Sydney Annual Dinner

The 9th or 10th Ex-Kiwis Annual Dinner was held last night at Maxim's in Bankstown - Sydney on the occasion of Dr Trinh Khanh Tuoc's (of Massey University) visit to Sydney for a Conference. We also had the visit of Victor Vu Phuong Diem of the ADB in Manila on a stop-over on the way back to Wellington for his annual leave. This year for the first time, Dinh Quang Kiem and Dinh Quang Lam (sons of the late Mr Dinh Quang Chinh of South Vietnam's Embassy) participated in the dinner, somewhat actively as Kiem helped us to raise fund for the Vietnam scholarship at the dinner. The money collected will be handed over to Chinh when Hao goes to Vietnam later this month on business.

After the dinner, the party went to Hao's new place of residence for coffee and che`. A heated debate followed as "Trà Dư Tửu Hậu" in a constructive manner on Viet politics. But what is worth reporting is BIA Mông Cổ (Mongolian Beer) which may very soon become popular and fashionable in Vietnam:

An ex-kiwi went to Vietnam for business as usual last month. After work, he was invited to go to a Bia Mông Cổ gathering at a local restaurant (Quán nhậu) in the province of Vinh Long (near the site of the My Thuan Bridge under construction). What the hell is Bia Mông Cổ, he wondered. But soon he found out to his satisfaction (?) that as Bia Ôm has been prohibited by the Bí Thư Tỉnh Ủy, a new variety of Beer (or drinking beer to be exact) has been formulated. That is the restaurant waitress is no longer allowed to sit next to the patron for him to o^m whilst sipping beer - but she must stand beside him and let him o^m mo^ng whilst her hand will caress and embrace the patron's neck (cổ). Hence the name Bia Mông Cổ.

Want to try Bia Mông Cổ ????

Till the next time, bye for now.

W