Biggie Size for you, sir?

Well...three more days and I will be on my way to Paris, if only for three hours, and then USA.  For the past two days, I have been feeling quite anxious.  The home-sickness is hitting quite hard but at the same time, I am feeling very melancholic.  Only God knows when I will be able to return to this country, if I ever get to do so again.  This experience has been an unforgettable one from beginning to end and I am very humble and glad I was given such an opportunity.  I truly learned a lot from this experience and I can only hope those around me were able to learn just as much from me.  It has truly been a pleasure to work with such a fantastic team at NIHE and I wish them all the luck in the world with their future endeavors!!!!

After work today, I went back to Old Quarter and walked around the lake some.  Even though the heat was tiring me down, I tried to absorb as much as I could and observe as many details as possible.  I didn't want to miss out on anything but even as I am writing this blog, I am confident that there were a million things that went unnoticed by my eyes.  I wanted to have a clear idea about the things that I would miss from Vietnam and though the list is short, I think it comprises a lot of the things I experienced on a daily basis - I am sure the moment I click send, there will be three or four more things that I wished I would have added to this list.  Some of these things include:  the generosity of the people here in Vietnam both at work and at the hotel (I was always met with a smile everywhere I went and people were VERY attentive to my needs - they wanted me to feel as though I was home); the food (this ranges from the AMAZING bacon and fruits to the non-FDA approved adventures...it also includes the restaurant environments such as traditional Vietnamese restaurants); the hotel's string quartet (they gather every night around 6PM and play for two hours in the hotel's lobby - such a pleasant music....LOVED them!); the heat; the fear of being run over by a motorbike or truck every time I stepped on the streets; the smells (the good, the bad, and the ugly ones...I am returning home with a sensory overload); the constant "pestering" by those trying to sell me items or trying to give me tours around the city in their motorbikes; feeling like a giant in a land of small people; the "oddities" (these include listening to American Xmas music while eating breakfast in the morning, watching the faces of the compatriots as they smirked and looked at each other as if to say..."What the hell?", and kids on the streets trying to POLISH my SANDALS for money - yes, yet to understand how they were going to accomplish that); and the motorbike massages (KIDDING!!!! never got one). 

At Old Quarter today I had an interesting experience buying a traditional shirt.  The negotiation was a very weird one.  She wanted $22 for the shirt I had seen in another store for a lot less.  The moment she said $22, I said "Thank you" and started walking out of the store.  She stopped me and asked me what price I would pay for it.  I told her that I had seen the shirt for $10.  She gasped and then said:  "Touch...this is much better quality.  NOT $10 quality.  What's your price?".  I assumed that she was talking about the shirt  .... so I repeated "$10 dollars".  She said NO, and so I started walking out of the store again.  Finally, she said:  "Stop...how about $15".  I replied:  "$10".  She gave me this big sigh and after pleading me to pay $15, she said:  "Ok, give it to you for $10".  Now...the question in my mind is...if the quality was $22 originally.  Who won on this deal?  I am yet to figure this one out and I guess we will find out the moment I wash the darn shirt. 

The moment I stepped out of the store, I saw two guys walking around the lake holding hands.  One of them was a tourist so I stopped and payed close attention to those around them to see what their reaction would be.  To my surprise, I saw nothing out of the ordinary.  People passed by and did not snicker or stare at them.  It is still unclear to me whether this is something that really does not matter in this country or if people were simply trying not to become involved with the situation because one of them was obviously a tourist (it is my understanding that if a local person were to harm or steal or do something to a tourist, particularly an American, and he/she were to be caught, they would be in BIG trouble with the local government).  Additionally, although cultures in Asia are traditionally conservative, Thailand is the leading country in sex change operations and places like India tend to look up to Hijras for blessings.  By the way, Hijras are people who are born physically males but act and dress as women and some have genital modifications (castrations).  National Geographic had a great documentary on Hijras and I caught a part of it a few nights ago. 

I could not go back home without having tasted the only American fast food in Ha Noi (KFC).    This was also an interesting experience.  The first thing I noticed when I walked in was the fact that there were no family meals.  Everything listed on the menu, was just enough for an individual.  I ordered the sandwich combo which came with the fries and coke.  As soon as I ordered, without missing a beat, the lady at the counter yelled out: "Biggie Size for you, sir?".  I smiled and said NO.  She then went on to explain that the meal came with very small fries and that it would be better for me to Biggie size the meal.  Regardless of her explanation, I still went with the supposedly minute french fries which at the end, turned out to be fine just the way they were.  She proceeded to give me my ticket/receipt and told me to go upstairs.  I found this extremely strange but followed instructions.  The moment I got to the top of the stairs, I noticed the kitchen and people standing in front of a set of computers.  They asked me for my receipt and it was here where I got my food.  The taste, was the same as back home although I would have to say that the mayo was a bit sweeter than normal - hope it was good and my body will not have another relapse.  The coke came in a glass and not a plastic cup.   

As soon as I stepped out of the KFC, there was a lady with an odd machine with digital numbers on one side and she wanted me to step on it.  I did not as I could not understand:  1) what it was for? and 2) how much money it would cost me?  Finally, I was able to read some of the signs and apparently this machine measures your BMI (Body Mass Index).  For those of you who don't know, the Body Mass Index is a statistical measure of the weight of a person scaled according to height.  I almost tried it but did not.  I feared the machine was not calibrated (as they roll it on the streets) and I would have regreted even considering Biggie Sizing my meal at KFC.  On my way back to the hotel, I noticed five more of these machines...and oddly enough, they were around restaurants.  What a treat for tourists!!!!

The last thing I wanted to mention on this blog is that I was able to obtain a picture of the flamenco/belly dance performance I attended this past weekend.  If you pay close attention, you will see me in the sweaty blue shirt and this was taken minutes after I was embarassed by the lady in red when she wanted me to dance Pasadas and Sevillanas with her.  I have included the link to the website and you can find MORE pictures in there of the performance.  Pay attention to the audience and how much everyone was sweating.  Also pay attention to the male belly dancer....now you understand what I meant about the wrists falling off?  I hope you believe me now! 

All...again, this has been a wonderful experience and I can't begin to describe how humble I feel that I got to live it.  Through the ups and downs I learned A LOT about Vietnam; especially I learned how to appreciate this culture and can only look forward to more learning (be it through more personal experience or research).  My hope for you is that you learned from my blogs and enjoyed them just as much as I have enjoyed writing them for you.  I also hope that if you are ever given the chance to explore this country, PLEASE DO SO!!!!  It is totally worth it!  Finally, I want to thank you for reading my blog and for sharing your comments with me.  This has definitely helped me feel connected to those I love back home.  You are constantly in my thoughts and can't wait to see you all again soon. 

This may or may not be the last blog I write as tomorrow and Thursday promise to be heavy days for me at work.  I will check up on the blog as often as I can between now and Friday to read comments.  In the event I don't get to write another one, the last thing I want to say is Cám ơn Vietnam! (Thank you Vietnam!).  it has truly been a pleasure.  May our paths cross again in the not so distant future!