To Live

It's becoming increasingly hard to enjoy Sundays, especially when Sunday afternoon hits. Right then the feeling of being on the verge of a fresh Monday creeps in. More than when I was back home, my life in Saigon makes me live and crave for the weekends in a way I never felt before. Work is demanding and tough, and the idea of the luxurious, decadent "expat" life is but a myth. At least in my life and most of my circle. We live for the weekends and if back in Manila "live" means partying, I mean "living" here to refer to one or all of the following:

1. Sleeping til your head hurts
2. Lounging in your house or someone else's house
3. Eating Filipino food
4. Watching dvds
5. Occasional bar trips that only last til 12midnight or if you're lucky, 2am.
6. Pampering oneself in the spa
7. Blogging
8. Chatting with your friends and family back home
9. Meeting up with friends to catch up on what you missed out because of the work that barely keeps you sane during the week.
10. Planning getaways and feeling better by just planning

Saigon is a happening city. It is hot - active, alive, colorful, going through a rebirth - all the things Manila went through decades ago. It is interesting to see how the landscape of Vietnamese life is changing due to the opening of their gates tp the rest of the world. Coming from a place with widely opened I feel a little bit weary and protective over this country that isn't my own. I have this nagging feeling that they may not be quite ready for it - like a kid being given too much candy and money too fast. I personally hope they manage to keep their country's identity and inimitable charm intact. Some say it is a good time to be here especially on the business front, if you are into that stuff. Frankly I'm just here for the experience. And what an experience it has and continues to be. But some days, you just want to hibernate into your own world, thinking and dreaming of home and how closer you are to getting back there each day you spend in this place. Some days, you just want to "live".