10 Things I'll Miss About Vietnam
Here I sit, in a mostly empty apartment in Singapore, waiting for the next batch of furniture to show up. It's glorious outside -- a bit overcast, but massive, ivy-covered trees block most of my view of the sky from the living room window. It's quiet, there's green all around, the air filtering in through the screen door feels just right and if I choose to take a shower (which I will, at some point, today), I can do so without feeling like I'm in a vertical MRI scanner; unlike our house in Saigon, these bathrooms have big rain showers, with plenty of room to maneuver.
Despite all of that, I must admit: There are things I will miss about Vietnam. I spent 23 months in the darn place, and so it's natural -- natural that I would feel an attachment, natural that it would get under my skin a little. It's a filthy, crazy place. But maybe that's what's so great about it. It's different from what we Westerners have all grown up with. And that makes for a colorful experience, every day, full stop. I won't miss the lack of sidewalk space, or the pushing, or the construction at every turn, but I will miss:
1. Having a maid. First it was Tuan, then it was Yen (aka 'The Bull). Neither was particularly impressive at their job. We never asked them to cook or do washing, so their list of chores was short. But that didn't prevent them from slacking. If anything, our lack of requests probably made them more complacent. We obviously came off as 'easy.' But for $50/month ... who are we to complain? Tuan, always smiling. Yen, always crashing into things (hence, 'The Bull'). Neither capable of speaking a lick of English. Their presence was always interesting.
2. The grilled squid. I don't know what it is about the squid in Vietnam. Squid, one would think, is squid. But in Vietnam, it just tastes different. When it's grilled, there's a texture to it, and a smokiness to it, that can't be beat or even described. Add a little chili salt and lime juice and you're away.
3. Cheap beer. Not many places in the world you can sit for a couple hours drinking and walk out with practically the same amount of money you went in with. Happened to me again last week. Had about five beers at a slick new bar called Phatty's. Bill came and showed I owed 60VND -- or, about 4 bones. Highway robbery.
4. Cheap massages. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to partake much the past year. With a herniated disc, the idea of laying flat -- on your back or stomach -- is about as appealing as a knife down the leg. But a good head massage / shampoo is doable. You're sitting. At Quynh Salon, in District 2, that means 30 minutes of pure bliss. It ain't free, of course. But at 5 bills, it ain't far from it, either.
5. 'The gym.' NTFQ2. The best health club in Vietnam. Claire's second home. My watering hole. (Well, one of them, at least). If it wasn't for this hangout, just a stone's throw from our house, I don't know what we would've done. We never tired of wandering over to 'the gym,' to have a cup of coffee, work out, or just kick it with Jim and Nicole, the club's owners. Salmon fishcakes and won ton soup, we will miss you, too.
6. The food, in general. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I could eat Vietnamese food every day. Not just grilled squid, either. Fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce. Beef in lot leaves. Pho ga. Che (sweet dessert soup). Anything with coconut juice or milk. Bring it. All of it. Then bring some more.
7. The color. One thing you can't deny about Vietnam: There's no shortage of this. Any district, any time of day, there's always something to feast your eyes on. Motorbikes piled high with chickens. Women in ao dais and facemasks. Open markets. Kids playing badminton. Buses blaring. Clothes hanging from balconies. What ever. It's a photo opp every second.
8. Coastal motorbike rides. Take Highway 1 to Phan Thiet, but stop just short of town. Take a side road that crests a ridge peppered with Eucalyptus trees and drops down to the beach. Bank right. Head straight for about 30 kilometers, toward Ke Ga's lighthouse. The South China Sea all along your left. Little hamlets of blue and green and orange huts every few miles. Hardly anyone else on the road. Ocean breeze in your hair. As the man in those Old Milwaukee commercials used to say, It doesn't get any better than this.
9. Proximity to Dalat. Okay, maybe it does get better than that road to Ke Ga. But only just barely. And only in my opinion. In Dalat, just a 40-minute flight from Ho Chi Minh, you have the country's best temps, best golf course, best hotels and best town, all at your finger tips. And if you like kayaking, mountain biking or hiking, this is the place to do that, as well. We spent about a week here at Christmas. If we never do that again, it'll be a shame.
10. Expat friends. This is the big one. The aspect of our Vietnam adventure that, for some reason, I never saw coming. The amount of people we met in Vietnam from all over the world. From now until the days we die, we'll have friends in every corner of the earth. Friends we can go and see and hang out with, have dinner with. Germany, France, Denmark, Hong Kong and, of course, Vietnam. Here's Claire and gals, at our 'Going-Away Party':
Despite all of that, I must admit: There are things I will miss about Vietnam. I spent 23 months in the darn place, and so it's natural -- natural that I would feel an attachment, natural that it would get under my skin a little. It's a filthy, crazy place. But maybe that's what's so great about it. It's different from what we Westerners have all grown up with. And that makes for a colorful experience, every day, full stop. I won't miss the lack of sidewalk space, or the pushing, or the construction at every turn, but I will miss:
1. Having a maid. First it was Tuan, then it was Yen (aka 'The Bull). Neither was particularly impressive at their job. We never asked them to cook or do washing, so their list of chores was short. But that didn't prevent them from slacking. If anything, our lack of requests probably made them more complacent. We obviously came off as 'easy.' But for $50/month ... who are we to complain? Tuan, always smiling. Yen, always crashing into things (hence, 'The Bull'). Neither capable of speaking a lick of English. Their presence was always interesting.
2. The grilled squid. I don't know what it is about the squid in Vietnam. Squid, one would think, is squid. But in Vietnam, it just tastes different. When it's grilled, there's a texture to it, and a smokiness to it, that can't be beat or even described. Add a little chili salt and lime juice and you're away.
3. Cheap beer. Not many places in the world you can sit for a couple hours drinking and walk out with practically the same amount of money you went in with. Happened to me again last week. Had about five beers at a slick new bar called Phatty's. Bill came and showed I owed 60VND -- or, about 4 bones. Highway robbery.
4. Cheap massages. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to partake much the past year. With a herniated disc, the idea of laying flat -- on your back or stomach -- is about as appealing as a knife down the leg. But a good head massage / shampoo is doable. You're sitting. At Quynh Salon, in District 2, that means 30 minutes of pure bliss. It ain't free, of course. But at 5 bills, it ain't far from it, either.
5. 'The gym.' NTFQ2. The best health club in Vietnam. Claire's second home. My watering hole. (Well, one of them, at least). If it wasn't for this hangout, just a stone's throw from our house, I don't know what we would've done. We never tired of wandering over to 'the gym,' to have a cup of coffee, work out, or just kick it with Jim and Nicole, the club's owners. Salmon fishcakes and won ton soup, we will miss you, too.
6. The food, in general. I've said it before and I'll say it again: I could eat Vietnamese food every day. Not just grilled squid, either. Fresh spring rolls with peanut sauce. Beef in lot leaves. Pho ga. Che (sweet dessert soup). Anything with coconut juice or milk. Bring it. All of it. Then bring some more.
7. The color. One thing you can't deny about Vietnam: There's no shortage of this. Any district, any time of day, there's always something to feast your eyes on. Motorbikes piled high with chickens. Women in ao dais and facemasks. Open markets. Kids playing badminton. Buses blaring. Clothes hanging from balconies. What ever. It's a photo opp every second.
8. Coastal motorbike rides. Take Highway 1 to Phan Thiet, but stop just short of town. Take a side road that crests a ridge peppered with Eucalyptus trees and drops down to the beach. Bank right. Head straight for about 30 kilometers, toward Ke Ga's lighthouse. The South China Sea all along your left. Little hamlets of blue and green and orange huts every few miles. Hardly anyone else on the road. Ocean breeze in your hair. As the man in those Old Milwaukee commercials used to say, It doesn't get any better than this.
9. Proximity to Dalat. Okay, maybe it does get better than that road to Ke Ga. But only just barely. And only in my opinion. In Dalat, just a 40-minute flight from Ho Chi Minh, you have the country's best temps, best golf course, best hotels and best town, all at your finger tips. And if you like kayaking, mountain biking or hiking, this is the place to do that, as well. We spent about a week here at Christmas. If we never do that again, it'll be a shame.
10. Expat friends. This is the big one. The aspect of our Vietnam adventure that, for some reason, I never saw coming. The amount of people we met in Vietnam from all over the world. From now until the days we die, we'll have friends in every corner of the earth. Friends we can go and see and hang out with, have dinner with. Germany, France, Denmark, Hong Kong and, of course, Vietnam. Here's Claire and gals, at our 'Going-Away Party':
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