Hey everybody! This is a reminder that you can easily subscribe to AsiaSteps.com to receive posts via RSS feed or directly to your email. The process is painless and it’s a great way to get notified when we actually publish new posts instead of needing to check the site each time to see if there’s anything new.

As our trip is coming up within less than one month, we’ll be writing more frequently. Simply click on the Subscribe: RSS Reader or Email link at the top of the right column to join the many other subscribers to AsiaSteps.com!

I just found out that protesters have taken over the 2 airports in Bangkok and they’re now shut down and thousands of travelers have been stranded. A state of emergency has been declared by the Thai government.

I hope this all blows over, peacefully, by the time we plan on visiting Thailand in 2009! We’ll be following this situation closely.

At the top of this page you’ll see a very nice water buffalo staring at you. He (or she, hard tell from the angle) has been staring at you for over a year now, since we first launched AsiaSteps.com in October, 2007. We know our readers have very strong opinions and so we’re giving you the opportunity to shape the direction of this blog. Please respond to our reader poll which will determine the fate of Mr. Buffalo!

Online Surveys powered by SurveyGizmo

In case you missed last year’s post about great airfare deals in New York’s Chinatown it’s worth another mention this time around. This is the third year in a row that we’ve been customers of Wa Minh Travel on Grand Street. It’s still run by Happy but her cousin, Susan, is no longer in the office with her. However, the deals are still there and they’re about as good as one can expect with today’s taxes and high gas prices.

Tamar got a round trip ticket to HCMC, Vietnam on Japan Airlines for $1,440 including taxes and the additional $70 for weekend travel (both ways) with only 1 stop over in Tokyo. This fare was on sale for a limited time and would normally cost over $1,800. The taxes alone are over $700, half the price of the entire ticket. FYI: Weekend travel is Friday to Monday and costs an extra $35 each way if travel begins on one of these days.
Continue Reading »

When one thinks of V-Day we think of the good old days when the US was the undisputed victor of major wars, fought relatively quickly, and in multiple theaters around the world. For the Americans, The Vietnam War was the exact opposite.

At the same time that Tamar was on a business call with her client in Ho Chi Minh City, I was watching a documentary on National Geographic about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington DC. The memorial was designed by Maya Lin and I saw another documentary about the preparation and construction of the monument several years ago. This documentary, however, was equally fascinating and in some ways even more touching to watch.
Continue Reading »

This year, our trip to Asia will be prefaced by a month long stay in HCMC. I have accepted a job in Ho Chi Minh City at a mobile content company called Mobile Solution Services (MSS). I am super excited!! I already have my plane ticket, housing in the city (thanks to Aryeh) and plans to meet with friends in Vietnam. This will be my first time in Vietnam not as a tourist and I am eager to find out what everyday life is like.

A real added bonus to working in tech while in Asia is being able to skip NY winter. I am dilligently researching beach options. Mmmm, I can almost taste that fruit shake!

At the end of my project with MSS, Kevin will come and meet me in HCMC where we will start our trip to Singapore, north Thailand and the islands. We are both so psyched!