in Vietnam is fresh and delicious but you have to get past the Westerner’s idea of food safety and handling.  One can never be guaranteed a clean kitchen or a kitchen at all in Vietnam so just go with the flow, eat what looks or sounds good and try everything because guaranteed it’s delicious.  Lucky for us most menus were in English and Vietnamese so we felt comfortable with our choices. Fresh herbs are the key ingredient to most dishes and will be something I’ll miss dearly now that I have returned home.  I wish I could go back tomorrow just to eat all of my new found favorites.

A Vietnamese Market/Carmen Gracey

The Vietnamese people are incredibly kind which is astonishing for a people who seem to have so little by way of material possessions and wealth but I’m guessing deep down they actually have so much more than we do with all of our material, shallow possessions.   Hotel staff, restaurant staff and most people on the street were pleasant to deal with.

Our adventure covered so much ground and we kept our selves really busy so its’ hard to mention everything.

Here are a few highlights: We spent 5 nights in Hanoi, took an over night train to and from Sapa (a northern mountain region covered in terraced rice patties), and then had a boat cruise along Halong Bay.

We then flew to Hue where we spent 3 nights and enjoyed a motorbike tour with Hue Riders, the citadel and some down time in the markets.   The adventure continued to Hoi An which was a personal favorite.  3 magical nights at a 5 start beach resort, custom clothes made at Yaly Couture, market shopping for pearl necklaces, chopsticks and all the essential souveniers.

Then another flight took us back to Hoi Chi Min for more shopping and relaxing before our journey back home to Bermuda.

Vietnam is definitely a place worth visiting.  The mix of old and new is blended perfectly.  The people, food and sights make it truly unique.  It’s a very inexpensive vacation spot once you’ve gotten over the ticket shock of the air fare to get there!

If you can – make this a place to visit soon before it becomes too westernized.

Traffic Tango

Guy with Goats in Hanoi

Why do I have to honk for Jesus? Let’s just say that I did believe in Jesus and I took my eyes away from the road to read your sign. And lets say the car in front of me came to a screeching halt.

Would I be honking for Jesus or visiting him?

Why am I on this rant? And what has it got to do with my Friday Photo of the week?

If you haven’t been following my daily blogs I’ll let you know that I have been working in an office for the past two weeks. I’ve made lots of friends. The fax machine hates me. The computer won’t turn on. I constantly forget the mail.

But the worst part? The commute in the morning. And that is even after I recognize that I live on a 21-square-mile island.

But recognize this: I ride a motorbike. It’s hot. It’s even worse with the car exhaust belting out behind the line of vehicles desperate to drop-off their passengers.

To top it off I now have to face a group of religious zealots standing on the entrance to the capital of Bermuda telling me to honk for Jesus. Somehow mixing religion and exhaust doesn’t really work for me.

And what is the point? What is the point of honking for Jesus? Are you trying to “OUT” the religious? Is Jesus really going to feel chuffed that he’s being honked at?

Do girls walking by construction sites enjoy being heckled?

To all these questions the answer is NO. (Ok maybe some girls do, but you get my point).

So why the photo? Well as I rant and rave and try to expel fumes from my lungs I try to remember that other places in the world (i.e. Vietnam) have worse traffic issues than Bermuda. Visit my photo pages for more views of Vietnam than just the traffic.

I have to remember almost a year ago I was taking overnight bus rides where I would get an hour of sleep. Then I was expelled onto a street in the middle of nowhere Hanoi, Vietnam.

Vietnam Traffic Cops

My only choice? Accept the lift of a hotel tout on his motorbike during their rush hour. This entailed meandering through guys with goats, police officers who looked ready to shoot, noodle sellers scrounging-up breakfast and coating myself in black exhaust.

I finally arrived at the hotel and immediately got a shower. Now I arrive in the office and try to recover with a cup of coffee.

And when I look at these photos I remember the difficulty last year. And I calm-down. Maybe Bermuda’s rush hour’s not so bad. Maybe I could get through it….if I wasn’t told to honk for Jesus!

I’m in a helicopter!

Ok no. Not really. Just thought I would make you look! It’s Friday and time to see the photo of the day.

Where did the helicopter come from? A friend told me if you are struggling to get someone to reply to your emails your subject should be: I’m in a helicopter!

It worked for her. Hopefully it will work for me.

Vietnam Beach

So why this pic today? Well because I was one of those poor souls this morning stuck in the rain. And no. I did not have the luxury of a car. I donned the water-proof pants and rain jacket and suffered the rush hour.

You scoff? Rush hour in Bermuda? Well it was worse than the normal commute. Why? Because the first sign of rain the cars come out, the traffic slows and start times move to 9.30 a.m. or 10.

There is only one other place in the world where I have noticed a similar thing happen – Buenos Aires! Friday night in this cosmopolitan city? Yeah you’d think you’d be out bopping (I swear I’m not from the 1950s). Rain or a threat of rain? The clubs empty.

Glad to know it’s not just Bermudians.

Vietnam? Well as you can see as darkness moves-in, life continues. I was really luck this day. I had walked for an hour through rice paddies (ok the roads that cut them up) and had enjoyed a few hours of sun before….

The sky darkened, the wind swept-up and two Americans arrived on the beach. They asked me to watch their bags while they went for a swim. I nervously watched the clouds.

They came in.

“How did you get out here?”

“I walked.”

“Oh. Do you need a lift?”

“Uh….yeah!”

I know probably silly, but thought of all hell breaking loose on me was not my idea of a good beach day. Jumping on the back of one motorbike (I could have driven it better) I was hauled back to my hostel.

The sky opened and….I was safe inside. Now I’m safe inside my office job (I’m temping for two weeks) the rain can continue in Bermuda!