Dong Thien Cung (Ha Long Bay, Vietnam)

Ha Long Bay, Vietnam

Ha Long Bay 

(A UNESCO World Heritage Site)

186 of project 365: 斗笠 (Nón lá)

斗笠 (Nón lá)

Our local guide (Ah Xiong) shares with us the different uses of the hat:

1. Hat

2. Lamp shade (as seen here)

3. Decorative ornament  

4. Comes in handy when the ladies need to clear their bladder

I'm sure the last point will pique your interest like me when I first heard it from the local guide (Ah Xiong).

According to Ah Xiong, the local Vietnamese ladies will do their marketing daily. For some rural areas, the distance from their homes to the markets can be quite a distance. Hence, the hat will come in handy when the ladies need to relief themselves along the way where there is no toilet facilities. The ladies will find a quiet spot in the field to do their business. This is where things get interesting, Ah Xiong ask: Do you use the hat to cover the upper portion or lower portion of your body? Most of us reply the lower half. But according to local practise, the hat is used to cover the face. That's because the lower portion looks the same for everyone, but the ladies use the hat to hide their faces so no one will recognise them when they are going about their business.

185 of Project 365: Regina Pacis Ora Pro Nobis

Regina Pacis Ora Pro Nobis

XVII-II-MCMLIX

(In front of Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, Vietnam)

ISO: 200

Exposure: 1/1600 sec

Aperture: 5.0

Focal Length: 26mm

Flash Used: No

Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral, Vietnam

Saigon Notre Dame Cathedral

It was quite a disappointment that we missed the opening hour by a few minutes to visit the cathedral. So all we can do was take few pictures of the exterior of the cathedral.

Old Saigon Post Office

Old Saigon Post Office

Lacquer Ware Factory, Vietnam

The tour started from the workshop before leading us to the retail section where the completed works are put on sale.

184 of Project 365: Red Junglefowl

Red Junglefowl - widely believed to be a direct ancestor of the domestic chicken?

It's been so, so, so, so long since I last saw a red junglefowl. I spotted these red junglefowl at a village along the Mekong Delta where we were going for our sampan ride.

ISO: 400Exposure: 1/80 sec
Aperture: 5.6
Focal Length: 45mmFlash Used: No

Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre - Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

Daily performances @ 5 pm & 6.30 pm

Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An, Vietnam

Traffic Conditions in Vietnam

I learnt alot about crossing roads in Vietnam amidst the seemingly chaotic & frightening number of motorcycles on the road.

Lesson 1: Hang on to your belongings. Best not to carry any bags and keep all your valuables in your pockets.

Lesson 2: No cha cha. Don't do the one step forward two steps back manoeuvre as the motorcyclists usually zip pass a pedestrain from behind.

Lesson 3: No cars or motorcyclists will stop for you, even at zebra crossing. You have to take the inititative the motorcyclists will avoid you.

Lesson 4: Walk quickly but don't run.

Ratio of cars to motorcycles? My guess? At least 1 to 20.

181 of Project 365: A Typical Day in Vietnam

A typical day in Vietnam: Drinking coffee along road side stall.

ISO: 200

Exposure: 1/500 sec

Aperture: 4.7

Focal Length: 23mm

Flash Used: No

War Remnants Museum

War Remnants Museum (Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam)

Due to time constraint, we only had 50 mins to comb through the entire museum which was barely enough to cover level one. Given more time, I would definitely spend time looking at each picture & reading every details.

Couroupita Guianensis - Cannonball Tree

Couroupita Guianensis - Cannonball Tree

Taken at a restaurant in Vietnam where I was having lunch. I remember seeing this tree in Singapore at Fort Canning Park (near zebra crossing from National Museum to Fort Canning Park) & the ants are crawling all over the fruits & flowers.

ISO: 100

Exposure: 1/125 sec

Aperture: 4.0

Focal Length: 14mm

Flash Used: No

180 of Project 365: Minh Mang Emperor's Mausoleum

ISO: 200

Exposure: 1/320 sec

Aperture: 5.6

Focal Length: 14mm

Flash Used: No

179 of Project 365: 古迹

Taken in the compound of the Imperial Palace (Hue, Vietnam).

ISO: 200

Exposure: 1/2500 sec

Aperture: 5.6

Focal Length: 18mm

Flash Used: No

178 of Project 365: 下棋

I saw these 2 young chaps sitting under a tree besides the bustling streets of the Old Quarters (Hanoi, Vietnam) playing Chinese chess with a twist. I really admire such free-and-easy spirit which is quite rare in my country. 

Notice the orange colour inverted cups? Hidden underneath those cups are chess pieces. Apparently, each player is suppose to move the orange cups before opening it to find out what lies within. This definitely makes the game more interesting as one has to move a chess without knowing what the chess is.

I'm not sure if the game started with all the chess pieces covered or all saved for the important chess pieces like the 将 and 仕. But this definitely gave me an idea how I can make the game more interesting, the next time I play Chinese chess.

ISO: 800

Exposure: 1/50 sec

Aperture: 5.6

Focal Length: 30mm

Flash Used: No