Back to Banda

While I was gone, 1 staff got married, another staff's wife had a baby boy, and a new Italian restaurant opened up in town - I hear it's pretty good. But all in all, everything else remained constant in Aceh: Oxfam and Save the Children are still battling leakage/corruption allegations and the rebuilding continues.

I've had a great 2 weeks on the road and for once, I don't fell like I need a vacation from my vacation. I was able to spend a nice relaxing day in Singapore on Saturday. Didn't do much other than hanging out at the mall watching a massive Scrabble competition for kids, a movie in the theater (Inside Man) and browsing for books and magazines at Border's.

Thinking back to my vacation, there were a lot of highlights. Here are 4 in no particular order:

• Watching my dad try Durian for the first time and actually liking it, despite it's odor.
• Zipping through the "Tonkinese Alps" of Northern Vietnam on the back of a 21-yr old Soviet Minsk motorcycle.
• Bargaining with vendors and designing my own jewelry at the Jade Market in Hong Kong.
• Enjoying complete tranquility in Halong Bay.
  

Vietnam pictures will be up soon! I'm in the process of switching computers, so it'll take me a little longer to migrate and load.