We went back to the trade fair yesterday to buy samples to show clients and our financial sponsor. Even though we thought we had slim pickings, we still had some good ones. I also did one interview and that exec gave me one intro to one of the biggest companies in Vietnam. Another interview prospect is still hanging in the air but it could be worth pursuing.

After the trade fair, we hopped to the Factory Outlet where they sell export overruns of foreign brands manufacturing here in Vietnam. I bought Adidas apparel for my sister and Crocs for my girls. My friend bought six pairs of footwear (including the Saucony running shoes she bought near the exhibition center).

This morning, we were awakened by jets flying overhead again. We were shocked to see all the roads closed off and breakfast places shuttered. We had to walk several blocks to get to the nearest open restaurant.

It was hard booking Grab on the way the airport even an hour after the roads had been opened.

And I need to buy a new laptop bag. This one is already saying farewell. One zipper already gave up and this handle is on its last thread.

Landing in NAIA is wasteful for airlines. The planes circle around Manila Bay until the pilots get the go signal to land. They do this for 30 mins because we only have one runway so there’s a long queue of planes circling above Manila Bay.

So technically, Ho Chi Minh should only be 2.5 hrs or less but it takes longer because of that idiosyncratic airport.