March 2 8 pm
Saigon
Yesterday, we went out with Phoung ( a different Phoung, a girl Phoung) to buy material for ao dai ( a very pretty traditionall outfit. if you don't know what they look like, you should google them) She took us to Cholon, to a huge market full of vendors that were selling anything and everything imaginable- there were sections of candy, luggage, shoes, hats, and cloth. All the vendors in a particular section are quite interested in getting and keeping yout attention. They know one fabric booth looks a lot like another....
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
March 1 11:20 am
Saigon
Last night, we all went clubbing in the city. We went to a place called The Rainforrest, which had nifty lights and all sorts of techno dance music. Periodically confetti and glowsticks rained down on the dance floor. The drinks were expensive; we expected that and pregamed with vodka and strawberry juice before we went. Crystal, my roomate, actually went up to someone in the store that afternoon and asked him which brand of vodka we should buy. Amazingly, his daughter spoke perfect English, and we bought this fairly decent stuff. The club was like something you'd see in Montreal, with dry ice and trendy people. I even met another American, a girl from Minnesota who was in town visiting her fiancee's parents.
We left the club and headed up the street. A bunch of street kids came up, selling stuff and asking for money. They were around 4 and it was around midnight. I asked Michelle (a Vietnamese American in our group) how to tell them to go home and go to bed. Then we walked by her mother, who was telling the kids to get back out there.
We ducked into a hotel and took the elevator up to the bar. It was many stories up, witha beautiful terrace overlooking the city. It was right across the street from the famous Continental Hotel, from The Quiet American. I didn't order anything because the prices were up to American standards and all the people there were rich foreigners. I was struck that I suddenly seemed to have so much wealth that I didn't earn and did nothing to deserve. I was in a posh hotel being catered to while little kids were running around trying to get money from me. I sat around discussing the irony with a few people, although it did not make me feel better. We walked home, and didn't get back until 1:20. The receptionist gave us our keys. I woke her up, and I felt bad. She sleeps on the floors next to the desk. I didn't know that.
Saigon
Last night, we all went clubbing in the city. We went to a place called The Rainforrest, which had nifty lights and all sorts of techno dance music. Periodically confetti and glowsticks rained down on the dance floor. The drinks were expensive; we expected that and pregamed with vodka and strawberry juice before we went. Crystal, my roomate, actually went up to someone in the store that afternoon and asked him which brand of vodka we should buy. Amazingly, his daughter spoke perfect English, and we bought this fairly decent stuff. The club was like something you'd see in Montreal, with dry ice and trendy people. I even met another American, a girl from Minnesota who was in town visiting her fiancee's parents.
We left the club and headed up the street. A bunch of street kids came up, selling stuff and asking for money. They were around 4 and it was around midnight. I asked Michelle (a Vietnamese American in our group) how to tell them to go home and go to bed. Then we walked by her mother, who was telling the kids to get back out there.
We ducked into a hotel and took the elevator up to the bar. It was many stories up, witha beautiful terrace overlooking the city. It was right across the street from the famous Continental Hotel, from The Quiet American. I didn't order anything because the prices were up to American standards and all the people there were rich foreigners. I was struck that I suddenly seemed to have so much wealth that I didn't earn and did nothing to deserve. I was in a posh hotel being catered to while little kids were running around trying to get money from me. I sat around discussing the irony with a few people, although it did not make me feel better. We walked home, and didn't get back until 1:20. The receptionist gave us our keys. I woke her up, and I felt bad. She sleeps on the floors next to the desk. I didn't know that.
Feb 27 5 pm
Saigon
Today, I went to the War Remenents Museum, which is about the American War and it's after effects. There were a lot of things left over from the war; helicopters and bombs and things of that nature. It was strange to see the kind of thing I've seen around Fort Bragg protrayed in such a different light. There were sections devoted to war photographers killed in action, people maimed by Agent Orange, the cages for opponents of the Diem regime, a guillotine used by the French, other countries' and groups' opposition to the war, plus some letters of Ho Chi Minh. I went with a Vietnamese guy named Dan, and I was struck by how calm he seemed towards it. He sat on a bench next to me and cheerfully told me that he often comes here to practice his English. The place was swarming with tourists, especially Americans. It actually felt strange to be surrounded by Americans again. There's a gift shop, actually several gift shops, where you can buy replica VC army helmets, maps of the city, and a wood carving of Tweety Bird in the bath.
Saigon
Today, I went to the War Remenents Museum, which is about the American War and it's after effects. There were a lot of things left over from the war; helicopters and bombs and things of that nature. It was strange to see the kind of thing I've seen around Fort Bragg protrayed in such a different light. There were sections devoted to war photographers killed in action, people maimed by Agent Orange, the cages for opponents of the Diem regime, a guillotine used by the French, other countries' and groups' opposition to the war, plus some letters of Ho Chi Minh. I went with a Vietnamese guy named Dan, and I was struck by how calm he seemed towards it. He sat on a bench next to me and cheerfully told me that he often comes here to practice his English. The place was swarming with tourists, especially Americans. It actually felt strange to be surrounded by Americans again. There's a gift shop, actually several gift shops, where you can buy replica VC army helmets, maps of the city, and a wood carving of Tweety Bird in the bath.
Feb 26 9 pm
Saigon
Today, I again got lost on the way home from the university. Then I went into the internet cafe and emailed people from home while reading the Echo, St Mike's online newspaper. My mind wandered home and it was strange to leave the cafe and still be in Vietnam. This afternoon at our lecture, we learned about medieval Vietnam. Then I went out to dinner with Ni, Sarah, and Grace.
This morning, the chain fell off my bike in the courtyard and two random guys I have never seen before in my life got up, fixed it, and left. Wow.
Saigon
Today, I again got lost on the way home from the university. Then I went into the internet cafe and emailed people from home while reading the Echo, St Mike's online newspaper. My mind wandered home and it was strange to leave the cafe and still be in Vietnam. This afternoon at our lecture, we learned about medieval Vietnam. Then I went out to dinner with Ni, Sarah, and Grace.
This morning, the chain fell off my bike in the courtyard and two random guys I have never seen before in my life got up, fixed it, and left. Wow.
Feb 25 9 pm
Saigon
Today, we had our second Vietnamese class. The prof was a 20-ish guy from the North, so his accent was different from what we had been hearing. All the y's were z's. He told us he learned English from books and tapes, which was amazing. He spoke English so naturally. I saw Ni briefly in the courtyard, and we made plans for dinner tomorrow. Also our cool Vietnamese teacher took us out to a cafe for half of the class to get to know us.
I spent the afternoon looking for an English-language bookstore that's featured in Lonely Planet. As far as I can tell, it doesn't exist. I ended up going way to far down the street and ended up having to turn around. Unfortunately, that meant cutting across a huge line of oncoming speeding motorbikes that never seemed to break. A street vendor stopped what she was doing and helped me, telling me when it was safe to cross. When I got home, I found that all the wet clothes I had hung up in my room where gone. The cleaning lady had hung them up outside on the terrace for me. Later on, I went out and came back to discover that when they dried she had brought them back down and piled them on my bed. People are so nice here.
Tonight, I went out to eat with Phoung, who's a beginning English student. I looked through his workbook and discovered that he had to read a Studs Terkel book for a section on the American Dream. How cool is that?
I've figured out why people honk their horns so much on the streets. It's because other people's attention is focused ahead of them, and they want those drivers to know the rouch location of those behind them. It's like sonar.
Saigon
Today, we had our second Vietnamese class. The prof was a 20-ish guy from the North, so his accent was different from what we had been hearing. All the y's were z's. He told us he learned English from books and tapes, which was amazing. He spoke English so naturally. I saw Ni briefly in the courtyard, and we made plans for dinner tomorrow. Also our cool Vietnamese teacher took us out to a cafe for half of the class to get to know us.
I spent the afternoon looking for an English-language bookstore that's featured in Lonely Planet. As far as I can tell, it doesn't exist. I ended up going way to far down the street and ended up having to turn around. Unfortunately, that meant cutting across a huge line of oncoming speeding motorbikes that never seemed to break. A street vendor stopped what she was doing and helped me, telling me when it was safe to cross. When I got home, I found that all the wet clothes I had hung up in my room where gone. The cleaning lady had hung them up outside on the terrace for me. Later on, I went out and came back to discover that when they dried she had brought them back down and piled them on my bed. People are so nice here.
Tonight, I went out to eat with Phoung, who's a beginning English student. I looked through his workbook and discovered that he had to read a Studs Terkel book for a section on the American Dream. How cool is that?
I've figured out why people honk their horns so much on the streets. It's because other people's attention is focused ahead of them, and they want those drivers to know the rouch location of those behind them. It's like sonar.
February 24, 8:30 PM
Saigon
Today, Hung (one of our 2 program assistants) showed up at 7 to take us to the university, which is about a 15 minute bike ride away. It's not that hard to find, but the maze of one-way streets and traffic circles was a little intimidating at first. The class was ok, and out teacher Tam is nice. Afterwards, I headed to an internet cafe, where I talked to a few people on IM. They were actually awake because it was 10:30 PM back home. Then Sarah (another American) and I got lost on the way back. We stopped in a glasses shop to ask for directions, and a girl there named Ni offered to lead us home. We rode our bikes behind her motorbike.
We had to go back to the university at 2, and I spent the time between classes bopping around in my room to Hello Rockview. I followed a group of people there, so it wasn't too bad. Hung told us to cross our names off a list when we got there so that he would know if he needed to look for someone. He didn't offer to take us, though.
There are no washing machines in Vietnam, at least none that I've seen, so we have to do our laundry by hand. We have a washbin in our rooms for this purpose, and I went to the grocery store to buy some detergent. I discovered that soaking your clothes in the washbin and then stomping on them is a fun way to do laundry. It's like Italians crushing grapes.
Saigon
Today, Hung (one of our 2 program assistants) showed up at 7 to take us to the university, which is about a 15 minute bike ride away. It's not that hard to find, but the maze of one-way streets and traffic circles was a little intimidating at first. The class was ok, and out teacher Tam is nice. Afterwards, I headed to an internet cafe, where I talked to a few people on IM. They were actually awake because it was 10:30 PM back home. Then Sarah (another American) and I got lost on the way back. We stopped in a glasses shop to ask for directions, and a girl there named Ni offered to lead us home. We rode our bikes behind her motorbike.
We had to go back to the university at 2, and I spent the time between classes bopping around in my room to Hello Rockview. I followed a group of people there, so it wasn't too bad. Hung told us to cross our names off a list when we got there so that he would know if he needed to look for someone. He didn't offer to take us, though.
There are no washing machines in Vietnam, at least none that I've seen, so we have to do our laundry by hand. We have a washbin in our rooms for this purpose, and I went to the grocery store to buy some detergent. I discovered that soaking your clothes in the washbin and then stomping on them is a fun way to do laundry. It's like Italians crushing grapes.
February 23, 10 pm
Saigon
Last night, a bunch of us went out to karaoke at a place downtown with Dave, one of the Vietnamese kids. All the English songs they had were circa 1990, and Barrett (one of the Americans) filmed the occasion. It was pretty cool.
Then this afternoon we bought bikes. Mine is silver. I named in Herman, in honor of my car on the other side of the world. We also went on a bike tour of the city, and my whole life flashed before my eyes. It's just as well that Mom can't see me now. In the US, I generally don't bike into oncoming traffic for health reasons, and it's a difficult habit to break. After that, I went to an internet cafe. I love this one. It is cheap, the connection is great, and it's air conditioned. I emailed the number at the guest house where I'm staying to a couple people back home, and Mom called here tonight as we were sitting in the lobby. It was so great to talk to her; it's strange suddenly not being able to talk to people from home. Tomorrow we start out 7:30 AM language classes. That should be... early.
Saigon
Last night, a bunch of us went out to karaoke at a place downtown with Dave, one of the Vietnamese kids. All the English songs they had were circa 1990, and Barrett (one of the Americans) filmed the occasion. It was pretty cool.
Then this afternoon we bought bikes. Mine is silver. I named in Herman, in honor of my car on the other side of the world. We also went on a bike tour of the city, and my whole life flashed before my eyes. It's just as well that Mom can't see me now. In the US, I generally don't bike into oncoming traffic for health reasons, and it's a difficult habit to break. After that, I went to an internet cafe. I love this one. It is cheap, the connection is great, and it's air conditioned. I emailed the number at the guest house where I'm staying to a couple people back home, and Mom called here tonight as we were sitting in the lobby. It was so great to talk to her; it's strange suddenly not being able to talk to people from home. Tomorrow we start out 7:30 AM language classes. That should be... early.
Monday, March 10, 2003
Feb 22 2 pm
Saigon
Today, we were given the address of a restaurant and sent out in taxis to eat there. Mine was in the middle of a huge touristy section; I saw more tourists in a minute there than I've seen in the entire rest of the trip. I ate stir-fried veggies at a place with English menus that also had nachos and pizza. There were also shops that sold photocopies of Western books, and souvenir shops that listed their prices in US dollars. A guy came up to me on the sidewalk and asked me in an Australian accent if I'd bought the shirt I was wearing at Urban Outfitters. It was. He had the same one. Yesterday I could draw a crowd of curious people just by buying some fruit, and today I'm talking to a guy who shops at the same place I do. The familiarity was comforting, but seeing so many foreigners at once was actually disconcerting. I wonder if these people think they are experiencing the real Vietnam.
Saigon
Today, we were given the address of a restaurant and sent out in taxis to eat there. Mine was in the middle of a huge touristy section; I saw more tourists in a minute there than I've seen in the entire rest of the trip. I ate stir-fried veggies at a place with English menus that also had nachos and pizza. There were also shops that sold photocopies of Western books, and souvenir shops that listed their prices in US dollars. A guy came up to me on the sidewalk and asked me in an Australian accent if I'd bought the shirt I was wearing at Urban Outfitters. It was. He had the same one. Yesterday I could draw a crowd of curious people just by buying some fruit, and today I'm talking to a guy who shops at the same place I do. The familiarity was comforting, but seeing so many foreigners at once was actually disconcerting. I wonder if these people think they are experiencing the real Vietnam.
Feb 21 9 pm
Saigon
Today, we were dropped off in Cholon, the city's version of Chinatown, with a piece of paper containing the name of a product we had to purchase and the name of a place to visit. They taught us how to say "Where is this?" in Vietnamese. That was nice of them. I got some directions but managed to get myself fairly lost. (Imagine that!) I felt a great flash of relief when I looked up at a street sign at an intersection and actually recognized the area on my map. Turns out I ended up fairly close to the market I was looking for, and I headed off in that direction. It turned out to be a market that sold fruit and jade. I bought some fruit from a vendor, who I later found out did not overcharge me, although I was clearly lost and a foreigner. I would have given her my life savings at that point. Then I headed into a KFC to ask to counter girl about the second item on my list. For some reason, KFC is the only fast-food restaurant with a franchise in Vietnam. When I asked the girl for help, she stepped out from behind her register, lead me across the street and showed me what I needed. Olive oil. Weird. After that I seemed to grow a sense of direction, and I made it back to the plaza where the group was supposed to meet. My feet are so sore - those sandals suck! Later, we all told stories about our searches. People were sent for snake wine, shoes, peanuts, and all kinds of things. Then we heard a doctor's presentation about health here, and had dinner with some Vietnamese students, including a few who spoke awesome English.
Saigon
Today, we were dropped off in Cholon, the city's version of Chinatown, with a piece of paper containing the name of a product we had to purchase and the name of a place to visit. They taught us how to say "Where is this?" in Vietnamese. That was nice of them. I got some directions but managed to get myself fairly lost. (Imagine that!) I felt a great flash of relief when I looked up at a street sign at an intersection and actually recognized the area on my map. Turns out I ended up fairly close to the market I was looking for, and I headed off in that direction. It turned out to be a market that sold fruit and jade. I bought some fruit from a vendor, who I later found out did not overcharge me, although I was clearly lost and a foreigner. I would have given her my life savings at that point. Then I headed into a KFC to ask to counter girl about the second item on my list. For some reason, KFC is the only fast-food restaurant with a franchise in Vietnam. When I asked the girl for help, she stepped out from behind her register, lead me across the street and showed me what I needed. Olive oil. Weird. After that I seemed to grow a sense of direction, and I made it back to the plaza where the group was supposed to meet. My feet are so sore - those sandals suck! Later, we all told stories about our searches. People were sent for snake wine, shoes, peanuts, and all kinds of things. Then we heard a doctor's presentation about health here, and had dinner with some Vietnamese students, including a few who spoke awesome English.
Feb 20 1 pm
Saigon
I'm feeling a bit better today. I collapsed and fell asleep at 7:30 last night, and when I woke up at 3:30 am I felt more collected. I spent the morning dancing around to Flogging Molly on my diskman and reading my Lonely Planet guidebook. It is some quality stuff, it even gives the location of an Irish pub. I walked around a bit this morning, and I got a few looks. I definitely do not look like I come from this neighborhood, to put it mildly. For lunch, our group went out to a vegetarian restaurant. The food was good but I am not 100% sure what I ate. Then later I was supposed to interview Eilleen about herself as part of orientation, but we ended up just commiserating about missing our boyfriends. It helped. We're going to change some money soon, so hopefully I can buy things. The cleaning lady came in today and artfully arranged Herman Bear on my bed. It was so sweet!
Saigon
I'm feeling a bit better today. I collapsed and fell asleep at 7:30 last night, and when I woke up at 3:30 am I felt more collected. I spent the morning dancing around to Flogging Molly on my diskman and reading my Lonely Planet guidebook. It is some quality stuff, it even gives the location of an Irish pub. I walked around a bit this morning, and I got a few looks. I definitely do not look like I come from this neighborhood, to put it mildly. For lunch, our group went out to a vegetarian restaurant. The food was good but I am not 100% sure what I ate. Then later I was supposed to interview Eilleen about herself as part of orientation, but we ended up just commiserating about missing our boyfriends. It helped. We're going to change some money soon, so hopefully I can buy things. The cleaning lady came in today and artfully arranged Herman Bear on my bed. It was so sweet!
Saigon February 19
6 pm
We've just arrived at the guest house and I've just taken my stuff up to my room. My roomate, Crystal, was held up in a blizzard in NYC and won't arrive until tomorrow. It's just as well, I am completely exhausted. The room is pretty spartan, just 2 beds and a desk. It's got an adjoining bathroom, which has a fairly normal-looking toilet, but didn't appear to have a shower at first. Then I realized that the shower is actually this long tube that takes water from a faucet, runs it through an electrical-thingy to heat it slightly, and then dispenses it out of a what's basically a showerhead. It's just like on the faucets at home, the long tube that will strech out of the sink if you pull it. There's no separate shower stall, just a drainage hole in the floor. I flooded much of the bathroom figuring this out.
6 pm
We've just arrived at the guest house and I've just taken my stuff up to my room. My roomate, Crystal, was held up in a blizzard in NYC and won't arrive until tomorrow. It's just as well, I am completely exhausted. The room is pretty spartan, just 2 beds and a desk. It's got an adjoining bathroom, which has a fairly normal-looking toilet, but didn't appear to have a shower at first. Then I realized that the shower is actually this long tube that takes water from a faucet, runs it through an electrical-thingy to heat it slightly, and then dispenses it out of a what's basically a showerhead. It's just like on the faucets at home, the long tube that will strech out of the sink if you pull it. There's no separate shower stall, just a drainage hole in the floor. I flooded much of the bathroom figuring this out.
February 19 1 pm
Singapore
Right now, I'm sitting in the sunflower garden adjacent to the airport. The strangest thing just happened at the Koi pond in the lobby. I accidently walked into a photo someone was taking. They only spoke Chinese, but they called me over and through gesturing indicated they wanted a picture with me. They took two, and they were really very nice about it. I guess I look exotic. Too bad I haven't showered in 3 days.
Singapore
Right now, I'm sitting in the sunflower garden adjacent to the airport. The strangest thing just happened at the Koi pond in the lobby. I accidently walked into a photo someone was taking. They only spoke Chinese, but they called me over and through gesturing indicated they wanted a picture with me. They took two, and they were really very nice about it. I guess I look exotic. Too bad I haven't showered in 3 days.
Somewhere over the Pacific near Hokkaido, Japan
9 am California time
I've managed to get a few hours of sleep on the plane. I have a window seat, but it is dark outside. They served us dinner when we first boarded - the crew seems to be operating off California time, roughly. Most people are sleeping now. It's around 3 am where we are now, or where we would be if people lived here. We've crossed the international dateline, so I am not sure what day it is. The pillows and blanket from Chris are comfy. I'm still nervous about starting the program, but the people I've met are very nice.
9 am California time
I've managed to get a few hours of sleep on the plane. I have a window seat, but it is dark outside. They served us dinner when we first boarded - the crew seems to be operating off California time, roughly. Most people are sleeping now. It's around 3 am where we are now, or where we would be if people lived here. We've crossed the international dateline, so I am not sure what day it is. The pillows and blanket from Chris are comfy. I'm still nervous about starting the program, but the people I've met are very nice.
February 17, 9 pm
LA
Here I am in California, the last place I'll be for awhile where the people, language, and currency are familiar. I met the SIT rep outside the Singapore Airlines ticket counter as planned. She looks exactly like Kelly Cullins, the Saint Mike's study abroad person. I ordered a Tom Collins to celebrate my adventure and am sitting at a bar table gazing out into the airport. Herman Bear is attached to my backpack and seems to be weathering the journey well.
LA
Here I am in California, the last place I'll be for awhile where the people, language, and currency are familiar. I met the SIT rep outside the Singapore Airlines ticket counter as planned. She looks exactly like Kelly Cullins, the Saint Mike's study abroad person. I ordered a Tom Collins to celebrate my adventure and am sitting at a bar table gazing out into the airport. Herman Bear is attached to my backpack and seems to be weathering the journey well.
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