In the city where space is considered a luxury, a cautious consumer chooses their vehicle wisely. This was the second smart fortwo I seen while in Ho Chi Minh. What I like about this photo pertains to the fortwo being parked on the sidewalk. That's right: that whole stretch of tile is the sidewalk. Granted that a pool of motobikes are also parked there as well, the fortwo is not too far out of place.

            This scene is just wonderful: a roadside vendor has her inventory of shoes cleverly arranged for those passing by. Wow! That's a lot of dedication to for arranging the shoes, nonetheless concluding her display at the end of the day.

In a city with a population surpassing 8.42 million, buildings must often turn to vertical constructions rather than horizontal. This is an example of two buildings within the city, where they are longer than they are wide. Some buildings have their primary windows facing the street as to provoke those passing by that they are a well suited business or hotel, only for visitors to find the interior to be cramped and lacks the availability of seeing the outside world.

            Ah, more skinny trees. The little thin one is on its way to become thriving like its fellow companions. 

            This large ad is showing four flavours of Nescafé for the Vietnamese audience. Flavours include: Extra Rich, Expresso Roast, Latte, and Café Việt.

            Upon arrival at the Tower, my peers and I each bought a ticket to the Skydeck on the 49 floor. The ticket price equivalent to $8.80 USD. There was a second ticket option as well, for a higher price, and that took you one floor above and included a beer sampling with a cheese tasting. We purchased the tickets upfront, then they immediately stamped it accordingly. We were ushered towards the elevator just prior to having a group photo taken in front of a green screen which we found out later would show our group "in front" of the scenic Tower, on the Skydeck, among other options to purchase as a souvenir.

            On the roof top of the Takashimaya department store, these three flamingos frozen were in time preforming the Hokey Pokey. I arrived later in the afternoon, but you can see they have stage lights at their feet to showcase their performance even in the evening. =)

            Behind this barricade is the development of a new subway system for the city. It may be ready by 2020? Another entrance under construction was placed by the opera house. The city is investing in these underground subway systems as a means to more efficiently transport people across parts of the city in efforts to reduce the amount of congestion caused by motobikes and cars. Some of my classmates wondered if locals will flock to this new form of transportation when many already have their own personal motobike. Of course it's a tradeoff and this will likely also implement a parking lot, but this can also help to reduce the traffic blockades from city and tour busses roaming through the streets. Time will tell and show the results.

   

            I really like this photo for many reasons and the next. For instance, to an extent it look staged yet I assure you it was caught at the right moment. From the young lady in the bottom left sharing a laugh with her friends to the dinner at the adjacent table dining with her friend and everyone else with their roles in the background, this is a postcard-ready photo. This photo was taken in the food court area of the "Underground market" which occupied quite a portion of the building floor. There were more food booths around the corner; I believe over 80 options to choose from.

            This stamp combination will send a postcard from Vietnam to the US. ₫15,000 is equal to around 66¢ (US). In comparison, an international stamp from the post office will mail a one ounce letter abroad from the U.S. for $1.43 to the series of selected counted by the USPS.

            Returning back into the city, there is always something neat to see outside of the window. Here are some colourful buildings with an opportunity for Korean BBQ.

            Oi! A jumbled mess of powerline cables. In a city so compact, this is bound to happen.

            A wide view showing both sides of channel. I'm unaware of the significance of the flag, but I admit it gives this photo a certain hint of being in an urban setting especially with the tones of the rising buildings.

            There is a channel that runs through the city of Ho Chi Minh. This particular morning we were delighted to see a display of oversized faux lotus flowers in the water. They were attached to one another on a string like a child's pull-along toy.

            Next door to the "Black Market," was a night-life bar featuring this metal display. In the center of the "O" you can see my peer, Hannah.

            Here is an artistic play on real and faux stairs. Only the bottom set of stairs is actually usable.

A man is picking up trash on the streets. Thank you! We learned a business owns, or at least is responsible for, the sidewalk in front of their business which includes taking care of the litter. Instead of sweeping it up and putting it in the garbage bin, people will literally sweep it onto the street, because when it's on the streets it becomes the problem of the government.

            I can't recall the name of this department store. One of the classmates dubbed it as the "Black Market [of Ho Chi Minh City]. That's a total exaggeration of course. What she meant was this department store held a variety of great, and less expensive, deals of clothing. Many of which were of higher quality than compared to the market by our hotel.

            Green tea with crystalized ginger! Yum! The crystalized ginger has a firm bite to it. It's neither bitter nor tough; I would say the slightly bland flavour was similar to biting into a raw egg noodle.

            The Chợ Bến Thành was a fun place for my peers and I to shop at. This warehouse sized building is of course catering to the spending habits of tourists, so be cautious not to over spend. I found many things in this center to be interesting, although I quickly noticed only 25% of the stands were actually unique. Otherwise, the same stand selling the same products is just relocated in another part of the building and ran by different people. Almost all of the vendors bartered with you. There is a grand deal of knock-off and counterfeit items, ranging from U.S. brands of clothing to luxury watches and handbags. This may seem like a fun opportunity to purchase yourself a new "Birkin," but you should weigh the options of supporting this type of trade and the aftermath it has on the global market in addition to where these items come from.