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July 31, 2008
Max...you don't forget block motorbike everywhere..
"Block my motorbike?" Hmmm. This text message from Yen baffled me. I rent a room in her family's house, and Yen is like my landlord, sister, mother, maid, and cook. Knowing how picky I am, that probably sounds like a full time job, but she also works in a noodle shop down the road during the day.
Anyway, I saw Yen earlier this evening, and she showed me how to lock the steering wheel of my motorbike and make it more difficult to steal. The trick was to turn the key the opposite way to the "lock" position. Makes total sense to me now. As I left the house to come to this cafe, they continued to shout reminders to me in a mixture of English, Vietnamese, and body language...
"It's raining...make sure to wear your slicker."
"Always bring your helmet up to your room, of someone could steal it."
"The ground outside is dirty, put on your shoes."
"...And always block your motorbike, wherever you go."
I have been living on my own for eight years, but I can't even remember my mom nagging me quite this much. It shows that they care about me, and it probably shows that I come off like a bumbling foreigner, lost in a strange land.
Posted by mt_mrobinson at 10:28 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 25, 2008
"Maybe you Speak Vietnamese, They Don't Understand You"
The young woman sitting at the next table was exactly right - the servers didn't understand my order for "Dua Tuoi." In an effort to help the confused wait staff comprehend, she continued by blurting out "coconut." The crowd that had gathered around me sighed, repeating the Vietnamese word for coconut, "Dua Tuoi." Saved by the well intentioned woman next to me, I felt completely defeated...Wasn't that what I just said?
Being unable to speak the language is frustrating, and that is why I am sitting in this cafe, sipping coconut water and waiting for my tutor. This is my third two hour lesson, and I am focusing on the basics, like asking someone their name. In terms of doing something that scares me - this certainly qualifies. Trying to pronounce the word "ma" in the six different tones of the Vietnamese language makes my brain hurt and my tutor laugh.
Learning to speak the language well is one of my goals for my 18 months in Vietnam...My tutor should be pulling up on her motorbike soon, and like a good pupil, I will put away this computer and get ready to learn. Having been a teacher for the past three years, I forgot how challenging it is to be a student...
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July 20, 2008
"Do Something Every Day that Scares You"
This suggestion to face one's fears was posted prominently on the refrigerator at the house where I lived during college. Since my roommates regularly surfed 20 foot waves in the cold waters off of Baja, I initially took this to mean "put yourself in physical danger." Lately, I have come to understand this imperative in a broader sense, more like "get outside of your comfort zone as often as possible."
I finally took the time to read this blog today, and I think it needs a focus. As is, the entries lack the kind of extraordinary experiences that make travel writing interesting. "Doing things that scare me" will be the focus of this blog from now on. Maybe not every day, but every week, I will try to do something that challenges me socially, culturally, physically, or otherwise, and write about it. That shouldn't be too difficult in Saigon, although now that I have started work, joined a gym, met friends, and identified my favorite eateries, life here feels comfortable...
Don't worry, Mom (and Anastasia), I promise to avoid activities that are dangerous and threaten my life and limbs...
Posted by mt_mrobinson at 10:43 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 19, 2008
The Indecisive American
"You are alone, sir?" the cute hostess asks me as I walk through the entrance to Windows Cafe.
"Umm, yes..." I respond, surveying the terrace for a good table to set up my laptop, drink a coffee, and people watch. A colleague of mine had suggested the venue as a great place to hang out with the locals on a Saturday afternoon.
"Follow me." She says as she leads me inside into a dark room filled with people drinking coffee and smoking. "Please take a seat. Here is the menu."
Trying to go with the flow, I take a seat and check out the menu. With the hot weather, iced tea and coffee are always refreshing. The waiter arrives, and I order an iced peach tea. However, before he leaves, the health conscious Californian in me calls after him and asks "and can I get that without sugar?"
In the midst of trying to communicate my desire for unsweetened tea, a team of five other staff arrived to help. Finally, I got an understanding nod from the elder among them...
Lamenting how my inability to speak Vietnamese really makes communication difficult, I let out a deep sigh. Filling my lungs again, I noticed that the room was thick with cigarette smoke from my fellow patrons. While this normally does not bother me, my lungs have been taking a beating lately with the motobike exhaust fumes on the streets. I try to get fresh air whenever possible around here...
As I stood up, the wait staff looked concerned, so I pointed reassuringly to the tables outside. Nodding, they took my glass of water and accompanied me to the table.
"Alright, time to get started on my blog. I have been meaning to sit down and do this all week. No more procrastinating."
While my nose was enjoying the balmy afternoon Saigon air, my ears now revolted from their input. The Asian house music thumped from the patio speakers like a late night disco. Not good for the focus required for writing...
What to do? Be polite, wait for my iced tea, and appreciate my surroundings? Or, get up and find the nearest Starbucks?
In this case, I chose to flee the scene. Again, it took a crowd of the cafe staff to decipher my communication. I must have confused the waiters by trying to pay my bill and leave before my order had even arrived. Baffling behavior, indeed.
Finally, the English speaking manager arrived and tried to get me to sit upstairs in the dining room. By then, I just wanted to get out of there, so I thanked him, shook his hand, and fled the scene.
Here I am, back in my comfort zone, at the Starbucks of Saigon - Highlands Coffee...
Posted by mt_mrobinson at 4:24 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 13, 2008
Vietnamese Coffee
Drip espresso and condensed milk...The brew makes me feel invincible. Judging from how my hand is shaking, it is probably not to good for the nervous system in the long term...
Posted by mt_mrobinson at 9:48 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 12, 2008
Sandal Shine - 10,000 Vietnamese Dong
Initially, I refused this entrepreneur's offer to clean my sandals. Especially in the tourist areas of town, I remain wary of people offering me goods and services from motorbike taxi rides to bootleg Lonely Planet guides to massages...His gestures towards my feet forced me to reconsider, and I soon realized that my Sanuks needed a good scrub, and I was just waiting for my lunch anyway.
I was in awe at the care he took to shine my sandals for ten minutes - all for less than a dollar. It seemed like he was happy to have the work, and I trust that he and his family can use the money...Remembering him will make me more gracious for the work I have and for the pay I receive. I couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty later that day for spending $40 on dinner at a French restaurant with a group of expats. To afford that meal, he would have had to shine over 35 pairs of shoes.
Posted by mt_mrobinson at 9:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 11, 2008
Ode to Dua Tuoi
Fresh coconut juice (Dua Tuoi) is my beverage of choice here in Saigon. Whether it's from a street vendor for 5,000 VND ($.34) or Starbucks competitor Highlands Coffee for 27,000 VND ($1.59), the nectar is guaranteed by mother nature to be pure and thirst quenching. Plus, sipping the juice out of a straw - directly from the husked inner shell - is aesthetically pleasing...I am constantly in search of opportunities to bring Vietnamese products to the American market, and this could be a winner with the right marketing. Whole Foods already sells packaged coconut juice, and the real stuff is so much better and healthier. The logistics of shipping could be prohibitive, though. Let me know if you have any ideas about how to bring this nectar of the gods to the rest of the world's people...
Posted by mt_mrobinson at 9:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 8, 2008
Gratitude for Family and Friends
I often take my friends and family for granted. I hurts to admit this, but sometimes it feels like a chore to spend ten minutes calling my Tutu (Hawaiian for grandmother) on Sunday afternoon or to go out of my way to surf with my friend Travis.
It has only taken one day in Saigon to realize how important these people are to me. Laying in bed last night, I longed to hug my Tutu and go out with my friends in San Diego - things that I am used to doing any time I want. Now, aside from returning to California in September for Travis' wedding, I will not see my friends and family in person until the end of 2009. While I will miss them, I hope that this separation makes the time we spend together more special...So, to all of my friends and family - please come visit!
Posted by mt_mrobinson at 10:15 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
First Bowl of Pho
Tasty...
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Tricky Taxi
"The ride from the airport should cost about 70,000 Dong. And make sure that the driver uses the meter." As soon as I heard this advice from my contact in Saigon, knew that it would be a challenge to persuade the taxi driver to actually take me to the city for the fair price. Fresh off of the plane from Saigon, lugging two suitcases and two backpacks, and looking around with the impatent gaze of a tired traveler, I was a perfect target.
Even though I anticipated his attack, this smiling young entrepreneur definitely won this battle. First, he got me to pay 100,000 Dong for parking at the airport. When we arrived at the destination, he revealed the number on the meter by moving a strategically placed plastic card. Based on my intel, the price of 135,000 Dong was too high, but I didn't want to argue with the meter that I had asked for.
It was already past midnight, and my friend was waiting for my arrival, I swallowed my pride and decided to pay the 135,000 Dong. It still took me ten minutes of haggling and threatening to call his boss to actually settle the bill. First, he argued that the parking fee of 100,000 was extra, while I considered it a temporary loan. He subsequently agreed to let me pay the price on the meter - and then offered me 650 Dong in change instead of 65,000. With reluctance, he finally handed over the correct change while telling me "you bad."
I admire the taxi driver for working hard for the extra 5 dollars that I paid above the normal fare. Once he had the money, his frown turned back to a friendly smile as he helped me to carry my luggage to the door and wished me a good night. Business is business - no hard feelings from me either....
Posted by mt_mrobinson at 1:44 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 6, 2008
Looking for Leg Room
Somewhere over the Pacific, 3:30pm:
I just finished lunch - chicken curry and rice served in a little plastic tray. Fairly tasty...Now that my hunger is satisfied, I am ready to relax and escape into my reading material - The Alchemist by Paulo Cohelo. The seat next to me is unoccupied, so I am able to stretch my legs into a comfortable position...
So, why did Mission First Class fail? According to the United agent at the gate, all of the first class passengers showed for the flight, and there were no seats left. I asked politely and directly for an upgrade, and I suppose that is all that I could do. I have a layover in Hong Kong, and I will try again...Perhaps I will even settle for business class...
For the record, sitting here in economy is fine with me. Regardless of whether I am sipping bubbly in a Lazy Boy style airplane seat or or sipping Ginger Ale in the cramped coach compartment, I am incredibly fortunate to be flying over the Pacific Ocean to Vietnam...My only complaint is that there are no power outlets on this plane (I asked about that too), and my computer battery is about to die.
Airborne Over Southeast Asia 10:21pm:
I managed to scheme my way into economy plus on the flight from Hong Kong to Saigon. I am enjoying the extra leg room and ego boost.
Posted by mt_mrobinson at 1:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Mission: Upgrade
San Francisco International Airport, 10:32am:
I try to challenge myself as often as possible, and my goal for the day is to score an upgrade to the first class cabin. Why bother? On the fifteen-hour flight from San Francisco to Saigon, it would be nice to have some leg room and tasty food. More importantly, however, it will be a good exercise in negotiation and persuasion - two skills that are important in the business world. I arrived early to the airport, wore my freshly pressed suit, and will be on my best behavior. Here it goes...
Posted by mt_mrobinson at 1:31 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 3, 2008
Pre-Departure Thoughts
"Aren't you nervous?" Has been a common response when I tell people that I am moving to Vietnam.
"I don't know..." I counter. "Should I be?" I ask, partly as a joke and partly to see if they know about some hidden danger that awaits me in Saigon.
With less than three days until my departure, I feel excited and ready to go. I have spent the last week with the most important people in my life - dinner with my mom in Berkeley, hiking with my dad in Avila Beach, and going out with my friends in San Francisco. Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, and I will be able to celebrate Independence Day American style before shipping out on Sunday...
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