I can post but I can't read...

I'm having a few difficulties checking my blog and those that I read regularly. I'm not sure if there is something weird going on here in Vietnam, but there seems to be some sort of internet block out there to get me. I guess it shouldn't matter, I don't really need to check my own blog! But I've no idea what's going on in the world of BangkokAli (who is actually no longer in Bangkok - sniff sniff), Lillian, Christina G, Lost Boy... I am out of touch for the moment!
I don't know why I can get to my dashboard - but not mine (or any other blogger pagers)
Strange....

Everything you can do, I can do better

"I went to this remote village on the back of a camel, we had to scale walls and then hoist ourselves up over a series of small children and dogs and then we were at the most amazing beach you have ever seen. I was definately the only western person who had EVER been there. It was amazing!" IF I HEAR ONE MORE DICKHEAD BACKPACKER MAKE A CLAIM LIKE THIS I THINK I WILL SCREAM!!!!!

Seriously. Why is it that just doing what is in the Lonely Planet, or Rough Guide or advertised on the walls of the hostel is never enough for some people that they have to make up bullshit stories about being the only westerner that has ever been seen at a particular beach, mountain, restaurant, noodle shop etc. BUDDY, IF YOU MADE IT THERE, SOMEONE ELSE WOULD HAVE BEFORE YOU!! GET OVER YOURSELF!

I love to hear stories from other backpackers, they are your best resource when you are on the road - but please spare me the crap. (Yes I want to know that a hard bed sleeper isn't that bad and it will save you a few dollars, but I don't believe you when you tell me that you were in fact the first white person that the 5 other locals in your room had EVER seen!) I cringe at that loud mouthed tourist (very often a fellow Aussie - double cringe) who always has to out do everyone elses travel stories. "oh you only trekked to the first village? That's cool, but I went to the second village, I met an awesome and interesting tribe of people who actually believe that eating the eyeballs of chickens brings health and fertility. I sat there and ate with them - I am sure that I was the ONLY WHITE PERSON THEY HAD EVER SEEN!"

BULLSHIT!!!

Little ol Mum proving she's just not very sharp..

Well I've been out of touch for a while, due mainly to end of year celebrations (i.e far too much drinking and eating) and that I've taken a little trip out west and am now in Hanoi with Mum and my younger sis. It is just awesome over here. But there is more to tell about that later! Now, I would like to share the interesting stories about my Mum and the fits of hysteria that she has us (Cint and I) in! The poor pumpkin showed her lack of IT skills early on by attempting use her new digital camera for the first time. Unable to locate the viewfinder (there isn't one) and unsure of which way to point "the bleedin" thing, Mum near on blinded herself by pointing the camera the wrong way and taking a full flash photo of herself. Of course Cint and I offered little assistance, instead we simply enjoyed the spectacle! She's almost got the hang of it now, although Cint and I still tend to prefer self taken shots than the ones she takes - they are rarely in focus and barely show us at all! Bless her cotton socks, I shall post some of her classics at some point in time.... Last night, Mum once again had me in stitches, close to wetting myself in fact I was laughing so much. We got onto the discussion of digital music, well actually for mum is was all about the new Pod things... you see, poor ol mum just couldn't remember what the hell they are called. Cint and I thought it would be fun for her to guess, so she tried, starting with 'A'. "Is it an apod? bpod? cpod? etc..." As I write this I realise that you really need to (1) Know my mum and (2) Have been there to witness it, but I just wanted to write it all down so that I would always remember the night that my mum swore black and blue that the digital media sensation currently taking over the world is called an O-Pod....