Being a tech person and familiar with computers I like to offer solutions when I think I can.
Hương needed a new printer and also wanted her daughters' computer, in a different room, to be able to use the printer if possible. We went to a local store and looked over a number of printers. She settled on an HP M1132 printer, copier, scanner with my help.
The solution to printing from another room? A print server. We bought a D-Link DPR-1020 print server at the same time as the printer.
Vietnam amazes me with services available for little or no cost.
At no additional cost, purchase was about $250US, a technician delivered the printer and print server and set them up!
Unfortunately the print server didn't work reliably. Hương's laptop has Windows 7 and the daughters' computer Ubuntu Linux. According to D-Link's web site the print server works with both. A little digging on my part and I discovered the problem was the print server's compatibility with the printer. I found plenty of posts that it didn't work with the particular printer regardless of Windows or Ubuntu on the computer sending the print job.
The typical reaction I'd have would just be "return it." Not so fast. Seems in Vietnam merchants accepting product returns is not a common practice. So first Hương called to make sure we would be "allowed to return it." Her words, not mine. Once that hurdle was cleared we went back to the store with the product and the receipt. Then things got interesting.
First we went to the purchase desk where payment for a purchase is made. From there we were directed to the merchandise pickup desk where purchases are delivered to the buyer. They looked our paperwork over and directed us upstairs to the testing department. Testing looked the print server over and sent us back downstairs to the purchase desk. They filled something out and sent us over to merchandise pickup again. Merchandise pickup took the device back, gave us some more paperwork and sent us back to the purchase desk. They filled out some more paperwork, called someone, and we waited. The "called someone" came to us and we followed her to the 3rd floor and waited outside an office. After a while she came out of the office and gave us some paperwork. It included a new receipt without the print server on it. Now, at last, we went back downstairs to the purchase desk, gave them the paperwork and got the refund!
I told Hương that next time she's in the US we're going to buy something and return it just so she can see how easy the process is here.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Stuff I Ate In Vietnam
My first trip to Vietnam I was really intent on trying foods that are unique or uncommon compared to common fare here in the US. On my fifth trip I really didn't do gastronomic exploration. Even so I had some opportunities this time that I didn't plan for.
This particular lunch Hương and I were meeting a friend of hers for some chit chat and to talk about introducing her to a friend of mine.
As I often do I asked Hương to make the order for me. My Vietnamese is very limited and I only recognize some dishes at this point. She'll generally ask if I like this meat or that, what sort of noodles I want, etc. and then make the selection.
In this case she asked if I wanted to try pigeon and of course I said sure. This is a portion of what was delivered to the table.
It really is quite tasty meat. I was surprised at the breast. I like dark meat best and am always eating the legs and thighs of chicken instead of breast. The breast was the meatiest part of the pigeon and really quite dark. It reminded me in many ways of a good chicken thigh. Tender and savory and dark. Not at all dry.
The thighs and legs were good too. Being a pigeon though there really wasn't that much too them.
For good measure, and not to miss an opportunity eating unusual food, I ate the head too! How do you eat the head?! Just put it in your mouth and bite. It's like a soft little ball. The skull gives no resistance and doesn't break into sharp bits of bone like you might think. The brain is about the consistency of chicken breast but doesn't have the fibers. I didn't notice the eyes separately at all. I didn't eat the beak but did get the tongue.
Certainly the way this was prepared I'd eat it again, head included.
One other thing before I forget we also got a serving of pig uterus. Sorry I didn't get a picture. I think most of it was eaten before I knew what it was. Suffice to say it was tasty also and for sure I'd have more prepared the same way.
As I often do I asked Hương to make the order for me. My Vietnamese is very limited and I only recognize some dishes at this point. She'll generally ask if I like this meat or that, what sort of noodles I want, etc. and then make the selection.
In this case she asked if I wanted to try pigeon and of course I said sure. This is a portion of what was delivered to the table.
It really is quite tasty meat. I was surprised at the breast. I like dark meat best and am always eating the legs and thighs of chicken instead of breast. The breast was the meatiest part of the pigeon and really quite dark. It reminded me in many ways of a good chicken thigh. Tender and savory and dark. Not at all dry.
The thighs and legs were good too. Being a pigeon though there really wasn't that much too them.
For good measure, and not to miss an opportunity eating unusual food, I ate the head too! How do you eat the head?! Just put it in your mouth and bite. It's like a soft little ball. The skull gives no resistance and doesn't break into sharp bits of bone like you might think. The brain is about the consistency of chicken breast but doesn't have the fibers. I didn't notice the eyes separately at all. I didn't eat the beak but did get the tongue.
Certainly the way this was prepared I'd eat it again, head included.
One other thing before I forget we also got a serving of pig uterus. Sorry I didn't get a picture. I think most of it was eaten before I knew what it was. Suffice to say it was tasty also and for sure I'd have more prepared the same way.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Kids parties and fire hazards
We just celebrated Hương's oldest daughter's, Nhật Mai's, birthday.
The celebration was in a multilevel building narrow and long. One corner of the rectangle was devoted to stairs, another to a bathroom. The rest of each level consisted of low tables with legless benches around them and throw pillows on the benches.
We arrived and were seated at a long table on the 2nd floor which, in this place, was actually the 4th floor by my count. There was another larger square table and shorter rectangular table in our seating area as well. At first we were the only ones there, ten girls 11 1/2 to 12 1/2 years old, Hương and me.
Kids' fare was served including pasta and a kind of omelette. The signature item at this place, different kinds of milk tea with tapioca pearls, was served as well. Hương and I had also bought a birthday cake.
The girls all seemed to have a good time and later Nhật Mai told Hương this was her favorite birthday party.
While we were there the other two tables filled. Mostly girls at the large square one and boys at the smaller rectangular one.
It got quite rowdy. The kids at the other two tables were loud and running around the tables quite a bit. I was waiting for someone to crash across our table because the quarters were so tight and the kids seemed totally oblivious to the surroundings.
Then at the boys table someone broke out sparklers! That's right the kind made from metal bits that burn hot, shower sparks and have metal rods down the center. I watched with real concern as they were lit and showered sparks over everything at the table and onto the pillows as well. And once they went out a few more were offered up to keep the pyrotechnics going. I finally relaxed a bit when they all went out and no more were offered up to be lit.
Once all that was over the other girls' table started smearing the cake frosting on each other's faces and a bit on the arms. Then the boys' table started the same. Hương told me smearing cake frosting on each other's faces is something that has become quite common at kids parties.
Our table of girls didn't run around and didn't smear cake. A relief for me. I was near the maelstroms but not in them.
The celebration was in a multilevel building narrow and long. One corner of the rectangle was devoted to stairs, another to a bathroom. The rest of each level consisted of low tables with legless benches around them and throw pillows on the benches.
We arrived and were seated at a long table on the 2nd floor which, in this place, was actually the 4th floor by my count. There was another larger square table and shorter rectangular table in our seating area as well. At first we were the only ones there, ten girls 11 1/2 to 12 1/2 years old, Hương and me.
Kids' fare was served including pasta and a kind of omelette. The signature item at this place, different kinds of milk tea with tapioca pearls, was served as well. Hương and I had also bought a birthday cake.
The girls all seemed to have a good time and later Nhật Mai told Hương this was her favorite birthday party.
While we were there the other two tables filled. Mostly girls at the large square one and boys at the smaller rectangular one.
It got quite rowdy. The kids at the other two tables were loud and running around the tables quite a bit. I was waiting for someone to crash across our table because the quarters were so tight and the kids seemed totally oblivious to the surroundings.
Then at the boys table someone broke out sparklers! That's right the kind made from metal bits that burn hot, shower sparks and have metal rods down the center. I watched with real concern as they were lit and showered sparks over everything at the table and onto the pillows as well. And once they went out a few more were offered up to keep the pyrotechnics going. I finally relaxed a bit when they all went out and no more were offered up to be lit.
Once all that was over the other girls' table started smearing the cake frosting on each other's faces and a bit on the arms. Then the boys' table started the same. Hương told me smearing cake frosting on each other's faces is something that has become quite common at kids parties.
Our table of girls didn't run around and didn't smear cake. A relief for me. I was near the maelstroms but not in them.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Elevators and floors
Vietnamese floor numbering is an adjustment. A building that I would say has five stories they would call a four story building.
However... get in the elevator to go to the fifth floor, press 5 on the panel, the rooms and suites on the floor the elevator opens at will be numbered in the six hundreds!
This really threw me for a loop when visiting mẹ in the hospital. It wasn't only that I pressed 5 on the elevator panel but also when the doors opened there was a large column in front of the door with a giant shiny 6 on it.
I paused before stepping out and confirmed the floor number the elevator stopped at was 5. Very strange feeling to step out of an elevator that stopped at the fifth floor and step onto the sixth floor!
Sometimes it definitely feels as if I've taken the red pill.
However... get in the elevator to go to the fifth floor, press 5 on the panel, the rooms and suites on the floor the elevator opens at will be numbered in the six hundreds!
This really threw me for a loop when visiting mẹ in the hospital. It wasn't only that I pressed 5 on the elevator panel but also when the doors opened there was a large column in front of the door with a giant shiny 6 on it.
I paused before stepping out and confirmed the floor number the elevator stopped at was 5. Very strange feeling to step out of an elevator that stopped at the fifth floor and step onto the sixth floor!
Sometimes it definitely feels as if I've taken the red pill.
More about hospitals
The hospital mẹ is in has a design common to buildings in Vietnam. It has many vertical vents from the lowest floor to the sky to allow ventilation and help keep the interior comfortable, at least for Vietnamese.
In the case of the hospital two of the vents, one at each end, are actually large courtyards on the ground floor. The floors above are open to the sky and so have hallways that oversee the perimeter of the courtyards. Attractive open configuration actually.
The less savory features are in the details. Hương and I entered the hospital through the first floor, not the ground floor. To exit it seemed if we used the ground floor we might get more directly back to the motorbike. So down to the ground floor we went.
Walking towards the direction the bike was parked brought us through one of these large courtyards. In it I saw two cats. Cute, I like cats, but they didn't appear to be pets and besides what are cats doing in a hospital? Then I saw a rat. A big one. Big enough I thought the smaller of the two cats might actually be at risk if it tried to predate the rat. And of course I didn't think "cute" when I saw the rat. I thought "what's it doing in the hospital?"
We continued walking and came across several exit doors. All were locked from the inside with a padlock that went through flanges that had been attached to the doors after the fact. They weren't integrated into the doors, they were bolted on. I thought "fire safety hazard" and "how do people get out in an emergency?"
At this point we had to retrace our steps and go out the way we went in. Our alternate path out of the hospital was blocked.
In the case of the hospital two of the vents, one at each end, are actually large courtyards on the ground floor. The floors above are open to the sky and so have hallways that oversee the perimeter of the courtyards. Attractive open configuration actually.
The less savory features are in the details. Hương and I entered the hospital through the first floor, not the ground floor. To exit it seemed if we used the ground floor we might get more directly back to the motorbike. So down to the ground floor we went.
Walking towards the direction the bike was parked brought us through one of these large courtyards. In it I saw two cats. Cute, I like cats, but they didn't appear to be pets and besides what are cats doing in a hospital? Then I saw a rat. A big one. Big enough I thought the smaller of the two cats might actually be at risk if it tried to predate the rat. And of course I didn't think "cute" when I saw the rat. I thought "what's it doing in the hospital?"
We continued walking and came across several exit doors. All were locked from the inside with a padlock that went through flanges that had been attached to the doors after the fact. They weren't integrated into the doors, they were bolted on. I thought "fire safety hazard" and "how do people get out in an emergency?"
At this point we had to retrace our steps and go out the way we went in. Our alternate path out of the hospital was blocked.
Hospitals
Hương's oldest brother, Ban, was admitted to the hospital this past weekend. He was having shortness of breath and other issues that seemed like heart problems.
And then her mom, mẹ, got admitted Thursday.
Seems things will work out for everyone. Ban got out the day mẹ was admitted. And mẹ, even thought she asked to stay in the hospital for testing, is comfortable and expects to be out in a few days. Imagine being kept in the hospital for observation because the patient asked.
Hospitals and health care here, at least what I've been exposed to, are completely different then at home.
The hospital Ban was in is brand new and specializes in cardiac medicine. It was barren. The halls were empty. The floor he was on had wide empty halls. There was no nurses' station, no medical personnel in sight. Stepping off the elevator there was something that could have been a reception desk with nobody there. And no "stuff" around as if people were usually there and just were away at the moment. It was barren.
In the room there was no equipment on the walls, no hookups for patient monitors and no nurse call button. The bed was a heavy frame hospital bed that could raise or lower at either end but it was mechanical not electrical operation. There were no side rails to keep the patient on the bed. Plus, and seeming somewhat odd to me, the door had a key lock and the keys were in the lock on the room side of the door.
I also observed Ban getting some treatment. Someone came in to give him a shot. No gloves, didn't see an alcohol rub, didn't see a band aide applied. Knowing how we are in the US about transferring contamination, even in a doctor's office much less a hospital, this all seemed very strange to me.
Hospitals and health care here, at least what I've been exposed to, are completely different then at home.
The hospital Ban was in is brand new and specializes in cardiac medicine. It was barren. The halls were empty. The floor he was on had wide empty halls. There was no nurses' station, no medical personnel in sight. Stepping off the elevator there was something that could have been a reception desk with nobody there. And no "stuff" around as if people were usually there and just were away at the moment. It was barren.
In the room there was no equipment on the walls, no hookups for patient monitors and no nurse call button. The bed was a heavy frame hospital bed that could raise or lower at either end but it was mechanical not electrical operation. There were no side rails to keep the patient on the bed. Plus, and seeming somewhat odd to me, the door had a key lock and the keys were in the lock on the room side of the door.
I also observed Ban getting some treatment. Someone came in to give him a shot. No gloves, didn't see an alcohol rub, didn't see a band aide applied. Knowing how we are in the US about transferring contamination, even in a doctor's office much less a hospital, this all seemed very strange to me.
Mẹ's hospital was much the same in the room. The hospital's halls were much narrower though and there were plenty of patients. Some were watching TV in the hall and there was a small nurse's station at the intersection of the main hall and the hallway to mẹ's room. Me's room was a double. She asked to move to a four person room because her insurance covered that. She didn't want to pay the $17/day room charge for the double. That's right $17US/day!
Hương has also gone to the hospital on at least one of my visits and she's brought the girls for treatment of cough and fever over the year and a half we've known each other. It's pay as you go.
The hospitals Hương's been to, different from Ban and mẹ's, have had a receptionist that she pays for service. We get a receipt and only then see a doctor. However you see the doctor and get treatment quickly. I've accompanied Hương to the hospital and she's been treated and released in 30 minutes!! At home I've waited that long in the emergency room just to be seen by the receptionist so we can start waiting to be seen by a doctor.
Hương has also gone to the hospital on at least one of my visits and she's brought the girls for treatment of cough and fever over the year and a half we've known each other. It's pay as you go.
The hospitals Hương's been to, different from Ban and mẹ's, have had a receptionist that she pays for service. We get a receipt and only then see a doctor. However you see the doctor and get treatment quickly. I've accompanied Hương to the hospital and she's been treated and released in 30 minutes!! At home I've waited that long in the emergency room just to be seen by the receptionist so we can start waiting to be seen by a doctor.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Plumbing problems
The sink drains worked very slowly. One barley flowed at all. And there was a slow leak under the sink. I decided to fix things.
Sound like trouble?
First order of business disconnect all the pipes. Easy enough, hand tight plastic nuts on flexible plastic pipe.
All the seals were bunged up. Looked like whoever screwed the nuts on didn't bother to be sure the seals were seated flat on the coupling. I tried to flatten one so it would seal and hopefully not leak under the sink. Just the little twisting I did to turn it flat caused it to tear. Uh oh! Now I've decided to replace the seals rather than flatten them.
I was prepared to go out and buy replacements. Hương said she'd call the building superintendent and they'd replace the seals. She called, someone came after a bit. He said he'd be back in an hour or so. When he came back he replaced the pipes, not just the seals.
However he didn't replace one pipe. The one that almost didn't drain. (dramatic music now...)
I disconnected it and found it was almost completely plugged. So I started shaking it and a sludge sausage started working its way out. The more I shook the more came out. This was encouraging.
So I kept on shaking. More kept coming out. Then the pipe cracked. Sigh. Brittle. And now began an adventure trying to find a replacement. I walked around Ho Chi Minh for about three hours stopping in every plumbing shop I saw. A few shops had longer pipe but nothing in the needed length.
There's plenty of shops. All small or very small businesses. No one had a replacement. Hương came home and we drove to a market that specialized in tools and parts and we couldn't find anything there. Then we went to where she bought the sink and they said it couldn't be bought, they'd have to send the broken item back to the factory and a replacement could be ready in a day!
Finally we went to one of the shops that had a too long piece and bought that. I installed it and everything's draining again.
Moral of the story? In Vietnam it isn't always easy to get what you want. Your experience with Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, Joe's Plumbing, etc. gives you expectations that don't apply here, even in Vietnam's largest city.
And another thing, sellers don't offer alternatives. If they don't have it they're likely to say it can't be bought rather than suggest another shop or another solution. It's like if they aren't the solution they'll tell you there isn't one.
Sound like trouble?
First order of business disconnect all the pipes. Easy enough, hand tight plastic nuts on flexible plastic pipe.
All the seals were bunged up. Looked like whoever screwed the nuts on didn't bother to be sure the seals were seated flat on the coupling. I tried to flatten one so it would seal and hopefully not leak under the sink. Just the little twisting I did to turn it flat caused it to tear. Uh oh! Now I've decided to replace the seals rather than flatten them.
I was prepared to go out and buy replacements. Hương said she'd call the building superintendent and they'd replace the seals. She called, someone came after a bit. He said he'd be back in an hour or so. When he came back he replaced the pipes, not just the seals.
However he didn't replace one pipe. The one that almost didn't drain. (dramatic music now...)
I disconnected it and found it was almost completely plugged. So I started shaking it and a sludge sausage started working its way out. The more I shook the more came out. This was encouraging.
So I kept on shaking. More kept coming out. Then the pipe cracked. Sigh. Brittle. And now began an adventure trying to find a replacement. I walked around Ho Chi Minh for about three hours stopping in every plumbing shop I saw. A few shops had longer pipe but nothing in the needed length.
There's plenty of shops. All small or very small businesses. No one had a replacement. Hương came home and we drove to a market that specialized in tools and parts and we couldn't find anything there. Then we went to where she bought the sink and they said it couldn't be bought, they'd have to send the broken item back to the factory and a replacement could be ready in a day!
Finally we went to one of the shops that had a too long piece and bought that. I installed it and everything's draining again.
Moral of the story? In Vietnam it isn't always easy to get what you want. Your experience with Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, Joe's Plumbing, etc. gives you expectations that don't apply here, even in Vietnam's largest city.
And another thing, sellers don't offer alternatives. If they don't have it they're likely to say it can't be bought rather than suggest another shop or another solution. It's like if they aren't the solution they'll tell you there isn't one.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
The boys will be jealous!
I've ridden many miles around Ho Chi Minh City on the back of Hương's motorbike. Yesterday and today I did the driving!!!
Some of those rides, and traffic in general, have been chronicled in other posts.
Yesterday we went to Hương's brother's home in Vung Tau. It's a small island and much less traffic than in Ho Chi Minh City. We were offered a motorbike to ride around and take in the sights.
Hương let me drive without too much hesitation. I've already driven a little, from the parking garage a few hundred meters down the street to the first intersection and from a local market back to the parking garage (maybe 2 km, two right hand turns and no busy intersections).
In Vung Tau I drove us around the whole island. Around a 40 minute drive. Plus about 15 or 20 minutes driving around her brother's neighborhood.
Today I drove in the big show, in Ho Chi Minh City! And for about 10 - 15 km in busy traffic. Not rush hour but actual normal daily traffic. Hương didn't scream once the whole trip and actually said I'm ready for my Vietnamese motorbike license. Oh yeah.
Of course three months learning the ins and outs behind Hương and baby steps driving the bike short distances at quiet times made it all possible. I'd have been road kill if I tried such serious driving much before today.
Eating better than ever
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| mmm... breakfast - phở bò (beef soup) |
Meals nearly always include rice in one form or another, plain, noodles, a cake or paste. Then fresh meat, as in never frozen or refrigerated, most often pork followed by fish, beef and chicken. Then any of a variety of dark green vegetables. The vegetables are often boiled or softened by simmering in a hot pan with vegetable oil and then served alone or they are combined with carrots and potato or tarot and some meat in a soup. Greens are also served uncooked on a plate to pick from. If the green has a large leaf then it may b,e used as a wrapper for the other items on the table.
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| lunch - spiciest meal I've had, curry in this one |
I like pretty much everything I've had every trip here. This is the first repeated exposure to home cooking and it's very good.
Sweet desserts or cakes are not served very often. And they aren't laying around on the shelves at home to pick up and snack on. The sweet desserts I've had are mostly some variety of che dau trang. Sweet, sticky (glutinous) rice, cooked with coconut milk and various kinds of beans. Several different individual sized servings are presented and you pick the one you want to eat. Of course I've been offered a taste of all the ones I didn't pick and they have all been very good.
Dinner itself is put on the table with each dish in an individual bowl or plate. Each diner gets a small bowl, maybe 3/4 of a cup, that's filled with white rice. Then you pick a bit of food from one of the common serving bowls, move it to your bowl of rice or just hover it over your bowl and then bring to your mouth. There is no portioning of servings to each diner. Basically each mouthful goes from common plate to your rice bowl to your mouth.
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| dinner - fish, beet leaves, cucumber, scallop spring rolls, soup |
I've read that one way to reduce what you eat is to use small dinner plates. It seems to me the small bowl for rice and single mouthfuls carried over from serving dish to rice bowl to mouth have the same effect. At least I find I feel full and am not stuffing myself and believe I'm eating less than I would normally or at least fewer calories. We're not eating any processed foods.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Takes a licking, keeps on clicking
Today, getting out of a cab in Vung Tau, I dropped it. Or I should say it fell off my neck. Don't know how, the strap has been very secure, or so it seemed. Today, when I climbed out of the cab it fell from my neck. So it hit the pavement from about waist height.
I imagined disaster. Fractured or at "best" misaligned lens elements and no more pictures. Or perhaps the camera wouldn't even turn on. Happy to say it seems to be working fine.
On inspection I found both ends of the strap came free from the camera body! Have no idea how that could have happened. And seems it would be impossible for them both to come free at the same time, but they did.
The lens is surrounded by a metal barrel and the end of that where the lens telescopes in and out when turned on or zoomed has been deformed. It is now slightly oval shaped. It isn't so oval to keep the lens from moving in and out. And the lens doesn't scrape against it while moving.
I found all the pieces of the strap that came free on the ground where I stepped out of the cab. Refastened the ends of the strap to the camera and all seems well again.
Very glad that I'm not replacing my camera yet.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Forest pig for dinner
A friend of my wife, Linh, and her husband, Ket, invited us to dinner. Linh helped keep Huong sane while preparing for the marriage party back in July.
I got to know Linh a bit through emails we exchanged about preparing for the party. I also sent her a few pictures of Huong in the USA which Linh got included in the slide show played at the marriage party.
When I heard we would have a small forest pig for dinner I imagined a pig served on a platter at the table.
We were seated and I missed a photo I really wish I'd gotten. At the far end of the table a small scale was placed on the floor. And then a sack was laid on the scale so Linh could read the weight. Up to this point I was only peripherally aware this was going on. Then the sack moved and caught my attention! Seems there was a live forest pig in the sack and it was about to become dinner!
The sack and scale disappeared before I gathered my wits and thought to take a picture. My bad.
When the first serving of pig came to the table it was steamed meat served with lemon grass, ginger and a leafy green. So no pig on a platter to photograph. After the steamed meat came liver and sausage from the small intestine. That was followed with grilled meat and finally soup containing bone with meat on it.
I have to say, just like every other wild animal I've ever eaten, the pork was gamy and not a flavor I enjoy. On the other hand, and much to my surprise, the intestine and liver were very tasty. And the soup was good as well. For some reason the meat in the soup didn't have the same gamy flavor as the boiled or the grilled meat.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
a familiar mascot
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| a gecko in the house |
The Geico mascot is very visible in Vietnam. Every hotel and home I've been in has had one or more as a guest. Usually seen in the morning or evening they quietly scramble along the ceiling, floor or walls looking for whatever is their prey.
I do wonder what they're eating. That's because there's an obvious lack of insects everywhere I've been. Now I'm sure they must be somewhere but I hardly see any.
Food and fruit left out on the table at home doesn't attract a swarm of small flies. There's no bugs around the trash can. The rubbish on the streets isn't attracting swarms of bugs. I don't attract mosquitoes even though this is a warm humid place with plenty of water.
At this point I've spent a total of three months in Vietnam, all within the last year. This lack of bugs is very apparent, totally unexpected, and I have no idea yet why this is so.
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
The traffic dance
As ever traffic here continues to fascinate me. This video is from my July trip with my two youngest boys. If you're feeling mellow and want to vege out for less then a minute now's the time to sit back, relax and enjoy the dance.
No stoplights. Motorbikes, cars, trucks, buses and pedestrians just merging with one another at a traffic circle in a continuous ballet. Almost no one comes to a full stop.
No stoplights. Motorbikes, cars, trucks, buses and pedestrians just merging with one another at a traffic circle in a continuous ballet. Almost no one comes to a full stop.
Monday, October 1, 2012
It's wet, live with it...
I got caught out in the rain with my wife yesterday while shopping for a laser printer. Or rather I should say it rained while we were out, since it is the end of the rainy season and there's not really much question whether you'll be out in the rain at some point!
People here don't seem to react much to it. If someone doesn't have a poncho or some other covering they simply continue about what they're doing much as if it wasn't raining. They might hunch their shoulders a little but, unlike general reaction in the US, they don't hold things above their heads, sprint for the nearest doorway or in other ways display an aversion to being wet as would happen at home.
And while we were in the store shopping I saw some people come in pretty drenched. Not one went through the shaking/shuddering routine to get the water off. They just walked into the store and began shopping, trailing little puddles in each step behind them.
I guess it's one of the adaptations to living here. You're going to get wet, so just carry on.
People here don't seem to react much to it. If someone doesn't have a poncho or some other covering they simply continue about what they're doing much as if it wasn't raining. They might hunch their shoulders a little but, unlike general reaction in the US, they don't hold things above their heads, sprint for the nearest doorway or in other ways display an aversion to being wet as would happen at home.
And while we were in the store shopping I saw some people come in pretty drenched. Not one went through the shaking/shuddering routine to get the water off. They just walked into the store and began shopping, trailing little puddles in each step behind them.
I guess it's one of the adaptations to living here. You're going to get wet, so just carry on.
Traveling with two boys...
My two youngest boys were in Vietnam with me a few months ago during summer break.
We came here for my marriage party and so the boys could get a glimpse of the land their mom was born and grew up in. They said they enjoyed the trip.
My plan was to spend time in Ho Chi Minh City, Vinpearl Island, Ha Long Bay, Ha Noi, Dong Hoi and back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Dong Hoi would give us a base to visit Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and see the caves there. We went to Carlsbad last year and really enjoyed it. The Phong Nha caves are even bigger and are seen by boat. The caves were carved through mountains by a large river.
By the time we reached Dong Hoi the boys, who really suffered a lot from jet lag, decided they "have seen enough caves" so plans changed. We just enjoyed the beach resort hotel in Dong Hoi and took a respite from traveling around Vietnam.
After Dong Hoi we went back to HCM, a day trip to Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple, a free day in HCM and then back to the USA.
We came here for my marriage party and so the boys could get a glimpse of the land their mom was born and grew up in. They said they enjoyed the trip.
My plan was to spend time in Ho Chi Minh City, Vinpearl Island, Ha Long Bay, Ha Noi, Dong Hoi and back to Ho Chi Minh City.
Dong Hoi would give us a base to visit Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park and see the caves there. We went to Carlsbad last year and really enjoyed it. The Phong Nha caves are even bigger and are seen by boat. The caves were carved through mountains by a large river.
By the time we reached Dong Hoi the boys, who really suffered a lot from jet lag, decided they "have seen enough caves" so plans changed. We just enjoyed the beach resort hotel in Dong Hoi and took a respite from traveling around Vietnam.
After Dong Hoi we went back to HCM, a day trip to Cu Chi Tunnels and Cao Dai Temple, a free day in HCM and then back to the USA.
Vietnam home life
I'm back in Vietnam again. This time I'm staying with my wife in her home. It's our first opportunity to spend some serious time together. And my first opportunity to gain direct experience with day-to-day differences between living in the US and in Vietnam.
One thing that we've done is stop to see the local police. We needed to register the fact that I'm staying in her home. There's something called a "resident book" and it needs to be updated with who's living in the home.
Of course it seems unusual to me that one needs to register with the police where they are living. In some ways it seems a bit threatening to have to inform the local police force where you are. On the other hand, in the US, the police could certainly find my home address if they felt the need.
This feels very different. And I certainly feel "reporting to the police" chafes at me.
One thing that we've done is stop to see the local police. We needed to register the fact that I'm staying in her home. There's something called a "resident book" and it needs to be updated with who's living in the home.
Of course it seems unusual to me that one needs to register with the police where they are living. In some ways it seems a bit threatening to have to inform the local police force where you are. On the other hand, in the US, the police could certainly find my home address if they felt the need.
This feels very different. And I certainly feel "reporting to the police" chafes at me.
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