Express Yourself More Freely

I watched this video of Aileen on Youtube today about how we should not worry and feel too bad about others' feelings to the point that we don't get to live and express ourselves freely. She brought up some valid points that I have been experiencing in my life. I've contained myself from freedom of expression to the point that I now realize it's kind of difficult for me to authentically express myself because many times I would worry that it would make others feel sad, etc. I have been working on expressing myself better, finding a balance between expressing myself freely and thinking of how it would affect others. In the end, I got to make myself happy. Everyone has a voice and we are all free to express our thoughts so why not? 

Warm Lemon Water

Good morning, sunshine!

I want to share a very simple routine I have been sticking to that I find highly beneficial for our body. That is, drinking a glass of warm lemon/lime water every morning when we wake up. Warmer water helps extract the polyphenols and Vitamin C from the lemon or lime. I personally use lime, but that is because it is easier to find in the market here in Vietnam. Both have very similar benefits so which ever is your liking will work fine. You can also drink this throughout the day too. If you are not very fond of the taste, you can add a little bit of honey.

What works for me is drinking about 500ml of water in the morning, do light movements or exercises and have breakfast 15-30 minutes later. The lemon water will flush all of the toxins through our body out and make room for a new day. Try it out and make it a routine if it works for you too.




https://www.msn.com/en-in/health/nutrition/the-right-way-to-drink-lemon-water-for-maximum-benefits-according-to-a-nutritionist/ar-AAzjDrN

Ask the Universe

So for the past month, I made a few amazing discoveries. I will share with you one thing right now, because I know you can benefit from it right away. This all started when one day, I saw in a Youtube video this person gave us the advice that we should ask the universe a question every night. In that same day, I met another person that also gave me that same advice! Twice in one day! I took it as the universe is trying to send me a clear message here as I might not listen the first time. She said pay attention to my dreams that night or the next night to see if I see any hints to my question. If not, within the next 2 weeks, I should see signs in my everyday life. We can ask the same question every night, or we can ask a different question every night. Honestly, I did try to analyze my dreams every morning after waking up and see how it could relate to my question, but I guess I need a clear sign for me to understand or even see it. However, I do see that slowly, there are new opportunities and positive energies surrounding and within me. How I see it is, when we ask the universe a question, we are sending our intentions into the universe and naturally the energies will start to align for us as we are making a conscious intention on it. Try it!

Every night, I have learned that you are not to stress or worry when you are laying on your pillow. That is the time for positive thinking. Stresses and worries are for daytime when the sun is out. Stressing at night makes the problems seem bigger than they really are. So I use that time to think about all the things I am grateful for, all the good deeds I did that day, and I finish with asking the universe a question. Thinking about all the good deeds is a good track keeper for the nights when you have trouble thinking of 3 or more. For me, that reminds me to make a conscious effort to help others daily. I learned this method from Michael Roach, author of "The Diamond Cutter". I have not read that book (although that is his most popular book), but I have read his book, "Karma of Love", which I highly recommend if you are looking for ways to improve opportunities and relationships for yourself and your loved ones. You can share this routine with your family, especially kids. It can be like a nightly ritual in the family. I hope you find this helpful!

Increased Luggage Limit by Vietnam Airlines

Hi, Sunshine!
If you have flown through any of the Vietnamese airlines, such as VietJet, JetStar, and Vietnam Airlines, you know that the maximum weight limit for carry-on luggage is 7kg and checked luggage is purchased separately. Well, great news! Vietnam Airlines has boosted their max carry-on limit to 12kg, as well as 1 free checked luggage of 23kg for flights in Vietnam, Australia, Northeast Asia, and Europe, and two 23kgs checked luggage for flights to and from Japan and North America. This applies for economy class passengers. For premium flights, the allowance is extended even more. If you intend to fly often or overseas with Vietnam Airlines, I recommend signing up for their free Lotus Miles membership so that you could collect your miles on there and reap in the extra benefits. Vietnam Airlines is classified as the 5-star Vietnamese airline so you are guaranteed a standard of quality when you fly.







Sources:

https://www.vietnamairlines.com/vn/en/travel-information/baggage/prepaid-baggage

English:
https://saigoneer.com/vietnam-travel/16900-vietnam-airlines-increases-carry-on-weight-limit-from-7kg-to-12kg?fbclid=IwAR30cPbUN17YUiNj-71H0xO22s7yYlHkfOo9em8kKOnjr-GLlbOqzHJcvjY

Vietnamese:
https://bestie.vn/2019/07/hanh-khach-duoc-xach-hanh-ly-12-18kg-len-may-bay-thay-vi-7kg?fbclid=IwAR0jj6MBq2GTxxjQcyLqgrzmHJkCr1TaHviV0bQlilVcFHtiE5MpPZoX2ho

Green Smoothies in Saigon

Good afternoon Sunshine!

Do you like healthy smoothies? I do! Since I am not great on eating my vegetables, I supplement by enjoying a fresh green smoothie every now and then. This place has been my favorite and my trusty go-to, Green-O. My favorite drink is "Ve Dep Toa Sang" which translates roughly to Radiant Beauty. It has avocado, banana, spinach, celery, ginger, and honey. On their website, when viewing in English mode, the smoothie is called "Ginger Green". They blend every thing fresh from when you place your order and always advise you to drink within 3 hours for best quality. I have left mine in the fridge for 1 day before, and although it's not as best as when it was first made, it was still good. 

Before, the smoothies would come in these plastic bottles, and I felt they were too nice to only use once and throw away so I kept saving them, but then I ended up with too many and still had no use for them. Time to give them away for recycled use. 

Why did I mention their plastic bottles? Because they now have the option of paying an extra 8k (~$0.30) for a glass bottle!!!!! And they look so nice! Honestly, the smoothies tastes so much better in the glass bottles. Makes me wonder if the plastic had gotten into the smoothie some during delivery with this Saigon heat. Very possible. Oh yes, you can order in store, store shipping or on Delivery Now, a food delivery service. On D'Now, you'll add in the notes during checkout that you would like to switch to the glass bottles. Don't forget or you'll get the plastic bottles like I did once. D'Now normally have deals where you get free shipping so you save time and Grab transportation fees by having your food shipped to your door! :) New post idea! I'll write more on this in a later post.

Anyways, back to the glass bottles. I get so excited when I touch them! The glass just feels so nice! The bottles are 8k each, but you can save them and once you have 10, you get to trade them in and get 1 free 500ml green smoothie. Their 500ml green smoothies are about 85k, so with 10 bottles at 8k each, you pay 80k, but trade in and get 85k worth. See the upside here? I hope you do because that's such a deal. We benefit our health by drinking from glass rather than plastic, and we contribute to saving the environment too!

One major detail I must add is that the fruits and vegetables they use are VietGap grade or organic. VietGAP (Vietnamese Good Agricultural Practices) means they are of high quality standard. Much more guaranteed cleanliness than the produce you buy in the street markets and if you are eating/drinking the greens raw, you got to be careful about where you buy them.

They also have packages you can sign up for, and they will ship to you everyday. Personally, I just order on D'Now, but I figured I should add this detail in case you are interested.

Enjoy!

https://greeno.vn/

https://www.facebook.com/greenosinhtorausach/

416A1 Hai Ba Trung, Tan Dinh Ward, Distict 1, HCM 

Why Live in Vietnam

Good day, Sunshine!

I read a Vietnamese article earlier today, and Vietnam is highlighted as one of the Top 10 countries for foreigners to live! Here are the 8 reasons why, directly translated:

Job opportunities: Vietnam's rapid and stable economic growth has created millions of new jobs. Jobs in education, finance, banking or information technology are very open to you. The only important thing is that you need to use English.

High income: According to the HSBC Expat Explorer survey, if you want to earn six-figure salary (USD), go to Vietnam! In particular, 15% of foreigners in Vietnam earn more than $ 250,000 a year, compared with the global average of only 7%.

Low cost of living: Foreigners can live a comfortable life in Vietnam with a moderate expenditure because the prices of goods and services are relatively cheap compared to most other countries in the world.

Rich cultural diversity: 64% of foreigners in Vietnam say this is a place with a very diverse culture.

Friendly and open people: Although many years of fierce war history have passed, the Vietnamese still keep hospitality and generosity for international people. Vietnamese people are skillful, approachable and enthusiastic, have a demand for progress and optimism.

 A peaceful country: Compared to some neighboring countries in the region, Vietnam seems safer to live and work.

The weather is relatively pleasant: Vietnam has a climate difference between the North, Central and South. It means that in a year there will always be an area with very nice weather.

Amazing natural landscape: Vietnam is famous for its many attractive and inspiring tourist attractions with countless beautiful beaches, cool highlands with fresh lakes and streams.

I'd say these reasons are pretty accurate of Vietnam, besides the fact that 15% of expats in Vietnam earn more than $250,000, because I didn't know that. I can see how that is true though. With the economy advancing, many companies in Vietnam require foreigners expertly specialized in that profession to hold high or top positions. That way, the company would excel to an international level of standard. Another job many expats take on is teaching English or teaching in English. Vietnamese parents are willing to pay thousands of US dollars to provide their children a proper English education. To have a proper English education, you would need.....? You guessed it! A native English speaking teacher! Therefore, the demand is high. I will go into further details on how/what regarding being an English teacher in a later post. 

I must add to this list another reason why I love living in Vietnam: It's so affordable to travel here! In Saigon, I can be at the beach and up in the mountains within an hour! The flight to Da Lat is about 30 minutes. Seriously. Shortest flight time I have ever been on. From Saigon, I can fly to Da Nang in 45 minutes. Now do note this is the actual time on the plane from take off to landing. Airport time adds an extra hour or two. If I don't feel like flying, I can get to Vung Tau Beach by car in 1.5 hrs. If I want to go international, tickets are just as much or even less than flying from state to state in the US and flight time is little to get to the other Southeast or East Asian countries. So I should say, I love it for the opportunities to experience. 

Of course there are pros and cons to every place we live. Do your research, weigh your options, be prepared for any scenarios, and lastly, go experience because you will never know until you try. 

Source: http://genk.vn/singapore-bi-danh-bat-khoi-vi-tri-quoc-gia-dang-song-nhat-hanh-tinh-viet-nam-nam-trong-top-10-20190705103530409.chn