Com at Com Tam Cali

Apparently I eat here a lot.

Lunch in a hotel

Braised pork, one of my faves.

Bun at Com Tam Cali

Top Shelf On JAL

Air travel in and around this region is vastly different than,
especially if one is used to steerage class.

On a recent trip to the US I flew United and got a Japan Airlines
connector. Besides the obvious differences in the breadth of the cabin
crew (not a big issue, and hey, I support unions) the quality of
services and amenities were in stark contrast.

International travel means free liquor on board - I think I mustered a
Miller Light or two on United. On the short JAL hop I got a Bombay
martini. Nice.

Too bad the United flights from HCMC connect thru HK and not Japan.
Bummer for future travels in groggy comfort.

Second best thing about JAL

This is the second best thing about flying from the East Coast to
Hanoi via Narita and JAL - getting to play the old classic Pong for
four hours of the flight.

Ok, I didn't really play for hours on end because of the best thing
about JAL....

Pho Ngheu

A first for me, clam pho. This was supposedly in a spicy broth but it
seemed to be more like a curry. Still pretty good for two bucks in a
sit down eatery.

Vietnam - home to great Indian fare

We eat a lot of Indian food back home because in a lot of ways it is
very similar to Southern Chinese food - lots of carbs and full of spice.

The good Indian places here are better than at home. There is Khazanna
up in Hanoi and now Ali Baba down here in HCMC.

Tasty, white tablecloths, and reasonably priced. What more can you want?

Speaking of India, I was listening to the Indian Consulate the other
day give his impression of Vietnam and her people to some of his
colleauges.

He was praising the Vietnamese for their recognition and appreciation
of India as a culture and now as a economic and military power. He was
also saying how mentally tough the locals are, and what string
fighters they have been throughout their history. This isn't something
you often hear from foreign diplomats, but maybe that's just because
we're Americans.

Making change

One needs a small wad of low denominations because District 1 is very
compact and a cab around town for meetings and such will only trip the
initial entry fee and doesn't tickle the mileage meter.