Cure for the Mondays. Vietnamese Cats. Cool Hats.

Hi friends!! 

It's Monday, and I hope that none of you are experiencing a case of the Mondays, because those really suck. Like, hardcore. 

Anyway, if you are experiencing a case of the Mondays, I have a quick fix for that. Get a sister-in-law who is an extreme couponer. I have me one of those, and she is awesome - she's even going to teach me her ways. See? I have a binder (and a pimple the size of Texas next to my mouth)
It's pretty incredible to see the kinds of deals she gets, and she is so good about the way she does it, too. She never clears the shelf, only buys stuff that she will actually use or can donate, and doesn't resell any of it for profit. I know a lot of extreme couponers aren't very ethical about the way they do things, and she is - I think it's awesome. She got a bunch of packs of Venus razors for pretty much nothing, and shared the wealth. I was pretty excited. 
Moral of the story: when you have a SIL who gets awesome deals and is generous, she will share the wealth and it will cure your case of the mondays. 

On a totally unrelated note, I know a girl. Her name is Emily. She has a kitty that is almost as cool as mine (come on, mine has thumbs - totally unbeatable... or maybe not, since her cat is Vietnamese. We'll call it a tie). She is hilarious. She has a Canadian accent (don't let her tell you otherwise). 

Oh, I totally forgot to tell you - she lived in Vietnam for a while. How freaking awesome is that?! Answer: very awesome. 

But... since I don't know anything about Vietnam (except that they wear cool hats), I'm going to let her tell you about it. 
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...and this is not going to be a post about how awesome I think Canada is - sorry about that!  I know you all needed to know that we drink milk from a bag (or a sleeve) and that our national animal is a beaver.  I shall save those gems for another day.  Because today I want to share something else with you.  For two years I lived and worked in Vietnam.  In Ho Chi Minh City (or to some Saigon).  As an English 'Teacher' - basically as a conversationalist.
 These were probably two of the best and interesting years of my life. In case you are wondering Vietnam is unlike Canada.  In some ways Vietnam is unlike anyplace I have ever been. Let me explain.
1. The traffic doesn't stop.   The traffic in Vietnam is chaotic. Organized but CHAOTIC.  In the morning. In the afternoon.  In the evening.  All night long.  There are people going everywhere all.the.time.  People on foot.  On bikes.  On motorbikes.  In cars. On buses.
Maybe this picture isn't providing you with an accurate picture.  It's like this EVERY DAY.  And I think it's awesome.  Try crossing the street.  I did. And got the t-shirt.


2. Siestas are normal - and encouraged. It's not unusual to go to a shop and find an employee sleeping amongst the rack of clothes.  Teachers sleeping under their desks.  Construction workers - taking a snooze to beat the heat.
   3. Bikes are just as good as a pick up.  It's not unusual to see a family of 5 on a small scooter.  Or to see a someone balancing a large flat-screen on the back of their bike.  Heck I used to carry at least six grocery bags home while holding on for dear life.  It's so normal that there was a book published called Bikes of Burden.
4.  Water buffalo are mans best friend.  Maybe not in the city - but in the countryside everyone and their grandma owns a water buffalo.  They are the pugs of Asia.   
5. And once you've been there long enough - you can't help it but immerse yourself in their customs.  Their style of dress.  Before long you are flashing peace signs at the sight of the camera. Fishing for crabs.  And sporting a non la {conical hat}.  
And that's about all the nostalgia I can handle.  I seriously miss this amazing country - as odd and different as it is.  If you ever have the opportunity to visit - do it!  Tell them Emily sent you.   Thanks for reading - or at least looking at my awesome pictures.  And if you're into it - hop on over to Hope Squared and check out my corner of the interweb.  But only if you want to. 
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Believe me - you want to. This girl has ridden a freaking elephant (aka my dream... and number one on my bucket list). And she's hilarious (I've said that twice now, so it must be true... it is). And she's obsessed with her cat (like me... because all the cool people are).

PS: I had to choose a new giveaway winner. SARAH FONTENOT, it's you. Please contact me within 48 hours to claim your prizes!! 

30 comments:

Unknown said...

Omg she is HILARIOUS! The 99 problems but a bottle ain't one photo made me burst out laughing! Thanks for highlighting another witty and interesting blogger :)

Unknown said...

Hey Alyx. I havent heard anything about Christmas in July since i filled in the form, do you know when i will get paired up?
:)
xx

Emily said...

I wish couponing was a thing in Canada. We have coupons but not to the extreme that you Americans do. Seriously I love me a good deal. And I like venus razors.

Hannah said...

oh man, your right she's awesome! Wow, love that post!!!

Lauren Talon said...

Awesome post Em!

Allison said...

Great post Emily. Loved seeing your class!

Clare said...

Emily, wow!!!! Amazing photos, and hilarious commentary. Thanks for a good start to my Monday :)

Brianna said...

Excellent post! Can't wait to check out Emily's blog. I always love a new read. I have a Canadian kitty... does that count?

Katrin said...

I love Emily's blog! You both are awesome. And you both love cats. Like me.

Alana Christine said...

I use a coupon box instead of a binder. Not that I've couponed lately...
You can get some seriously good deals!

Kate said...

I cracked up at the bottle picture. I definitely think that piling for transport is a skill we're lacking in this part of the world!

kim @ a positive peace said...

hahaha. omg, that was awesome. "ive got 99 problems and a bottle isn't one of them" lol'ing!!

also, my sister is pretty into coupons too, but not on the extreme side. i wish i was in to coupons but the truth is i'm just too lazy!!

Ashley + Nathan from And A DIY Life said...

I used to be SO into cutting coupons... and then got lazy. I need a sister like yours.

And Emily is fantastic! I love her blog.

- a

Katie Price said...

Holy Wow, is what I have to say. Every country has their quirks, but those bikes are unreal!

rooth said...

That's so nice that you get to reap the benefits of someone's extreme couponing. I get to experience the benefits of my mom's Costco addiction and end up with random bulk items. Love your blog!

two birds said...

wow, it sounds pretty amazing! i love that water buffalo are the "pugs of vietnam" i laughed out loud at that one!

Anonymous said...

I laughed each time I scrolled down... especially at the 99 bottles... HAHA!

Alex, Speaking Denglish said...

holy cow all of those bottles!!

and i think it is just fab that you are getting into the couponing - sounds like a ton of work but so worth it!

Ashley said...

I like this whole "siestas are encouraged" thing!!!

Couponing is always something that I've wanted to get really good at, but it ends up stressing me out!!!!! I love to watch Extreme Couponing.

Why Girls Are Weird said...

OMG I love this post. You always make me laugh!

RadiantKristen said...

My boss is starting to extreme coupon... I still can't get on board with the idea. Maybe if I see how much awesome stuff you get, after a while I will join you.

You ad Emily are both hilarious. In case you didn't know.

Emily said...

p.s. I forgot to say - thanks for letting me take over some of your blog space today. It was a good time. A blasty blast.

Me said...

LOVE me some Canadian girls! :)

Kelly said...

Awesome guest-post!

And nice score with the SIL who extreme-coupons. We have too many stupid rules in Canada that pretty much doesn't let you do it :( Boooooooooo.

Kristen Victoria said...

Awesome guest post- as usual! You guys are so much cooler than me. I'm basically a hermit. Which reminds me, I need to get my effing passport.

Unknown said...

I've always wanted to try couponing but I've never had the patience for it!

Sara Louise said...

I wish coupons would catch on in France so I can get my coupon on. There are a couple here and there but not big supplements in the paper. I want to spend a Sunday clipping coupons again.
(I'm such a dork)

Vivian said...

I coupon! Not hardcore but I do. And I also use them in restaurants, retail, entertainment, etc. Anyhow, did I ever tell you my coupon binder got stolen at Walmart a while back. Hence the reason why my notion of Walmart being the EVIL EMPIRE gets reassured (ha!)

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