February 10, 2012

• Vietnam Part 20: Mai mốt gặp lại.

  

  Day 12 begins with a visit to my mom’s aunt, who looks like a splitting image of my long-departed grandmother.

  That night, I met up my cousin’s friend who had been working in Vietnam for some six years or so. My cousin worked in Vietnam for some five years before becoming quite the world traveler, and he asked his friend Tuyet to kindly show us a nice night out in Saigon. I had been itching to see what the nightlife in Vietnam was like before leaving, with my only attempt being the night before, walking to the entrance of a club next to the hotel that looked like a lot of attractive young people were going into. The LilBro and I chickened out at the last minute and turned around and went back to the hotel and asked the receptionist what that place was- it turned out it was a Vietnamese concert venue and you had to buy tickets.

  

  So on our last night in Vietnam, we met up Tuyet and she took the family out to dinner. When my parents went back to the hotel, she took us to some film industry party where all the ex-pats hung out. We arrived a bit early so it was kind of dead and so we went off to go bowling. Bowling in Vietnam? Count me in. Bowling in Vietnam costs somewhat the same as bowling in the States, meaning if you’re a local Vietnamese, it’s probably pretty expensive.

  

  I am terrible at bowling. I came in last place on the first set.

  

  But lo and behold, I got my best game EVER in bowling the second set. As usual, I choke on the last frame. After bowling, we went back to the industry party and hopped to another place with live music before finally settling into Apocalypse Bar (or, as they called it, “Apo Bar”). Apocalypse bar is exactly like clubbing in the US- you’ve got cover charge. You’ve got the latest top 40′s music. The only difference is that the crowd is a mix of ex-pats and locals. It was a pretty fun night but we called it a night at 2 (they stay open far later than that).

  

  On the very last day of our trip, we finally made it out to see the Lunchlady. I had been wanting to eat at her place every single day since we touched down in Saigon as the menu changes daily, but our schedule was packed so that we couldn’t. The “Lunchlady” has made the foodie internet rounds and on No Reservations. It’s said she makes one batch per day and when she runs out of whatever she’s selling, she closes up for the day.

  

  Waiting for our order.

  

  Lookit this rooster, being all cocky.

  

  The kind of out-of-the-way area.

  

  I’m generally not a fan of banh canh, but man, this is the best banh canh I’ve ever had. There is a huge potpourri of flavors and textures running through the broth, the noodles are the perfect consistency- not overly chewy- and there’s a nice mix of meat and seafood in it. I kind of want another bowl and I kind of regret only getting to eat this at the very end of the trip. But for a last lunch in Vietnam, there’s no better way to end it.

  

  Later that afternoon, we pack up all our suitcases and wait for the cab to take us to get ready for the 30 hour flight back. We stop off in Singapore for a few hours and we explored most of the shops at the airport (I had ordered my family a buncha Singaporean food at the airport on the way there) and this here is a shot from the butterfly garden at the Singapore airport. The rest of the trip goes by in a blur- well, as much as 30 hours of travel time can become a blur.

  And then, we’re home.

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  So what can one expect to bring back from Vietnam?

  

  Well, for me, I have a group of friends who like to try chips from around the world, and it’s become a custom that whenever anyone travels anywhere, they’ll bring me back chips they’ve found overseas. And for this trip, I’d return the favor. Vietnam has a surprising amount of chip flavors not available in the US. You’ve got Cheetos making vanilla, strawberry, and plain/butter flavors (surprisingly good). And Doritos with fiery garlic and then some. But Lays tops the bunch, making lobster, bbq pork, pate and a huge assortment of flavors. I was glad I had brought along one empty suitcase, and it was filled to the brim with weird chips for my traveling friends back home. At Russia airport customs, it was slightly embarrassing when they pulled me aside to inspect my suitcase, only to find it was completely full of chips. They must have thought I was insane.

  

  I generally am not a big fan of souvenirs, so my favorite thing that I brought back from Vietnam is my coveted dau xanh. My room in Houston is right next to the door to the backyard, so any time anyone lets dogs out, mosquitoes fly into my room and torment me first. This right here is perfect for the oncoming rainy mosquito-infested months to come.

  

  It took a while, but my mom finally found some artwork she liked in Vietnam. Along with a few other pieces, I thought these were really neat. It’s stone art, but it’s raised and painted over. I haven’t seen anything like this before.

  

  And what else can I take away from Vietnam? It’s far too often that, like many travelers, I run around the world trying to soak up as much culture and history as I can in whatever place I happen to be in, but at the end of the day not having a real connection with the places I visited other than a passing feeling of entertainment and a bundle of photographs. Vietnam is as foreign a country as any, but there’s a deep rooted connection obviously with my parents, and in that sense, a familiarity in understanding the life that my parents lived growing up and turning me into the person I am today.

  The country isn’t as corrupt or scary as I had heard prior to coming there. It’s a beautiful country, the girls I met were pretty in their honesty, the guys were likeable in their friendliness. Service was always impeccable, the food was amazing, and the people from north to south were all incredibly nice.

  Vietnam is a sharp reminder that people still do have a difficult life and that just being able to be on the internet right now at 2 AM as I sit here typing up this final entry is a luxury. Too often we’re caught up in wanting the latest designer name brand gadget, and then you come back and you realize you don’t really need any of this. This, of course, is not saying one should just stop and sit and be complacent with what you have, but more a reminder that rather than spending your time trying to acquire things, invest it in the people around you instead.

  • 3:32 am
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