Traditional Turned Digital

A few years ago if you had asked me to choose between ebooks and "real" books I would've probably chosen the latter. Like millions of other bookworms I have an attachment to the written word, ink & paper, fonts and binding. Yet these days if you ask me what I've been doing on the computer all day, 8 out 10 times, I'd answer that I've been reading ebooks.

I first got into ebooks a few years back when I read some book reviews but didn't have the funds to buy a book. I stumbled onto free ebook sites and began to find books I didn't own. Eventually, my growing addiction to anime brought me to manga and reading online became a habit. Given the chance and the money, I still went on book shopping sprees and continued filling my bookshelves with books. However, I moved to Vietnam in 2008 and acquiring printed books was put to a stop. English language novels aren't that common in bookstores here. In fact, I would have to go to Saigon (Ho Chi Minh) to find them and even then my choices would still be limited. There are a few secondhand stores here in Vung Tau that sell old English novels, but they mostly are of the dog-eared romance paperback variety. So that's why I now turn to ebooks when I need my daily book fix.

Ebooks are so easy to obtain these days, I have thousands of them in CDs and in my hard drive. I have started uploading them to a 4shared site in case something ever happens. I have also thought about it and for a greener future, this might be a better option than having them on paper. Less trees to cut.

Sometimes I envy people who mention that they just bought a new book... I still miss the smell of books, old or new. I miss touching the pages and rifling through the book for something specific. But ebooks aren't so bad, after all, it's the text that counts. Or so I keep telling myself.

Daiso Japan Store Haul

I am not a shopper. You can ask my family or friends and they'll tell you the same thing. But today, I was in Now Zone Shopping Mall in Saigon. As I was heading out, I passed by a Daiso Japan Store and I couldn't resist going in. FYI, Daiso Japan Store sells various items for a cheap price. They've got stuff you probably don't even think you'd find or need. In Japan, items cost 100 yen, in the Philippines 88 or 66 pesos, in Viet Nam 35 thousand dong or $1.80. Most of the items are made in other countries but it says on the back of the packaging "Produced for Daiso Japan."

I spent almost $24 on these items.

I bought the following:

• 2 handy white boards - always useful to have those around when you're a (language) teacher like I am. 
• 2 pc. set of shoe brushes - made of coconut fiber and useful for removing stubborn dirt.
• 340mL watering bottle (for dogs) - going to use this for my no 'poo habit, for baking soda and water or ACV rinse

Instead of using disposable body scrubbers, I'm going to switch to washcloth. The fabric is made of cotton threads and milk fiber.

I figure I'll be needing this when I go to HCM and will be using someone else's washing machine. Also, our lint catcher here is quite old and threadbare.

Something to add to my baking soda shampoo mix or ACV rinse. I wasn't sure about the other scents so this'll do for now.

This storage bag is meant for paperbacks but I'm planning to use it for storing my other lightweight items. Dimensions are 16cm x30cm x12cm. If this proves durable, I might buy other sizes next time.

I bought 5 reusable shopping bags. The designs were cute and it took me a while to choose. The third one from the left (black) and the striped bag on the bottom is mine but the other 3 are for friends who I'm trying to introduce to the reusable vs. disposable lifestyle.

If I end up moving to Saigon to work and need stuff for my new apartment, the crew at Daiso will easily become my new best friends. :D

Saigon Daiso Japan Store is located on 3rd floor Business Center Now Zone, No. 253 Nguyen Van Cu Street, District 1, HCMC.

No 'Poo Update

9 days of no 'poo!

I used Pantene shampoo on my hair last Wednesday, 25th of August. At that time I wasn't really planning on going no 'poo, I just figured I'd use less shampoo on my hair.

Day 1: no 'poo and no conditioner - hair was alright, not greasy and not dry, either
Day 2: 'no poo, used Sunsilk conditioner - soft, a little greasy but looked and felt alright
Day 3: 'no poo, Sunsilk conditioner - my scalp felt icky and greasy but my friends didn't say anything so I guess it wasn't that bad. I saw a few white flakes on my hair
Day 4: 'no poo, Sunsilk conditioner - greasy and itchy
Day 5: baking soda, Sunsilk conditoner - bad hair day in the morning so I put on a baseball cap. Was finally able to buy baking soda and ACV, worried about vinegar smell and had to go to class so just used baking soda and water. I just used a bit dissolved in water because i was nervous about it. My hair was still a bit greasy after washing it.
Day 6: baking soda, Sunsilk conditioner - 1 tsp used like paste and 1 tsp dissolved in water. Hair was still a bit greasy but the edges were dry.
Day 7: baking soda, Sunsilk conditioner - same as yesterday but hair felt better. Scalp was clean but stung a bit when I massaged the concoction in.
Day 8: baking soda, Sunsilk conditioner in the morning - my hair felt more like its usual self, not greasy or dry but had fly away edges. It was a bit itchy, though.
baking soda, Bath & Body coconut verbena conditioner in the afternoon - hair was a bit dry at first but became better as the night progressed. See picture below. After a night of dancing and smoky bar air, it looked amazing.

Day 9: B&B coconut verbena conditioner - less itchy than the day before but it wasn't dry or greasy.

I've started telling my friends here in Vietnam about what I'm doing but I don't think I convinced anyone to try it. I've told my sister and she offered to bring me organic shampoo... I think I'll try going no 'poo for 2 months. If there's a bad reaction and my scalp never adjusts then that'll be an option. But think about it... one less plastic bottle for the trash.

Work Update

I've been back in Vietnam for 3 weeks but I haven't worked much. I missed most of the summer classes and haven't had much luck getting hired in other schools. I applied at 3 schools. The first one, insisted that I work full time for them and become a teacher coordinator/program organizer of sorts. Not possible to do that at present because I'm going to HCM for a four week course in October and I don't want to commit to anything just yet. They said that they don't have a lot of classes at present because they just opened so they can't hire me part time, either. The second school, where Lyn works, let me do a demo class but I think the manager didn't really understand our conversation about my fee per hour. To be honest, I didn't either. :D The last one had me do a demo in front of the director, 2 teachers and a receptionist. They seemed very pleased but the director mentioned that they were also looking for a full time teacher. Like the first one, they're new and they don't have a lot of classes. I haven't heard from them but I will try to call this week to check in with them.

I still work for NES part time which takes care of my visa problem next month --- I have to pay a fee but at least, they'll be sort of supporting my stay here by sending in a pretend contract. I taught 3 classes last week including an adult class. The latter was funny because I couldn't remember half the acronyms the school came up with to label the grammar points. I just focused on giving them ideas, new vocab and correcting their general grammar and pronunciation. I'll be teaching 3 adult classes this week and 1 kid class. It's a bit weird to be teaching adults again after about a year of not doing it. On the upside, it's going to give me some classroom practice which I badly need for CELTA.

I'm doing the CELTA in October. For those who don't know what it is, CELTA is an initial qualification awarded by Cambridge ESOL for people with little or no previous teaching experience. After two years of teaching EFL, I've realized that I need the time to sit down and study. I also want to get certified because I don't have a teaching degree AND I'm not a native speaker. To most schools, the latter seems to be more important but the former should serve me just as well. It's not as if I can change my place of birth or the color of my skin --- not that I would want to. Besides, my goal for now, is to become a better teacher. After that, I want to work for a school for at least a year before I decide what to do or where and what to study next. 

I've got this 2 year itch that needs scratching but I don't know what profession I can go into next so for now I'm going to stick with this and be the best that I can be. Haha. Sounds serious right? 

Ditch the Disposables Challenge 2010

As I've mentioned, I've been seriously thinking of my throwaway lifestyle so I've been reading a lot of blogs and articles to motivate me and give me ideas. I stumbled on this. What better way to help me start being greener by making a 2 month commitment? They say that it takes 21-66 days to make and action a habit, so if I do something for 2 months, that brings me to nearly 66 days :D

Right now these are the stuff that I do and should continue:

1. Use rechargeable batteries. Batteries are so cheap here in Vietnam and it would be easy to fall back into habit. I even bought some for my parents a while back. Good thing they bought rechargeable lamps (some with AM/FM radios) to use at the farm and for blackouts.
2. Luckily, I grew up with in a household that uses dish towels and my housemates did, too. 
3. I've got allergic rhinitis and there are days when it's so bad --- runny nose, seemingly endless sneezes ---tissue paper makes it worse so I use hankies or baby face towels. 
4. I used to love wrapping gifts, I would make each one different depending on the recipient. Recently, I've been avoiding the use of wrapping paper and I've been choosing reusable bags or I don't wrap at all. Still thinking of other ways to wrap gifts without adding to the trash.
5. Instead of disposable Q-tips, I use a small metal ear cleaner. It has a tiny spoon at one end, used to scoop out ear wax. 

And these are the stuff that I'm going to add to it:

1. Ditch the 'poo ---> until I find baking soda and ACV, I'm going to be using warm water and/or lime/lemon juice to clean my hair and a bit of conditioner **cheating a bit, figured i can start with shampoo and go from there
2. Use cloth wipes for #1 even when I'm out ---> gotta give the credit to my Mom, who started doing this years ago, much better for my V and the environment!

These are some of my "problems"

1. Reusable shopping bags ---> I've got some for dry goods but I don't have anything for produce or meat. And I often forget bringing them because I rarely have a bag with me when I go out.
2. Paper towels ---> my housemates (who cook, because I don't) use paper towels to absorb the grease of fried food
3. Disposable chopsticks and straws ---> here in Vietnam, most takeouts (and even dine-in) include these. Even if you try to tell them you don't need them, they would usually forget and put it in anyway.
4. Water bottle ---> even if I do insist on carrying my own water bottle, some places require you to buy drinks from them. Tap water isn't an option because there is no central water treatment here.
5. Paper napkins/wet wipes ---> sometimes I have one or two hankies on hand but what do I do when I'm outside and I'm going to eat something very messy like crab? Not all restaurants here have a wash area
6. Cleanser, laundry detergent, deodorant and other items that I can make ---> ingredients are difficult to obtain here. 

Plans *Buying these stuff but will have to wait for a couple of months. I'm not very confident receiving packages here as they might get lost or be tasked by customs.

1. Sanitary napkins, pantyliners, 
2. Wet bag for travelling *in place of ziploc bags
3. Reusable sandwich bag
4. Produce and insulated bags for fruits, vegetables, meat and other wet goods

Note: I am not an environmentalist. I think for the present, you can just label me environmentally-concerned. I was talking about less packaging with a friend and she started saying "Oh you're one of those environmentalists." I wish I were... But I'm too lazy to be one.

Blog Header Change

Decided to change my blog's name. I'm no longer 24 and it seemed like my focus has started to change. Plus, it's not as if I have a hundred followers. Haha.

note: former title was "24 in Viet Nam and Other Stories"

Eco-friendly Party Tips

Day after the party, I was washing the dishes and started thinking of past parties/get-togethers and how much trash/clean-up we've had to deal with. My parents love throwing parties, my mom sometimes complains about the amount of work it includes but they'll throw one anyway.

I understand that it's something we can't avoid. After all, we all love spending time with friends and entertaining will always be part of our lives. I guess  the only way to go about it is to find eco-friendly ways to throw parties.

Invitations (and Thank You cards)

1. If you really MUST send something on paper, choose recycled paper or easily-biodegradable ones.
2. Send them via email, an evite, or set up an FB event

Tableware

1. Cloth napkins/towels instead of paper napkins/towels.
2. Use a tablecloth that you can reuse or repurpose.
3. Invest on lightweight but reusable dinnerware.
4. BYOC- if possible, ask your guests to bring their own cups. It might be a bit too much for some but they'll find out the benefits when they're served more vodka than usual. 
5. Have some reusable containers ready for leftovers instead of using cling wrap/aluminum foil/ziploc bags.

Food and Beverages

1. Go healthy and organic as much as you can. Consider the guests coming in and their preferences.
2. Consider the packaging of food items. n.b. my friend, Jo, keeps a cake box and aluminum-foil-covered-plate for her baked creations. If you can't bake, maybe you can keep a cake box and bring it to the bake shop when you buy cakes/baked goodies.
3. Opt for finger food that you can place on cloth napkins instead of using flatware.
4. BYOB - if it's a Bring Your Own Beer (or Drinks) kind of party, ask your guests to avoid cans and small bottles. Kegs and larger bottles are better -- in more ways than one. :D

Decorations

1. Opt for homemade decor that you can reuse.
2. Make it balloon-free. Balloons are fun but they're rarely biodegradable and bad for the environment. Use chinese lanterns or felt banners instead.
3. Do it outside or use natural light if possible.
4. For party favors, choose reusable hats, canvas bags as goodie bags and environmentally-friendly items instead of cheap stuff that will end up in the trash in less than a day.

Gifts

1. Ask for or give gifts with social merit. If you don't need anything in particular and your guests really want to (and can) -- get them to donate to a charitable organization of your choice. e.g. my friend, Chell, holds her birthday parties at an orphanage. She brings food, drinks and little gifts for the kids. Donations are always welcome.
2. Personalized gifts are a nice option for talented, crafty people. 
3. Avoid disposable gift wrappers or unnecessary wrapping. Use newspaper with a funky twine, cloth or reusable gift bags.
4. If you decide to go with a store-bought present, carefully select gifts. Don't just buy something because it's cheap or something expensive to show off. Choose something that the receiver will appreciate and will be able to use. 

• Book lovers will appreciate books even if they're secondhand.
• Buy items that can replace disposables. e.g Reusable shopping bags, produce bags, Skoy cloth, etc.
• Buy organic.

Clean-up check this post for eco-friendly tips

1. Choose eco-friendly cleaning products or better yet go with a homemade all-purpose cleaner.
2. Think before tossing.

Ready for an eco-friendly party?