CHINESE TEMPLE IN HO CHI MINH, VIETNAM

Outtakes from my day tour at a chinese temple in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam...

The roof of the temple is decorated with porcelain figurines depicting chinese legends. The interior of the temple is partially covered; this is where the altar is located and lanterns hang; you can also view the decorated roofs on the partially open portion of the courtyard.  Inside the courtyard, walls are adorned with wooden carvings, pink papers (personal wishes and prayers are written on these papers), bells, lanterns, candles and other oriental objects. At the middle of the courtyard is a big jar/burner containing incenses offered by visitors.

Temples to visit in Vietnam:

Thien Hau Temple, is a Chinese style temple located on Nguyen Trai Street in the Cho Lon (Chinatown) district of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Giác Lâm, a Buddhist pagoda is located at 118 Lạc Long Quân, in the 23rd ward of Tân Bình district, in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

THE REUNIFICATION PALACE, HO CHI MINH CITY

The Reunification Palace (formerly known as Independence Palace, Norodom Palace) is one of the cultural and historical places in Vietnam. It was the home and office of the President of Vietnam during the Vietnam War. It is located at 135 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Here are the rules when visiting the Palace:

HANDICAPPED HANDICRAFTS, HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM

Our day tour around the city of Ho Chi Minh included a visit at the factory of the Handicapped Handicrafts. At the factory, you will be given time to observe persons with disabilities (PWDs) while at work. After which, you will be led to the showroom where you can shop for home and personal accessories. The two images of women above are from the art wall collection of the HH. They look like paintings but they are actually made out of eggshells which were carefully arranged by the PWDs with lots of love, patience, perseverance, creativity, and extra attention to details. 

HH is located at 153 Xo Viet Nghe Tinh, Phuong 17, Q. Binh Thanh, Tp.HCMC, Vietnam.

AROUND THE HOUSE

Champs Elysées

I went to this neighborhood shop today and look what I found!  Paris prints in gold frame! I cannot, simply cannot, go home without buying these beauties. Now, they hang on my wall and when I look at them, they simply bring joy in my life. I loooove beautiful things, and being surrounded by the things I love at home.

SEVEN SIMPLE THINGS

    1.      Upon waking up, remove all anger by forgiveness.

  2.    Be the kindest person you can be.

3.    Find your passion and live it fully.

4.    Give more .

 5.     Listen to understand with your heart.

6.    Celebrate life more often.

7.     Celebrate yourself for you are wonderfully made.

WINTER BEAUTY

“In order to be irreplaceable 

one must always be different.”

 Coco Chanel 



IMAGE:  from Vogue.com via pinterest. 

POSTCARDS FROM FRANCE

My french loot today...vintage postcards of French iconic tourist spots (yey!). French colonial architecture is beautiful and magical, probably the best in the world. I haven't been to any of these places yet, but, someday I will. I wish I could fly to Paris right now.

For now, I'll leave you with this quote from Anne Rice {Interview With the Vampire} that beautifully describes Paris :

“Paris was a universe whole and entire unto herself, hollowed and fashioned by history; so she seemed in this age of Napoleon III with her towering buildings, her massive cathedrals, her grand boulevards and ancient winding medieval streets--as vast and indestructible as nature itself. All was embraced by her, by her volatile and enchanted populace thronging the galleries, the theaters, the cafes, giving birth over and over to genius and sanctity, philosophy and war, frivolity and the finest art; so it seemed that if all the world outside her were to sink into darkness, what was fine, what was beautiful, what was essential might there still come to its finest flower. Even the majestic trees that graced and sheltered her streets were attuned to her--and the waters of the Seine, contained and beautiful as they wound through her heart; so that the earth on that spot, so shaped by blood and consciousness, had ceased to be the earth and had become Paris.” 

...and from the words of Ernest Hemingway:       

“If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast.”