Make a date to meet Patrick Khoo from 2.00pm onwards at Asian Civilizations Museum(next to Victoria Memorial and near the statue of Sir Stamford Raffles…for deatailed map log on to www.acm.org.sg or drop me an email at insiders111@yahoo.com.sg and I will send you an email with map and full day programme).
Besides the free ticket to HCMC Lucky Draw(just fill form…don’t have to be present)I will give you(not me actually) free Milo welcome drink for all and balloons for your kids.My booth will have a lucky dip where you will have a chance to win a exquisite Vietnamese embroidery painting,Vietnamese hats,caps (not those made in France)and T-shirts.The ?th (number connected with my date of birth)SHC member who visits my booth if he does get a prize in the lucky dip will be guaranteed (fixed legally) to win a Vietnamese hat from me.
This exhibit is the same as Steven Chan’s post in June but the programme for the whole day which starts at 11.00am is different. I would suggest you come from 2.00pm onwards to see the martial arts experts from Vietnam and they will be followed by 5 hot ladies from an all girl pop fusion band.Admission is free instead of the usual S$8.There will also be perfomances from award winning modern dancers,story telling for kids,Games for young and silverhairs,free lessons on how to make water fairy puppets and paper lanterns.
There will be a special preview of a Silverhair HCMC/Nha Trang(no swimming in seas due Monsoon season)/Cantho City Tour with itinerary based on recommendations and input from experienced Viet Trippers like Kenneth Tan,Dee Ang,Lena Wang,Jassmine Teo and last but not least the effervescent Steven Chan(maps were useful).This tour is based on clean and comfortable budget accomodation and outstanding exotic food like Tamarind Crab,Elephant ear fish,Vietnamese seafood dinner,BBQ dinner,Giant rice balls,gourmet lunch by hotel resort chef ,outstanding French restaurant and visit to ice cream parlour.Other highlights include visit to Hot Spring Mineral bath and waterfalls,a light sleeper luxury train overnight from HCMC/Nha Trang/HCMCvisit to Pearl Farm and a chance to see the Ghe Cho Festival in Cantho where you will see the incandescent paper lanterns powered by burning oil careen into the air(yes these lanterns actually fly as seen in an Andy Lau movie).This tour is from 08Nov to 16Nov based on minimum 15 to go.(if numbers are less than 15 the rates will be higher with no Singapore Tour Leader Escort).Final pricing and basic itinerary will be posted in the forum when prices are finalised.This special tour is not a typical standard tour but has been specially designed to meet SHC tastes and can be tailored to suit SHC members needs and budget eg Pearl Farm tour can be chopped if 100km travel from Nha Trang is considered too long a journey.Number of days can also be shortened if budget turns out to be high.
The other programmes at this "Vietnam experience" include Vietnamese food and mooncakes , an outdoor pop fusion concert and other entertainment from 8.00pm to 11.00pm.Of course you will a 2nd chance to see the interesting museum exhibits from Vietnam if you missed it the 1st time with Steven.
If you are a CITIBANK clear card holder you will get a $60 per couple discount for our Vietnam Spa promotion.
If you drop a deposit for any of our other tours for that day you will be entitled to a $30 discount(normally given to travel agents) from our standard tour prices.
Bring your kids along and have a fun time and get a chance to win interesting prizes(Anybody wants to baby sit the Big Baby and keep me company are welcome…will buy you a drink…not Milo of course).Cheers!
You gushed, as usual, but missing out on the date which is key to seeing you and the elephant that you will exhibit together at 2 p.m. And why all these lache of giving me prizes and balloons when, arguably my best butty in SHC not least cos you argue a lot, you know where I stay and cd deliver the same to me?
Er, what date is this event?
My APOLOGIES FOLKS…date is on this Saturday 30 August 2008
Deservedly …got my butty kicked by my buddy.Need full programme and timings drop me an email!
VERI IMPERFECT IMPERFECTO(cannot call Perfectionist anymore as standards have fallen…what a boo-boo??!).
Butty, I wd be there to support you. Forget abt yr offer of balloons, milo, hats, caps, t-shirts, elephants but find me a vietcong to complete my date with that saturday nite’s feverish gang……..
Hi Patrick,
How many tickets are there to be won? Vietnam seems like a nice place to visit.
And you guys will be @ the museum up till what time? We have to catch the Saturday nite fever @ Oxford @ 7pm. If Tim is going, i will try my best to be there too. But i have an afternoon singing class to attend.
Is there any entrance fee for this exhibition?
Pls let me know.
CHeers, Lydia.
Ref #5 Lydia Chin,
Only one air ticket on Vietnam Airlines to Ho Chi MInh City(HCMC) to be won.Normal entrance is S$8 but for saturday it is free.I will be there from 2.00pm to view the martial arts exhibition and will be on duty at my counter from 3.00pm to 8.00pm but might hang around till 11.00pm.If you are there and don’t see me you can call my HP.Some interesting choice of medium for paintings…might be an inspiration for Karen Thio(care to come?) in experimenting with various mediums of expressions and art form.You will also get to see for free other Asian exhibits and some stuff on Old Singapore.Please mention Silverhairs Club when you visit my counter so we can keep track of your number as the ?th Silverhair to visit and drop name card or contact details will get a authentic Vietnamese hat.
” i will try my best to be there too. But i have an afternoon singing class to attend”.
In a 2-hour singing class, you get to learn a new song in 5 mins and then you pratise the song for the next 115 mins. So long as you obediently sing to practise, you dont hv to do it in a classroom setting which means you can sing as you walk. In fact with people curious as to what the hell you’re doing, they will follow you and like the pied piper, will end up at Patrick’s booth.
And you wont be disappointed bcos the Patrick-K to greet you will be a nguyen samurai with his hair tied to stand up atop his head (dont laugh, using many rubber bands, he can still make a bun out of those few but precious strands).
If after all these you still dont catch a fever for the Saturday nite, smthg must be very wrong with you……..
The weather was great, the Vietnamese Martial Arts group did a great demonstration in the field out front.. fierce girls they had there, don’t play, play… boy, they can kill you with their kicks, punches and throws! I am impressed!
Then, there was the musical performance.. real good music, what they called “fusion”. Didn’t realised traditional instruments can produce such delicious sounds.. with help from sweet, young Vietnamese girls.
Sorry Patrick, don’t know which counter you were in, so did not look you up. Next time, maybe..
Ref #6 Ann Giri
Thanks for glowing review.Sorry you missed out .Every SHC member who came and spoke to me ref #6 got a prize ie T-shirt,Vietnamese hat,pen holder and souvenir pens.
Price of possible November trip came up high.Any feedback if should exclude Nha Trang(Monsoon season…cannot swim) or Cantho City(Ghe Ngo Festival…equivalent of Thai Loi Krathong but with Flying Lanterns but other than festival seems less exciting than Nha Trang.Please compare details in main posting.Experienced SHC members who have been to both cities please advise.
Hi PatrickK,
I like to follow up on this subject. Did anyone in SHC win the Vietnam Air ticket? I like to ascertain if the subject title is misleading.
Terence Seah
All SHC members who saw me at the counter were given a prize
ranging from pens,pen holders,caps,Vietnamese hats and Vietnam Airlines T-Shirts.
A public Q & A session draw was held on stage at 9.00pm and an embroidery painting and Vietnam Airlines T_shirt was donated by the organisers but no SHC members were present at this time to the best of my knowledge.
A public lucky draw was held on stage at 11.00pm at the end of the performances and the winners will be notified
by post.I have not verified who is the winner yet.Each member of the public (including SHC members) was given a lucky draw form to fill up at the main counter or our counter and encouraged to participate.
In this context of transparency I trust it will allay your fears that the title was misleading.The title was gimimcky(designed to attract interest using advertising strategies)
but every member of the public(including SHC members) had an equal chace to win the prize.I trust this sits well with you.See you on the 9th!
Hi Geok Suan,
Since you are looking for a safe and clean accommodation, may I recommend you the Oscar hotel in the heart of the tourist district 1 in Ho Chi Minh City close to the GPO, People’s Assembly Hall, Rex Hotel, Notre Dame Cathedral etc….
A group of 5 of us have stayed in this hotel and we feel very satisfied and happy with its service , price and location.
Its website is at http://www.oscar-saigonhotel.com or alternatively you may stay at the Majestic Boutique Hotel overseeing the Mekong River.
As for the travel agent,you may contact Mr. Tuan , a tourist guide speaks good English ,and his company’s email add is tours.eng@transviet.com.vn . His service is superb that all of us have agreed to pay him and his driver more tips than the normal tips specified in the itinerary.
Have a fun time in HCMC. :)