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July 28, 2009
Guacamoleland
Ok, Ok...I know that it is unfair and probably offensive to characterize an entire country by one of its dishes. My patriotic pride would be undermined if someone asked if someone asked whether I was from the United States of Hamburgers...
However, I must say that when I think of Mexico, I think of food. No, not Taco Bell or even Baja Fresh which is tasty yet Gringo-influenced Mexican cuisine. Instead, I am talking about real homestyle Mexican cooking: tacos de cabeza con salsa de habanero, frijoles refritos tradicionales (yes, with plenty of lard..), and chiles rellenos. Plenty of guacamole on the side...
The week of meetings with industrial park developers, plastic and metal manufacturing companies, and local officials near Monterrey, Nuevo Leon was an intense one. However, the guacamole made it worth it all. Now, it's back to my Mexican cuisine-free existence in Saigon. The thought has definitely crossed my mind to stick around and open my own taqueria on Dong Khoi street. Any interested investors out there?
Posted by mt_mrobinson at 7:41 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
July 22, 2009
36 Hours in Cali
I have to start this entry with a shout out to my boss - thanks for proposing that we stop in LA on our way to Mexico for work! Thirty-six hours in the shadow of the Hollywood sign gave me enough time to accomplish my two goals - meeting my parents for breakfast at Urth Cafe and surfing Malibu with two of my best friends.
Ok...This is not really a photo of Malibu. The waves were small last weekend, and I probably could not even get barreled like this anymore after a year of living land locked in Saigon...
Anyway, given my boss' generosity for arranging this stopover, I wanted to show him around, especially since this would be his first time to the US. For the Americans / Californians out there, how would you welcome a first time visitor, originally from Spain and now living in Vietnam?
Here is what I came up with - a cruise down Hollywood Boulevard, beers and burgers at Hooters, and shopping at a trendy mall in Manhattan Beach. From this glimpse of the US, he will probably think that we are a vain, consumerist lot of 300 million, but that is fine with me - we had a blast...
Searching for "Hooters" on Google yielded much livelier images, but I decided to go with this safe - yet suggestive - company logo...But again, back to the Cali stopover. After living in Vietnam for over one year, it was incredibly sweet to hug my mom and ride waves with my best friends back in California. However, during brief stay, the nomad in me (who seems to be increasingly vocal and influential) was excited to get back on an airplane and step on to unexplored territory...
Posted by mt_mrobinson at 7:20 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 12, 2009
Thành Ngữ Việt Nam
I bought this shirt because the Vietnamese words written in Chinese-style calligraphy looked cool...
It turns out that the words constitute a Chinese proverb that made its way to Vietnam over 2,000 years ago (according to my Vietnamese teacher). As a result of millenia of intermittent Chinese rule and constant Chinese influence, Vietnam's government, education system, and even family structure are similar to those of its big brother to the north. Until Alexandre de Rhodes transliterated the Vietnamese language into its current, Romanized alphabet in the late 18th century, the literate classes used a version of Chinese characters as their own writing system.
So, that explains the origin of this Vietnamese proverb, or Thành Ngữ Việt Nam, but what wisdom does it offer? A discussion with my Vietnamese teacher yielded the following interpretation:
Dục tốc bất đạt...
Literally, "in wanting quick success, one will not succeed." An appropriate reminder for my instant gratification conditioned American mind.
Here are a couple more Vietnamese proverbs that I like:
Ông ăn chả, bà ăn nem...
Literally, "while the man eats chả (grilled chopped meat), his wife eats nem (pork hash wrapped in banana leaf)." Any ideas about the meaning? This one stumped me - I thought it had something to do with men and women having different tastes. My (patient) Vietnamese teacher finally shared that it describes a married couple who each have a lover on the side. In this society where people marry young and divorce is still frowned upon, I suspect that man and wife having "different tastes" happens more often than one might expect...
Mất sổ gạo...
Literally, "to lose one's rice ledger." The decade after the North Vietnamese kicked out the US and completed their "reuinification" of the country was a tough one economically. Soviet-style central planning meant that families were allocated a set portion of rice, which they obtained by presenting their ledger - probably to a local communist party official. In this time of food shortages, "losing one's rice ledger" could mean that the family would go hungry. Today, it seems like most people get enough to eat here in Vietnam, and my Vietnamese teacher explained that people now use the phrase to cheer up someone who is looking dejected by asking, "What happened - did you lose your rice ledger?" I like asking myself this question - makes my problems seem minor by comparison!
Posted by mt_mrobinson at 12:24 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
July 7, 2009
Expat Anniversary
One year ago this week, I arrived for the first time at the unexpectedly modern Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I remember feeling a mix of excitement, anticipation, and fear at finally meeting the city where I planned to spend the following 18 months of my life. I stepped out of the sterile, air conditioned comfort of the terminal schlepping what were (save a box of journals and a peet coat stored in the attic of my father's home in Central California) my only physical possessions, stuffed into these two suitcases and two backpacks.
As tends to happen when one settles down in a place, I have since accumulated more stuff - a conical hat, books like "The Quiet American," and clothes (I will admit it - I have a weakness for An Phuoc). As a result, I can no longer carry all that I own, and I am fine with that because this is where home is - at least until December 2009.
So, what have I done in the past year? I have learned to speak conversational Vietnamese, made (lifelong?) friends with expats and Vietnamese, and worked for one year in international business. What an rich year it has been since I enjoyed this bowl of noodles on my first day as a resident of Saigon at Pho 24 (coming soon to a mini mall food court near you)...
I am so thankful to PiA for making this experience possible. It has been the richest year of my adult life and has defined my career and life direction. This week marks my first "Expat Anniversary," and I intend to celebrate many more - I may be a lifer!
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