July 2019
July Diary
Breakfast with Edam Said, Rosihan and thiep and Lien.. earned Em du Plum( you are so beautiful) and em oooii which is similar, then to the art gallery for coffee and adding to the group painting. Thought I had lost my wallet at the museum as I bought souvenirs but it was just on top of the case. We had iced lemon juice and coffee then back to the hotel for lunch after checking labels and positioning of work at the gallery. After lunch we went to the Cham museum to look at Cham sculpture another “lost” culture of Vietnam. I enjoyed it and did sketches and asked questions. It was getting hotter so we walked through the sculptures at APEC park with sculptures representing each nation. We went back to the gallery and we were going to an art materials shop but it would have been closed by the time we got there. We decided to walk back to the hotel ( Said, Pandy, Rosihan and me) and we did the abbey rd photo under Rosihan’s urging) then stopped off at Viacom mal for icecream, and drink ( at Jollibees, a phillipine chain) and went to a k-mart type shop for t shirts and souvenirs, walked across the roundabout( think I actually approve of Vietnamese traffic as it seems so random but it just flows easily and there is no real aggression apart from the odd horn tooting)A lie down in the hotel before tea introduced to various bigwigs a free night with some drinking, some at the beach . I stayed in my room and did some paintings from the sketches at the museum.
uly 30th Tuesday
Up earl, during the night the floor tiles near the door tore themselves from the floor and lifted to make the floor how feeling and uneven, door hard to open. Did tell the manager( after I helped him chase one of his prize chooks back into a cage. I did moose and Open wide ,had a break here and there and started the rooster bar book, packed up and left room had clear pumpkin soup for lunch egg, fish and another group photo.I walked around the block and then we took the bus back to the gallery and dropped off work then to the Vien Diep hotel and also looked at the video billboard near the river. Decided book I was reading was rubbish… noticed small brown bugs in the bed
July 29th Monday
Didn’t get to sleep late, toss and turn,up early ,Warmish started on Fledgeling then did flying boat.Stopped for hours but worked at times in the heat .Dac Do arrived at Lunch, so happy to see him, finished flying boat so now 4 pieces done. Helped Ming a bit then gathered pieces for b/open wide and moose. 2 heavy rainstorms today, a bit cooler at times but not much change and it is weird to have it bucketing down rain and still be hot. Edam saw a small cobra outside the hotel yesterday and we saw a large frog as well last night. This hotel is in the middle of a new estate with nothing else much built yet so cows goats etc roam on the new blocks and the jungle is trying to come back.
There is no Bed linen on the beds( anywhere) . Finished the Last Kingdom book and started another book by Giles blunt…Had a lovely tea Squid, ginger sauce sweet potato leaf soup and Vietnamese spirits.( Chook chook Kwai) toast! Did some sort of Karaoke with Duong talked to Yohann and Agathe and edam re scarred monkeys, cobras and frogs (.30 off to bed lovely evening breeze but also Mozzies about
July 28th Sunday
Up early and packed for moving.I did my diary and breakfast ,had an iced coffee from up the road, all picked up by bus and Went to new area to work a few km off to a hotel being built in a new estate by the river.It is hot and most people got to work on their canvasses in their rooms or the dining area.The sculptors could work under shade on the “front steps” outside.I was working with Minh and Dinh and Guiseppe a sculptor wood carver.They all worked at ground level but I can’t do that for long. I started on bending the leaves but the combination of bending down to bend the metal in the front gate and the heat didn’t do me any favours. I couldn’t keep going, got red in the face and Minh basically welded the main frame together because I could not. I thought I might have to come home early as had heat stroke today and I am not as good as I had hoped.I did find a few ladders/trestles and that worked better for me . It doesn’t seem to worry the Vietnamese to work at ground level but the bending down made me light headed.)
The temperature varies amazingly but I worked around it with lots of breaks and drinks. I got the leaf piece done today with the help of Minh( ming) a Vietnamese artist and I did most of a small bit ( catch) once it wasn’t proper sun .
I was very worried about how poorly I was coping in the heat but The cost to move my ticket and come home early is the cost of a new ticket.. 740 $ I think I will just try to work my way around the heat by not doing a lot of the activities, it cooled a bit this afternoon but this morning I was crap on legs. Had a nice tea with Dorothea, Rosihan Said and Guiseppe then top room to coo and read til bed
July 27th Saturday
Up early 5.47 did get a message from Marian, and tried to send one. Fine clear morning hot already, Off to the Ba Na Hills today to visit Sunworld.I did think we were just going out into the bush for nature but no we were off to this enormous theme park at the top of the mountains. It really is a big deal with an enormous bus parking area then through to a welcome point the to a cable car which is the longest in the world and goes the highest distance. We climbed probably 3 to 4 km across jungle clad valleys and kept rising and rising There are about 80 cable cars on each run and we went up and up over 4 to 8 valleys( you couldn’t see what was at the top from the bottom) and eventually we came in sight of imitation chateaus, a giant buddha and the bridge held by giant hands. While we were there it just got more and more crowded. There but there was something like 5000 other people there.We walked on the bridge of hands and went up in a cable car apparatus that.we had a lovely lunch at a very impressive buffet area there. We did a group photo and given free time and I heard meet back for another group photo in an hour.I went off to sketch and a rainstorm rolled in
It was a real tropical downpour and water was everywhere. Worst was I had heard the instruction wrong and after much going back and forward I couldn’t find anyone else. People were starting to get off the mountain via the cable car and after looking at the car, at the photo place and back again several times and seeing no one, I got on the cable car and went to the bottom... the car was stopping a number of times due to thunder and lightning and amazing rain. Fine and sunny at the bottom and I called the hotel via the information desk to contact our leader to let them know where I was. They had been looking up top so we finally caught up again..... silly old duffer I am. Still the engineering of the cable car is something you wouldn’t believe... fantastic and it coped with enormous numbers of people and this amazing rain.The front of sunworld is like a Chinese city, giant walls and very impressive.
back to the hotel and had a swim at the beach with Edam Yasmin and PaulHan and swam with Edam ... really interesting. It is like a warm bath which makes it not very refreshing, very salty, lots of people but still ok.Back to hotel for tea and then to “pub” next door for social stuff. I didn’t stay long tiny chairs long table and lots of. Restaurant was lovely food but tiny chairs. I stayed a while but left early to go back to the hotel to pack, read and sleep. Others went to the beach
July 26th Friday.
Fine hot Muggy day. Rushdi Anwar arrived from Chaing Rai Uni in Thailand. He is the other Australian so I have a room mate. I got up early ready to get into the day but no one appeared til 8.00. Breakfast Buffet on 2nd floor with lots of interesting things, Chicken pieces in a sauce, orange cordial Rices, banana leaf wraps ( Vietnamese coffee with condensed milk and luke warm)I talked to Edam and Rosihan then went with Minh to get metal, Valentina came too.( in a taxi).Valentina and her husband own a sculpture Park and gallery in Russia We went to the gallery / museum where our exhibition would be first and I looked at a lovely exhibition of wartime paintings and sketches.We had more coffee ( iced ) with Edam and Yohann and agathe. We then went to an area where there were lots of metal in small shops and Ming basically had a good idea what to pay and where to go.I ordered 5 lengths of 10mm rod for the leaf piece and they cut them up to 3m each on the footpath.WE then went to another shop where they did lots of oxy cutting and they had lots of off cuts. And Me Ming and dinh chose and rummaged for pieces for our individual work. Bags were filled and weighed and they found a man with a rickshaw ( pedalo) who was loaded up with seemingly a ton of metal to take it back to the museum. We waited at the gallery a bit ( the heat the heat) then back to the hotel for lunch on the second floor.After lunch we were given our workshop T shirts ( Blue and Pink) and went by bus to Hoi An. It rained on the way but it was very tropical. We had a tour guide and I could not hear lots… lots of tourists but we went through the town,I met and talked to a young lady ( Minh) who is a teaching assistant and the daughter of the accountant for the project. Her family of kids was also coming with us nearly everywhere. She could speak English well . Edam and me went sketching and people stopped to see I did two pages, messy overworked then we all went to a restaurant where we talked and had lovely food. Back to the hotel for an early night for me.
July 25th Thursday
up early to go to airport,breakfast check in and then sketched til plane. had lots of legroom and a window seat so watched the trip across Australia,Indonesia Timor Borneo and finally to Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh city.Finished book boy swallows universe( very good).Hottish and humid, This was chaotic with people in transit in the same lines as everyone else. Picked up baggage and took it towards domestic terminal but a Vietnam airlines girl said she would see it right. Absolutely enormous numbers getting through customs and lots of things unclear as not a lot of English signage, but seasoned travelers helped and they held the flight to Danang. On a flight to Danang with Mon Thet, not as spacious but only for an hour or so. Met by Duong and staff, met Rosihan, taken to Hotel Vien Diep, ,my own room on 10th floor at front.Sorted stuff and slept ok.
July 24th Wednesday
Fine and cool, start book for workshop, m with kids all morning, drops me off at bus station for gippy shuttle to Mantra hotel near Tulla marine had tea at the hotel,quiet night walked into the streets for a while but back to bed to watch a bit of tv and read
July 23rd Tuesday
Cool and grey, showered overnight and wind, still now, Belinda did 2 flowers, I worked on oculus nearly all panels filled need to weld other side, got tablets, pack bag for tomorrow did Lasagne Lady came and picked up scout trophies, Lynne and Chris packed up exhibition, we watched backroads fishcreek, cats countdown, Caleb arrived
July 22nd Monday
Fine and sunny,lovely day, to melb to see Calder exhibition drop off MacDonnells screen, see madge, home to nap, tea chicken parcels, then veronica mars, Stranger things 2 big bang
July 21st Sunday
Wind came up over night, cloudy and mild, fine sunny afternoon, shopped, M tidied Gallery, I started on Oculus, Lynne does demonstration meet the artist today,about 30 people overall pick up stuff from Derinya,only 2 dogs, 1 cat 2 flowers and a robot and owl left, had stew in toasted sandwiches watched 2 episodes of Prey and 2 big bang
July 20th Saturday
Fine and clear,lovely day, M worked on video and powerpoint, coolish,mowed sculpture garden,talked to robyn re alpaca form, cut out alpaca and painted it, 15 people through, planted cathys bush did frittata for tea watched prey 2 and veronica mars…
July 19th Friday
Cool and clear, do list for wild dogs, gather bits to take to arts centre, meeting with Kerrie 10 .00, M to melb to see madge, the boys didn’t come today, bought folder for old wild dogs format, bought bird food, Finished both seats , put new bit on Plasmacutter, sold keys in the song of C.did slowcooker stew for tea watched Hotel Mumbai, and Hard Quiz and squinters.
July 18th Thursday
Cool and no breeze, haircut, xray for teeth,Tumblegym, Helped with Kids painted second seat, Pilates Pub tea watched last 2 no offence series 2
July 17th Wednesday
Grey and mild, tidied shed , did back of second chair,cut up wood for chair and painted frame, Yvette and Geoff visited ,Julie worked on attaching leaves to peacock, M had kids all day, I helped at 3.00, bought more DWD at Bunnings, did chicken legs in slowcooker, watched hardquiz, Last Leg, No Offence and Juliet Jones
July 16th Tuesday
Grey showery breezy, Belinda did 2 more flowers, M to melb to see Madge, 2 people visited ,I did 2 tall birds, finished the 2 block cats, plasma cutter died, went and bought 12mm rod and got tooth repaired,Caleb home for tea did sausages, watched countdown, hard quiz squinters and elementary
July 15th Monday
No wind milder still grey, M takes May to toy library, The boys worked on the vitamiser and bee I assembled another 10 flowers and did 1 seat backs and 2 cats and a pelican, did a round cat and started 2 block cats, made dentist appt, delivered bull rider and bought 12mm steel, home for recycled lasagna for tea and watched no offence, hard quiz stranger things and 2 big bang wind back and showery
July 14th Sunday
Windy cold and showery, did 2 seat frames, cut out 20 flowers and made 10, assembled scout piece, and turned peas for pods, power went out 6 people visited Lindsay and heather, Rona and Maureen and 2 others,talked and read all afternoon by the fire out for tea at pub, power back on back to watch no offense, cats countdown, squinters and 2 big bang rained and winded lots of night
July 13th Saturday
Windy and cold showery, delivered work to Derinya, home to do a bit in shed, painted phases and moved top bars assembled scout pieces, see paddy and adam price and hunna, M helping K take kids to chitty bang bang, lamb patties for tea, watched no offense, elementary and Last leg
July 12th Friday
Windy and cold showery, did other scout trophy and palm tree, arts trail meeting at 11,home to work on phases, mostly ground and assembled, M takes em back to melb did chicken skewers for tea and watched the avengers endgame
July 11th Thursday
Windy and cold, em and M prepare for mays party tonight, I have 2 buses (15) coming and a man (2), work on finishing bull rider and small parts of big sculpture, did another scout trophy , sold country girl, and mother and child, helped slightly with Mays party, Caleb and bliss as well as em and David.Night of others talking.
July 10th Wednesday
Breezy but mild, M to melb to see madge and pick up em and kids, Julie worked on leaves for peacock, I assembled house boat and took over cat boxes then worked on big piece and plasmacut order,Wrote up several pieces and added to website.did a roast for tea Em home watched Vice( a horrible man) and 2 big bang, rainy and very windy overnight
July 9th Tuesday
Cool and grey, M car to go in, M to help k and may to shop at morwell,, Belinda did 2 flowers, I started new big piece slices, did an echidna and 2 cat boxes, wayne visited,replaced mig gas, bought wire and rods and plywood, vacuumed and tidied, did sausages for tea watched stranger things, cats countdown,Robbie hood and big bang 1
July 8th Monday
Rained overnight, mild and grey, showers and cool at times, 2 characters completed made floating world and house boat, assembled vase piece and love where you live, did 2 owls and a pelican and did, ians frame, The 3 boys worked on a vitamiser and a bee, 4 people visited,did mushroom chicken for tea watched hard quiz, the planets and no offense
July 7th Sunday
Grey and mild showers later, Longwarry market, worked on small pieces (assembled 10) and do 2 bird basket, put lynnes photos up on web,4 people visited sold birdfeeder, did rissoles for tea,watched last no offense and shazam.
July 6th Saturday
Fine and sunny, hot water service died,mowed sculpture garden, assembled 3 cutouts alice( thinking)tropical and content, did the sun for landscape sunrise, tidied the hearts for love where you live did the butterfly wings for speed bonnie boat 2, , 6 people visited, shopped pizza for tea, watched stranger things 3, no offence and elementary
July 5th Friday
Fine and sunny, M to melb to see em and madge, see heart dr at 9.15 No Helen , burned big pile, made 4 characters finished speed bonnie boat,painted more wood bits and assembled bits of sunset,, cut out 4 to 5 plasmacuts, 16 people visited,including Bootes and Mcarthursdid chicken and bacon rolls baked for tea, watched no offence and first Man
July 4th Thursday
Fine and sunny, did video for Lynne exhibition and emails for new show,worked on drifting/ follow your star, and snail, painted more wood pieces, cut out bodies for other characters, 5 people visited, see dr at 2.15 for shots,shopped, home to do tuna bake for tea, watched prey, no offense and hard quiz.
July 3rd Wednesday
Grey but mild, paint more wood pieces, assembled Island sitting cat,,in the bush, collector,mind grandkids,Jules came and did peacock on stand,10 people visited,did writeups for pieces, did frankfurts for tea, watched AdamHills, Prey and no offense
July 2nd Tuesday
Breezy but fine Belinda did a scorpion M to melb to see M I turned more tree tops and cut up more wood and painted everything, Lynne did video and 6 people through,bought metal at Longwarry( 586) took scoll saw to Geoffrey and he made it go again, did kupu paka for tea, watched No offense and Prey and rest of 8 10 cats
July 1st Monday
School holidays, fine and mild, started on, tidying the gallery, making labels for Lynnes work, putting pedestals back and filing spaces, busload of 10 chinese people visited, Paid Jim re fence( 750) Peter arrived to work on harrow,Jim worked on bee wings, I started on wood and nail pieces, 2 more people Grandkids arrived as M took them to allow K time to write essay, assembled star collector and found wood pieces, played then nap,did steak skewers for tea,watched Tom Gleeson, no offense.Windy at night.