Hmm...what do you miss?

bluenz wrote:

Sploke77 wrote:

I miss things that work, and not get spoilt after some months. I miss appliances that really work well and not breaking down after some months, like an electrical plug adaptor, although the label says always 'chat Luong cao' - a joke! Bread that says raisin bread but not one grain of raisin seen! I miss my good old whole meal bread made in Singapore, the American way! I miss law and order and some form of civility!

I'm convinced VN is a dumping ground for Chinese rejects, I've bought the same stuff, ( even the same brand ), in Aus and its lasted years, not months, ( although humidity could play a part in something having shorter life span, especially rubber ).
  I scoff when they show me a sticker that says made in Japan, etc, I tell them it's easy to change a sticker.

I always get a kick out of "designed in Japan" labels...

Ooo look dear, this pot has some English words written on it I can't understand but I recognize "Japan" so it must be high quality.  We should buy it!

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

bluenz wrote:

Sploke77 wrote:

I miss things that work, and not get spoilt after some months. I miss appliances that really work well and not breaking down after some months, like an electrical plug adaptor, although the label says always 'chat Luong cao' - a joke! Bread that says raisin bread but not one grain of raisin seen! I miss my good old whole meal bread made in Singapore, the American way! I miss law and order and some form of civility!

I'm convinced VN is a dumping ground for Chinese rejects, I've bought the same stuff, ( even the same brand ), in Aus and its lasted years, not months, ( although humidity could play a part in something having shorter life span, especially rubber ).
  I scoff when they show me a sticker that says made in Japan, etc, I tell them it's easy to change a sticker.

I always get a kick out of "designed in Japan" labels...I guess I'm too stupid so I'll buy anything that has "Japan" in it.

The ' US , Japan, etc , technology ', written on the box is good too, a shop had Bosch grinders for sale, I showed the man the sticker on the machine, ' Made in Malaysia, ( not Germany ), what amazes me is that they still what 3 or 4 times the price of a Chinese one, I just buy a cheap one, ( with a big motor ), and get my 12 months worth, I also have an AEG Cutoff saw , made in PRC. You can usually tell by the weight of the machine if they are any good, the heavier , the better.
.

Now it almost pays to dye your Grey hairs, once a sign for some respect, now a sign of weakness, ( the cheeky little shits know you can't run as fast as then )

Yes, as soon as we book passage for Vietnam, the wife starts beating me up about dying my hair. It's not like my face is going to fool anybody. (and she's always hinting I should get a face-lift) I think the days of respect for the elders are drawing to a close. That we can blame on "western" (or modern) culture.

ChrisFox wrote:

We had burritos tonight.  They were great.  Our người giúp việc ate a few but used rice paper instead of the soft shells.  I don't get that sometimes ... how different could it be?  But, look, so many ingredients are the same. 

Did you hear how I r-r-r-rolled the rr in burritos?

I want some burritos too

aibiet150204 wrote:

ChrisFox wrote:

We had burritos tonight.  They were great.  Our người giúp việc ate a few but used rice paper instead of the soft shells.  I don't get that sometimes ... how different could it be?  But, look, so many ingredients are the same. 

Did you hear how I r-r-r-rolled the rr in burritos?

I want some burritos too

Have you had any before?  The main ingredient in a burrito are the beans.  Beans make you pass gas (fart)...so it's really funny to feed a bunch of .....say 5th graders burritos for lunch and let them go at it during school. 

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

aibiet150204 wrote:

ChrisFox wrote:

We had burritos tonight.  They were great.  Our người giúp việc ate a few but used rice paper instead of the soft shells.  I don't get that sometimes ... how different could it be?  But, look, so many ingredients are the same. 

Did you hear how I r-r-r-rolled the rr in burritos?

I want some burritos too

Have you had any before?  The main ingredient in a burrito are the beans.  Beans make you pass gas (fart)...so it's really funny to feed a bunch of .....say 5th graders burritos for lunch and let them go at it during school. 

had once before and it was really good! Ah, I was with another friend stay up late for the football world cup final in July 2012 while enjoying burritos! Great memory! I tried another one at Paris Baguette (well, it's Korean bakery) and yep - no comment! Hey! Can you cook burritos?

aibiet150204 wrote:

...Can you cook burritos?

You don't cook the burritos, you just cook the ingredients.  Most commonly just cook the beans (and meat if you want that).  The rest of the ingredients are uncooked, like tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and the tortilla.  Then you just wrap and roll the ingredients inside the tortilla.  Now it's called a burrito.



I suppose if you wanted a fried burrito, then after you wrap the ingredients inside a tortilla, you can "cook" it.

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

aibiet150204 wrote:

...Can you cook burritos?

You don't cook the burritos, you just cook the ingredients.  Most commonly just cook the beans (and meat if you want that).  The rest of the ingredients are uncooked, like tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and the tortilla.  Then you just wrap and roll the ingredients inside the tortilla.  Now it's called a burrito.

http://www.oldelpaso.co.uk/~/media/Imag … =270&w=361

I suppose if you wanted a fried burrito, then after you wrap the ingredients inside a tortilla, you can "cook" it.

Wao, many thanks for the... picture... Should I try to use "edit button" to change it from "cook" to "make"

aibiet150204 wrote:

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

aibiet150204 wrote:

I want some burritos too

Have you had any before?  The main ingredient in a burrito are the beans.  Beans make you pass gas (fart)...so it's really funny to feed a bunch of .....say 5th graders burritos for lunch and let them go at it during school. 

had once before and it was really good! Ah, I was with another friend stay up late for the football world cup final in July 2012 while enjoying burritos! Great memory! I tried another one at Paris Baguette (well, it's Korean bakery) and yep - no comment! Hey! Can you cook burritos?

Yes, you can deep fry burritos, they call them chimichangas. They have them at Taco Bell. Personally, I make my own Mexican food. Real Mexican food tastes very different from what you get in the U.S. Although, I did find some places while living in Los Angeles, CA. that have really good Mexican food!

Mission Viejo in San Diego.  I will never forget it.

The Territorial House, Corrales, New Mexico. By the way, Mia, Mexican food in the States tastes nothing like Mexican food in Mexico away from the border. All three Mexican-American varieties have their counteparts just across the border, but once down into the Mexican states away from the border region, the regional dishes change.

There was a taco chain in Mexico City called the Caminero, IIRC. It wasn't your average chain operation. Your choice of tacos was steak, chorizo, or hog innards (mondongo), cooked on large flat pans with a plate sized dimple in the center. The ingredients would be chopped up, then dumped in the dimple, and stir fried while they layered corn tortillas around the flat portion of the pan to heat up. When it was cooked, they scraped the fixings onto a plate, covered them with warm tortillas, and handed you the plate. You then sat at your table with a spoon, spooned as much ingredient into your tortilla as desired, and added your choice of salsa; red, orange, or green. Oh, they also cooked up large green onions along the side of the pan, and you got helping of those as well. That and a couple of Negra Modelos, or Nochebuenas in season, would cure anything your workday had done to you.

Every American's reaction upon entering for the first time was: This is no Taco stand. There's no lettuce, tomatoes, etc. But in 99% of the cases, El Caminero became their favorite taco place. Our kids still get nostalgic thinking about it.

lirelou wrote:

The Territorial House, Corrales, New Mexico. By the way, Mia, Mexican food in the States tastes nothing like Mexican food in Mexico away from the border. All three Mexican-American varieties have their counteparts just across the border, but once down into the Mexican states away from the border region, the regional dishes change.

There was a taco chain in Mexico City called the Caminero, IIRC. It wasn't your average chain operation. Your choice of tacos was steak, chorizo, or hog innards (mondongo), cooked on large flat pans with a plate sized dimple in the center. The ingredients would be chopped up, then dumped in the dimple, and stir fried while they layered corn tortillas around the flat portion of the pan to heat up. When it was cooked, they scraped the fixings onto a plate, covered them with warm tortillas, and handed you the plate. You then sat at your table with a spoon, spooned as much ingredient into your tortilla as desired, and added your choice of salsa; red, orange, or green. Oh, they also cooked up large green onions along the side of the pan, and you got helping of those as well. That and a couple of Negra Modelos, or Nochebuenas in season, would cure anything your workday had done to you.

Every American's reaction upon entering for the first time was: This is no Taco stand. There's no lettuce, tomatoes, etc. But in 99% of the cases, El Caminero became their favorite taco place. Our kids still get nostalgic thinking about it.

That's for sure! I first ate authentic Mexican food back in the early eighties while travelling along the western coastline of Mexico for two months.

I miss a good roast pork dinner with kumara, parsnips and carrot along with gravy and real homemade apple sauce.
Can't get it in Laos.
As for inferior Chinese goods try Laos. It too is a dumping ground for s##t that no self respecting China man would buy.

stumpy wrote:

I miss a good roast pork dinner with kumara, parsnips and carrot along with gravy and real homemade apple sauce.
Can't get it in Laos.
As for inferior Chinese goods try Laos. It too is a dumping ground for s##t that no self respecting China man would buy.

Ah, my mouth is watering, thinking about chewing on that roast crackling, sweet potatoes that actually taste like sweet potatoes, real carrots, parsnips and don't forget the yams, I think some Pav and some lovely trifle would go down nicely for pudding. ( desserts for non Kiwi's ).
  I've made a list of things I want to eat if/when I go back for a visit, new potatoes, ( never could get them in OZ either ), a real meat or bacon/egg pie, fish n chips, ( real spuds and fish you know is safe, apart from the mercury content of course ), real bread, ah , the list goes on.
  Almost makes me feel homesick, NO, just looked out the door at all my trees, etc, and the sun is shining, back to reality.

I really miss this thing called 'enforcement of law'. You can put a silly sign that reads 'No Parking'. Yet someone blatantly just park there! What are you going to do? Parking in front of someone's pavement will cost you money, the enforcer is the guy standing outside. Even at those appointed car parks, while the ticket reads 5000 dong, yet the guy demands 20000! Sigh, expats always are the losers, why get into an argument? Discretion is the better part of valour.

I miss left turn signals and people who follow traffic rules.  People here seem to have a death wish.

bluenz wrote:

I scoff when they show me a sticker that says made in Japan, etc, I tell them it's easy to change a sticker.

Haha - how about the stickers and notes on packaging that say "Designed in Japan"? Wow, I REALLY MUST buy that!

EDIT: I see some other posters before me now have already mentioned this! I guess I really should read all posts before making my comments.

saigonmonkey wrote:

bluenz wrote:

I scoff when they show me a sticker that says made in Japan, etc, I tell them it's easy to change a sticker.

Haha - how about the stickers and notes on packaging that say "Designed in Japan"? Wow, I REALLY MUST buy that!

And US or Japanese ' Technology '.

Sploke77 wrote:

I really miss this thing called 'enforcement of law'. You can put a silly sign that reads 'No Parking'. Yet someone blatantly just park there! What are you going to do? Parking in front of someone's pavement will cost you money, the enforcer is the guy standing outside. Even at those appointed car parks, while the ticket reads 5000 dong, yet the guy demands 20000! Sigh, expats always are the losers, why get into an argument? Discretion is the better part of valour.

That reminds me of the parking situation at the beach one time.  The sign said 10,000 to park.  So I parked there and proceeded to pay.  He then said 15,000 to which I said the sign said 10,000.  Oh but the helmet is another 5,000.  I'm like you're not gonna notice if someone swipes my helmet ...are you going to charge me 5,000 for a tire as well?  I told him screw it, I'll take my helmet with me.  To which he said then you can't park here.

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

Sploke77 wrote:

I really miss this thing called 'enforcement of law'. You can put a silly sign that reads 'No Parking'. Yet someone blatantly just park there! What are you going to do? Parking in front of someone's pavement will cost you money, the enforcer is the guy standing outside. Even at those appointed car parks, while the ticket reads 5000 dong, yet the guy demands 20000! Sigh, expats always are the losers, why get into an argument? Discretion is the better part of valour.

That reminds me of the parking situation at the beach one time.  The sign said 10,000 to park.  So I parked there and proceeded to pay.  He then said 15,000 to which I said the sign said 10,000.  Oh but the helmet is another 5,000.  I'm like you're not gonna notice if someone swipes my helmet ...are you going to charge me 5,000 for a tire as well?  I told him screw it, I'll take my helmet with me.  To which he said then you can't park here.

It would be only 10,000 up here too, because most of the VNs here walk around with their bike helmets still on their heads, ( even when working, and , wait for it..............even if they don't have a m/b ).

bluenz wrote:

Tran Hung Dao wrote:

Sploke77 wrote:

I really miss this thing called 'enforcement of law'. You can put a silly sign that reads 'No Parking'. Yet someone blatantly just park there! What are you going to do? Parking in front of someone's pavement will cost you money, the enforcer is the guy standing outside. Even at those appointed car parks, while the ticket reads 5000 dong, yet the guy demands 20000! Sigh, expats always are the losers, why get into an argument? Discretion is the better part of valour.

That reminds me of the parking situation at the beach one time.  The sign said 10,000 to park.  So I parked there and proceeded to pay.  He then said 15,000 to which I said the sign said 10,000.  Oh but the helmet is another 5,000.  I'm like you're not gonna notice if someone swipes my helmet ...are you going to charge me 5,000 for a tire as well?  I told him screw it, I'll take my helmet with me.  To which he said then you can't park here.

It would be only 10,000 up here too, because most of the VNs here walk around with their bike helmets still on their heads, ( even when working, and , wait for it..............even if they don't have a m/b ).

Actually pretty smart if you ask me.  It protects your head from the sun and anything else that falls on your head.  Plus you can just hop on the back of a motorbike without having to worry about getting a ticket.

I miss snow! And being naturally cold...not Aircon induced! I'm originally from Montana and it just started snowing there after a beautiful fall.

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MTinHCMC wrote:

I miss snow! And being naturally cold...not Aircon induced! I'm originally from Montana and it just started snowing there after a beautiful fall.

I always cringe when I hear that,   usually from a person that has never had the misfortune to actually work in the snow/cold, ( ski bunny pops into my mind ),  when your hands are so cold, that you can't hold onto a spanner/nut/bolt,etc,  or feel like they are on fire from chilblains.
  Only good thing about the cold, is that it used to kill virus's etc, during the winter.( and of course makes your beer more drinkable ).
   The same with, ' I love the hot weather ', as they go from their a/con office to their a/con car, to the beach , where it is always naturally cooler with the nice sea breeze.

Yeah, working in the uber cold is not the best! I used to be a camera operator for sporting events and last year, I worked a football game in Bozeman, MT, and it was 8 degrees out...ridiculous! But I do miss ice skating, sledding, and snowboarding (followed by a nice hot apple cider and whiskey!)

MTinHCMC wrote:

Yeah, working in the uber cold is not the best! I used to be a camera operator for sporting events and last year, I worked a football game in Bozeman, MT, and it was 8 degrees out...ridiculous! But I do miss ice skating, sledding, and snowboarding (followed by a nice hot apple cider and whiskey!)

I laughed at your 8 degree's, then I realised you being American, are still working in Fahrenheit , not like us ' modern age ' types who work in Celsius. ( but before we get onto ' that ' subject, WE still ask for the ' mileage ' of anything?????? ).

bluenz wrote:

.

MTinHCMC wrote:

I miss snow! And being naturally cold...not Aircon induced! I'm originally from Montana and it just started snowing there after a beautiful fall.

I always cringe when I hear that,   usually from a person that has never had the misfortune to actually work in the snow/cold, ( ski bunny pops into my mind ),  when your hands are so cold, that you can't hold onto a spanner/nut/bolt,etc,  or feel like they are on fire from chilblains.
  Only good thing about the cold, is that it used to kill virus's etc, during the winter.( and of course makes your beer more drinkable ).
   The same with, ' I love the hot weather ', as they go from their a/con office to their a/con car, to the beach , where it is always naturally cooler with the nice sea breeze.

Talking of people saying they love the hot weather.Had a friend of a co-worker in South Australia tell us he loved summer. We tried to tell him that working 9-10 hour days in the sun is not like going to the beach.He was a butcher all his life and wanted to try a new line of work.We were doing slabs and foundations in the country areas of South Australia. Some of these places have many 45 degree days, added to that, standing on top of reflective orange plastic was damn hot.He lasted just one summer and told us we needed our heads read for working in that heat all day.

colinoscapee wrote:

bluenz wrote:

.

MTinHCMC wrote:

I miss snow! And being naturally cold...not Aircon induced! I'm originally from Montana and it just started snowing there after a beautiful fall.

I always cringe when I hear that,   usually from a person that has never had the misfortune to actually work in the snow/cold, ( ski bunny pops into my mind ),  when your hands are so cold, that you can't hold onto a spanner/nut/bolt,etc,  or feel like they are on fire from chilblains.
  Only good thing about the cold, is that it used to kill virus's etc, during the winter.( and of course makes your beer more drinkable ).
   The same with, ' I love the hot weather ', as they go from their a/con office to their a/con car, to the beach , where it is always naturally cooler with the nice sea breeze.

Talking of people saying they love the hot weather.Had a friend of a co-worker in South Australia tell us he loved summer. We tried to tell him that working 9-10 hour days in the sun is not like going to the beach.He was a butcher all his life and wanted to try a new line of work.We were doing slabs and foundations in the country areas of South Australia. Some of these places have many 45 degree days, added to that, standing on top of reflective orange plastic was damn hot.He lasted just one summer and told us we needed our heads read for working in that heat all day.

Try roofing in those conditions, the glare alone, from the tin sheets is bad enough, then you get the heat reflection as well.
  Not unusual in Darwin to have workers collapsing from the heat, ( been close to it myself a few times ), sometimes it's impossible to keep your body fluids up with the amount you lose through sweating, when I see the sheila's here wearing their full body suits, ( I think I'm in a Muslim country sometimes ), I wonder how they do it, and they DO sweat. But I've found it's not the heat so much, but the humidity that is the killer.