I have been writing up bits and pieces and this is the first time I have had a chance to post...in holiday mode I guess...here tis, in reverse order i just realised
Australia for a week to see my old Pop and friends then home to Pushkar...

17.11.08
Holiday Sketching is the name of the game and that is what it feels like.
Leonie our tutor and Khanh our man in Vietnam have everything under control; all I really have to do is wander along, practice my sketching, enjoy another wonderful meal Khanh has organized [Vietnamese food must be some of the tastiest, healthiest and easiest to devour food on this earth! It is fresh, full of vegetables, endless variety and wonderful when organized by Khanh!] all I have to do is just sort out a few details…this is WONDERFUL!!
I think it pretty much adds up to a holiday, a concept I have heard of but not really experienced, and it is another day in the office.
We are going to sample a local specialty- Mia Chou rice wine, I shall raise mine tonight to many more relaxing days in the office like this! Yippee.
Last night we visited Khanh’s family and cooked up a storm in his Mum’s kitchen, we even had to take turns rolling spring rolls and eating as everything was happening at once at one stage- fun and yum.
I have just downloaded my photos and realised how many good things I have skipped in my holiday mode so will backtrack….

That is the rice wine in that big jar, some special collection of sticky rice, guava leaves, rice ash and secret things.... fermentsed for 6 months to 2 years and drunk communally with a long straw....

Khanh described is as sweet, sour and inclined to make you tippsy...that is about it- sort of port like in flavour...

Bai Tu Long Bay

Bai Tu Long Bay is like the second sister to the famous Ha Long Bay, we ventured up there first to spend a night with a local family on Quan Lin Island. In many ways I prefer this bay to Halong Bay, it is more peaceful and has a working fishing port, no tourist hype at all. We had a private ferry across to the island, the deck hands and Khanh were our chefs producing a wonderful seafood meal as we cruised along and sketched to our hearts desire.
A night with the wonderful family of Mr Sau, Mrs Sau and her daughters were most admiring of pale skin and affluence as evidenced by the generous sized rump of a few of us.
Mr Sau’s daughter kind of gave me a pat on the bum, it was obvious she was impressed it was big enough to have a bit of wobble! She indicated hers and her expression indicated it was quiet inferior as it was small and taunt. Here, like in many countries of the world there may be enough to eat but life is too full of physical work to ever get plump so it is seen as desirable and a sign of affluence.
Always greener on the other side of the fence!

Dinner at our homestay.
The local cafe on the island...working over coffee

Many, many lovely little khasts

On the road to the Bay

Ha Long Bay

Having said my preference is Bai Tu Long Bay, nothing beats a night sleeping on Ha Long Bay [a house boat in Kerala would be a tie though…another story].

For some reason I find a childish delight in these type of wobbling light photos, some of the other boats where we moored for the night.
Leonie discussing our work in one of our debriefing sessions, it has been good for everyone to bring there work out [very hard the first time was obvious] but now comfortable and easy.
It is wonderful as another student to see other’s progress and hear Leonie’s suggestions you learn so much more!

Notice the view out of the window of our class room.
Even Khanh was set to work...and he had to admit it takes a little practice!

A floating village in the Bay, the first building is the local bank!

Tam Coc, Ninh Binh Province

Tam Coc is known as the Halong Bay of the rice paddies, found in a southern part of the Red River Delta it is rich agricultural land and specular scenery.
Boating was a real giggle, you think you are moving so slow but when you start to draw, everything seems to whizz by.

Tam Coc is also known for it’s fine embroidery a very widely spread cottage industry.
Many of our ladies took home with them beautiful bed and table linen with beautiful hand work on them at an absolute fraction of the cost it would be back home.

Hue is a charming young woman who works in the hotel we stay at, she is a fine example of Vietnamese people in our experience, so friendly and welcoming, really impressed that we have made the effort to learn a few words in Vietnamese. We practiced Vietnamese with her, she practiced English and French with us.
In her spare time, like every other lady in the area Hue stitches.

A morning stroll at Tam Coc.

A morning stroll at Tam Coc.
I now have a bigger problem than I had before.
I have always enjoyed looking…travelling for me is about walking and looking, at this, at that, at everything…it is all interesting. Sitting and observing, trying to understand the local way things are done….Well now I have sketching to add to the list, you need to look but then you sit still and sketch as the world go on around you even more of it is revealed than when you were just wandering by looking.
A few images from an early morning stroll that call me back for a revisit with a sketch book in hand.

What do you do when ducks are crossing the road?

Wait because invarably they don't like giving way to traffic...!

Boating at the Van Long Nature Reserve

A few days ago we went boating at the Van Long Nature Reserve, I could not wait to get my bum parked and a pen in hand.
I feel I am making progress, my initial sketches were much more like a dog’s dinner.
Really they are about being there, the experience at the time. I am not after great art this is a way of connecting with the moment and the place.
Usually I stitch, or take photos and work from them in my studio and I will continue with those practices.
This is an added treat for me to connect the moment and place which I think will inform my studio work….I have this idea based on the format of Murgal miniatures and this will feed in well….hmmm most interested to see where it leads

Anyway this is my mornings scratchings...I felt rather good at the end of it- thanks Leonie for the inspiration



Foot Rowing at the Floating Village later in the day....

Cooking in Vietnam

Cooking in Vietnam.
Khanh is a keen cook and really comes up with the goods for our tours.
His favourite part is the cooking class we include in all our tours at his family home.
First there is the market and shopping- it is so fresh some of it is still quacking!
Bamboo shoots in all shapes and sizes

[at one hotel up north we could hear some of it squealing at 5.00am before all was silent – and there was fresh, fresh meat for sale in the market that morning- don’t worry that is the only time I have heard that experience]
Then the fun a preparation, we took turns with the various tasks, and then had a feast together. His sister-in-law Thru also helps out.
Some of our lovely ladies working in the kitchen

These little morsels are a great starter. Called Hanh Cuoh [Onion Rolls]
Take a fresh lettuce leaf, some basil, mint of a few varieties and a piece of cooked pork [Chinese BBQ pork, chicken, omlette or seafood would be equally nice], wrap them together in a steamed spring onion [steam long enough to make it soft or poor boiling water over it]- just tie it around and they hold together, dip into Noc Cham sauce- delicious!
Here is a recipe for Noc Cham from a recent newsletter
To a good Aussie you can’t go past ‘dead horse’ [tomato sauce] as an accompaniment to almost everything- ask my sons.
In Vietnam that pride of place is held by
Noc Cham- dip your spring rolls into it, sprinkle it over salads, it is so delightful I am sure you could even dap it behind your ears!

3-6 fresh red chilli [steam them a few minutes it makes the heat more mellow, less fiery]
2 garlic cloves---grind in mortar and pestle
Add
7 Tablespoons fish sauce
7 Tablespoons sugar
7 Tablespoons water
Juice 1 lemon or lime

Stir together and sprinkle over everything.

NOTE a good noc cham has the chilli and garlic floating on the top…all prospective mother-in-laws like to see a prospective bride has mastered a good noc cham so they know their son won’t starve.

Would you make good marriage material?

Barak Obama

Another glorious sunset over the mystical mountains of Vietnam

Khanh organizing coffee as we sat in a street side cafe to draw in Long Son.

sitting and watching the street vendors, trying to catch a sketch as they busily move around...then getting noticed and having everyone have a look, offer suggestions to improve opur drawings and just generally smile and giggle was delightful.

A lady we met whilst driving through the mountains, fresh peanuts on her poles.

We found a delightful little bridge over a small river, it seemed a quiet country road, no traffic yet sitting to draw for a while we became aware of the pace of local life. That little bridge was obviously an artery to the countryside away from the road, the quiet road had a constant stream of people on foot and pushbike going by.

It confirmed the whole idea of Holiday Sketching- it is not really about the drawing [although sketching each day and having Leonie for advice certainly improves your game] it is an opportunity to BE THERE for a while and EXPERIENCE the pace of local life.

Much different to even walking along slowly and taking pics.

you also meet so many local people who stop to see what you are doing.....

wonderful experiences...our whole group keep pinching themselves are saying wow we are so lucky...this is a wonderful experience....hhhhmmmmm a sigh of satisfaction.

I just had this note from a friend in the States, it brought tears to my eyes.
They have been doing it tough and now have a window of hope....and as anything that effects one person impacts subtly on the rest of the world....so all this impacts on us.
The Sataes like every other place in the world is mostly full of nice people, with good hearts, their own way of doing things for sure but just wanting a good life for them and their families and wishing the same on others...

HOW could i forget to relay�the�most important happy news: our new relationship with BARAC OBAMA!!!!! �We are SOOOO excited to have him moving into�office�of president, i can't tell you how happy the nation was, it has been a historic moment that will NEVER be forgotten. �An African American, a eloquent, level headed, intelligent, sensitive, well liked man- we have not had that EVER. �The people worked very hard at a grass roots level to make �this happen. � I am shocked as are lots of us that we have been so lucky! �He has a lot on his shoulders but i think if anyone can do it, he can! �We have to be patient and as he said, willing to sacrifice. �Jobs are really suffering and many people we know.

Health Elixers- Vietnamese Style

I must admit to a goulish fascination with these health elixers....all preserved in rice liquor...i will will usually try most things but these are on the NO WAY list!!

Leonie at a local market- it was full of tasty morsels we did taste...

off to see what Khanh has organized for tonight's yummy dinner- bye

Ba Be Lake - Vietnam Sketching Tour

Ba Be :Lake and a glorious day boating....and sketching

Rice Harvest time so plenty of interest and activity in the fields...
The patient and enthusiastic Leonie Norton our wonderful tutor and some of our group on their first open air sketch...

12.11.08
Straight onto the plane and off to Vietnam….I am ssssssssssssooooooooooooo lucky to be here again, and that is also the response of the group I am sharing the experience with- happy and privileged to be here.
My roll is simply co-ordinating a Sketching tour, which means I am almost having a holiday.
Leonie Norton is our tutor and doing a wonderful job sharing her skills and expertise about sketching and Khanh our guide looks after all the details[including organizing the most wonderful means]…so we trundle along together, find something appealing, pull out our stools or a nearby rock and catch the moment in a sketch.
Most of the participants are quiet new to this [so am I , drawing is not a forte of mine], yet even after 2 days on the road we can all see improvements in our work and spending time together looking at and discussing each other’s work is really giving us some more insight for improvement.
As Leonie points out though, if you only talk, don’t practice -nothing changes…so I am off to do a quick sketch before breakfast….the view from our balcony is of rice fields, small cottages, water buffalo and banana tress framed by mystical mountains…..hmmm- thank you universe…this is close to heaven!