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4 reviews or comments posted; 2 questions asked; 8 answers given.
Reviews / Comments (4)
posted about 1 week ago by SoViet
about the event: Hanoi International Music Festival # 2 by Club for Arts and Music Appreciation (C.A.M.A.) @ American Club
Wow, amazing how the armchair critics come out swinging. Critic, now lets look at that word:
1. One who forms and expresses judgments of the merits, faults, value, or truth of a matter.
2. One who specializes especially professionally in the evaluation and appreciation of literary or artistic works: a film critic; a dance critic.
3. One who tends to make harsh or carping judgments; a faultfinder.
Group 3 are also known as 'ungrateful bastards' (UBs)in some languages, 'better getta bit more bitter' (BGBMBs), 'never have put on an event but happy to put the boot into those that have' (NHPOAEBHTPTBITTHs).
Now hide me in rocky cave on the northern border of Pakistan or didnt we just have a great festival? Yes not all acts rocked, but they never do at festivals, its about the space that's created. Didnt like the DJs? That what feet and having social skills are for. There were landmines to look at for god's sake! You could have added some graffiti to the wall of fame! What about getting your face painted?
Those carping on about the price, how much do you spend on average on a dinner at a Western restaurant in Hanoi, which is also way out of reach of most young Vietnamese whipper snappers? Perhaps you should boycott Luna, Khazanna, any form of hendonistic home delivery, and those flights home each year, which kills trees and dolphins and such. Bad, very bad behaviour. Not setting good example. Why does Caponata with extra salami cost so much goddamit? Why dont they sell Bang my trung with capers and ricotta? BECAUSE IT COSTS MONEY.
I'm sure we'd all like to see more locals at the event. The place wasnt packed, there was space and the Regurgitator gig proved just how awesome it is to have a cranking mosh pit full of locals soaking up kickass music. Would be great to have more and its good to hear about the giveaways, perhaps more next time? It wont take any profits away because these kids wont be able to afford coming anyway. Perhaps another popular local band at the expense of an overseas one to reduce prices? Perhaps in this thread we can try to provide constructive feedback on how to get more locals in there without risking the financial success of the event or the permission granted by authorities (this is one thing to really keep in mind folks...)?
It's always hard pleasing everyone with an event, but taking cheap shots at folk who have just worked their asses off to give us a party is pretty harsh in any language. But alas, it does come with the territory, as anyone who has tried organising gigs/parties/events will know.
Cheers Minsk/CAMA, appreciated muchly.
SoViet
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I think the CAMA crew should really think carefully about expanding their commercial empire, especially in these times of global financial meltdown and such. In today's heady world of credit crunches and suicidal stockbrokers, integration and fiscal responsibility is the key and this place wouldn't give me my Oil of Ulan in exchange for my collection of soggy unused CAMA drink vouchers.
I believe that such behaviour in today's economic climate will only serve to further entrench undisciplined monetary practices throughout the developing world, and I for one reckon its not on.
Pull your act together CAMA and be the change we can believe in, not just some nice shiny words wrapped up in smooth marketing tools to sell us snake oil in a time of darkness!
Yours in former SoViet bloc sincerity,
SoViet
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Ah tabouli where for art thou? Shwarma lay your greasy meaty folds upon me. Baklava caress my weary cheeks with your delicate flakes of sweet honey pastry...
So have been my thoughts during many a sleepness night living in this wonderful town - in fact it's really the only the only food type missing from the huge selection we have, so it was with clicking red shiny heals a la dorothy in oz and salivating tastebuds that i made my way down to this establishment.
Now while my mother always told me 'if you havent got something nice to say...', I am writing this review in the hope that Ya Beirut gets a little more Ya in its Beirut, and i can then selfishly enjoy eating there on a regular basis.
First things first. I dont mind paying for good food, and i dont mind paying more for better food, but there's a mysterious balancing act typified no doubt in some clever physicist's innovative formula that spells out exactly how much to charge for what you are serving. Ya Beirut has yet to achieve that balance for the following reasons:
1. While the mezza plate was pretty tasty, the tabouli being a highlight, the hummous is missing something and the eggplant (babaganous??) is fairly bland. Dolmares pretty good though. Size here an issue considering the price and the fact that all the ingredients are readily available in Vietnam.
SoViet says: Add a few more salads, nibbles etc to make it larger and spice up the dips Ya?
2. Perhaps a bad night or perhaps a strange glitch in the matrix but the only place i have ever seen french fries served with lebanese food was in dodgy fish and chip kebab shops in England - the kind you stumble into drunk on the way home to fill an empty void you cant quite put your finger on. These are not cultural examples that should be exported to other parts of the world - the British Empire long lost its privilege to impose crap cuisine on the rest of the world and there's no reason why anyone else should help them - particularly on a small sized 200k dish in a fairly upmarket restaurant.
SoViet says: Lebanese potato salad? Cheap and easy replacement Ya? Or any salad for that matter, just leave the soggy chips to the bia hois and com binh sans - they have no place in a Lebanese restaurant.
3. While on the 'main' course, which was a half half chicken/beef shwarma, I have a feeling that we picked poorly or unfortunately, although shwarma is pretty much one of the key foundations of any lebanese place in my opinion. What we got is not sharma - it was a small sampling of fairly tough meat cooked with a few spices and stuck in a piece of bread that was soggy by the time of its arrival - again reminding me of England, and not in the 'close your eyes and think of...' kinda way. I cried, I wept, I cursed, such longing unfulfilled, such anticipation cruelly crushed on the jagged shorelines of harsh reality...shwarma is not and has never resembled what was served. As it was the 50-50 chicken/beef dish, the problem was compounded by the strange dry chicken-ish bland concoction served also with the aforementioned soggy bread.
SoViet says: PLEASE go back to the drawing board and return with shwarma - both chicken and beef. You guys are lebanese so you must know what im talking about. Please do not serve the meat already in the bread - you are not an English kebab shop and i am not returning from the football - and please provide more servings and garnishes to eat with the meat, which currently is also very small for 250k. Put the main course on larger plates, so you dont make a mess when sharing and there's more space for some tasty garnishes/salads, which wont cost you much but will greatly vasty improve both the look and taste of the dish Ya?
Having said all that, the disappointment of the main course was tempered by two delicious deserts that tickled my positivity and optimism back to life and reminded me that even Da Vinci came up with some crap ideas on his bad days. Seeing as though its only just opened, I wont mention the lack of Lebanese decor (rugs anyone?) cause its probably on its way to Hai Phong as we speak.
What i will say is that i will be back in a few weeks to see if dreams can come true...if lemons will stay yellow...if i can really have my shwarma and eat it too...
Two stars for the experience and food, an extra half for the deserts, another half for being the first and for the great things to come... hopefully.
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AMBIENT DEATH FOLK RUUUUUULZ! Can i make a request for the acoustic version of Onslaught's Bambi Versus The Chainsaw please?
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Questions (2)
Hey all,
Anyone had any experience exporting craft silk stuff etc. from Vietnam to Europe? France in particular? Was wondering if anyone had any tips, warnings about the process i.e. with customs, companies used etc.
Appreciate any advice, cheers.
With indecision in the air over a potential visit in Feb, its time to show the Swiss we care.
Bring back Arnaud 'the Swiss scream' Laguigne!
Some of you might know him from his exploits in vocal acrobatics as frontman for the groundbreaking genre shattering seminal Hanoian garage ska band Polemika Pravda, while others may not care at all but still might like to sign petitions.
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/souze
Thank you for your kind attention on this pressing and important global issue.
Answers (8)
Posted Thursday June 19th, 2008.
Would advise against Nok Bar for a party unless you want to be charged a lot of money for bringing them business, have crap sound, no air con, electricity cuts and finally have the police shut the place down by around 11.30pm. Oh and do not pay for a buffet for your party...unless soggy cold chips, prawn crackers you could wear as shoes and deep fried corn old enough to foster enough ergot to satisfy Timothy Leary's eternal soul are your thing...
You have been warned.
In response to the question: Hi, a friend and I are thinking about throwing a hip hop party and we're just trying to get an idea of how many people would be interested in coming. ...
Posted Monday July 21st, 2008.
His name is Carl and he is a lovely man. PM me for contact details. Hope things are working out for you.
In response to the question: I know that this might be a bit more of a personal question, but does anyone out there know of a marriage counselor or therapist in Hanoi that speaks ...
Posted Wednesday September 3rd, 2008.
The NGO Centre's database is the most complete that's available (and a summary is printed in an annual publication) and does have local NGOs if they are project partners of International NGOs. FYI, PACCOM is only the umbrella org for INGOs, for local NGOs there's a big legislative hole that splits registration between a variety of different government bodies, VUSTA being the most common. There is currently no database for local NGOs, although there are a few projects going on that are trying to address the issue. Basically, the local NGO sector is still in the early stages of its development in Vietnam.
In response to the question: Does any one know where I could find a NGO database for Vietnam? Am interested in a complete-ish, up to date-ish list of all NGOs working in Vietnam, ...
Posted Wednesday September 3rd, 2008.
Thanks for the answers peeps, am talking about a container load full, or mostly full, with an eye towards making it regular every three months or so. Took a look at AMCHAM but considering its going to France, its not much help as Im after any info on unforseen problems or charges that hit you on arrival at French customs. My friend has already spoken to the French Embassy, who were very encouraging, but not so helpful on the details.
Thanks for the offer ChrisJac, have PM-ed you with my number, be great to have a chat.
In response to the question: Hey all, Anyone had any experience exporting craft silk stuff etc. from Vietnam to Europe? France in particular? Was wondering if anyone had any tips...
Posted Wednesday September 3rd, 2008.
Two other NGOs I know of - Blue Dragon and HSCV - would be interested. They distribute to kids/families outside of Hanoi as well.
In response to the question: Hello, Can anyone recommend a trust worthy charity that I can donate some clothing? I would like if they can pick it up also. I remember someone on...
Posted Tuesday October 7th, 2008.
Comrades! Before we all get stuck into the humble and well-meaning minsk, and each other, let me just point a few things out to the folks at home:
1. The amount of smoke that comes out of a minsk is due to the oil content in the petrol, some of which is required, as the minsk is a 2-stroke engine. Now what many minsk drivers in the city don't realise is that the normal percentage of 4 per cent oil is not required for your standard city driving, and in fact many minsk drivers put far too much oil in in any case, resulting in the plumes of smoke you see. I use about half that or less in the city and my smoke is next to non-existent and pretty much comparable to your normal wave, and better if the wave in question is using shitty petrol or is not maintained well, as many are. Using less oil will NOT hurt your engine if you are doing short legs around the city and will certainly help those around you in traffic. When you go out of the city for bike trips or long drives, you do have to increase the percentage back to around 4 percent. I have used this method for four years without any issues.
2. The minsk factory is not making the bikes you see around town anymore (which are all old models anyway), in fact they now have some super sexy models out there that would put even steve mcqueen to shame (check this out: http://www.minskparts.com/MINSKMOTO%20CATALOGUE%202008.pdf), most of which are 4-stroke by the way, meaning no oil in the petrol. Furthermore, the VN gov put a 40 per cent tax on them in favour of the more expensive hondas, meaning that very few if any more minsks will be roaring into this country anytime soon. All the minsks you see being driven in Vietnam will continue to be driven in Vietnam by SOMEONE until they rust into a pile of red dust and flutter up to the big motorbike heaven in the sky. Whether that someone is an oversized Tay wearing raybans and listening to 'Born to be wild' or a poor Vina farmer needing to transport two buffalo carcasses up the Don Van Pass really is beside the point, as even if i drove my minsk off Mount Fanzipan to try and get rid of it, some kid with a few coke cans and some tape would have it up running in a jiffy.
I am not advocating minsk madness and everyone getting one, but nor am i advocating introducing an unworkable ban into this country that will seriously affect the poorest members of Vietnamese society (think the recent ban on street venders - similar ill-conceived thinking). i am just saying that while its not the most enviro friendly vehicle around, there are steps you can take to minimise the emissions and, im not sure maybe some enviro dude can help me out here, but i would have thought the carbon footprint left by throwing the minsks away (which will then be used by someone else in this country, who may not have been able to afford it prior to the guilt laden westerner's offering) and buying/renting a new honda is larger than simply continuing to use the minsk with the proper oil percentages.
Keep in mind too that minsks last a hell of a lot longer than your honda-style bikes (which like ipods are made to self destruct after a certain period so you buy a new one), so there is the issue of the carbon footprint of actually producing the millions of wave-like bikes, which are bought new every year as enviable fashion items by some Vietnamese (and some westerners...) who want the latest model to cruise around Hoan Kiem on.
I arrived in Vietnam as a volunteer with absolutely no money and was able to buy my minsk in instalments over a five-month period from a nice trusting local. In that time, it has served me amazingly well and we regularly sit atop mountains and affirm the loving bond between man and machine.
If the devil is in my minsk, then perhaps all that Iron Maiden I listened to back in the 80's has finally paid off and My Lord Satan has provided me with a sturdy Horse of the Apocalypse to wreak havoc upon you mere god-fearing, wave-riding mortals. However, if god forbid, the devil wears prada and rides an older model piaggio (two-stroke), Vespa (two-stroke), any diesel powered engine in the third world or puts shitty petrol in his wave (or does not properly maintain it), then we're gunna have a truly spectacular monster bike showdown between angels and devils as the End of Days draws near...and ill put my money on the Belarusian farmbike put put put-ing its way past Peter at the gates...perhaps seeking a spark plug.
Exhibit G for the defence: For your reference, the following are all sayings related to the devil, none of which mention minsks:
"Speak of the Devil and he appears" (needs no further explanation)
"The devil is in the detail" (as in, I think SE Asia has much much bigger pollution problems than those relating to minsks...eg World Bank funding of a new 'dirty' coal powered power station in VN while decrying global warming - devilish one might say)
"Satan is neither omnipotent nor free to do everything he pleases. Prince of the world he may be, but the Prince of Peace has come and dealt him a death blow." (as in, even if the devil did want to ride a minsk, he wouldnt have anywhere convenient to put his tail, which would get burnt horribly on the exhaust pipe. However, the Vespas, Piaggios and Waves are a different story...plenty of room up front there)
"The devil's most devilish when respectable." (see comment above related to other more fashionable bikes)
"The devil has the power to assume a pleasing shape." (therefore minsks are certainly out of the question).
Мир!
SoViet
In response to the question: The other day a Vietnamese friend and I watched some guy putter through Hanoi traffic on his Minsk, cutting a wake as other riders veered away from th...
Posted Wednesday October 8th, 2008.
Re the emissions factor and western double standards, dirt bikes (the REALLY loud, smokey and annoying two-stroke ones) are completely legal (in Australia anyway) and have pissed me off no end on many a bushwalk and beach excursion. I believe jet skis are also two stroke (and much more polluting to the water), as are quite a few lawnmowers, all chainsaws, whippersnippers and many other Peter and Mary appliances around your average western home. Not exactly sure on whether dirt bikes are restricted to out of town use or people in oz just decide not to use them in the city for fear of being mobbed (they're REALLY REALLY loud, high-pitched rattlers - like a minsk on speed), but i have seen two-stroke bikes on Australia's streets many a time, but then again we're a pretty backward country where plenty of people thinking our huge ozone hole will just suck up all our pollution into space, no worries mate.
In the interests of unabashedly making grand assumptions and great leaps of logic to support my argument, I will propose that the number of people riding dirt bikes and other two-stroke machines (quads, jet skis, snowmobiles etc) in western countries is THE SAME or MORE than the percentage of westerners riding minsks in Hanoi - HENCE there is NO, and NEVER has been ANY hypocrisy in riding a minsk in Hanoi...never ever ever...truly ruly...dead set...chac chan mot cham phun cham.
Just one further point for Candide in light of her raising the interesting point of auto-eroticism and minsks - a wonderful combination of words that sent sweet tingling chills up my spine as I read it - more than one female minsker with a misty look in their eyes have coyly admitted under the influence of far too much ruou that the minsk's loud and boisterous internal combustion processes have another, more ethereal, sensual and one might say gratifying bi-product for women other than the carbon particles rising up from the exhaust pipe like the cremated remains of unfulfilled desires...
In the interests of decorum and preventing a stampede on minsks (another infamous thread has already addressed the issue after all...) let just say that its not how many strokes you have, but its how you combust them that counts...
Мир!
SoViet
In response to the question: The other day a Vietnamese friend and I watched some guy putter through Hanoi traffic on his Minsk, cutting a wake as other riders veered away from th...
Posted Wednesday November 26th, 2008.
Holy shit! What the hell was I doing at the American Club on Sat with such talent in town? Nutz certainly knows how to keep such big events close to their chest.
In fact, looking at the video, I think Digital Offensive could learn a thing or two from her magnetic stage presence, finger licking, knob twiddling and longing gazes into the audience...Im thinking the bass player in particular would look absolutely supa in flimsy lace and the lanky frenchman on the computer could do with a bit more hair.
In response to the question: Well?!...
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