Usaj Realty had an interesting problem: how do you say Usaj? The pronunciation is “you say.” We decided to use it as a tagline – “You say – we listen.” It describes them well.

If you need real estate experts in downtown or the Highlands, Jenny and Tony Usaj are it. Or if you need an identity, contact us. Having done logo design for 30 years, we know what we’re doing!

Now, can somebody help me down?

Grover

Drew Domoto, Domoto LLC

There’s a new face in the office, Drew’s his name, and his company Domoto Brands LLC works side-by-side with our team to provide all of Mark’s clients with sustainable development and social responsibility solutions. When Mark and Drew are talking I hear fancy words like corporate responsibility reports, branded sustainability communication platforms, Global Reporting Initiative, and stakeholder engagement strategies. I may be a dog, but even I know what all this means – good business! And there’s no better time to build competitive advantage around these things than the present.

Don’t just take my word for it (even though I did graduate from obedience school with flying colors), give Mark a call and learn more about adding sustainable value to your business!

Gracey

Grover here reporting from England. Well, not really, but I do have some big news from the British Isles.

Our newest designer, Jon Lambert, is British born and trained and is really adding some excitement to our studio. Jon was educated at the Surrey Institute of Art & Design and has worked in some of England’s finest design studios. He was selected for D&AD talent pool as one of the best emerging talents in design! His background includes; logo/branding, packaging, advertising and annual reports.

Some might call me barmy, but most studios would bite their arm off to get such brill talent. Well, time for a good nosh up of bangers and mash and Bob’s Your Uncle.

Sorry, I slipped into English English there.

Cheerio, Grover

I’m tired. Here at Mark Mock Design we just finished six annual reports for diversified industries such as technology, mining and medical care. And not only print but web-based annuals too.

One we are particularly proud of is TW Telecom. Their theme was “Breaking away from the pack.” We chose an image of Secretariat winning Belmont by 31 lengths! Great visual for a great year.

A lot of traveling to the East Coast for printing. Why the East Coast, you ask? Well, most companies do their distribution through Broadridge in New Jersey. Printing locally means either high shipping costs or five days on the road. It just makes sense.

I’m going to go lie down. If Grover gets back from the Catskills he’ll be taking back the blog.

Toodles from this doodle.

Gracey

Gracey and Quincy here.

While Grover is vacationing we have taken over the blog. Big news! We are doing some dynamite Power Point presentations. The new Power Point software finally allows designers to shine. Now the designer can use his or her talents and the files are fully editable for the client. Best of both worlds. If you do Power Point presentations you owe it to yourself and your company to see what these guys are up to. We may be just dogs but there is nothing dog-like in what these designers can do for your presentation!

They just finished a beauty for Advanced Energy and have just bid a job for a university with an assignment to produce over 3000 slides!

We thought we would throw you this bone. Just remember a Power Point can come alive if our designers are involved.

One thing that came up in our conversation was the age of typefaces. Like most typecats, I assumed typefaces have only been around for 50 years or so. Not so. Some of the faces we use today have a long and rich history. I won’t go into their design history right now but I thought you, the reader, would be interested in the approximate date that these faces were originally used. For example:

Jenson: 1470
Garamond: 1615
Caslon: 1734
Bookman: 1850
Times: 1929
Helvetica: 1957

You Word users know Helvetica as Arial. Hoffmann designed Helvetica and named it after his native country, Helvetia (Switzerland). Rather than pay for the rights it was slightly changed and renamed Arial. I highly suggest the film of the same name, Helvetica, if you wish to learn more about this prolific typeface.

That’s all for today. I am considering a brief sabbatical to the Catskills or, if the kitty is big enough, maybe Katmandu. While away my able-bodied, feeble-minded assistants Gracey and Quincy will be taking over.

Hanoi was my last stop; seven weeks were coming to a close. I had thought I would spend more time in other areas of Vietnam, so I was left with too many days in Hanoi, but not enough to be able to go somewhere else either. Which was okay; I just took it a little slower here. The majority of my time was spent wandering around, going further outside the center of Hanoi, and just filling in the gaps that I’d missed from the first time I was here.

Also, I got to get a little better glimpse into everyday Vietnamese life. Six weeks earlier, when Matt and Joel and I were in Hanoi, I was approached by a young Vietnamese girl named Nham, who was going to college in Hanoi and was wanting help improving her English by talking to someone who spoke English (I also got the feeling that she was also looking for a husband, but that’s beside the point).

So I met up with Nham when I came back to Hanoi, and she showed me around her school and her dorm and introduced me to some of her friends. I got to see more of the everyday Vietnam, and she was able to work on her English. I was glad that I decided to meet up with her, as I was able to get a glimpse into the ordinary Vietnamese life which I wouldn’t have been able to see otherwise.

The best of times and the worst of times

I have to say that the worst part of my trip was definitely being sick. There is nothing that sucks more than being sick while traveling—knowing you’re halfway across the world but stuck in bed. I’ll also admit that there were many times when all I wanted was to go home. But I know that the bad times are all part of the experience. And what fun would it be without some troubles as well?

But it turns out, when you aren’t sick, traveling is awesome, so the last part of my trip was great. To be honest, I could’ve easily spent another 7 weeks, or even longer, abroad.

So what was the best part, you may ask? Well, honestly I don’t think that anything was able to top Angkor (see my Siem Reap entry if you forgot about this). It really was incredible. And now reflecting back on it, it was awesome, in the true sense of the word. I would have to place it up there as one of the coolest places I have ever visited. Not only for the beautiful architecture or the unbelievable scale of the undertaking (even by today’s standards), but also just the atmosphere of the place. Wandering around a temple in the middle of the jungle, with the rain sprinkling down and mist lingering through the trees, it’s truly hard to describe. It was almost like I was in a dream.

Taking a look back

Looking back, I have experienced quite a bit in my time here; many things that I knew I would, and many things that were just those great little surprises along the way.

I’ve travelled just about every different possible way. I’ve flown on planes, slept on trains, gotten seasick on boats and ferries, been ripped-off in many a taxi and tuk-tuk, crammed on buses and vans, hopped on and off numerous songtheaus, weaved through traffic on motos, shifted gears on bicycles, sat shotgun in cyclos, and covered countless miles by foot.

I’ve eaten many different types of food, sometimes having no clue what I was getting and just going with it. There were those fruits and vegetables that I didn’t recognize and will probably never see again. And there were those mystery foods I bought for pennies from vendors on the streets. Or the mystery condiments I found on all the tables, including the awful shrimp paste (affectionately called Viet Cong teargas by American troops during the war). And this being Asia, I’ve had rice in all its forms, from sticky to soft, rice paper to rice milk, and just about every imaginable type of rice noodles. Any let’s not forget that time in Thailand when I ate what I think were maggots.

But I have to say that the thing that surprised me the most about my whole trip was just how many people spoke English, and at the same time, how few people did. Just when I thought that everyone spoke English, I would turn a corner only to be involved in a 5-minute game of charades. It also surprised me how friendly some people could be, and just how unfriendly and cold other people would seem. But just like anywhere in the world, not everyone is the same, and that is what makes it interesting.

A new perspective

Given the fact that my plane would be getting in the night before Thanksgiving, I took some time to reflect on the things that I am thankful for. There are certainly quite a few, but I would like to share a few of them with you.

I am thankful for cheeseburgers, soft mattresses, and carpet. I am thankful for emissions tests and non-smoking areas. I am thankful that the seasons don’t all consist of different degrees of hot, and I am thankful that if I am thirsty, I can go to the nearest faucet and drink directly from it, without making friends with the local parasites. And lastly, I am thankful for that wonderful Colorado blue sky!

But despite all of the little things, I am thankful that I have the resources (and the time off of work!) to be able to travel to the other side of the world, see new things, and get out of my comfort zone. I’m glad that we aren’t all the same, so that I can experience these different foods, cultures, people, and places, in all their brilliant (and sometimes drab) colors. And I have a new perspective on how good we have it. Do not be mistaken: we truly are fortunate.

That is the great part about traveling. Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand aren’t just some strange names on the other side of the world anymore. I know a little bit more about our world, and that gives me a new perspective on everything. I even understand my home country more, and I appreciate what we have here.

But above all of the things I’m thankful for, I am most grateful for my family and friends, and that wonderful, warm feeling of being home. I missed these things the most, and it’s nice to have them again. I had mixed feelings leaving here, but it is good to be home.

The Imperial City

Hue is the old Imperial city of Vietnam, so it has plenty of history. There is still quite a bit of the Citadel that remains, which is all surrounded by 40 foot walls. And inside the Citadel is the Imperial City, with it’s own walls and gates (it’s kind of like a Citadel within a Citadel).

In the area surrounding Hue, there are also many tombs of the old emperors, who seemed to spend most of their lives doing little politically, plenty with their concubines, and planning and designing their tombs. Despite their lack of doing much constructively, their work on their tombs shows, because they really were very amazing.

Flooding

Remember how I said that Central Vietnam has the majority of its rain this time of year? Well, of all the cities in the region, Hue is the worst of the bunch. It is notorious for bad weather all year. But being the rainy season, it has even more rain than usual now. In fact,  don’t think that I’ve seen the sky since the Mekong Delta, about two weeks before.

And with rain comes flooding. Lots of it. Many of the streets were partially or fully flooded, so I had to either take detours or wade through water. There were even areas where people brought out their boats and rowed down the street. It could have been worse, though. I heard that 2 days after I got here, the flooding in Hoi An had gotten so bad that it was 2 to 3 feet in places. I guess I left there just in time.

Getting my feet wet

And despite the flooding, at least I had my hiking sandals. I can hike in them and they are good for walking as well. But unlike shoes, I can also wade through the water with them. And this being Southeast Asia, there are plenty of times when wading is a necessity.

Honestly, I think that these type of sandals are the best way to go in Southeast Asia. They certainly came in handy with all the raining, and I got plenty of use out of them in Saigon and and Angkor Wat as well. I haven’t even worn my shoes or socks since the flight from Denver. I also have a nice sandal tan on my feet, with patches of brown tanned skin and large strips of pale skin where the sandal straps were. I had thought about just leaving my shoes here, to save room in my bag, but it turns out I’m cheap and I have trouble throwing things out. Thanks, Mom.

Cycling around town

I rented a bicycle two of the days here, and this was a nice way to see the city. I could get from one place relatively quickly, but I still had the freedom of being on my own, so I could stop whenever I wanted. Of course, I was a little nervous going out in the crazy Vietnam traffic, as the bikes go on the road, right there with the motos and cars. But I got the hang of it pretty quickly, and I am certainly a much better biker now than I was before.

Most of my time on the bike consisted of getting lost (mostly on purpose, but not always). I went around the old center of town, inside the walls of the Citadel. And other than the main attraction here, which was the Imperial City, there was only one tourist in this area: me.
I got of lot of curious stares and many friendly smiles, but everywhere it was clear that they don’t see many people that look like me. This area had no English and no real sights, but plenty of culture. I thought of it as a place where nothing was interesting, and yet everything was interesting at the same time. I liked Hue.

Hoi An was one of the largest ports in Southeast Asia, and the town made a killing in the spice trade about 1000 years ago. And up until the end of the 18th century it was still an important center of trade with Europe, China, India, America, and Japan. So Hoi An has a very interesting mix of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and Western cultures.

Hoi An was named an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, and I can see why. The town has remained virtually untouched for over 200 years, and if you ignore all the motorbikes, tailor shops and tourists, it feels like you’ve gone back in time. And because of all of the different cultural influences, the town has a nice blend of cultures and architecture.

Takin’ it to the streets

Hoi An was tiny – you could walk across it in about 15 minutes. But every street and every alley has something interesting to see. Most of these streets have the ubiquitous “You buy some-ting?” people outside every shop, but there are also a lot of areas that can seem relatively undiscovered, and you can spot something new and unusual (and devoud of all of the annoyance of the souvenir stores and tailor shops). So I did a lot of wandering here, getting lost, and stumbling upon these little things at every turn.

I visited Japanese houses, Chinese meeting halls, and Vietnamese markets. I wandered down innumerable small alleys and sat at small parks with locals in silence. I saw a traditional dance and music performance and I visited a local wood-carving village. And last (but certainly not least), I stuffed myself here, eating many of the local specilties, including fried wontons, shrimp dumplings, and a noodle dish that is only made from water from a specific local well.

Banh mi!

I also found the exact banh mi shop that was featured on Anthony Bourdain’s show on the Food Network. From my source on the internet that found this place, they claimed it was the best banh mi in the world. I don’t know if I would’ve gone that far, but it was pretty damn good. I made sure to take a mental note, to improve my own version of it when I get home. And if you don’t know about banh mi, then you really need to find out. It’s amazing.

Although the one thing that this sandwich was lacking (and many other dishes in Southeast Asia, for that matter), were vegetables. Many of the dishes here have a lot less vegetables that I had expected; it’s mainly meat and rice, with a sprinkling of green. I never thought I’d say this, but I’m getting tired of all the meat and carbs. I need some vegetables!

The Mekong Delta

After a flight to Ho Chi Minh City, I went south to the city of Can Tho. This is the largest city in the Mekong Delta, where everything goes a little slower. There were almost all Vietnamese people here; in most places I was the only whitey in sight. I was the only person on my bus that spoke English, and many places that I went to involved a lot of pointing.

Wasted days

Two of the days I spent here I think were wasted. The first day, I hired a driver to drive me to the nearby town of Soc Trang, that I had heard had some really cool Khmer temples. Turns out, I was misinformed. After an ass-numbing 90-minute moto ride I got there and thought “Is this it?” Turns out it was. There were a few more temples to go to, but they really didn’t add that much. I was really just ready to go back to Can Tho, but I was also putting off another hour and a half on the back of that motorbike, so I took my time.

The second day I was sick again, and I spent 99% of the time laying in bed, throwing up, and generally feeling sorry for myself. Hopefully, the third time’s a charm and I don’t get sick anymore here in Vietnam. I don’t know for sure why I’ve gotten sick so much, but I think I’ve just picked up some bug/s that I’m not used to.

Kick that dirt off your shoulder

It certainly doesn’t help that it is so dirty here in Southeast Asia. It is extremely different from what you see in America. Restaurants that fail health inspections in the US would pass here with flying colors. Refrigeration is rare at least a street food stalls. Raw meat vendors let meat just sit out, and they routinely use a single knife, for raw meat, fresh veggies, and fruits. I don’t think the concept of cross-contamination made it across the Pacific.

I’ve eaten at numerous places and watched rats scamper across the floor while my face is halfway into a bowl of noodles. And over half the time I get food on the street, it is lukewarm. Food is made, and if no has come to buy it yet, it gets cold. There are no fridges, and no reheating. You get it how you get it. Welcome to the land of warm mayonnaise and cold meats.

And the ground is dirty. Trash is littered on the ground, and many people don’t look for a trash can, because there’s a huge one right at their feet. I’ve put my backpack on the ground when I sit down somewhere (out of habit), and someone will come by and put it on a chair for me. I think that’s why there is such a big deal about feet here. Foot = ground = dirty.

Not a total waste of time

The last day I was here, I took a boat trip through the Delta (I wasn’t feeling 100%, but I wanted to at least see something in the four days I was here). We floated down many of the numerous canals scattered throughout the region, and we also saw two floating markets. The floating markets were cool to see. There were many boats all crowded together, stuffed to the brim with one, or sometimes many different fruits and vegetables.

But the one thing that I wondered was, why bother with the boat? Most of this was stuff that comes from the ground anyways, so why take it all, put it on a boat, then sell it on the river so that someone else can put it on their boat, take it off the boat, and eat it on shore? Didn’t make sense to me. Then again, I guess a lot of things here don’t make sense to me.

Another day spent on the road

After my time here, I took another bus back to Ho Chi Minh City. It took much longer than it should have, because there was flooding in HCMC. In much of the street, the water was about 18 inches deep, but people were still peddling their half-submerged bikes right through it. The motos couldn’t get through it though, so there were hoards of people walking their motorbikes along, until they got to a point where the water wasn’t so deep.

After wading through the bus station and getting a taxi, I got to the train station, where I would take a night train to the beach city of Nha Trang, 10 hours north.